His Highness now very much on the
mend, sent word, with the doctor's permission, that he would be charmed
to receive the Princess Galitzin at ten in the morning.

What happened in the room of the convalescent was never related to Peggy
McGuire. But Anastasie emerged with her head erect, her pretty face
wearing the fixed smile of the eternally bored. And then she told Peggy
that she had decided to return to New York. So after packing her
belongings, she got into Peggy's car and was driven much against the
will of her hostess to the Bergen cottage. Peggy wouldn't get out of the
car but Anastasie went to the door and knocked. Beth came out with her
sleeves rolled above her elbows, her fingers covered with flour. The
Princess Galitzin vanished inside and the door was closed. Her call
lasted ten minutes while Peggy cooled her heels. But whether the visit
had been prompted by goodness of heart or whether by a curiosity to
study the lady of Peter's choice at close range, no one will ever know.
Beth was very polite to her and though she identified her without
difficulty as the heliotrope-envelope lady, she offered her some of the
"cookies" that she had made for Peter, and expressed the warmest thanks
for her kind wishes. She saw Anastasie Galitzin to the door, marking her
heightened color and wondering what her fur coat had cost. Beth couldn't
help thinking, whatever her motive in coming, that the Princess Galitzin
was a very beautiful lady and that her manners had been lovely. But it
was with a sigh of relief that she saw the red car vanish down the road
in a cloud of dust.

* * * * *

His convalescence begun, Peter recovered rapidly and in three weeks more
he was himself again. In those three weeks many interesting things had
happened.

Jonathan K. McGuire had held a series of important conferences with
Peter and Mrs. Bergen who seemed to have grown ten years younger. And
one fine day after a protracted visit to New York with Mrs. Bergen, he
returned laden with mysterious packages and boxes, and stopped at the
door of the cottage, where Peter was taking a lunch of Beth's cooking.

It was a beautiful surprise. Mrs. Bergen whispered in Beth's ear and
Beth followed her into the kitchen, where the contents of one or two of
the boxes were exposed to Beth's astonished gaze. Peter, of course,
being in the secret, kept aloof, awaiting the result of Mrs. Bergen's
disclosures. But when Beth came back