ped his companion's arm. One was the Princess
Genevra and--was it possible? Yes, the nimble conductor! The sensation
of the hour--the musical lion! Moreover, to Chase's cold horror, the
"little freak" was actually making violent love to the divinity of
Rapp-Thorberg!

There was no doubt of it now. The Princess and her escort--the plebeian
upstart--were quite near at hand, and, to the dismay of the smokers,
apparently were unaware of their presence in the shadows. Chase's heart
was boiling with disappointed rage. His idol had fallen, from a
tremendous height to a depth which disgusted him.

Then transpired the thing which brought about Hollingsworth Chase's
sudden banishment from Rapp-Thorberg, and came near to making him the
laughing stock of the service.

The Princess had not seen the two men; nor had the fervent conductor,
whose impassioned French was easily distinguishable by the unwilling
listeners. The sharp, indignant "no" of the Princess, oft repeated, did
much to relieve the pain in the heart of her American admirer. Finally,
with an unmistakable cry of anger, she halted not ten feet from where
Chase sat, as though he had become a part of the stone rail. He could
almost feel the blaze in her eyes as she turned upon the presumptuous
conductor.

"I have asked you not to touch me, sir! Is not that enough? If you
persist, I shall be compelled to appeal to my father again. The whole
situation is loathsome to me. Are you blind? Can you not see that I
despise you? I will not endure it a day longer. You promised to respect
my wishes--"

"How can I respect a promise which condemns me to purgatory every time I
see you?" he cried passionately. "I adore you. You are the queen of my
life, the holder of my soul. Genevra, Genevra, I love you! My soul for
one tender word, for one soft caress! Ah, do not be so cruel! I will be
your slave--"

"Enough! Stop, I say! If you dare to touch me!" she cried, drawing away
from her tormentor, her voice trembling with anger. The little
conductor's manner changed on the instant. He gave a snarl of rage and
despair combined as he raised his clenched hands in the air. For a
moment words seemed to fail him. Then he cried out:

"By heaven, I'll make you pay for this some day! You shall learn what a
man can do with a woman such as you are! You--"

Just at that moment a tall figure leaped from the shadows and confronted
the quivering musician. A heavy hand fell upon his collar and he was