“Is Miss Steinherz supposed to be in danger from me?” Maimie laughed mischievously. “You know your own reputation best, Baron. I don’t see but Lord Usk thought it wasn’t enough to warn Félicia against you, the way he has mounted guard over her.” “Oh, our friend Usk felt it necessary to warn his bride against me, did he? I think that was not playing the game, as they say here.” “Well, I guess I oughtn’t to have given him away. He knows his way about, I suppose, and--yes, it was just as well he did it.” “Why? Has it produced the opposite effect, as usual, and induced the young lady to honour me with her friendly interest?” Maimie gave him a glance of compassion. “What good would there be in that?” she asked curtly. “No; it just showed Félicia what he expected of her, so’s she concluded to satisfy him at any cost to herself.” A light seemed to break upon the King. “What! you mean that all this raillery, all the contempt she has poured upon me for a whole week, was nothing but an effort to please her bridegroom?” “Don’t you try and have me say that Félicia’s an angel,” Maimie admonished him. “I won’t tell you her secrets, any way. And I don’t see but you’ll have to stay till to-morrow as you’ve fixed it so; but I wish you were leaving sooner.” “Miss Logan’s interest in my movements does me too much honour. Perhaps it will gratify her to know that it is possible I may not even be leaving to-morrow.” “Ah, I thought that ‘urgent business’ of the Captain’s covered more folks’ affairs than his own. You mean he’ll be coming down with more documents for you to study with Lord Cyril?” “I had not meant that----” the King was beginning, but as he caught the merest hint of scorn in Maimie’s eye, his face assumed an expression of deep importance. “It is extremely probable. What is the good of an aide-de-camp but to make himself useful?” “An aide-de-camp--do tell!” cried Maimie. “And you’ve called him your friend all the time! Why, you must be a general, then! Say, General, they promote people pretty young in your country, don’t they?” “Mademoiselle,” said the King severely, “with a young lady who has contrived to discover so much of my private affairs, it is surely unnecessary to keep up this wearisome farce?” “M. le Baron,” said Maimie, making him a curtsey, “the farce was of your own providing. If you choose to throw up your part it can’t hurt me, any way.” “You imply that there is another act, if I care to play it?” “I don’t imply anything. I’m not taking any risks, if you are.” “So be it. I take the risk. Andreivics shall arrive from London with important documents. Accept my compliments, mademoiselle. I sent him away because I wished to feel that a few of my secrets still remained in my own possession. You have secured his return by means of a diplomacy which my good stepfather in his best days might have envied.”