Maxine lives in a charming little old-fashioned house, set back in its own garden, a great “find” in a good quarter of Paris; and her house could he reached in ten minutes’ drive from my hotel.  I would not go as far as the gate, but would dismiss my cab at the corner of the quiet street, as it would not he wise to advertise the fact that Mademoiselle de Renzie was receiving a visit from a young man at midnight.  Fifteen minutes would give me plenty of time for all this:  therefore, at about a quarter to twelve I started to go downstairs, and in the entrance hall almost ran against the last person on earth I expected to see—­Diana Forrest.

She was not alone, of course; but for a second or two I saw no one else.  There was none other except her precious and beautiful face in the world; and for a wild instant I asked myself if she had come here to see me, to take back all her cruel words of misunderstanding, and to take me hack also.  But it was only for an instant—­a very mad instant.

Then I realised that she couldn’t have known I was to be at the Elysee Palace Hotel, and that even if she had, she would not have dreamed of coming to me.  As common sense swept my brain clear, I saw near the precious and beautiful face other faces:  Lady Mountstuart’s, Lord Mountstuart’s, Lisa Drummond’s, and Bob West’s.

They were all in evening dress, the ladies in charming wraps which appeared to consist mostly of lace and chiffon, and evidently they had just come into the hotel from some place of amusement.  The beautiful face, which had been pale, grew rosy at sight of me, though whether with amazement or anger, or both, I couldn’t tell.  Lisa smiled, looking more impish even than usual; but it was plain that the others, Lord Mountstuart among them, were surprised to see me here.

“Goodness, is it you or your ghost?” exclaimed Lady Mountstuart, in the soft accents of California, which have never changed in spite of the long years of her married life in England.

If it had been my ghost it would have vanished immediately, to save Di from embarrassment, and also to prevent any delay in getting to Maxine’s.  But, unfortunately, a flesh and blood young man must stop for conventional politeness before he can disappear, no matter what presses.

I said “How do you do?” to everyone, adding that I was as surprised to see them as they could be to see me.  I even grinned civilly at Lord Robert West, though finding him here with Di, looking particularly pleased with himself, made me want to knock him down.

“Oh, it was a plan, as far as Mounty and Lord Robert and I are concerned,” explained Lady Mountstuart.  “Of course, Lord Robert ought to have been at the Duchess’s bazaar this afternoon, but then he won’t show up at such things, even to please his sister, and Di and Lisa were to have represented me there.  To-day and to-morrow are the only days all three of us could possibly steal to get away and look at a most wonderful motor car;