y, and his eyes flashed with sudden
fire.

"Your words verge upon the insulting," he said, after a moment. "I warn
you not to try my patience too far. Perhaps, after this, you will see
fit to choose other company--company more in accord with your really
absurd ideals. But I would remind you of one thing--your career depends
upon this affair. If it succeeds, you succeed. If it fails through any
fault of yours, you are ruined. I assure you the fault will not be
overlooked nor extenuated. You will pay for it!"

Vernon looked at him without answering, but his glance was full of
meaning. Then he turned and left the room.

For a moment his companions stared after him--they had read his glance
aright.

"We'll have to look sharp," said Collins, at last, "or he'll cause us
trouble--he's ripe for it, confound him! We'd better wire the home
office to hurry things up."

"Yes," agreed Blake, "there's no reasoning with a man in love."

"Nor frightening him," added Collins. "I'm afraid I made a mistake
taking that tack. I'll go down and get off a message."

As he opened the door, he fancied that a figure melted into the shadow
at the end of the hall. But his attention was distracted from it, for an
instant later, he heard a step on the stair, and the Prince of Markeld
mounted from the floor below, passed him with the slightest possible
inclination of the head, and continued upward. Collins, staring after
him, standing still as death, heard him enter the apartment of the
Rushfords.

He remained a moment where he was, his heart heavy with foreboding, then
he descended slowly to the office, his head bent, deep in thought. So
preoccupied was he that he did not see the sleek face which leered at
him from the shadow into which the dim figure had vanished.

The spy listened a moment intently; then, with a tread soft as a cat's,
mounted the stair to the floor above.

* * * * *

"Of course, dad," Susie had said, in the early evening, "you will have
to stay at home to-night since the Prince is coming to see you."

"Oh, it's not I he's coming to see," rejoined Rushford, easily. "In
fact, he'll probably be tickled to death to find me out.''

"He's not going to find you out," retorted Susie, firmly. "You're going
to stay right here."

"Nonsense, my dear! Why, when I was courting your mother--"

"What has that to do with it?" demanded Sue, very crimson. "Do you mean
to say that someone is courting s