e had placed the
Princess Emma. His only thought now was for her. Bowing low before
her he spoke so that the king might hear, yet as though his words
were for her ears alone.

"Your highness knows the truth, now," he said, "and that after all I
am not the king. I can only ask that you will forgive me the
deception. Now go to your father as the king commands."

Slowly the girl turned away. Her heart was torn between love for
this man, and her duty toward the other to whom she had been
betrothed in childhood. The hereditary instinct of obedience to her
sovereign was strong within her, and the bonds of custom and society
held her in their relentless shackles. With a sob she passed up the
corridor, curtsying to the king as she passed him.

When she had gone Leopold turned to the American. There was an evil
look in the little gray eyes of the monarch.

"You may go your way," he said coldly. "We shall give you
forty-eight hours to leave Lutha. Should you ever return your life
shall be the forfeit."

The American kept back the hot words that were ready upon the end of
his tongue. For her sake he must bow to fate. With a slight
inclination of his head toward Leopold he wheeled and resumed his
way toward his quarters.

Half an hour later as he was about to descend to the courtyard where
a trooper of the Royal Horse held his waiting mount, Butzow burst
suddenly into his room.

"For God's sake," cried the lieutenant, "get out of this. The king
has changed his mind, and there is an officer of the guard on his
way here now with a file of soldiers to place you under arrest.
Leopold swears that he will hang you for treason. Princess Emma has
spurned him, and he is wild with rage."

The dismal November twilight had given place to bleak night as two
men cantered from the palace courtyard and turned their horses'
heads northward toward Lutha's nearest boundary. All night they
rode, stopping at daylight before a distant farm to feed and water
their mounts and snatch a mouthful for themselves. Then onward once
again they pressed in their mad flight.

Now that day had come they caught occasional glimpses of a body of
horsemen far behind them, but the border was near, and their start
such that there was no danger of their being overtaken.

"For the thousandth time, Butzow," said one of the men, "will you
turn back before it is too late?"

But the other only shook his head obstinately, and so they came to
the great granite m