he search-light had blinded the
bridge, still watched Jack with eyes that seemed to transfix him.

A figure leaped to the end of the battleship's bridge.

"The Admiral's compliments, _D'Estang_!"

The engines were stopped now and Armitage and Johnson and a group of
men were working at the helm. Sara raised her head.

"Anne," she said solemnly. "I never wanted to kiss a man until this
minute." Mischievously she made a move as though to arise. The girl's
hand clenched upon her arm.

"Don't be an idiot," she said. "Can't you see how busy they are?
Besides, Sara, no man likes to be kissed by two girls--at the same
time."

As Jack, once more a chauffeur, drove under the _porte cochere_ at The
Crags, shortly before one o'clock, Anne sat for a moment in her seat
after her friend had alighted. Sara looked back with a little smile
and then walked toward the door, which a footman had opened.

"Mr. Armitage," said Anne in a low voice, "I want to thank you for many
things to-night--for one thing above all. I cannot tell you what it
is, for I hardly know myself." She paused, and Jack, who was toying
with the switch lever, looked at her curiously. "It's a new viewpoint,
I fancy. Somehow--I have a feeling that there is more to this country,
my country, than Fifth Avenue, Central Park, Tuxedo, Long Island, and
Newport--something bigger and finer than railroads. I am glad to feel
that, and I thank you."

CHAPTER XVIII

ANNE WELLINGTON HAS HER FIRST TEST

Sara was waiting for Anne in the hall. She had taken off her hat and
stood idly swinging it. A single globe was lighted in the chandelier
overhead and the extremities of the great apartment were lost in gloom.

"Well, dear," Sara yawned broadly, "I fancy we shall sleep to-night."

Anne had thrown her arm over Sara's shoulders and they were walking
toward the stairs when Koltsoff appeared from the shadow, confronting
them.

"Oh! Prince Koltsoff! How you frightened me," said Anne in a low
voice, drawing back.

"A thousand pardons. It would have grieved me had I thought of doing
that."

Sara observed him with irritation. There was, however, so much of the
exotic about the man, as to render him attractive, even to her. Tall,
well--if slimly--built; in manner graceful--"silken" was the
designation that occurred to her--there could be no question as to the
potency of his personality: a potency, by the way, from whose spell,
she had learned in vari