Valeria. And if he had any curiosity as to my motives, he was
courteous enough never to show it. "The best assistant in Europe,"
Courtney had once pronounced him.

Then there was Pryor, the Naval Attache. He had been off "cruising
with the Army," as Cosgrove put it, pending my arrival and was not yet
returned to Dornlitz. The others of the office force were young
fellows,--rich boys, either _in presente_ or _futuro_,--who, likely,
could only be depended upon to do the wrong thing. Being fit for
nothing at home, therefore, they had been considered to be particularly
well qualified for the American diplomatic service.

My room overlooked the Avenue, and the writing-desk was near the
window. I was drawing the formal report to the War Department of my
arrival at Dornlitz and the status political and military, when the
clatter of hoofs on the driveway drew my attention. It was a tall
officer in the green-and-gold of the Royal Guards, and pulling up
sharply he tossed his rein to his orderly. I heard the door open and
voices in the hall; and, then, in a few minutes, he came out and rode
away, with the stiff, hard seat of the European cavalryman. I was
still watching him when Courtney entered.

"What do you think of him?" he asked.

"I haven't seen enough of him to think," said I.

"Not even enough to wonder who he is?"

I yawned. "His uniform tells me he is a colonel of the Guard."

"But nothing else?"

"I can read a bit more."

"From the uniform?" he asked.

I nodded.

"You're a veritable Daniel," Courtney laughed. "What saith the
writing--or rather, what saith the uniform?"

"It's very simple to those who read uniforms."

"So!" said he. "I await the interpretation."

"It's too easy," I retorted. "A Point Plebe could do it. Your visitor
was one of His Majesty's Aides-de-Camp bearing an invitation to the
ball at the Palace to-night."

For once I saw Courtney's face show surprise.

"How did you guess it?" he said, after a pause.

"A diplomat should watch the newspapers," said I, and pointed to this
item in the Court News of that morning's issue:

"His Excellency the Honorable Richard Courtney, the newly accredited
American Ambassador, is expected to arrive to-day. He is accompanied
by Major Dalberg, the Military Attache. His Majesty has ordered his
Aide-de-Camp, Colonel Bernheim, to invite them to the Birthday Ball
to-night; where they will be honored by a special presentation."

Co