Chapter 1

THE THORN IN THE LAND OF ROSES

I. A Wilful Maid Arrives 3 II. A Fra Diavolo in the Land of Roses 11 III. The Violent End of a Terrible Bandit 18 IV. _La Luz_, Blockade Runner 27 V. The Storm Centre 34 VI. A Bruising of Arms for Jacqueline 45 VII. Swordsmanship in the Dark 55 VIII. The Thoughts of Youth May Be Prodigiously Long Thoughts 64 IX. Toll-Taking in the Huasteca 69 X. The Brigand Chief 80 XI. The Cossacks and Their Tiger Colonel 89 XII. Pastime Passing Excellent 98 XIII. Unregistered in Any Studbook 108 XIV. The Herald of the Fair God 114 XV. The Ritual 122 XVI. He of the Debonair Sceptre 131 XVII. Rather a Small Man 140 XVIII. Little Monarchs, Big Mistakes 149 XIX. A Tartar, _and_ a Tartar 156 XX. In the Wake of Princely Cavalcades 164 XXI. The Red Mongrel 173 XXII. "Equidad en la Justicia" 182 XXIII. A Curious Pagan Rite 188 XXIV. The Man Who Did Not Want to be Shot 193 XXV. The Person on the Other Horse 200 XXVI. The Strangest Avowal of Love 209 XXVII. Berthe 219 XXVIII. "Mike" 228 XXIX. The Whisper of the Sphinx 238 XXX. The Ambassador 242 XXXI. Carlota 253 XXXII. The Woman Who Did Not Hesitate 258 XXXIII. A Sponsor to the Fat Padre 266