u. You've diverted my thoughts from my own ailments, and stimulated
my digestion. I feel like eating lunch for once. And that reminds me I
must begin to dress. My fringe takes a quarter of an hour to arrange."

She rose from the couch, her Turkish towelling drapery flowing far
behind her small figure. Then she disappeared into her dressing-room.

When she emerged from thence, her fringe artistically curled, her face
becomingly tinged with pearl-powder, her dress and appointments all
combining to give her small person importance, and show a due regard to
the exigencies of fashion, she found the couch which the mysterious
stranger had occupied was vacant. She loitered about in the hope of
seeing her emerge from one of the dressing-boxes, but she was
disappointed, and as the luncheon gong was sounding through the hotel
she reluctantly took her way through the carpeted corridors and turned
into the main entrance, her mind in a curious condition of perplexity
and excitement.

CHAPTER FOUR.

CONJECTURES.

Mrs Ray Jefferson, irrespective of a toilet of ruby velvet cut _en
coeur_, and a display of diamonds calculated to make men thoughtful on
the subject of speculation, and women envious on the subject of
husbandly generosity (even when connected with Chemicals), was quite the
feature of the Hotel drawing-room that night. She was full of her
adventure of the morning, and her description of the beautiful stranger
lost nothing from the picturesque language in which she clothed her
narrative.

"It's very odd the Manager won't tell us her name," she rattled on.
"I've done my level best to find out, but it's no good. I suppose she
pays too well for him to risk betraying her. I'm sure she's a Russian
Princess; she has a suite with her, and carries musicians and sculptors,
and heaven knows who else, in her train."

It may be noticed that Mrs Ray Jefferson had only heard of _a_ sculptor
and _a_ musician, but she drifted into plurality by force of that
irresistible tendency to exaggerate trifles which seems inherent in
women who are given to scandal even in its mildest form.

People from all parts of the room gathered round her. A few seemed
inclined to doubt her description of the stranger's personal charms, but
when she applied to Mrs Masterman for confirmation, that lady, who was
known to have a strict regard for truth in its most uncompromising form,
emphatically agreed with her.

"Beautiful! I should think