She held out her hand and as I took it she looked straight into my eyes with a most cordial smile. “I have heard so much about you, Mr. Donnington, that I have been questioning every one I know to find a mutual friend, and wandering all over the rooms to find you.” Which meant that she knew I had been a long time with Miralda. “I have such an implicit faith in Portuguese sincerity, contesse, that you will turn my head if you flatter me so. The fact is I have been making an unconscionable bore of myself with Mademoiselle Dominguez. I met her and the viscontesse in Paris last spring, and I was so glad to find a face I knew to-night, that I could not resist the temptation for a chat.” “Have you been long in Lisbon, sir?” asked Sampayo, still worrying himself about me. “Two days, major, that’s all. I came in my yacht.” “Surely you’ve heard about Mr. Donnington, major,” said the contesse. “He’s the millionaire who has come about the mining concessions in Beira, or somewhere.” “No, I had not heard that,” he replied, with a little start, as if this might have suggested a clue to his problem. “Have you been in Beira, sir?” I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. “I suppose I ought not to own it, but I was never there in my life.” “Major Sampayo knows every inch of South Africa, Mr. Donnington,” said the contesse. “He was out there at the time your country was at war with the Boers.” “Oh, indeed,” said I, as if in great surprise. I knew that well enough. “Then I shall hope to get some wrinkles from him.” “You served in that war, didn’t you, Mr. Donnington?” asked Miralda, evidently feeling she ought to say something. “For a few months. I was in Bloemfontein and Mafeking.” I purposely named places as distant as possible from the spot where I had seen him. I did not wish him to recognize me yet. “Were you out at the finish of the campaign?” he asked at the prompting of his uneasy fears. “About the middle. I was sent down country after the relief of Mafeking.” This was half truth but also half lie. I had gone up again almost immediately. But it appeared to ease his unrest. “I have a curious feeling that we have met somewhere,” he said; “and was wondering whether it could have been out in South Africa. That was the reason for my rather inquisitive questions.” I laughed. “Oh, I should have recognized you in a moment if that had been the case. I never forget a face.” This made him uneasy again, but, as the band struck up, he gave his arm to Miralda. “Thanks for a delightful chat, mademoiselle,” I said lightly to Miralda. “May I take you to your partner, madame?” I asked, offering my arm to the Contesse. Instead of accepting it she said to Miralda. “If you see Vasco tell him I’ll give him another waltz for this. I am going to sit this out with Mr. Donnington--that is, of course, if he is willing.” “I’ll tell him, Inez,” replied Miralda over her shoulder as she walked away.