misunderstandings that a few words would put right if either of you had
sense enough to speak them, which you haven't, and that's why I'm here
to speak them for you. Now, madame, I am ready to swear that the Prince
has never said anything to me that did not show his deep love for you,
and if you had overheard us, you would not need me to tell you so. He
thinks that you have a fancy for that idiot von Schaumberg--not that I
ever saw the poor man; but he is bound to be an idiot, or the Prince
wouldn't be jealous of him. As nobody has stolen the diamonds after all
this fuss, so no one has stolen the affection of either of you from the
other. I can see by the way you look at each other that I won't need to
apologize for leaving you alone together while I run upstairs to pack."

"Oh, but you are not going to leave us?" cried the Princess.

"I should be delighted to stay; but there is no rest for the wicked, and
I must get back to London."

With that the girl ran to her room and there re-read the letter she had
received.

"Dear Miss Baxter (it ran),--We are in a very considerable dilemma here,
so I write asking you to see me in London without delay, going back to
the Tyrol later on if the investigation of the diamond mystery renders
your return necessary. The Duchess of Chiselhurst is giving a great ball
on the 29th. It is to be a very swagger affair, with notables from every
part of Europe, and they seem determined that no one connected with a
newspaper shall be admitted. We have set at work every influence to
obtain an invitation for a reporter, but without success, the reply
invariably given being that an official account will be sent to
the press. Now, I want you to set your ingenuity at work, and gain