The young man glanced at the clock again and frowneddarkly. When his gaze strayed from the glowing horologueof time it rested intently upon a four-story red brick housein the row of dwellings opposite to where he sat. Theshades were drawn， and the lights in many rooms shonedimly through them.
“Ten minutes to nine！” exclaimed the young man， withan impatient gesture of despair. He turned his back upon thehouse and took a rapid step or two in a contrary direction.
“Remain！” commanded Prince Michael， in so potenta voice that the disturbed one wheeled around with asomewhat chagrined laugh.
“I’ll give her the ten minutes and then I’m off，” hemuttered， and then aloud to the Prince： “I’ll join you inconfounding all clocks， my friend， and throw in women，too.”
“Sit down，” said the Prince calmly. “I do not accept youraddition. Women are the natural enemies of clocks， and，therefore， the allies of those who would seek liberationfrom these monsters that measure our follies and limit ourpleasures. If you will so far confide in me I would ask youto relate to me your story.”
The young man threw himself upon the bench with areckless laugh.
“Your Royal Highness， I will，” he said， in tones of mockdeference. “Do you see yonder house—the one with threeupper windows lighted？ Well， at 6 o’clock I stood in thathouse with the young lady I am—that is， I was—engagedto. I had been doing wrong， my dear Prince—I had beena naughty boy， and she had heard of it. I wanted to beforgiven， of course—we are always wanting women toforgive us， aren’t we， Prince？”
“‘I want time to think it over，’ said she. ‘There is onething certain； I will either fully forgive you， or I will neversee your face again. There will be no half-way business.
At half-past eight，’ she said， ‘at exactly half-past eight youmay be watching the middle upper window of the topfloor. If I decide to forgive I will hang out of that windowa white silk scarf. You will know by that that all is aswas before， and you may come to me. If you see no scarfyou may consider that everything between us is endedforever.’ That，” concluded the young man bitterly， “is whyI have been watching that clock. The time for the signalto appear has passed twenty-three minutes ago. Do youwonder that I am a little disturbed， my Prince of Rags andWhiskers？”
“Let me repeat to you，” said Prince Michael， in hiseven， well-modulated tones， “that women are the naturalenemies of clocks. Clocks are an evil， women a blessing.The signal may yet appear.”
“Never， on your principality！” exclaimed the young man，hopelessly. “You don’t know Marian—of course. She’salways on time， to the minute. That was the first thingabout her that attracted me. I’ve got the mitten insteadof the scarf. I ought to have known at 8.31 that my goosewas cooked. I’ll go West on the 11.45 to-night with JackMilburn. The jig’s up. I’ll try Jack’s ranch awhile and topoff with the Klondike and whiskey. Good-night—er—er—Prince.”
Prince Michael smiled his enigmatic， gentle， comprehendingsmile and caught the coat sleeve of the other. The brilliantlight in the Prince’s eyes was softening to a dreamier，cloudy translucence.