_dear_!" exclaimed Ann Sherrill joining them. "After
ragging me _desperately_ for days about Keela, until I threatened to
kill myself, and giving me an _exceedingly_ horrid little book on the
advisability of curbing one's most _interesting_ impulses, she's taken
her under her wing to-night and they're excellent friends. Philip,
dear, go unruffle Dick. He's _horribly_ fussed up about something or
other. Carl, I want you to meet Keela. It's the most _interesting_
thing I've dared in ages and Dad's been very decent about it. Dad
always _did_ understand me. He has a sense of humor."

Diane and Carl followed, laughing, at her heels. Ann presently found
her mother and Keela and unaware of the astonished interest in Carl's
eyes, presented him.

"The Black Palmer!" said Keela naively.

"Lady of Gold and Black!" said Carl and bowed profoundly.

CHAPTER XXXI

THE RECKONING

The reckoning of Ronador and the Baron came by the cypress pool.

"It is useless to rave and storm," said Tregar quietly. "I hold the
cards."

"Was it necessary to humiliate me in the presence of Miss Westfall?"
demanded Ronador bitterly. With all his sullenness there was in his
tone a marked respect for the older man.

"It was necessary to end this romantic masquerade!" insisted Tregar.
"Why are you here?"

"I--I came in a flash of panic. It seemed to me that after all I--I
could not trust to other hands when the dead thing stirred." Ronador's
face was white and haggard. In that instant his forty-four years lay
heavily upon his shoulders.

"Have I ever misplaced your trust?" reminded Tregar sombrely. "Have I
not even kept your secret from your father?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me," asked the Baron bluntly, "why you must come to America
and hysterically complicate this damnable mess by--a bullet!"

Greatly agitated, Ronador fell to pacing to and fro. Heavy cypress
shadows upon the water moved like pointing fingers.

"Is there nothing I may keep from you?" broke from him a little
bitterly.

"Why," insisted the older man, "have you seen fit to conduct yourself
with the irrationality of a madman by trundling a music-machine about
the country and making love to a girl you tried in a moment of fright
and frenzy--to kill?"

"I--I lost my head," said the Prince with an effort. "It--it seemed at
first that she must die. The other, I thought to myself, I will leave
to Themar and the Baron. This I must do for myself. They will