ts of the city. The latter portion of the time he spent looking in vain for a familiar figure in a green riding-habit. The Baroness, however, did not appear. At ten o'clock Norgate retu

Chief?" Nor

or the first thing this morning. Ghastly habit William has of getting up at seven o'clock and

s. Ansell, however, was in a discoursive mood. He sw

ith our versatile friend up yonder. He gets all aroused over some scheme or other which comes to him in the dead of night, hops out of bed before any one civilised is awake, and rings up for ambassad

thanks," the l

"A Court favourite, too! Never been seen alone before except wit

e interrupted. "Tell m

is Austrian

ll n

e too go-ahead for the ladies of Vienna. I must say that I've never seen her out without a chaperon before, except with Prince Karl. They say he'd ma

ked up from

ow does she come in

shook h

ancy she is t

was plainly furnished, there were bars across the window, and three immense safes let into the wall. An elderly gentleman, with gold-rimmed spectacl

ng, Norgate

g, sir," Nor

ng in m

shook

looked in because I met a woman the other day whom An

el

bout her?" Norgate asked bluntl

of the Royal Family who are not very well disposed towards us, and she is rather a brainy little person. They use her a good deal, I believe, as a

s hands in his pocket

f an Englishwom

anything more about her, my dear fellow. All I can say is that she is in my book, and so long as she

own room. Ansell glanced up from

vice Department this

l," Norgate grumbled. "One d

announced. "He's just come in from the

orgate mutter

e apartments. The latter was alone when he entered, seated before his table. He was leaning back in

g, sir," the

assador

n up to, Norgate?"

t I know of, sir,"

alace to be received by the Kaiser. At seven o'clock this morning I had a message. I have just com

" Norgate

fer me any

overed himself. He forgot altogether his habits

young cub of a Prince

ing, sir, with the Ba

de Be

lo

lady did not choose to bring one, was it, sir? As we were finishing dinner

the Ambas

forgot himself," Norgate replied indignantly. "I naturall

t expect to hea

hat the young man would have kept his mouth shut. He was hopel

or shook his

of customs for all nations. You have our English standard of manners in your mind, manners which range from a ploughboy to a king, and you seem to take it for granted that these are also subscribed to in other

silence. Norgate was

an to defend

ave been guilty of a colossal blunder. You have shown yourself absolutely ignorant of the ideals and customs of the country in which you are. It is perfectly correct for young Prince Karl to behave,

e protested, "that I should

t was a little indiscreet of you to dine alone with a young woman for whom the Prince is known to have a foolish passion. Diplomatically, however, you have committe

to speak or move. He was strug

ered at last. "I am to be disgraced be

ve come to-shall I accept your term?-a city of boors and fail to adapt yourself. The true diplomatist adap

d recovere

r," he said. "I shall catc

The interview had finished. He per

all have our trials to bear in this city, and you have run up against one

Last of all he went to the telephone. He rang up the number which had become already familiar to him, almost with reluctance. He waited for the reply without an

. Norgate,

. "I rang up to w

you are goin

t away-di

rief. Its complete genuineness broke

nly I could do anything! Will you wait-ple

ion was almost

ain! In any case, I could not stay here. The first thing I should do would be to quarrel with that in

st not talk like this, even over the telephone. C

what it means not to be in a free country. I am lea

ke this," she pleaded.

r you. Besides-in any case, I have deci

imself gripping the pages of the te

Have I sinned, Mr

ered, keeping his tone l

l meet again some da

lence. He thought, even

reply c

urmured. "Not in