elow her knees when they were undone. Her coiffure gave you the
impression that she never thought of fashion, nor changed its form of
dressing, from year to year. And the exquisite planting of the hair on
her forehead, as it waved back in broad waves, added to the perfection
of the Greek simplicity of the whole thing. Nothing about her had been
aided by conscious art. Her dress, of some black clinging stuff, was
rather poor, though she wore it with the air of a traditional empress.
Indeed, she looked an empress, from the tips of her perfect fingers to
her small arched feet.

And it was with imperial hauteur that she asked in a low, cultivated
voice with no accent:

"Well, what is it? Why have you sent for me thus peremptorily?"

The financier surveyed her for a moment; he seemed to be taking in all
her points with a fresh eye. It was almost as though he were counting
them over to himself--and his thoughts ran: "You astonishingly
attractive devil. You have all the pride of my father, the Emperor. How
he would have gloried in you! You are enough to drive any man mad: you
shall be a pawn in my game for the winning of my lady and gain
happiness for yourself, so in the end, Elinka, if she is able to see
from where she has gone, will not say I have been cruel to you."

"I asked you to come down--to discuss a matter of great importance: Will
you be good enough to be seated, my niece," he said aloud with
ceremonious politeness as he drew forward a chair--into which she sank
without more ado and there waited, with folded hands, for him to
continue. Her stillness was always as intense as his own, but whereas
his had a nervous tension of conscious repression, hers had an
unconscious, quiet force. Her father had been an Englishman, but both
uncle and niece at moments made you feel they were silent panthers,
ready to spring.

"So--" was all she said.

And Francis Markrute went on:

"You have a miserable position--hardly enough to eat at times, one
understands. You do not suppose I took the trouble to send for you from
Paris last week, for nothing, do you? You guessed I had some plan in my
head, naturally."

"Naturally," she said, with fine contempt. "I did not mistake it for
philanthropy."

"Then it is well, and we can come to the point," he went on. "I am sorry
I have had to be away, since your arrival, until yesterday. I trust my
servants have made you comfortable?"

"Quite comfortable," she answered coldly.

"Good: