forms glistened with a new ambition, and the whole atmosphere
of Thorberg underwent a change so startling that Chase could hardly
believe his senses. He lifted up his chin, threw out his chest, banished
the look of discontent from his face and announced to himself that
Thorberg was not such a bad place after all.

For days he swung blithely through the streets, the hang-dog look gone
from his eyes, always hoping for another glimpse of the fair sorceress
who had worked the great transformation. He even went so far as to read
the court society news in the local papers, and grew to envy the men
whose names were mentioned in the same column with that of the fair
Genevra. It was two weeks before he saw her the second time; he was more
enchanted by her face than before, especially as he came to realise the
astonishing fact that she was kind enough to glance in his direction
from time to time.

It was during the weekly concert in the Kursaal, late one night. She
came in with a party, among whom he recognised several of the leading
personages at court.

Once a week the regular concert gave way to a function in which the
royal orchestra was featured. On such occasions the attendance was
extremely fashionable, the Duke and his court usually being present. It
was not until this time, however, that Chase felt that he could sit
through a concert without being bored to extinction. He loved music, but
not the kind that the royal orchestra rendered; Wagner, Chopin, Mozart
were all the same to him--he hated them fervently and he was _not_ yet
given to stratagems and spoils. He sat at a table with the French
attache just below the box occupied by the Princess and her party. In
spite of the fact that he was a gentleman, born and bred, he could not
conquer countless impulses to look at the flower-face of the royal
auditor. They were surreptitious and sidelong peeps, it is true, but
they served him well. He caught her gaze bent upon him more than once,
and he detected an interest in her look that pleased his vanity
exceeding great.

Gradually the programme led up to the feature of the evening--the
rendition of a great work under the direction of a famous leader, a
special guest of the music-loving Duke.

Chase arose and cheered with the assemblage when the distinguished
director made his appearance. Then he proceeded to forget the man and
his genius--in fact everything save the rapt listener above him. She was
leaning forward on the r