“Skip!” was his only word.  It was a command that no one in Rapp-Thorberg ever had heard before.

“You shall pay for this!” screamed the conductor, tugging at his collar.  “Scoundrel!  Dog!  Beast!  What do you mean!  Murderer!  Robber!  Assassin!”

“You know what I mean, you little shrimp!” roared Chase.  “Skip!  Don’t hang around here a second longer or I’ll—­” and he took a threatening step toward his adversary.  The latter was discreet, if not actually a coward.  He turned tail and ran twenty paces or more in heartbreaking time; then, realising that he was not pursued, stopped and shook his fist at his assailant.

“Come, Genevra,” he gasped, but she remained as if rooted to the spot.  He waited an instant, and then walked rapidly away in the direction of the palace, his back as straight as a ramrod, but his legs a trifle unsteady.  The trio watched him for a full minute, speech-bound now that the deed was done and the consequences were to be considered.  Baggs grasped Chase by the shoulder, shook him and exclaimed, when it was too late: 

“You blooming ass, do you know what you’ve done?”

“The da—­miserable cur was annoying the Princess,” muttered Chase, straightening his cuffs, vaguely realising that he had interfered too hastily.

“Confound it, man, he’s the chap she’s going to marry.”

“Marry?” gasped Chase.

“The hereditary prince of Brabetz—­Karl Brabetz.”

“Good Lord!”

“You must have known.”

“How the dev—­Of course I didn’t know,” groaned Chase.  “But hang it all, man, he was annoying her.  She was flouting him for it.  She said she despised him.  I don’t understand——­”

The Princess came forward into the light of the path.  There was a quaint little wrinkle of mirth about her lips, which trembled nevertheless, but her eyes were full of solicitude.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she began nervously.  “You have made a serious mistake.  But,” she added frankly, holding out her hand to him, “you meant to defend me.  I thank you.”

Chase bowed low over her hand, too bewildered to speak.  Baggs was pulling at his mustache and looking nervously in the direction which the Prince had taken.

“He’ll be back here with the guard,” he muttered.

“He will go to my father,” said Genevra, her voice trembling.  “He will be very angry.  I am sorry, indeed, that you should have witnessed our—­our scene.  Of course, you could not have known who he was——­”

“I thought he was a—­but in any event, your highness, he was annoying you,” supplemented Chase eagerly.

“You will forgive me if I’ve caused you even greater, graver annoyance.  What can I do to set the matter right?  I can explain my error to the Duke.  He’ll understand—­”

“Alas, he will not understand.  He does not even understand me,” she said meaningly.  “Oh, I’m so sorry.  It may—­it will mean trouble for you.”  There was a catch in her voice.