“IamafraidIcannotgosofarastosaythatshedoes，“hesaidregretfully。“IdonotknowwhyIfindmyselftalkingonthismattertoyou。IfeelthatIshouldapologiseforgivingsuchapersonalturntotheconversation。“
“Ibegthatyouwilldonothingofthesort，“Mr。Sabinprotested。
“Iam，asamatteroffact，mostdeeplyinterested。“
“Youencourageme，“Mr。Brottdeclared，“toaskyouaquestion-tomeaveryimportantquestion。“
“Itwillgivemegreatpleasure，“Mr。Sabinassuredhim，“ifIamabletoanswerit。“
“Youknow，“Mr。Brottsaid，“ofthatportionofherlifeconcerningwhichIhaveaskednoquestions，butwhichsomehow，wheneverIthinkofit，fillsmewithacertainamountofuneasiness。IrefertothelastthreeyearswhichtheCountesshasspentinAmerica。“
Mr。Sabinlookedup，andhislipsseemedtomove，buthesaidnothing。Mr。Brottfeltperhapsthathewasondifficultground。
“Irecognisethefact，“hecontinuedslowly，“thatyouarethefriendoftheCountess，andthatyouandIarenothingmorethanthemerestacquaintances。Iaskmyquestionthereforewithsomediffidence。Canyoutellmefromyourrecent，moreintimateknowledgeoftheCountessandheraffairs，whetherthereexistsanyreasonoutsideherowninclinationswhysheshouldnotacceptmyproposalsofmarriage？“
Mr。Sabinhadtheairofamangravelysurprised。Heshookhisheadveryslightly。
“Youmustnotaskmesuchaquestionasthat，Mr。Brott，“hesaid。
“ItisnotasubjectwhichIcouldpossiblydiscusswithyou。ButIhavenoobjectiontogoingsofarasthis。MyexperienceoftheCountessisthatsheisawomanofmagnificentandeffectivewillpower。Ithinkifshehasanydesiretomarryyouthereareorcouldbenoobstaclesexistingwhichshewouldnoteasilydisposeof。“
“Thereareobstacles，then？“
“Youmustnotaskmethat，“Mr。Sabinsaid，withacertainamountofstiffness。“TheCountessisaverydearfriendofmine，andyoumustforgivemenowifIsaythatIprefernottodiscussheranylonger。“
Ahallservantenteredtheroom，bearinganoteforMr。Brott。Hereceiveditatfirstcarelessly，buthisexpressionchangedthemomenthesawthesuperscription。Heturnedalittleaway，andMr。Sabinnoticedthatthefingerswhichtoreopentheenvelopeweretrembling。Thenoteseemedshortenough，buthemusthavereadithalfadozentimesbeforeatlastheturnedroundtothemessenger。
“Thereisnoanswer，“hesaidinalowtone。
Hefoldedthenoteandputitcarefullyintohisbreastpocket。Mr。
Sabinsubduedaninsanedesiretostrugglewithhimanddiscover，byforce，ifnecessary，whowasthesenderofthosefewbrieflines。
ForMr。Brottwasachangedman。
“Iamafraid，“hesaid，turningtohisguest，“thatthishasbeenaverydulleveningforyou。Totellyouthetruth，thisclubisnotexactlythehauntofpleasure-seekers。Itgenerallyoppressesmeforthefirsthourorso。Wouldyoulikeahandatbridge，oragameofbilliards？Iamwhollyatyourservice-untiltwelveo’clock。“
Mr。Sabinglancedattheclock。
“Youareverygood，“hesaid，“butIwasnevermuchgoodatindoorgames。Golfhasbeenmyonlyrelaxationformanyyears。Besides，ItoohaveanengagementforwhichImustleaveinaveryfewminutes。“
“Itisverygoodofyou，“Mr。Brottsaid，“tohavegivenmethepleasureofyourcompany。Ihavethegreatestpossibleadmirationforyourniece，Mr。Sabin，andCamperdownisathunderinggoodfellow。HewillbeourleaderintheHouseofLordsbeforemanyyearshavepassed。“
“Heis，Ibelieve，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“ofthesamepoliticsasyourself。“
“Weareboth，“Mr。Brottanswered，withasmile，“Iamafraidoutsidethepaleofyourconsiderationinthisrespect。WearebothRadicals。“
Mr。Sabinlitanothercigaretteandglancedoncemoreattheclock。
“ARadicalpeer！“heremarked。“Isn’tthatratherananomaly？TheprinciplesofRadicalismandaristocracyseemsodivergent。“
“Yet，“Mr。Brottsaid，“theyarenotwhollyirreconcilable。Ihaveoftenwishedthatthiscouldbemoregenerallyunderstood。Ifindmyselfattimesveryunpopularwithpeople，whosegoodopinionIamanxioustoretain，simplyowingtothistoogeneralmisapprehension。“
Mr。Sabinsmiledgently。
“Youwerereferringwithoutdoubt-“hebegan。
“TotheCountess，“Brottadmitted。“Yes，itistrue。Butafterall，“headdedcheerfully，“Ibelievethatourdisagreementsaremainlyuponthesurface。TheCountessisawomanofwidecultureandunderstanding。Hermind，too，isplastic。Shehasfewprejudices。“
Mr。Sabinglancedattheclockforthethirdtime，androsetohisfeet。Hewasquitesurenowthatthenotewasfromher。Heleanedonhisstickandtookhisleavequietly。Allthetimehewasstudyinghishost，wonderingathisairofonlypartiallysuppressedexcitement。
“Imustthankyouverymuch，Mr。Brott，“hesaid，“foryourentertainment。Itrustthatyouwillgivemeanopportunityshortlyofreciprocatingyourhospitality。“
