ad been a trifle too daring! She was
willing enough, at any rate, to let the subject drift away.

"Soon the curtain will go up," she said, "and we can talk no longer.
I should like to tell you, though, how glad I am--how glad we all
are--that you can come to us next week."

"I can assure you that I am looking forward to it," he answered a little
gravely. "It is my farewell to all of you, you know, and it seems to me
that those who will be your father's guests are just those with whom I
have been on the most intimate terms since I came to England."

She nodded.

"Penelope is coming," she said quickly,--"you know that?--Penelope and
Sir Charles Somerfield."

"Yes," he answered, "I heard so."

The curtain went up. The faint murmur of the violins was suddenly caught
up and absorbed in the thunderous music of a march. Lady Grace moved
nearer to the front. Prince Maiyo remained where he was among the
shadows. The music was in his ears, but his eyes were half closed.

CHAPTER XXVIII. PATRIOTISM

The Duke's chef had served an Emperor with honor--the billiard room at
Devenham Castle was the most comfortable room upon earth. The three
men who sat together upon a huge divan, the three men most powerful in
directing the councils of their country, felt a gentle wave of optimism
stealing through their quickened blood. Nevertheless this was a serious
matter which occupied their thoughts.

"We are becoming," the Prime Minister said, "much too modern. We are
becoming over-civilized out of any similitude to a nation of men of
blood and brawn."

"You are quoting some impossible person," Sir Edward Bransome declared.

"One is always quoting unconsciously," the Prime Minister admitted
with a sigh. "What I mean is that five hundred years ago we should have
locked this young man up in a room hung with black crape, and with
a pleasant array of unfortunately extinct instruments we should have
succeeded, beyond a doubt, in extorting the truth from him."

"And if the truth were not satisfactory?" the Duke asked, lighting a
cigar.

"We should have endeavored to change his point of view," the Prime
Minister continued, "even if we had to change at the same time the
outline of his particularly graceful figure. The age of thumbscrews and
the rack was, after all, a very virile age. Just consider for a moment
our positions--three of the greatest and most brilliant statesmen of our
day--and we can do very little save wait for this you