"Alas, yes. A man in my profession sees a good deal of the seamy side of
life, and I fully believe that my rapidly lessening dependence on human
veracity will be shattered by my superiors sending me to Constantinople.
But let me find you a seat out of this crowd where we may talk of old
times."

"I don't care so much about the past as I do about the present. Let
us go up into that gallery, where you shall point out to me the
celebrities. I suppose you know them all, while I am an entire stranger
to London Society."

"That is a capital idea," cried the young man enthusiastically. "Yes, I
think I know most of the people here, at least by name. Ah, here comes
the Royal party; we shall just be in time to have a good look at them."

The band played the National Anthem, and Lord Donal got two chairs,
which he placed at the edge of the gallery, well hidden from the
promenaders by spreading tropical plants.

"Oh, this _is_ jolly," cried Jennie, quite forgetting the dignity of a
Princess. "You told me why you came to the ball. Do you know why I am
here?"

"On the remote chance of meeting me whom you pretended to have
forgotten," replied the young man audaciously.

"Of course," laughed Jennie; "but aside from that, I came to see the
costumes. You know, we women are libellously said to dress for each
other. Away from the world, in the Tyrol, I have little opportunity
of seeing anything fine in the way of dress, and so I accepted the