ways　at　its　disposal；　was　a　person　almost　as　important　in　the　councils　of　his　country　as　the　Prime　Minister　himself。　It　sometimes　occurred　to　him　that　the　person　who　most　signally　failed　to　realize　this　fact　was　the　lady　who　did　him　the　honor　to　preside　over　his　household。
  〃My　dear　Margaret；〃　he　said；　〃you　can　take　my　word　for　it　that　we　know　what　we　are　about。　It　is　very　important　indeed　that　we　should　keep　on　friendly　terms　with　this　young　man；I　don't　mean　as　a　personal　matter。　It's　a　matter　of　politicsperhaps　of　something　greater；　even；　than　that。〃
  The　Duchess　liked　to　understand　everything；　and　her　husband's　reticence　annoyed　her。
  〃But　we　have　the　Japanese　Ambassador　always　with　us；〃　she　remarked。　〃A　most　delightful　person　I　call　the　Baron　Hesho；　and　I　am　sure　he　loves　us　all。〃
  〃That　is　not　exactly　the　point；　my　dear；〃　the　Duke　explained。　〃Prince　Maiyo　is　over　here　on　a　special　mission。　We　ourselves　have　only　been　able　to　surmise　its　object　with　the　aid　of　our　secret　service　in　Tokio。　You　can　rest　assured　of　one　thing；　however。　It　is　of　vast　importance　to　the　interests　of　this　country　that　we　secure　his　goodwill。〃
  The　Duchess　smiled　good　humoredly。
  〃Well；　my　dear　Ambrose；〃　she　said；　〃I　don't　know　what　more　we　can　do　than　feed　him　properly　and　give　him　pleasant　people　to　talk　to。　He　doesn't　go　in　for　sports；　does　he？　All　I　can　promise　is　that　we　will　do　our　best　to　be　agreeable　to　him。〃
  〃I　am　sure　of　it；　my　dear；〃　the　Duke　said。　〃You　haven't　committed　yourself　to　asking　any　one；　by　the　bye？〃
  〃Not　a　soul；〃　his　wife　answered；　〃except　Sir　Charles。　I　had　to　ask　him；　of　course；　for　Penelope。〃
  〃Naturally；〃　the　Duke　assented。　〃I　am　glad　Penelope　will　be　there。　I　only　wish　that　she　were　English　instead　of　American；　and　that　Maiyo　would　take　a　serious　fancy　to　her。〃
  〃Perhaps；〃　the　Duchess　said　dryly；　〃you　would　like　him　to　take　a　fancy　to　Grace？〃
  〃I　shouldn't　mind　in　the　least；〃　her　husband　declared。　〃I　never　met　a　young　man　whom　I　respected　and　admired　more。〃
  〃Nor　I；　for　that　matter；〃　the　Duchess　agreed。　〃And　yet；　somehow　or　other〃
  〃Somehow　or　other？〃　the　Duke　repeated　courteously。
  〃Well；　I　never　altogether　trust　these　paragons；〃　his　wife　said。　〃In　all　the　ordinary　affairs　of　life　the　Prince　seems　to　reach　an　almost　perfect　standard。　I　sometimes　wonder　whether　he　would　be　as　trustworthy　in　the　big　things。　Nothing　else　you　want　to　talk　about；　Ambrose？〃
  〃Nothing　at　all；〃　the　Duke　said；　rising　to　his　feet。　〃I　only　wanted　to　make　it　plain　that　we　don't　require　a　house　party　next　week。〃
  〃I　shan't　ask　a　soul；〃　the　Duchess　answered。　〃Do　you　mind　ringing　the　bell　as　you　pass？　I'll　have　Miss　Smith　back　again　and　send　these　letters　off。〃
  〃Good！〃　the　Duke　declared。　〃I'm　going　down　to　the　House；　but　I　don't　suppose　there'll　be　anything　doing。　By　the　bye；　we　shall　have　to　be　a　little　feudal　next　week。　Japan　is　a　country　of　many　ceremonies；　and；　after　all；　Maiyo　is　one　of　the　Royal　Family。　I　have　written　Perkins；　to　stir　him　up　a　little。〃
  The　Duke　drove　down　to　the　House；　but　called　first　in　Downing　Street。　He　found　the　Prime　Minister　anxious　to　see　him。
