AFFAIRS OF STATE Being an Account of Certain Surprising Adventures Which Befell an American Family in the Land of Windmills BY BURTON E. STEVENSON AUTHOR OF "THE MARATHON MYSTERY," "THE HOLLADAY CASE," ETC. With Illustrations by F. VAUX WILSON 1906 TO G. H. T.: OLD FRIEND CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE WILES OF WOMANKIND II. THE ROLE OF GOOD ANGEL III. DISTINGUISHED ARRIVALS AT WEET-SUR-MER IV. AN ADVENTURE AND A RESCUE V. TELLIER TAKES A HAND VI. THE PATH GROWS CROOKED VII. AN APPEAL FOR AID VIII. PRIDE HAS A FALL IX. PELLETAN'S SKELETON X. AN INTRODUCTION AND A PROMENADE XI. THE PRINCE GAINS AN ALLY XII. EVENTS OF THE NIGHT XIII. THE SECOND PROMENADE XIV. A BEARDING OF THE LION XV. "BE BOLD, BE BOLD" XVI. A PRINCE AND HIS IDEALS XVII. THE DUCHESS TO THE RESCUE XVIII. MAN'S PERFIDY XIX. AN AMERICAN OPINION OF EUROPEAN MORALS XX. THE DOWAGER'S BOMBSHELL XXI. PARDON ILLUSTRATIONS "EEF MONSIEUR PLEASE" "IT WAS MY GREAT GOOD FORTUNE," SAID THE STRANGER, BOWING, "TO BE OF SERVICE TO A COMPATRIOT" "OH!" SHE CRIED, WITH A LITTLE START, "THERE HE IS NOW, ALMOST NEAR ENOUGH TO HEAR!" "WHAT IS IT?" SHE DEMANDED. "DON'T YOU SEE WE ARE ALL WAITING?" AFFAIRS OF STATE CHAPTER I The Wiles of Womankind Archibald Rushford, tall, lean, the embodiment of energy, stood at the window, hands in pockets, and stared disgustedly out at the dreary vista of sand-dunes and bathing-machines, closed in the distance by a stretch of gray sea mounting toward a horizon scarcely discernible through the drifting mist which hung above the water. "Though why you wanted to come here at all," he continued, presumably addressing two young ladies in the room behind him, "or why you want to stay, now you _are_ here, passes my comprehension. One might as well be buried alive, and be done with it. The sensations, I should imagine, are about the same." "Oh, come, dad!" protested one of the girls, laughing, "you know it isn't so bad as that! There's plenty of life--not just at this hour of the morning, perhaps,"--with a fleeting glance at the empty landscape,--"but the hour is unfashionable." "As everything seasonable and sensible seems to be here," put in her father, grimly. "And such interesting life, too," added the other girl. "Interesting! Bah! When I want to see monkeys and peacocks, I'll go to a menagerie." "But you never do go to the menagerie, at home, you know, dad." "No--because I don't care for monkeys or peacocks--in fact, I particularly detest them!" "But lions, dad! There are lions--" "In the menagerie at home, perhaps." "Yes, and in this one--bigger lions than you ever dreamed of, dad!--perfect monsters of lions!"