lberg and a soldier! You don't
deserve her--she ought to go to Lotzen--to Casimir--to any one but you.
Why, you drivelling idiot, do you realize that, but for the chance of
my having lugged--yes, that's the word, lugged you here you would now
be doing childish problems in cement and stone in some miserable little
Army department headquarters over in America?"

It was delicious to see Courtney roused, once in his life. Choking
back my laugh, I answered:

"You have not put it half strongly enough. You may be a fool, as you
say--there's no doubt that I've been a colossal one."

"You ought to be in an asylum for weak-minded instead of in that
uniform," he ejaculated.

"But, thanks to you, I'm in the uniform and not in the asylum," I
answered.

"Pray God you have sense enough, now, to keep in the one and out of the
other," he retorted.

"Amen, Courtney, old man," said I, "Amen!"

Then I sprang away and into saddle--waving my hand to him as he came
hastily to the door to stay me.

XII

LEARNING MY TRADE

The next month was the busiest of my life--not excepting those at the
Point. I was learning to be Royal, and I was starting a generation and
a half behind time. My hardest task was in meeting the Nobility. I
had been bred a soldier and had despised the politician--secretly,
however, as is necessary for the Army officer in America; but no rural
candidate at a Fall election ever worked harder to ingratiate himself
with the people and to secure their votes, than did I to win favor with
the Lords and high officers of State. And, with it all, I could feel
no assurance of success--for they were courtiers, and I had not yet
learned to read behind their masks; though, here, Bernheim was
invaluable. Indeed, he was a wonder. I have yet to find him miss his
guess.

There were constant Cabinet meetings to attend, at which my views were
expected; and this entailed a study of conditions and policies
absolutely new to me. Then, I was delegated frequently by the King to
represent him on occasions of ceremony; and, for them, I needed careful
coaching. In fact, there were a thousand matters which occupied me to
exhaustion. And, through it all, I was trying to get familiar with the
organization and administration and methods of the Valerian Army, so as
to be fitted to discharge the duties of my high rank. I confess this
was my most congenial labor. If I might have been simply a soldier
Archduke, I think I wou