dear Mr. Spantz," he hastened to say, as if a defence were
necessary, "please don't get it into your head that I'm thinking ill of
the Prince. I daresay he's a fine little chap and I'm sorry
he's--er--lost his parents."

Spantz laughed, a soft, mirthless gurgle that caused Truxton to wonder
why he had made the effort at all. "I imagine His Serene Highness has
little to fear from any American," he said quietly. "He has been taught
to love and respect the men of his father's land. He loves America quite
as dearly as he loves Graustark." Despite the seeming sincerity of the
remark, Truxton was vaguely conscious that a peculiar harshness had
crept into the other's voice. He glanced sharply at the old man's face.
For the first time he noticed something sinister--yes, evil--in the
leathery countenance; a stealthiness in the hard smile that seemed to
transform it at once into a pronounced leer. Like a flash there darted
into the American's active brain a conviction that there could be no
common relationship between this flinty old man and the delicate,
refined girl he had seen in the shop. Now he recalled the fact that her
dark eyes had a look of sadness and dejection in their depths, and that
her face was peculiarly white and unsmiling.

Spantz was eyeing him narrowly. "You do not appear interested in our
royal family," he ventured coldly.

Truxton hastened to assure him that he was keenly interested. Especially
so, now that I appreciate that the little Prince is the last of his
race."

"There are three regents, sir, in charge of the affairs of state--Count
Halfont, the Duke of Perse and Baron Jasto Dangloss, who is minister of
police. Count Halfont is a granduncle of the Prince, by marriage. The
Duke of Perse is the father of the unhappy Countess Ingomede, the young
and beautiful wife of the exiled "Iron Count" Marlanx. No doubt you've
heard of him."

"I've read something about him. Sort of a gay old bounder, wasn't he?
Seems to me I recall the stories that were printed about him a few years
ago. I remember that he was banished from the principality and his
estates seized by the Crown."

"Quite true, sir. He was banished in 1901 and now resides on his
estates in Austria. Three years ago, in Buda Pesth, he was married to
Ingomede, the daughter of the Duke. Count Marlanx has great influence at
the Austrian court. Despite the fact that he is a despised and
discredited man in his own country, he still is a power among pe