"Your Highness," said the Colonel, turning pale; "let me ask you to
consider the importance of your life, not only to your friends, but
to the public interest. 'If not to-night,' said this madman; but
supposing that to-night some irreparable disaster were to overtake
your Highness's person, what, let me ask you, what would be my
despair, and what the concern and disaster of a great nation?"

"I will see the end of this," repeated the Prince in his most
deliberate tones; "and have the kindness, Colonel Geraldine, to
remember and respect your word of honour as a gentleman. Under no
circumstances, recollect, nor without my special authority, are you
to betray the incognito under which I choose to go abroad. These
were my commands, which I now reiterate. And now," he added, "let
me ask you to call for the bill."

Colonel Geraldine bowed in submission; but he had a very white face
as he summoned the young man of the cream tarts, and issued his
directions to the waiter. The Prince preserved his undisturbed
demeanour, and described a Palais Royal farce to the young suicide
with great humour and gusto. He avoided the Colonel's appealing
looks without ostentation, and selected another cheroot with more
than usual care. Indeed, he was now the only man of the party who
kept any command over his nerves.

The bill was discharged, the Prince giving the whole change of the
note to the astonished waiter; and the three drove off in a four-
wheeler. They were not long upon the way before the cab stopped at
the entrance to a rather dark court. Here all descended.