"Will Madame De Lisle accord the favor of a brief interview to a lady who calls on important business?" "A lady--at this time of the night!" said La Reine Blanche, lifting her arched brows very slightly. "Yes, madam, a real lady--at least she spoke and moved like one," replied Elsie, respectfully. "Tell her I can see no one to-night. I am too weary; she must call another time," said the actress, in an agitated voice. Elsie turned away with the message, but before she reached the door she was confronted by the lady, who had heard the refusal and entered in spite of it. She advanced into the room, and stood before the actress, who had risen from her seat and leaned against a chair, her golden hair falling about her like a misty veil. "Madame De Lisle," said the intruder, in a slightly tremulous voice, "I entreat you to pardon this untimely intrusion. Will you send your maid away, that I may plead my justifiable excuse?" La Reine Blanche motioned to the maid to withdraw into an inner room at the pleasure of her visitor. Then she looked wistfully at the lady, who had thrown off her concealing hood and cloak, and stood revealed in all her majestic beauty, clothed splendidly in black velvet and sparkling diamonds. "You are surprised to see me here?" said Sydney, interrogatively. The actress bowed silently. She seemed like one stricken dumb and incapable of speech. "You were annoyed this evening by the persistent attempts of a gentleman to obtain speech with you," went on Sydney. Again Madame De Lisle bowed silently. She seemed like one dazed, and stood regarding her visitor without remembering that courtesy required her to offer her a seat. "It is of that I wish to speak, madam. I heard you tell him he might call on you to-morrow at noon. I beg you, Madame De Lisle, to recall that permission, and to utterly decline the acquaintance of Lawrence Ernscliffe now and forever." The failing senses of La Reine Blanche seemed to return to her with a gasp. She straightened her drooping figure and looked haughtily at the speaker. "May I inquire why you proffer such a singular request?" she asked, coldly. "Is it necessary that I should explain my motive for the request? If I do so, it will be at the expense of some humiliation to myself," said the visitor, and a faint flush colored her handsome, high-bred face. For a moment they stood regarding each other fixedly--the handsome brunette in her velvet and diamonds, the lily-white blonde in her sweeping robe and veil of golden hair, looking like a "white queen" indeed. Then the actress said, in a voice full of veiled passion and almost defiance: "It would take a strong motive indeed to cause me to decline the acquaintance of Lawrence Ernscliffe. Let me know your reason that I may judge if it be potent enough to secure your wish." With a swift rush forward Sydney fell on her knees before the beautiful woman.