nation. The feelings might
have been partially due to Mrs Masterman's remembered snubs on the
matter of "feet," and "suppressed gout," at the Turkish Bath. They
certainly rose strongly to the occasion, and, with the help of sundry
powerful Americanisms, gave a very fair display of vituperative
eloquence.

The poet was more and more convinced that there was only one perfect
woman in the world, and that was the beautiful creature whom he had
apostrophised in sonnets as:--

"Mysterious Mystery, whose bright sad eyes,
Wild as the roe, and deep with undreamt dreams."

Etcetera, etcetera.

So he listened and sighed, and in a low and plaintive voice, significant
of hidden woe and much "soul suffering," to quote from another effusion,
he read to her fragments of the "Light of Asia," which she could not in
the least comprehend, but which she bluntly criticised as "not half bad
to listen to if you felt drowsy."

"Oh, but I do wish the Princess would come down," she said at last in
the intervals of a "selection."

"I've such hundreds of questions to ask her. Seems to me she dropped
the seed in pretty fruitful soil the other night, for we're all just
`gone' on occultism. Only we don't know anything about it. Ah, there's
Colonel Estcourt, I'll ask him if it's possible to have her down this
evening. I don't mind which body she comes in: the Astral or the
ordinary. In fact, I think I should prefer the former. Colonel!" she
called out, raising her voice. "Come here, I want to speak to you."

She put her request to him as he obeyed her summons, and put it with an
earnestness and fervour that showed it was sincere, and not the formula
of idle curiosity.

"I don't know," he said, "if it will be possible, but, if the princess
consents, I will arrange that two or three of you shall have an
opportunity of witnessing how really marvellous her powers are. She
never makes a display or show of them, for reasons which you cannot yet
understand, but, if she consents, I should like you, Mrs Jefferson, and
my young friend here (smiling at the poet's excited face), and one or
two other people interested in the matter, to come up to her boudoir
this evening. I will just send up a note and ask."

"I could just worship you, Colonel," cried the little American,
ecstatically. "It's real good of you to offer such a glorious treat to
us."

"Do not thank me yet," he said, smiling; "you do not know whether you
will be received.