remarked, "seems invidious, for it is my belief that throughout
the whole of the Japanese army such a thing as fear did not
exist. They simply did not know what the word meant. But I shall
never forget that the only piece of hand-to-hand fighting I saw
during the whole time was a cavalry charge led by Prince Maiyo
against an immensely superior force of Russians. Duchess," the
General declared, "those Japanese on their queer little horses
went through the enemy like wind through a cornfield. That young
man must have borne a charmed life. I saw him riding and cheering
his men on when he must have had at least half a dozen wounds in
his body. You will pardon me, Duchess? I see that my party are
waiting."

The General hurried away. The Duchess shut up her lorgnettes with
a snap, and held out her hand to a newcomer who had come from
behind the palms.

"My dear Prince," she exclaimed, "this is charming of you! Some
one told me that you were not well,--our wretched climate, of
course--and I was so afraid, every moment, that we should receive
your excuses."

The newcomer, who was bowing over her hand, was of medium height
or a trifle less, dark, and dressed with the quiet exactness of
an English gentleman. Only a slight narrowness of the eyes and a
greater alertness of movement seemed to distinguish him in any
way, as regards nationality, from the men by whom he was
surrounded. His voice, when he spoke, contained no trace of
accent. It was soft and singularly pleasant. It had, too, one
somewhat rare quality--a delightful ring of truth. Perhaps that