ught a young officer friend of his to dine
with me. This officer had come from the Eastern front and had
been present at the capture of Warsaw. After dinner he took a
leather case out of his pocket and said to the Prince: 'I have
brought your Imperial Highness a little souvenir from Poland!' As
he spoke he touched a spring and the case flew open, displaying
an enormous diamond, nearly as big as the great Orloff diamond
which I have seen at Petrograd, surrounded by five other
brilliants, the whole set like a star.

"'The Star of Poland,' said the young officer (the Prince called
him 'Erich;' I never heard his full name), 'it comes from the
long-lost Coronation sword of the Polish kings. I took it for
your Imperial Highness from the Chateau of John Sobieski at
Villanoff.

"I could not take my eyes off the gem. As the Prince held it down
under the lamp to study it, it shone like an electric light. I
had met many of my fellow countrymen in America and I had often
heard of this jewel, famous in our unhappy history.

"The Prince, who was gay with champagne, laughed and said:

"'These lousy Poles will have no further use for this pretty
trinket, thanks to our stout German blows, will they, Erich?'

"And his friend replied:

"'We'll give them a nice new German constitution instead, your
Imperial Highness!'

"The Prince, as I have said, was very merry that night. He let me
take the jewel from its case and hold it in my hands. Then I
fastened it in my hair before the mirror and turned to show
myself to the Prince and his companion.

"'Donnerwetter! said Willie. 'It looks wonderful in your hair,
Marcelle!'

"Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he cried:

"'Erich! What do you say, Marcelle is a Pole. She shall have the
Star of Poland and wear it in memory of me!'

"The other thought this a famous idea, and so the jewel passed
into my hands. That same evening I resolved that it should be a
sacred duty on my part to keep it in safety until I could hand it
back to the lawful sovereign of an independent Poland.

"I was very unhappy at Metz until the Star of Poland came to
comfort me. When I was alone, I used to take it from its case and
feast my eyes upon it. I made many attempts to get away, but the
Prince would never let me go, though he had long since tired of
me and I was merely one of his harem of women. Pfui!"

She gave an exclamation of disgust.

"It was the Crown Princess who eventually came to my rescue