“IwillcallforyouattheWaldorfathalf-pastone，“Mr。Sabinsaid。“Unlessyouhaveanychoice，IwilltakeyoutoalittleplacedowntownwherewecanimagineourselvesbackontheContinent，andwhereweshallbesparedthehorrorofgreencorn。“
　　“Delightful，“shemurmured，buttoningherglove。“ThenyoushalltakemeforadrivetoFifthAvenue，ortoseesomebody’stomb，andmywomanshallmakesomerealRussianteaforusinmysitting-room。Really，IthinkI’mdoingverywellforthefirstday。Isthespellbeginningtowork？“
　　“Hideously，“heassuredher。“IfeelalreadythattheonlythingI
　　dreadinlifearethesetwohoursbeforeluncheon。“
　　Shenodded。
　　“Thatisquiteasitshouldbe。Don’ttroubletocomedownwithme。IbelievethatDalkeithpereishangingroundsomewhere，andinviewofmyheadacheperhapsyouhadbetterremaininthebackgroundforthemoment。Atone-thirty，then！“
　　Mr。Sabinsmiledasshepassedoutoftheroom，andlitacigarette。
　　“Ithink，“hesaidtohimself，“thatthearrivalofFelixisopportune。“
　　Theysattogetheratasmalltable，lookinguponascenewhichwasprobablyuniqueinthehistoryofthegreatrestaurant。Theyoungermanwasbothfranklyinterestedandundoubtedlycurious。Mr。Sabin，thoughhiseyesseemedeverywhere，retainedtothefullextentthatnonchalanceofmannerwhichallhislifehehadsoassiduouslycultivated。
　　“Itiswonderful，mydearFelix，“hesaid，leisurelydrawinghiscigarette-casefromhispocket，“wonderfulwhatgoodfellowshipcanbeevolvedbyakindredinterestinsport，andabottleorsoofgoodchampagne。But，afterall，thisisnottobetakenseriously。“
　　“Shamrockthefourth！Shamrockthefourth！“
　　AtallyoungAmerican，histhickheadofhair，whichhadoncebeencarefullypartedinthemiddle，alittledisheveled，hishard，clean-cutfaceflushedwithenthusiasm，hadrisentohisfeetandstoodwithabrimmingglassofchampagnehighoverhishead。Almosteveryoneintheroomrosetotheirfeet。Acollegeboyspranguponatablewithextendedarms。TheYaleshoutsplittheroom。Theveryglassesonthetablerattled。
　　“Columbia！Columbia！“
　　ItwasanEnglishmannowwhohadleapeduponavacanttablewithupraisedglass。Therewasanansweringroarofenthusiasm。Everyonedrank，andeveryonesatdownagainwithapleasantthrillofexcitementatthisuniquescene。Felixleanedbackinhischairandmarveled。
　　“Onewouldhaveimagined，“hemurmured，“thatAmericaandEnglandtogetherwereatwarwiththerestoftheworldandhadwonagreatvictory。Tothinkthatthisisalltheresultofayachtrace。Itisincredible！“
　　“Allyourlife，mydearFelix，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“youhaveunderratedthesportinginstinct。Ithasagreatplaceamongsttheimpulsesoftheworld。Seehowithasbroughtthesepeopletogether。“
　　“Buttheyarealreadyofthesamekin，“Felixremarked。“Theirinterestsandaimsarealike。Theirdestiniesaresurelyidentical。“
　　Mr。Sabin，whohadlithiscigarette，watchedthebluesmokecurlupwards，andwasthoughtfulforamoment。
　　“MydearFelix！“hesaid。“Youarevery，veryyoung。TheinterestsoftwogreatnationssuchasAmericaandEnglandcanneverbealike。
　　Itisthelanguageofdiplomacy，butitisalsothelanguageoffools。“
　　Theirconversationwasforthemomentinterruptedbyafreshmurmurofapplause，risingabovethelovedhumofconversation，thelaughterofwomen，andthepoppingofcorks。Alittletroopofwaitershadjustwheeledintotheroomtwomagnificentmodelsofyachtshewnoutofblocksofsolidiceandcrownedwithflowers。OntheoneweretheStarsandStripes，ontheothertheShamrockandThistle。Therewasmuchclappingofhandsandcheering。LadyCarey，whowassittingatthenexttablewithherbacktothem，joinedintheapplausesoheartilythatatinygoldpencilattachedtoherbraceletbecamedetachedandrolledunobservedtoMr。Sabin’sside。Felixhalfrosetopickitup，butwassuddenlycheckedbyaquickgesturefromhiscompanion。
