disturbed her greatly, she knew not why, and his voice seemed to
have taken a tone of extra deepness, as he said:

"Stella! My little star! And so you are really here--and my own!"

He put his strong hands down and held on to the back of a chair,
and simple as she was she knew very well that otherwise he would
have taken her into his arms, which was where she was longing to
be, if she had known.

"Yes, I have come," she whispered, "I have left them all--for you.
Oh! when will your sister be here?"

"Not until six o'clock, darling," he answered, while his eyes
melted upon her with passionate love. "There is an hour yet to
wait. I had hoped you would not have been forced to leave your
aunt's care until then."

"Oh! I am delighted to have come away," Stella answered, regaining
some of her composure. "I was shut into my room and watched by a
servant. It was awful! But do--you know what has happened now?
since I left? Are they tearing about after me, or what?"

Count Roumovski still held on to the back of the chair, and his
voice was still deep, as he said:

"I believe they have gone to your Embassy in a band--and much good
may they get there. You are of age, you see. Besides, I have taken
care that no one at the Grand Hotel knows where we have gone, and
it will take them quite an hour or two to telephone about and find