she said.

"All right. Only first may I ask--who is Ilse Dumont?"

For a moment the Princess sat silent, expressionless, intent on the
man whose clear, inquiring eyes still questioned her.

The Princess finally answered with a question:

"Did _she_ cause you any trouble, Jim?"

"Every bit I had was due to her. Also--and here's a paradox--I
shouldn't be here now if Ilse Dumont had not played square with me.
Who is she?"

The Princess Naia did not reply immediately. Instead, she dropped one
silken knee over the other, lighted a cigarette, and sat for a few
moments gazing into space. Then:

"Ilse Dumont," she said, "is a talented and exceedingly pretty young
woman who was born in Alsace of one German and one thoroughly
Germanised parent.

"She played two seasons in Chicago in light opera under another name.
She had much talent, an acceptable voice and she became a local
favourite."

The Princess looked at her cigarette; continued speaking as though
addressing it:

"She sang at the Opera Comique here in Paris the year before last and
last year. Her roles were minor ones. Early this spring she abruptly
broke her contract with the management and went to New York."

Neeland said bluntly:

"Ilse Dumont is an agent in the service of the Turkish Government."

The Princess nodded.

"Did you know it, Naia?"

"I began to suspect it recently."

"May I ask how?"

The Princess glanced at Rue and smiled:

"Ruhannah's friend, Colonel Izzet Bey, was very devoted to Minna
Minti----"

"To _whom_!" exclaimed Neeland, astounded.

"To Ilse Dumont. Minna Minti is her stage name," said the Princess.

Neeland turned and looked at Rue, who, conscious of his excitement,
flushed brightly, yet never suspecting what he was about to say.

The Princess said quietly:

"Yes, tell her, Jim. It is better she should know. Until now it has
not been necessary to mention the matter, or I should have done so."

Rue, surprised, still prettily flushed with expectancy, looked with
new curiosity from one to the other.

Neeland said:

"Ilse Dumont, known on the stage as Minna Minti, is the divorced wife
of Eddie Brandes."

At the mention of a name so long hidden away, buried in her memory,
and almost forgotten, the girl quivered and straightened up, as though
an electric shock had passed through her body.

Then a burning colour flooded her face as at the swift stroke of a
lash, and her grey eyes glimmered with the starting tears