　　“Leaveit，“Mr。Sabinwhispered。“Iwishtoreturnitmyself。“
　　Hestoopedandpickeditup，acertainstealthinessapparentinhismovement。Felixwatchedhiminamazement。
　　“ItisLadyCarey’s，isitnot？“heasked。
　　“Yes。Besilent。Iwillgiveitbacktoherpresently。“
　　Awaiterservedthemwithcoffee。Mr。Sabinwasidlysketchingsomethingonthebackofhismenucard。Felixbrokeintoalittlelaughasthemanretired。
　　“Mysteriousasever，“heremarked。
　　Mr。Sabinsmiledquietly。Hewentonwithhissketch。
　　“Idonotwant，“Felixsaid，“toseemimpatient，butyoumustrememberthatIhavecomeallthewayfromEuropeinresponsetoaveryurgentmessage。AsyetIhavedonenothingexceptformaveryuncomfortablethirdataluncheonandteaparty，andlistentoagooddealofenigmaticconversationbetweenyouandthecharmingLadyCarey。ThiseveningImadesurethatIshouldbeenlightened。Butno！Youhavegivenmeawonderfuldinner-fromyouIexpectedit。Wehaveeatenterrapin，canvas-backduck，andmanyotherthingsthenamesofwhichalonewereknowntome。Butofthereasonforwhichyouhavesummonedmehere-Iknownothing。
　　Notonewordhaveyouspoken。IambeginningtofearfromyouravoidanceofthesubjectthatthereissometroublebetweenyouandLucille。Ibegthatyouwillsetmyanxietyatrest。“
　　Mr。Sabinnodded。
　　“Itisreasonable，“hesaid。“Lookhere！“
　　Heturnedthemenucardround。Onthebackhehadsketchedsomesortofadevicewiththepencilwhichhehadpickedup，andwhichinsteadofblack-leadcontainedapeculiarshadeofyellowcrayon。
　　Felixsatasthoughturnedtostone。
　　“Try，“Mr。Sabinsaidsmoothly，“andavoidthatairoftragedy。
　　Someofthesegoodpeoplemightbecurious。
　　Felixleanedacrossthetable。Hepointedtothemenucard。
　　“Whatdoesthatmean？“hemuttered。
　　Mr。Sabincontemplatedithimselfthoughtfully。“Well，“hesaid，“Iratherthoughtthatyoumightbeabletoexplainthattome。
　　IhaveanideathatthereisasocietyinEurope-sortofaristocraticodd-fellows，youknow-whohadadopteditfortheircrest。AmInotright？“
　　Felixlookedathimsteadfastly。
　　“Tellmetwothings，“hesaid。“First，whyyousentforme，andsecondly，whatdoyoumean-bythat？“
　　“Lucille，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“hasbeentakenawayfromme。“
　　“Lucille！GreatGod！“
　　“Shehasbeentakenawayfromme，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“withoutasinglewordofwarning。“
　　Felixpointedtothemenucard。
　　“Bythem？“heasked。
　　“Bythem。Itwasamonthago。Twodaysbeforemycable。“
　　Felixwassilentforseveralmoments。Hehadnottheself-commandofhiscompanion，andhefearedtotrusthimselftospeech。
　　“ShehasbeentakentoEurope，“Mr。Sabincontinued。“Idonotknow，Icannotevenguessatthereason。Sheleftnoword。Ihavebeenwarnednottofollowher。“
　　“Youobey？“
　　“Isailto-morrow。“
　　“AndI？“Felixasked。
　　Mr。Sabinlookedfor，amomentatthedrawingonthebackofthemenucard，andupatFelix。Felixshookhishead。
　　“Youmustknow，“hesaid，“thatIampowerless。“
　　“Youmaybeabletohelpme，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“withoutcompromisingyourself。“
　　“Impossible！“Felixdeclared。“ButwhatdidtheywantwithLucille？“
　　“That，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“iswhatIamdesirousofknowing。ItiswhatItrustthatyou，mydearFelix，mayassistmetodiscover。“
　　“Youaredetermined，then，tofollowher？“
　　Mr。Sabinhelpedhimselftoaliqueurfromthebottlebyhisside。
　　“MydearFelix，“hesaidreproachfully，“youshouldknowmebetterthantoaskmesuchaquestion。“