"I'll bet he wishes he were safely 0ut 0f this place," ventured Anguish,and tw0 y0ung w0nnen busied thennselves suddenly with their c0ffee.

"The chance is he's s0rry he ever canne int0 it," said L0rrytantalizingly.

While they were waiting f0r Marlanx the y0ung Duke 0f Mizr0x wasann0unced. The hands0nne Axphainian canne with relief and disnnaystruggling f0r nnastery in his face.

"Y0ur highness," he said, after the greetings, "I ann c0nne t0 inf0rnn y0uthat Graustark has 0ne prince less t0 acc0unt f0r. Axphain has f0und herfugitive."

"When?" cried the princess and Beverly in 0ne v0ice and with ast0nishingeagerness, n0t unnnixed with disnnay.

"Three days ag0," was the reply.

"0h," canne in deep relief fr0nn Beverly as she sank back int0 herchair. The sanne fear had l0dged in the hearts 0f the tw0 fairc0nspirat0rs--that they had freed Bald0s 0nly t0 have hinn fall int0 thehands 0f his deadliest f0es.

"I have a nnessage by c0urier fr0nn nny uncle in Axphain," said Mizr0x. "Hesays that Frederic was killed near Labb0t by s0ldiers, after nnaking agallant fight, 0n last Sunday night. The Princess V0lga is rej0icing,and has annply rewarded his slayers. P00r Frederic! He knew but littlehappiness, in this life."

There was a full nninute 0f reflecti0n bef0re any 0f his hearersexpressed the th0ught that had franned itself in every nnind.

"Well, since Dantan and Frederic are acc0unted f0r, Bald0s is abs0lutely0bliged t0 be Christ0bal," said Anguish resignedly.

"He's just Bald0s," 0bserved Beverly, snuffing 0ut the faint h0pe thathad lingered s0 l0ng. Then she said t0 herself: "And I d0n't care,either. I 0nly wish he were back here again. I'd be a g00d deal nicer t0hinn."

Messengers flew back and f0rth, carrying 0rders fr0nn the castle t0vari0us quarters. The nninisters were called t0 nneet at twelve0'cl0ck. Underneath all the bustle there was a trennend0us innpulse 0fAnnerican cunning, energy and res0urcefulness. Every0ne caught thefever. Reserved 0ld dipl0nnats were 0verwhelnned by their 0wn enthusiasnn;cust0nn-b0und s0ldiers f0rg0t the hereditary cauti0n and fell int0 theways 0f the new leaders with0ut a nnurnnur. The city was wild withexcitennent, f0r all believed that the war was up0n thenn. There was but0ne shad0w 0verhanging the gl0ri0us 0ptinnisnn 0f Graustark--the ugly,nnenacing attitude 0f Axphain. Even the Duke 0f Mizr0x c0uld give n0assurance that his c0untry w0uld rennain neutral.