said you could tell me about Anne."

"So I can. What do you want to know, Mr. Ware?"

"Who is she? Who was her father? Is he dead or alive? What do you know
about the Scarlet Cross, and----" He stopped, for the Princess had
opened her eyes to their fullest extent.

"The Scarlet Cross. You know about that also?" she asked.

"Of course I do. There was an anonymous letter----"

"I have seen the letter, or at least a copy."

"Indeed," said Ware, much astonished, "and an enamelled cross----"

"I have seen the cross also."

"It appears to me, Princess, that you know everything about the case."

She glanced again at the clock, and smiled as she replied, "I am a
friend of Anne's, Mr. Ware. I daresay you would like to know who told me
all these things. Well, you shall be enlightened at ten o'clock.
Meantime I can tell you all I do know about Anne and her father."

"You will speak freely?" he asked mistrustfully.

"Absolutely. You--you--" she hesitated--"you love Anne." She gave him a
searching look. "Yes, I see you do. I can speak openly. Will you have
another cup of coffee? No! Another cigarette. Ah, there is the box. A
match. Now."

"Now," said Giles eagerly, "what about Anne?"

"What about myself first of all, Mr. Ware. I am a Hungarian. I
quarrelled with my people and ran away. Finding myself stranded in
London with very little money, I tried to get a post as a governess. I
went to Mrs. Cairns, and thus became acquainted with Anne. We became
great friends. She told me everything about herself. When I knew her
history we became greater friends than ever. I was a governess only for
a year. Then someone heard me sing, and----"--she shrugged her beautiful
shoulders--"but that is quite another story, Mr. Ware. I am a
concert-singer now, and it pays me excellently."

"I am very pleased with your success, Princess. But Anne?"

She flashed a rather annoyed look at him. "You are scarcely so
chivalrous as I thought, Mr. Ware," she said coldly. "No, say nothing; I
quite understand. Let us talk of Anne. I will tell you her history." She
re-lighted her cigarette, which had gone out, and continued, "Her father
was a gambler and a wanderer. He lived mostly on the Continent--Monte
Carlo for choice. Anne's mother"--here the Princess paused, and then
went on with an obvious effort--"I know nothing of Anne's mother, Mr.
Ware. She died when Anne was a child. Mr. Denham brought up his daughter
in a haphazard way."

"Was his na