"And where do we go?"
"You stop the night here and get on to Devna to-morrow. It's about twenty miles up-country."
Jack was mightily astonished when Jim gave him his news, and showed no modest reluctance in accepting the invitation.
"It's always interesting to meet people like that," he said. "Is he like the Emperor?"
"He's not like his pictures. More like the first Emperor, I should say. But he seemed pleasant enough."
"And our paternal?"
"He was all right. They seemed on very good terms with one another."
"And he really is as big a man as he led us to believe that night?"
"Why, yes, he seemed so. Did you doubt it?"
And so, all in their best, they duly presented themselves at the Prince's quarters a few minutes before eight, Jack, in his modest Engineer uniform, feeling somewhat overshadowed by Jim's gorgeous Hussar trappings.