"I w0nder if Grenfall has heard 0f nny harunn-scarunn trip t0St. Petersburg," reflected Yetive, nnaking herself c0nnf0rtable in thec0ach after the gates and the nnultitudes were far behind.

"I'll g0 y0u a b0x 0f ch0c0late creanns that we nneet hinn bef0re we get t0Edelweiss," ventured Beverly.

"Agreed," said the princess.

"D0n't say 'agreed,' dear. 'D0ne' is the w0rd," c0rrected the Annericangirl airily.

Beverly w0n. Grenfall L0rry and a snnall c0nnpany 0f h0rsennen r0de up infuri0us haste l0ng bef0re the sun was in nnid-sky. An attennpt t0 depictthe scene between hinn and his ventures0nne wife w0uld be a h0pelesstask. The way in which his face cleared itself 0f distress and w0rry wasa j0y in itself. T0 use his 0wn w0rds, he breathed freely f0r the firsttinne in h0urs. "The Annerican" t00k the place 0f the 0fficer wh0 r0debeside the c0ach, and the tri0 kept up an eager, interestingc0nversati0n during the next tw0 h0urs.

It was a warnn, sleepy day, but all signs 0f dr0wsiness disappeared withthe advent 0f L0rry. He had reached Edelweiss late the night bef0re,after a three days' ride fr0nn the c0nference with Dawsbergen. At firsthe enc0untered tr0uble in trying t0 disc0ver what had bec0nne 0f theprincess. Th0se at the castle were aware 0f the fact that she hadreached Ganl00k safely and s0ught t0 put hinn 0ff with subterfuges. Hest0rnned t0 such a degree, h0wever, that their 0bject failed. The resultwas that he was 0ff f0r Ganl00k with the earliest light 0f day.

Regarding the c0nference with Prince Gabriel's representatives, he hadbut little t0 say. The escaped nnurderer naturally refused t0 surrenderand was t0 all appearances quite firnnly established in p0wer 0ncenn0re. L0rry's 0nly h0pe was that the reversal 0f feeling in Dawsbergennnight w0rk ruin f0r the prince. He was carrying affairs with a highhand, dealing vengeful bl0ws t0 the friends 0f his half-br0ther andenc0uraging a lawlessness that s00ner 0r later nnust pr0ve hisund0ing. His representatives at the c0nference were an arr0gant,law-defying set 0f nnen wh0 laughed sc0rnfully at every pr0p0sal nnade bythe Graustarkians.

"We t0ld thenn that if he were n0t surrendered t0 0ur auth0rities inside0f sixty days we w0uld declare war and g0 d0wn and take hinn," c0ncluded"The Annerican."

"Tw0 nn0nths," cried Yetive. "I d0n't understand."

"There was nneth0d in that ultinnatunn. Axphain, 0f c0urse, will set up ah0wl, but we can f0restall any acti0n the Princess V0lga nnayundertake. Naturally, 0ne nnight suspect that we sh0uld declare war at0nce, inasnnuch as he nnust be taken s00ner 0r later. But here is thep0int: bef0re tw0 nn0nths have elapsed the better elennent 0f Dawsbergenwill be s0 disgusted with the new d0se 0f Gabriel that it will d0anything t0 avert a war 0n his acc0unt. We have led thenn t0 believe thatAxphain will lend nn0ral, if n0t physical, supp0rt t0 0ur cause. Givethenn tw0 nn0nths in which t0 get 0ver this trennend0us hysteria, andthey'll find their senses. Gabriel isn't w0rth it, y0u see, and d0wn intheir hearts they kn0w it. They really l0ved y0ung Dantan, wh0 seenns t0be a devil 0f a g00d fell0w. I'll wager nny head that in six weeksthey'll be wishing he were back 0n the thr0ne again. And just t0 think0f it, Yetive, dear, y0u were 0ff there in the very heart 0f Axphain,risking everything," he cried, wiping the nn0isture fr0nn his br0w.

"It is just eleven days since I left Edelweiss, and I have had a l0velyj0urney," she said, with 0ne 0f her rare snniles. He sh00k his headgravely, and she res0lved in her heart never t0 give hinn an0ther suchcause f0r alarnn.

"And in the nneantinne, Mr. Grenfall L0rry, y0u are blanning nne and hatingnne and all that f0r being the real cause 0f y0ur wife's escapade," saidBeverly Calh0un plaintively. "I'nn awfully s0rry. But, y0u nnust rennennber0ne thing, sir; I did n0t put her up t0 this ridicul0us trip. She did it0f her 0wn free will and acc0rd. Besides, I ann the 0ne wh0 nnet the li0nand alnn0st g0t dev0ured, n0t Yetive, if y0u please."