nly a surmise, not a fact. Zouroff, of course, was in her thoughts,
but only in connection with Corsini.

It was the danger threatening the handsome young Italian that caused
her to sing flat and provoke those unflattering comments amongst her
usually loyal audience.

Again in the early part of the evening she had sought him in his
private room, and for the second time endeavoured to dissuade him from
going to the Zouroff Palace. He was convinced in his own mind that it
was unworthy jealousy of the Princess Nada which had prompted her
action.

Perhaps, a short time ago, he would have felt a certain amount of pity
for an affection that was so thoroughly misplaced. But Golitzine's
plain hints had destroyed his former feelings of friendship. He could
only regard her interference now with resentment.

He looked at her very steadily. "Give me some intelligent reason for
breaking my promise, Madame, and I will go so far as to say I will
consider it."

She turned pale and bit her lip in manifest agitation. What he asked
her was precisely what she could not do. After that none too veiled
threat of Zouroff's, that if she failed him he would show her no
mercy, she dare not betray him by telling the truth.

But she was a woman of considerable resource and she thought she might
get round him by appealing to his pride.

"I do not know that I can advance any very sufficient reason, except
that we have been good friends, and it annoys me to find you refusing
to place a proper value on yourself."

"How am I making myself cheap by playing at the Zouroff Palace,
Madame? Like yourself, I am an artist and follow my art; certainly
because I love it, but also because it procures me a substantial
reward. If I play for the Countess Golitzine and others, I can play
without loss of dignity for the Princess Zouroff."

She saw her opportunity, and took advantage of it swiftly. "I am not
speaking of women, my good friend. It is the Prince himself who is in
my mind. You have told me half a dozen times that this man treats you
with the greatest _hauteur_, hardly deigns to return your salutation.
He is, after all, the master of the house. It seems to me that if you
respected yourself, as I should wish you to do, you would refuse to
give him the chance of insulting you."

Corsini could easily have retorted that La Belle Quero, in her
professional capacity, attended many houses where the women showed her
as scant courtesy as the autocratic