thing encouraging in it for him.

Down by the great fountain, while the soldiers were on parade, the fair
but volatile Countess unfolded to Lorry a story that wrenched his heart
so savagely that anger, resentment, helplessness and love oozed forth
and enveloped him in a multitude of emotions that would not disperse. To
have gone to the Princess and laid down his life to save her would have
given him pleasure, but he had promised something to her that could not
be forgotten in a day. In his swelling heart he prayed for the time to
come when he could take her in his arms, cancel his promise and defy the
troubles that opposed her.

"She will not mind my telling you, because she considers you the very
best of men, Mr. Lorry," said the Countess, who had learned her English
under the Princess Yetive's tutor. The demure, sympathetic little
Countess, her face glowing with excitement and indignation, could not
resist the desire to pour into the ears of this strong and resourceful
man the secrets of the Princess, as if trusting to him, the child of
a powerful race, to provide relief. It was the old story of the weak
appealing to the strong.

It seems, according to the very truthful account given by the lady, that
the Princess had it in her power to save Graustark from disgrace and
practical destruction. The Prince of Axphain's son, Lorenz, was
deeply enamoured of her, infatuated by her marvelous beauty and
accomplishments. He had persuaded his father to consider a matrimonial
alliance with her to be one of great value to Axphain. The old prince,
therefore, some months before the arrival of the Americans in Graustark,
sent to the Princess a substitute ultimatum, couched in terms so polite
and conciliatory that there could be no mistaking his sincerity. He
agreed to give Graustark a new lease of life, as it were, by extending
the fifteen years, or, in other words, to grant the conquered an
additional ten years in which to pay off the obligations imposed by the
treaty. He furthermore offered a considerable reduction in the rate of
interest for the next ten years. But he had a condition attached to this
good and gracious proposition; the marriage of Graustark's sovereign.
His ambassador set forth the advantages of such an alliance, and
departed with a message that the matter should have most serious
consideration.

The old Prince's proposition was a blow to the Princess, who was placed
in a trying position. By sacrificing herself