Lucilletoreitintosmallpieceswithoutaword。LadyCareywaitedforaremarkfromherinvain。
“I，too，“shesaidatlast，“havehadsometelegrams。Ihavebeenhesitatingwhethertoshowthemtoyouornot。Perhapsyouhadbetterseethem。“
Sheproducedthemandspreadthemout。ThefirstwasdatedaboutthesametimeastheoneLucillehadreceived。
“HaveseenS。withmessagefromLucille。Fearquiteuseless，ashebelievesworst。“
Thesecondwasalittlelonger。
“HavejustheardS。hasleftforLiverpool，andhasengagedberthinCampania，sailingto-morrow。BreaknewstoLucilleifyouthinkwell。
Havewiredhimbeggingreturn，andpromisingfullexplanation。“
“Ifthese，“Lucillesaidcalmly，“belongedtomeIshouldtreatthemasIhavemyown。“
“Whatdoyoumean？“
“Ishouldtearthemup。“
LadyCareyshruggedhershoulderswiththeairofonewhofindsfurtherargumenthopeless。
“Ishallhavenomoretosaytoyou，Lucille，onthissubject，“shesaid。“Youareimpossible。Inafewdaysyouwillbeforcedtocomeroundtomypointofview。Iwillwaittillthen。Andinthemeantime，ifyouthinkIamgoingtotrampupanddownthosesloppydecksandgazeattheseayouareverymuchmistaken。Iamgoingtoliedownlikeacivilizedbeing，andtryandgetanap。Youhadbetterdothesame。“
Lucillelaughed。
“Formypart，“shesaid，“Ifindanypartofthesteamerexceptthedeckintolerable。Iamgoingnowinsearchofsomefreshair。
ShallIsendyourwomanalong？“
LadyCareynodded，forjustthenthesteamergaveaviolentlurch，andshewasnotfeelingtalkative。LucillewentoutsideandwalkedupanddownuntilthelightsofCalaiswereinsight。Allthetimeshefeltconsciousoftheobservationofasmallmancladinahugemackintosh，whosepeakedcapcompletelyobscuredhisfeatures。Astheywereenteringtheharbourshepurposelystoodbyhisside。Heheldontotherailwithonehandandturnedtowardsher。
“Ithasbeenquitearoughpassage，hasitnot？“heremarked。
Shenodded。
“Ihavecrossed，“shesaid，“whenithasbeenmuchworse。Idonotmindsolongasonemaycomeondeck。“
“Yourfriend，“heremarked，“isperhapsnotsogoodasailor？“
“Ibelieve，“Lucillesaid，“thatshesuffersagreatdeal。Ijustlookedinather，andshewascertainlyuncomfortable。“
Thelittlemangrippedtherailandheldontohiscapwiththeotherhand。
“YouaregoingtoParis？“heasked。
Lucillenodded。
“Yes。“
Theywereinsmootherwaternow。Hewasabletorelaxhisgripoftherail。HeturnedtowardsLucille，andshesawhimforthefirsttimedistinctly-athin，wizened-uplittleman，withshrewdkindlyeyes，andalongdeeplycutmouth。
“Itrust，“hesaid，“thatyouwillnotthinkmeimpertinent，butitoccurredtomethatyouhavenoticedsomeapparentinterestofmineinyourmovementssinceyouarrivedontheboat。“
Lucillenodded。
“Itistrue，“sheanswered。“ThatiswhyIcameandstoodbyyourside。Whatdoyouwantwithme？“
“Nothing，madam，“heanswered。“Iamherealtogetherinyourinterests。IfyoushouldwanthelpIshallbesomewherenearyouforthenextfewhours。Donothesitatetoappealtome。Mymissionhereistobeyourprotectorshouldyouneedone。“
Lucille’seyesgrewbright，andherheartbeatquickly。
“Tellme，“shesaid，“whosentyou？“
Hesmiled。
“Ithinkthatyouknow，“heanswered。“OnewhoIcanassureyouwillneverallowyoutosufferanyharm。Ihaveexceededmyinstructionsinspeakingtoyou，butIfanciedthatyouwerelookingworried。Youneednot。Icanassureyouthatyouneedhavenocause。“
