al glance, and had concluded that she perhaps
suspected him of being an obstacle to her son's aspirations. He had no
idea of playing that part, but was not sorry to appear to; for he was
sincerely attached to Coral Hicks, and hoped for her a more human fate
than that of becoming Prince Anastasius's consort.

This evening, however, he was struck by the beaming alacrity of the
aide-de-camp's greeting. Whatever cloud had hung between them had
lifted: the Teutoburg clan, for one reason or another, no longer feared
or distrusted him. The change was conveyed in a mere hand-pressure,
a brief exchange of words, for the aide-de-camp was hastening after a
well-known dowager of the old Roman world, whom he helped into a large
coronetted brougham which looked as if it had been extracted, for
some ceremonial purpose, from a museum of historic vehicles. And in an
instant it flashed on Lansing that this lady had been the person chosen
to lay the Prince's offer at Miss Hicks's feet.

The discovery piqued him; and instead of making straight for his own
room he went up to Mrs. Hicks's drawing-room.

The room was empty, but traces of elaborate tea pervaded it, and an
immense bouquet of stiff roses lay on the centre table. As he turned
away, Eldorada Tooker, flushed and tear-stained, abruptly entered.

"Oh, Mr. Lansing--we were looking everywhere for you."

"Looking for me?"

"Yes. Coral especially... she wants to see you. She wants you to come to
her own sitting-room."

She led him across the ante-chamber and down the passage to the separate
suite which Miss Hicks inhabited. On the threshold Eldorada gasped out
emotionally: "You'll find her looking lovely--" and jerked away with a
sob as he entered.

Coral Hicks was never lovely: but she certainly looked unusually
handsome. Perhaps it was the long dress of black velvet which, outlined
against a shaded lamp, made her strong build seem slenderer, or perhaps
the slight flush on her dusky cheek: a bloom of womanhood hung upon
her which she made no effort to dissemble. Indeed, it was one of her
originalities that she always gravely and courageously revealed the
utmost of whatever mood possessed her.

"How splendid you look!" he said, smiling at her.

She threw her head back and gazed him straight in the eyes. "That's
going to be my future job."

"To look splendid?"

"Yes."

"And wear a crown?"

"And wear a crown...."

They continued to consider each other without speaking.