she bowed, put down her violin,
and approached her hostess. The programme was at an end, and the
enthusiastic audience clustered round to congratulate her. For my own
part I was curiously ill at ease. In a vague sort of fashion I had
appropriated her music to myself, and now I resented the praise the
fashionable mob was showering upon her. Accordingly I drew back a little
and made up my mind to get through the crowd and slip quietly away. By
the time I was able to emerge from my corner, however, there was a
movement at the end of the room, and it became evident that the player
and her companion were also about to take their departure. Accompanied
by Lord and Lady Medenham they approached the spot where I was standing,
endeavouring to reach the door. Had it been possible I would have taken
shelter behind my palm again in order that my presence might not have
been observed. But it was too late. Lady Medenham had caught my eye, and
now stopped to speak.

"Mr. Forrester," she said, "we have been permitted a great treat
to-night, have we not? You must let me introduce you to the Fraeulein
Valerie de Vocxqal."

I bowed, and, despite the fact that, regarded in the light of her
genius, such a thing was little better than an insult, followed the
example of my betters and murmured a complimentary allusion to her
playing and the pleasure she had given us. She thanked me, all the time
watching me with grave, attentive eyes, into which there had suddenly
flashed a light that was destined to puzzle me for a long time, and the
reason of which I could not understand. Then came the crucial moment
when Lady Medenham turned to me again, and said:

"Mr. Forrester, Monsieur Pharos has expressed a desire to be introduced
to you. I told him yesterday I thought you would be here to-night. May I
have the pleasure of making you acquainted with each other?"

Those cold, dead eyes fixed themselves steadily on mine, and, under
their influence, I felt as if my brain were freezing.

"I am indeed honoured, sir," he said, "and I trust I may be permitted to
express a hope of enlarging our acquaintance. I understand you are the
painter of that very wonderful picture I saw at the Academy this
afternoon? Allow me to offer you my congratulations upon it. It
interested me more deeply than I can say, and on some future date I
shall be grateful if you will let me talk to you upon the subject. The
knowledge it displayed of the country and the period is re