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He was standing now by her side； and he held out his hand to Mr。
Sabin。
〃I hope； sir；〃 he said pleasantly； 〃that you bear me no ill … will。〃
〃It would be madness；〃 Mr。 Sabin answered。 〃To be the most beautiful
peeress in England is perhaps for Helene a happier fate than to be
the first queen of a new dynasty。〃
〃And you； uncle？〃 Helene said。 〃You are back from your exile then。
How often I have felt disposed to smile when I thought of you； of
all men； in America。
〃I went into exile；〃 Mr。 Sabin answered； 〃and I found paradise。 The
three years which have passed since I saw you last have been the
happiest of my life。〃
〃Lucille！〃 Helene exclaimed。
〃Is my wife；〃 Mr。 Sabin answered。
〃Delightful！〃 Helene murmured。 〃She is with you then； I hope。
Indeed； I felt sure that I saw her the other night at the opera。〃
〃At the opera！〃 Mr。 Sabin for a moment was silent。 He would have
been ashamed to confess that his heart was beating strongly； that a
crowd of eager questions trembled upon his lips。 He recovered
himself after a moment。
〃Lucille is not with me for the moment；〃 he said in measured tones。
〃I am detaining you from your guests； Helene。 If you will permit
me I will call upon you。〃
〃Won't you join us？〃 Lord Camperdown asked courteously。 〃We are
only a small party … the Portuguese Ambassador and his wife； the
Duke of Medchester； and Stanley Phillipson。〃
Mr。 Sabin rose at once。
〃I shall be delighted；〃 he said。
Lord Camperdown hesitated for a moment。
〃I present Monsieur le Due de Souspennier； I presume？〃 he remarked；
smiling。
Mr。 Sabin bowed。
〃I am Mr。 Sabin；〃 he said； 〃at the hotels and places where one
travels。 To my friends I have no longer an incognito。 It is not
necessary。〃
It was a brilliant little supper party； and Mr。 Sabin contributed
at least his share to the general entertainment。 Before they
dispersed he had to bring out his tablets to make notes of his
engagements。 He stood on the top of the steps above the palm…court
to wish them good…bye； leaning on his stick。 Helene turned back
and waved her hand。
〃He is unchanged；〃 she murmured； 〃yet I fear that there must be
trouble。〃
〃Why？ He seemed cheerful enough；〃 her husband remarked。
She dropped her voice a little。
〃Lucille is in London。 She is staying at Dorset House。〃
CHAPTER X
Mr。 Sabin was deep in thought。 He sat in an easy…chair with his
back to the window； his hands crossed upon his stick； his eyes
fixed upon the fire。 Duson was moving noiselessly about the room；
cutting the morning's supply of newspapers and setting them out
upon the table。 His master was in a mood which he had been taught
to respect。 It was Mr。 Sabin Who broke the silence。
〃Duson！〃
〃Your Grace！〃
〃I have always； as you know； ignored your somewhat anomalous
position as the servant of one man and the slave of a society。
The questions which I am about to ask you you can answer or not；
according to your own apprehensions of what is due to each。〃
〃I thank your Grace！〃
〃My departure from America seemed to incite the most violent
opposition on the part of your friends。 As you know； it was with
a certain amount of difficulty that I reached this country。 Now；
however； I am left altogether alone。 I have not received a single
warning letter。 My comings and goings； although purposely devoid
of the ~lightest secrecy； are absolutely undisturbed。 Yet I have
some reason to believe that your mistress is in London。〃
〃Your Grace will pardon me；〃 Duson said； 〃but there is outside a
gentleman waiting to see you to whom you might address the same
questions with better results； for compared with him I know nothing。
It is Monsieur Felix。〃
〃Why have you kept him waiting？〃 Mr。 Sabin asked。
〃Your Grace was much absorbed；〃 Duson answered。
Felix was smoking a cigarette； and Mr。 Sabin greeted him with a
certain grim cordiality。
〃Is this permitted … this visit？〃 he asked； himself selecting a
cigarette and motioning his guest to a chair。
〃It is even encouraged；〃 Felix answered。
〃You have perhaps some message？〃
〃None。〃
〃I am glad to see you；〃 Mr。 Sabin said。 〃Just now I am a little
puzzled。 I will put the matter to you。 You shall answer or not；
at your own discretion。〃
〃I am ready；〃 Felix declared。
〃You know the difficulty with which I escaped from America；〃 Mr。
Sabin continued。 〃Every means which ingenuity could suggest seemed
brought to bear against me。 And every movement was directed； if not
from here； from some place in Europe。 Well； I arrived here four
