ining table, all of whom desired to be
presented to Madame Selarne. Major Thomson, set at liberty, made his way
at once towards the small table at which Captain Granet and Geraldine
Conyers were seated. She welcomed him with a smile.

"Are you coming to have coffee with us?" she asked?

"If I may," he answered. "I shall have to be off in a few minutes."

A waiter paused before their table and offered a salver on which were
several cups of coffee and liqueur glasses. Captain Granet leaned
forward in his place and stretched out his hand to serve his companion.
Before he could take the cup, however, the whole tray had slipped from
the waiter's fingers, caught the corner of the table, and fallen with
its contents on to the carpet. The waiter himself--a small, undersized
person with black, startled eyes set at that moment in a fixed and
unnatural stare--made one desperate effort to save himself and then
fell backwards. Every one turned around, attracted by the noise of the
falling cups and the sharp, half-stifled groan which broke from the
man's lips. Captain Granet sprang to his feet.

"Good heavens! The fellow's in a fit!" he exclaimed.

The maitre d'hotel and several waiters came hurrying up towards the
prostrate figure, by the side of which Major Thomson was already
kneeling. The manager, who appeared upon the scene as though by magic,
and upon whose face was an expression of horror that his clients should
have been so disturbed, quickly gave his orders. The man was picked up
and carried away. Major Thomson followed behind. Two or three waiters
in a few seconds succeeded in removing the debris of the accident, the
orchestra commenced a favourite waltz. The maitre d'hotel apologised
to the little groups of people for the commotion--they were perhaps to
blame for having employed a young man so delicate--he was scarcely fit
for service.

"He seemed to be a foreigner," Lady Anselman remarked, as the man
addressed his explanations to her.

"He was a Belgian, madam. He was seriously wounded at the commencement
of the war. We took him direct from the hospital."

"I hope the poor fellow will soon recover," Lady Anselman declared.
"Please do not think anything more of the affair so far as we are
concerned. You must let me know later on how he is."

The maitre d'hotel retreated with a little bow. Geraldine turned to
Captain Granet.

"I think," she said, "that you must be very kind-hearted, for a
soldier."

He turned