n I entered. He
welcomed me quite warmly, and said, 'It is odd, as you are of your
legation, that we have never met; but then I am only of late
transferred from Vienna. Pray sit down.'

"I was sure that for a fraction of a moment he did not identify me,
but as I spoke, my voice, as so often happens, revealed more than the
darkness had made visible. I observed at once that, although still
extremely courteous, he became more cool and looked puzzled.

"I said: 'Monsieur, last night, in the darkness, I gave you by mistake
the card of my friend Captain Merton in place of my own. I have called
in person solely to apologize for my blunder.' As I spoke I stood up,
adding, 'As this is my only purpose, I shall leave you to rearrange
matters as may seem best to you.'

VII

"As I turned to go he said: 'May I ask you to sit down? Now that I
know you to be of your legation, and I being, as you are aware, in the
Foreign Office, an affair between us would be for both services
unadvisable. Having left myself in the hands of my friends, I am now
doing, as you will understand, an unusual thing; but whatever may be
the result, I feel that, as a gentleman, you will hold me excused.
There _was_ a woman in your carriage. Of course our police found the
cabman and got it out of him. I have no direct personal interest in
her--none; nor can I explain myself further. I regret that in the
annoyance of my failure to effect my purpose I was guilty of a grave
discourtesy. If you had told me that you would send your seconds to
me to-day, I should have felt that you were fully justified. I can
very well afford to say that I owe you an apology; and, fortunately,
my friends will have learned that I sent them to the wrong man and
will return for instructions. If, however, you feel--'

"'Oh, no,' I said; 'pardon me, I am quite willing to forget an
unfortunate incident, and to add that the lady, by the merest
accident, took shelter from the rain in my carriage. I never met her
before.'

"I saw at once that he had a look of what I took to be relief. He
smiled, became quite cordial, and when I added that whatever I might
have said or done the night before was really unavoidable, he returned
that it was quite true that he had been hasty, and that, as he had
said very little to his friends, it would rest between us.

"As I rose to go, I could not help saying that the remarkably good
looks of the woman made my conduct the more excusable.

"'Yes