e replied promptly.

She took out her fan and waved it slowly in front of her face.

"Yet you must discover what it all means to-night or not at all," she
whispered. "The dear Andrea has intimated to me most delicately that
another escort would be more acceptable if I should honour him again."

"That helps," he murmured. "See, our last guest arrives. Ah!"

A tall, spare-looking man was just being announced. They heard his name
as Andrea presented him to a companion:

"Colonel Mayson!"

Mademoiselle Celaire saw a gleam in her companion's eyes.

"It is coming--the idea?" she whispered.

"Very vaguely," he admitted.

"Who is this Colonel Mayson?"

"Our only military aeronaut," Peter replied.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Aeronaut!" she repeated doubtfully. "I see nothing in that. Both my own
country and Germany are years ahead of poor England in the air. Is it
not so?"

Peter smiled and held out his arm.

"See," he said, "supper has been announced. Afterwards Andrea Korust
will play to us, and I think that Colonel Mayson and his distinguished
brother officer from India will talk. We shall see."

They passed into a room whose existence had suddenly been revealed by
the drawing back of some beautiful brocaded curtains. Supper was a
delightful meal, charmingly served. Peter, putting everything else out
of his head for the moment, thoroughly enjoyed himself, and, remembering
his duty as a guest, contributed in no small degree towards the success
of the entertainment. He sat between Mademoiselle Celaire and his
hostess, both of whom demanded much from him in the way of attention.
But he still found time to tell stories which were listened to by
everyone, and exchanged sallies with the gayest. Only Andrea Korust,
from his place at the head of the table, glanced occasionally towards
his popular guest with a curious, half-hidden expression of distaste and
suspicion. The more the Baron de Grost shone, the more uneasy Andrea
became. The signal to rise from the meal was given almost abruptly.
Mademoiselle Korust hung on to Peter's arm. Her own wishes and her
brother's orders seemed to absolutely coincide. She led him towards a
retired corner of the music-room. On the way, however, Peter overheard
the introduction which he had expected.

"General Noseworthy is just returned from India, Colonel Mayson," Korust
said, in his usual quiet, tired tone. "You will, perhaps, find it
interesting to talk together a little. As f