side," he said. "But I cannot
make out who comes in her. Ah, pardon," he added quickly, as he
pointed to a stout elderly gentleman who walked rapidly toward them
through the garden. "The Gibraltar boat must be in, sir. Here is
Baron Barrat coming up the path."

Colonel Erhaupt gave an exclamation of satisfaction, and waved his hand
to the newcomer in welcome.

"Go tell his Majesty," he said to the servant.

The man hesitated and bowed. "His Majesty still sleeps."

"Wake him," commanded Erhaupt. "Tell him I said to do so. Well,
Baron," he cried, gayly, as he stepped forward, "welcome--or are you
welcome?" he added, with an uneasy laugh.

"I should be. I have succeeded," the other replied gruffly, as he
brushed past him. "Where is the King?"

"He will be here in a moment. I have sent to wake him. And you have
been successful? Good. I congratulate you. How far successful?"

The Baron threw himself into one of the wicker chairs, and clapped his
hands impatiently for a servant. "Twelve thousand pounds in all," he
replied. "That's more than he expected. It was like pulling teeth at
first. I want some coffee at once," he said to the attendant, "and a
bath. That boat reeked with Moors and cattle, and there was no
wagon-lit on the train from Madrid. I sat up all night, and played
cards with that young Cellini. Have Madame Zara and Kalonay returned?
I see the yacht in the harbor. Did she succeed?"

"We do not know; the boat only arrived at daybreak. They are probably
on the launch that is coming in now."

As Barrat sipped his coffee and munched his rolls with the silent
energy of a hungry man, the Colonel turned and strode up and down the
terrace, pulling at his mustache and glancing sideways. When the Baron
had lighted a cigarette and thrown himself back in his chair, Erhaupt
halted and surveyed him in some anxiety.

"You have been gone over two weeks," he said. "I should like to see
you accomplish as much in as short a time," growled the other. "You
know Paris. You know how hard it is to get people to be serious there.
I had the devil's own time at first. You got my cablegram?"

"Yes; it wasn't encouraging."

"Well, I wasn't hopeful myself. They wouldn't believe a word of it at
first. They said Louis hadn't shown such great love for his country or
his people since his exile that they could feel any confidence in him,
and that his conduct in the last six years did not warrant their
jo