“Miss Claiborne is a wonderful sailor; the Atlantic is a little tumultuous at times in the spring, but she reported to the captain every day.”

“Miss Claiborne is nothing if not extraordinary,” declared Mrs. Sanderson with frank admiration.

“The word seems to have been coined for her,” said Chauvenet, his white teeth showing under his thin black mustache.

“And still leaves the language distinguished chiefly for its poverty,” added Armitage; and the men bowed to Shirley and then to Mrs. Sanderson, and again to each other.  It was like a rehearsal of some trifle in a comedy.

“How charming!” laughed Mrs. Sanderson.  “And this lovely room is just the place for it.”

They were still talking together as Franzel, with whom Armitage had spoken below, entered hurriedly.  He held a crumpled note, whose contents, it seemed, had shaken him out of his habitual melancholy composure.

“Is Baron von Marhof in the room?” he asked of Armitage, fumbling nervously at his monocle.

The Austrian Ambassador, with several ladies, and led by Senator Sanderson, was approaching.

The attache hurried to his chief and addressed him in a low tone.  The Ambassador stopped, grew very white, and stared at the messenger for a moment in blank unbelief.

The young man now repeated, in English, in a tone that could be heard in all parts of the hushed room: 

“His Majesty, the Emperor Johann Wilhelm, died suddenly to-night, in Vienna,” he said, and gave his arm to his chief.

It was a strange place for the delivery of such a message, and the strangeness of it was intensified to Shirley by the curious glance that passed between John Armitage and Jules Chauvenet.  Shirley remembered afterward that as the attache’s words rang out in the room, Armitage started, clenched his hands, and caught his breath in a manner very uncommon in men unless they are greatly moved.  The Ambassador walked directly from the room with bowed head, and every one waited in silent sympathy until he had gone.

The word passed swiftly through the great house, and through the open windows the servants were heard crying loudly for Baron von Marhof’s carriage in the court below.

“The King is dead; long live the King!” murmured Shirley.

“Long live the King!” repeated Chauvenet and Mrs. Sanderson, in unison; and then Armitage, as though mastering a phrase they were teaching him, raised his head and said, with an unction that surprised them, “Long live the Emperor and King!  God save Austria!”

Then he turned to Shirley with a smile.

“It is very pleasant to see you on your own ground.  I hope your family are well.”

“Thank you; yes.  My father and mother are here somewhere.”

“And Captain Claiborne?”

“He’s probably sitting up all night to defend Fort Myer from the crafts and assaults of the enemy.  I hope you will come to see us, Mr. Armitage.”