in loyalty on both sides. The
other seconds? Why, Watford and Queensberry."

"You certainly gave him every chance," said the Earl, leaning back and
considering Julian Wemyss, "they are all of his own kidney except the
Prince--and him I do not know."

"Oh, the finest blade in Europe," cried Julian, more enthusiastically
than he had yet spoken, "and ... a Prince of the Empire."

"I see," said Earl Raincy, "between the two of you, you could have
accounted for an army of Duke's favourites!"

"Perhaps," said Julian Wemyss, "but to get back to what we were saying,
the question is what are we to do with Patsy? I do not mean to spend my
whole life in exile, and though we simply could not let Wargrove pass,
we cannot go on fighting duels for the sake of this young woman.
Besides, it is bad for Patsy."

"What do you propose, Julian?" said Adam. "I see you have come with a
plan all ready made up your sleeve. Out with it, man!"

"Well, I have. There is a great lady in London who wishes to take Patsy
and treat her as her own daughter--yes, a lady of the court, but not of
the Regency court--the Princess Elsa-Frederica of Saxe-Brunswick--"

The Earl's eyes dropped suddenly upon the decanter. He put out his hand,
and poured himself a glass. The name was that of one of the King's near
relatives, married to the aged reigning prince of Saxe-Brunswick for
reasons of State, but now returned to her family and living at Hanover
Lodge close to Kew.

The two men at the table instantly found themselves on the verge of
matters as it were within the veil. They looked uncomfortable, almost
unhappy, as men do on these occasions. Only Julian Wemyss went on with
his usual serenity.

"My friend offered to take the responsibility of Patsy off our hands.
She is a wise woman and a good woman. There lives no man who dares say
different--"

At this point both Adam Ferris and the Earl thought of the man in Vienna
who had once dared, and whom the gentle-mannered duellist before them
had sent quickly to his own place, with no more time given than to
retract his words and receive holy absolution. For in the Austria of
that time two gentlemen took a priest as well as a doctor with them to
the field of honour. Then Adam Ferris remembered his lonely house below
the dark green pines and demanded with a sudden darkening of humour,
"And how long is this going to last?"

It was on the tip of Julian's tongue to answer, "Till Patsy is married."
For indeed