"Confound it, man, he's the chap she's going to marry."

"Marry?" gasped Chase.

"The hereditary prince of Brabetz--Karl Brabetz."

"Good Lord!"

"You must have known."

"How the dev--Of course I didn't know," groaned Chase. "But hang it all,
man, he was annoying her. She was flouting him for it. She said she
despised him. I don't understand----"

The Princess came forward into the light of the path. There was a quaint
little wrinkle of mirth about her lips, which trembled nevertheless, but
her eyes were full of solicitude.

"I'm sorry, sir," she began nervously. "You have made a serious mistake.
But," she added frankly, holding out her hand to him, "you meant to
defend me. I thank you."

Chase bowed low over her hand, too bewildered to speak. Baggs was
pulling at his mustache and looking nervously in the direction which the
Prince had taken.

"He'll be back here with the guard," he muttered.

"He will go to my father," said Genevra, her voice trembling. "He will