shall I make you admit that,
Chancellor Bear?"

Thus the Baroness, standing at her drawing-room window, would amuse
herself in odd moments, when she was not arranging original and
elaborate entertainments for her guests. And she congratulated herself
particularly on having had the forethought to invite Egon von
Breitstein, the Chancellor's half-brother.

There was a barrier of thirty-six years' difference in age between the
two, and they had never been friends in the true sense of the word,
for the old man was temperamentally unable to sympathize with the
tastes, or understand the temptations of the younger brother, and the
younger man was mentally unable to appreciate the qualities of the
elder.

Nevertheless it was rumored at court that Iron Heart had more than
once used the gay and good-looking Captain of Cavalry for a catspaw in
pulling some very big and hot chestnuts out of the fire. At all events
"Handsome Egon," so known among his followers, "the Chancellor's
Jackal" (thus nicknamed by his enemies) would have found difficulty in
keeping up appearances without the allowance granted by his powerful
half-brother. The ill-assorted pair were often in communication, and
the Baroness liked to think that news fresh from Lyndalberg must
sooner or later be wafted like a wind-blown scent of roses across the
water to Schloss Breitstein.

She was still less displeased than surprised, therefore, when--the
Emperor having been three days at Lyndalberg, with two more days of
his visit to run--an urgent message arrived for Captain von Breitstein
from his brother.

Poor old Lorenz was wrestling with his enemy gout, it appeared, and
wished for Egon's immediate presence.

Such a summons could not be neglected. Egon's whole future depended
upon his half-brother's caprice, he hinted to the Baroness in asking
leave to desert her pleasant party for a few hours. So of course she
sent the Chancellor her regrets, with the Baron's; and Egon went off
charged with a friendly message from the Emperor as well.

When the Captain of Cavalry had set out from Lyndalberg to Schloss
Breitstein by the shortest way--across the lake in a smart little
motor-boat--promising to be back in time for dinner and a concert, the
Baroness spent all her energy in getting up an impromptu riding-party,
which would give Leopold the chance of another tete-a-tete with Miss
Mowbray.

Already many such chances had been arranged, so cleverly as not to
excite go