t expect to return to South America, do you? The price is still
offered, you know."

King was glaring at him in sheer wonder. Here was an episode in his life
that he fondly hoped might never come to light; he knew how it would
disturb his mother. And this foxy old fellow away off here in Graustark
knew all about it.

"Well, you're a wonder!" in pure admiration.

"An appreciated compliment, I assure you. This is all in the way of
letting you know that we have found out something concerning your
movements. Now, to come down to the present. You expected to leave
to-morrow. Why are you staying over?"

"Baron, I leave that to your own distinguished powers of deduction,"
said Truxton gently. He took a long pull at the straw, watching the
other's face as he did so. The Baron smiled.

"You have found the young lady to be very attractive," observed the
Baron. "Where have you known her before?"

"I beg pardon?"

"It is not unusual for a young man in search of adventure to follow the
lady of his choice from place to place. She came but recently, I
recall."

"You think I knew her before and followed her to Edelweiss?"

"I am not quite sure whether you have been in Warsaw lately. There is a
gap in your movements that I can't account for."

King became serious at once. He saw that it was best to be frank with
this keen old man.

"Baron Dangloss, I don't know just what you are driving at, but I'll
set you straight so far as I'm concerned. I never saw that girl until
the day before yesterday. I never spoke to her until to-day."

"She smiled on you quite familiarly from her window casement
_yesterday_," said Dangloss coolly.

"She laughed at me, to be perfectly candid. But what's all this about?
Who is she? What's the game? I don't mind confessing that I have a
feeling she is not what she claims to be, but that's as far as I've
got."

Dangloss studied the young man's face for a moment and then came to a
sudden decision. He leaned forward and smiled sourly.

"Take my advice: do not play with fire," he said enigmatically.

"You--you mean she's a dangerous person? I can't believe that, Baron."

"She has dangerous friends out in the world. I don't mean to say she
will cause you any trouble here--but there is a hereafter. Mind you, I'm
not saying she isn't a good girl, or even an adventuress. On the
contrary, she comes of an excellent family--in fact, there were noblemen
among them a generation or two ago. You know her