r,"
said Nikky steadily.

Suddenly the Chancellor got up and, going to Nikky, put both hands on
his shoulders.

Quite to the end now, with the Countess not in her rooms or anywhere
in the Palace. With the bonfires burned to cold ashes, and the streets
deserted. With the police making careful search for certain men whose
names Haeckel had given, and tearing frenzied placards from the walls.
With Hilda sitting before her dressing-table, holding a silk stocking to
her cheek, to see if she would look well in black. With Miss Braithwaite
still lying in her drugged sleep, watched over by the Sisters who had
cared for the dead King, and with Karl, across the mountains, dreaming
of a bride who would never be his.

Quite to the end. Only a word or two now, and we may leave the little
King to fulfil his splendid destiny. Not a quiet life, we may be
certain. Perhaps not a very peaceful or untroubled one. But a brave and
steadfast and honorable one, be sure of that.

What should we gain by following Olga Loschek, eating her heart out
in England, or the Committee of Ten, cowering in its cells? They had
failed, as the wicked, sooner or later, must fail. Or Karl, growing fat
in a prosperous land, alike greedy for conquest and too indolent for
battle?

To finish the day, then, and close with midnight.

Nikky first, a subdued and rather battered Nikky. He was possessed by a
desire, not indeed unknown to lovers, to revisit the place where he and
Hedwig had met before. The roof--no less. Not even then that he hoped
for himself any more than he had hoped before. But at least it could not
be Karl.

He felt that he could relinquish her more easily since it was not Karl.
As if, poor Nikky, it would ever make any difference who it was, so it
were not he!

Strangely enough, Hedwig also had had a fancy to visit the roof. She
could not sleep. And, as she had not read the Chancellor's mind,
her dressing-room, filled to overflowing with her trousseau, set her
frantic.

So she had dismissed her maid and gone through Hubert's rooms to the
roof. Nikky found her there. He stood quite still for a moment, because
it was much too good to be true. Also, because he began to tremble
again. He had really turned quite shaky that evening, had Nikky.

Hedwig did not turn her head. She knew his steps, had really known he
must come, since she was calling him. Actually calling, with all her
determined young will. Oh, she was shameless!

But now that