“Yet，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“youare，Iunderstand，intheCabinet。“
　　Mr。Brottglancedforamomentaround。ThePrimeMinisterwassomewhereinthewintergardens。
　　“That，“hedeclared，“isanaccident。IhappenedtobetheonlymanavailablewhocoulddotheworkwhenLordKilbrookedied。I
　　amtellingyouonlywhatisanopensecret。ButIamafraidIamboringyou。Shallwejointheothers？“
　　“Notunlessyouyourselfareanxiousto，“Mr。Sabinbegged。“Itisscarcelyfairtodetainyoutalkingtoanoldmanwhentherearesomanycharmingwomenhere。ButIshouldbesorryforyoutothinkmehideboundinmyprejudices。YoumustrememberthattheRevolutiondecimatedmyfamily。Itwasalongtimeago，butthehorrorofitisstillalivething。“
　　“Yetitwasthenaturaloutcome，“Mr。Brottsaid，“ofthethingswhichwentbefore。Suchhideousmisgovernmentasgenerationsofyourcountrymenhadsufferedwaslogicallyboundtobringitsownreprisal。“
　　“Thereistruthinwhatyousay，“Mr。Sabinadmitted。HedidnotwanttotalkabouttheFrenchRevolution。
　　“YouareastrangerinLondon，areyounot？“Mr。Brottasked。
　　“Ifeelmyselfone，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Ihavebeenawayforafewyears，andIdonotthinkthatthereisacityintheworldwheresocialchangesaresorapid。IshouldperhapsexceptthecitiesofthecountryfromwhichIhavecome。ButthenAmericaisauniverseofitself。“
　　ForaninstantMr。Brottgavesignsofthemanunderneath。Theairofpoliteinteresthadlefthisface。Heglancedswiftlyandkeenlyathiscompanion。Mr。Sabin’sexpressionwasimmutable。Itwashewhoscored，forhemarkedthechange，whilstMr。Brottcouldnotbesurewhetherhehadnoticeditornot。
　　“YouhavebeenlivinginAmerica，then？“
　　“Forseveralyears-yes。“
　　“Itisacountry，“Mr。Brottsaid，“whichIamparticularlyanxioustovisit。Iseemychances，however，growfewerandfewerastheyearsgoby。“
　　“Foronelikeyourself，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“whoseinstinctsandsympathiesarewhollywiththedemocracy，afewmonthsinAmericawouldbeverywellspent。“
　　“Andyou，“Mr。Brottremarked，“howdidyougetonwiththepeople？“
　　Mr。Sabintracedapatternwithhisstickuponthemarblefloor。
　　“Ilivedinthecountry，“hesaid，“Iplayedgolfandreadandrested。“
　　“WereyouanywherenearNewYork？“Mr。Brottasked。
　　“Afewhours’journeyonly，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Myhomewasinaverypicturesquepart，nearLenox。“
　　Mr。Brottleanedalittleforward。
　　“Youperhapsknowthenaladywhospentsometimeinthatneighbourhood-aMrs。JamesPeterson。Herhusbandwas，Ibelieve，theAmericanconsulinVienna。
　　Mr。Sabinsmiledveryfaintly。Hisfacebetrayednomorethananaturalandpoliteinterest。Therewasnothingtoindicatethefactthathisheartwasbeatingliketheheartofayoungman，thatthebloodwasrushinghotthroughhisveins。
　　“Yes，“hesaid，“Iknowherverywell。IssheinLondon？“
　　Mr。Brotthesitated。Heseemedalittleuncertainhowtocontinue。
　　“Totellyouthetruth，“hesaid，“Ibelievethatshehasreasonsfordesiringherpresentwhereaboutstoremainunknown。Ishouldperhapsnothavementionedhernameatall。Itwas，Ifancy，indiscreetofme。ThecoincidenceofhearingyoumentionthenameoftheplacewhereIbelievesheresidedsurprisedmyquestion。
　　Withyourpermissionwewillabandonthesubject。“
　　“Youdisappointme，“Mr。Sabinsaidquietly。“Itwouldhavegivenmemuchpleasuretohaveresumedmyacquaintancewiththeladyinquestion。“
　　“Youwill，withoutdoubt，haveanopportunity，“Mr。Brottsaid，glancingathiswatchandsuddenlyrising。“Dearme，howthetimegoes。“
　　Herosetohisfeet。Mr。Sabinalsorose。
　　“MustIunderstand，“hesaidinalowtone，“thatyouarenotatlibertytogivemeMrs。Peterson’saddress？“
