back wisely. "Let me come on Friday, and we'll have a good, sensible
chat."

"On that one condition," she said, earnestly.

"Thank you. Good-bye. I see Lady Frances is ready to go. Evidently I
have monopolized you to a somewhat thoughtless extent. Everybody is
looking daggers at me, including the prince, who came in ten minutes
ago."

He arose and held her hand for a moment at parting. Her swift,
abashed glance toward Prince Ugo, whose presence she had not
observed, did not escape his eyes. She looked up and saw the
peculiar smile on Quentin's lips, and there was deep meaning in her
next remark to him:

"You will meet the prince here on Friday. I shall ask him to come
early, that he may learn to know you better."

"Thank you. I'd like to know him better. At what hour is he to
come?"

"By 3:30, at least," she said, pointedly. "Too early to be correct,
you suspect?"

"I think not. You may expect me before three. I am not a stickler
for form."

"We shall not serve tea until four o'clock," she said, coldly.