it was announced that, for reasons of
health, the original period of his stay, namely a week, was to be
cut down to two days. No sooner had he arrived at Windsor, however,
than a change was announced. The Czar had so far recovered as to
be able even to extend the period at first fixed for his visit.
Simultaneously with this, the German and Austrian Press were full
of bitter and barely veiled articles, whose meaning was unmistakable.
The Czar had thrown in his lot at first with Austria and Germany.
That he was going deliberately to break away from that arrangement
there seemed now scarcely any manner of doubt.

Bellamy and Louise, from a window in Fleet Street, watched him go
by. Prince Rosmaran had been specially bidden to the luncheon, but
he, too, had been with them earlier in the morning. Afterwards
they turned their backs upon the city, and as soon as the crowd had
thinned made their way to one of the west-end restaurants.

"It seems too good to be true," declared Louise. Bellamy nodded.

"Nevertheless I am convinced that it is true. The humor of the
whole thing is that it was our friends in Germany themselves who
pressed the Czar not to altogether cancel his visit for fear of
exciting suspicion. That, of course, was when there seemed to be
no question of the news of the Vienna compact leaking out. They
would never have dared to expose a man to such a trial as the
Czar must have faced when the resume of the Vienna proceedings, in
the Chancellor's own handwriting, was read to him at Windsor."

"You saw the telegram from Paris?" Louise interposed. "The
special mission from St. Petersburg has been recalled."

Bellamy smiled.

"It all goes to prove what I say," he went on. "Any morning you
may expect to hear that Austria and Germany have received an
ultimatum."

"I wonder," she remarked, "what became of Streuss."

"He is hiding somewhere in London, without a doubt," Bellamy
answered. "There's always plenty of work for spies."

"Don't use that word," she begged.

He made a little grimace.

"You are thinking of my own connection with the profession, are you
not?" he asked. "Well, that counts for nothing now. I hope I may
still serve my country for many years, but it must be in a different
way."

"What do you mean?" she demanded.

"I heard from my uncle's solicitors this morning," Bellamy continued,
"that he is very feeble and cannot live more than a few months.
When he dies, of course, I mus