gnificant glance as he made the laughing
remark, but as the princess herself joined us at that moment, I did not
give it a second thought. He gave her his arm, and they went away
together, leaving the prince and myself alone.

"I think, if you do not mind, I will go," I said. The house of Princess
Zara had suddenly become hateful to me."

"What! At this hour? Why?" Prince Michael was amazed.

"Oh, there is no reason, other than that I feel like it," I told him,
shrugging my shoulders and trying to look bored.

"Then stay. Some of the best people are not here, yet. Or did your half
hour in the garden upset you, Dubravnik?" He essayed a light laughter
as he asked the question, but it had a hollow sound, nevertheless.

"Not at all," I assured him.

"I can assure you that it is an honor which the princess confers upon
very few of her friends, and never on new acquaintances. You are the
only exception I have ever known," he added.

"Indeed? We met in the garden by accident, and in reality were together
not more than two minutes--the time that it takes to walk the length of
it, so I do not feel as greatly honored as I might have done if she had
gone there with me and had given me all that time----"

"I did not have an opportunity, for you never asked me to do so," said
the soft tones of the princess immediately behind me; and as I turned
she added: "but these rooms are suffocating, so if you will give me
your arm now, Mr. Dubravnik, we will lead the way, and perhaps the
others will follow. I know that the gentlemen are longing for an
opportunity to smoke."

"Dubravnik was on the point of leaving us," the prince called after
her. "You arrived just in time, princess. Perhaps you can persuade him
to change his mind."

"Were you contemplating suicide, Mr. Dubravnik?" she asked laughing;
but there was an undercurrent of gravity in her question which was
deeply significant.

"Something very like it," I replied, as gravely, "since I was about to
leave your presence."

"Supposing you to be serious"--and I felt that her hand unconsciously
tightened its clasp upon my arm as we moved away--"would it not be
better for me to do the deed, than for you?"

"I am afraid that the supposition is altogether too foreign to my
nature for me to entertain it, princess."

We had entered the garden, and a throng of guests were trooping after
us. I glanced down at my companion, and saw that she was regarding me
rather anxiously throug