Penelope　suddenly　intervenedintervened；　too；　in　somewhat　startling　fashion。
  〃Charlie；〃　she　said；　〃you　are　talking　like　a　baby！　I　am　ashamed　of　you！　I　am　ashamed　of　you　all！　You　are　talking　like　narrow…minded；　ignorant　little　squireens。〃
  Somerfield　went　slowly　white。　He　looked　across　at　Penelope；　but　the　angry　flash　in　his　eyes　was　met　by　an　even　brighter　light　in　her　own。
  〃I　will　tell　you　what　I　think！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃I　think　that　you　are　all　guilty　of　the　most　ridiculous　presumption　in　criticising　such　a　man　as　the　Prince。　You　would　dareyou；　Captain　Wilmot；　and　you；　Charlie；　and　you；　Mr。　Hannaway；〃　she　added；　turning　to　the　third　young　man；　〃to　stand　there　and　tell　us　all　in　a　lordly　way　that　the　Prince　is　no　sportsman；　as　though　that　mysterious　phrase　disposed　of　him　altogether　as　a　creature　inferior　to　you　and　your　kind！　If　only　you　could　realize　the　absolute　absurdity　of　any　of　you　attempting　to　depreciate　a　person　so　immeasurably　above　you！　Prince　Maiyo　is　a　man；　not　an　overgrown　boy　to　go　through　life　shooting　birds；　playing　games　which　belong　properly　to　your　schooldays；　and　hanging　round　the　stage　doors　of　half　the　theatres　in　London。　You　are　satisfied　with　your　lives　and　the　Prince　is　satisfied　with　his。　He　belongs　to　a　race　whom　you　do　not　understand。　Let　him　alone。　Don't　presume　to　imagine　yourselves　his　superior　because　he　does　not　conform　to　your　pygmy　standard　of　life。〃
  Penelope　was　standing　now；　her　slim；　elegant　form　throbbing　with　the　earnestness　of　her　words；　a　spot　of　angry　color　burning　in　her　cheeks。　During　the　moment's　silence　which　followed；　Lady　Grace　too　rose　to　her　feet　and　came　to　her　friend's　side。
  〃I　agree　with　every　word　Penelope　has　said；〃　she　declared。
  The　Duchess　smiled。
  〃Come；〃　she　said　soothingly；　〃we　mustn't　take　this　little　affair　too　seriously。　You　are　all　right；　all　of　you。　Every　one　must　live　according　to　his　bringing　up。　The　Prince；　no　doubt；　is　as　faithful　to　his　training　and　instincts　as　the　young　men　of　our　own　country。　It　is　more　interesting　to　compare　than　to　criticise。〃
  Somerfield；　who　for　a　moment　had　been　too　angry　to　speak；　had　now　recovered　himself。
  〃I　think；〃　he　said　stiffly；　〃that　we　had　better　drop　the　subject。　I　had　no　idea　that　Miss　Morse　felt　so　strongly　about　it　or　I　should　not　have　presumed；　even　here　and　amongst　ourselves；　to　criticise　a　person　who　holds　such　a　high　place　in　her　esteem。　Everard；　I'll　play　you　a　game　of　billiards　before　we　go　upstairs。　There's　just　time。〃
  Captain　Wilmot　hesitated。　He　was　a　peace…loving　man；　and；　after　all；　Penelope　and　his　friend　were　engaged。
  〃Perhaps　Miss　Morse〃　he　began。
  Penelope　turned　upon　him。
  〃I　should　like　you　all　to　understand；〃　she　declared；　〃that　every　word　I　said　came　from　my　heart；　and　that　I　would　say　it　again；　and　more；　with　the　same　provocation。〃
  There　was　a　finality　about　Penelope's　words　which　left　no　room　for　further　discussion。　The　little　group　was　broken　up。　She　and　Lady　Grace　went　to　their　rooms　together。
  〃Penelope；　you're　a　dear！〃　the　latter　said；　as　they　mounted　the　stairs。　〃I　am　afraid　you've　made　Charlie　very　angry；　though。〃
  〃I　hope　I　have；〃　Penelope　answered。　〃I　meant　to　make　him　angry。　I　think　that　such　self…sufficiency　is　absolutely　stifling。　It　makes　me　sometimes　almost　loathe　young　Englishmen　of　his　class。〃
  〃And　you　don't　dislike　the　Prince　so　much　nowadays？〃　Lady　Grace　remarked　with　transparent　indifference。
  〃No！〃　Penelope　answered。　〃That　is　finished。　I　misunderstood　him　at　first。　It　was　entirely　my　own　fault。　I　was　prejudiced；　and　I　hated　to　feel　that　I　was　in　the　wrong。　I　do　not　see　how　any　one　could　dislike　him　unless　they　were　enemies　of　his　country。　Then　I　fancy　that　they　might　have　cause。
  Lady　Grace　sighed。
  〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　Penelope；〃　she　said；　〃I　almost　wish　that　he　were　not　quite　so　devotedly　attached　to　his　country。〃
