eed, he thought that would have been greater
cruelty than to have left her in the streets.

Having reached the block of buildings in which were his own rooms,
Adrien walked up the stairs and opened a door on the first floor. In the
hall a light was burning, held by a statuette of white marble; and
Leroy, after gently setting the girl down on her feet, led her into his
study.

The room in which she found herself was not lofty, but the ceiling was
exquisitely painted, while from the four corners hung electric lights
'neath delicate shades. The furniture was rich in colour, solid as
befitted a man's room, while on the walls were a few rare engravings. A
couple of gun-cases in one corner and a veritable stock of fishing
implements in another showed that Leroy was not unaccustomed to sport;
it was one of his man Norgate's complaints that he was not allowed to
pack them away, but must leave them there, close at hand, just as Leroy
might want them.

It was not these, however, that held the girl's attention so fixedly,
but the cut Venetian glass on the inlaid cabinets and the gold ornaments
on the carved Florentine mantel.

"Home at last," he said with a smile; and, opening another door on the
left, he led her unresistingly into a second room.

But here the girl seemed as if struck dumb with astonishment. She was
evidently overwhelmed by the magnificence and luxury on which her eyes
rested, and Leroy smiled in amusement at her unspoken admiration.

"Come and warm yourself," he said kindly, drawing one of the divans
nearer to the fire.

Lightly she trod over the rose carpet, and dropped with a sigh into the
chair.

"Give me your hands. Don't hold them near the fire yet," he said, and
began to gently chafe the poor blue fingers, for he knew the danger of
too sudden heat. "That is better--they will soon get warm. And now we
will have something to eat."

He crossed over to the bell; and in a few moments the door opened
noiselessly.

"Let us have some supper, Norgate," said Leroy; and the dignified
man-servant disappeared as silently as he had entered, while his master
returned to the fire-place, and stood looking down at the girl he had
rescued.

As yet she had not spoken; but her eyes had been wandering over the many
splendours of the room. Suddenly she lifted them to the handsome face
above her, and said in a low, awe-struck whisper:

"Is this the king's palace? And are you a prince?"

Adrien Leroy smiled.

"B