ut of proportion with the rest of her face as formerly, now
that it had taken on the contour of maturity, which was noticeable also
in the lines of her figure. Yes, she was twenty-seven, with the vivacity
of seventeen retained, though she were on the edge of being an old maid
according to the conventional notions. Necks and shoulders that happened
to be at his side at dinner, he had found, when they were really
beautiful, were not averse to his glance of appreciative and
discriminating admiration of physical charm. But he saw her shrug
slightly and caught a spark from her eyes that made him vaguely
conscious of an offence to her sensibilities, and he was wholly
conscious that the suggestion, bringing his faculties up sharply, had
the pleasure of a novel sensation.

"How fast you have gone ahead!" she said. "That little prophecy of mine
did come true. You are chief of Staff!"

After a smile of satisfaction he corrected her.

"Not quite; vice-chief--the right-hand man of His Excellency. I am a
buffer between him and the heads of divisions. This has led to the
erroneous assumption which I cannot too forcibly deny--"

He was proceeding with the phraseology habitual whenever men or women,
to flatter him, had intimated that they realized that he was the actual
head of the army. His Excellency, with the prestige of a career, must be
kept soporifically enjoying the forms of authority. To arouse his
jealousy might curtail Westerling's actual power.

"Yes, yes!" breathed Marta softly, arching her eyebrows a trifle as she
would when looking all around and through a thing or when she found any
one beating about the bush. The little frown disappeared and she smiled
understandingly. "You know I'm not a perfect goose!" she added. "Had you
been made chief of staff in name, too, all the old generals would have
been in the sulks and the young generals jealous," she continued. "The
one way that you might have the power to exercise was by proxy."

This downright frankness was another reflection of the old days before
he was at the apex of the pyramid. Now it was so unusual in his
experience as to be almost a shock. On the point of arguing, he caught a
mischievous, delightful "Isn't that so?" in her eyes, and replied:

"Yes, I shouldn't wonder if it were!"

Why shouldn't he admit the truth to the one who had rung the bell of his
secret ambition long ago by recognizing in him the ability to reach his
goal? He marvelled at her grasp o