little news from the outside world and possibly a bundle of
newspapers.

"Submarine?" he said. "English or German, do you think? and what do
you suppose she wants here?"

"English, pooh! By this time no English ships are left on the sea. It
is an under-water boat of the Emperor, and she comes to seek the
petrol stored in the cave."

"Liable to disappointment then," said Gorman. "That petrol's gone."

"I know it," said the King, "therefore I say 'Behold destiny.' But I,
Gorman, I laugh at destiny. I mock. I snap the finger and thumb of my
hand. So." He snapped the fingers of both hands with airy defiance. "I
am a king. I play a game until the end. I die game-playing. And
Corinne will not grieve too much. On Salissa I think Corinne loves
less than in Paris. Hurrah, Gorman. Hip, and hip, and hurrah, three
times."

Gorman was not impressed by this rhapsody. He was not yet sufficiently
roused from the bad temper and depression induced by the sirocco to
appreciate the King's exalted mood.

"I suppose," he said, "that Donovan will ask the captain to dinner. I
hope to goodness he can talk English. There's a lot of news I want to
hear."

Donovan, sitting alone in his room, did not see the arrival of the
submarine. It was Smith who reported the matter to him.

"Warship of a belligerent nation?" said Donovan.

"Yes, sir; German, sir."

"German or English," said Donovan, "it's the same thing. This is a
neutral State and we haven't got any quarrel with either party."

"Yes, sir," said Smith. "Quite so, sir. But, I beg your pardon. She's
German."

Donovan thought this over for a minute.

"I appreciate your feelings, Smith," he said, "and I don't deny that
your situation might be an awkward one if this wasn't a neutral State.
But you're in the service of the Crown of Salissa now, and I reckon
that any attempt to inflict punishment on you would be contrary to
international law."

"I'm sure you know best, sir."

"That's as good as to say that your interpretation of international
law is superior to mine. It may be. But the matter will have to come
before the superior courts before anything's settled."

"It's not that, sir," said Smith. "I'm not afraid of the law."

"Oh," said Donovan, "you're inclined to think that the German captain
may trample on the law?"

"Seeing as how you've no guns, sir, he might."

"Smith," said Donovan, "just look out of that window and tell me what
banner the Queen has flying from the