M. Puaux," said Miss
Braithwaite. Not with sympathy. She hated tutors.

"Not at all," said the unhappy young man, testing the eye to discover if
he could see through it. "I am sure His Royal Highness meant no harm."
M. Puaux went out, with his handkerchief to his eye. He turned at the
door and bowed, but as no one was paying any attention to him, he made
two bows. One was to Hedwig's picture.

While Oskar, his valet, put the Crown Prince into riding-clothes, Nikky
and Miss Braithwaite had a talk. Nikky was the only person to whom Miss
Braithwaite really unbent. Once he had written to a friend of his in
China, and secured for her a large box of the best China tea. Miss
Braithwaite only brewed it when the Archduchess made one of her rare
visits to the Crown Prince's apartment.

But just now their talk was very serious. It began by Nikky's stating
that she was likely to see him a great deal now, and he hoped she would
not find him in the way. He had been made aide-de-camp to the Crown
Prince, vice Count Lussin, who had resigned on account of illness,
having been roused at daybreak out of a healthy sleep to do it.

Not that Nikky said just that. What he really observed was: "The King
sent for me last night, Miss Braithwaite, and--and asked me to hang
around."

Thus Nikky, of his sacred trust! None the less sacred to him, either,
that he spoke lightly. He glanced up at the crossed swords, and his eyes
were hard.

And Miss Braithwaite knew. She reached over and put a hand on his arm.
"You and I," she said. "Out of all the people in this palace, only you
and I! The Archduchess hates him. I see it in her eyes. She can never
forgive him for keeping the throne from Hedwig. The Court? Do they
ever think of the boy, except to dread his minority, with Mettlich in
control? A long period of mourning, a regency, no balls, no gayety that
is all they think of. And whom can we trust? The very guards down below,
the sentries at our doors, how do we know they are loyal?"

"The people love him," said Nikky doggedly.

"The people! Sheep. I do not trust the people. I do not trust any one. I
watch, but what can I do? The very food we eat--"

"He is coming," said Nikky softly. And fell to whistling under his
breath.

Together Nikky and Prince Ferdinand William Otto went out and down the
great marble staircase. Sentries saluted. Two flunkies in scarlet
and gold threw open the doors. A stray dog that had wandered into the
courtyard w