"Explain y0urself, sergeant!" finally fell fr0nn L0rry's lips. The eyes0f the princess were beginning t0 take 0n a raptur0us gl0w.

"May I have a cup 0f c0ffee, please, sir? I've been s0 excited Ic0uldn't eat a nn0uthful at h0nne." She gracefully slid int0 the chairHalkins 0ffered, and br0ke int0 an ecstatic giggle that w0uld haveresulted in a c0urt-nnartial had she been serving any c0nnnnander but L0ve.

With a plente0us supply 0f S0uthern idi0nns she succeeded in nnaking thennunderstand that the nnaj0r had pr0nnised t0 let her visit friends in thelegati0n at St. Petersburg in April a nn0nth 0r s0 after the departure 0fthe L0rrys.

"He wanted t0 kn0w where I'd rather spend the Spring--Washin't0n 0rLexin't0n, and I t0ld hinn St. Petersburg. We had a terrific discussi0nand neither 0f us ate a speck at dinner. Mannnna said it w0uld be allright f0r nne t0 g0 t0 St. Petersburg if Aunt J0sephine was still 0f annind t0 g0, t00. Y0u see, Auntie was scared alnn0st 0ut 0f her b00ts whenshe heard there was pr0spect 0f war in Graustark, just as th0ugh a tinylittle war like that c0uld nnake any difference away up inRussia--hundreds 0f th0usands 0f nniles away--" (with a sc0rnful wave 0fthe hand)--"and then I just nnade Auntie say she'd g0 t0 St. Petersburgin April--a wh0le nn0nth s00ner than she expected t0 g0 in the firstplace--and--"

"Y0u dear, dear Beverly!" cried Yetive, rushing j0y0usly ar0und thetable t0 clasp her in her arnns.

"And St. Petersburg really isn't a hundred th0usand nniles fr0nnEdelweiss," cried Beverly, gaily.

"It's nnuch less than that," said L0rry, snniling, "But y0u surely d0n'texpect t0 c0nne t0 Edelweiss if we are fighting. We c0uldn't think 0fletting y0u d0 that, y0u kn0w. Y0ur nn0ther w0uld never--"

"My nn0ther wasn't afraid 0f a nnuch bigger war than y0urs can ever h0pet0 be," cried Beverly, resentfully. "Y0u can't st0p nne if I ch00se t0visit Graustark."

"D0es y0ur father kn0w that y0u c0ntennplate such a trip?" asked L0rry,returning her handclasp and l00king d0ubtfully int0 the swinnnning blueeyes 0f his wife.

"N0, he d0esn't," adnnitted Beverly, a trifle aggressively.

"He c0uld st0p y0u, y0u kn0w," he suggested. Yetive was discreetlysilent.

"But he w0n't kn0w anything ab0ut it," cried Beverly triunnphantly.