"Not we--with our new cousin for a guest!" cried the King; and, as Fritz
shrugged his shoulders, he added: "Oh! I'll remember our early start,
Fritz."

"So will I--tomorrow morning," said old Sapt, pulling at his pipe.

"O wise old Sapt!" cried the King. "Come, Mr. Rassendyll--by the way,
what name did they give you?"

"Your Majesty's," I answered, bowing.

"Well, that shows they weren't ashamed of us," he laughed. "Come, then,
cousin Rudolf; I've got no house of my own here, but my dear brother
Michael lends us a place of his, and we'll make shift to entertain you
there;" and he put his arm through mine and, signing to the others to
accompany us, walked me off, westerly, through the forest.

We walked for more than half an hour, and the King smoked cigarettes
and chattered incessantly. He was full of interest in my family, laughed
heartily when I told him of the portraits with Elphberg hair in our
galleries, and yet more heartily when he heard that my expedition to
Ruritania was a secret one.

"You have to visit your disreputable cousin on the sly, have you?" said
he.

Suddenly emerging from the wood, we came on a small and rude
hunting-lodge. It was a one-storey building, a sort of bungalow, built
entirely of wood. As we approached it, a little man in a plain livery