"Only for her money," Olinski replied. "A make-believe of love. Froth in an empty glass. He needs the money to get his coronet out of pawn, and get the gas and the water turned on at the seedy, shabby chateau in France he calls his castle."

"Then you will tell Henry the truth about this threadbare, titled foreigner?"

"Ah, my friend, that will be a great pleasure, although he is the genuine article, you know. I can't disprove his claim to the title."

"After all, I suppose you have a certain fondness for the Prince," I suggested.

"Not at all," Olinski replied, almost wrathfully. "He is the most impudent person I ever met. At the last dinner we attended together, what do you think he said to me? He accused me of smelling of garlic. Did you ever hear of anything quite so low? As God is my witness, I detest that evil-smelling plant, garlic."

He clicked his teeth, and went on with desperate finality.

"I will tell you one thing more, and then I shall have told you enough. Your niece and Prince Matani should never marry, for he has a hereditary malady--sudden and violent attacks which produce unconsciousness. Some great excitement, and, then--pst!--he falls unconscious. At Monte Carlo, he gambled all he had, and lost. Pst!"

"Shocking!" I murmured.

"No doubt about its being hereditary," Olinski continued. "When the Czar of Russia first bestowed the title of prince upon his great-grandfather, Carlos, for his war-like feats, what does his great-grandfather do but get so excited he falls in convulsions at the feet of the emperor."

"What luck!" I reflected as soon as Olinski had finished. An intimate little peep into the private life of a royal personage, if ever there was one! And I was about to voice my appreciation for this absolute proof that the Prince was not a proper person to marry Pat when Henry entered, immaculately swallow-tailed for dinner.

Seizing Olinski's hand, he shook it heartily. "And you walked all the way from the station?" he exclaimed. "How extraordinary! But I'm glad you've come ahead of our Prince Charming. It's very important that we should get together, at once."

Linking his arm in Olinski's, he marched him off to the far end of the hall. Their heads together, whispering excitedly, and putting so much meaning in words that meant nothing 

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