IN another moment they were all three talking quite nicely, and
with at any rate an appearance of being natural. Prince Aribert
became suave, even deferential to Nella, and more friendly
towards Nella's father than their respective positions demanded.
The latter amused himself by studying this sprig of royalty, the
first with whom he had ever come into contact. He decided that the
young fellow was personable enough, 'had no frills on him,'

and would make an exceptionally good commercial traveller for a
first-class firm. Such was Theodore Racksole's preliminary
estimate of the man who might one day be the reigning Grand
Duke of Posen.

It occurred to Nella, and she smiled at the idea, that the bureau of
the hotel was scarcely the correct place in which to receive this
august young man. There he stood, with his head half-way through
the bureau window, negligently leaning against the woodwork, just
as though he were a stockbroker or the manager of a New York
burlesque company.

'Is your Highness travelling quite alone?' she asked.

'By a series of accidents I am,' he said. 'My equerry was to have
met me at Charing Cross, but he failed to do so - I cannot imagine
why.'

'Mr Dimmock?' questioned Racksole.

'Yes, Dimmock. I do not remember that he ever missed an