r, Racksole
said little--perhaps his thoughts were too busy with Jules' wink to Mr
Dimmock, but when ices had been followed by coffee, he decided that it
might be as well, in the interests of the hotel, to discover something
about his daughter's friend. He never for an instant questioned her
right to possess her own friends; he had always left her in the most
amazing liberty, relying on her inherited good sense to keep her out
of mischief; but, quite apart from the wink, he was struck by Nella's
attitude towards Mr Dimmock, an attitude in which an amiable scorn was
blended with an evident desire to propitiate and please.

'Nella tells me, Mr Dimmock, that you hold a confidential position with
Prince Aribert of Posen,' said Racksole. 'You will pardon an American's
ignorance, but is Prince Aribert a reigning Prince--what, I believe, you
call in Europe, a Prince Regnant?'

'His Highness is not a reigning Prince, nor ever likely to be,' answered
Dimmock. 'The Grand Ducal Throne of Posen is occupied by his Highness's
nephew, the Grand Duke Eugen.'

'Nephew?' cried Nella with astonishment.

'Why not, dear lady?'

'But Prince Aribert is surely very young?'

'The Prince, by one of those vagaries of chance which occur sometimes
in the history of families, is precisely the same age as the Grand Duke.
The late Grand Duke's father was twice married. Hence this youthfulness
on the part of an uncle.'

'How delicious to be the uncle of someone as old as yourself! But
I suppose it is no fun for Prince Aribert. I suppose he has to be
frightfully respectful and obedient, and all that, to his nephew?'

'The Grand Duke and my Serene master are like brothers. At present, of
course, Prince Aribert is nominally heir to the throne, but as no doubt
you are aware, the Grand Duke will shortly marry a near relative of
the Emperor's, and should there be a family--' Mr Dimmock stopped and
shrugged his straight shoulders. 'The Grand Duke,' he went on, without
finishing the last sentence, 'would much prefer Prince Aribert to be his
successor. He really doesn't want to marry. Between ourselves, strictly
between ourselves, he regards marriage as rather a bore. But, of course,
being a German Grand Duke, he is bound to marry. He owes it to his
country, to Posen.'

'How large is Posen?' asked Racksole bluntly.

'Father,' Nella interposed laughing, 'you shouldn't ask such
inconvenient questions. You ought to have guessed that it isn't
etiquette