Prince Julian sat in his library in Palace Gate and Mrs Rivers stood beside him, her hand resting on the arm of his chair. Now and then the Prince glanced up at her face rather timidly. They had agreed that matters showed no progress; then Mrs Rivers had become silent. “Has Byers thrown us over?” the Prince asked at last. “Hush, hush,” she answered in a low voice. “Wait till he’s been; he’s coming to-day.” Her voice sank lower still as she whispered, “He can’t have; oh, he can’t!” There was silence again. A few minutes passed before the Prince broke out fretfully, “I’m sick of the whole thing. I’m very well as I am. If they want me, let them send for me. I can’t force myself on them.” She looked down for a moment and touched his hair with her hand. “If this has come to nothing I’ll never try again. I don’t like being made a fool of.” Her hand rested a moment on his forehead; he looked up, smiling. “We can be happy together,” he murmured. “Let’s throw up the whole thing and be happy together.” He caught her hand in his. “You’ll stay with me anyhow?” “You want me still?” “You’ll do what I ask?” he whispered. “That would put an end to it, indeed,” she said smiling. “Thank Heaven for it!” he exclaimed peevishly. A servant came in and announced that Mr Byers was in the drawing-room. “Shall I come too?” asked the Prince. “Oh no,” she answered with a strange little laugh. “What’s the use of bothering you? I’ll see him.” “Make him say something definite,” urged Prince Julian. “Let’s have an end of it one way or the other.” “Very well.” She bent down and kissed him, and then went off to talk to Mr Byers. The fair boy with the business brains might have been seriously of opinion that there was something wrong with Byers’ nerve had he seen him waiting for Mrs Rivers in the drawing-room, waiting to tell her that the necessary resources were not forthcoming; he hoped that he need tell her no more than that; he wished that he had not come, but he could not endure the self-contempt which the thought of running away had brought with it; he must face her; the woman could do no more than abuse him. One other thought he had for a moment entertained--of offering to let her stand in, as Mr Shum had let Lady Craigennoch; there was hardly any sum which he would not have been glad to give her. But long before he reached the house he had decided that she would not stand in. “By God, I should think not,” he said to himself indignantly. But he had one phrase ready for her. He reminded her of the paragraphs, the rumours, and the Manifesto. “We have by these means felt the pulse of the public,” he said. He paused, she said nothing. “The result is not--er--encouraging,” he went on. “The moment is not propitious.” “You promised the money if the Prince signed the Manifesto,” she said. “Promised? Oh, well, I said I’d----” “You promised,” said Mrs Rivers. “What’s the difficulty now?” “The state of public feeling----” he began.