quare beard," he
indicated. "Immelan, as you can see, is the third. They are coming this
way. We will speak of them afterwards."

Naida, with her father and Oscar Immelan, left some acquaintances with
whom they had been talking and, preceded by a _maitre d'hotel_, moved in
the direction of the two men. The girl recognised the Prince with a
charming little bow and was on the point of passing on when she
appeared to notice his companion. For a moment she hesitated. The
Prince, anticipating her desire to speak, rose at once to his feet.

"Mademoiselle," he said, bending over her hand, "welcome back to
England! You bring with you the first sunshine we have seen for many
days."

"Are you being meteorological or complimentary?" she asked, smiling.
"Will you present your companion? I have heard of Mr. Kingley."

"With the utmost pleasure," the Prince replied. "Mr. Kingley, through
the unfortunate death of a relative, is now the Earl of
Dorminster--Mademoiselle Karetsky."

Nigel, as he made his bow, was conscious of an expression of something
more than ordinary curiosity in the face of the girl who had herself
aroused his interest.

"You are the son, then," she enquired, "of Lord Dorminster who died
about a month ago?"

"His nephew," Nigel explained. "My uncle was unfortunately childless."

"I met your uncle once in Paris," she said. "It will give me great
pleasure to make your better acquaintance. Will you and my dear friend
here," she added, turning to the Prince, "take coffee with us
afterwards? I shall then introduce you to my father. Oscar Immelan you
both know, of course."

They murmured their delighted assent, and she passed on. Nigel watched
her until she took her place at the table.

"Surely that girl is well-born?" he observed. "I have never seen a more
delightful carriage."

"You are right," Karschoff told him. "Karetsky is a well-to-do man of
commerce, but her mother was a Baroness Kolchekoff, a distant relative
of my own. The Kolchekoffs lived on their estates, and as a matter of
fact we never met. Naida has gone over to the people, though, body and
soul."

"She is extraordinarily beautiful," Nigel remarked.

His companion was swinging his eyeglass back and forth by its cord.

"Many men have thought so," he replied. "For myself, there is antagonism
in my blood against her. I wonder whether I have done well or ill in
making you two acquainted."

Nigel felt a sudden desire to break through a certa