de,
where they were joined by the Lesser Service of Honor. Thus, swelling by
cumulative degrees of impressiveness, Trooper Driscoll came at last into
the Sala de Audiencias, and gazed with admiration at its beautiful
Gobelin suite.

The Emperor was there, tall, white browed, refined. He bowed. Driscoll
bowed, and started toward him, for they were scarcely in speaking
distance. But His Imperial Highness bowed again. He was absent-minded,
evidently, but Driscoll bowed also, and pretended not to notice. Then
yet a third time the monarch bowed. And with true courtesy the American
overlooked what was growing ridiculous, and did likewise. Thus the
ritualistic three obeisances were accomplished.

Maximilian dismissed the Lesser Service, and he and his guest were
alone. Now Driscoll supposed, considering the discommoding interest his
mission had awakened in everybody except in the Emperor, that the
Emperor himself would this time be concerned enough to "get down to
business." But not so. There were yet the formalities.

"I understand, Senor Embajador," Maximilian began in the language of his
court, "that Your Excellency----"

"Thank you, sir, but my name is Driscoll."

"That Your Excellency comes accredited from a government that no longer
exists. But We will waive that, since the said power existed at the
moment of Your Excellency's departure."

This was to harmonize the absurdity with the Ritual. Maximilian liked to
play at receiving an American representative. It grieved him sorely that
the United States had never recognized his dignity, but that it had
consistently rated him as merely "the Prince Maximilian."

Driscoll's first words cut short the make-believe.

"You'd hardly call them credentials," he said. "Our president, it is
true, helped me on my way, but I have nothing from him to you. And yet I
bring more than Mr. Jefferson Davis could send. Here," and he produced
the memorandum from the Confederate generals of the Trans-Mississippi
department, which in his belt Jacqueline had had restored to him with
his other effects.

Maximilian took the note handed him, but stared at the emissary.
Charlotte had induced the monarch to grant the audience. She had hinted
at its importance, but not until now did Maximilian recognize his guest.
Driscoll was attired in the full uniform of a lieutenant colonel of
cavalry, which, by the way, was what he had carried so jealously in the
bundle behind his saddle. From the dignifie