IN THE CHANCELLERIE “His Excellency, the Chancellor, desires to see Miss Brandon upon official business and alone,” said the messenger. “You will wait for me, Trixy?” asked Dorothy of her companion. “I have a letter to send off, dear,” answered Beatrice, “and I will go to your desk and write it. I suppose you will be back to me before I have finished.” “Yes, yes,” assented Dorothy, with preoccupied air, as she turned to the messenger and indicated her readiness to follow him. Lord Ashley received her in the main room of the Chancellerie. The messenger who ushered her in withdrew, and they were alone. Lord Ashley advanced with deferential courtesy to receive her and led her to a seat at the head of a long, highly-polished table in the centre of the room. He drew up a chair and seated himself at the side of the table, in order to bring himself almost face to face with her. “I must beg your forgiveness, Miss Brandon,” he began, “for having thus hastily asked your attendance. I trust you will not regret too much having missed the pleasures of the garden-party.” “I confess,” answered Dorothy, “I was astonished upon learning the urgency of your summons and quite unable to guess its cause. Even now I--” “You are still at a loss,” rejoined Lord Ashley promptly, as she hesitated. “It may be summed up in two words--official business.” “Official business!” repeated Dorothy. “So the message said. But what possible connection can there be between me and the official business of the Chancellerie?” “It does seem peculiar, doesn’t it?” laughed Lord Ashley pleasantly, “but that is precisely what I am about to explain to you. There is a matter regarding which you can, perhaps, furnish me with some information--information which has only an indirect bearing, no doubt, but which may possibly be of some value to His Majesty’s Government.” “Indeed? To what does this matter relate?” “It is connected with the recent disappearance of Captain Stanley Mortimer.” Dorothy started and perceptibly changed color. “You astonish me!” she exclaimed. “In what way can I possibly assist you in this?” “You remember the occasion of the last Court ball?” asked Lord Ashley. “Yes.” “That night was also the occasion of the wounding of Captain Swords and of the disappearance of Captain Mortimer, as you will recall.” “Yes.” “The last known appearance in public of Captain Mortimer,” continued Lord Ashley, “was at the ball, where he had the honor of dancing with you.” “Yes, he danced with me.” “After which,” resumed Lord Ashley, “you both made the customary promenade and conversed together.” “We passed into the royal conservatory.” “So that,” said Lord Ashley, with a pleasant smile, “you are the last person with whom Captain Mortimer is known to have been seen on that eventful night.” “I was not aware of that.” “Such is the case, however.” “Well, even so, what then----?”