n hour or so dictating to his secretary,
instructed him to call up the White Star Line in New York and book him
for Friday, and then went down to the billiard room, where the men were
engrossed in a close game between Marie and Willie Whipple. From here
he wandered to the smoking apartment, which had begun to resemble the
sample room of a wholesale liquor house. He had a servant pour him
some Scotch whiskey, over which he sat for some time with thoughtful
eyes, half closed. A growing uneasiness, which he could neither define
nor overcome, crept over him and at length he arose and passed through
the library, the morning-room, the drawing-room, even peering into the
ballroom in his search for Miss Wellington. Miss Hatch was just
emerging and the Prince eyed her in a peremptory way.

"Miss Wellington is not about?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Is not about," said Miss Hatch, who hurried away with her short,
nervous steps before Koltsoff had opportunity for questioning her
further.

He glared at her retreating form and was about to follow her, when Mr.
Wellington interposed.

"Hello, Koltsoff," he said, "come and have a bite with us before you go
upstairs. We missed you in the billiard room."

Koltsoff bowed ceremoniously.

"Thank you, but no," he replied. "I have eaten a sandwich or so in the
smoking-room. If you will permit, I shall retire until the,--ah, ball."

"All right. By the way, Koltsoff, you have seemed off your feed for
the past twenty-four hours. I am sorry if I upset you. You, of
course, were sensible to see my position."

"Oh, perfectly," responded the Russian with an ill-concealed sneer--in
fact, it was not concealed at all--as he turned toward the stairway.

When Armitage took up his position near the head of the stairs about
nine-thirty o'clock, the house was ablaze with lights, but the lower
floors were deserted, save for the servants loitering about the hall.
These men, all in the Wellington livery--short jackets and trousers of
navy blue, with old gold cord--impressed Jack, inasmuch as they
suggested in some way a sense of belonging to the household, which they
did naturally, and not as servants merely engaged--or loaned--for the
function. Mrs. Wellington and her husband came down at ten o'clock and
took a position near the ballroom door, just as a group of early
arrivals trouped up the stairs. Armitage didn't approve of Mrs.
Wellington. In her creamy ball gown and tiara and