itively staggering! Why," with a sudden burst of
his unquenchable buoyancy, "we might have been married two years ago and
saved all this trouble. Just think of it!"

She smiled. "I do like you," she said warmly, giving him her hand. He
kissed it gallantly and stepped back--resolutely.

"That's something," he said with his humblest, most conquering smile.

"You won't leave me to my fate because you think I'm going to
marry--some one else?"

He grew very sober. "Miss Tullis, you and I have one chance in a
thousand. You may as well know the truth."

"Oh, I can't bear the thought of that dreadful old man," she cried,
abject distress in her eyes.

He gritted his teeth and turned away. She went back to the corner, dully
rearranging the coat he had given her for comfort. She handled it with a
tenderness that would have astonished the garment had it been capable of
understanding. For a long time she watched him in silence as he paced to
and fro like a caged lion. Twice she heard him mutter: "An American
girl--good Lord," and she found herself smiling to herself--the strange,
vagrant smile that comes of wonder and self-gratification.

Late in the afternoon--long hours in which they had spoken to each other
with curious infrequency, each a prey to sombre thoughts--their door was
unlocked and Anna Cromer appeared before them, accompanied by two of the
men. Crisply she commanded the girl to come forth; she wanted to talk
with her.

She was in the outer room for the better part of an hour, listening to
Anna Cromer and Madame Drovnask, who dinned the praises of the great
Count Marlanx into her ears until she was ready to scream. They bathed
the girl's face and brushed her hair and freshened her garments. It
occurred to her that she was being prepared for a visit of the
redoubtable Marlanx himself, and put the question plainly.

"No," said Anna Cromer. "He's not coming here. You are going to him. He
will not be Count Marlanx after to-morrow, but Citizen Marlanx--one of
the people, one of us. Ah, he is a big man to do this."

Little did they know Marlanx!

"Julius and Peter will come for you to-night," said Madame Drovnask,
with an evil, suggestive smile. "We will not be here to say farewell,
but, my dear, you will be one of us before--well, before many days have
passed."

Truxton was beginning to tremble with the fear that she would not be
returned to their room, when the door was opened and she came in--most
gladly, he