“I come in grief and sadness to your Court, most glorious Yetive.  My burden of sorrow is greater than I can bear,” he said, hoarsely.

“Would that I could give you consolation,” she said, sitting in the chair reserved for her use at council gatherings.  “Alas! it grieves me that I can offer nothing more than words.”

“You are the one he would have made his wife,” said the old Prince, sitting beside her.  He looked into her deep blue eyes and tears sprung to his own.  His voice failed him, and long moments passed before he could control his emotion.  Truly she pitied him in his bereavement.

Then followed a formal discussion of the crime and the arrangement of details in connection with the removal of the dead Prince from Graustark to his own land.  These matters settled, Bolaroz said that he had heard of the murderer’s escape and asked what effort was being made to re-capture him.  Yetive related all that had happened, expressing humiliation over the fact that her officers had been unable to accomplish anything, adding that she did not believe the fugitive could get away from Graustark safely without her knowledge.  The old Prince was working himself back into the violent rage that had been temporarily subdued; and at last broke out in a vicious denunciation of the carelessness that had allowed the man to escape.  He first insisted that Dangloss and his incompetent assistants be thrown into prison for life or executed for criminal negligence; then he demanded the life of Harry Anguish as an aider and abettor in the flight of the murderer.  In both cases the Princess firmly refused to take the action demanded.  She warmly defended Dangloss and his men, and announced in no uncertain tones that she would not order the arrest of the remaining American.  Then she acquainted him with her intention to detain Anguish as hostage and to have his every action watched in the hope that a clue to the whereabouts of the fugitive might be discovered, providing, of course, that the friend knew anything at all about the matter.  The Duke of Mizrox and others loudly joined in the cry for Anguish’s arrest, but she bravely held out against them and in the end curtly informed them that the American, whom she believed to be innocent of all complicity in the escape, should be subjected to no indignity other than detention in the city under guard, as she had ordered.

“I insist that this man be cast into prison at once,” snarled the white-lipped Bolaroz.

Her eyes flashed and her bosom heaved with anger.

“You are not at liberty to command in Graustark, Prince Bolaroz,” she said, slowly and distinctly.  “I am ruler here.”

The heart of every Graustark nobleman leaped with pride at this daring rebuff.  Bolaroz gasped and was speechless for some seconds.

“You shall not be ruler long, madam,” he said, malevolently, significantly.