hat kind of a blunder, and who was innocently wronged? No
use! And while he was thus racking his mind he heard steps on the
stairs. These steps were hurried. The door above shut noisily.

"By George! I'll attend to that this minute. We'll see what stuff this
yellow-haired boy is made of."

He mounted the stairs without sound. He grasped the handle of the door,
boldly pushed it open, and entered, closing the door and placing his
back against it.

The instant he saw the intruder the vintner snatched a pistol from the
drawer in the table and leveled it at Carmichael.

"Surely your majesty will not shoot an old friend?"

[Illustration: "Surely your Majesty will not shoot an old friend?"]

CHAPTER XX

THE KING

The vintner slowly lowered the pistol till it touched the table; then he
released it.

"That is better, your Majesty."

"Why do you call me that?"

"Certainly I do not utter it as a compliment," retorted Carmichael
dryly.

"You speak positively."

"With absolute authority on the subject, sire. Your face was familiar,
but I failed at first to place it rightly. It was only after you had
duped me into going after the veiled lady that I had any real suspicion.
You are Frederick Leopold of Jugendheit."

"I shall not deny it further," proudly. "And take care how you speak to
me, since I admit my identity."

"Oho!" Carmichael gave rein to his laughter. "This is Ehrenstein; here
I shall talk to you as I please."

The king reddened, and his hand closed again over the pistol.

"I have saved your majesty twice from death. You force me to recall it
to your mind."

The king had the grace to lower his eyes.

"The first time was at Bonn. Don't you recollect the day when an
American took you out of the Rhine, an American who did not trouble
himself to come round and ask for your thanks, who, in truth, did not
learn till days after what an important person you were, or were going
to be?" There was a bite in every word, for Carmichael felt that he had
been ill-treated.

"For that moment, Herr, I thank you."

"And for that in the garden below?"

"For that also. Now, why are you here? You have not come for the purpose
of recalling these two disagreeable incidents to my mind."

"No." Carmichael went over to the table, his jaws set and no kindly
spirit in his eyes. "No, I have another purpose." He bent over the
table, and with his face close to that of the king, "I demand to know
what your intent