nd time is. I happen to slightly
resemble Prince Ughtred, and we got scent of a plot to stop our
entrance into Theos. Well, Prince Ughtred and I exchanged identities.
The consequences were these. The Prince and your brother left the
train secretly before we left the frontier, I was drugged, and awoke
to find myself _tete-a-tete_ with a remarkably gentlemanly personage
called Domiloff."

Her eyes flashed fire. She came a little further into the room.

"Ah! Well!"

"He took me for granted in the kindest possible manner--waived aside
the matter of my abduction--affected to consider me as an afternoon
caller. He introduced politics in a casual sort of way. Russia I found
was the great and generous friend of Theos. Russia was pining for the
friendship of Theos."

She interrupted him with a fierce little gesture of contempt.

"The hound! Russia is our enemy! It was she who sought to buy our
freedom from Metzger, the merchant, for a million pounds."

He nodded.

"Exactly. However, I had to listen to him. In the end he produced a
treaty--Russian protection for Theos in exchange for every shred of
independence she possessed. If I would swear before witnesses to sign
it when I became King, I might proceed, and Domiloff himself would be
my escort. If I refused--well, I think then that other things were in
store for me. After a becoming show of hesitation I promised to
sign--when I was King. Then Domiloff hustled me along here. I have
delayed things as long as possible, but it's getting a little
uncomfortable. Domiloff can't understand why I won't go and speak to
the people. If I declare myself, he will shoot me on sight. What I
have been praying for is a chance to escape, or that your brother and
the Prince might turn up."

She regarded him with unfeigned admiration.

"I did you an injustice," she said. "I see that you are a very brave
man, and we in Theos love brave men."

He bowed before her so gallantly and looked into her eyes so closely
that a wave of colour flushed in her cheeks. A distant sound in the
Palace, however, brought them to a swift sense of the danger which
threatened him.

"You see," he explained, "I was bound to keep it up as long as I
could, or Domiloff would have tried to prevent your brother and the
Prince from reaching the capital. Besides, since I have read the
proposed treaty they would never allow me to escape alive."

She nodded slowly.

"Yes, that is so. It would not be well that you s