the aristocracy there? Now on my side--"

"Now, Miss Carmen," cried the boy petulantly, "can't you see that, by
marrying my father, my mother became ennobled? Bah Jove, you don't
understand! Were your parents both noble?"

"Indeed they were!" said Carmen. "They were both children of a king."

"You don't say!" he whispered, leaning far over the table toward her.
"Then we've simply _got_ to marry!"

"But," protested the girl, "in my country people love those whom they
marry. I haven't heard a word of that from you."

"Now, I say!" he exclaimed. "I was just getting round to that. It was
love that made me offer you my name and title!"

"Yes? Love of what?"

"Why--you--of course!"

She laughed musically. "My dear Reginald, you don't love me. It is
yourself that you love. You are madly in love, it is true; but it is
with the young Duke of Altern."

"See here, you can't talk to me that way, ye know!" he flared out.
"Bah Jove, I'm offering to make you a duchess--and I love you, too,
though you may not think it!"

"Of course you love me, Reginald," said Carmen in gentle reply, now
relinquishing her spirit of badinage; "and I love you. But I do not
wish to marry you."

The young man started under the shock and stared at her in utter lack
of comprehension. Was it possible that this unknown girl was refusing
him, a duke? She must be mad!

"A--a--I don't get you, Miss Carmen," he stammered.

"Come," she said, rising and holding out a hand. "Let's not talk about
this any more. We must go back to the hall. I do love you, Reginald,
but not in the way that perhaps you would like. I love the real _you_;
not the vain, foolish, self-adoring human concept, called the Duke of
Altern. And the love I feel for you will help you, oh, far more than
if I married you! Come."

"But--Miss Carmen!" He stood before her with mouth open.

"Yes, Reginald."

"I--I expected we'd be engaged--I told mother--"

"Very well, Reginald, we are engaged. Engaged in handling this little
problem that has presented itself to you. Do you see? And I will help
you to solve it in the right way. For you need help. Reginald dear, I
didn't mean to treat your proposal so lightly. I am sorry. There, give
me your hand. We're just awfully good friends, aren't we? And I do
love you, more than you think."

Leaving the bewildered youth in the hall, Carmen fell afoul of the
very conservative Mrs. Gannette, whose husband, suffering from a sense
of nausea since