. As she reached the hall, one of the attendants came up to her.
"Someone wishes to speak to you at the telephone, Miss Ellicott," the
woman said.

Grace hurried to the 'phone, which was placed in a small recess half-way
down the hall. The woman accompanied her, and stood near by as she took
up the receiver. Clearly she was listening. Grace determined to speak
with caution. It was undoubtedly Richard calling.

When she at last made out that it was the American Minister, Mr. Phelps,
who was speaking, she felt a keen sense of disappointment. She learned
that he and his wife wished her to come in and dine with them. At first
she refused, fearful least by going into Brussels she might miss some
word from Richard. Mr. Phelps was insistent. They counted on her. He
would not take a denial. The thought occurred to her, momentarily, that
possibly Richard had taken this means of communicating with her. The
idea seemed far fetched, and yet--she heard Mr. Phelps' voice, urging
her to come, and rather half-heartedly she agreed to do so. "The United
States Minister, Mr. Phelps, and his wife, have asked me to dine with
them to-night," she said to the attendant. "Will you be so good as to
have a cab here for me at half-past seven?"

The woman bowed. "Certainly, mademoiselle," she said, and moved aside as
Dr. Hartmann came along the hall.

Grace thought that he looked both puzzled and angry. He assumed a
pleasant expression as he saw her, however, and when he spoke she knew
he had overheard what she had just said. "Dining at the Minister's
to-night?" he remarked, as he paused for a moment. "A charming man, Mr.
Phelps. I may look in later, myself, and bring you home." He passed on,
his face at once resuming the angry scowl which Grace had marked as he
approached her.

She returned to her room, and began her toilette for the evening. The
small trunk she had brought from Paris contained but a limited
wardrobe--she had not expected anything in the way of social
engagements, in this work that Monsieur Lefevre had assigned to her. A
gown of black satin, however, trimmed with silver, she had put in at the
last moment. It was very becoming--Richard had never seen her in it--she
hoped he might come to her, before the evening was over. She half-made
up her mind to speak to Mr. Phelps about it--to ask him to telephone to
the hotels and attempt to locate Richard for her. Then the thought came
to her that she had represented herself to the Mini