would be a matter of opinion," laughed the
Emperor. "I shall offer her a present of myself."

The old man had been sitting with his chin sunk into his short neck,
peering out from under his brows in a way he had; but he lifted his
head suddenly, with a look in his eyes like that of an animal who
scents danger from an unexpected quarter.

"Your Majesty!" he exclaimed. "You are your father's son, you are
Rhaetian, and your standard of honor--"

"I hope to marry Miss Mowbray," Leopold cut him short.

The Chancellor's jaw dropped, and he grew pale. "I had dreamed of
nothing as bad as this," he blurted out, with no thought or wish to
sugar the truth. "I feared a young man's rashness. I dreaded scandal.
But, forgive me, your Majesty, for you a morganatic marriage would be
madness--"

"A morganatic marriage I did think of at first. But on second thoughts
I saw it would be ungrateful."

"Ah yes, to the country which expects so much of you."

"No, to the woman who has the right to all or nothing. I will make her
Empress of Rhaetia."

With a cry the Chancellor sprang up. His eyes glared like the eyes of
a bull who receives the death stroke. His working lips, and the hollow
sound in his throat alarmed the Emperor.

"No, your Majesty. No!" he panted.

"But I say yes," Leopold answered, "and let no man give me nay. I've
thought it all out. I will make her a Countess first. Then, she shall
be made my Empress."

"Your Majesty, it is not possible."

"Take care, Chancellor."

"She has been deceiving you. She has neither the birth, the position,
nor the name she claims to have, and I can prove it."

"You are mad, von Breitstein," the Emperor flung at him. "That can be
your only excuse for such words."

"I am not mad, but I am old and wise, your Majesty. To-day you have
made me feel that I am very old. Punish me as you will for my
frankness. My work for you and yours is nearly done. Cheerfully will I
submit to my dismissal if only this last effort in your service may
save the ship of state from wreck. I would not make an accusation
which I could not prove. And I can prove that the two English ladies
who have been staying at Schloss Lyndalberg are not the persons they
pretend to be."

"Who has been lying to you?" cried Leopold, who held between clenched
hands the temper he vowed not to lose with this old man.

"To me, no one. To your Majesty, to society in Kronburg, two
adventuresses have lied."

The Emperor caught