e girl admiringly. "Newport
needs some excitement this season. If he 's anything like that last
Russian who came here on a warship two years ago, you will shine as a
benefactor, especially in the eyes of reporters."

Mrs. Wellington smiled grimly.

"The Grand Duke Ivan?"

"Yes; what a great bearded beast he was! I remember father bemoaning,
when Ivan the Terrible departed, that there was no more of his favorite
Planet brandy left in the Reading Room cellars."

Mrs. Wellington did not smile. She was eying her daughter curiously.
"I want you and the Prince to become good friends," she said.

"That will depend upon whether he can gracefully explain his mysterious
presence in Newport the past week," replied the girl laughingly.
Suddenly her face grew grave. "What do you mean, mother?"

"Merely that I expect--that Prince Koltsoff hopes"--and under her
daughter's steady gaze, she did something she had done but once or
twice in her life--floundered and then paused.

The girl's lip curled, not mirthfully.

"Ah, I begin to understand," she said. "Prince Koltsoff's visit was
conceived hardly in the nature of ordinary social emprise."

"Now, please don't go on, Anne," said the mother. "I have expressed
nothing but a wish, have I? Wait until you know him."

"But you said Koltsoff had expressed a--a--"

"A hope, naturally. He saw Sargent's portrait of you in London."

"How romantic! I do not wonder you couldn't sleep, mother."

"Perhaps there were other reasons. Who was the man you ensnared
outside?"

Miss Wellington laughed.

"Trust you, mother. He was very decent. He took me below and fed me
hot biscuits and coffee. He said he was a prize fighter."

"A prize fighter!"

"He said so. But he was not telling the truth. He was awfully good
looking and had a manner that one does not acquire. I am rather
curious concerning him. You don't imagine he was Koltsoff, incog?"

Mrs. Wellington glanced witheringly at her.

"I imagine he may have been a reporter, Anne. Why are n't you more
careful! There may come a time when your efforts to uphold your
reputation for eccentricity and for doing the cleverly unexpected will
react disagreeably."

It was the first time her mother had given her reason to believe that
she shared in any way in the views concerning her which were prevalent
among the younger set at least. The girl was not flattered.

"Mother, don't be so absurd," she said. "The only efforts