s position
yet. What had he proposed to the Duke? And how had the Duke answered
him? What was to be the result of the visit, or would there be any?
Selpdorf held the Duke's confidence. He must checkmate England and
openly throw his influence into the German scale. No half courses could
any longer avail in Maasau.

Here his reflections were interrupted, for Counsellor's big burly figure
was bending over Madame de Sagan's chair, before he accepted the seat at
her side with the assured manner of a favored guest.

Even the Russian attache blinked. Ah, these islanders! What next?

As an immediate result Count Sagan was forced to accept the situation
thrust upon him.

'Have you slept well, Major?' he inquired sardonically. 'No bad dreams,
eh?'

'I dream seldom--and I make it a point in the morning to forget bad
dreams if I have had any,' replied Counsellor, with a good-humored
raising of his big eyebrows.

'That is wise,' said Sagan, 'for dreams and schemes of the night rarely
have solid foundations.'

'So they say, my lord, but I do not trouble myself about these things.
A man of my age is forced to consecrate his best energies to his
digestion.'

The Duke had decided upon returning to Revonde during the forenoon, but
most of the guests were to remain for the projected boar-hunt. The
hunting-party had already started when Blivinski and Counsellor drove
out of the Castle courtyard on their way to the nearest railway station,
which lay under the mountains some miles away.

The _tsa_ had blown the snow into heavy drifts, leaving the roads and
other exposed places bare and almost clean-swept. Near the station they
passed a squadron of the Guard sent by Wallenloup to escort the Duke
back to the capital.

The pair in the carriage talked little, but when the jingling of
accoutrements had died away Blivinski said in an emotionless tone:

'You met with Count Sagan last night then--in your dreams?'

'Yes, or Duke Gustave would have been over the border by this morning.'

'Ah!'

'And history goes to prove that reigning sovereigns are fragile
ware--they cannot be borrowed without danger.'

'You allude to Bulgaria?' Blivinski asked promptly, with an air of
genial interest.

'Why, for the sake of argument, Alexander can stand as a case in
point.'

'If--I say if--we borrowed him, we also returned him.'

Counsellor's reply was characteristic, and justified his companion's
opinion of his race.

'Damaged--so they sa