"I must say, don't you know," said Mr. Archer-Cleeve, "it beats me, what?" The entire deputation seemed to consider that John's last speech needed footnotes. John was in no mood to supply them. His patience was exhausted. "I guess we'll call this conference finished," he said. "You've been told all you came to find out,--my reason for closing the Casino. If it doesn't strike you as a satisfactory reason, that's up to you. Do what you like about it. The one thing you may take as a solid fact--and you can spread it around the town as much as ever you please--is that it is closed, and is not going to be reopened while I'm ruler here." The deputation then withdrew, reluctantly. * * * * * On the following morning there came a note from Mr. Scobell. It was brief. "Come on down before the shooting begins," it ran. John tore it up. It was on the same evening that definite hostilities may be said to have begun. Between the Palace and the market-place there was a narrow street of flagged stone, which was busy during the early part of the day but deserted after sundown. Along this street, at about seven o'clock, John was strolling with a cigarette, when he was aware of a man crouching, with his back toward him. So absorbed was the man in something which he was writing on the stones that he did not hear John's approach, and the latter, coming up from behind was enabled to see over his shoulder. In large letters of chalk he read the words: _"Conspuez le Prince."_ John's knowledge of French was not profound, but he could understand this, and it annoyed him. As he looked, the man, squatting on his heels, bent forward to touch up one of the letters. If he had been deliberately posing, he could not have assumed a more convenient attitude. John had been a footballer before he was a prince. The temptation was too much for him. He drew back his foot-- There was a howl and a thud, and John resumed his stroll. The first gun from Fort Sumter had been fired. * * * * * Early next morning a window at the rear of the palace was broken by a stone, and toward noon one of the soldiers on guard in front of the Casino was narrowly missed by an anonymous orange. For Mervo this was practically equivalent to the attack on the Bastille, and John, when the report of the atrocities was brought to him, became hopeful. But the effort seemed temporarily to have exhausted the fury of the mob. The rest of that day and the whole of the next passed without sensation. After breakfast on the following morning Mr. Crump paid a visit to the Palace. John was glad to see him. The staff of the Palace were loyal, but considered as cheery companions, they were handicapped by the fact that they spoke no English, while John spoke no French. Mr. Crump was the bearer of another note from Mr. Scobell. This time John tore it up unread, and, turning to the secretary, invited him to sit down and make himself at home.