us suite, the first sight which
caught her eye was the trunk, inverted! The printed sign of direction,
"This End up with Care," were upside down!

She gasped, and looked nervously about to note the expression upon the
face of Nita. That young woman was busy studying the handsome features
of the ingratiating bedroom-steward. So engrossed was she that she
stumbled over the elevated sill of the door from the promenade deck.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, miss!" apologized the steward. "Did you hurt
yourself? These doors are always troublesome until you get used to
them. But they are necessary to keep out the water in rough weather."

The Princess was thinking only of the opportunity to open the fateful
trunk.

"You don't anticipate a bad passage, steward?"

"Rather uncertain, ma'am, at this time of the year," and he busied
himself adjusting the hand luggage and arranging the chairs. "But your
location is good. You'll find the _Mauretania_ as steady as a parish
church. Here is the clothes press, ma'am, and the other rooms are off
there. It's quite the finest suite on the boat, ma'am."

The steward looked about ingratiatingly, then he turned toward the
door.

"If you want anything, ma'am--there is the telephone.... I'll place
your trunk, if you please, ma'am!"

He started to drag the trunk to the side of the cabin, but the Princess
intervened.

"That's all right; you may place it later. But you _might_ fix it right
side up!"

The steward turned it, as the girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I hope the contents are not upset."

"I hope not."

"Anything else, ma'am?"

"No, not now, steward? How soon do we sail?"

"Very soon," and as he spoke there came the stentorian warning: "All
ashore that's going ashore!" The call was repeated four times, and the
voice died away in the distance of the long promenade deck.

With a bow, and a significant glance at the attractive maid, the
steward finally dragged himself out of the attractive cabin. The
Princess sank nervously into a chair.

"That is all, now, Nita. I have the key to the trunk. I will call you
when I need you."

"Yes, your Highness. But, will your Highness excuse me if I am mistaken
in thinking that I recognized his Excellency the Duke, your exalted
cousin, among the passengers as we came up the gangplank...?"

Her Highness was distinctly startled, but she showed no trace of her
emotion to the servant.

"My cousin--it is impossible. He is at