hips for dear love's sake. She felt that she
would have done the same thing herself if Phillips, by any trick of
fate, had been marooned on a South Pacific island. There was plainly
no use trying to hint at delicate proprieties to a girl in such a
mood. Gorman, after one or two attempts, gave it up.

He had, indeed, quite early in the day, other things to attend to. At
about ten o'clock there were signs of great activity on board the
Megalian navy. The crew--there appeared to be about fifteen men
altogether--was paraded on deck and addressed from the bridge by the
admiral. The speech must have been an exciting and important one, for
the admiral gesticulated violently. When he stopped, the crew cheered.
Gorman watched the proceedings. He was interested--as an expert--in
the effects of oratory.

When the cheering was over, the admiral gave two or three orders. The
crew immediately began to run about the deck in a confused and
tumultuous manner. After a while they settled down to the work of
getting the covers off the steamer's two guns. Some shells--Gorman
supposed they must be shells--were carried on deck. The guns were
swung round and pointed at the palace. Then they were loaded. A solemn
business, very carefully carried out under the immediate eye of the
admiral.

King Konrad Karl came running to Gorman. He was in a state of
considerable excitement.

"That admiral," he said, "has it in mind to stone the palace. He has
stones for those guns. I know it."

"If it was a matter of stones," said Gorman, "but they look to me more
like shells."

"Shells, stones, it is the same. He will batter, destroy, slay.
Gorman, my friend, it must not be."

"Why the devil does he want to do it?" said Gorman. "Now don't say
_Real Politik_ or the Emperor. I simply can't believe that either one
or the other would set that pirate shooting at us."

"It is _Real Politik_, without doubt," said the King. "And it is the
Emperor. But it is also me, me, Konrad Karl of Megalia. I am--what is
it you say in English?--I am wanted. And I go. I offer myself. I
become a ewe lamb of sacrifice. I say good-bye. I leave Corinne. I go.
Then the admiral will not stone the palace."

"Don't start for a minute or two yet," said Gorman. "The pirate is
sending a boat ashore. We may as well hear what he has to say."

It was the admiral himself who landed. He was in full dress. His
uniform was almost entirely covered with gold braid. Gold cords with
tassel