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The slight mystery underlying the incident was not cleared up until Beliani reached the capital two or three days after Julius himself. The latter cleared the air by expressing his unbounded amazement at finding his cousin engaged to a young American woman of whose existence he had not even heard before he was introduced to her.
Count Julius Marulitch breathed heavily, and Constantine Beliani threw a wary eye over Alec. "Good!" said Stampoff. "That clears the air. I shall be ready to accompany your Majesty by the train that leaves the Gare de l'Est at seven-thirty P.M." Prince Michael laughed dryly. "You see," he said. "I was sure Stampoff would interfere with my dinner hour."
"I too am your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subject," said he. The Prince did then make a supreme effort to regain his self possession. "Thank you, General," he murmured, "and you also, Monsieur Beliani. I have only just been told. Theodore and Helena both dead! What a thing! They were my enemies; but I am shocked, I may almost say grieved. And what am I to do?
Princess Delgrado seemed to be profoundly disquieted, while Beliani and Marulitch strove, not altogether with success, to carry themselves with the indifference that cloaks uneasiness. Alec turned again to the window and looked out. A carriage drove into the courtyard and, though its occupant was invisible, he guessed rightly that Stampoff had not failed him.
"I heard his Excellency Prince Michael say something of the sort to the officer of the guard, your Majesty." The random shot had told. Alec felt that he was spinning a coin with fortune. "That is right," he said coolly. "Give my compliments to Monsieur Beliani, and ask him to oblige me by coming here for a moment; Prince Michael and Count Marulitch, too.
"How much?" inquired Beliani. "To begin with, fifty thousand francs. After that, all that can be raised." "It is most unfortunate, but my er investments have been singularly unremunerative of late," said his Serene Highness.
I have seen that type of fool backing the red, staking his six thousand francs on every coup, and have watched a run of twelve, thirteen, seventeen, twenty-one; but the smash came at last." "What matter? A man who wins twenty times can well afford to lose once." "I said a gambler, not a financier," smiled Beliani. "But let it pass. I thought you told me there was a girl here in Paris "
"You go there too often, and now that we know from whom your commission was received it is straining a point of etiquette to continue your work. It will relieve any scruples you may have on that head if I tell you that I paid Monsieur Beliani yesterday every farthing of the money advanced to you by his agent in Paris." "I am glad of that," she said simply.
A single year would wipe us out of existence. What say you, Beliani, and you, Marulitch? Why are you dumb? Was it for this that we have striven through so many years? Shall our country be wrecked now because a hot headed youth puts his vows to a woman before every consideration of national welfare?"
"We feel that our King must be one of ourselves, and he can never be that if his wife differs from us in race, in language, in religion, in everything that knits a ruler to his subjects." Alec arose with a good natured laugh. "Monsieur Nesimir spoke of contingencies," he said, "and the word seems to imply that counter proposals to those of Monsieur Beliani have already been put forward.
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