“Myhealth，“hesaid，“wasneverbetter。Itistruethatyourcomingwassomewhatofasurprise，“headded，lookingsteadilyatMr。Sabin。“Iunderstoodthatyouhadgoneforashortjourney，andIwasnotexpectingtoseeyoubackagainsosoon。“
“Duson，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“hastakenthatshortjourneyinstead。
Itwasratheraliberty，butheleftaletterformefullyexplaininghismotives。Icannotblamehim。“
ThePrincestrokedhismoustache。
“Ah！“heremarked。“Thatisapity。Youmay，however，finditpolitic，evennecessary，tojoinhimveryshortly。“
Mr。Sabinsmiledgrimly。
“IshallgowhenIamready，“hesaid，“notbefore！“
Lucillelookedfromonetotheotherwithprotestingeyebrows。
“Come，“shesaid，“itisveryimpoliteofyoutotalkinriddlesbeforemyface。Ihavebeenflatteringmyself，Victor，thatyouwereheretoseeme。Donotwoundmyvanity。“
Hewhisperedsomethinginherear，andshelaughedsoftlybackathim。ThePrince，withtheeveningpaperinhishand，escapedfromthebox，andfoundaretiredspotwherehecouldreadthelittleparagraphathisleisure。LadyCareypretendedtobeabsorbedbythemusic。
“Hasanythinghappened，Victor？“Lucillewhispered。
Hehesitated。
“Well，inasense，yes，“headmitted。“Iappeartohavebecomeunpopularwithourfriend，thePrince。Duson，whohasalwaysbeenaspyuponmymovements，wasentrustedwithalittlesleepingdraughtforme，whichhepreferredtotakehimself。Thatisall。“
“Dusonis-“
Henodded。
“Heisdead！“
Lucillewentverypale。
“Thisishorrible！“shemurmured“ThePrinceisalittleannoyed，naturally，“Mr。Sabinsaid。“Itisvexingtohaveyourplansupsetinsuchamanner。“
Sheshuddered。
“Heishateful！Victor，IfearthathedoesnotmeantoletmeleaveDorsetHousejustyet。Iamalmostinclinedtobecome，likeyou，anoutcast。Whoknows-wemightgofree。Bloodshedisalwaysavoidedasmuchaspossible，andIdonotseehowelsetheycouldstrikeatme。Socialostracismistheirchiefweapon。ButinAmericathatcouldnothurtus。“
Heshookhishead。
“Notyet，“hesaid。“IamsurethatSaxeLeinitzerisnotplayingthegame。Butheistoowellservedheretomakedefiancewise。“
“Youruntheriskyourself，“sheprotested。
Hesmiled。
“Itisadifferentmatter。Bythebye，weareoverheard。“
LadyCareyhadforgottentolistenanymoretothemusic。Shewaswatchingthemboth，asteelylightinhereyes，herfingersnervouslyentwined。ThePrincewasstillabsent。
“Praydonotconsiderme，“shebegged。“SofarasIamconcerned，yourconversationisofnopossibleinterest。ButIthinkyouhadbetterrememberthatthePrinceisinthecorridorjustoutside。“
“Wearemuchobligedtoyou，“Mr。Sabinsaid。“ThePrincemayheareverywordIhavetosayabouthim。Butallthesame，Ithankyouforyourwarning。
“Ifearthatweareveryunsociable，Muriel，“Lucillesaid，“and，afterall，Ishouldneverhavebeenherebutforyou。“
LadyCareyturnedherleftshoulderuponthem。
“Ibeg，“shesaid，“thatyouwillleavemealonewiththemusic。
Ipreferit。“
ThePrincesuddenlystooduponthethreshold。Hishandrestedlightlyuponthearmofanotherman。
“Comein，Brott，“hesaid。“Thewomenwillbecharmedtoseeyou。
AndIdon’tsupposethey’vereadyourspeeches。Countess，hereisthemanwhocountsallequalunderthesun，whodecriesclass，andrecognisesnosocialdistinctions。Brottwasborntoleadarevolution。Heisournaturalenemy。Letusalltrytoconverthim。“
Brottwaspale，anddeepnewlineswerefurrowedonhisface。
NeverthelesshesmiledfaintlyashebowedoverLucille’sfingers。
“Myintroduction，“heremarked，“isscarcelyreassuring。Yethereatleast，ifanywhereintheworld，weshouldallmeetuponequalground。Musicisauniversalleveler。“