Hereyesfilledwithtears。
“Iknew，“shesaid，“thatthosetelegramswereforgeries。“
Helookedcarefullyaround。
“Iknownothingaboutanytelegrams，“hesaid，“butIamheretoseethatnoharmcomestoyou，andIpromiseyouthatitshallnot。
Yourfriendislookingoutofthecabindoor。Ithinkwemaycongratulateourselves，madam，onanexcellentpassage。“
LadyCareydisembarked，acompletewreck，leaningonthearmofhermaid，andwithabottleofsmellingsaltsclutchedinherhand。Shesleptallthewayinthetrain，andonlywokeupwhentheywerenearingParis。ShelookedatLucilleinastonishment。
“Why，whatonearthhaveyoubeendoingtoyourself？“sheexclaimed。
“Youlookdisgustinglyfitandwell。“
Lucillelaughedsoftly。
“Whynot？Ihavehadanap，andwearealmostatParis。Ionlywantabathandachangeofclothestofeelperfectlyfresh。“
ButLadyCareywassuspicious。
“Haveyouseenanyoneyouknowuponthetrain？“sheasked。
Lucilleshookherhead。
“Notasoul。AlittlemanwhomIspoketoonthesteamerbroughtmesomecoffee。Thatisall。“
LadyCareyyawnedandshookoutherskirts。“IsupposeI’mgettingold，“shesaid。“Icouldn’tlookasyoudowithasmuchonmymindasyoumusthave，andaftertravelingallnighttoo。“
Lucillelaughed。
“Afterall，“shesaid，“youknowthatIamaprofessionaloptimist，andIhavefaithinmyluck。Ihavebeenthinkingmattersovercalmly，and，totellyouthetruth，Iamnotintheleastalarmed。“
LadyCareylookedathercuriously。
“Hastheoptimismbeenimbibed，“sheasked，“orisitspontaneous？“
Lucillesmiled。
“Unlessthelittlemanintheplaidmackintoshpoureditintothecoffeewiththemilk，“shesaid，“Icouldnotpossiblyhaveimbibedit，forIhaven’tspokentoanothersoulsinceweleft。“
“Paris！Hereweare，thankgoodness。Celestecanseethethingsthroughthecustoms。Sheisquiteusedtoit。WearegoingtotheRitz，Isuppose！“
Ateighto’clockintheeveningLucilleknockedatthedoorofLadyCarey’ssuiteofroomsatthehotel。Therewasnoanswer。
Achambermaidwhowasnearcamesmilingup。
“Miladihas，Ithink，descendedfordinner，“shesaid。
Lucillelookedatherwatch。Shesawthatshewasafewminuteslate，soshedescendedtotherestaurant。Thesmalltablewhichtheyhadreservedwas，however，stillunoccupied。Lucilletoldthewaiterthatshewouldwaitforafewmoments，andsentforanEnglishnewspaper。
LadyCareydidnotappear。Aquarterofanhourpassed。Theheadwaitercameupwithabenignsmile。
“Madamwillpleasetobeserved？“hesuggested，withabow。
“IamwaitingformyfriendLadyCarey，“Lucilleanswered。“I
understoodthatshehadcomedown。Perhapsyouwillsendandseeifsheisinthereading-room。“
“Withmuchpleasure，madam，“themananswered。
Inafewminuteshereturned。
“Madam’sfriendwastheLadyCarey？“heasked。
Lucillenodded。
Themanwasgentlytroubled。
“But，MiladiCarey，“hesaid，“hasleftmorethananhourago。“
Lucillelookedup，astonished。
“Leftthehotel？“sheexclaimed。
“Butyes，madam，“heexclaimed。“MiladiCareylefttocatchtheboattrainatCalaisforEngland。“
“Itisimpossible，“Lucilleanswered。“Weonlyarrivedatmidday。“
“Iwillinquireagain，“themandeclared。“Butitwasintheofficethattheytoldmeso。“
