“Why，not？Ineverknewawomanyethowevercoldhoweverfondofchange，whohadnotatsometimeorotherduringherlifemetamanforwhosesakeshewouldhavedone-whatIdid。Ihavehadasmanyadmirers-asmanylovers，Isuppose，asmostwomen。ButIcantruthfullysaythatduringthelastthreeyearsnothoughtofoneofthemhascrossedmymind。“
LadyCareylaughedscornfully。
“Uponmyword，“shesaid。“IfthePrincehadnotatemper，andiftheywerenotplayingforsuchruinouspoints，Iwouldentertainthemallwiththesedelightfulconfidences。Bythebye，thePrincehimselfwasonceoneofthosewhofellbeforeyourchariotwheels，washenot？Lookathimnow-sideways。Whatdoesheremindyouof？“
Lucilleraisedhereyes。
“Afatangel，“sheanswered，“orsomethingequallydistasteful。HowIhatethosemildeyesandthatsweet，slowsmile。IsawhimthrashapoorbeateronceintheSaxeLeinitzerforests。Ugh！“
“Ishouldnotblamehimforthat，“LadyCareysaidcoldly。“Ilikemasterfulmen，eventothepointofcruelty。GeneralDolinskitherefascinatesme。Ibelievethathekeepsalittleprivateknoutathomeforhiswifeandchildren。Awickedlittlecontrivancewithanivoryhandle。Ishouldliketoseehimuseit。“
Lucilleshuddered。Thistete-a-tetedidnotamuseher。Sheroseandlookedoveroneofthebridgetablesforaminute。ThePrince，whowasdealing，lookedupwithasmile。
“Bemygoodangel，Countess，“hebegged。“Fortunehasdesertedmeto-night。Youshallbethegoddessofchance，andsmileyourfavoursuponme。“
AhardlittlelaughcamefromthechairwhereLadyCareysat。Sheturnedherheadtowardsthem，andtherewasamaliciousgleaminhereves。
“Toolate，Prince，“sheexclaimed。“ThefavoursoftheCountessareallgivenaway。Lucillehasbecomeevenasoneofthoseflaxen-haireddollsofyourmountainvillages。Shehasgivenherheartaway，andsheissworntoperpetualconstancy。“
ThePrincesmiled。
“Theabsence，“hesaid，glancingupattheclock，“ofthatmostfortunatepersonshouldsurelycountinourfavour。“
Lucillefollowedhiseyes。Theclockwasstrikingten。Sheshruggedhershoulders。
“Iftheconversealsoistrue，Prince，“shesaid，“youcanscarcelyhaveanythingtohopeforfromme。Forbyhalf-pasttenhewillbehere。“
ThePrincepickeduphiscardsandsortedthemmechanically。
“Weshallsee，“heremarked。“Itistrue，Countess，thatyouarehere，butinthisinstanceyouaresetwiththorns。“
“Tocontinuetheallegory，Prince，“sheanswered，passingontothenexttable，“alsowithpoisonousberries。Buttothehandwhichhasnofear，neitherareharmful。“
ThePrincelaiddownhishand。
“NowIreallybelieve，“hesaidgently，“thatshemeanttoberude。
Partner，Ideclarehearts！“
FelixwasstandingoutfromthenexttablewhilsthashandwasbeingplayedbyGeneralDolinski，hispartner。Hedrewheralittleononeside。
“DonotirritateSaxeLeinitzer，“hewhispered。“Remember，everythingmustrestwithhim。Twiceto-nightyouhavebroughtthatsmiletohislips，andIneverseeitwithoutthinkingofunpleasantthings。“
“Youareright，“sheanswered；“butIhatehimso。HeandMurielCareyseemtohaveenteredintosomeconspiracytoleadmeontosaythingswhichImightregret。“
“SaxeLeinitzer，“hesaid，“hasneverforgottenthatheonceaspiredtobeyourlover。“
“Hehasnotfailedtoletmeknowit，“sheanswered。“Hehasevendared-ah！“
Therewasasuddenstirintheroom。Thelibrarydoorwasthrownopen。Thesolemn-visagedbutlerstooduponthethreshold。
“HisGracetheDukeofSouspennier！“heannounced。
Therewasforthemomentadeadsilence。Thesoftpatterofcardsnolongerfelluponthetable。Theeyesofeveryonewereturneduponthenewcomers。Andhe，leaninguponhisstick，lookedonlyforoneperson，andhavingfoundher，tooknoheedofanyoneelse。
“Lucille！“
Sherosefromherseatandstoodwithhandsoutstretchedtowardshim，herlipspartedinadelightfulsmile，hereyessoftwithhappiness。
“Victor，welcome！Itislikeyoutohavefoundme，andIknewthatyouwouldcome。“
Heraisedherfingerstohislips-tenderly-withthegraceofaprince，butalltheaffectionofalover。Whathesaidtohernonecouldhear，forhisvoicewasloweredalmosttoawhisper。Butthecolourstainedhercheeks，andherblushwastheblushofagirl。
AmovementoftheDuchessrecalledhimtoasenseofhissocialduty。Heturnedcourteouslytoherwithextendedhand。
“Itrust，“hesaid，“thatImaybeforgivenmytemporaryfitofaberration。Icannotthankyousufficiently，Duchess，foryourkindinvitation。“
Heransweringsmilewasalittledubious。
“Iamsure，“shesaid“thatwearedelightedtowelcomebackamongstussooldandvaluedafriend。Isupposeyouknoweveryone？“
Mr。Sabinlookedsearchinglyaround，exchangingbowswiththosewhosefaceswerefamiliartohim。ButbetweenhimandthePrinceofSaxeLeinitzertherepassednopretenseatanygreeting。Thetwomeneyedoneanotherforamomentcoldly。Eachseemedtobetryingtoreadtheotherthrough。
“Ibelieve，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thatIhavethatprivilege。Isee，however，thatIaminterruptingyourgame。Letmebegyoutocontinue。Withyourpermission，Duchess，Iwillremainaspectator。
TherearemanythingswhichmywifeandIhavetosaytooneanother。“
ThePrinceofSaxeLeinitzerlaidhiscardssoftlyuponthetable。
HesmileduponMr。Sabin-aslow，unpleasantsmile。
“Ithink，“hesaidslowly，“thatourgamemustbepostponed。Itisapity，butIthinkithadbetterbeso。“
“Itmustbeentirelyasyouwish，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Iamatyourservicenoworlater。“
ThePrincerosetohisfeet。
“MonsieurleDuedeSouspennier，“hesaid，“whatarewetoconcludefromyourpresenceherethisevening？“
“Itisobvious，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Iclaimmyplaceamongstyou。“
“Youclaimtobeoneofus？“
“Ido！“
“Tenyearsago，“thePrincecontinued，“youweregrantedimmunityfromallthepenaltiesandobligationswhichaco-membershipwithusmightinvolve。Thisprivilegewasextendedtoyouonaccountofcertaingreatoperationsinwhichyouwerethenengaged，andtheobjectofwhichwasnotforeigntoourownaims。Youareawarethattheperiodofthatimmunityislongsincepast。“
Mr。Sabinleanedwithbothhandsuponhisstick，andhisfacewaslikethefaceofasphinx。OnlyLucille，whoknewhimbestofallthosethere，sawhimwinceforamomentbeforethisreminderofhisgreatfailure。
“Iamnotaccustomed，“Mr。Sabinsaidquietly，“toshirkmyshareoftheworkinanyundertakingwithwhichIamconnected。OnlyinthiscaseIclaimtotaketheplaceoftheCountessLucille，mywife。Irequestthatthetask，whateveritmaybewhichyouhaveimposeduponher，maybetransferredtome。“
ThePrince’ssmilewassweet，butthosewhoknewhimbestwonderedwhatevilitmightbetokenforhisancientenemy。
“Youofferyourself，then，asafullmember？“
“Assuredly！“
“Subject，“hedrawled，“toalltheusualpainsandprivileges？“
“Certainly！“
ThePrinceplayedwiththecardsuponthetable。Hissmooth，fairfacewasunruffled，almostundisturbed。Yetunderneathhewaswonderingfiercely，eagerly，howthismightservehisends。
“Thecircumstances，“hesaidatlast，“arepeculiar。Ithinkthatweshoulddowelltoconsulttogether-youandI，Felix，andRaoulhere。“
Thetwomennamedroseupsilently。ThePrincepointedtoasmallroundtableatthefartherendoftheapartment，halfscreenedoffbyacurtainedrecess。
“AmIalso，“Mr。Sabinasked，“ofyourcompany？“
ThePrinceshookhishead。
“Ithinknot，“hesaid。“Inafewmomentswewillreturn。“
Mr。Sabinmovedawaywithaslightenigmaticgesture。Lucillegatheredupherskirts，makingroomforhimbyhersideonasmallsofa。
“Itisdelightfultoseeyou，Victor，“shemurmured。“Itisdelightfultoknowthatyoutrustedme。“
Mr。Sabinlookedather，andthesmilewhichnootherwomanhadeverseensoftenedforamomenthisface。
“DearLucille，“hemurmured，“howcouldyoueverdoubtit？Therewasaday，Iadmit，whenthesunstoodstill，when，ifIhadfeltinclinedtoturntolightliterature，IshouldhavereadaloudtheBookofJob。Butafterwards-well，youseethatIamhere。“
Shelaughed。
“Iknewthatyouwouldcome，“shesaid，“andyetIknewthatitwouldbeastrugglebetweenyouandthem。For-thePrince-“shemurmured，loweringhervoice，“hadpledgedhiswordtokeepusapart。“
Mr。Sabinraisedhishead，andhiseyestraveledtowardsthefigureofthemanwhosatwithhisbacktotheminthefardistantcorneroftheroom。
“ThePrince，“hesaidsoftly，“isfaithfultohisancientenmities。“
Lucille’sfacewastroubled。Sheturnedtohercompanionwithalittlegrimace。
“Hewouldhavemebelieve，“shemurmured，“thatheisfaithfultootherthingsbesideshisenmities。“
Mr。Sabinsmiled。
“Iamnotjealous，“hesaidsoftly，“ofthePrinceofSaxeLeinitzer！“
Asthoughattractedbythementionofhisname，whichmust，however，havebeenunheardbyhim，thePrinceatthatmomentturnedroundandlookedforamomenttowardsthem。HeshotaquickglanceatLadyCarey。Almostatoncesherosefromherchairandcameacrosstothem。
“ThePrince’swatch-dog，“Lucillemurmured。“Hatefulwoman！Sheisboundhandandfoottohim，andyet-“
Hereyesmethis，andhelaughed。
“Really，“hesaid，“youandIinouroldagemightbeheroandheroineofalittleromance-theundesiringobjectsofahopelessaffection！“
LadyCareysankintoalowchairbytheirside。“Youtwo，“shesaid，withaslow，malicioussmile，“areapatterntothiswickedworld。Don’tyouknowthatsuchfidelityispositivelysinful，andafterthreeyearsinsuchacountrytoo？“
