e chased gold band on the upper
arm. There was a day, not so far back in history, when they wore bands
on their ankles.

She was well named Ingomede, the Beautiful.

A soft, almost imperceptible perfume, languorous in its appeal to the
senses, exuded from this perfect creation; added to this, the subtle,
unfailing scent of young womanhood; the warm, alive feel of her presence
in the atmosphere; a suggestion of something sensuous, clean, pure,
delicious. The undescribable.

"Does Baron Dangloss know this man Brutus?" asked Tullis, arising to
stand beside her. A sub-conscious, triumphant thrill shot through him as
an instantaneous flash of his own physical superiority over this girl's
husband came over him. He was young and strong and vital. He could feel
the sensation of being strong; he tingled with the glory of it. He was
thirty-five, Marlanx seventy. He wondered if Marlanx had ever been as
strong as he.

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "I have not spoken to him
concerning Brutus. Perhaps he knows. The Baron is very wise. Let me tell
you how I happen to know that Peter Brutus is still serving Count
Marlanx and why I think his presence signifies a crisis of some sort."
Tullis stood facing the great fireplace, his back to the hail. He
observed that she looked toward the doors quite as often as she looked
at him; it struck him that she was extremely cautious despite her
apparent ease.

Her voice, always low and even, second lower still. "In the first place,
I have a faithful friend in one of the oldest retainers at Schloss
Marlanx. His daughter is my maid. She is here with me now. The old man
came to see Josepha one day last week. He had accompanied Count Marlanx
to the town of Balak, which is in Axphain, a mile beyond the Graustark
line. Peter Brutus was with my husband in Balak for two days. They were
closeted together from morning till night in the house where Marlanx
was stopping. At the end of two days Brutus went away, but he carried
with him a vast sum of money provided by my husband. It was given out
that he was on his way to Serros in Dawsbergen, where he expected to
purchase a business block for his master. Marlanx waited another day in
Balak, permitting Josepha's father to come on to Edelweiss with a
message for me and to see his daughter. He--"

"And Josepha's father saw Brutus in Edelweiss?"

"No. But he did see him going into Balak as he left for Edelweiss that
morning. He wore a disguise, bu