When  asked  for  names  and  other  particulars,
he  gave  his  own  as  "  John  Orth,"  and  his  pro-
fession as  that  of  master-mariner.  Milly  Stubel
was  described  as  an  actress,  and  her  real  name
was  divulged.
"  John  Orth  "  quickly  made  up  his  mind,  and
instead  of  returning  to  the  hotel  immediately,
he  went  for  a  long  walk,  not  troubling  what
direction  he  took,  and  only  stopping  an  hour
later  to  ask  a  policeman  the  Way  to  the  nearest
registry  office.  He  soon  found  himself  in  the
desired  place,  and  for  the  second  time  that  day
he  gave  notice  of  his  intention  to  wed.  On  this
occasion,  however,  he  took  particular  care  to
prevent  his  secret  leaking  out,  and  the  common-
place English  names  he  mentioned  to  the  official
were  nothing  like  those  of  John  Orth  and  Milly
Stubel.
That  was  how  the  archduke  was  married  in
secret.  The  Austrian  detectives  hovered  round
the  registry  office  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the
Strand,  whilst  two  miles  away  the  archduke  was
united  to  the  girl  for  whom  he  had  sacrificed  rank


The  Archduke  and  the  Ballet  Girl  53

and  fortune.  The  ceremony  was  a  brief,  matter-
of-fact  marriage  before  a  registrar.  But  the
lovers  were  contented  and  happy,  for  no  power
on  earth  could  separate  them  now.
After  their  marriage  they  left  London.  Already
John  Orth's  agents  had  received  instructions  to
buy  on  his  behalf  a  serviceable  steamer  capable
of  making  lengthy  voyages.  When  they  notified
him  that  there  was  such  a  ship,  the  Sainte
Marguerite,  he  gave  orders  that  it  should  be
legally  transferred  to  him.  The  purchase  price
was  duly  paid,  and  the  ex-archduke  prepared  for
his  first  voyage.