“Andwehaven’tachance，“LadyCareyremarkedwithupliftedeyebrows，“oflisteningtoabarofit。“
Lucillewelcomedthenewcomercoldly。Nevertheless，hemanoeuvredhimselfintotheplacebyherside。Shetookupherfanandcommencedswingingitthoughtfully。
“Youaresurprisedtoseemehere？“hemurmured。
“Yes！“sheadmitted。
Helookedwearilyawayfromthestageupintoherface。
“AndItoo，“hesaid。“Iamsurprisedtofindmyselfhere！“
“Ipicturedyou，“sheremarked，“asimmersedinaffairs。DidI
nothearsomethingofaRadicalministrywithyouforPremier？“
“Ithasbeenspokenof，“headmitted。
“ThenIreallycannotsee，“shesaid，“whatyouaredoinghere。“
“Whynot？“heaskeddoggedly。
Sheshruggedhershoulders。
“Inthefirstplace，“shesaid，“yououghttoberushingaboutamongstyoursupporters，keepingthemuptothemark，andallthatsortofthing。Andinthesecond-“
“Well？“
“Arewenottheverypeopleagainstwhomyouhavedeclaredwar？“
“Ihavedeclaredwaragainstnopeople，“heanswered。“Itissystemsandclasses，abuses，injusticeagainstwhichIhavebeenforcedtospeak。IwouldnotdepriveyourOrderofasingleprivilegetowhichtheyarejustlyentitled。ButyoumustrememberthatIamapeople’sman。Theircauseismine。Theylooktomeastheirmouthpiece。“
Lucilleshruggedhershoulders。
“Youcannotevadethepoint，“shesaid。“Ifyouarethe，whatdoyoucallit，themouthpieceofthepeople，Idonotseehowyoucanbeanythingelsethantheenemyofthearistocracy。“
“Thearistocracy？Whoarethey？“heasked。“Iamtheenemyofallthosewho，becausetheypossessanancientnameandinheritedwealth，considerthemselvestheGod-appointedbulliesofthepoor，dealingthemoutmeagrecharities，lordlypatronage，anunspokenbutbittercontempt。Butthearistocracyoftheeartharenotofsuchasthese。
Yourclassarefurnishingtheworldwithadvancedthinkerseveryyear，everymonth！Inheritedprejudicescanneversurvivethenextfewgenerations。Thefusionofclassesmustcome。“
Sheshookherhead。
“Youaresanguine，myfriend，“shesaid。“Manygenerationshavecomeandgonesincethewonderfulpagesofhistorywereopenedtous。Andduringalltheseyearshowmuchnearerhavetheserfandthearistocratcometogether？Nay，havetheynotratherdriftedapart？……Butlisten！Thisisthegreatchorus。Wemustnotmissit。“
“SothePrincehasbroughtbackthewanderer，“LadyCareywhisperedtoMr。Sabinbehindherfan。“Hasn’therathertheairofasheepwhohasstrayedfromthefold？“
Mr。Sabinraisedthehorneyeglass，whichhesoseldomused，andcontemplatedBrottsteadily。
“Heremindsmemorethanever，“heremarked，“ofRienzi。Heislikeamantornasunderbygreatcauses。TheysaythathisspeechatGlasgowwasthetriumphofabornorator。“
LadyCareyshruggedhershoulders。
“Itwaspracticallythepreachingarevolutiontothepeople，“shesaid。“Afewmoresuch，andwemighthavetheredflagwaving。HeleftGlasgowinaferment。Ifhereallycomesintopower，whatarewetoexpect？“
“Totheonlookers，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“arevolutioninthiscountrywouldpossessmanyinterestingfeatures。Thecommonpeoplelacktheferocityofourownrabble，buttheyareevenmoredetermined。ImayyetlivetoseeanEnglishDukeearninganhonestlivingintheStates。“
“ItdependsverymuchuponBrott，“LadyCareysaid。“ForhisownsakeitisapitythatheisinlovewithLucille。“
Mr。Sabinagreedwithherblandly。
“Itis，“heaffirmed，“amostregrettableincident。“
Sheleanedalittletowardshim。Theboxwasnotalargeone，andtheirchairsalreadytouched。
“Areyouajealoushusband？“sheasked。
