d.

"Yes," the Baroness answered. "They must have reached Kronburg before
this. You know, they left their companion there. Perhaps your Majesty
did not realize that they were leaving here quite so early?"

He turned so white under the brown tan the mountains had given, that
the Baroness was alarmed. She had taken Virginia's words as Virginia
had meant her to take them, and therefore supposed that a formal
farewell of some sort had been spoken. This impression did not prevent
her from guessing that there must have been a misunderstanding, and
she was tingling with a lively curiosity which she was obliged
carefully to hide.

The romance which had been enacted under her eyes she believed to be
largely of her own making; and, not being a bad-hearted woman, she had
grown fond of Virginia. She had even had pangs of conscience; and
though she could not see the way for a happy ending to the pretty
drama, it distressed her that the curtain should go down on sadness.

"I did not know they were going at all," Leopold answered frankly,
willing to sacrifice his pride for the sake of coming quickly at the
truth.

"Oh!" exclaimed the Baroness. "I am distressed! Miss Mowbray
distinctly said, when I begged that they would wait, 'the Emperor will
understand.'"

"I do understand--now I know they have gone," he admitted. "But--Miss
Mowbray thinks she has some cause of complaint against me, and she's
mistaken. I can't let such a mistake go uncorrected. You say they must
be at Kronburg before this. Are they staying on there?"

"I'm afraid not, your Majesty. They leave Kronburg for England to-day
by the Orient Express."

"Do you happen to remember at what hour the train starts?"

"I believe at twelve."

Leopold pulled out his watch. It was twenty minutes past eleven. Forty
times sixty seconds, and the girl would be gone.

The blood rushed to his face. Barring accidents, he could catch her if
he ordered his motor-car, and left at once. But to cut short his visit
at Schloss Lyndalberg, would be virtually to take the world into his
secret. Let him allege important state business at the capital, if he
chose, gossip would still say that the girl had fled, that he had
pursued her. The Baroness knew already; others would chatter as if
they knew; that was inevitable--if he went.

A month ago (when yielding to inclination meant humbling his pride as
Emperor and man), such a question would have answered itself. Now, it
answered itself a