se,
wondered whether this company of beautiful women and elegant men were
indeed a modern revival of those wonderful creations of Boccaccio, to
whom they had so often been likened.

Some of the faces of the guests were well known to him through their
published photographs; to others he had been presented by the prince
upon their arrival. He was seated between a young American star of
musical comedy and a lady who had only recently dropped from the social
firmament through the medium of the divorce-court, to return to the
theater of her earlier fame. Both showed every desire to converse with
him between the intervals of eating and drinking, but were constantly
brought to a pause by John's lack of knowledge of current topics. After
her third glass of champagne, the lady who had recently been a countess
announced her intention of taking him under her wing.

"Some one must tell you all about things," she insisted. "What you need
is a guide and a chaperon. Won't I do?"

"Perfectly," he agreed.

"Fair play!" protested the young lady on his left, whose name was Rosie
Sharon. "I spoke to him first!"

"Jolly bad luck!" Lord Amerton drawled from the other side of the table.
"Neither of you have an earthly. He's booked. Saw him out with her the
other evening."

"I sha'n't eat any more supper," Rosie Sharon pouted, pushing away her
plate.

"You ought to have told us about her at once," the lady who had been a
countess declared severely.

John preserved his equanimity.

"It is to be presumed," he murmured, "that you ladies are both free from
any present attachment?"

"Got you there!" Amerton chuckled. "What about Billy?"

Rosie Sharon sighed.

"We don't come to the prince's supper parties to remember our ties," she
declared. "Let's all go on talking nonsense, please. Even if my heart is
broken, I could never resist the prince's _pate_!"

Apparently every one was of the same mind. The hum of laughter steadily
grew. Jokes, mostly in the nature of personalities, were freely bandied
across the table. It was becoming obvious that the contributors to the
penny illustrated papers knew what they were talking about. Under
shelter of the fire of conversation, the prince leaned toward his
companion and reopened their previous discussion.

"Do you know," he began, "I am inclined to be somewhat disappointed by
your lack of enthusiasm in a certain direction!"

"I have disappointed many men in my time," she replied. "Do you dou