the rocks
behind the houses of the foreground, with a dark belt of ancient wall
circling the lower town and upper town, and finishing at the top with
fortifications marvellous enough for a dream. In the near background
were green hills; but beyond, towered desolate grey mountains crowned
with dazzling snow, and on their rugged faces was scored a tracery of
white lines seemingly scratched in the rock. I knew that they must mean
the twistings of a road, up and up to the junction of mountain and sky,
but the wall of grey rock looked so sheer, so nearly perpendicular, that
it was impossible to imagine horses, or even automobiles mounting there.

In my interest and wonder as to whether we had arrived at Cattaro
already I had forgotten my injuries for the moment, until I was reminded
of them by Aunt Kathryn's voice.

"It's Cattaro," she called through the door. "Let me in, please. I've
something to say."

I slipped back the bolt and she came in hurriedly, as if she were afraid
of being kept out after all.

"See here, Maida," she said, "to save time the Prince is having his
motor put on shore the minute we get in to the quay, and he'll drive us
up to Schloss Hrvoya this afternoon. It's only four o'clock, and he
says, though it's away up in the mountains and we'll be two hours
getting there, we shall run down in half the time, so we shall be back
soon after seven and can dine on board. It's quite appropriate that I
should be with the Prince, whose ancestral home it was, when I look on
Hrvoya first. He's fully persuaded me of that. I think the whole thing's
most dramatic, and I do hope you won't spoil it by being disagreeable
any longer."

"I think you're the--the _unwisest_ woman I ever saw!" I couldn't help
exclaiming.

"Well, I think _you're_ very rude. I do believe you're jealous of me
with the Prince. That's _his_ idea, anyway, though he'd be vexed if he
thought I'd told you, and I wouldn't if you hadn't aggravated me. Oh
dear, you do make me so nervous and miserable! _Will_ you come to
Schloss Hrvoya or will you not?"

I thought very quickly for a few seconds before answering. Perhaps it
would be better to go than to stay on "Arethusa" without Aunt Kathryn,
especially as I had now made Count Corramini my enemy. Mr. Barrymore and
Sir Ralph and Beechy couldn't arrive at Cattaro by ship till to-morrow,
even if they found out what had become of us, and followed at the
earliest opportunity without waiting to hear. No,