Thetwomenpartedfinallyinthehall。Mr。Sabinsteppedintohishiredcarriage。
“DorsetHouse！“hedirected。
Thislittledifferenceofopinion，“thePrinceremarked，lookingthoughtfullythroughtheemeraldgreenofhisliqueur，“interestsme。OurfriendDolinskiherethinksthathewillnotcomebecausehewillbeafraid。DeBrouillac，onthecontrary，saysthathewillnotcomebecauseheistoosagacious。Felixhere，whoknowshimbest，saysthathewillnotcomebecauseheprefersevertoplaythegamefromoutsidethecircle，alooker-ontoallappearance，yetsometimeswieldinganunseenforce。Itisastrongpositionthat。“
Lucilleraisedherheadandregardedthelastspeakersteadily。
“AndI，Prince！“sheexclaimed，“Isaythathewillcomebecauseheisaman，andbecausehedoesnotknowfear。“
ThePrinceofSaxeLeinitzerbowedlowtowardsthespeaker。
“DearLucille，“hesaid，sorespectfullythatthefaintironyofhistonewaslosttomostofthosepresent，“I，too，amofyouropinion。Themanwhohasaright，realorfancied，toclaimyoumustindeedbeacowardifhesuffereddangersofanysorttostandintheway。Afterall，dangersfromus！Isitnotalittleabsurd？“
LucillelookedawayfromthePrincewithalittleshudder。Helaughedsoftly，anddrankhisliqueur。Afterwardsheleanedbackforamomentinhischairandglancedthoughtfullyaroundattheassembledcompanyasthoughanxioustoimpressuponhismemoryallwhowerepresent。Itwasalittlegroup，everymemberofwhichboreawell-knownname。Theirhost，theDukeofDorset，inwhosesplendidlibrarytheywereassembled，was，ifnotthepremierdukeoftheUnitedKingdom，atleastoneofthosewhosemanyhereditaryofficesandancientfamilyentitledhimtoaforemostplaceinthearistocracyoftheworld。RaouldeBrouillac，CountofOrleans，boreanamewhichwasscarcelyabsentfromasinglepageofthemartialhistoryofFrance。ThePrinceofSaxeLeinitzerkeptupstillasemblanceofroyaltyintheStatewhichhisancestorshadruledwithdespoticpower。LadyMurielCareywasayoungerdaughterofaducalhouse，whichhadmorethanonceintermarriedwithRoyalty。Theothers，too，hadtheirclaimstobeconsideredamongstthegreatestfamiliesofEurope。
ThePrinceglancedathiswatch，andthenatthebridgetablesreadysetout。
“Ithink，“hesaid，“thatalittlediversion-whatdoesourhostesssay？“
“Twosetscanstartatleast，“theDuchesssaid。“LucilleandI
willstayout，andtheCountdeBrouillacdoesnotplay。“
ThePrincerose。
“Itisagreed，“hesaid。“Duke，willyouhonourme？FelixandDolinskiareourancientadversaries。Itshouldbeaninterestingtrialofstrength。“
Therewasageneralmovement，are-arrangementofseats，andalittlebuzzofconversation。Thensilence。Lucillesatbackinagreatchair，andLadyCareycameovertoherside。
“Youarenervousto-night，Lucille，“shesaid。
“Yes，Iamnervous，“Lucilleadmitted。“Whynot？Atanymomenthemaybehere。“
“Andyoucare-somuch？“LadyCareysaid，withahardlittlelaugh。
“Icaresomuch，“Lucilleechoed。
LadyCareyshookoutherambersatinskirtandsatdownuponalowdivan。Sheheldupherhands，smallwhitehands，ablazewithjewels，andlookedatthemforamomentthoughtfully。
“HewasverymuchinearnestwhenIsawhimatSherry’sinNewYork，“sheremarked，“andhewasaltogethertoocleverforMr。
Horserandourfriendsthere。Afteralltheirtalkandboastingtoo。Why，theyareignorantoftheveryelementsofintrigue。“
Lucillesighed。
“Here，“shesaid，“itisdifferent。ThePrinceandheareancientrivals，andRaouldeBrouillacisnolongerhisfriend。Muriel，I
amafraidofwhatmayhappen。“
LadyCareyshruggedhershoulders。
“Heisnofool，“shesaidinalowtone。“Hewillnotcomeherewithamagistrate’swarrantandapolicemantobackitup，norwillheattempttoturnthethingintoanAdeiphidrama。Iknowhimwellenoughtobesurethathewillattemptnothingcrude。Lucille，don’tyoufinditexhilarating？“
“Exhilarating？Butwhy？“
“Itwillbeagameplayedthroughtotheendbymasters，andyou，mydearwoman，aretheinspiration。Ithinkthatitismostfascinating。“
Lucillelookedsadlyintothefire。
“Ithink，“shesaid，“thatIamwearyofallthesethings。Iseemtohavelivedsuchaverylongtime。AtLenoxIwasquitehappy。
OfmyownwillIwouldneverhaveleftit。“
LadyCarey’sthinlipscurledalittle，herblueeyeswerefullofscorn。Shewasnotaltogetherapleasantwomantolookupon。Hercheekswerethinandhollow，hereyesalittletooprominent，somehiddenexpressionwhichseemedattimestoflitfromonetotheotherofherfeaturessuggestedasensualitywhichwasalittleincongruouswithhersomewhatangularfigureandgenerallycolddemeanour。Butthatshewasawomanofcourageandresourcehistoryhadproved。
“Howidyllic！“sheexclaimed。“Positivelymedieval！Fancylivingwithonemanthreeyears。“
Lucillesmiled。