The Lighted Match

is set chin and labored self-containment. Von Ritz, despite his bedraggled masquerade was as composed and ex

enton's car; substituted himself for the American and mad

sely what it had been last night, when his only excitement had been a game of billiards. Men who knew him would have told you that his manner

nse silence, Benton

ice too low for Cara to catch, "I shall,

but when he raised his head it

ns?" In a matter-of-fact voice he added: "It is growing late. If Miss

his motive. After all that was the best cour

iving you down-" he suggested, "ma

s of the Prince, wit

not have come aboard. I must obey the decrees of State!" She paused, then impulsively swept on: "I can force myself to do what I m

clined h

he repeated. "Will you hono

her chin r

ion ends to-morrow if you still wish it, but to-

f-mastery he forced a smile as though he had asked

nd. But you will agree with me that they"-with a gesture toward

where the yachtsman bent forward to giv

"if you only wanted to marry me for State reasons-it would be different. It wouldn't hurt me then to hurt you. You mean so muc

, and his voice carrie

no privilege to question you. When you do, I shall not have to question you." He leaned forwa

self in the emptying ball-room with ingenious excuses

ry-boats and tugs. About him stamped the usual farewell throng with hats raised and handkerchiefs a-flutter. The musi

use to be re-absorbed by cabs, motors and surface-cars into the main arteries of the

ssed against the after-rail, her handkerchief waving in the raw wind. Most of the se

his friend's elbow, did

ws, her checks pale, her fingers tightly gripping the rail. S

shouldering their ways against the sullen heave of the river's tide-water; she heard the discordant shriek of their steam throats; she saw th

he men were christening the voyage with brandy-and-soda and d

elbow, was silent, re

ed monotone, she turned and smiled. It was a smile of accepting the inevitable. He went wit

ed the door, and turned to take from the hand of the bearer a Marconigram just relayed from shore. He read it and for

ullenly heaving sea, to answer the rap on the door.

re was need, Karyl had come to know that there would be Von Ritz, but also there went with him a

ression with which the Prince looked up to g

" he d

officer held

over the intricacies of t

to construe it

in matters before-" He broke off with something like a catch in his voice, then

elt in his eyes, and Von Ritz discreetly withdrew as far as the

Maritzburg-to her fath

rned, the Prince nodde

n added quietly "-and if Your Highness is called upon to

closing the d

all desk of her suite-de-luxe she sat with her head on h

essentials a small, squat figure of time-corroded clay. The little Inca huaca had perhaps looked with that same unseein

rested her chin on one hand, gazing

. Again she dropped her face on h

enth Street, and it was not until the chauffeur had turned north on Fifth Avenue that either spoke. Then Benton rou

uppressing his surprise at

ormance," he asked, "when that n

terwards at one of the cafés? He was being fêted and flattered

e nerve of a bull-terrier. I remember he was more like a grandee than a toreador. We had him dine with us-hard bread-black olives-fish-bad wine-all sorts of native truck. For the rest of ou

companion's steady gaze; then, taking

ad been educated for the Church. If he hadn't felt the lure of the strenuous life, he might have

lled his chatter to an embarrassed silence. He realized

aphy," suggested Benton coolly. "His

ve it was. What do

happen to know where he lived? I seem to recall

. His address-" He paused to search through his pocket-book for a small tablet dedicated

the direction on the

correspondence," he suggested. "I am going to