Prince Eugen's life, it
is at his disposal.'

'But how--how have you managed it? By what miracle?'

'My father,' she replied softly, 'will do anything that I ask him. Do
not let us waste time. Go and tell Eugen it is arranged, that all will
be well.

Go!'

'But we cannot accept this--this enormous, this incredible favour. It is
impossible.'

'Aribert,' she said quickly, 'remember you are not in Posen holding a
Court reception. You are in England and you are talking to an American
girl who has always been in the habit of having her own way.'

The Prince threw up his hands and went back in to the bedroom. The
doctor was at a table writing out a prescription. Aribert approached the
bedside, his heart beating furiously. Eugen greeted him with a faint,
fatigued smile.

'Eugen,' he whispered, 'listen carefully to me. I have news. With the
assistance of friends I have arranged to borrow that million for you.
It is quite settled, and you may rely on it. But you must get better. Do
you hear me?'

Eugen almost sat up in bed. 'Tell me I am not delirious,' he exclaimed.

'Of course you aren't,' Aribert replied. 'But you mustn't sit up. You
must take care of yourself.'

'Who will lend the money?' Eugen asked in a feeble, happy whisper.

'Never mind. You shall hear later. Devote yourself now to getting
better.'

The change in the patient's face was extraordinary. His mind seemed to
have put on an entirely different aspect. The doctor was startled
to hear him murmur a request for food. As for Aribert, he sat down,
overcome by the turmoil of his own thoughts. Till that moment he felt
that he had never appreciated the value and the marvellous power of mere
money, of the lucre which philosophers pretend to despise and men sell
their souls for. His heart almost burst in its admiration for that
extraordinary Nella, who by mere personal force had raised two men out
of the deepest slough of despair to the blissful heights of hope and
happiness. 'These Anglo-Saxons,' he said to himself, 'what a race!'

By the afternoon Eugen was noticeably and distinctly better. The
physicians, puzzled for the third time by the progress of the case,
announced now that all danger was past. The tone of the announcement
seemed to Aribert to imply that the fortunate issue was due wholly to
unrivalled medical skill, but perhaps Aribert was mistaken. Anyhow, he
was in a most charitable mood, and prepared to forgive anything.

'Nella,' he said a l