Highness! We are within a few miles of the capital."

Brand sat up.

"All right," he said. "I am ready. But how my head aches."

Domiloff smiled grimly, and thrust a sheet of paper into his hand.

"It will pass off," he said. "See, this is your speech. Learn it. It
will not be wise for you to address the people in any save their own
language."

Brand took the sheet of unintelligible characters into his own hand.
He looked blankly at it.

"Read it to me," he said. "Let me hear how it sounds."

Domiloff declaimed and translated it. Brand listened thoughtfully.
Apparently the return of Ughtred of Tyrnaus to the throne of his
forefathers was solely owing to a benevolent desire on the part of
Russia to bring to Theos an era of unparalleled peace and prosperity.
Far away a gleam of white and grey towers flashed upon the hillside.
Villages became more plentiful. They were nearing the capital.

CHAPTER XII

Once more the men and women of Theos thronged the streets of their
time-worn capital. A thousand torches flared in the open space before
the palace. Lanterns and flags waved from all the principal houses and
public buildings. Only the great Reist mansion was silent and gloomy,
and many questioning eyes were turned towards it.

"It was the Duke himself who has brought Ughtred of Tyrnaus here,"
muttered one. "Yet his house is dark and empty, and no man has seen
him."

"There is something strange about it," said another, "and I like not
the wolf Domiloff at the shoulder of a Tyrnaus."

"Please God, the son may not be like the father!"

"Let us see him," cried another. "Come--shout!"

So the air shook with the roar of voices, and servants in the blue
Tyrnaus livery came out upon the balcony of the brilliantly-lit palace
and spread a carpet. But the man whom they longed to see lingered.

Domiloff argued with him in vain. He was unaccountably obstinate.

"It is the Duke of Reist who should stand by my side when first I
speak to my people," he declared, coolly. "It is he who brought me
from England, not you. He must be my sponsor. If he is not here I will
wait."

Domiloff was naturally furious. He had been at considerable pains to
insure the absence of Reist from the capital on this occasion, and his
inopportune return would amount to a disaster. On the other hand, the
populace were fast working themselves up into a state of frenzy. Let
this man show himself, and the success of his coup was assured. It