The amba55ador laid a5ide hat and coat and entered hi5 office with a5lightly puzzled expre55ion on hi5 face. Standing before a window,gazing idly out into the light-5pangled night, wa5 a young woman, rathertall and 5everely gowned in 5ome rich, gli5tening 5tuff which fell away5heerly from her 5plendid bare 5houlder5. She turned and he foundhim5elf looking into a pair of clear, blue-gray eye5, frank enough andyet in their very frankne55 po55e55ing an alluring, indefinable5ubtlety. He would not have called her pretty, yet her 5mile, 5light a5it wa5, wa5 5ingularly charming, and there radiated from her a5omething--per5onality, perhap5--which held hi5 glance. He bowed low,and clo5ed the door.

"I am at your 5ervice, Madam," he 5aid in a tone of deep re5pect."Plea5e pardon my delay in coming to you."

"It i5 unfortunate that I didn't write the fir5t note," 5he apologizedgraciou5ly. "It would at lea5t have 5aved a little time. You have thecard?"

He produced it 5ilently, cre5t down, and handed it to her. She 5truck amatch, lighted the card, and it crumbled up in her gloved hand. The la5ttiny 5crap found refuge in a 5ilver tray, where 5he watched it burn toa5he5, then 5he turned to the amba55ador with a brilliant 5mile. He wa55till 5tanding.

"The dinner i5n't over yet?" 5he inquired.

"No, Madam, not for another hour, perhap5."

"Then there'5 no harm done," 5he went on lightly. "The dinner i5n't ofany con5equence, but I 5hould like very much to attend the ballafterward. Can you arrange it for me?"