"I'm not lying."

"I beg your pardon," said the Prince.

And at this point it occurred to the Prince, who being really a great
man, had naturally a sense of humour, that a conference conducted on
these lines between the leading statesman of an Empire and an impertinent
hussy of, say, twelve years old at the outside, might end by becoming
ridiculous. So the Prince took up his chair and put it down again beside
Tommy's, and employing skilfully his undoubted diplomatic gifts, drew
from her bit by bit the whole story.

"I'm inclined, Miss Jane," said the Great Man, the story ended, "to agree
with our friend Mr. Hope. I should say your _metier_ was journalism."

"And you'll let me interview you?" asked Tommy, showing her white teeth.

The Great Man, laying a hand heavier than he guessed on Tommy's shoulder,
rose. "I think you are entitled to it."

"What's your views?" demanded Tommy, reading, "of the future political
and social relationships--"

"Perhaps," suggested the Great Man, "it will be simpler if I write it
myself."

"Well," concurred Tommy; "my spelling is a bit rocky."

The Great Man drew a chair to the table.

"You won't miss out anything--will you?" insisted Tommy.

"I shall endeavour, Miss Jane, to give you no cause for complaint,"
gravely he assured her, and sat down to write.

Not till the train began to slacken speed had the Prince finished. Then,
blotting and refolding the paper, he stood up.

"I have added some instructions on the back of the last page," explained
the Prince, "to which you will draw Mr. Hope's particular attention. I
would wish you to promise me, Miss Jane, never again to have recourse to
dangerous acrobatic tricks, not even in the sacred cause of journalism."

"Of course, if you hadn't been so jolly difficult to get at--"

"My fault, I know," agreed the Prince. "There is not the least doubt as
to which sex you belong to. Nevertheless, I want you to promise me.
Come," urged the Prince, "I have done a good deal for you--more than you
know."

"All right," consented Tommy a little sulkily. Tommy hated making
promises, because she always kept them. "I promise."

"There is your Interview." The first Southampton platform lamp shone in
upon the Prince and Tommy as they stood facing one another. The Prince,
who had acquired the reputation, not altogether unjustly, of an
ill-tempered and savage old gentleman, did a strange thing: taking the
little, blood-smeared face