  〃You've　arranged　about　Maiyo　coming　down　to　you　next　week？〃　he　asked。
  〃That's　all　right；〃　the　Duke　answered。　〃He　is　coming；　for　certain。　One　good　thing　about　that　young　manhe　never　breaks　an　engagement。〃
  The　Prime　Minister　consulted　a　calendar　which　lay　open　before　him。
  〃Do　you　mind；〃　he　asked；　〃if　I　come；　too；　and　Bransome？〃
  〃Why；　of　course　not；〃　the　Duke　replied。　〃We　shall　be　delighted。　We　have　seventy　bedrooms；　and　only　half　a　dozen　or　so　of　us。　But　tell　meis　this　young　man　as　important　as　all　that？〃
  〃We　shall　have　to　have　a　serious　talk；〃　the　Prime　Minister　said；　〃in　a　few　days'　time。　I　don't　think　that　even　you　grasp　the　exact　position　of　affairs　as　they　stand　today。　Just　now　I　am　bothered　to　death　about　other　things。　Heseltine　has　just　been　in　from　the　Home　Office。　He　is　simply　inundated　with　correspondence　from　America　about　those　two　murders。〃
  The　Duke　nodded。
  〃It's　an　odd　thing；〃　he　remarked；　〃that　they　should　both　have　been　Americans。〃
  〃Heseltine　thinks　there's　something　behind　this　correspondence；〃　the　Prime　Minister　said　slowly。　〃Washington　was　very　secretive　about　the　man　Fynes'　identity。　I　found　that　out　from　Scotland　Yard。　Do　you　know；　I'm　half　inclined　to　think；　although　I　can't　get　a　word　out　of　Harvey；　that　this　man　Fynes〃
  The　Prime　Minister　hesitated。
  〃Well？〃　the　Duke　asked　a　little　impatiently。
  〃I　don't　want　to　go　too　far；〃　his　chief　said。　〃I　am　making　some　fresh　inquiries；　and　I　am　hoping　to　get　at　the　bottom　of　the　matter　very　shortly。　One　thing　is　very　certain；　though；　and　that　is　that　no　two　murders　have　ever　been　committed　in　this　city　with　more　cold…blooded　deliberation；　and　with　more　of　what　I　should　call　diabolical　cleverness。　Take　the　affair　of　poor　young　Vanderpole；　for　instance。　The　person　who　entered　his　taxi　and　killed　him　must　have　done　so　while　the　vehicle　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　road　at　one　of　the　three　blocks。　Not　only　that；　but　he　must　have　been　a　friend；　or　some　one　posing　as　a　friendsome　one；　at　any　rate；　of　his　own　order。　Vanderpole　was　over　six　feet　high；　and　as　muscular　as　a　young　bull。　He　could　have　thrown　any　one　out　into　the　street　who　had　attempted　to　assault　him　openly。〃
  〃It　is　the　most　remarkable　case　I　ever　heard　of　in　my　life；〃　the　Duke　admitted；　helping　himself　to　a　cigarette　from　a　box　which　he　had　just　discovered。
  〃There　is　another　point；〃　the　Prime　Minister　continued。　〃There　are　features　in　common　about　both　these　murders。　Not　only　were　they　both　the　work　of　a　most　accomplished　criminal；　but　he　must　have　been　possessed　of　an　iron　nerve　and　amazing　strength。　The　dagger　by　which　Hamilton　Fynes　was　stabbed　was　driven　through　the　middle　of　his　heart。　The　cord　with　which　Vanderpole　was　strangled　must　have　been　turned　by　a　wrist　of　steel。　No　time　for　a　word　afterwards；　mind；　or　before。　It　was　a　wonderful　feat。　I　am　not　surprised　that　the　Americans　can't　understand　it。〃
  〃They　don't　suggest；　I　suppose；〃　the　Duke　asked；　〃that　we　are　not　trying　to　clear　the　matter　up？〃
