t is the matter, Niti?" asked her father, looking up from his
cutlet. "Nothing gone wrong with your arrangements, I hope."

"Oh dear, no," she replied, with something like exultation in her voice,
"quite the reverse, Dad. This is from Brenda, and Brenda is an angel
disguised in petticoats and picture hats. Listen."

Then she began to read:

"MY DEAREST NITI,--I am going to take what I'm afraid
English people would think a great liberty. The trouble is this:
When the Professor (mine, I mean) was making his tour of the
Russian Universities two years ago, he received a great deal of
courtesy and help from no less a person than the celebrated Prince
Oscar Oscarovitch--the modern Skobeleff, you know--who was very
interested in Poppa's work, and took a lot of trouble to smooth
things out for him. Well, the Prince, as of course you know, is in
London now. He called yesterday, and when I mentioned your party,
he said he was very sorry he had not the honour of your father's
acquaintance as well as mine. The grammar's a bit wrong there, but
you know what I mean. That, of course, meant that he wants to come;
and, to be candid, I should like to bring him, for even an American
girl here doesn't always get a Prince, and a famous man as well, to
take around, so, as the time is so short, may we include him in our
party? If you have forgiven me and are going to say 'yes,' I must
tell you that the Prince would like to compensate for his
intrusion--that's the way he puts it--by helping entertain your
guests. It seems that he has met with a man who can work miracles,
an Egyptian----"

At this point Professor Marmion looked up again suddenly with an almost
imperceptible start, and, for the first time, took an interest in Miss
Huysman's letter.

"----named Phadrig. The Prince assures me that he is not a
conjurer in the professional sense, and would be deeply insulted
to be called one; also that no amount of money would induce him to
give a display of his powers just _for_ money. He will come to-day,
if you like, and do wonderful things, which, from what the Prince
says, will astonish and perhaps frighten us a bit, but only because
the Prince once saved his life and got him out of a very bad place
he had got into with a Turkish Pascha. Now, that is my little
story. Please 'phone me as soon as yo