to me."

"Oh, no, no, no!" cried the girl; "I am not going to admit to anyone
that I have been acting as a detective's assistant. You had no right to
bring me here. I must go at once. If I had known this I would not have
come."

"It won't take you five minutes," pleaded Cadbury Taylor. "He is at this
moment waiting for you; I told him you would be here at four."

"I can't help that; you had no right to make an appointment for me
without my knowledge and consent."

Taylor was about to speak when the door-handle of the inner room turned.

"I say, detective," remarked Lord Donal, in a voice of some irritation,
"you should have assistants who are more punctual. I am a very busy man,
and must leave for St. Petersburg to-night, so I can't spend all my time
in your office, you know."

"I am sure I beg your pardon, my lord," said the detective with great
obsequiousness. "This young lady has some objections to giving her
views, but I am sure you will be able to persuade her--"

He turned, but the place at his side was vacant. The door to the hall
was open, and the girl had escaped as she saw the handle of the inner
door turn. Taylor looked blankly at his client with dropped jaw. Lord
Donal laughed.

"Your assistant seems to have disappeared as completely as did the lady
at the ball. Why not set your detectives on _her_ track? Perhaps she
will prove to be the person I am in search of."

"I am very sorry, my lord," stammered the detective.

"Oh, don't mention it. I am sure you have done all that could be done
with the very ineffective clues which unfortunately are our only
possession, but you are quite wrong in thinking it was the Princess
herself who attended the ball, and I don't blame your assistant for
refusing to bolster up an impossible case. We will consider the search
ended, and if you will kindly let me have your bill at the Diplomatic
Club before six o'clock to-night, I will send you a cheque. Good
afternoon, Mr. Taylor."

CHAPTER XI. JENNIE ELUDES AN OFFER OF MARRIAGE.

As Jennie rapidly hurried away from the office of Mr. Cadbury Taylor,
there arose in her mind some agitation as to what the detective would
think of her sudden flight. She was convinced that, up to the moment of
leaving him so abruptly, he had not the slightest suspicion she herself,
to whom he was then talking, was the person he had been searching for up
and down Europe. What must he think of one who, while speaking with him,
sud