"In view of my friendship for you," I told her, "I would consider it
an honor if you would permit me to act on your behalf. I think I can
negotiate with the young Grand Duke's uncle and I promise that he will
regard the matter in a fair light. I appreciate the extreme delicacy
of the situation and you must observe the necessity of a man handling
this affair."

She shook her head and tapped the letters nervously.

"No. It is intolerable," she said. "Not to be thought of."

I saw that I had to make it stronger. I thereupon invented the most
ingenious lies it has ever been given me to tell. In about five
minutes I had painted the young Grand Duke in such colors that the
adventures of Don Juan were saintly compared to the escapades of his
ducal highness.

"Why, consider it yourself," I said. "He was to be over here with you
during the season. He has not come. You told me yourself that he has
not even answered your letters. Well, that's all there is to it.
Your ladyship, he and his house deserve any punishment that you can
visit upon them."

The idea of punishment appealed where the other had failed. The
outraged pride of woman, especially an Englishwoman, is a terrible
thing. Soon after that I made haste to take my leave. At my quarters
I wrote two letters to myself and signed the Grand Duke's name to
them. In these I offered to pay her ladyship's debts. They were
addressed to me and after allowing a reasonable time to elapse, I
again went out to Mayfair and read them to her. She was now cold and