ening and apologized in a high voice for being late, but the princess
reassured her.

"We have still two more to come. Our two surprises," and she was going
on to excite Milly's curiosity as she had Diana's, when the magnificent
Russian butler, who looked as if he had stepped from some medieval
picture, cried aloud two names:

"Major Baron Skobeleff; Captain March."

CHAPTER XXII

My blood so flew to my head that for a second or two I was giddy, and
saw nothing through the rain of sparks which hung like a veil before my
eyes. But in an instant I came to myself, wrenched back to a clear
vision of things by sheer necessity to act. Somebody would have to do
something, if the situation were not to ruin the princess's whole
evening; and after all he had suffered, whatever happened, Eagle March
must be saved from the pain of public humiliation. Yet who was to do
anything? Who was to save him?

Only a few persons knew that to arrange a meeting between Sidney
Vandyke, Diana, Milly, and Captain Eagleston March, was about as tactful
as to invite the King of Belgium to dine with the German Kaiser. Only a
few persons knew, and those most concerned were the very ones who would
do least to shield Eagle's feelings.

The princess began gayly to explain that here was her great "surprise"
at last: the two heroes of whose classic escape the whole world had
heard. The "Elusive Mars," as he had been called, was in reality Captain
March, who had refused to make use any longer of his _nom de guerre_.
But in the midst of explanations, as she would gently have led Eagle
toward Diana (oh, horror! she had evidently planned to send these two in
to dinner together!), suddenly she realized that some freezing spell had
turned her principal guests to figures of ice.

Eagle, struck with deadly pallor under the brown mask sun and wind had
given him, stiffened involuntarily and held back. Sidney had gone
crimson, and then yellow-white; Diana--with a shocked face drained of
colour--looked ready to faint; while Milly, in all her new pride of
importance, flung up her head and stared insultingly. This
transformation had taken place with the announcement of the officers'
names; and it took Prince and Princess Sanzanow no longer than is needed
in the counting one--two--three to notice it. Living all their lives in
an atmosphere of diplomacy as they did, even their great tact and
presence of mind failed for a few dismal seconds to cope with the