As they left the breakfast room, Chase stepped to Genevra’s side and walked with her.  They traversed the full length of the long hall in silence.  At the foot of the stairs, where they were to part, she extended her hand, a bright smile in her eyes.

“You were and are very brave and good,” she said.  He withheld his hand and she dropped hers, hurt and strangely vexed.  “Don’t you care for my approval?  Or do you—­”

“You forget, Princess, that my hands are still suffering from the bravery you would laud,” he said, holding them resolutely behind his back.

“Oh, I remember!” she cried in quick comprehension.  “They were cut and bruised by the rope.  How thoughtless of me.  What are you doing for them?  Come, Mr. Chase, may I not dress them for you?  I am capable—­I am not afraid of wounds.  We have had many of them in our family—­and fatal ones too.”  She was eager now, and earnest.

He shook his head, with a smile on his lips.  “I thank you.  They are better—­much better, and they have been quite properly bandaged already.”

“Neenah?”

“Yes,” he replied gently.  She seemed to search his mind with a quick, intense look into his eyes.  Then she smiled and said:  “I’ll promise not to bruise the wounds if you’ll only be so good as to shake hands with me.”

He took her slender hand in his broad, white-swathed palm and pressed it fervently, regardless of the pain which would have caused him to cringe if engaged in any other pursuit.

The forenoon was fully occupied with the preparations for defence.  Every precaution was taken to circumvent the plans of the enemy.  There was no longer any doubt as to the intentions of the disappointed islanders.  Von Blitz and Rasula had convinced them that their cause was seriously jeopardised; they were made to see the necessity for permanently removing the white pretenders from their path.

Deppingham, on account of his one time position in the British army, was chosen chief officer of the beleaguered “citadel.”  A strict espionage was set upon the native servants, despite Baillo’s assurances of loyalty.  Lookouts were posted in the towers and a ceaseless watch was to be kept day and night.  Chase, on his first visit to the west tower, discovered a long unused searchlight of powerful dimensions.  Fortunately for the besieged, the electric-light plant was located in the chateau grounds and could not be tampered with from the outside.  A quantity of fuel, sufficient to last for a couple of months, was found in the bins.

Britt was put in charge of the night patrol, Saunders the day.  Strict orders were given that no one was to venture into that portion of the park open to long-range shots from the hills.  Chase set the minds of all at rest by announcing that the islanders would not seek to set fire to the chateau from the cliffs:  such avaricious gentlemen as Von Blitz and Rasula would never consent to the destruction of property so valuable.  Selim, under orders, had severed the long rope with a single rifle shot; no one could hope to reach the chateau by way of the cliff.