season, entered the Princess, namely, Miss Barbara Bell.

Before Somerset had recovered from his crestfallen sensation at De
Stancy's elusiveness, that officer himself emerged in evening dress from
behind a curtain forming a wing to the proscenium, and Somerset remarked
that the minor part originally allotted to him was filled by the
subaltern who had enacted it the night before. De Stancy glanced across,
whether by accident or otherwise Somerset could not determine, and his
glance seemed to say he quite recognized there had been a trial of wits
between them, and that, thanks to his chance meeting with Miss Bell in
the train, his had proved the stronger.

The house being less crowded to-night there were one or two vacant
chairs in the best part. De Stancy, advancing from where he had stood
for a few moments, seated himself comfortably beside Miss Power.

On the other side of her he now perceived the same queer elderly
foreigner (as he appeared) who had come to her in the garden that
morning. Somerset was surprised to perceive also that Paula with
very little hesitation introduced him and De Stancy to each other. A
conversation ensued between the three, none the less animated for being
carried on in a whisper, in which Paula seemed on strangely intimate
terms with the stranger, and the stranger to show feelings of
great friendship for De Stancy, considering that they must be new
acquaintances.

The play proceeded, and Somerset still lingered in his corner. He could
not help fancying that De Stancy's ingenious relinquishment of his part,
and its obvious reason, was winning Paula's admiration. His conduct was
homage carried to unscrupulous and inconvenient lengths, a sort of thing
which a woman may chide, but which she can never resent. Who could
do otherwise than talk kindly to a man, incline a little to him, and
condone his fault, when the sole motive of so audacious an exercise of
his wits was to escape acting with any other heroine than herself.

His conjectures were brought to a pause by the ending of the comedy, and
the opportunity afforded him of joining the group in front. The mass of
people were soon gone, and the knot of friends assembled around Paula
were discussing the merits and faults of the two days' performance.

'My uncle, Mr. Abner Power,' said Paula suddenly to Somerset, as he came
near, presenting the stranger to the astonished young man. 'I could not
see you before the performance, as I should h