“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。