“Theytoldyouquitecorrectly，“saidafamiliarvoice。“Ihavecometotakeherplace。Countess，Itrustthatinmeyouwillrecogniseanefficientsubstitute。“
ItwasthePrinceofSaxeLeinitzerwhowascalmlyseatinghimselfoppositetoher。Thewaiter，withthediscretionofhisclass，withdrewforafewpacesandstoodawaitingorders。Lucillelookedacrossathiminamazement。
“Youhere？“sheexclaimed，“andMurielgone？Whatdoesthismean？“
ThePrinceleanedforward。
“Itmeans，“hesaid，“thatafteryouleftIwasintorment。Ifeltthatyouhadnoonewithyouwhocouldbeofassistancesupposingtheworsthappened。Murielisallverywell，butsheisawoman，andshehasnodiplomacy，noresource。Ifelt，Lucille，thatI
shouldnotbehappyunlessImyselfsawyouintosafety。“
“Soyoufollowedushere，“Lucilleremarkedquietly。
“Exactly！Youdonotblameme。Itwasforyoursake-aswellasmyown。“
“AndMuriel-whyhassheleftmewithoutfarewell-withoutwarningofanysort？“
ThePrincesmiledandstrokedhisfairmoustache。
“Well，“hesaid，“itisratheranawkwardthingformetoexplain，buttotellyouthetruth，Murielwasalittle-morethanalittle-annoyedatmycoming。Shehasnorighttobe，but-well，youknow，sheiswhatyoucallamonopolist。SheandIhavebeenfriendsformanyyears。“
“Iunderstandperfectlywhatyouhavewishedtoconvey，“Lucillesaid。“ButwhatIdonotunderstandaretheexactreasonswhichbroughtyouhere。“
ThePrincetookupthecartedejour。
“Aswedine，“hesaid，“Iwilltellyou。Youwillpermitmetoorder？“
Lucillerosetoherfeet。
“Foryourself，certainly，“sheanswered。“Asforme，Ihaveacceptednoinvitationtodinewithyou，nordoIproposetodoso。“
ThePrincefrowned。
“Bereasonable，Lucille，“hepleaded。“Imusttalkwithyou。Thereareimportantplanstobemade。Ihaveagreatdealtosaytoyou。
Sitdown。“
Lucillelookedacrossathimwithacurioussmileuponherlips。
“Youhaveagooddealtosaytome？“sheremarked。“Yes，Iwillbelievethat。Butofthetruthhowmuch，Iwonder？“
“Byandbye，“hesaid，“youwilljudgemedifferently。Forhorsd’oeuvreswhatdoyousaytooeufsdepluvier？Then-“
“Pardonme，“sheinterrupted，“Iamnotinterestedinyourdinner！“
“Inourdinner，“heventuredgently。
“Iamnotdiningwithyou，“shedeclaredfirmly。“IfyouinsistuponremaininghereIshallhavesomethingservedinmyroom。Youknowquitewellthatwearecertaintoberecognised。Onewouldimaginethatthiswasadeliberateattemptonyourparttocompromiseme。“
“Lucille，“hesaid，“donotbefoolish！WhydoyoupersistintreatingmeasthoughIwereyourpersecutor？“
“Becauseyouare，“shesaidcoolly。
“Itisridiculous，“hedeclared。“Youareinthemostseriousdanger，andIhavecomeonlytosaveyou。Icandoit，andIwill。
Butlisten-notunlessyouchangeyourdemeanourtowardsme。“
Shelaughedscornfully。Shehadrisentoherfeetnow，andhewasperforcecompelledtofollowherexample。
“Isthatachallenge？“sheasked。
“Youmaytakeitassuchifyouwill，“heanswered，withanoteofsullennessinhistone。“YouknowverywellthatIhavebuttoliftmyfingerandthegendarmeswillbehere。Yes，wewillcallitachallenge。AllmylifeIhavewantedyou。NowIthinkthatmytimehascome。EvenSouspennierhasdesertedyou。Youarealone，andletmetellyouthatdangeriscloseratyourheelsthanyouknowof。Icansaveyou，andIwill。ButIhaveaprice，anditmustbepaid。“
