, but who had,
nevertheless, tricked both him and the faithful Jackal.

The breakfast was drawing to an end and the faithful Niccolas was the
only servant remaining in the room. The talk had grown intimate and
touched openly upon the successful visit of the two ambassadors to the
island, and of Barrat's mission to Paris. Of Madame Zara's visit to
the northern half of the island, which was supposed to have been less
successful, no mention was made.

Louis felt as he listened to them like a man at a play, who knows that
at a word from him the complications would cease, and that were he to
rise in the stalls and explain them away, and point out the real hero
and denounce the villain, the curtain would have to ring down on the
instant. He gave a little purr of satisfaction, and again marshalled
his chances before him and smiled to find them good. He was grandly at
peace with himself and with the world. Whatever happened, he was
already richer by some 300,000 francs, and in a day, if he could keep
the American girl to her expedition had been played he would be
free,--free to return to his clubs and to his boulevards and boudoirs,
with money enough to silence the most insolent among his creditors, and
with renewed credit; with even a certain glamour about him of one who
had dared to do, even though he had failed in the doing, who had shaken
off the slothfulness of ease and had chosen to risk his life for his
throne with a smoking rifle in his hand, until a traitor had turned
fortune against him.

The King was amused to find that this prospect pleased him vastly. He
was surprised to discover that, careless as he thought himself to be to
public opinion, he was still capable of caring for its approbation; but
he consoled himself for this weakness by arguing that it was only
because the approbation would be his by a trick that it pleased him to
think of. Perhaps some of his royal cousins, in the light of his bold
intent, might take him under their protection instead of neglecting him
shamefully, as they had done in the past. His armed expedition might
open certain doors to him; his name--and he smiled grimly as he
imagined it--would ring throughout Europe as the Soldier King, as the
modern disciple of the divine right of kings. He saw, in his mind's
eye, even the possibility of a royal alliance and a pension from one of
the great Powers. No matter where he looked he could see nothing but
gain to himself, more power f