“You need several good stiff drinks,” I interrupted.

He waved aside my banter.  “I give you a toast,” he went on, pouring a measure for each of us.  “The Princess Dehra—­and another like her.”

“And may you find that other,” I cried.

Then we drained our glasses and flung them into the grate.

I was tremendously astonished at this revelation of Courtney’s feelings—­feelings which I had never even suspected.  And, I fear, I had the bad taste to stare at him.  For he turned abruptly and walked to the window, and stood, for a moment, with his back to me.  I drew on my gloves and hitched up my sword (I was wearing the undress of a general officer) and waited.

“Of course, you understood, last night, that there were no papers for you to sign,” he said, as he came slowly back to the table.

“Surely,” I laughed.

“What I wanted was the opportunity to tell you that our secret service will be at your command, and that I have given instructions to report to me anything that may be of use to you—­particularly, touching Lotzen and his intimates.”

“You are more than good, old chap,” I said, and we shook hands hard—­for the toast was still in mind.

“Present my compliments to Her Highness,” he called after me.

I went back to the doorway.  “And give mine to The Other Like Her, when she comes,” I said.

“She will never come, Armand; she will never come.  I am just an old fool.”  Then he laughed.  “Your love-making at dinner tables didn’t use to affect me.”

“You never followed any of them by a moonlight ride with a pretty girl,” I answered.

“At least, never with one as pretty as Lady Helen,” he amended.

I was getting surprises with a vengeance.

“Is it possible you have just discovered she is pretty?” I exclaimed.

He smiled frankly.  “No—­but it may be I’ve just discovered how pretty.”

“And she’s more than pretty,” said I, “she’s thoroughbred.”

He studied me for a moment.  “I have often wondered—­and now I wonder more than ever—­why you—­why you never——­ You understand.”

I nodded.  “Yes,” said I, “I understand and I rather reckon I would, if it had not been that, a year before I ever saw the Lady Helen, I had ridden with the Princess Dehra, alone, in the Palace forest, for an hour.”

At last, I saw Courtney’s cold face show genuine surprise.

“And you made no effort then to prove your cousinship?” he exclaimed.

“No,” said I.

“You let her go; and—­and you a Dalberg and a soldier!  You don’t deserve her—­she ought to go to Lotzen—­to Casimir—­to any one but you.  Why, you drivelling idiot, do you realize that, but for the chance of my having lugged—­yes, that’s the word, lugged you here you would now be doing childish problems in cement and stone in some miserable little Army department headquarters over in America?”