“Horribly，“beanswered。
“YourdevotiontoLucille，orratherthesinglenessofyourdevotiontoLucille，“sheremarked，“ispositivelythemostgauchethingaboutyou。Itis-absolutelycallow！“
Helaughedgently。
“DidInotalwaystellyou，“hesaid，“thatwhenIdidmarryI
shouldmakeanexcellenthusband？“
“Youareatleast，“sheansweredsharply，“averycomplaisantone。“
ThePrinceleanedforwardfromtheshadowsofthebox。
“Iinviteyouall，“hesaid，“tosupperwithme。Itissomethingofanoccasion，this！ForIdonotthinkthatweshallallmeetagainjustaswearenowforaverylongtime。“
“Yourinvitation，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“ismostagreeable。Butyoursuggestionis，tosaytheleastofit，nebulous。Idonotseewhatistopreventyourallhavingsupperwithmeto-morrowevening。
LadyCareylaughedassherose，andstretchedoutherhandforhercloak。
“To-morrowevening，“shesaid，“isalongwayoff。Letusmakesureofto-night-beforethePrincechangeshismind。“
Mr。Sabinbowedlow。
“To-nightbyallmeans，“hedeclared。“Butmyinvitationremains-achallenge！“
ThePrince，beinghost，arrangedtheplacesathissupper-table。
Mr。Sabinfoundhimself，therefore，betweenLadyCareyandayoungGermanattache，whomtheyhadmetintheante-roomoftherestaurant。
LucillehadthePrinceandMr。Brottoneithersideofher。
LadyCareymonopolisedatfirstthegreaterpartoftheconversation。
Mr。Sabinwasunusuallysilent。TheGermanattache，whosenamewasBaronvonOpperman，didnotspeakuntilthechampagnewasserved，whenhethrewabombshellintothemidstofthelittleparty。
“Ihear，“hesaid，withabroadandseraphicsmile，“thatinthishoteltherehasto-dayamurderbeencommitted。“
BaronvonOppermanwassuddenlythecynosureofseveralpairsofeyes。Hewasdelightedwiththesuccessofhisattempttowardsthegeneralentertainment。
“Theeveningpapers，“hecontinued，“theyhaveinthemnewsofasuddendeath。Butinthehotelherenowtheyarespeakingofsomething-whatyoucallmore-mysterious。Therehasbeenorderedanexaminationpost-mortem！“
“Itisacaseofpoisoningthen，Ipresume？“thePrinceasked，leaningforward。
“Itissosupposed，“theattacheanswered。“Itseemsthatthedoctorscouldfindnotraceofdisease，nothingtohavecauseddeath。
Theywerenotabletodecideanything。Theman，theysaid，wasinperfecthealth-butdead。“
“Itmusthavebeen，then，“thePrinceremarked，“averywonderfulpoison。“
“Withoutdoubt，“BaronOppermananswered。
ThePrincesighedgently。
“Therearemanysuch，“hemurmured。“Indeedthescienceoftoxicologywasneversoill-understoodasnow。Iamassuredthattherearemanypoisonsknownonlytoafewchemistsintheworld，asinglegrainofwhichissufficienttodestroythestrongestmanandleavenottheslightesttracebehind。Ifthepoisonerbesufficientlyaccomplishedhecanpursuehis-callingwithoutthefaintestriskofdetection。“
Mr。Sabinsippedhiswinethoughtfully。
“ThePrinceis，Ibelieve，right，“heremarked。“Itisforthatreason，doubtless，thatIhaveheardofmenwhoseliveshavebeenthreatened，whohavedepositedinsafeplacesasealedstatementofthedangerinwhichtheyfindthemselves，withanaccountofitssource，sothatiftheyshouldcometoanendinanywaymysterioustheremaybeevidenceagainsttheirmurderers。“
“Averyreasonableandjudiciousprecaution，“thePrinceremarkedwithglitteringeyes。“Onlyifthepoisonwasindeedofsuchanaturethatitwasnotpossibletotraceitnothingworsethansuspicioncouldeverbethelotofanyone。“
Mr。Sabinhelpedhimselfcarefullytosalad，andresumedthediscussionwithhisnextcourse。
