satisfied. It was a bit preferable to hotel hospitality. And, then,
the assistants were good fellows.

Cosgrove, who had been First Secretary for ten years, was from the
estate next my own on the Eastern Shore. It was through him I had been
able to preserve my incog. so securely during my former visits to
Valeria. And if he had any curiosity as to my motives, he was
courteous enough never to show it. "The best assistant in Europe,"
Courtney had once pronounced him.

Then there was Pryor, the Naval Attaché. He had been off "cruising
with the Army," as Cosgrove put it, pending my arrival and was not yet
returned to Dornlitz. The others of the office force were young
fellows,--rich boys, either _in presente_ or _futuro_,--who, likely,
could only be depended upon to do the wrong thing. Being fit for
nothing at home, therefore, they had been considered to be particularly
well qualified for the American diplomatic service.

My room overlooked the Avenue, and the writing-desk was near the
window. I was drawing the formal report to the War Department of my
arrival at Dornlitz and the status political and military, when the
clatter of hoofs on the driveway drew my attention. It was a tall
officer in the green-and-gold of the Royal Guards, and pulling up
sharply he tossed his rein to his orderly. I heard the door open and
voices in the hall; and, then, in a few minutes, he came out and rode
away, with the stiff, hard seat of the European cavalryman. I was
still watching him when Courtney entered.

"What do you think of him?" he asked.