"By Jove, I like that fellow's coolness," said Lorry to Harry Anguish,
after the meeting. "He's after my own heart. Why, he treats us as though
we were the suppliants, he the alms-giver. He is playing a game, I'll
admit, but he does it with an assurance that delights me."
"He is right about that darned old fort," said Anguish. "His knowledge
of such things proves conclusively that he is no ordinary person."
"Yetive had a bit of a talk with him just now," said Lorry, with a
reflective smile. "She asked him point blank if he knew who she was. He
did not hesitate a second. 'I remember seeing you in the audience
chamber recently.' That was a facer for Yetive. 'I assure you that it
was no fault of mine that you saw me,' she replied. 'Then it must have
been your friend who rustled the curtains?' said the confounded
bluffer. Yetive couldn't keep a straight face. She laughed and then he
laughed. 'Some day you may learn more about me,' she said to him. 'I
sincerely trust that I may, madam,' said he, and I'll bet my hat he was
enjoying it better than either of us. Of course, he knows Yetive is the
princess. It's his intention to serve Beverly Calhoun, and he couldn't
do it if he were to confess that he knows the truth. He's no fool."
Baldos was not long in preparing plans for the changes in the
fortress. They embodied a temporary readjustment of the armament and
alterations in the ammunition house. The gate leading to the river was
closed and the refuse from the fort was taken to the barges by way of
the main entrance. There were other changes suggested for immediate
consideration, and then there was a general plan for the modernizing of
the fortress at some more convenient time. Baldos laconically observed
that the equipment was years behind the times. To the amazement of the
officials, he was able to talk intelligently of forts in all parts of
the world, revealing a wide and thorough knowledge and extensive
inspection. He had seen American as well as European fortifications. The
Graustark engineers went to work at once to perfect the simple changes
he advised, leaving no stone unturned to strengthen the place before an
attack could be made.
Two, three weeks went by and the new guard was becoming an old story to
the castle and army folk. He rode with Beverly every fair day and he
looked at her window by night from afar off in the sombre barracks. She
could not dissipate the feeling that he knew her to be other than the
princess, although he betrayed himself by no word or sign. She was
enjoying the fun of it too intensely to expose it to the risk of
destruction by revealing her true identity to him. Logically, that would
mean the end of everything. No doubt he felt the same and kept his
counsel. But the game could not last forever, that was certain. A month
or two more, and Beverly would have to think of the return to
Washington.