u, and when he sees
you standing there, not offering to help him, he thinks you are a coward
and a traitor. Perhaps he tells you so in the most emphatic language at
his command."

"It would be a very difficult position," agreed Sue, still laughing at
the picture presented by the words. "On second thought, I don't believe
I'd stand still for long; I'd try to give my thief a knock-out blow and
then go help my friend."

"But you would have to wait till your thief was off his guard. Well,
that is pretty much the position that England is in, as I understand it.
Prince Ferdinand is our friend, but we've got to wait till the man with
the pistol makes a false move. We're doing the best we can--and in the
meantime, Prince Ferdinand's misguided friends are calling us hard
names."

"But," inquired Susie, "who is the man with the pistol? He must be a
pretty big fellow to be able to hold you prisoner, and yet I must
confess that I'm like Prince Ferdinand--I can't perceive him, either."

Lord Vernon hesitated a moment.

"I'm afraid, Miss Rushford," he said, slowly, at last, "that I can't
tell you, just yet. I'd like to, but if I did, I'd have all these
diplomatic sharps down on me in short order. I thought maybe you could
guess."

"Oh, don't apologise!" cried Susie. "I hadn't any right to ask.
Though," she added, regretfully, "I'm not at all good at guessing."

Lord Vernon smiled as he looked at her.

"I don't think we'll have any more trouble," he said. "Markeld and I
have called a truce for a week, and by that time--"

He paused again, evidently on the verge of another indiscretion. Chance
saved him the necessity of going on, for at that moment a tall, military
figure loomed ahead, approached, hesitated, stopped, and uncovered.

"I hope I see you better this morning, Lord Vernon," said a pleasant
voice.

"Why, yes, thank you, Your Highness," answered Vernon, colouring a
little. "I feel much better. Let me introduce to you Miss Rushford," he
added, catching the other's admiring glance and interpreting it aright.
"Miss Rushford, this is the Prince of Markeld."

CHAPTER XI

The Prince Gains an Ally

So it presently came to pass that Susie Rushford found herself walking
on with the Prince of Markeld, while Nell took her place beside the
invalid's chair. Five minutes later, Vernon had revised his judgment and
decided that Nell was far the handsomer--she had the air, somehow, which
one associates with duchesses