ighness
Prince Aribert of Posen--one of our most esteemed customers.'

'You know my name, Fraeulein?' the new-comer murmured in German.

'Certainly, Prince,' Nella replied sweetly. 'You were plain Count
Steenbock last spring in Paris--doubtless travelling incognito--'

'Silence,' he entreated, with a wave of the hand, and his forehead went
as white as paper.

Chapter Five WHAT OCCURRED TO REGINALD DIMMOCK

IN another moment they were all three talking quite nicely, and with at
any rate an appearance of being natural. Prince Aribert became suave,
even deferential to Nella, and more friendly towards Nella's father
than their respective positions demanded. The latter amused himself by
studying this sprig of royalty, the first with whom he had ever come
into contact. He decided that the young fellow was personable enough,
'had no frills on him,' and would make an exceptionally good commercial
traveller for a first-class firm. Such was Theodore Racksole's
preliminary estimate of the man who might one day be the reigning Grand
Duke of Posen.

It occurred to Nella, and she smiled at the idea, that the bureau of
the hotel was scarcely the correct place in which to receive this august
young man. There he stood, with his head half-way through the bureau
window, negligently leaning against the woodwork, just as though he were
a stockbroker or the manager of a New York burlesque company.

'Is your Highness travelling quite alone?' she asked.

'By a series of accidents I am,' he said. 'My equerry was to have met me
at Charing Cross, but he failed to do so--I cannot imagine why.'

'Mr Dimmock?' questioned Racksole.

'Yes, Dimmock. I do not remember that he ever missed an appointment
before.

You know him? He has been here?'

'He dined with us last night,' said Racksole--'on Nella's invitation,'
he added maliciously; 'but to-day we have seen nothing of him. I know,
however, that he has engaged the State apartments, and also a suite
adjoining the State apartments--No. 55. That is so, isn't it, Nella?'

'Yes, Papa,' she said, having first demurely examined a ledger. 'Your
Highness would doubtless like to be conducted to your room--apartments I
mean.' Then Nella laughed deliberately at the Prince, and said, 'I don't
know who is the proper person to conduct you, and that's a fact. The
truth is that Papa and I are rather raw yet in the hotel line. You see,
we only bought the place last night.'

'You have bought the h