The Great Prince Shan

ar the door and exchanged greetings with many acquaintances. Karschoff, who was in an unusua

he declared, a little bitterly. "Almost a boulevardier. S

t reference to his companion's lament. "Tel

leasure. She was of an unusual type, tall and dark, dressed in black with the simplicity of a nun, with only a little gleam of white at her throat. Her hair-so much of it as showed under her flower-garlanded hat-was as black as jet, and yet, w

Karschoff declared with enthusiasm.

Nigel persisted with

he next President of the Russian Republic. You see, I can speak those words without a tremor. Her father

of the

approaching figures throug

beard," he indicated. "Immelan, as you can see, is the third

ved in the direction of the two men. The girl recognised the Prince with a charming little bow and was on the point of passing on when

, "welcome back to England! You bring with you

ry?" she asked, smiling. "Will you present y

Kingley, through the unfortunate death of a relative,

sion of something more than ordinary curiosity in the

enquired, "of Lord Dorminster

lained. "My uncle was u

cquaintance. Will you and my dear friend here," she added, turning to the Prince, "take coffee wi

and she passed on. Nigel watched her

" he observed. "I have never se

as a Baroness Kolchekoff, a distant relative of my own. The Kolchekoffs lived on their estates,

narily beautiful,

ging his eyeglass back

re is antagonism in my blood against her. I wonder wheth

had come over his own thoughts and which was reflected in the other's

he propounded, "for adding to the circle

's undoing. But seriously, my quarrel with Naida is one of prejudice only. She is the confidante and the inspiration of Matinsky, and though one realise

ied, "she must be ve

oncerning Naida I have never heard one word of scandal. But this much is certain. Matinsky has the blandest confidence in her judgment and discretion. She has already been his unofficia

arschoff's face. His momentary fierceness, reminiscent of his

nto a room like this. Our Bond Street lament finds its proof here. Except for their clothes-so ill-worn, too, most of them-

d to a distant corner of the room, where

y. A couple of generations and a little intermarriage may put things right. A Chance

th out of existence with yellow papers, your aristocracy of mind with a devastating income tax. This is the class whom you lef

y, but her accent amounted to little more than a prolongation of certain syllables, which had the effect of a rather musical drawl. Her father, after the few words of introduction had been spoken, st

epresented a class of Englishman of whom I had met very few, the thinking aristocrat with a sense for f

tics," Nigel assented. "He

at him th

herited them

he Russia whose growing strength was the greatest menace to Europea

intimate," he said. "I was n

dy Maggie Trent? She

Nigel replied. "Lady Maggie was the

charming," Na

delightful,"

ida continued. "I think that Lord Dorminster was very fo

crets?" Ni

smoking a thin cigarette through a long hol

attitude the only correct one. Did you know th

" he answered, "but I have n

e months. You have not seen much o

n London just before my uncle's death, and since

Naida enquired, "when do y

," he replied,-"directl

her a little messa

reat pl

this, if you please-that she is not to

warning?"

at him se

d, "how much of you is L

with sudden boldness, "wonder ho

n to lau

ord Dorminster," she said. "I s

to call upon you,"

My father is trying to get a house. My sister is coming over

sk of missing you," he decla

rbed. For some reason or other, the meeting between

d Dorminster," he announced, "and to escort you back to t

feet with some a

nster?" she enjoined, as she gave him her hand. "I

ving myself the pleas

Prince. The two men stood together and

e go the spirit of Russia and the spirit of Germany. You dabble in these things

el replied, "but I w

arschoff declared, taking his arm. "