"I shall notify my friend, when we reach Doppelkinn, that I am without funds, and he will telegraph to Dresden."
"Your friends were very wise in sending you away as they did. Aren't you always getting into trouble?"
"Yes. But I doubt the wisdom of my friends in sending me away as they did,"—with a frank glance into her eyes. How beautiful they were, now that the sparkle of mischief had left them!
She looked away. If only Doppelkinn were young like this! She sighed.
"Can they force one to marry in this country?" he asked abruptly.
"When one is in my circumstances."
He wanted to ask what those circumstances were, but what he said was: "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"You are even more helpless than I am,"—softly. "If you are caught you will be imprisoned. I shall only suffer a temporary loss of liberty; my room will be my dungeon-keep." How big and handsome and strong he looked! What a terrible thing it was to be born in purple! "Tell me about yourself."
His hand strayed absently toward his upper vest-pocket, and then fell to his side. He licked his lips.
"Smoke!" she commanded intuitively. "I said that you might."