A servant appeared in the doorway.

“Show this person out,” said the portly princess.

The servant gave a little scream.

“Mr. Pike!”

“Kalora!”

And then he was holding both her hands.

“You are here—­here in Morovenia?  You came all the way?”

“All the way!  I’d have come ten times as far.  Before I left New York I heard about all those messenger boys hunting me around the hotels, but I didn’t know what it meant.  When I got back to Washington I found your note, and, as soon as I could get Congress calmed down, I started—­got in here last night.”

“But why did you come?”

[Illustration:  “Mr. Pike!” “Kalora!”]

“Can’t you guess?” Mr. Pike wasted no time in circumlocution.

During this hurried interview Jeneka had been holding a determined thumb against the electric button.  The Governor-General, waiting impatiently up the hallway, heard the prolonged buzzing and came to investigate.  He found the adorable Jeneka, all trembling with indignation, in the doorway.  She saw him and pointed.  He looked and saw the distinguished stranger, the man of many titles and unbounded wealth, standing close to the slim princess, holding both her hands and beaming upon her with all of the unmistakable delirious happiness of love’s young dream.

“What does it mean?” asked the Governor-General.  “Is it possible——­”

“He was rude to me,” began Jeneka, “He was most insulting——­”

Mr. Pike turned to meet his prospective father-in-law.

“You meant well, but you got twisted,” he remarked.  “This is the one I was looking for.”

At first Count Selim Malagaski was too dumfounded for speech.

“Are you sure?” he asked.  “Can it be possible that you, a man worth millions of piasters, an exalted ruler, a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, have deliberately chosen this waspy, weedy——­”

“Let up!” said Mr. Pike sharply.  “You can say what you please about your daughter, but you mustn’t make remarks about the prospective Mrs. Pike.  I don’t know anything about her local reputation for looks, but I think she’s the most beautiful thing that ever drew breath, and I’d make it stronger than that if I knew how.  You thought I meant the fat one.  Well, I didn’t, but I hope the agreement goes just the same.  And I’ll stick to what I said.  I’ll get the other one married off.  It may take a little time, but I think I can find some one.”

“Find some one?” cried Jeneka indignantly.

“Find some one?” repeated her father.  “She has been sought by every young man of quality in the whole kingdom.  How dare you suggest that——­”

Then he paused, for he was beginning to comprehend that young Mr. Pike had stepped in and saved him, and that, instead of rebuking Mr. Pike, he should be weeping on his breast and calling him “son.”

Jeneka came to her senses at the same moment, for she saw her dream of five years coming true.  She knew that soon she would be the Countess Muldova.