The prospect was too dazzling! Harriet Brandt’s magnificent eyes were opened to their widest extent--her cheeks flushed with expectation--both life and light had flashed into her countenance. Her soul was expanding, her nature was awakening--it shone through every feature--the Baroness had had no idea she was so beautiful! And the hungry, yearning look was more accentuated than before--it seemed as if she were on the alert, watching for something, like a panther awaiting the advent of its prey. It was a look that women would have shrunk from, and men welcomed and eagerly responded to. “I should like to go and see you when I go to England--very much!” she articulated slowly. “And so you shall, my dear! The Baron and me will be very glad to ’ave you on a visit. And you mustn’t let that capital of yours lie idle, you know! If it’s in your own ’ands, you must make it yield double to what it does now! You consult Gustave! ’E’s a regular business man and knows ’ow many beans make five! ’E’ll tell you what’s best to be done with it--’e’ll be a good friend to you, and you can trust ’im with everything!” “Thank you!” replied the girl, but she still seemed to be lost in a kind of reverie. Her gaze was fixed--her full crimson lips were slightly parted--her slender hands kept nervously clasping and unclasping each other. “Well, you are ’andsome and no mistake!” exclaimed the Baroness. “You remind me a little of the Duchess of Bewlay before she was married! The first wife, I mean--the second is a poor, pale-faced, sandy-’aired creature. (’Ow the Dook can stomach ’er after the other, I can’t make out!) The first Duchess’s mother was a great flame of my grandfather, the Dook of--however, I mustn’t tell you that! It’s a State secret, and I might get into trouble at Court! You’d better not say I mentioned it.” But Harriet Brandt was not in a condition to remember or repeat anything. She was lost in a dream of the possibilities of the Future. The bell for _déjeuner_ roused them at last, and brought them to their feet. They resembled each other in one particular ... they were equally fond of the pleasures of the table. The little Baron appeared dutifully to afford his clumsy spouse the benefit of his support in climbing the hillocks of shifting sand, which lay between them and the hotel, and Miss Brandt sped swiftly on her way alone. “I’ve been ’aving a talk with that gal Brandt,” chuckled the Baroness to her husband, “she’s a regular green-’orn and swallows everything you tell ’er. I’ve been stuffing ’er up, that she ought to marry a Prince, with ’er looks and money, and she quite believes it. But she ain’t bad-looking when she colours up, and I expect she’s rather a warm customer, and if she takes a fancy to a man, ’e won’t well know ’ow to get out of it! And if he tries to, she’ll make the fur fly. Ha! ha! ha!”