ne. Somehow Miss Pomeroy and Mr. Close had
contrived to get separated from their chaperon, but Shafto still stuck
faithfully to his hostess.

A puppet play represented the curtain-raiser, and as this, to Shafto,
was no novelty, he stared about him at the masses of shining black
heads; men with jaunty silk handkerchiefs twisted round their brows,
women with their wreaths and golden combs--an undeniably smart
audience--all smoking. The stage was open to the dark blue sky, which
was sprinkled with stars. Right above them clanged a temple gong; from
far down the river came the hoot of a steamer's syren, and during
intervals the soft humming of the wind among the labyrinth of
shrines--a complete contrast in every respect was this Eastern scene to
the last play he had witnessed in a London theatre!

All at once there was an influx of people surging in--crafty folk who
knew how to avoid the curtain-raiser. These included a number of
Germans. Among the party in the train of Mrs. Muller, and attended by
Herr Bernhard, was Miss Leigh in a dainty white frock and
flower-trimmed hat, but somehow looking a little bit out of the
picture. Her chaperon, magnificent in a Viennese toilet, unexpectedly
encountered friends who had recently arrived from the Fatherland; these
she hailed with boisterous jubilation, and as she chattered and
gesticulated, listened and interrupted, she entirely forgot her charge;
in fact, she moved on, still talking, and abandoned her, so to speak,
to her fate.

Sophy's fate, luckily for her, happened to be Mrs. Gregory, who signed
to Shafto to rescue the young lady and conduct her to a place under her
own wing.

"How are you?" he said, accosting her eagerly. "Mrs. Gregory has sent
me to ask if you won't sit by her? There is lots of room."

"I should love to, but you see I am here officially with Mrs. Muller.
I'll go and speak to her, but I think she has filled my seat."

A hasty word to the chaperon, who had entirely forgotten her existence,
released Sophy and, as she joined Mrs. Gregory, Frau Muller said with a
shrug:

"Oh yes, she is rather pretty in her way. She has got among those
odious English--let her stay with them!"

(Then she threw herself once more into the interesting topic of the
latest scandal in Frankfort.)

"I am so pleased to see you," said Mrs. Gregory, making room for Sophy
beside her; "what has become of you all these weeks?"

"Oh, I have been in Kokine and quite safe,"