ouched the
electric bell she pulled her large hat forward a little over her face,
and adjusted the thick veil, which had a pattern like a spider's web.
Then she opened a gold vanity box suspended from her wrist by a chain,
and looked at herself in the small mirror it contained. Her face was so
shadowed by the hat and disguised by the veil that at a little distance
it might be difficult for any one not very familiar with her features
and figure to recognize her at all.

When she had shut the vanity box with a sharp snap, she pressed the
electric bell, and waited with her head bowed. She kept it bowed when
the beautiful Storm-cloud opened the door, and still while she inquired
in French for Miss Grant.

There was no one in the pretty American-looking drawing-room when
Nathalie ushered her in. Throwing a quick glance around, the Princess
chose a chair so placed that her back was turned not only to the window
but to a table with an electric lamp on it, which would in all
probability soon be lighted. Hardly was she seated, when the door was
thrown open quickly, and Mary came in.

Princess Della Robbia rose, her left arm thrust into her big ermine
muff, so that her right hand might be free if it must be given in
greeting. But she did not step forward as if eager to greet Vanno's
fiancee.

"Princess Della Robbia?" Mary said, rather shyly. "How good of you to
come to see me."

She put out her hand and took that of the Princess. This brought them
close together, and as they were of nearly the same height, they looked
into each other's faces, though the Princess still kept her head
slightly bent, her eyes and forehead in shadow.

"Marie Grant!"

Mary cried out the name sharply.

"Hush!" said the Princess, with a convulsive pressure on the other's
hand. "For God's sake! Don't ruin me!"

Mary, with the last rays of afternoon light full on her face, turned
pale to the lips, and the pupils of her eyes seemed to dilate.

"Oh, Marie, darling!" she faltered. "I wouldn't ruin you for the
world--not to save my life. I--it was only that I was so surprised. I'm
glad--very glad to see you. I've dreamed of you a thousand times--and
just before coming to Monte Carlo, too. I expected some one else when I
came into this room, a Princess Della Robbia----"

"I am Princess Della Robbia," Marie said in a veiled, dead voice.

"You--but I don't understand----"

"I'll tell you. I want to tell you," the Princess broke in quickly, the
w