army over the frontier if she liked. She could get herself
admitted into the Foreign Office at one o'clock in the morning if
it so pleased her. Doors fly open before the heiress of Mr.
Allegre. She has inherited the old friends, the old connections .
. . Of course, if she were a toothless old woman . . . But, you
see, she isn't. The ushers in all the ministries bow down to the
ground therefore, and voices from the innermost sanctums take on an
eager tone when they say, 'Faites entrer.' My mother knows
something about it. She has followed her career with the greatest
attention. And Rita herself is not even surprised. She
accomplishes most extraordinary things, as naturally as buying a
pair of gloves. People in the shops are very polite and people in
the world are like people in the shops. What did she know of the
world? She had seen it only from the saddle. Oh, she will get
your cargo released for you all right. How will she do it? . .
Well, when it's done--you follow me, Mills?--when it's done she
will hardly know herself."

"It's hardly possible that she shouldn't be aware," Mills
pronounced calmly.

"No, she isn't an idiot," admitted Mr. Blunt, in the same matter-
of-fact voice. "But she confessed to myself only the other day
that she suffered from a sense of unreality. I told her that at
any rate she had her own feelings surely. And she said to me:
Yes, there was one of them at least about which she had no doubt;
and you will never guess what it was. Don't try. I happen to
know, because we are pretty good friends."

At that moment we all changed our attitude slightly. Mills'