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Lorry was removed to another room before dinner, as she had proers were left alone for several hours Anguish regaled his friend with an enthusiastic dissertation on the char to the Princess In conclusion he said glowingly, his cigar having been out for half an hour or y had been spent in another direction

"You haven't seen much of her, Lorry, but I tell you she is rare And she's not betrothed to any of these confounded counts or dukes either They all adore her but she's not committed"

"How do you know all this?" deh his dreams

"Asked her, of course How in thunder do you suppose?"

"And you've known her but a day? Well, you are progressive"

"Oh, perfectly natural conversation, you know," explained Anguish, co ed Then I asked her if she were married You see, from the title, you can't tell whether a countess is le She said she wasn't, and I promptly and very properly expressed my amazement By Jove, she has a will and ato ht sort--which is refreshing I like to hear a girl talk like that, especially a pretty girl who can deal in princes, counts and all kinds of nobility when it comes to a h"

"Sorry for the Princess? Why?" asked the other, alert at once

"Oh, just because it's not in her power to be so independent The Countess says she cries every night when she thinks of what the poor girl has to contend with"

"Tellto tell I'm not interested in the Princess, and I didn't have the nerve to askto have an unpleasant matrimonial alliance forced upon her in soather froet all you want to know in connection with the matter It's a pretty serious state of affairs, I should say, or she wouldn't be weeping through sympathy"

Lorry recalled a part of the afternoon's sweetly dangerous conversation and the perspiration stood cold and daenslocker to earth only to find her an impossibility Pretty hopeless for you, Lorry, but don't let it break you up coet her A countess, of course, is different"