on extremely difficult. And I do not think that you had any excuse
for it."

The Prime Minister had never seen the King so disturbed and agitated. He
moved quickly up and down the room beating the air with his hands; and
when his minister endeavored to put in a word he threw him off
impatiently, almost refusing to hear him.

"No," he said, "no, you had better leave me! With the Prince I must make
my peace as best I can. With you I no longer intend peace; it has become
impossible! I have my material; and now my mind is made up, and I mean
to use it! Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, you can go!"

And thereupon they parted.

V

Max was far gentler to his father than the King could have hoped. They
did not meet till the next day; and for the first time in his life the
King found him utterly cast down and dejected.

"Oh, do not blame yourself," he said in answer to his parent's
explanations and apologies; "I do not suppose that what you have done
makes any real difference. I have spent my life despising convention,
occasionally defying it, and now it has overthrown me. Yes, sir, that is
the true solvent of the situation; my morals have been weighed in the
balance and found wanting."

"Dear me," said his father, "is that so? Well, well!" and he sighed.

"Of course, sir, I cannot expect you to be sorry about it."

"I am sorry, my dear boy--very sorry. Don't think because I have still
to be King that I have not the feelings of a father. Ah, if you only
knew how hard I have tried to get out of it all, you would believe what
I say."

"Out of what?"

"Being King at all. Yes, Max, I have yet another confession to make; I
meant to conceal it from you, but now I would rather that you knew.
Perhaps you will think it wasn't quite fair; I intended to leave the
responsibility of all this to you; and--well, it so happens that when
you asked me I had determined to abdicate."

Max opened his eyes.

"I actually did abdicate. And then the bomb came, and that made it
impossible. And so--here I still am; and that is how you got my
consent!"

"You abdicated?"

"Yes, my boy, I really did. And if that bomb had not happened I should
have been off the throne and you would have been on it. So now, Max, I
am going to tell you everything." And he did, from beginning to end.

And when it came to giving Max the actual proof, he got up and unlocked
a drawer, and handed out of it the shard and the four films for him to
look at.

"Take a m