'King' means the Man Who
Can--and I thought you could do it!" He paused only to draw a long
breath, then hastened on again. "Yes, your task is thankless. Your
Principality is small, but it is a keystone in Europe's arch. It is such
Princelings as you who must send clean blood down to the thrones of
to-morrow.... Is that not enough?... Have I built a King, day by day,
year by year, idea by idea, only to see him wither and crumple under the
first blast? Go on with your task, in God's name! Probably they will
murder you ... assassination may at the end be your reward, but only the
coward fears the outcome! For God's sake, Karyl, don't desert me under
fire!"

He paused with a gesture eloquent of appeal. When next he spoke his
voice was slow, deliberate.

"And the other picture! The cafe tables of Paris are crowded with
Royalty that has been; with the miserable children of conquered and
abdicated Kings!"

The King dropped exhaustedly to the bench, his fore-arms on his knees,
his gloved fingers hanging limp. After a moment he rose again and went
to Cara.

"I want to fight for you," he said simply. "I want to free you
first--then fight for you."

"Karyl," she answered gently, "if you do _this_, you will enslave my
soul, and my imprisonment will be only harder. You will make me a
wrecker of governments--a traitor to my duty."

The King turned and looked out to sea.

"I must think," he said in a tired voice. "Perhaps it is only a matter
of time. Delgado is free. Perhaps I shall not have to present him with
my throne. Conceivably he may come and take it."

Von Ritz approached again and took Karyl's hand. To him a King was, at
last analysis, only the best product of the King-maker's craft. He was a
King-maker--before him stood a tired boy whom he loved.

"You will fight," he said, "and you will fight with hell's fury. The
first step will be to recapture this Pretender. With him in hand--"

"Which is in itself impossible," retorted Karyl.

At the window appeared the young Captain who had been left at the hotel.
His hand was at his forehead in salute. Von Ritz went to meet him and in
a moment returned for Benton. Together the two men went out. Five
minutes later they had come again into the garden. With them came Manuel
Blanco.

The bull fighter paused to bow low to the Queen, then to the King. At
last he spoke with some diffidence.

"I have taken the very great liberty," he said, "of making the Duke
Louis Delgado