hussars, and directly beneath, mounted on an excited horse, Stampoff
was giving furious orders which evidently demanded an energetic storming
of the hotel entrance.

Alec threw open the window and leaned out. "Just in time, old friend!"
he cried.

Stampoff heard him and looked up. "God's bones!" he roared. "Here is
the King safe and sound. At them, my children! Dig them out with your
sabers! Don't leave a man alive!"

"Stop!" shouted Alec. "No more slaughter! I forbid it!"

Stampoff wheeled round on his charger and addressed the press of
soldiers who had been unable to take any part in the street clearing,
since the mob broke and fled when the first rank of plumed caps and
flashing swords became visible.

"You hear, my children," he vociferated. "Don't harm anybody who does
not resist. The King's commands must be obeyed."

Joan, of course, could only guess what was being said; but she could not
fail to recognize the sounds of conflict on the stairs. Men are
strangely akin to tigers when they see red, and the tiger's roar when he
pounces on a victim differs greatly from his own death scream. Alec,
powerless to move Stampoff, who believed, rightly, as it transpired,
that the ringleaders were foremost in the attack, turned to Beaumanoir.

"Release that fellow," he said. "If I am able to make my voice heard
through the racket, I can put an end to this butchery."

Beaumanoir let go the arm, and a body fell on the other side of the
door.

"You are too late, I hope," he said quietly. "My prisoner took the knock
just before you spoke. I felt it run through him. He shook like a pony
under the spur. And you're wrong, you know. This gang must be cleared
out." He peered through the broken panel. "It's all over," he added. "No
flowers, by request."

Felix was peering up at them with his bright crafty eyes. "Queer thing!"
he growled. "In my first honest fight I have been on the side of
tyranny. If you young gentlemen will be good enough to remove the
barricade and give orders to have the passage cleared, I can go back to
the cup of coffee I left in the restaurant. Meanwhile, Joan must be
taken to her room. She is going to faint, and the Lord only knows what
has become of her maid!"

Alec was at Joan's side before Felix had made an end. "You will not
break down now, sweetheart," he cried. "All danger is over, and, with
God's help, you will never witness such a scene in Delgratz again!"

"I feel tired," she sighed. "I kn