In fact I am quite attracted."

"You will remember," the Princess said, dropping her voice a little,
"that before anything definite is said, you and I must have a little
conversation."

De Brensault twirled his moustache. He looked up at the Princess as
though trying to fathom the meaning of her words.

"Certainly," he answered slowly. "I have not forgotten what you said.
Of course, her dot is very large, is it not?"

"It is very large indeed," the Princess answered, "and there are a
great many young men who would be very grateful to me indeed if I were
willing even to listen to them."

De Brensault nodded.

"Very well," he said. "We will have that little talk whenever you like."

The Princess nodded.

"I suppose," she said, "we must play bridge now. They are waiting for
us."

De Brensault looked behind to where Jeanne was still sitting reading.
Her head was resting upon a sofa pillow, deep orange coloured, against
which the purity of her complexion, the delicate lines of her eyebrows,
the shapeliness of her exquisite mouth, were all more than ever
manifest. She read with interest, and without turning her head away
from the pages of the book which she held in long, slender fingers. De
Brensault sighed as he turned away.

"Certainly," he said. "We will go and play bridge. But I will tell you
what it is, my dear Princess. I think I am very near falling in love
with your little stepdaughter."

CHAPTER VI

Forrest crossed the room and waited his opportunity until the Princess
was alone.

"Let me take you somewhere," he said. "I want to talk to you."

She laid her fingers upon his arm, and they walked slowly away from the
crowded part of the ballroom.

"So you are up again," she remarked looking at him curiously. "Does
that mean--?"

"It means nothing, worse luck," he answered, "except that I have
twenty-four hours' leave. I am off back again at eight o'clock
to-morrow morning. Tell me about this De Brensault affair. How is it
going on?"

"Well enough on his side," she answered. "The amusing part of it is
that the more Jeanne snubs him, the keener he gets. He sends roses and
chocolates every day, and positively haunts the house. I never was so
tired of any one."

"Make him your son-in-law quickly," he said grimly. "You'll see little
enough of him then."

"I'm not sure," the Princess said reflectively, "whether it is quite
wise to hurry Jeanne so much."

"Wise or not," Forrest said, "it m