"Do you imagine," she said, "that dear little Marthe has come from Paris solely to bring me Duvelleroy's baubles, charming though they are?" * * * * * * Friday evening. Eight o'clock. We had just finished dinner. A footman entered with the evening post--a dozen letters--which he handed to the Grand Duchess. "Will you excuse me?" she said. She looked at the seals of all the envelopes, then she opened one. "That's it," she said when she'd read it. She handed me the letter. It was a request for a subscription from some philanthropical society in Hambourg. It informed the Grand Duchess that there was to be a bazaar the following Monday for the benefit of working class crèches. "We will go," said Aurora quietly. "This is the signal I arranged with Boose." I had known everything for two days. She had told me that when I gave her the document I had found in _Petermann's Mittheilungen_ she had written to Baron von Boose in the Congo. I have never known what kind of force she had brought to bear upon the man, but the fact remains that the letter Marthe had brought told the Grand Duchess that he had just left Africa. He was now at Hambourg. It could hardly be doubted that he had important revelations to make. "I've made it worth his while," she murmured with her wan smile. "We will go tomorrow," she said. She looked at me, reflected a moment and then said: "'Tis a little late in the day perhaps, my friend, but I begin to have scruples. I'm abusing your devotion. Do you realize that you have embarked upon a dangerous undertaking?" "And you?" I said. "Oh, it's different with me. I am fighting for my liberty, which is more to me than life. Besides, whatever happens, I am the Grand Duchess of Lautenburg, and, more than that, a Tumene Princess. Behind me there is the Czar and all the Russias. They would think twice in my case; but you, dear friend! Think of Cyrus Beck. Think of Melusine. Why, for what would you sacrifice yourself?" There was such intensity of reproach in the look I gave her that proud and haughty sovereign though she was, she hung her head. "Forgive me," she murmured. Then she added: "Very well, we're agreed. We will start tomorrow. Ring. I must give the necessary orders." I pressed an electric bell. We heard steps. There was a knock at the door. "Come in," said Aurora. The door opened. "Oh!" was all the Grand Duchess said. Lieutenant von Hagen had just appeared in the doorway. He was rather pale and stood stiffly at attention, his right hand to his Kolbach, the burnished chin-strap of which encircled his clenched jaw. "Lieutenant von Hagen!" said Aurora when she had recovered from her surprise. "Since when have officers under arrest acquired the habit of leaving the citadel?" Hagen stood like a rock and said nothing. "Will you be kind enough to explain?... Your sentence has not been remitted, so far as I know." "It has, Your Highness!" murmured Hagen.