is
mismanaged."

"With us," said Reginald, "a Cabinet usually gets the credit of being
depraved and worthless beyond the bounds of human conception by the time
it has been in office about four years."

"But if it is a bad Government you can turn it out at the elections,"
argued the Princess.

"As far as I remember, we generally do," said Reginald.

"But here it is dreadful, every one goes to such extremes. In England
you never go to extremes."

"We go to the Albert Hall," explained Reginald.

"There is always a see-saw with us between repression and violence,"
continued the Princess; "and the pity of it is the people are really not
in the least inclined to be anything but peaceable. Nowhere will you
find people more good-natured, or family circles where there is more
affection."

"There I agree with you," said Reginald. "I know a boy who lives
somewhere on the French Quay who is a case in point. His hair curls
naturally, especially on Sundays, and he plays bridge well, even for a
Russian, which is saying much. I don't think he has any other
accomplishments, but his family affection is really of a very high order.
When his maternal grandmother died he didn't go as far as to give up
bridge altogether, but he declared on nothing but black suits for the
next three months. That, I think, was really beautiful."

The Princess was not impressed.

"I think you must be very self-indulgent and live only for amusement,"
she said, "a life of pleasure-seeking and card-playing and dissipation
brings only dissatisfaction. You will find that out some day."

"Oh, I know it turns out that way sometimes," assented Reginald.
"Forbidden fizz is often the sweetest."

But the remark was wasted on the Princess, who preferred champagne that
had at least a suggestion of dissolved barley-sugar.

"I hope you will come and see me again," she said, in a tone that
prevented the hope from becoming too infectious; adding as a happy
afterthought, "you must come to stay with us in the country."

Her particular part of the country was a few hundred versts the other
side of Tamboff, with some fifteen miles of agrarian disturbance between
her and the nearest neighbour. Reginald felt that there is some privacy
which should be sacred from intrusion.

THE RETICENCE OF LADY ANNE

Egbert came into the large, dimly lit drawing-room with the air of a man
who is not certain whether he is entering a dovecote or a bomb factory,
and