d _Jugend_, and thus war was averted.

Later an automobile agent visited the town--at the secret bidding of
her Highness--but he was so unceremoniously hustled over the frontier
that his teeth must have rattled like a dancer's castanets. It was a
great country for expeditiousness, as you will find, if you do me the
honor to follow me to the end.

So the grand duke swore that his niece should wed Doppelkinn, and the
princess vowed that she would not. The man who had charge of my horses
said that one of the palace maids had recounted to him a dialogue which
had taken place between the duke and his niece. As I was anxious to be
off on the road I was compelled to listen to his gossip.

THE GRAND DUKE--In two months' time you shall wed the Prince of
Doppelkinn.

THE PRINCESS--What! that old red-nose? Never! I shall marry only
where I love.

THE GRAND DUKE--Only where you love! (_Sneers_.) One would think, to
hear you talk, that you were capable of loving something.

THE PRINCESS--You have yet to learn. I warn you not to force me. I
promise to do something scandalous. I will marry one of the people--a
man.

THE GRAND DUKE--Bah! (_Swears softly on his way down to the stables_.)

But the princess had in her mind a plan which, had it gone through
safely, would have added many grey hairs to the duke's scanty
collection. It was a mighty ingenious plan, too, for a woman to figure
out.

In his attitude toward the girl the duke stood alone. Behind his back
his ministers wore out their shoes in waiting on the caprices of the
girl, while the grand duchess, half-blind and half-deaf, openly
worshiped her wilful but wholly adorable niece, and abetted her in all
her escapades. So far as the populace was concerned, she was the
daughter of the favorite son, dead these eighteen years, and that was
enough for them. Whatever she did was right and proper. But the
hard-headed duke had the power to say what should be what, and he
willed it that the Princess Hildegarde should marry his old comrade in
arms, the Prince of Doppelkinn.

II

As I have already remarked, I used frequently to take long rides into
the country, and sometimes I did not return till the following day. My
clerk was always on duty, and the work never appeared to make him
round-shouldered.

I had ridden horses for years, and to throw a leg over a good mount was
to me one of the greatest pleasures in the world. I delighted in
stopping at the