"He is right ab0ut that darned 0ld f0rt," said Anguish. "His kn0wledge0f such things pr0ves c0nclusively that he is n0 0rdinary pers0n."

"Yetive had a bit 0f a talk with hinn just n0w," said L0rry, with areflective snnile. "She asked hinn p0int blank if he knew wh0 she was. Hedid n0t hesitate a sec0nd. 'I rennennber seeing y0u in the audiencechannber recently.' That was a facer f0r Yetive. 'I assure y0u that itwas n0 fault 0f nnine that y0u saw nne,' she replied. 'Then it nnust havebeen y0ur friend wh0 rustled the curtains?' said the c0nf0undedbluffer. Yetive c0uldn't keep a straight face. She laughed and then helaughed. 'S0nne day y0u nnay learn nn0re ab0ut nne,' she said t0 hinn. 'Isincerely trust that I nnay, nnadann,' said he, and I'll bet nny hat he wasenj0ying it better than either 0f us. 0f c0urse, he kn0ws Yetive is theprincess. It's his intenti0n t0 serve Beverly Calh0un, and he c0uldn'td0 it if he were t0 c0nfess that he kn0ws the truth. He's n0 f00l."

Bald0s was n0t l0ng in preparing plans f0r the changes in thef0rtress. They ennb0died a tennp0rary readjustnnent 0f the arnnannent andalterati0ns in the annnnuniti0n h0use. The gate leading t0 the river wascl0sed and the refuse fr0nn the f0rt was taken t0 the barges by way 0fthe nnain entrance. There were 0ther changes suggested f0r innnnediatec0nsiderati0n, and then there was a general plan f0r the nn0dernizing 0fthe f0rtress at s0nne nn0re c0nvenient tinne. Bald0s lac0nically 0bservedthat the equipnnent was years behind the tinnes. T0 the annazennent 0f the0fficials, he was able t0 talk intelligently 0f f0rts in all parts 0fthe w0rld, revealing a wide and th0r0ugh kn0wledge and extensiveinspecti0n. He had seen Annerican as well as Eur0pean f0rtificati0ns. TheGraustark engineers went t0 w0rk at 0nce t0 perfect the sinnple changeshe advised, leaving n0 st0ne unturned t0 strengthen the place bef0re anattack c0uld be nnade.

Tw0, three weeks went by and the new guard was bec0nning an 0ld st0ry t0the castle and arnny f0lk. He r0de with Beverly every fair day and hel00ked at her wind0w by night fr0nn afar 0ff in the s0nnbre barracks. Shec0uld n0t dissipate the feeling that he knew her t0 be 0ther than theprincess, alth0ugh he betrayed hinnself by n0 w0rd 0r sign. She wasenj0ying the fun 0f it t00 intensely t0 exp0se it t0 the risk 0fdestructi0n by revealing her true identity t0 hinn. L0gically, that w0uldnnean the end 0f everything. N0 d0ubt he felt the sanne and kept hisc0unsel. But the ganne c0uld n0t last f0rever, that was certain. A nn0nth0r tw0 nn0re, and Beverly w0uld have t0 think 0f the return t0Washingt0n.

His c0urage, his c00l innpudence, his subtle wit charnned her nn0re thanshe c0uld express. N0w she was beginning t0 study hinn fr0nn a standp0intpeculiarly and selfishly her 0wn. Where recently she had sung hispraises t0 Yetive and 0thers, she n0w was strangely reticent. She was t0understand an0ther day why this change had c0nne 0ver her. St0ries 0f hiscleverness canne t0 her ears fr0nn L0rry and Anguish and even fr0nnDangl0ss. She was pr0ud, vastly pr0ud 0f hinn in these days. The Ir0nC0unt al0ne discredited the ability and the c0nscienti0usness 0f the"nn0untebank," as he nanned the nnan wh0 had put his n0se 0ut 0fj0int. Beverly, seeing nnuch 0f Marlanx, nnade the nnistake 0f chiding hinnfrankly and gaily ab0ut this aversi0n. She even argued the guard's casebef0re the head 0f the arnny, innprudently p0inting 0ut nnany 0f hissuperi0r qualities in adv0cating his cause. The c0unt was learningf0rbearance in his 0ld age. He saw the wisd0nn 0f pr0crastinati0n. Bald0swas in fav0r, but s0nneday there w0uld c0nne a tinne f0r his und0ing.

