he American. "You will then go at once to
Brosnov as originally planned. I will return to Lustadt and get her
highness, and we will immediately leave Lutha via Brosnov. There you
and I will effect a change of raiment, and you will ride back to
Lustadt with the small guard that accompanies her highness and me to
the frontier."

"Why do you not remain in Lustadt?" asked the king. "You could as
well be married there as elsewhere."

"Because I don't trust your majesty," replied the American. "It must
be done precisely as I say or not at all. Are you agreeable?"

The king assented with a grumpy nod.

"Then get up and write as I dictate," said Barney. Leopold of Lutha
did as he was bid. The result was two short, crisply worded
documents. At the bottom of each was the signature of Leopold of
Lutha. Barney took the two papers and carefully tucked them beneath
his pillow.

"Now let's sleep," he said. "It is getting late and we both need
the rest. In the morning we have long rides ahead of us. Good
night."

The king did not respond. In a short time Barney was fast asleep.
The light still burned.

XIV

"THE KING'S WILL IS LAW"

The Blentz princess frowned down upon the king and impostor
impartially from her great gilt frame. It must have been close to
midnight that the painting moved--just a fraction of an inch. Then
it remained motionless for a time. Again it moved. This time it
revealed a narrow crack at its edge. In the crack an eye shone.

One of the sleepers moved. He opened his eyes. Stealthily he
raised himself on his elbow and gazed at the other across the
apartment. He listened intently. The regular breathing of the
sleeper proclaimed the soundness of his slumber. Gingerly the man
placed one foot upon the floor. The eye glued to the crack at the
edge of the great, gilt frame of the Blentz princess remained
fastened upon him. He let his other foot slip to the floor beside
the first. Carefully he raised himself until he stood erect upon the
floor. Then, on tiptoe he started across the room.

The eye in the dark followed him. The man reached the side of the
sleeper. Bending over he listened intently to the other's breathing.
Satisfied that slumber was profound he stepped quickly to a wardrobe
in which a soldier had hung the clothing of both the king and the
American. He took down the uniform of the former, casting from time
to time apprehensive glances toward the sleeper. The latter did not
stir