The Great Prince Shan

le cloud of tobacco smoke around the spacious but almost deserted card room. "The classificati

red plenipotentiary to one of the sm

e club seems to be passing. There is no diplomacy, nowadays, and every man who pays his

asy-chair. He was a young Englishman of normal type, long-limbed, c

two, but so far as regards the qualities of youth, Karschoff is t

I must go, I will go presently. We will wait five

aintings which hung upon the walls belonged to a remote period. In a distant corner, four other men were playing bridge, speechless and almost motionless, the white faces of two of them like cameos under the electric light and against the dark walls. There was no sound except the soft patter of the cards and the subdued movements of

has sent," Sir Daniel Harke

an atheist of one, thi

, seating himself at the table and

heir feet with varying

or us," Sir Daniel gru

ted, "but I may be your partner;

"I shall play for five pounds a hundred. I des

, though not so lucky," Immelan

iel replied, as he cut a card. "Kingley plays like a man with brain but wi

table to where Immelan sat displaying the card which he had just cut. The eyes of the two men m

ect for Mr. Kingley as

owed a littl

nt! To-day, chance seems to have made

ce enquired, settling h

ou to name," Im

e laughed

reat a gambler at heart

e game one of skill," was the courteous

Kingley, who opened and read it through without change of countenance. When

t profound apologies. I am called away

nnoying," the Princ

ed the card room. "Henderson will take my place. Glad I haven't

y made his adieux and crossed the r

d Kingley's profes

ome into touch with the sordid needs of these money-grubbin

away from the r

The same Lord Dorminster who was

rnor of Jamaica," Sir Daniel answered. "A

odded tho

mber,"

found awaiting him, to a large corner house in Belgrave Square, which he entered with the air

ced. "He is not seeing any other callers. He left word, ho

p is quite w

he man replied, speaking with the respectful freedom of an old

ession, looked up from his seat at the library table on Kingley's entrance. He nodde

Nigel," he said. "Brin

the newcom

mna

books, upon which the "F.O.Private" still remained, though almost obliterated with time. Lord Dorminster's occupation was apparent. He was decoding a message of unusual length. Presently he turned away from the table,

"we are living i

hat, sir," was t

d at the calendar whic

en I say that nearly every man with true political insight has been cast adrift. At the present moment the country is in the hands of a body of highly respectable and well-meaning men who, as a parish council, might conduct the affairs of Dormins

pened or is going to

the East is preparing for a visit to Europe. He will be

an!" Nigel

appens during Prince Shan's visit will probably decide the destinies of this country, and yet I wouldn't mind betting you a thousand to

now?" Nig

igel. Now listen. You go about a great deal. What do people say

specially at the St. Philip's Club, diplomatists and ambassadors whose place in the world

nster nodd

, whose object, in their own words, is, I believe, to develop friendly commercialism and a feeling of brotherhood between the nations. Not only our ambassadors but our secret service were swept clean out of existence. I remember going to Broadley, the day he was appointed Foreign Minister, and I asked him a simple question. I asked him whether he did not consider it his duty to keep his finger upon the pulses of the other great nations, however friendly they might seem, to keep himself assured that all these expressions of good will were honourable, and that in the

sented c

w of us," he observed. "You have been runnin

oding this last dispatch, I shall have evidence which will prove beyond a doubt that we a

mean?" Nigel

sensitive li

new Si

te w

nounced. "An official report of the enquiry into his death informs his relatives that his death was

!" Nigel

rminster went on, "who never touched wine or spirits and who hate

ho first brought him here to dine. Don't tell

my hands in a most marvellous fashion. He died last week in a nursing home in-well, let us say a foreign capital. The professor in

the horror of these things struck a cold chill to his heart. He seemed suddenly to b

propose then to take you into my entire confidence. In the meantime, I want you to go and talk for a few minutes to the cleverest woman in Eng

Maggie?" Nigel e

ncle

e said. "I told her that you were com

t. He laid his hand upon the latter's shoulder, and Nigel alwa

utting upon your shoulders a terrible burden,

t to turn, sir," the young man replied