was told that Mademoiselle Olga was not at
home. He was about to inquire after Anne, when the elder Princess,
looking pale and anxious, appeared at the door of the drawing-room. She
beckoned him in and shut the door.

"Have you seen Olga?" she inquired.

"No, Princess. Is she not with you?"

"She is not," wailed the woman, throwing herself on the couch. "Late
last night she went out with Anne. A summons came--some letter--and Anne
had to go. Olga insisted on accompanying her. They said they would be
back at midnight; but they have not reappeared. I am distracted, Mr.
Ware. What shall I do? Where are they?"

"Who was the letter from?"

"I don't know. It was for Anne, and----"

"You call Miss Denham Anne," said Giles abruptly; "and you brought her
here. What do you know of her?"

"Everything," said the Princess, sitting up. "In spite of Olga I must
tell you the truth. Anne Denham is my daughter!"

CHAPTER XXI

A STORY OF THE PAST

This communication was so extraordinary and unexpected that Giles
thought the Princess must be out of her mind. But although overcome with
emotion, she was sane enough, and seeing his astonishment repeated her
statement that Anne Denham was her daughter. The young man sat down to
collect his thoughts.

"Do you mean to say that she is Mademoiselle Olga's sister?"

"Her half-sister," corrected the Princess, sobbing. "I never thought I
should find her again, and like this. It's too dreadful!" And in strange
contrast to her usual indolent demeanor, she wrung her hands.

Giles was still bewildered. "And you--were you the wife of Walter
Franklin?" he stammered helplessly.

"There is no Walter Franklin," replied the woman, drying her eyes and
sitting up. "George Franklin is Anne's father. He was my husband."

"But you are the wife of Prince Karacsay."

"Certainly. I eloped with him from Kingstown in Jamaica, and George
divorced me. I afterwards married the Prince."

"Then the man at the Priory is your first husband?"

"No!" cried she vigorously. "He is not George Franklin."

"He calls himself so," muttered Ware, quite puzzled.

"Only to keep hold of the money left by Mr. Powell," explained the
Princess. "He is really Alfred Denham, who caused all the misery of my
married life with George."

"Anne's father."

"No. I tell you he is not Anne's father. George was the father of Anne.
He is dead. He died shortly after divorcing me."

Giles felt his heart swell with grat