on
the way back to Arnhem, as if he had risen in their esteem now that they
realized what an important man he is; but afterwards when I accused the
L.C.P. of this piece of snobbishness, she vowed that it was only because
they both realized how much he was giving up for the sake of--somebody.

Just because I could not be sure which one the somebody was, and whether
he were more likely to prevail, after this _coup d'etat_, I was uneasy
in my mind, with the new knowledge of Alb's greatness. What are my
dollars to his beautiful old houses, and a mother who is the daughter of
an English earl? I suppose these things count with girls, even such
adorable girls as Nell Van Buren and Phyllis Rivers.

A thing that happened the same evening has not relieved my anxiety.

At the Hotel Bellevue, each room on the floor where we live, has its own
slip of balcony, separated from the next by a partition. I was sitting
on mine, after we had all said good-night to each other, smoking a
cigarette and waiting for the moon to rise, an act which she selfishly
postpones at this time of the month, so as to give her admirers as much
trouble and as little sleep as possible.

Suddenly I heard Phyllis's voice on the other side of the balcony
partition.

"Dearest," she was saying dreamily, "isn't it strange how, on a night
like this, you seem to see things clearly, which have been dark
before?"

"It isn't so very strange," Nell answered practically. "The moon's
coming up. And that's a sign we ought to be going to bed."

"I didn't mean that," said Phyllis. "I mean, there's a kind of
_influence_ on such a beautiful night, which makes you see into your own
heart."

"What do you see?" asked Nell.

I wanted to know what, as much as Nell did, and a great deal more,
judging from her tone. But unfortunately I had no right to try and find
out, so I got up, and scraped my chair and prepared to go indoors. But I
had forgotten to shut my match-box when I lighted a cigarette a few
minutes before, and now I knocked it off the table where it had been
lying, scattering over the floor every match I had left in the world.

If they intended to say anything really private, I had made noise enough
to prevent them from doing it; so I thought I might conscientiously
remain and pick up some of the matches. The _personnel_ of the hotel had
gone to its beds, therefore, if I wanted to smoke later, it must be
these matches or none.

"After all, I'm not quite sure w