ried. Prince Waldemar, indeed, opposed it vigorously, but his
following was small, so nobody minded him.

* * * * *

At the next audit of the Bondavara Company's accounts presented to the
shareholders there appeared under the heading of expenditure this
remarkable entry: "Expense of foundations, forty thousand gulden."

"What does this mean?" said the shareholders, with one voice.

Kaulmann whispered something to the man nearest him; he passed the
whisper on, whereupon every one nodded his head, and tried to think it
was all right. So it appeared to be, for after the government grant to
the railway the Bondavara shares rose to seventy florins above par.
Nothing could be more convincing. Csanta had punch at dinner, and got
drunk for joy.

* * * * *

Some evenings later Eveline met his excellency in the green-room of
the Treumann Theatre. The minister thought it was time to press for
payment of his services.

"My dear lady," he said, "have I not obeyed your wishes in regard to
the Bondavara Railway?"

Eveline made him a low courtesy. She wore the costume of the Duchess
of Gerolstein.

"I am eternally indebted to your excellency," she said. "To-morrow
evening I shall blow you _forty thousand_ kisses."

At the words "forty thousand" his excellency grew red. He turned on
his heel, and for the future Eveline was relieved from his attentions;
but it was also quite certain that she had lost all chance of an
engagement at the Opera-house. She might sing like a nightingale, but
her petition would never be signed.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE BONDAVARA RAILWAY

The Bondavara Railway was begun. Prince Waldemar and his followers,
the bears, were crushed--there _are_ always people who die of hunger
in the midst of a plenteous harvest.

Prince Waldemar met his noble relative, Prince Theobald, at the Jockey
Club. Their encounter was hardly a friendly one, considering their
close relationship.

Said Prince Waldemar: "You have chosen to put yourself at the head of
my enemies. You have done your utmost to trump my best card. You have
allied yourself with that man Kaulmann, with whom I am on bad terms. I
sought your granddaughter in marriage; you promised she should be my
wife, and then you sent her away from Vienna. You have invented all
manner of pretexts to keep her at Pesth, and now the secret is
out--she is betrothed to Salista. I had a fancy for a pretty