The Lighted Match

The coldness of the moonlight killed the pallor of Karyl's face, but

added a note of stark accentuation to his set chin and labored

self-containment. Von Ritz, despite his bedraggled masquerade was as

composed and expressionless as though he had seen nothing beyond the

expected. With Von Ritz nothing was beyond the expected.

He had to-night counterfeited Benton's disguise; stolen Benton's car;

substituted himself for the American and made a decisive effort to

interrupt the kidnaping of a Queen.

Finding himself checkmated, he had joined forces with the Prince and

brought the pursuit to a successful termination. His manner now was

precisely what it had been last night, when his only excitement had been

a game of billiards. Men who knew him would have told you that his

manner had been the same on a certain red and smoky day when the order

of Takavo had been pinned on his breast, in the reek and noise of a

battlefield.

After a moment of tense silence, Benton took a step forward.

"At any suitable time," he said, in a voice too low for Cara to catch,

"I shall, of course, be entirely at your service."

Pagratide drew a labored breath, but when he raised his head it was to

lift his brows inquiringly.

"For what?" he asked in an equally low tone. "Have I asked any

questions?" In a matter-of-fact voice he added: "It is growing late. If

Miss Carstow has finished the inspection of your yacht, I suggest a

return."

Benton recognized the other's refusal to read his motive. After all that

was the best course; the only course. Pagratide stepped forward.

"Mr. Benton had the pleasure of driving you down--" he suggested, "may I

have the same honor, returning?"

The girl met the eyes of the Prince, with defiance in her own.

"I am not a child!" she vehemently declared. "We may as well be honest

with each other. If he had chosen to have it so, you could not have come

aboard. I must obey the decrees of State!" She paused, then impulsively

swept on: "I can force myself to do what I must do, but I cannot compel

my heart--that is his, utterly his." She raised both hands. "Now you

know," she said. "You may decide."

Karyl inclined his head.

"I have questioned nothing," he repeated. "Will you honor me by

returning in my car?"

Cara tilted her chin rebelliously.

"No," she said, "I don't think I shall. My vacation ends to-morrow if

you still wish it, but to-night it has not ended. I return with Mr.

Benton."

Pagratide stiffened painfully, but with supreme self-mastery he forced a

smile as though he had asked nothing more than a dance--and had found it

engaged.

"I must submit," he replied in a steady voice. "I even understand. But

you will agree with me that they"--with a gesture toward the direction

from which they had come--"had best know nothing."