“You are at least confident,” Nigel remarked.

“It is because I am convinced,” was the calm rejoinder.  “I shall take your cousin’s happiness into my keeping without one shadow of misgiving.  The last word, however, is with her.  It remains to be seen whether her courage is great enough to induce her to face such a complete change in the manner of her life.”

“It will not be her lack of courage which will keep her in England,” Nigel declared.

Prince Shan bowed, with a graceful little gesture of the hands.  The subject was finished.

“I shall now, Lord Dorminster,” he said, “take advantage of your kindly presence here to speak to you on a very personal matter, only this time it is you who are the central figure, and I who am the dummy.”

“I do not follow you,” Nigel confessed, with a slight frown.

“I speak in tones of apology,” Prince Shan went on, “but you must remember that I am one of reflective disposition; Nature has endowed me with some of the gifts of my great ancestors, philosophers famed the world over.  It seems very clear to me that, if I had not come, from sheer force of affectionate propinquity you would have married Lady Maggie.”

Nigel’s frown deepened.

“Prince Shan!” he began.

Again the outstretched hand seemed as though the fingers were pressed against his mouth.  He broke off abruptly in his protest.

“You would have lived a contented life, because that is your province,” his companion continued.  “You would have felt yourself happy because you would have been a faithful husband.  But the time would have come when you would both have realised that you had missed the great things.”

“This is idle prophecy,” Nigel observed, a little impatiently.  “I came to see you upon another matter.”

“Humour me,” the Prince begged.  “I am going to speak to you even more intimately.  I shall venture to do so because, after all, she is better known to me than to you.  I am going to tell you that of all the women in the world, Naida Karetsky is the most likely to make you happy.”

Nigel drew himself up a little stiffly.

“One does not discuss these things,” he muttered.

“May I call that a touch of insularity?” Prince Shan pleaded, “because there is nothing else in the world so wonderful to discuss, in all respect and reverence, as the women who have made us feel.  One last word, Lord Dorminster.  The days of matrimonial alliances between the reigning families of Europe have come to an end under the influence of a different form of government, but there is a certain type of alliance, the utility of which remains unimpaired.  I venture to say that you could not do your country a greater service, apart from any personal feelings you might have, than by marrying Mademoiselle Karetsky.  There, you see, now I have finished.  This is for your reflection, Lord Dorminster—­just the measured statement of one who wears at least the cloak of philosophy by inheritance.  Time passes.  Your own reason for coming to see me has not yet been expounded.”