'Do you know why?'

'I suppose because that vile old red-hatted woman and her accomplices
wanted to get some money out of me. Fortunately, thanks to you, they
didn't.'

'Not at all,' said Aribert. 'They wanted no money from you. They knew
well enough that you had no money. They knew you were the naughty
schoolboy among European Princes, with no sense of responsibility or of
duty towards your kingdom. Shall I tell you why they kidnapped you?'

'When you have done abusing me, my dear uncle.'

'They kidnapped you merely to keep you out of England for a few days,
merely to compel you to fail in your appointment with Sampson Levi. And
it appears to me that they succeeded. Assuming that you don't obtain the
money from Levi, is there another financier in all Europe from whom you
can get it--on such strange security as you have to offer?'

'Possibly there is not,' said Prince Eugen calmly. 'But, you see, I
shall get it from Sampson Levi. Levi promised it, and I know from other
sources that he is a man of his word. He said that the money, subject to
certain formalities, would be available till--'

'Till?'

'Till the end of June.'

'And it is now the end of July.'

'Well, what is a month? He is only too glad to lend the money. He will
get excellent interest. How on earth have you got into your sage old
head this notion of a plot against me? The idea is ridiculous. A plot
against me? What for?'

'Have you ever thought of Bosnia?' asked Aribert coldly.

'What of Bosnia?'

'I need not tell you that the King of Bosnia is naturally under
obligations to Austria, to whom he owes his crown. Austria is anxious
for him to make a good influential marriage.'

'Well, let him.'

'He is going to. He is going to marry the Princess Anna.'

'Not while I live. He made overtures there a year ago, and was
rebuffed.'

'Yes; but he will make overtures again, and this time he will not be
rebuffed. Oh, Eugen! can't you see that this plot against you is being
engineered by some persons who know all about your affairs, and whose
desire is to prevent your marriage with Princess Anna? Only one man in
Europe can have any motive for wishing to prevent your marriage with
Princess Anna, and that is the man who means to marry her himself.'
Eugen went very pale.

'Then, Aribert, do you mean to convey to me that my detention in Ostend
was contrived by the agents of the King of Bosnia?'

'I do.'

'With a view to stopping my negotiations