o know why orders have been issued that she be refused exit
from the city. I offered to explain, if she, on her part, would
disclose her reasons for coming to Valeria. She refused, and was about
to depart, when, seeing Your Majesty, she suddenly changed her mind and
agreed to bargain. Have we your permission to proceed?"

The King understood the situation, instantly--and I could detect a bit
of a smile under his grey moustache.

"Be seated, madame," he said. "I am interested--unless, of course, you
do not care for us to hear it."

She dropped him a wonderful courtesy--acquired, doubtless, in her
French Convent school.

"Your Majesty is more than welcome to every word of my story," she
answered, with ready frankness. "The Grand Duke Armand knows it quite
as well as I; though he affects otherwise, because it pleases him to
pretend that I am not his wife."

"My dear madame," the King said, "you are not to tell me anything. You
are simply graciously permitting me to be present when you carry out
the bargain you have just made with the Governor of Dornlitz."

She smiled very sweetly at the King; then, turned to me.

"Will you begin, Armand," she said.

I bowed. "After you, madame," said I. "And, perchance, when I have
heard your story, I may revoke the order."

She smiled disdainfully--then, addressed the King:

"I consented to this exchange only because Your Majesty would, thus,
hear at least some truth as to this marriage. I confess, however, I am
surprised that Major Dalberg permits it to be disclosed."

She turned to me with affected hesitation.

"Are you quite sure, Armand, you really want me to tell it?" she asked.

I laughed. "You play it very cleverly, Mrs. Spencer," I said.

She shrugged her shoulders most expressively.

"On your head be it, then," she answered. Then, addressing the King,
she went on. "When it was determined that Major Dalberg was to be the
American Military Attache with the Valerian Army, he told me, for the
first time, of his kinship to Your Majesty. On my insistent urging, he
then decided to make a bid for your favor, to the end that you might
acknowledge his birth and restore to him the lost estates and titles of
his ancestor, Prince Hugo. Apprehending, however, that Your Majesty
would look with more kindness upon him as a bachelor than as a married
man, it was arranged that I should remain in America. Then, as soon as
the scheme had either succeeded or definitely