scientious. About these qualities I had already made up my mind. But
his acts had been wholly in disregard of the rhythmical and regular
conventions which he should thus have associated with himself. He had
broken with his fatherland, he had thrown over dynastic laws, he had
gone by his will alone, and no red tape. Perhaps there was the
solution. He had gone by his conscience. I have said I was convinced of
his conscientiousness, and possibly in these strange departures from
the code of his fathers he was following a new and internal guide, to
the detriment of his own material interests. He had abandoned the
essence while retaining the forms of his birth and breeding. At least,
this is but my assumption; his actions must explain him for himself. I
have set down faithfully how he behaved from the first moment I met
him. Let him be judged by that.

The Prince, then, who had violated the traditions of his house by his
proposed alliance, was occupied in his accounts. That, at any rate, is
what I gathered from the hasty glance I got at the sheets of figures
before him.

"Well, sir?" said he brusquely.

"I report, sir, that we have entered the Straits of Magellan, and that
we have every reason to look for an attack at any moment," I said
formally.

He dropped his pen. "So!" he said, nodding quite pleasantly.

"It is just as well that it comes, doctor. We have been too long on the
rack. It has done us no good."

"I think you are right, sir," I answered; "and, on the other hand, it
has been of service to the mutineers."

He looked perplexed. "We have taken charge of the safes for them," I
explained.

He sat silent awhile, and then mechanically curled his moustache
upwards.

"Yes--yes--yes," he said. "You are right. That, then, is the reason.
This man is clever."

It seemed the echo of what his lady-love had said a quarter of an hour
before. I made no reply, as none seemed necessary. He went to the
barred window, in which a gap was open, letting in the night, and the
act recalled again to me Mademoiselle. Was this scion of royalty
perishing for an idea? He looked very strong, very capable, and rather
wonderful just then. I had never been drawn to him, but I had at the
moment some understanding of what it might be to be the subject of so
masterful and unreasonable a man. Yet now he was not at all
unreasonable, or even masterful. He turned back to me.

"Doctor," he said gently, "we must see that the ladies are not