anticipated. He had not known, before he tried it, that it was possible
to be a prince with so small an expenditure of mental energy. As Mr.
Scobell had hinted, to all intents and purposes he was a mere ornament.
His work began at eleven in the morning, and finished as a rule at
about a quarter after. At the hour named a report of the happenings of
the previous day was brought to him. When he had read it the state
asked no more of him until the next morning.

The report was made up of such items as "A fisherman named Lesieur
called Carbineer Ferrier a fool in the market-place at eleven minutes
after two this afternoon; he has not been arrested, but is being
watched," and generally gave John a few minutes of mild enjoyment.
Certainly he could not recollect that it had ever depressed him.

No, it had been something else that had worked the mischief and in
another moment the thing stood revealed, beyond all question of doubt.
What had unsettled him was that unexpected meeting with Betty Silver
last night at the Casino.

He had been sitting at the Dutch table. He generally visited the Casino
after dinner. The light and movement of the place interested him. As a
rule, he merely strolled through the rooms, watching the play; but last
night he had slipped into a vacant seat. He had only just settled
himself when he was aware of a girl standing beside him. He got up.

"Would you care--?" he had begun, and then he saw her face.

It had all happened in an instant. Some chord in him, numbed till then,
had begun to throb. It was as if he had awakened from a dream, or
returned to consciousness after being stunned. There was something in