it, and
then hurried to his electric carriage which had been waiting outside
the hotel. A few minutes later, he was talking over the wire to the
Emperor in the railway station at Felgarde.

CHAPTER XVII

THE OLDNESS OF THE CHANCELLOR

Leopold thought it more than possible that, by the time of his return
to Kronburg, the Chancellor would be as anxious to wriggle out of his
proposal to visit the Prince's hunting lodge, as he had been to have
it accepted a few hours before.

"He sha'n't escape his humiliation, though," the Emperor told himself.
"He shall go, and he shall beg forgiveness for his suspicions, in
sackcloth and ashes. Nothing else can satisfy me now."

Thinking thus, Leopold looked sharply from the window as his special
slowed into the central station at Kronburg, along the track which had
been kept clear for its arrival. No other train was due at the moment,
therefore few persons were on the platform, and a figure in a long
gray coat, with its face shadowed by a slouch hat, was conspicuous.

The Emperor had expected to see that figure; but vaguely he wished
there were not so much briskness and self-confidence in the set of the
massive head and shoulders. The young man believed absolutely in his
love; but he would have been gratified to detect a something of
depression in the enemy's air, which he might translate as a
foreknowledge of failure.

"I hope your Majesty will forgive the liberty I have taken, in coming
to the station without a distinct invitation to do so," were the
Chancellor's first words as he met the Emperor. "Knowing that you
would almost certainly arrive by special train, I came down from my
house some time ago, that I might be on hand without fail when you
arrived, to place my electric carriage at your service. I thought it
probable that you would not have sent to the Palace, and therefore it
might save you some slight inconvenience if I were on the spot. If you
will honor my poor conveyance--"

"Don't let us delay our business for explanations or compliments, if
you please, Chancellor," the Emperor cut him short, brusquely. "I
counted on your being here, with your carriage. Now for the hunting
lodge in the woods!"

As he spoke, his eyes were on the old man's face, which he hoped to
see fall, or change; but there was no visible sign of discomfiture,
and von Breitstein made no attempt to excuse himself from making the
proposed visit. Evidently nothing had happened during the