hands, especially her brother, the king will never
waive his rights."

"Zut! softly, softly!"

"Oh, I speak with no disrespect. But let me find her."

"I doubt it. And remember, we have but ten days."

"We shall not find time heavy. I know a few rich butchers and grocers
who call themselves the aristocracy."

They laughed.

"And some of them play bridge and ecarte."

The diplomat jingled his keys. He was not averse to adding a few gold
pieces to his purse.

"I have followed her step by step to the boat at Naples. She is here.
She is not so inconspicuous that she will be hard to find. She has
wealthy friends, and from these I shall learn her whereabouts."

"You say she is beautiful; I would that I had seen her."

"Yes, she is beautiful; and a beautiful woman can not hide, even in a
city so big and noisy as this. Think of it! Chateaux and villas and
splendid rents, all waiting to be gormandized by the State! I have lied
to her, I have humiliated myself, I have offered all the reparation a
gentleman possibly could. Nothing, nothing! She knows; it is money, and
she knows it is money. The American native shrewdness! My father was a
fool and so was hers. And on July first comes the end! Let us get out
into the air before I become excited and forget where I am."

"As you wish, _amico_." The diplomat beckoned to the waiter.

The waiter stepped forward with the coats and hats. His tip was exactly
ten cents, and out of this the head waiter must have his percentage.

Three nights later, as Hillard and Merrihew were dining together at the
club, the steward came into the grill-room and swept his placid eye over
the groups of diners. Singling out Hillard, he came solemnly down to the
corner table and laid a blue letter at the side of Hillard's plate.

"I did not see you when you came in, sir," said the steward, his voice
as solemn as his step. "The letter arrived yesterday."

"Thank you, Thomas." With no small difficulty Hillard composed his face
and repressed the eagerness in his eyes. She had seen, she had written,
the letter lay under his hand! Who said that romance had taken flight?
True, the reading of the letter might disillusion him; but always would
there be that vision and the voice coming out of the fog. Nonchalantly
he turned the letter face downward and went on with the meal.

"I did not know that your mail came to the club," said Merrihew.

"It doesn't. Only rarely a letter drifts this way."

"Well,