chiefly remarkable for the
facility with which it falls and rises again.

Steinmetz looked at the letter with a queer smile. He held it out from
him as if he distrusted the very stationery.

"So friendly," he exclaimed; "so very friendly! 'Ce bon Steinmetz' he
calls me. 'Ce bon Steinmetz'--confound his cheek! He hopes that his dear
prince will waive ceremony and bring his charming princess to dine quite
en famille at his little pied a terre in the Champs Elysees. He
guarantees that only his sister, the marquise, will be present, and he
hopes that 'Ce bon Steinmetz,' will accompany you, and also the young
lady, the cousin of the princess."

Steinmetz threw the letter down on the table, left it there for a
moment, and then, picking it up, he crossed the room and threw it into
the fire.

"Which means," he explained, "that M. Vassili knows we are here, and
unless we dine with him we shall be subjected to annoyance and delay on
the frontier by a stupid--a singularly and suspiciously stupid--minor
official. If we refuse, Vassili will conclude that we are afraid of him.
Therefore we must accept. Especially as Vassili has his weak points. He
loves a lord, 'Ce Vassili.' If you accept on some of that stationery I
ordered for you with a colossal gold coronet, that will already be of
some effect. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. M. Vassili's
weakest link will be touched by your gorgeous note-paper. If ce cher
prince and la charmante princesse are gracious to him, Vassili is
already robbed of half his danger."

Paul laughed. It was his habit either to laugh or to grumble at Karl
Steinmetz's somewhat subtle precautions. The word "danger" invariably
made him laugh, with a ring in his voice which seemed to betoken
enjoyment.

"Of course," he said, "I leave these matters to you. Let us show
Vassili, at all events, that we are not afraid of him."

"Then sit down and accept."

That which M. Vassili was pleased to call his little dog-hole in the
Champs Elysees was, in fact, a gorgeous house in the tawdry style of
modern Paris--resplendent in gray iron railings, and high gate-posts
surmounted by green cactus plants cunningly devised in cast iron.

The heavy front door was thrown open by a lackey, and others bowed in
the halls as if by machinery. Two maids pounced upon the ladies with the
self-assurance of their kind and country, and led the way upstairs,
while the men removed fur coats in the hall. It was all very princ