She moved uneasily.

He went on:  “Herbeck has spoken of it, the older women speak of it; and they all say—­”

“Say!” she cried hotly, leaping to her feet.  “What do I care what they say?  Are you not the grand duke, and am I not your daughter?”

In his turn the duke felt the stab.

“You must ride no more with Herr Carmichael.  It is neither wise nor safe.”

“Father!”

He was up, with his arms folding round her.  “Child, it is only for your sake.  Listen to me.  I married your mother because I loved her and she loved me.  The case is isolated, rare, out of the beaten path in the affairs of rulers.  But you, you must be a princess.  You must steel your heart against the invasion of love, unless it comes from a state equal or superior to your own.  It is harsh and cruel, but it is a law that will neither bend nor break.  Do you understand me?”

The girl stared blindly at the wall.  “Yes, father.”

“It is all my fault,” said the duke, deeply agitated, for the girl trembled under his touch.

“I shall not ride with him any more.”

“There’s a good girl,” patting her shoulder.

“I have been a princess such a little while.”

He kissed the wheaten-colored hair.  “Be a brave heart, and I shall engage to find a king for you.”

“I don’t want any playthings, father,” with the old light touch; and then she looked him full in the eyes.  “I promise to do nothing more to create comment if, on the other hand, you will promise to give me two years more of freedom.”

The duke readily assented, and shortly returned to his own suite, rather pleased that there had been no scene; not that he had expected any.

Now that she was alone, she slipped into the chair, beat a light tattoo with her riding-whip against her teeth, and looked fixedly at the wall again, as if to gaze beyond it, into the dim future.  But she saw nothing save that she was young and that the days in Dresden, for all their penury, were far pleasanter than these.

Meantime the chief of police called his subaltern and placed in his hands the peculiar descriptions.  The word vintner caused him to give vent to an ejaculation of surprise.

“He was in here last night.  I have had him followed all day.  He lives over the American consulate.  Among his things was found the uniform of a colonel in the Prussian Uhlans.”

“Ha!  Arrest him to-morrow, or the day after at the latest.  But the mountaineer is the big game.  Do not arrest the vintner till you have him.  Where one is the other is likely to be.  But on the moment of arrest you must have a squad of soldiers at your back.”

“Soldiers?” doubtfully.

“Express orders of his highness.”

“It shall be done.”

Considerable activity was manifest in the police bureau the rest of that day.