tle farther back, and he followed her example.

"Where did you find anything so wonderful as this?" she murmured.

"Lost among the hills in Cumberland," the prince replied. "I have an
estate up there--in fact, he and I are joint lords of the manor of the
village in which he has lived."

"And you?" she whispered, glancing at John to be sure that she was not
overheard. "Where do you come in? An educator of the young? I don't
seem to see you in that role!"

A very rare and by no means pleasant smile twisted the corners of his
lips for a moment.

"It is a long story."

"Can I be brought in?" she asked.

He nodded.

"It rests with you. It would suit my plans."

She toyed with her fan for a moment, looked restlessly at the stage and
back again at John. Then she rose from her place and stood before the
looking-glass. From the greater obscurity of the box she motioned to the
prince.

John remained entirely heedless of their movements. His eyes were still
riveted upon the stage, fascinated with the wonderful coloring, the
realization of a new art.

"You and I," Lady Hilda whispered, "do not need to play about with the
truth, Eugene. What are you doing this for?"

"The idlest whim," the prince assured her quietly. "Look at him. Think
for a moment of his position--absolutely without experience, entirely
ignorant about women, with a fortune one only dreams of, and probably
the handsomest animal in London. What is going to become of him?"

"I think I understand a little," she confessed.

"I think you do," the prince assented. "He has views, this young man. It
is my humor to see them dissipated. The modern _Sir Galahad_ always
irritated me a little."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"They'll never give him a chance, these women," she said. "Much better
hand him over to me."

The prince smiled enigmatically, and Lady Hilda returned to her seat.
John was still leaning forward with his eyes fixed upon Calavera, who
was dancing alone now. The ballet was drawing toward the end. The music
had reached its climax of wild and passionate sensuousness, dominated
and inspired by the woman whose every movement and every glance seemed
part of some occult, dimly understood language.

When the curtain rang down, John, like many others, was confused.
Nevertheless, after that first breathless pause, he stood up and joined
in the tumultuous applause.

"Well?" the prince asked.

John shook his head. "I don't know," he answered.