  〃They　don't　suggest　it；〃　his　chief　answered；　〃but　I　can't　quite　make　out　what's　at　the　back　of　their　heads。　However；　I　won't　bother　you　about　that　now。　If　I　were　to　propound　Heseltine's　theory　to　you；　you　would　think　that　he　had　been　reading　the　works　of　some　of　our　enterprising　young　novelists。　Things　will　have　cleared　up；　I　dare　say；　by　next　week。　I　am　coming　round　to　the　House　for　a　moment　if　you're　not　in　a　hurry。〃
  The　Duke　assented；　and　waited　while　the　secretary　locked　up　the　papers　which　the　Prime　Minister　had　been　examining；　and　prepared　others　to　be　carried　into　the　House。　The　two　men　left　the　place　together；　and　the　Duke　pointed　toward　his　brougham。
  〃Do　you　mind　walking？〃　the　Prime　Minister　said。　〃There　is　another　matter　I'd　like　to　talk　to　you　about；　and　there's　nowhere　better　than　the　streets　for　a　little　conversation。　Besides；　I　need　the　air。〃
  〃With　pleasure；〃　the　Duke　answered；　who　loathed　walking。
  He　directed　his　coachman　to　precede　them；　and　they　started　off；　arm　in　arm。
  〃Devenham；〃　the　Prime　Minister　said；　〃we　were　speaking；　a　few　minutes　ago；　of　Prince　Maiyo。　I　want　you　to　understand　this；　that　upon　that　young　man　depends　entirely　the　success　or　failure　of　my　administration。〃
  〃You　are　serious？〃　the　Duke　exclaimed。
  〃Absolutely；〃　the　Prime　Minister　answered。　〃I　know　quite　well　what　he　is　here　for。　He　is　here　to　make　up　his　mind　whether　it　will　pay　Japan　to　renew　her　treaty　with　us；　or　whether　it　would　be　more　to　her　advantage　to　enter　into　an　alliance　with　any　other　European　power。　He　has　been　to　most　of　the　capitals　in　Europe。　He　has　been　here　with　us。　By　this　time　he　has　made　up　his　mind。　He　knows　quite　well　what　his　report　will　be。　Yet　you　can't　get　a　word　out　of　him。　He　is　a　delightful　young　fellow；　I　know；　but　he　is　as　clever　as　any　trained　diplomatist　I　have　ever　come　across。　I've　had　him　to　dine　with　me　alone；　and　I've　done　all　that　I　could　to　make　him　talk。　When　he　went　away；　I　knew　just　exactly　as　much　as　I　did　before　he　came。〃
  He　seems　pleased　enough　with　us；〃　the　Duke　remarked。
  〃I　am　not　so　sure；〃　the　Prime　Minister　answered。　〃He　has　travelled　about　a　good　deal　in　England。　I　heard　of　him　in　Manchester　and　Sheffield；　Newcastle　and　Leicester；　absolutely　unattended。　I　wonder　what　he　was　doing　there。〃
  〃From　my　experience　of　him；〃　the　Duke　said；　〃I　don't　think　we　shall　know　until　he　chooses　to　tell　us。〃
  〃I　am　afraid　you　are　right；〃　the　Prime　Minister　declared。　〃At　the　same　time　you　might　just　drop　a　hint　to　your　wife；　and　to　that　remarkably　clever　young　niece　of　hers；　Miss　Penelope　Morse。　Of　course；　I　don't　expect　that　he　would　unbosom　himself　to　any　one；　but；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　as　we　are　situated　now；　the　faintest　hint　as　regards　his　inclinations；　or　lack　of　inclinations；　towards　certain　things　would　be　of　immense　service。　If　he　criticised　any　of　our　institutions；　for　instance；　his　remarks　would　be　most　interesting。　Then　he　has　been　spending　several　months　in　various　capitals。　He　would　not　be　likely　to　tell　any　one　his　whole　impressions　of　those　few　months；　but　a　phrase；　a　word；　even　a　gesture；　to　a　clever　woman　might　mean　a　grea