never were his wife; that it was procured for you, in New York,
long subsequent to its apparent date; and that you were paid an
enormous sum of money--fill in the actual amount, please--to go
immediately to Dornlitz, exhibit the certificate, there, and publicly
claim the Grand Duke Armand as your husband. That, madame, is all."

I was observing Lotzen; and, even now, his nerve never failed him. He
watched the King, intently, as he spoke. At the end, his face took on
a smile of cynical indifference--and, dropping from the respectful
position in which he had been standing, he turned and sat on the table,
one leg swinging carelessly over the corner.

Mrs. Spencer shot a quick glance at him--but he gave no answer back.

"Your Majesty has omitted one little matter," she said. "By whom shall
I say the money was paid?"

"Thank you--so I had. Make it--by persons to you unknown."

Mrs. Spencer smiled frankly.

"Your Majesty was quite right," she said. "The play is over."

She touched a bell--the maid entered.

"My jewel case," she said.

The King crossed to a writing desk and, taking pen and ink, placed them
on the table. Then the maid brought the casket.

From the bottom tray, Mrs. Spencer took a paper and handed it to the
King, who, after a glance, returned it.

"If your Majesty will dictate, I will write," she said.

Slowly, Frederick repeated the confession--and the pen scratched out
line after line on the white page. When it was ended, she passed it
back again to the King, and he read it carefully.

"Sign it, please," he said.

She looked up, with an amused smile.

"With what name?" she asked.

"Your lawful one," said Frederick.

"Madeline Spencer," she answered--and dashed it off.

Then, for the first time since we entered the room, the King looked at
Lotzen. Hitherto, he had ignored him, utterly.

"Witness it," he said sternly.

I smiled--and so did Madeline Spencer. It was the refinement of
retribution.

Without a word or a change of feature, Lotzen obeyed. Then Frederick,
himself, signed it; and, folding it carefully, gave it to me.

"Will Your Majesty graciously pardon the violence I offered you?" Mrs.
Spencer said.

Frederick nodded.

"Readily, madame," he said. "In a way, you were justified--and, then,
you missed me. Had you hit me, my pardon might not have been required."

"And will you not tell me how you discovered the truth?" she asked.

"I chanced to learn of this m