For hours they rode on in silence.  Barney wanted to talk with his companion, but as king he found nothing to say to her.  The girl’s mind was filled with morbid reflections of the past few hours and dumb terror for the future.  She would keep her promise to the king; but after—­life would not be worth the living; why should she live?  She glanced at the man beside her in the light of the coming dawn.  Ah, why was he so like her American in outward appearances only?  Their own mothers could scarce have distinguished them, and yet in character no two men could have differed more widely.  The man turned to her.

“We are almost there,” he said.  “You must be very tired.”

The words reflected a consideration that had never been a characteristic of Leopold.  The girl began to wonder if there might not possibly be a vein of nobility in the man, after all, that she had never discovered.  Since she had entered his apartments at Blentz he had been in every way a different man from the Leopold she had known of old.  The boldness of his escape from Blentz supposed a courage that the king had never given the slightest indication of in the past.  Could it be that he was making a genuine effort to become a man—­to win her respect?

They were approaching Lustadt as the sun rose.  A troop of horse was just emerging from the north gate.  As it neared them they saw that the cavalrymen wore the uniforms of the Royal Horse Guard.  At their head rode a lieutenant.  As his eyes fell upon the face of the princess and her companion, he brought his troopers to a halt, and, with incredulity plain upon his countenance, advanced to meet them, his hand raised in salute to the king.  It was Butzow.

Now Barney was sure that he would be recognized.  For two years he and the Luthanian officer had been inseparable.  Surely Butzow would penetrate his disguise.  He returned his friend’s salute, looked him full in the eyes, and asked where he was riding.

“To Blentz, your majesty,” replied Butzow, “to demand an audience.  I bear important word from Prince von der Tann.  He has learned the Austrians are moving an entire army corps into Lutha, together with siege howitzers.  Serbia has demanded that all Austrian troops be withdrawn from Luthanian territory at once, and has offered to assist your majesty in maintaining your neutrality by force, if necessary.”

As Butzow spoke his eyes were often upon the Princess Emma, and it was quite evident that he was much puzzled to account for her presence with the king.  She was supposed to be at Tann, and Butzow knew well enough her estimate of Leopold to know that she would not be in his company of her own volition.  His expression as he addressed the man he supposed to be his king was far from deferential.  Barney could scarce repress a smile.

“We will ride at once to the palace,” he said.  “At the gate you may instruct one of your sergeants to telephone to Prince von der Tann that the king is returning and will grant him audience immediately.  You and your detachment will will act as our escort.”