other side of forty, but at fifty the thing is hopeless. Fortunately
you have me."

"You!" he repeated bitterly. "You mean that I can dip into your purse
for pocket-money when you happen to have any. I have done too much of
it. You forget that there is one way into a new world, at any rate."

The Princess smiled.

"My dear Nigel," she said, "it is a way which you will never take.
Don't think I mean to be unkind when I say that you have not the
courage. However, we will not talk about that. I sent for you to tell
you that De Brensault is really in earnest about Jeanne. He is dining
here to-night. I will get some other people and we will have bridge. De
Brensault is conceited, and a bad player, and what is most important of
all, he can afford to lose."

Forrest began to look a little less gloomy.

"You were fortunate," he remarked, "to get hold of De Brensault. There
are not many of his sort about. I am afraid, though, that he will not
make much of an impression upon Jeanne."

The Princess' face hardened.

"If Jeanne is going to be obstinate," she said, "she must suffer for
it. De Brensault is just the man I have been looking for. He wants a
young wife, and although he is rich, he is greedy. He is the sort of
person I can talk to. In fact I have already given him a hint."

Forrest nodded understandingly.

"But, Ena," he said, "if he really does shell out, won't you be sailing
rather close to the wind?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I am not afraid," she said. "I know De Brensault and his sort. If he
feels that he has been duped, he will keep it to himself. He is too
vain a man to allow the world to know it. Poor Jeanne! I am afraid, I
am very much afraid that he will take it out of her."

"I do not quite see," Forrest said reflectively, "how you are going to
make Jeanne marry any one, especially in this country."

"Jeanne is French, not English," the Princess remarked, "and she is not
of age. A mother has considerable authority legally, as I dare say you
are aware. We may not be able to manage it in England, but I think I
can guarantee that if De Brensault doesn't disappoint us, the wedding
will take place."

Forrest helped himself to a cigarette from an open box by his side.

"I think," he said, "that if it comes off we ought to go to the States
for a year or so. They don't know us so well there, and those people
are the easiest duped of any in the world."

The Princess nodded.

"I have thought of