“Why not?” replied Kearns. “The King hasn’t yet retired and isn’t likely to for some time. It’s certainly too early to expect anything. Go, by all means, but don’t stay too long.”
Still Captain Mortimer hesitated.
“I shouldn’t like by my absence to spoil any chance,” he said.
“No danger,” answered Kearns; “besides, should anything happen unexpectedly, we could summon Captain Swords.”
“But he’s on duty in the King’s antechamber.”
“Well, we could immediately send for you to take his place.”
“That would be somewhat irregular,” objected Captain Mortimer.
“Go,” insisted Kearns. “You’ll be perfectly safe in doing so, provided you are back here by the time the King retires.”
“Oh, long before that,” answered the Captain, and off he started for the ball-room, Captain Swords returning to his post of duty in the antechamber.
On reaching the ball-room, Captain Mortimer had little difficulty in discovering Beatrice, seated between Dorothy Brandon and Baroness Maquehaye. He made his way to where they sat and, presenting himself before them, bowed.