<h3> NOTICE TO LEAVE </h3>
<p> </p>
<p>At fifteen minutes of midnight when Miss
Thorne, followed by Signor Petrozinni,
entered the sitting-room of her apartments
in the hotel and turned up the light they
found Mr. Grimm already there. He rose courteously.
At sight of him Miss Thorne's face
went deathly white, and the escaped prisoner
turned toward the door again.</p>
<p>"I would advise that you stay, your Highness,"
said Mr. Grimm coldly. Signor Petrozinni
paused, amazed. "You will merely subject
yourself to the humiliation of arrest if you attempt
to leave. The house is guarded by a dozen
men."</p>
<p>"Your Highness?" Miss Thorne repeated
blankly. "You are assuming a great deal, aren't
you, Mr. Grimm?"</p>
<p>"I don't believe," and Mr. Grimm's listless
eyes were fixed on those of the escaped prisoner,
"I don't believe that Prince Benedetto d'Abruzzi
will deny his identity?"</p>
<p>There was one of those long tense silences
when eye challenges eye, when wit is pitted
against wit, and mind is hauled around to a new,
and sometimes unattractive, view of a situation.
Miss Thorne stood silent with rigid features,
colorless as marble; but slowly a sneer settled
about the lips of Signor Petrozinni that was,
and he sat down.</p>
<SPAN name="image-3"><!-- Image 3 --></SPAN>
<p class="figure">
<SPAN href="img3.jpg">
<ANTIMG width-obs="60%" src="images/img3.jpg" alt="A Long Tense Silence when Eye Challenges Eye."/></SPAN><br/>
<b>"A Long Tense Silence when Eye Challenges Eye."</b></p>
<p>"You seem to know everything, Mr. Grimm,"
he taunted.</p>
<p>"I <i>try</i> to know everything, your Highness,"
was the reply. Mr. Grimm was still standing.
"I know, for instance, that one week ago the
plot which had your freedom for its purpose
was born; I know the contents of every letter
that passed between you and Miss Thorne here,
notwithstanding the invisible ink; I know that
four days ago several thousand dollars was
smuggled in to you concealed in a basket of
fruit; I know, with that money, you bribed your
way out, while Miss Thorne or one of her agents
bribed the guard in front; I know that the escape
was planned for to-night, and that the man
who was delegated to take charge of it is now
locked in my office under guard. It may interest
you to know that it was I who took his place
and made the escape possible. I know that
much!"</p>
<p>"You—<i>you</i>—!" the prince burst out suddenly.
"<i>You</i> aided me to escape?"</p>
<p>Miss Thorne was staring, staring at them
with her eyes widely distended, and her red lips
slightly parted.</p>
<p>"<i>Why</i> did you assist him?" she demanded.</p>
<p>"Details are tiresome, Miss Thorne," replied
Mr. Grimm with the utmost courtesy. "There
is one other thing I know—that the Latin compact
will not be signed in the United States."</p>
<p>The prince's eyes met Miss Thorne's inquiringly,
and she shook her head. The sneer was
still playing about his mouth.</p>
<p>"Anything else of special interest that you
know?" he queried.</p>
<p>"Yes, of interest to both you and Miss
Thorne. That is merely if the Latin compact
is signed anywhere, the English-speaking countries
of the world might construe it as a <i>casus
belli</i> and strike soon enough, and hard enough,
to put an end to it once for all."</p>
<p>Again there was silence for a little while.
Slowly the prince's eyes were darkening, and a
shadow flitted across Miss Thorne's face. The
prince rose impatiently.</p>
<p>"Well, what is the meaning of all this? Are
you going to take me back to prison?"</p>
<p>"No," said Mr. Grimm. He glanced at his
watch. "I will give each of you one-half hour
to pack your belongings. We must catch a
train at one o'clock."</p>
<p>"Leave the city?" gasped Miss Thorne.</p>
<p>"Impossible!" exclaimed the prince.</p>
<p>"One-half hour," said Mr. Grimm coldly.</p>
<p>"But—but it's out of the question," expostulated
Miss Thorne.</p>
<p>"One-half hour," repeated Mr. Grimm. He
didn't dare to meet those wonderful blue-gray
eyes now. "A special car with private compartments
will be attached to the regular train, and
the only inconvenience to you will be the fact
that the three of us will be compelled to sit up
all night. Half a dozen other Secret Service men
will be on the train with us."</p>
<p>And then the prince's entire manner underwent
a change.</p>
<p>"Mr. Grimm," he said earnestly, "it is absolutely
necessary that I remain in Washington
for another week—remain here even if I am
locked up again—lock me up again if you like.
I can't sign compacts in prison."</p>
<p>"Twenty-five minutes," replied Mr. Grimm
quietly.</p>
<p>"But here," exclaimed the prince explosively,
"I have credentials which will insure my protection
in spite of your laws."</p>
<p>"I know that," said Mr. Grimm placidly.
"Credentials of that nature can not be presented
at midnight, and you will not be here to-morrow
to present them. The fact that you have those
credentials, your Highness, is one reason why
you must leave Washington now, to-night."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<SPAN name="CH19"><!-- CHAPTER 19 --></SPAN>
<h3> XIX </h3>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />