“Itismyownbusiness，“sheansweredcoldly。
ThePrinceappearedtobeinacomplaisantmood。
“Come，“hesaid，“theaffairisnotworthaquarrel。Iaskyounoquestions。OnlysincewearehereIproposethatwetestthecookingofthegoodAnnette。Wewilllunchtogether。“
“What，here？“sheanswered。“Absurd。“
“Bynomeans，“heanswered。“Asyoudoubtlessknow，theexterioroftheplaceisentirelymisleading。Thesepeopleareoldservantsofmine。Icananswerfortheluncheon。“
“Youcanalsoeatit，“camethepromptreply。“Iamreturningtothecarriage。“
“But“
Mr。Sabinemergedthroughtheswingdoor。“Yourdiscretion，mydearLucille，“hesaid，smiling，“isexcellent。Theplaceisindeedbetterthanitseems，andAnnette’scookerymaybeallthatthePrinceclaims。YetIthinkIknowbetterplacesforaluncheonparty，andtheventilationisnotofthebest。MayIsuggestthatyoucomewithmeinsteadtotheMilan？“
“Victor！Youhere？“
Mr。Sabinsmiledasheadmittedtheobviousfact。ThePrince’sfacewasasblackasnight。
“Believeme，“Mr。Sabinsaid，turningtothePrince，“Isympathiseentirelywithyourfeelingsatthepresentmoment。Imyselfhavesufferedinpreciselythesamemanner。Thefactis，intrigueinthiscountryisalmostanimpossibility。AtParis，Vienna，Pesth，howdifferent！Youraiseyourlittlefinger，andthedeedisdone。Superfluouspeople-likemyself-areremovedlikethehairsfromyourchin。Buthereintrigueseemsindeedtoexistonlywithinthepagesofashillingnovel，orinacomicopera。Thegentlemanwithahelmetthere，whoregardsussobenignly，willpresentlyearnashillingbycallingmeahansom。Yetineffecthedoesmeafargreaterservice。HestandsforamultitudeofcoldAnglo-Saxonlaws，adamant，incorruptible，inflexible-ascertainasthelawsofNatureherself。IamquiteawarethatbythistimeIoughttobelyinginadarkcellarwithagaginmymouth，orperhapsintheriverwithadaggerinmychest。ButhereinEngland，no！“
ThePrincesmiled-toallappearanceaverygenialsmile。
“Youareright，mydearfriend，“hesaid，“yetwhatyousaypossesses，shallwecallit，asomewhatantediluvianflavour。
Intrigueisnolongeraclumsygameofknifeandstringandbowl。
Itbecomesto-dayagameoffinesse。IcanassureyouthatIhavenodesiretogiveastagewhistleandhaveyouthrottledatmyfeet。
Onthecontrary，Ibegyoutousemycarriage，whichyouwillfindinthestreet。YouwilllunchattheMilanwithLucille，andI
shallretirediscomfitedtoeataloneatmyclub。Butthegameisalongone，mydearfriend。Thenewmethodstaketime。“
“Thisconversation，“Mr。SabinsaidtoLucille，“isinteresting，butitisalittleungallant。Ithinkthatwewillresumeitatsomefutureoccasion。ShallweacceptthePrince’soffer，orshallwebetrulydemocraticandtakeahansom。“
Lucillepassedherarmthroughhisandlaughed。
“YouarerobbingthePrinceofme，“shedeclared。“Letusleavehimhiscarriage。“
ShenoddedherfarewellstoSaxeLeinitzer，whotookleaveofthemwithalowbow。AstheywaitedatthecornerforahansomMr。Sabinglancedback。ThePrincehaddisappearedthroughtheswingdoors。
“Iwantyoutopromisemeonething，“Lucillesaidearnestly。
“Itispromised，“Mr。Sabinanswered。
“Youwillnotaskmethereasonofmyvisittothisplace？“
“Ihavenocuriosity，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Come！“
Mr。Sabin，contrarytohisusualcustom，engagedaprivateroomattheMilan。Lucillewasinthehighestspirits。
“Ifonlythiswereagameinsteadofreality！“shesaid，flashingabrilliantsmileathimacrossthetable，“Ishouldfinditmostfascinating。YouseemtocometomealwayswhenIwantyoumost。
Anddoyouknow，itisperfectlycharmingtobecarriedoffbyyouinthismanner。“
Mr。Sabinsmiledather，andtherewasalookinhiseyeswhichshonetherefornootherwoman。
“Itisineffect，“hesaid，“keepingmeyoung。Eventsseemtohaveenclosedusinacuriouslittlecobweb。Allthetimewearestrugglingbetweentherankestprimitivismandthemostdelicateintrigue。To-dayisthetriumphofprimitivism。“
“Meaningthatyou，themedievalknight，havecarriedmeoff，thedistressedmaiden，onyourshoulder。“
“Havingconfoundedmyenemy，“hecontinued，smiling，“byanembarrassingsituation，alittleargument，andthedistantviewofapoliceman’shelmet。“
“This，“sheremarked，withalittlesatisfiedsighassheselectedanortolan，“isaverysatisfactoryplacetobecarriedoffto。
Andyou，“sheadded，leaningacrossthetableandtouchinghisfingersforamomenttenderly，“areaverydelightfulknight-errant。“
Heraisedthefingerstohislips-thewaiterhadlefttheroom。
Sheblushed，butyieldedherhandreadilyenough。
“Victor，“shemurmured，“youwouldspoilthemostfaithlesswomanonearthforallherlovers。Youmakemeveryimpatient。“
“Impatience，then，“hedeclared，“mustbethemostinfectiousoffevers。ForItooamaterriblesufferer。“
“IfonlythePrince，“shesaid，“wouldbereasonable。“
“Iamafraid，“Mr。Sabinanswered，“thatfromhimwehavenotmuchtohopefor。“
“Yet，“shecontinued，“Ihavefulfilledalltheconditions。ReginaldBrottremainstheenemyofourcauseandOrder。Yetsomesaythathisinfluenceuponthepeopleislessened。Inanycase，myworkisover。Hebegantomistrustmelongago。To-dayIbelievethatmistrustistheonlyfeelinghehasinconnectionwithme。Ishalldemandmyrelease。“
“Iamafraid，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thatSaxeLeinitzerhasotherreasonsforkeepingyouatDorsetHouse。“
Sheshruggedhershoulders。
“HehasbeenverypersistentevenbeforeIleftVienna。Buthemustknowthatitishopeless。Ihaveneverencouragedhim。“
“Iamsureofit，“Mr。Sabinsaid。“Itistheincorrigiblevanityofthemanwhichwillnotbedenied。Hehasbeentaughttobelievehimselfirresistible。Ihaveneverdoubtedyouforasinglemoment，Lucille。Icouldnot。Butyouhavebeentheslaveofthesepeoplelongenough。Asyousay，yourtaskisover。Itsfailurewasalwayscertain。Brottbelievesinhisdestiny，anditwillbenoslightthingwhichwillkeephimfromfollowingit。Theymustgiveyoubacktome。“
“WewillgobacktoAmerica，“shesaid。“IhaveneverbeensohappyasatLenox。“
“NorI，“Mr。Sahinsaidsoftly。
“Besides，“shecontinued，“thetimeshavechangedsinceIjoinedtheSociety。InHungaryyouknowhowthingswere。TheSocialistswerecarryingallbeforethem，aunitedsolidbody。Thearistocracywereforcedtoenterintosomesortofcombinationagainstthem。
WesavedAustria，IamnotsurethatwedidnotsaveRussia。ButEnglandisdifferent。Thearistocracyhereareastrongresidentclass。TheyhavetheirHouseofLords，theyowntheland，andwillownitformanyyearstocome，theirpositionisunassailable。ItistheworstcountryinEuropeforustoworkin。Theveryclimateandthedispositionsofthepeopleareinimicaltointrigue。ItisMurielCareywhobroughttheSocietyhere。Itwasamistake。Thecountryisinnoneedofit。Thereisnoscopeforit。“
“IfonlyonecouldgetbeyondSaxeLeinitzer，“Mr。Sabinsaid。
Sheshookherhead。
“Behindhim，“shesaid，“thereisonlytheonetowhomallreferenceisforbidden。Andthereisnomanintheworldwhowouldbelesslikelytolistentoanappealfromyou-orfromme。“
“Afterall，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thoughSaxeLeinitzerisourenemy，Iamnotsurethathecandousanyharm。Ifhedeclinestoreleaseyou-well，whenthetwelvemonthsareupyouarefreewhetherhewishesitornot。Hehasputmeoutsidethepale。Butthisisnot，orneverwas，avindictiveSociety。Theydonotdealinassassinations。Inthiscountryatleastanythingofthe，sortisrarelyattempted。IfIwereayoungmanwithmylifetoliveinthecapitalsofEuropeIshouldbemoreorlessasocialoutcast，I
suppose。ButIamproofagainstthatsortofthing。“
Lucillelookedalittledoubtful。
“ThePrince，“shesaid，“isanintrigueroftheoldschool。IknowthatinViennahehasmorethanoncemadeuseofmoreviolentmeansthanhewoulddaretodohere。Andthereisanunderneathmachineryveryseldomused，Ibelieve，andofwhichnoneofuswhoareordinarymembersknowanythingatall，whichgiveshimterriblepowers。“
Mr。Sabinnoddedgrimly。
“ItwasworkedagainstmeinAmerica，“hesaid，“butIgotthebestofit。HereinEnglandIdonotbelievethathewoulddaretouseit。Ifso，IthinkthatbeforenowitwouldhavebeenaimedatBrott。IhavejustreadhisGlasgowspeech。IfhebecomesPremieritwillleadtosomethinglikearevolution。“
Shesighed。
“Brottisacleverman，andastrongman，“shesaid。“Iamsorryforhim，butIdonotbelievethathewillneverbecomePrimeMinisterofEngland。“
Mr。Sabinsippedhiswinethoughtfully。
“Ibelieve，“hesaid，“thatintrigueistheresourceofthosewhohavelivedtheirlivessoquicklythattheyhavefoundweariness。
Forthesethingsto-dayinterestmeverylittle。Iamonlyanxioustohaveyoubackagain，Lucille，tofindourselvesonourwaytoouroldhome。“
Shelaughedsoftly。
“AndIusedtothink，“shesaid，“thatafterallIcouldonlykeepyoualittletime-thatpresentlythevoicesfromtheoutsideworldwouldcomewhisperinginyourears，andyouwouldstealbackagaintowherethewheelsoflifewereturning。“
“Aman，“heanswered，“isnoteasilywhisperedoutofParadise。“
Shelaughedathim。
“Ah，itissoeasy，“shesaid，“toknowthatyouryouthwasspentatacourt。“
“Thereisonlyonecourt，“heanswered，“wheremenlearntospeakthetruth。“
Sheleanedbackinherchair。
“Oh，youareincorrigible，“shesaidsoftly。“TheoneroleinlifeinwhichIfanciedyouillateaseyouseemtofilltoperfection。“
“Andthat？“
“Youareanadorablehusband！“
“Ishouldlike，“hesaid，“abetteropportunitytoproveit！“
“Letushope，“shemurmured，“thatourseparationisnearlyover。
IshallappealtothePrinceto-night。MyremainingatDorsetHouseisnolongernecessary。“
“Ishallcome，“hesaid，“anddemandyouinperson。“
Sheshookherhead。
“No！Theywouldnotletyouin，anditwouldmakeitmoredifficult。Bepatientalittlelonger。“
Hecameandsatbyherside。Sheleanedovertomeethisembrace。
“Youmakepatience，“hemurmured，“atorture！“
