"Very well, Charles." The Prince laughed, tossing his cigarette-end into the grate, and rising. "I'll make some excuse to speak with them." And Charles, on his part, entertained shrewd suspicions that his master, confirmed bachelor that he was, had, at last, been attracted by a girl's fresh, fair beauty, and that girl an American. Time hung heavily upon the Prince's hands. That afternoon he ran over in his car to Worthing, where he dined at Warne's, and the evening he spent in lonely state in a box at the Brighton Alhambra. Truth to tell, he found himself thinking always of the sweet-faced, rather saucy American girl, whose waist was so neat, whose tiny shoes were so pointed, and whose fair hair was always drawn straight back from her intelligent brow. Yes. He felt he must know her. The morrow came, and with it an opportunity occurred to speak with her mother. They were sitting, as it is usual to sit, at the door of the hotel, when a mishap to a dog-cart driven by a well-known actress gave him the desired opportunity, and ten minutes later he had the satisfaction of bowing before Mary Jesup herself. He strolled with them on to the Pier, chatting so very affably that both mother and daughter could hardly believe that he was the cousin of an Emperor. Then, at his request to be allowed to join them at their table at luncheon, they had their midday meal together. The girl in white was altogether charming, and so unlike the milk-and-water misses of Germany, or the shy, dark-eyed minxes of France or Italy, so many of whom had designed to become Princess of Hesse-Holstein. Her frank open manner, her slight American twang, and her Americanisms he found all delightful. Mrs Jesup, too, was a sensible woman, although this being the first occasion that either mother or daughter had even met a prince, they used "Your Highness" a trifle too frequently. Nevertheless, he found this companionship of both women most charming. "What a splendid motor-car you have!" Mary remarked when, after luncheon, they were taking their coffee in the Palm Court at the back of the hotel. "I'm very fond of motoring, Miss Jesup. Are you?" was his Highness's reply. "I love it. Poppa's got a car. We brought it over with us and ran around France in it. We left it in Paris till we get back to the Continent in the fall. Then we do Italy," she said. "Perhaps you would like to have a run with me and your mother to-morrow," the Prince suggested. "It's quite pretty about the neighbourhood." "I'm sure you're very kind, Prince," responded the elder woman. "We should be charmed. And further, I guess my husband'll be most delighted to meet you when he gets down here. He's been in Germany a lot." "I shall be very pleased to meet Mr Jesup," the young patrician responded. "Till he comes, there's no reason why we should not have a few runs--that is, if you're agreeable."