days ago。 I live quite openly； I have even abjured to some extent
my incognito。 Yet I have not received even a warning letter。 I am
left absolutely undisturbed。〃
Felix looked at him thoughtfully。
〃And what do you deduce from this？〃 he asked。
〃I do not like it；〃 Mr。 Sabin answered drily。
〃After all；〃 Felix remarked； 〃it is to some extent natural。 The
very openness of your life here makes interference with you more
difficult； and as to warning letters … well； you have proved the
uselessness of them。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 Mr。 Sabin answered。 〃At the same time； if I were a
superstitious person I should consider this inaction ominous。〃
〃You must take account also；〃 Felix said； 〃of the difference in the
countries。 In England the police system； if not the most infallible
in the world； is certainly the most incorruptible。 There was never
a country in which security of person and life was so keenly watched
over as here。 In America； up to a certain point； a man is expected
to look after himself。 The same feeling does not prevail here。〃
Mr。 Sabin assented。
〃And therefore；〃 he remarked； 〃for the purposes of your friends I
should consider this a difficult and unpromising country in which
to work。〃
〃Other countries； other methods！〃 Felix remarked laconically。
〃Exactly！ It is the new methods which I am anxious to discover；〃
Mr。 Sabin said。 〃No glimmering of them as yet has been vouchsafed
to me。 Yet I believe that I am right in assuming that for the
moment London is the headquarters of your friends； and that Lucille
is here？〃
〃If that is meant for a question；〃 Felix said； 〃I may not answer it。〃
Mr。 Sabin nodded。
〃Yet；〃 he suggested； 〃your visit has an object。 To discover my
plans perhaps！ You are welcome to them。〃
Felix thoughtfully knocked the ashes off his cigarette。
〃My visit had an object；〃 he admitted； 〃but it was a personal one。
I am not actually concerned in the doings of those whom you have
called my friends。〃
〃We are alone；〃 Mr。 Sabin reminded him。 〃My time is yours。〃
〃You and I；〃 Felix said； 〃have had our periods of bitter enmity。
With your marriage to Lucille these； so far as I am concerned；
ended for ever。 I will even admit that in my younger days I was
prejudiced against you。 That has passed away。 You have been all
your days a bold and unscrupulous schemer； but ends have at any
rate been worthy ones。 To…day I am able to regard you with
feelings of friendliness。 You are the husband of my dear sister；
and for years I know that you made her very happy。 I ask you； will
you believe in this statement of my attitude towards you？〃
〃I do not for a single moment doubt it；〃 Mr。 Sabin answered。
〃You will regard the advice which I am going to as disinterested？〃
〃Certainly！〃
〃Then I offer it to you earnestly； and with my whole heart。 Take
the next steamer and go back to America。〃
〃And leave Lucille？ Go without making any effort to see her？〃
〃Yes。〃
Mr。 Sabin was for a moment very serious indeed。 The advice given
in such a manner was full of forebodings to him。 The lines from
the corners of his mouth seemed graven into his face。
〃Felix；〃 he said slowly； 〃I am sometimes conscious of the fact that
I am passing into that period of life which we call old age。 My
ambitions are dead； my energies are weakened。 For many years I have
toiled … the time has come for rest。 Of all the great passions
which I have felt there remains but one … Lucille。 Life without her
is worth nothing to me。 I am weary of solitude； I am weary of
everything except Lucille。 How then can I listen to such advice？
For me it must be Lucille； or that little journey into the mists；
from which one does not return。〃
Felix was silent。 The pathos of this thing touched him。
〃I will not dispute the right of those who have taken her from me；〃
Mr。 Sabin continued； 〃but I want her back。 She is necessary to me。
My purse； my life； my brains are there to be thrown into the scales。
I will buy her； or fight for her； or rejoin their ranks myself。 But
I want her back。〃
Still Felix was silent。 He was looking steadfastly into the fire。
〃You have heard me；〃 Mr。 Sabin said。
〃I have heard you；〃 Felix answered。 〃My advice stands；〃
〃I know now；〃 Mr。 Sabin said； 〃that I have a hard task before me。
They shall have me for a friend or an enemy。 I can still make
myself felt as either。 You have nothing more to say？〃
〃Nothing！〃
〃Then let us part company；〃 Mr。 Sabin said； 〃or talk of something
more cheerful。 You depress me； Felix。 Let Duson bring us wine。
You look like a death's head。〃
Felix roused himself。
〃You wi