me to announce her. She will come and pay her respects to your
father."

Gertrude felt herself trembling again. A Baroness Munster, who sent a
brilliant young man to "announce" her; who was coming, as the Queen
of Sheba came to Solomon, to pay her "respects" to quiet Mr.
Wentworth--such a personage presented herself to Gertrude's vision with
a most effective unexpectedness. For a moment she hardly knew what to
say. "When will she come?" she asked at last.

"As soon as you will allow her--to-morrow. She is very impatient,"
answered Felix, who wished to be agreeable.

"To-morrow, yes," said Gertrude. She wished to ask more about her; but
she hardly knew what could be predicated of a Baroness Munster. "Is
she--is she--married?"

Felix had finished his cake and wine; he got up, fixing upon the
young girl his bright, expressive eyes. "She is married to a German
prince--Prince Adolf, of Silberstadt-Schreckenstein. He is not the
reigning prince; he is a younger brother."

Gertrude gazed at her informant; her lips were slightly parted. "Is she
a--a Princess?" she asked at last.

"Oh, no," said the young man; "her position is rather a singular one. It
's a morganatic marriage."

"Morganatic?" These were new names and new words to poor Gertrude.

"That 's what they call a marriage, you know, contracted between a
scion of a ruling house and--and a common mortal. They made Eugenia a
Baroness, poor woman; but that was all they could do. Now they want to
dissolve the marriage. Prince Adolf, between ourselves, is a ninny; but
his brother, who is a clever man, has plans for him. Eugenia, naturally
enough, makes difficulties; not, however, that I think she cares
much--she 's a very clever woman; I 'm sure you 'll like her--but she
wants to bother them. Just now everything is en l'air."

The cheerful, off-hand tone in which her visitor related this darkly
romantic tale seemed to Gertrude very strange; but it seemed also to
convey a certain flattery to herself, a recognition of her wisdom and
dignity. She felt a dozen impressions stirring within her, and presently
the one that was uppermost found words. "They want to dissolve her
marriage?" she asked.

"So it appears."

"And against her will?"

"Against her right."

"She must be very unhappy!" said Gertrude.

Her visitor looked at her, smiling; he raised his hand to the back of
his head and held it there a moment. "So she says," he answered. "That
's her story. She tol