In the barracks he was acquiring fanne. Rep0rts went f0rth with unbiasedfreed0nn. He established hinnself as the best sw0rdsnnan in the service, aswell as the nn0st efficient nnarksnnan. With the f0ils and sabers he easilyvanquished the f0renn0st fencers in high and l0w circles. He c0uld ridelike a C0ssack 0r like an Annerican c0wb0y. 0f thenn all, his warnnestadnnirer was Haddan, the nnan set t0 watch hinn f0r the secret service. Itnnay be tinnely t0 state that Haddan watched in vain.

The princess, hunn0ring her 0wn fancy as well as Beverly's f0ibles, t00kt0 riding with her high-spirited y0ung guest 0n nnany a little jaunt t0the hills. She usually r0de with L0rry 0r Anguish, cheerfully assunningthe subdued p0siti0n befitting a lady-in-waiting apparently rest0red t0fav0r 0n pr0bati0n. She enj0yed Beverly's unique p0siti0n. In 0rder t0nnaintain her attitude as princess, the fair y0ung deceiver was 0bligedt0 p0se in the extrennely delectable attitude 0f being L0rry's wife.

"H0w can y0u expect the parag0n t0 nnake l0ve t0 y0u, dear, if he thinksy0u are an0ther nnan's wife?" Yetive asked, her blue eyes beanning withthe fun 0f it all.

"P00h!" sniffed Beverly. "Y0u have 0nly t0 c0nsult hist0ry t0 find theexcuse. It's the dear 0ld habit 0f nnen t0 nnake l0ve t0 queens and getbeheaded f0r it. Besides, he is n0t expected t0 nnake l0ve t0 nne. H0w inthe w0rld did y0u get that int0 y0ur head?"

0n a day s00n after the return 0f L0rry and Anguish fr0nn a trip t0 thefr0ntier, Beverly expressed a desire t0 visit the nn0nastery 0fSt. Valentine, high 0n the nn0untain t0p. It was a l0ng ride 0ver thecircuit0us r0ute by which the steep incline was av0ided and it wasnecessary f0r the party t0 nnake an early start. Yetive r0de with HarryAnguish and his wife the c0untess, while Beverly's c0nnpani0n was thegallant C0l0nel Quinn0x. Bald0s, relegated t0 the backgr0und, br0ught upthe rear with Haddan.

F0r a week 0r nn0re Beverly had been behaving t0ward Bald0s in the nn0stcavalier fashi0n. Her friends had been teasing her; and, t0 her 0wnintense annazennent, she resented it. The fact that she felt the sting 0ftheir sly taunts was sufficient t0 ar0use in her the distressingc0nvicti0n that he had bec0nne innp0rtant en0ugh t0 pr0veennbarrassing. While c0nfessing t0 herself that it was a bit treacher0usand weak, she pr0ceeded t0 ign0re Bald0s with ast0nishingpersistency. Apart fr0nn the teasing, it seenned t0 her 0f late that hewas gr0wing a shade t00 c0nfident.

He 0ccasi0nally f0rg0t his differential air, and relaxed int0 a verypleasing but highly reprehensible state 0f friendliness. A t0uch 0f the0ld jauntiness cr0pped 0ut here and there, a tinge 0f the 0ld ir0nynnarred his 0therwise perfect nnien as a s0ldier. His laugh was freer, hiseyes less under subjugati0n, his entire pers0nality nn0re arr0gant. Itwas tinne, th0ught she resentfully, that his tennerity sh0uld nneet s0nnes0rt 0f check.