ry well," replied the other, after reflecting for an
instant. And I could have clapped my hands, in what Ivor would call my
"impish joy," when it was settled; for the Elysee Palace is where Lord
and Lady Mountstuart stop when they visit Paris, and they'd been talking
of running over next day with Lord Robert West, to look at a wonderful
new motor car for sale there--one that a Rajah had ordered to be made
for him, but died before it was finished. Lady Mountstuart always has
one new fad every six months at least, and her latest is to drive a
motor car herself. Lord Robert is a great expert--can make a motor, I
believe, or take it to pieces and put it together again; and he'd been
insisting for days that she would be able to drive this Rajah car. She'd
promised, that if not too tired she'd cross to Paris the day after the
ball, taking the afternoon train, via Boulogne, as she wouldn't be equal
to an early start. Now, I thought, how splendid it would be if she
should see Maxine at the hotel with Ivor!

The Foreign Secretary was advising Ivor to wire the Elysee Palace for
rooms without any delay, as there must be no hitch about his meeting
Maxine, once it was arranged for her to go there. "Any misunderstanding
would be fatal," he went on, as solemnly as if the safety of Maxine's
head depended upon Ivor's trip. "I only wish I could have got you off
to-night; and in that case you might have gone to her own house, early
in the morning. She is in a frightful state of mind, poor girl. But it
was only to-day that the contents of the packet reached me, and was
shown to the Prime Minister. Then, it was just before I hurried round
here to see you that I received a cypher telegram from her, warning me
that Count Godensky--of whom you've probably heard--an attache of the
Russian embassy in Paris, somehow has come to suspect a--er--a game in
high politics which she and I have been playing; her last, according to
present intentions, as I told you. I have an idea that this man, who's
well known in Paris society, proposed to Mademoiselle de Renzie, refused
to take no for an answer, and bored her until she perhaps was goaded
into giving him a severe snub. Godensky is a vain man, and wouldn't
forgive a snub, especially if it had got talked about. He'd be a bad
enemy: and Mademoiselle seems to think that he is a very bitter and
determined enemy. Apparently she doesn't know how much he has found out,
or whether he has actually found out anythi