g the matter of being married at an early date.

"I don't think I shall let you go back to the Grange at all. They
don't treat you decently, you know--not even for royalties," he went on.

"Oh, it wouldn't do not to go back--at any rate for to-night--though,
of course, there's no point in my staying longer, since the princess
isn't there," said Miss Lambart.

"You don't know: perhaps Zerbst has caught her by now and is hauling
her to her circular sire," said Sir Maurice. "The Twins can not be
successful all the time."

"We ought to go and search those caves thoroughly," said Miss Lambart.

"That wouldn't be the slightest use," said Sir Maurice in a tone of
complete certainty. "If the princess is in the caves, she is not in an
accessible one. But as a matter of fact she is quite as likely, or
even likelier, to be at the Grange. The Twins are quite intelligent
enough to hide princesses in the last place you would be likely to look
for them. It's no use our worrying ourselves about her; besides, we're
very comfortable here. Why not stay just as we are?"

They stayed there.

But the archduke's impatience was slowly rising to a fury as the
minutes that separated him from the one-fifteen slipped away. At ten
minutes to one he was seized by a sudden fresh fear lest the searchers
should be so long returning as to make him late for lunch; and at once
he despatched the chauffeur to find them and bring them without delay.

The chauffeur made no haste about it. He had heard of the caves on
Deeping Knoll and had always been curious to see them. Besides, he
made it a point of honor not to smoke on duty; he had not had a pipe in
his mouth since eleven o'clock; and he felt now off duty. He explored
half a dozen caves thoroughly before he came upon Miss Lambart and Sir
Maurice and gave them the archduke's message. They joined him in his
search for Count Zerbst, going through the caves and calling to him
loudly.

The one-fifteen had gone; and the hour of lunch was perilously near.
The face of the archduke was dark with the dread that he would be late
for it. There was a terrifying but sympathetic throbbing not far from
his solar plexus.

Every two or three minutes he rose to his full height in the car and
bellowed: "Zerbst! Zerbst! Zerbst!"

Still no answer came to the call; no one came from the path to the
knoll.

Then at the very moment at which on more fortunate days he was wont to
sink heavily, with his