ople
high in the government of more than one empire. The Duke of Perse
realised this when he compelled his daughter to accept him as her
husband. The fair Ingomede is less than twenty-five years of age; the
Iron Count is fully sixty-five."

"She ought to be rescued," was King's only comment, but there was no
mistaking the gleam of interest in his steady grey eyes.

"Rescued?" repeated the old man, with a broad grin. "And why? She is
mistress of one of the finest old castles in Austria, Schloss Marlanx,
and she is quite beautiful enough to have lovers by the score when the
Count grows a little blinder and less jealous. She is in Edelweiss at
present, visiting her father. The Count never comes here."

"I'd like to see her if she's really beautiful. I've seen but one pretty
woman in this whole blamed town--your niece, Herr Spantz. I've looked
'em over pretty carefully, too. She is exceedingly attract--"

"Pardon me, sir, but it is not the custom in Graustark to discuss our
women in the public drinking places." King felt as if he had received a
slap in the face. He turned a fiery red under his tan and mumbled some
sort of an apology. "The Countess is a public personage, however, and we
may speak of her," went on the old man quickly, as the American, in his
confusion, called a waiter to replenish the tankards. The steely glitter
that leaped into the armourer's eyes at this second reference to his
niece disappeared as quickly as it came; somehow it left behind the
impression that he knew how to wield the deadly blades he wrought.

"I'd like to hear more about her," murmured Mr. King. "Anything to pass
the time away, Mr. Spantz. As I said before, I journeyed far to reach
this land of fair women and if there's one to be seen, I'm properly
eager to jump at the chance. I've been here two days and I've seen
nothing that could start up the faintest flutter around my heart. I'm
sorry to say, my good friend, that the women I've seen in the streets of
Edelweiss are not beauties. I won't say that they'd stop a clock, but
they'd cause it to lose two or three hours a day, all right enough."

"You will not find the beautiful women of Edelweiss in the streets,
sir."

"Don't they ever go out shopping?"

"Hardly. The merchants, if you will but notice, carry their wares to the
houses of the noble and the rich. Graustark ladies of quality would no
more think of setting foot in a shop or bazaar than they would think of
entering a third