step; and if your hearts say no--here are the cross-roads."

"Lead on, sir," said the Prince, "I am not the man to go back from a
thing once said."

"Your coolness does me good," replied their guide. "I have never seen
any one so unmoved at this conjuncture; and yet you are not the first
whom I have escorted to this door. More than one of my friends has
preceded me, where I knew I must shortly follow. But this is of no
interest to you. Wait me here for only a few moments; I shall return as
soon as I have arranged the preliminaries of your introduction."

And with that the young man, waving his hand to his companions, turned
into the court, entered a doorway and disappeared.

"Of all our follies," said Colonel Geraldine in a low voice, "this is
the wildest and most dangerous."

"I perfectly believe so," returned the Prince.

"We have still," pursued the Colonel, "a moment to ourselves. Let me
beseech your Highness to profit by the opportunity and retire. The
consequences of this step are so dark, and may be so grave, that I feel
myself justified in pushing a little further than usual the liberty
which your Highness is so condescending as to allow me in private."

"Am I to understand that Colonel Geraldine is afraid?" asked his
Highness, taking his cheroot from his lips, and looking keenly into the
other's face.

"My fear is certainly not personal," replied the other proudly; "of that
your Highness may rest well assured."

"I had supposed as much," returned the Prince, with undisturbed
good-humour; "but I was unwilling to remind you of the difference in our
stations. No more--no more," he added, seeing Geraldine about to
apologise; "you stand excused."

And he smoked placidly, leaning against a railing, until the young man
returned.

"Well," he asked, "has our reception been arranged?"

"Follow me," was the reply. "The President will see you in the cabinet.
And let me warn you to be frank in your answers. I have stood your
guarantee; but the club requires a searching inquiry before admission;
for the indiscretion of a single member would lead to the dispersion of
the whole society for ever."

The Prince and Geraldine put their heads together for a moment. "Bear me
out in this," said the one; and "bear me out in that," said the other;
and by boldly taking up the characters of men with whom both were
acquainted, they had come to an agreement in a twinkling, and were ready
to follow their guide into the Presi