h the calm, unconscious insolence peculiar to
a certain type of Continental nobility. The name on the lady's card ran
thus: 'Baroness Zerlinski'. She desired rooms on the third floor. It
happened that Nella was in the bureau.

'On the third floor, madam?' questioned Nella, in her best clerkly
manner.

'I did say on de tird floor,' said the plump little old lady.

'We have accommodation on the second floor.'

'I wish to be high up, out of de dust and in de light,' explained the
Baroness.

'We have no suites on the third floor, madam.'

'Never mind, no mattaire! Have you not two rooms that communicate?'

Nella consulted her books, rather awkwardly.

'Numbers 122 and 123 communicate.'

'Or is it 121 and 122? the little old lady remarked quickly, and then
bit her lip.

'I beg your pardon. I should have said 121 and 122.'

At the moment Nella regarded the Baroness's correction of her figures as
a curious chance, but afterwards, when the Baroness had ascended in the
lift, the thing struck her as somewhat strange. Perhaps the Baroness
Zerlinski had stayed at the hotel before. For the sake of convenience an
index of visitors to the hotel was kept and the index extended back
for thirty years. Nella examined it, but it did not contain the name
of Zerlinski. Then it was that Nella began to imagine, what had swiftly
crossed her mind when first the Baroness presented herself at the
bureau, that the features of the Baroness were remotely familiar to her.
She thought, not that she had seen the old lady's face before, but that
she had seen somewhere, some time, a face of a similar cast. It occurred
to Nella to look at the 'Almanach de Gotha'--that record of all the
mazes of Continental blue blood; but the 'Almanach de Gotha' made no
reference to any barony of Zerlinski. Nella inquired where the Baroness
meant to take lunch, and was informed that a table had been reserved
for her in the dining-room, and she at once decided to lunch in the
dining-room herself. Seated in a corner, half-hidden by a pillar, she
could survey all the guests, and watch each group as it entered or left.
Presently the Baroness appeared, dressed in black, with a tiny lace
shawl, despite the June warmth; very stately, very quaint, and gently
smiling. Nella observed her intently. The lady ate heartily, working
without haste and without delay through the elaborate menu of the
luncheon. Nella noticed that she had beautiful white teeth. Then a
remarkable