Mademoiselle accustomed to repair of an afternoon
to keep her voice in practice, as she explained. The Prince usually
followed her there, and I have seen him more than once seated in the
dimness of the farthest corner of the balcony, staring before him as a
man lost in thought, or as one rapt out of himself into some
sentimental ecstasy at the sounds of that divine music. Here we felt,
more or less, that we were in Liberty Hall, and, to do him justice,
Prince Frederic encouraged us to feel this. It was understood that the
saloon was open to all, and it became a resort for such of us as were
off duty in those days--a resort that would have been improved by more
light; for the windows were all barred and shuttered, and only the
skylights admitted the day.

The weather was now grown much colder, for we were off the coast of
Patagonia, and Holgate appeared to be bent on doubling the Horn and
getting into the Pacific. In the wilds of that wide domain there would
be more chances for this crew of scoundrels to find refuge and security
from the arm of the law. Was it for this he was waiting? And yet that
was no argument against an immediate attack, for it was clear that he
might get the business over, deal with us as he chose, and make for his
destination afterwards and at his leisure. Nor could it be that he
doubted as to the issue of the struggle, for his forces outnumbered
ours greatly, and, if I knew anything of men, Holgate was utterly
without fear. But, on the other hand, he had a great deal of
discretion. The only conclusion that emerged from these considerations
was the certainty that in the end Holgate had decreed our fate. _That_
had been settled when Day fell, perhaps even before that, and when poor
McCrae was shot by his engines. We were doomed to death.

If any doubt as to our fate dwelt in Princess Alix's mind she did not
show it. She was a girl of spirit and energy, and she had neat hands.
Thus her time was spent in such work as she deemed useful in the
circumstances, or such as occupied her mind healthily. She made a
handsome fur cap for herself against the biting wind, which now came
snapping off the icy highlands of the coast, and she sketched, and
designed, and photographed. Above all, she was cheerful and
self-reliant. There was not much in common between the brother and the
sister save perhaps their aloofness from strangers. I questioned much
if the Princess had any of her brother's sentimentality. She ha