eally care for."

The Princess raised her head, and for a moment the woman and the girl
looked at one another. It was almost a duel--the Princess' intense,
almost threatening regard, and Jeanne's set face and steadfast eyes.

"My father left me all this money," Jeanne said, "that I might be
happy, not miserable. I am quite determined that I will not ruin my
life before it has commenced. I do not wish to marry at all for several
years. I think that you have brought me into what you call Society a
good deal too soon. I would rather study for a little time, and try and
learn what the best things are that one may get out of life. I am
afraid, from your point of view, that I am going to be a failure. I do
not care particularly about dances, or the people we have met at them.
I think that in another few weeks I shall be as bored as the most
fashionable person in London."

A servant knocked at the door announcing Major Forrest. Jeanne rose to
her feet and passed out by another door. The Princess made no attempt
to stop her.

CHAPTER IV

The Princess looked up with ill-concealed eagerness as Forrest entered.

"Well," she asked, "have you any news?"

Forrest shook his head.

"None," he answered. "I am up for the day only. Cecil will not let me
stay any longer. He was here himself the day before yesterday. We take
it by turns to come away."

"And there is nothing to tell me?" the Princess asked. "No change of
any sort?"

"None," Forrest answered. "It is no good attempting to persuade
ourselves that there is any."

"What are you up for, then?" she asked.

He laughed hardly.

"I am like a diver," he answered, "who has to come to the surface every
now and then for fresh air. Life down at Salthouse is very nearly the
acme of stagnation. Our only excitement day by day is the danger--and
the hope."

"Is Cecil getting braver?" the Princess asked.

"I think that he is, a little," Forrest answered.

The Princess nodded.

"We met him at the Bellamy Smiths'," she said. "It was quite a reunion.
Andrew was there, and the Duke."

Forrest's face darkened.

"Meddling fool," he muttered. "Do you know that there are two
detectives now in Salthouse? They come and go and ask all manner of
questions. One of them pretends that he believes Engleton was drowned,
and walks always on the beach and hires boatmen to explore the creeks.
The other sits in the inn and bribes the servants with drinks to talk.
But don't let's t