irly sparkled with
the thrill of vanity, which seemed to burst from every seam; his sword
clanked madly against his nimble legs as he bowed and scraped his
grateful recognition of the honour. This time Chase was not where he
could watch the Princess; he found, therefore, that he could devote his
attention to the music and the popular conductor. He was amazed to find
that the fellow seemed to be inspired; he was also surprised to find
himself carried away by the fervour of the moment.

With the final crash of the orchestra, he found himself shouting again
with the others; oddly, this time he was as mad as they. A score or more
of surprised, disapproving eyes were turned upon him when he yelled
"Encore!"

"There will be no encore," admonished the fair girl at his side, kindly.
"It is not New York," she added, with a sly smile.

Ten minutes later, Chase and the Englishman were lighting their cigars
in an obscure corner of the gardens, off in the shadows where the circle
of light spent itself among the trees.

"Extraordinarily beautiful," Chase murmured reflectively, as he seated
himself upon the stone railing along the drive.

"Yes, they say he really wrote it himself," drawled Baggs, puffing away.

"I'm not talking about the music," corrected Chase sharply.

"Oh," murmured Baggs, apologetically. "The night?"

"No! The Princess, Baggs. Haven't you noticed her?" with intense sarcasm
in his tone.

"Of course, I have, old chap. By Jove, do you know she _is_
good-looking--positively ripping."

The concert over, people began strolling into the more distant corners
of the huge garden, down the green-walled walks and across the moonlit
terraces. For a long time, the two men sat moodily smoking in their dark
nook, watching the occasional passers-by; listening to the subdued
laughter and soft voices of the women, the guttural pleasantries of the
men. They lazily observed the approach of one couple, attracted, no
doubt, by the disparity in the height of the two shadows. The man was at
least half a head shorter than his companion, but his ardour seemed a
thousandfold more vast. Chase was amused by the apparent intensity of
the small officer's devotion, especially as it was met with a coldness
that would have chilled the fervour of a man much larger and therefore
more timid. It was impossible to see the faces of the couple until they
passed through a moonlit streak in the walk, quite close at hand.

Chase started and gras