elplessly.

"It might be, after all," she said. "I am sure I don't know."

"Yes, it might be," smiled Sara; "it's a question in which you must
consider the personal equation. I am rather finicky about men who
exude what seems to pass for love. They don't make good husbands. The
best husband is the one who wins you, not takes you. For heaven's
sake, Anne, when you marry, let your romance be clean, wholesome,
natural; not a demonstration in psychic phenomena, to use a polite
term."

Anne smiled.

"Oh, it is n't as bad as that. I--I--oh, I don't know what to say,
Sara. His family, don't you know, are really high in Russia, and
Koltsoff himself is close to the reigning family, as his father and
grandfather were before him. It is rather exciting to think of the
opportunity--" Anne paused and gazed at the older woman with feverish
eyes. "And yet," she added, "I never before thought of things in this
way. I have always been quite content that coronets and jewelled court
gowns and kings and emperors and dukes and," she smiled, "princes,
should fall to the lot of other women. I am afraid I have been too
much of an American--in spite of mother--"

"Who really underneath is a better American than any of us," said Mrs.
Van Valkenberg. She had arisen and was standing looking out of the
window, toying with the silken fringe of the curtain. "There's hope
for you, Anne. . . . Of course I shan't advise you. I could n't,
don't you know, not knowing Prince Koltsoff." She paused and gazed
eagerly in the direction of Anne's car. Her lips framed an
exclamation, but she checked it. "By-the-bye, Anne," she said, "I see
you have a new driver."

Anne nodded absently.

"Yes. Mother employed him this morning as physical instructor to the
boys and I commandeered him--I believe that's the word--because Rimini
is in New York and Benoir tried to knock down a telegraph pole and is
in the hospital."

"What a find!" observed Mrs. Van Valkenberg. "And yet how curious!"
Suddenly she turned to the girl.

"Anne, I am going to be dreadful and you must be honest with me. You
know you asked me to go to you the middle of the week to stay over the
_fete_. May I come now--today? I cannot tell you why I ask now, but
when I do you will be interested. May I? I know I am preposterous."

"Preposterous! How absurd! Certainly, you may. You will do nicely as
a chaperon. Mother, I am afraid, is going to insist upon all the
conven