arvelous
face was revealed to Maurice, a face of that peculiar beauty which poets
and artists are often minded to deny, but for the love of which men die,
become great or terrible, overturn empires and change the map of the
world.

Her luxuriant hair, which lay in careless masses about the shapely head
and intelligent brow, was a mixture of red and brown and gold, a variety
which never ceases to charm; skin the pallor of ancient marble, with
the shadow of rose lying below the eyes, the large, gray chatoyant
eyes, which answered every impulse of the brain which ruled them. The
irregularity of her features was never noticeable after a glance into
those eyes. At this moment both eyes and lips expressed a shade of
amusement.

Maurice, who was astonished never more than a minute at a time,
immediately recovered. His toilet was somewhat disarranged, and the back
of his head a crow's nest, but, nevertheless, he placed a hand over his
heart and offered a low obeisance.

"Good morning, gentlemen," she said, in a voice which Maurice would
have known anywhere. "I hope the journey has caused you no particular
annoyance."

"The annoyance was not so particular, Madame," said Fitzgerald stiffly,
"as it was general."

"And four of my troopers will take oath to that!" interjected the
Colonel.

"Will Madame permit me to ask when will the opera begin?" asked Maurice.

"I am glad," said she, "that you have lost none of your freshness."

Maurice was struck for a moment, but soon saw that the remark was
innocent of any inelegance of speech. Fitzgerald was gnawing his
mustache and looking out of the corner of his eyes--into hers.

"My task, I confess, is a most disagreeable one," she resumed, lightly
beating her gauntlets together; "but when one serves high personages one
is supposed not to have any sentiments." To Fitzgerald she said: "You
are the son of the late Lord Fitzgerald."

"For your sake, I regret to say that I am."

"For my sake? Worry yourself none on that point. As the agent of her
Highness I am inconsiderable."

"Madame," said Maurice, "will you do us the honor to inform us to whom
we are indebted for this partiality to our distinguished persons?"

"I am Sylvia Amerbach," quietly.

"Amerbach?" said Maurice, who was familiar with the great names of the
continent. "Pardon me, but that was once a famous name in Prussia."

"I am distantly related to that house of princes," looking at her
gauntlets.

"Well, Mada