“Why，not？Ineverknewawomanyethowevercoldhoweverfondofchange，whohadnotatsometimeorotherduringherlifemetamanforwhosesakeshewouldhavedone-whatIdid。Ihavehadasmanyadmirers-asmanylovers，Isuppose，asmostwomen。ButIcantruthfullysaythatduringthelastthreeyearsnothoughtofoneofthemhascrossedmymind。“
　　LadyCareylaughedscornfully。
　　“Uponmyword，“shesaid。“IfthePrincehadnotatemper，andiftheywerenotplayingforsuchruinouspoints，Iwouldentertainthemallwiththesedelightfulconfidences。Bythebye，thePrincehimselfwasonceoneofthosewhofellbeforeyourchariotwheels，washenot？Lookathimnow-sideways。Whatdoesheremindyouof？“
　　Lucilleraisedhereyes。
　　“Afatangel，“sheanswered，“orsomethingequallydistasteful。HowIhatethosemildeyesandthatsweet，slowsmile。IsawhimthrashapoorbeateronceintheSaxeLeinitzerforests。Ugh！“
　　“Ishouldnotblamehimforthat，“LadyCareysaidcoldly。“Ilikemasterfulmen，eventothepointofcruelty。GeneralDolinskitherefascinatesme。Ibelievethathekeepsalittleprivateknoutathomeforhiswifeandchildren。Awickedlittlecontrivancewithanivoryhandle。Ishouldliketoseehimuseit。“
　　Lucilleshuddered。Thistete-a-tetedidnotamuseher。Sheroseandlookedoveroneofthebridgetablesforaminute。ThePrince，whowasdealing，lookedupwithasmile。
　　“Bemygoodangel，Countess，“hebegged。“Fortunehasdesertedmeto-night。Youshallbethegoddessofchance，andsmileyourfavoursuponme。“
　　AhardlittlelaughcamefromthechairwhereLadyCareysat。Sheturnedherheadtowardsthem，andtherewasamaliciousgleaminhereves。
　　“Toolate，Prince，“sheexclaimed。“ThefavoursoftheCountessareallgivenaway。Lucillehasbecomeevenasoneofthoseflaxen-haireddollsofyourmountainvillages。Shehasgivenherheartaway，andsheissworntoperpetualconstancy。“
　　ThePrincesmiled。
　　“Theabsence，“hesaid，glancingupattheclock，“ofthatmostfortunatepersonshouldsurelycountinourfavour。“
　　Lucillefollowedhiseyes。Theclockwasstrikingten。Sheshruggedhershoulders。
　　“Iftheconversealsoistrue，Prince，“shesaid，“youcanscarcelyhaveanythingtohopeforfromme。Forbyhalf-pasttenhewillbehere。“
　　ThePrincepickeduphiscardsandsortedthemmechanically。
　　“Weshallsee，“heremarked。“Itistrue，Countess，thatyouarehere，butinthisinstanceyouaresetwiththorns。“
　　“Tocontinuetheallegory，Prince，“sheanswered，passingontothenexttable，“alsowithpoisonousberries。Buttothehandwhichhasnofear，neitherareharmful。“
　　ThePrincelaiddownhishand。
　　“NowIreallybelieve，“hesaidgently，“thatshemeanttoberude。
　　Partner，Ideclarehearts！“
　　FelixwasstandingoutfromthenexttablewhilsthashandwasbeingplayedbyGeneralDolinski，hispartner。Hedrewheralittleononeside。
　　“DonotirritateSaxeLeinitzer，“hewhispered。“Remember，everythingmustrestwithhim。Twiceto-nightyouhavebroughtthatsmiletohislips，andIneverseeitwithoutthinkingofunpleasantthings。“
　　“Youareright，“sheanswered；“butIhatehimso。HeandMurielCareyseemtohaveenteredintosomeconspiracytoleadmeontosaythingswhichImightregret。“
　　“SaxeLeinitzer，“hesaid，“hasneverforgottenthatheonceaspiredtobeyourlover。“
　　“Hehasnotfailedtoletmeknowit，“sheanswered。“Hehasevendared-ah！“
　　Therewasasuddenstirintheroom。Thelibrarydoorwasthrownopen。Thesolemn-visagedbutlerstooduponthethreshold。
　　“HisGracetheDukeofSouspennier！“heannounced。
　　Therewasforthemomentadeadsilence。Thesoftpatterofcardsnolongerfelluponthetable。Theeyesofeveryonewereturneduponthenewcomers。Andhe，leaninguponhisstick，lookedonlyforoneperson，andhavingfoundher，tooknoheedofanyoneelse。
　　“Lucille！“
　　Sherosefromherseatandstoodwithhandsoutstretchedtowardshim，herlipspartedinadelightfulsmile，hereyessoftwithhappiness。
　　“Victor，welcome！Itislikeyoutohavefoundme，andIknewthatyouwouldcome。“
　　Heraisedherfingerstohislips-tenderly-withthegraceofaprince，butalltheaffectionofalover。Whathesaidtohernonecouldhear，forhisvoicewasloweredalmosttoawhisper。Butthecolourstainedhercheeks，andherblushwastheblushofagirl。
　　AmovementoftheDuchessrecalledhimtoasenseofhissocialduty。Heturnedcourteouslytoherwithextendedhand。
　　“Itrust，“hesaid，“thatImaybeforgivenmytemporaryfitofaberration。Icannotthankyousufficiently，Duchess，foryourkindinvitation。“
　　Heransweringsmilewasalittledubious。
　　“Iamsure，“shesaid“thatwearedelightedtowelcomebackamongstussooldandvaluedafriend。Isupposeyouknoweveryone？“
