ined her.

"Ah, that is better, Miss Vernon," he cried. "Glad to find you in good
spirits,--'Hail, smiling morn,' and that sort of thing, eh, what?"

"Why are you deserting Alec--the King--to-day?" she asked. "I thought
you two were inseparable. And please enlighten me, Lord Adalbert, as to
the correct way of alluding to royalty. Alec is every inch a King, of
course; but I find my tongue tripping every time I use his title."

Beaumanoir seemed to weigh the point. "You are experiencing the same
difficulty as the sailor who acted as billiard marker in the naval mess
at Portsmouth," he said. "One evening the Prince of Wales came in to
play pool, and Jack whispered to the mess president, 'Beg pardon, sir,
but am I to call 'im Yer R'yal 'Ighness or Spot Yaller?'"

Joan shrieked at that, and the sound of her mirth brought Princess
Delgrado to them.

"You are cheerful this morning, Joan," she said.

Her ready use of the girl's Christian name would have told Felix, if he
had been present, that Alec's mother did not by any means share her
husband's views as to the impossibility of a marriage between her son
and this bright faced American. At any rate, Joan's cheeks glowed, and
there was more than convention in the kiss the two women exchanged, each
moved, as it were, by a spontaneous liking for the other.

"It is impossible to be other than cheerful in Lord Adalbert's company,"
said Joan. "Even yesterday, when bullets were showering in through the
windows of that wretched hotel, he made game of them."

"So I did,--shouted 'Mark cock' when the first low one flew across. By
gad! that's rather clever of you, Miss Vernon," he grinned.

"I don't know how either of you can find it in your heart to jest about
that dreadful adventure," said the Princess. "I lay awake for hours last
night thinking of what might have happened if that man Bosko had not
managed to get away and warn General Stampoff."

"By the way, what became of the waiter Felix sent here from the hotel?"
mused Joan aloud. "I forgot to ask him. Surely the man came and spoke to
some one?"

"Oh, yes, Prince Michael met him and questioned him. Then Monsieur
Nesimir took him in hand; but long before either of them could make up
their minds that he was speaking the truth Bosko was clear of the mob
and Stampoff was bringing his hussars from the War Ministry."

The Princess spoke hurriedly, and the younger people were quick to
perceive a slight restraint in her words.