ared on the balcony, the
Court had sworn fealty to Otto the Ninth. He had stood on the dais in
the throne room, very much washed and brushed by that time, and the
ceremony had taken place. Such a shout from relieved throats as went up,
such a clatter as swords were drawn from scabbards and held upright in
the air.

"Otto!" they cried. And again, "Otto."

The little King had turned quite pale with excitement.

Late in the evening Nikky Larisch went to the Council room. The Council
had dispersed, and Mettlich sat alone. There were papers all about him,
and a glass of milk that had once been hot stood at his elbow. Now and
then, as he worked, he took a sip of it, for more than ever now he must
keep up his strength.

When Nikky was announced he frowned. Then, very faintly, he smiled. But
he was stern enough when the young soldier entered. Nikky came to the
point at once, having saluted. Not, when you think of it, that he should
have saluted. Had he not resigned from the service? Was not his sword,
in token of that surrender, still on the table and partly covered with
documents. Still he did. Habit, probably.

"I have come," he said, "to know what I am to do, sir."

"Do?" asked the Chancellor, coldly.

"Whether the Crown--whether the King is safe or not," said Nikky,
looking dogged and not at all now like the picture of his mother. "I am
guilty of--of all that happened."

The Chancellor had meant to be very hard. But he had come through a
great deal, and besides, he saw something Nikky did not mean him to
see. He was used to reading men. He saw that the boy had come to the
breaking-point.

"Sit down," he said, "and tell me about it."

But Nikky would not sit. He stood, looking straight ahead, and told the
story. He left nothing out, the scene on the roof, his broken promise.

"Although," he added, his only word of extenuation, "God knows I tried
to keep it."

Then the message from the Countess Loschek, and his long wait in
her boudoir, to return to the thing he had found. As he went on, the
Chancellor's hand touched a button.

"Bring here at once the Countess Loschek," he said, to the servant who
came. "Take two of the guard, and bring hey."

Then, remembering the work he had to do, he took another sip of milk.
"These things you have done," he said to Nikky. "And weak and wicked
enough they are. But, on the other hand, you found the King."

"Others found him also. Besides, that does not affect my guilt, si