ra? I hardly know her at all; but
she is pretty enough--tall, yellow hair, brown eyes.'

'And as good a girl as lives,' added Logan. 'Very religious, too.'

'She won't change her creed?' asked Merton.

'She would go to the stake for it,' said Logan. 'She is more likely to
convert the Prince.'

'That would be one difficulty out of the way,' said Merton. 'But the
gambling establishment? There is the rub! And the usual plan won't
work. You are a captivating person, Logan, but I do not think that you
could attract Lady Alice's affections and disentangle her in that way.
Besides, the Prince would have you out. Then Miss Bangs' dollars, not to
mention herself, must have too strong a hold on Scremerston. It really
looks too hard a case for us on paper. You must go down and
reconnoitre.'

Logan agreed, and wrote asking Lord Embleton to come to the office, where
he could see Miss Willoughby and arrange about her visit to him and his
manuscripts. The young lady was invited to arrive rather later, bringing
Miss Blossom as her companion.

On the appointed day Logan and Merton awaited Lord Embleton. He entered
with an air unwontedly buoyant, and was introduced to Merton. The first
result was an access of shyness. The Earl hummed, began sentences,
dropped them, and looked pathetically at Logan. Merton understood. The
Earl had taken to Logan (on account of their hereditary partnership in an
ancient iniquity), and it was obvious that he would say to him what he
would not say to his partner. Merton therefore withdrew to the outer
room (they had met in the inner), and the Earl delivered himself to Logan
in a little speech.

'Since we met, Mr. Logan,' said he, 'a very fortunate event has occurred.
The Prince of Scalastro, in a private interview, has done me the honour
to take me into his confidence. He asked my permission to pay his
addresses to my daughter, and informed me that, finding his ownership of
the gambling establishment distasteful to her, he had determined not to
renew the lease to the company. He added that since his boyhood, having
been educated in Germany, he had entertained scruples about the position
which he would one day occupy, that he had never entered the rooms (that
haunt of vice), and that his acquaintance with my daughter had greatly
increased his objections to gambling, though his scruples were not
approved of by his confessor, a very learned priest.'

'That is curious,' said Logan.