　　“Iamnotatlibertyeven，“Mr。Brottanswered，withafrown，“tomentionhername。Itwillgivemegreatpleasure，Duke，tobettermyacquaintancewithyou。WillyoudinewithmeattheHouseofCommonsonenightnextweek？“
　　“Ishallbecharmed，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“MyaddressforthenextfewdaysisattheCarlton。IamstayingthereundermyfamilynameofSabin-Mr。Sabin。Itisafancyofmine-ithasbeeneversinceIbecameanalien-tousemytitleaslittleaspossible。“
　　Mr。Brottlookedforamomentpuzzled。
　　“Yourpseudonym，“heremarkedthoughtfully，“seemsveryfamiliartome。“
　　Mr。Sabinshruggedhisshoulders。
　　“Itisafamilyname，“heremarked，“butIflatteredmyselfthatitwasatleastuncommon。“
　　“Fancy，nodoubt，“Mr。Brottremarked，turningtomakehisadieuxtohishostess。
　　Mr。Sabinjoinedafreshgroupofidlersunderthepalms。Mr。
　　Brottlingeredoverhisfarewells。
　　“YourUNCLE，LadyCamperdown，“hesaid，“isdelightful。Ienjoymeetingnewtypes，andherepresentstomemostperfectlytheoldorderofFrencharistocracy。“
　　“Iamglad，“Helenesaid，“thatyoufoundhiminteresting。Ifeltsureyouwould。Infact，Iaskedhimespeciallytomeetyou。“
　　“Youarethemostthoughtfulofhostesses，“heassuredher。“Bythebye，yourUNCLEhasjusttoldmethenamebywhichheisknownatthehotel。Mr。Sabin！Sabin！Itrecallssomethingtomymind。
　　Icannotexactlyrememberwhat。“
　　Shesmileduponhim。PeoplegenerallyforgotthingswhenHelenesmiled。
　　“Itisanoddfancyofhistolikehistitlesolittle，“sheremarked。“Atheartnooneisprouderoftheirfamilyandantecedents。Ihaveheardhimsay，though，thatanexilehadbetterleavebehindhimevenhisname。“
　　“Sabin！“Mr。Brottrepeated。“Sabin！“
　　“Itisanoldfamilyname，“shemurmured。
　　Hisfacesuddenlycleared。Sheknewthathehadremembered。Buthetookhisleavewithnofurtherreferencetoit。
　　“Sabin！“herepeatedtohimselfwhenaloneinhiscarriage。“ThatwasthenameofthemanwhowassupposedtobesellingplanstotheGermanGovernment。PoorRenshawwasinaterriblestewaboutit。
　　Sabin！Anuncommonname。“
　　HehadorderedthecoachmantodrivetotheHouseofCommons。
　　Suddenlyhepulledthecheck-string。
　　“CallatDorsetHouse，“hedirected。
　　Mr。Sabinlingeredtillnearlythelastoftheguestshadgone。
　　ThenheledHeleneoncemoreintothewintergardens。
　　“MayIdetainyouforonemoment’sgossip？“heasked。“Iseeyourcarriageatthedoor。“
　　Shelaughed。
　　“Itisnothing，“shedeclared。“ImustdriveintheParkforanhour。Oneseesone’sfriends，anditiscoolandrefreshingaftertheseheatedrooms。Butatanytime。Talktomeaslongasyouwill，andthenIwilldropyouattheCarlton。“
　　“ItisofBrott！“heremarked。“Ah，Ithankyou，Iwillsmoke。
　　Yourhusband’stasteincigarettesisexcellent。“
　　“Perhapsmine！“shelaughed。
　　Mr。Sabinshruggedhisshoulders。
　　“IneithercaseIcongratulateyou。ThismanBrott。Heinterestsme。“
　　“Heinterestseveryone。Whynot？Heisagreatpersonality。“
　　“Politically，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thegaugeofhissuccessisofcoursethemeasureoftheman。Buthehimself-whatmannerofamanishe？“
　　Shetappedwithherfingersuponthelittletablebytheirside。
　　“Heisrich，“shesaid，“andanuncommonmixtureofthestudentandthemanofsociety。Herefusesmanymoreinvitationsthanheaccepts，heentertainsveryseldombutverymagnificently。Hehasneverbeenknowntopaymarkedattentionstoanywoman，eventhescandaloftheclubshaspassedhimby。WhatelsecanIsayabouthim，Iwonder？“shecontinuedreflectively。“Nothing，Ithink，exceptthis。Heisastrongman。Youknowthatthatcountsformuch。“
　　Mr。Sabinwassilent。Perhapshewasmeasuringhisstrengthinsomeimaginedencounterwiththisman。SomethinginhisfacealarmedHelene。Shesuddenlyleanedforwardandlookedathimmoreclosely。