"I shall know better how to irritate them," with a laugh. "They will not take any particular interest in you when they set eyes on me. Homo sum! I am the man they are looking for. They will find plenty of me. I shall be a syndicate in myself; where they expect to find one man, they will find a dozen, all alive and kicking. It will be good sport."
"What the devil are you up to?" I demanded.
"Wait and see; wait and see. Come, let us receive them in the hall. The affair must be conducted on the line of court etiquette. First, we shall try to avert hostilities by the aid of diplomacy; if that fails the Princess herself will be made to vindicate us. And why not?"
"You are not going to drag her in!" I exclaimed.
"My dear Jack, of course not. The Prince and the Count will do that for us. You understand that she is concerned in all that is to take place, do you not? Well, then, it will cost her but little."
"But this fellow, the Prince!" I cried. "Let us get out while there is time."
Dan regarded me seriously.
"You aren't afraid of him; what do you want to run away for? My son, there will be some very good sport before this is done. You will miss it by running away."
"It's meeting the man who is to marry her—the woman I love. That is the reason."
"To marry her—the woman I love!" he repeated softly. "Yes, it is hard. But it isn't any worse for you than for me."