He had given his wife and only child, to save my mother and myself; and had exiled himself for twenty years from friends and country, to continue in our service. God bless him.
We, that is Mr. Smith and I, spent the day with my solicitor, attending to some of the business entailed by my inheritance. Then, in the evening, we embarked on the journey which would bring either a crown or death to me.
I say "death" advisedly; for, should anything have gone wrong with Mr. Smith's plans, it was hardly likely that Alexis and his followers would allow me to live.
I am glad to be able to feel that the thought of danger rather pleased me than otherwise.
We had cabled to Carruthers to meet us at Ruln, a frontier post, much farther south than Melanov.
We did not waste a moment of the time our journey consumed. Mr. Smith was instructing me in the education of a King.
At Ruln we had two hours to wait, according to the time-table; but, by lavish bribery, Mr. Smith secured a special to take us as far as the junction, at Katalona.
Leaving Bauen in charge of the luggage--which was light--we went in search of Carruthers.
We found him seated upon a bench, the picture of glumness.
"Hullo, Splosh!" he cried, his face lighting up at sight of us. "What a forsaken place this is. I've been here five hours, and only spoken to one man, who thinks he came from 'the thigh of Jupiter,' to judge by his side. Look, there he is."