the fact that, belonging
to the Guard, I must some day have the good fortune to find you again.'

'You are patient!'

'No,' returned Rallywood, 'I am not patient. But I know that all things
come to him who waits. I wait.'

'So I see, excellently!'

'Have I not waited long enough to hear your name first from your own
lips?'

'Stop for a moment;' then standing beside him, she continued, 'Ask me
to-morrow.'

'If I am alive I will!' he laughed.

He felt her hand move with a quick tremor on his arm.

'I knew it! Which of them has challenged you? Unziar?' The swift
question, echoing his own thought, took him completely by surprise.

He passed his arm round her, for the waltz was nearing its end.

'Shall we go on? No; no one has done me the honour of sending me a
challenge.'

'Let us have an end of this absurd mystery!' said the girl impatiently.
'I am Valerie Selpdorf, and you are----'

'John Rallywood of the Guard of Maasau!' he interposed. 'I had my
commission from you in the ante-room of the Hotel du Chancelier. But for
that I should have been more than half inclined to refuse it.'

'I wish you had refused it! It may cost you--more than a man cares to
pay. I thought my father held the power to give any commission he
pleased, but one can never reckon with the Guard. They mean to kill you,
Captain Rallywood! I wanted to warn you, but I think you know more,
perhaps, than I can tell you or than you will tell me. What is going to
happen? I want to help you--you must let me help you!'

Rallywood laughed, but perhaps his arm drew her a little closer as they
moved more slowly during the concluding bars of the waltz.

'My dear Mademoiselle, I assure you that your fears are quite
groundless. I am proud to belong to the Guard of Maasau, and they have
so far shown no intention of rejecting me. As for duels, if there
happened to be one--are not affairs common in Maasau? And afterwards,
fewer funerals take place than one would suppose likely! Besides, M.
Selpdorf's wishes cannot be lightly disregarded in Revonde.'

'You will be drawn into a quarrel before the night is over.'
Mademoiselle Selpdorf stated her conviction very plainly, without
noticing his disclaimers.

The music ceased. Rallywood spoke once more. 'To prove to you how little
I anticipate anything of the sort, will you allow me to have the last
dance on the programme?'

'That is nothing! What can I do for you?' she exclaimed.

'Expect me! If you wou