anging the
manuscript upon his hand.

He kept his eyes fixed upon Louise. He told himself that he was in her
presence at last. As the moments passed, it became more and more
difficult for him to realize the actuality of the scene upon which he
was looking. It seemed like a dream-picture, with unreal men and women
moving about aimlessly, saying strange words.

Then there came a moment which brought a tingle into his blood, which
plunged his senses into hot confusion. He rose to his feet. Faraday was
sitting down, and Louise was resting both her hands upon his shoulders.

"Is there nothing I can be to you, then, Edmund?" she asked, her voice
vibrating with a passion which he found it hard to believe was not real.

Faraday turned slowly in his chair. He held out his arms.

"One thing," he murmured.

John had moved half a step forward when he felt the prince's eyes fixed
upon him, and was conscious of a sudden sense of ignorance, almost of
uncouthness. It was a play which they were rehearsing, of course! It was
a damnable thing to see Louise taken into that cold and obviously unreal
embrace, but it was only a play. It was part of her work.

John resumed his seat and folded his arms. With the embrace had fallen
an imaginary curtain, and the rehearsal was over. They were all crowded
together, talking, in the center of the stage. The prince, who had
stepped across the footlights, made his way to where John was sitting.

"So you have deserted Cumberland for a time?" he courteously inquired.

"I came up last night," John replied.

"You are making a long stay?"

John hesitated. He felt that no one knew less of his movements than he
himself. His eyes had wandered to where Louise and Graillot were
talking.

"I can scarcely tell yet. I have made no plans."

"London, at this season of the year," the prince observed, "is scarcely
at its best."

John smiled.

"I am afraid," he said, "that I am not critical. It is eight years since
I was here last, on my way down from Oxford."

"You have been abroad, perhaps?" the prince inquired.

"I have not been out of Cumberland during the whole of that time," John
confessed.

The prince, after a moment's incredulous stare, laughed softly to
himself.

"You are a very wonderful person, Mr. Strangewey," he declared. "I have
heard of your good fortune. If I can be of any service to you during
your stay in town," he added politely, "please command me."

"You are very kind," Joh