“Now look here, Duke—taste in beauty and taste in dress differ so much, you know. How can I tell what individual girl you mean when you talk of the most beautiful creature in the most elegant toilet in the room? Why, there are hundreds of beautiful women in elegant toilets present, and each one of them may be the _most_ beautiful and the _most_ elegant to some one else’s particular fancy.” “Ah! bah, Leslie, that may be all very true of commonplace beauties; but I tell you, and you know it is true, that there are _some_ beauties whom _every_ body acknowledges to be pre-eminent; and of such is the sweet creature who passed here like a beam of sunshine—an exquisite creature! Stop chaffing now and tell me, if you know, who she is.” “Was she leaning on the arm of a tall, gray-haired gentleman?” asked Leslie, laughing. “Yes! yes!” “Oh, then, yes, I know her. She is the Princess Shirra, daughter of Prince Waldemar Pullmynoseoff. He is here on a visit; some say on a private mission. Her Majesty received him yesterday.” “Daughter of old Pullmynoseoff. I’ll go and get introduced,” said the young duke, hurrying away. Again Alexander laughed within himself. He was somewhat amused by the mistake those discerning gentlemen had made in supposing Drusilla to be the little Russian princess; but he was also bitterly jealous of the admiration so generally expressed for his beautiful, young, forsaken wife; and he was deeply indignant that men should take her for a girl to be wooed and won. He followed the duke. He could not help it. He wanted to see the end of this adventure, in which the young duke went in search of Drusilla and the Princess Shirra, both in one. He followed him through the mazes of the whole suite of rooms; and everywhere he heard the same suppressed murmur of admiration, curiosity and conjecture of which the new beauty was the subject. Others beside the group of officers took her for the newly-arrived Russian Princess. “Look at her diamonds—a shower of dewdrops over her flowers,” murmured one lady. “They cannot _all_ be real. Some must be paste among so many,” objected another. “Paste! Look at her point-lace dress, then, more costly still than her diamonds. _None_ but a princess of the highest rank could wear such a priceless robe.” Alexander passed on, leaving these people to their dispute, and followed the young duke until he stopped before a group of ladies and gentlemen. The ladies were seated on the sofa, and the gentlemen were standing before them. The duke bowed and exchanged the courtesies of the evening, and then, turning to one of the gentlemen, said: “Lord John, you presented the Prince Waldemar Pullmynoseoff to Her Majesty yesterday. Will you be good enough to present me to the prince this evening?” “With pleasure, Lillespont. Come!” said the Lord John, at once turning to lead the way.