ait for the body's awakening now--it must come. Mrs.
Parflete is a _Samaritaine_; we have to prove it somehow. Even though
one invented stories about her, one would probably find that they were,
approximately, true."

"Keep me informed," said the Prince, making a little bow, which
signified that the audience was at an end.

Mudara, according to his own Confession, left the Embassy and proceeded
at once to the small private hotel near Covent Garden where Parflete had
taken up his abode.

Parflete's rooms, (_we read_) were en suite. He had bought a few
rather beautiful prints and a number of exquisitely bound books.
These last, with bowls and vases of flowers, were scattered over
the various tables. The scent of the flowers mingled with the
strange fumes of some Oriental incense. He had draped pieces of
flame-coloured silk over the windows. Everything looked _bizarre_,
and the atmosphere was sultry. When I entered he was not pleased to
see me--in fact, he showed a disposition to sulk. I laboured to
convince him that he would forfeit the respect of all honourable
men unless he showed some just resentment at his wife's conduct.

"No one respects me as it is," he answered; "nobody cares what I do
one way or the other so long as I avoid the police. And as the
police and I have nothing at all in common, I am not likely to
give offence to my good friends in the Alberian Government."

I warned him that such sneers were unjustifiable, and I reminded
him, with severity, of the Government's extraordinary forbearance.

He fixed his eyes unpleasantly upon me, and his fingers trembled as
he played with the frogs of his lilac-velvet smoking-jacket.

"I wish," said he, "that you would mind your own business. I have
done everything to protect the appearance of your good faith all
through this affair. Now leave me alone. Besides, I can't be sure
that the lady we saw to-day was Her Imperial Highness."

My exasperation at his tone of defiance was all but uncontrollable.

"You know," said I, "that we had no doubt of her identity."

"We didn't see her face nor the colour of her hair. In any case, I
refuse to humiliate her. Kindly remember that she is my wife, and
drop a conversation which I find insulting."

Hot words then passed between us. In my anger I may have uttered
several truths wh