　　Mr。Sabinlookedsearchinglyaround，exchangingbowswiththosewhosefaceswerefamiliartohim。ButbetweenhimandthePrinceofSaxeLeinitzertherepassednopretenseatanygreeting。Thetwomeneyedoneanotherforamomentcoldly。Eachseemedtobetryingtoreadtheotherthrough。
　　“Ibelieve，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thatIhavethatprivilege。Isee，however，thatIaminterruptingyourgame。Letmebegyoutocontinue。Withyourpermission，Duchess，Iwillremainaspectator。
　　TherearemanythingswhichmywifeandIhavetosaytooneanother。“
　　ThePrinceofSaxeLeinitzerlaidhiscardssoftlyuponthetable。
　　HesmileduponMr。Sabin-aslow，unpleasantsmile。
　　“Ithink，“hesaidslowly，“thatourgamemustbepostponed。Itisapity，butIthinkithadbetterbeso。“
　　“Itmustbeentirelyasyouwish，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Iamatyourservicenoworlater。“
　　ThePrincerosetohisfeet。
　　“MonsieurleDuedeSouspennier，“hesaid，“whatarewetoconcludefromyourpresenceherethisevening？“
　　“Itisobvious，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Iclaimmyplaceamongstyou。“
　　“Youclaimtobeoneofus？“
　　“Ido！“
　　“Tenyearsago，“thePrincecontinued，“youweregrantedimmunityfromallthepenaltiesandobligationswhichaco-membershipwithusmightinvolve。Thisprivilegewasextendedtoyouonaccountofcertaingreatoperationsinwhichyouwerethenengaged，andtheobjectofwhichwasnotforeigntoourownaims。Youareawarethattheperiodofthatimmunityislongsincepast。“
　　Mr。Sabinleanedwithbothhandsuponhisstick，andhisfacewaslikethefaceofasphinx。OnlyLucille，whoknewhimbestofallthosethere，sawhimwinceforamomentbeforethisreminderofhisgreatfailure。
　　“Iamnotaccustomed，“Mr。Sabinsaidquietly，“toshirkmyshareoftheworkinanyundertakingwithwhichIamconnected。OnlyinthiscaseIclaimtotaketheplaceoftheCountessLucille，mywife。Irequestthatthetask，whateveritmaybewhichyouhaveimposeduponher，maybetransferredtome。“
　　ThePrince’ssmilewassweet，butthosewhoknewhimbestwonderedwhatevilitmightbetokenforhisancientenemy。
　　“Youofferyourself，then，asafullmember？“
　　“Assuredly！“
　　“Subject，“hedrawled，“toalltheusualpainsandprivileges？“
　　“Certainly！“
　　ThePrinceplayedwiththecardsuponthetable。Hissmooth，fairfacewasunruffled，almostundisturbed。Yetunderneathhewaswonderingfiercely，eagerly，howthismightservehisends。
　　“Thecircumstances，“hesaidatlast，“arepeculiar。Ithinkthatweshoulddowelltoconsulttogether-youandI，Felix，andRaoulhere。“
　　Thetwomennamedroseupsilently。ThePrincepointedtoasmallroundtableatthefartherendoftheapartment，halfscreenedoffbyacurtainedrecess。
　　“AmIalso，“Mr。Sabinasked，“ofyourcompany？“
　　ThePrinceshookhishead。
　　“Ithinknot，“hesaid。“Inafewmomentswewillreturn。“
　　Mr。Sabinmovedawaywithaslightenigmaticgesture。Lucillegatheredupherskirts，makingroomforhimbyhersideonasmallsofa。
　　“Itisdelightfultoseeyou，Victor，“shemurmured。“Itisdelightfultoknowthatyoutrustedme。“
　　Mr。Sabinlookedather，andthesmilewhichnootherwomanhadeverseensoftenedforamomenthisface。
　　“DearLucille，“hemurmured，“howcouldyoueverdoubtit？Therewasaday，Iadmit，whenthesunstoodstill，when，ifIhadfeltinclinedtoturntolightliterature，IshouldhavereadaloudtheBookofJob。Butafterwards-well，youseethatIamhere。“
　　Shelaughed。
　　“Iknewthatyouwouldcome，“shesaid，“andyetIknewthatitwouldbeastrugglebetweenyouandthem。For-thePrince-“shemurmured，loweringhervoice，“hadpledgedhiswordtokeepusapart。“
　　Mr。Sabinraisedhishead，andhiseyestraveledtowardsthefigureofthemanwhosatwithhisbacktotheminthefardistantcorneroftheroom。
　　“ThePrince，“hesaidsoftly，“isfaithfultohisancientenmities。“
　　Lucille’sfacewastroubled。Sheturnedtohercompanionwithalittlegrimace。
　　“Hewouldhavemebelieve，“shemurmured，“thatheisfaithfultootherthingsbesideshisenmities。“
　　Mr。Sabinsmiled。
　　“Iamnotjealous，“hesaidsoftly，“ofthePrinceofSaxeLeinitzer！“
　　Asthoughattractedbythementionofhisname，whichmust，however，havebeenunheardbyhim，thePrinceatthatmomentturnedroundandlookedforamomenttowardsthem。HeshotaquickglanceatLadyCarey。Almostatoncesherosefromherchairandcameacrosstothem。
　　“ThePrince’swatch-dog，“Lucillemurmured。“Hatefulwoman！Sheisboundhandandfoottohim，andyet-“
　　Hereyesmethis，andhelaughed。
　　“Really，“hesaid，“youandIinouroldagemightbeheroandheroineofalittleromance-theundesiringobjectsofahopelessaffection！“
　　LadyCareysankintoalowchairbytheirside。“Youtwo，“shesaid，withaslow，malicioussmile，“areapatterntothiswickedworld。Don’tyouknowthatsuchfidelityispositivelysinful，andafterthreeyearsinsuchacountrytoo？“