said, "But it need not be a pretext, sire. Since I
must leave Your Highness, permit me, then, to find my mission, and one
in which I can still serve my sovereign, though in spite of himself."

Imperceptibly Maximilian fell under the spell of the old fawning.

"And what mission could that be, my good friend?"

"To feel the Austrian pulse, sire. To know when the time is ripe, to
hasten the time----"

"The time for what?"

"For Your Majesty's return. Even now the unpopularity of His Imperial
Highness, Franz----"

"Eloin!" Maximilian stopped him sharply. But he could not hide the flash
of his own blue eyes.

"What would Your Majesty? In Vienna, in Budapest, in your own Venetia,
sire, they long for you; at least as regent till the crown prince shall
come of age. Would you rebuke them also, as you do me?"

Charlotte stared at the Belgian in amazement and distrust. He had only
just warned her how Jacqueline had kindled Maximilian's Austrian hopes
in order to get him out of Mexico, and here he was borrowing that
woman's guile. And here was Maximilian, too, softening under the
enervating blandishment, softening behind his frowns for the officious
meddler.

"There, there, Eloin," he said, "you know that I must be inexorable. But
in the Journal Officiel it will appear that you are gone on a secret
mission, though you have no mission at all. None at all, do you
understand, sir?"

Eloin protested that he understood.

"None," repeated the Emperor, "except to win back my confidence. When
you have taken leave of Her Majesty, you may come to my cabinet to bid
me farewell."

As Maximilian left them, Charlotte turned on the favorite. "Indeed,
Monsieur Eloin?" she said in utter scorn.

"But, Your Majesty----"

"Is Napoleon, then, so liberal a paymaster?"

"Your Majesty!" and in genuine distress the courtier hurried on. "If you
would listen, Madame! 'Tis true that Jeanne d'Aumerle has found the
surest lever to pry His Highness out of Mexico----"

"So good a lever, that you would use it too, to topple over my throne."

"Not so, Madame. It's a cunning lever, yes; but _I_ shall use
another fulcrum."

"Really, monsieur, if I were in the mood for riddles and such pretty
trifles, I'd ask you to favor Us with a chansonnette."

"But this is as plain as day. First, our little intrigante knows that if
His Majesty tries for the Austrian throne, he must leave Mexico.
_That_ is her lever to move him. But suppose we shift it to m