then, recommencing, with more of care and
attention, occasionally stopping to reflect, and consider the details.
"This is likely to be a troublesome business," said he. "This boy has
got himself into a serious scrape. Love and a duel are bad enough; but
an Austrian state-prison, and a sentence of twenty years in irons,
are even worse. So far as I can make out from my not over lucid
correspondent, he had conceived a violent affection for a young lady
at Massa, to whose favor a young Austrian of high rank at the same time
pretended."

"Wahnsdorf, I'm certain," broke in the Princess; "and the girl--that
Mademoiselle--"

"Harley," interposed Sir Horace.

"Just so,--Harley. Pray go on," said she, eagerly.

"A very serious altercation and a duel were the consequences of this
rivalry, and Wahnsdorf has been dangerously wounded; his life is still
in peril. The Harleys have been sent out of the country, and my unlucky
_protege_, handed over to the Austrians, has been tried, condemned, and
sentenced to twenty years in Kuffstein, a Tyrol fortress where great
severity is practised,--from the neighborhood of which this letter is
written, entreating my speedy interference and protection."

"What can you do? It is not even within your jurisdiction," said she,
carelessly.

"True; nor was the capture by the Austrians within theirs, Princess. It
is a case where assuredly everybody was in the wrong, and, therefore,
admirably adapted for nice negotiation."

"Who and what is the youth?"

"I have called him a _protege_."

"Has he no more tender claim to the affectionate solicitude of Sir
Horace Upton?" said she, with an easy air of sarcasm.

"None, on my honor," said he, eagerly; "none, at least, of the kind you
infer. His is a very sad story, which I 'll tell you about at another
time. For the present, I may say that he is English, and as such must
be protected by the English authorities. The Government of Massa have
clearly committed a great fault in handing him over to the Austrians.
Stubber must be 'brought to book' for this in the first instance. By
this we shall obtain a perfect insight into the whole affair."

"The Imperial family will never forgive an insult offered to one of
their own blood," said the Princess, haughtily.

"We shall not ask them to forgive anything, my dear Princess. We shall
only prevent their natural feelings betraying them into an act of
injustice. The boy's offence, whatever it was, occurred outs