saving her, helping Mauravania's queen, and
defeating those who are her enemies."

Cleek sucked in his breath and regarded the man silently, steadily, for
a long time. Then:

"Is that true, count?" he asked. "On your word of honour as a soldier
and a gentleman, is that true?"

"As true as Holy Writ, monsieur. On my word of honour. On my hopes of
heaven!"

"Very well, then," said Cleek quietly. "Tell me the case, count. I'll
take it."

"Monsieur, my eternal gratitude. Also the reward is----"

"We will talk about that afterward. Sit down, please, and tell me what
you want me to do."

"Oh, monsieur, almost the impossible," said the count despairfully. "The
outwitting of a woman who must in very truth be the devil's own
daughter, so subtle, so appalling are the craft and cunning of her.
That, for one thing. For another, the finding of a paper which, if
published, as the woman swears it shall be if her terms are not acceded
to, will be the signal for his Majesty's overthrow. And, for the
third"--emotion mastered him; his voice choked and failed; he deported
himself for a moment like one afraid to let even his own ears hear the
thing spoken of aloud, then governed his cowardice and went on--"For the
third thing, monsieur," he said, lowering his tone until it was almost a
whisper, "the recovery--the restoration to its place of honour before
the coronation day arrives of that fateful gem, Mauravania's pride and
glory, 'the Rainbow Pearl!'"

Cleek clamped his jaws together like a bloodhound snapping, and over his
hardened face there came a slow-creeping, unnatural pallor.

"Has that been lost?" he said in a low, bleak voice. "Has he, this
precious royal master of yours, this usurper--has he parted with that
thing; the wondrous Rainbow Pearl?"

"Monsieur knows of the gem then?"

"Know of it? Who does not? Its fame is world-wide. Wars have been fought
for it, lives sacrificed for it. It is more valuable than England's
Koh-i-noor, and more important to the country and the crown that possess
it. The legend runs, does it not? that Mauravania falls when the Rainbow
Pearl passes into alien hands. An absurd belief, to be sure, but who can
argue with a superstitious people or hammer wisdom into the minds of
babies? And _that_ has been lost, that gem so dear to Mauravania's
people, so important to Mauravania's crown?"

"Yes, monsieur--ah, the good God help my country!--yes!" said the count
brokenly. "It has passed from hi