  Penelope　was　silent。　They　had　reached　Lady　Grace's　room　now；　and　were　standing　together　on　the　hearthrug　in　front　of　the　fire。
  〃I　am　afraid　he　is　like　that；〃　Penelope　said　gently。　〃He　seems　to　have　none　of　the　ordinary　weaknesses　of　men。　I；　too；　wish　sometimes　that　he　were　a　little　different。　One　would　like　to　think　of　him；　for　his　own　sake；　as　being　happy　some　day。　He　reminds　me　somehow　of　the　men　who　build　and　build；　toiling　always　through　youth　unto　old　age。　There　seems　no　limit　to　their　strength；　nor　any　respite。　They　build　a　palace　which　those　who　come　after　them　must　inhabit。〃
  Once　more　Lady　Grace　sighed。　She　was　looking　into　the　heart　of　the　fire。　Penelope　took　her　hands。
  〃It　is　hard　sometimes；　dear；〃　she　said；　〃to　realize　that　a　thing　is　impossible；　that　it　is　absolutely　out　of　our　reach。　Yet　it　is　better　to　bring　one's　mind　to　it　than　to　suffer　all　the　days。〃
  Lady　Grace　looked　up。　At　that　moment　she　was　more　than　pretty。　Her　eyes　were　soft　and　bright；　the　color　had　flooded　her　cheeks。
  〃But　I　don't　see　WHY　it　should　be　impossible；　Penelope；〃　she　protested。　〃We　are　equals　in　every　way。　Alliances　between　our　two　countries　are　greatly　to　be　desired。　I　have　heard　my　father　say　so；　and　Mr。　Haviland。　The　trouble　is；　Pen；〃　she　added　with　trembling　lips；　〃that　he　does　not　care　for　me。〃
  〃You　cannot　tell；〃　Penelope　answered。　〃He　has　never　shown　any　signs　of　caring　for　any　woman。　Remember；　though；　that　he　would　want　you　to　live　in　Japan。〃
  〃I'd　live　in　Thibet　if　he　asked　me　to；〃　Lady　Grace　declared；　raising　her　handkerchief　to　her　eyes；　〃but　he　never　will。　He　doesn't　care。　He　doesn't　understand。　I　am　very　foolish；　Penelope。〃
  Penelope　kissed　her　gently。
  〃Dear；〃　she　said；　〃you　are　not　the　only　foolish　woman　in　the　world。〃　。　。　。
  Conversation　amongst　the　younger　members　of　the　house…party　at　Devenham　Castle　was　a　little　disjointed　that　evening。　Perhaps　Penelope；　who　came　down　in　a　wonderful　black　velveteen　gown；　with　a　bunch　of　scarlet　roses　in　her　corsage；　was　the　only　one　who　seemed　successfully　to　ignore　the　passage　of　arms　which　had　taken　place　so　short　a　while　ago。　She　talked　pleasantly　to　Somerfield；　who　tried　to　be　dignified　and　succeeded　only　in　remaining　sulky。　Chance　had　placed　her　at　some　distance　from　the　Prince；　to　whom　Lady　Grace　was　talking　with　a　subdued　softness　in　her　manner　which　puzzled　Captain　Wilmot；　her　neighbor　on　the　other　side。
  〃I　saw　you　with　all　the　evening　papers　as　usual；　Bransome；〃　the　Prime　Minister　remarked　during　the　service　of　dinner。　〃Was　there　any　news？〃
  〃Nothing　much；〃　the　Foreign　Secretary　replied。　〃Consuls　are　down　another　point　and　the　Daily　Comet　says　that　you　are　like　a　drowning　man　clinging　to　the　raft　of　your　majority。　Excellent　cartoon　of　you；　by　the　bye。　You　shall　see　it　after　dinner。〃
  〃Thank　you；〃　the　Prime　Minister　said。　〃Was　there　anything　about　you　in　the　same　paper　by　any　chance？〃
  〃Nothing　particularly　abusive；〃　Sir　Edward　answered　blandly。　〃By　the　bye；　the　police　declare　that　they　have　a　definite　clue　this　time；　and　are　going　to　arrest　the　murderer　of　Hamilton　Fynes　and　poor　dicky　Vanderpole　tonight　or　tomorrow。〃
  〃Excellent！〃　the　Duke　declared。　〃It　would　have　been　a　perfect　disgrace　to　our　police　system　to　have　left　two　such　crimes　undetected。　Our　respected　friend　at　the　Home　Office　will　have　a　little　peace　now。〃
  〃How　about　me？〃　Bransome　grumbled。　〃Haven't　I　been　worried　to　death；　too？〃
  The　Prince；　who　had　just　finished　describing　to　Lady　Grace　a　typical　landscape　of　his　country；　turned　toward　Bransome。
  〃I　think　that　I　heard　you　say　something　about　a　discovery　in　connection　with　those　wonderful　murder　cases；〃　he　said。　〃Has　any　one　actually　been　arrested？〃
  〃My　paper　was　an　early　edition；〃　Bransome　answered；　〃but　it　spoke　of　a　sensational　denouement　within　the　next　few　hours。　I　should　imagine　that　it　is　all　over　by　now。　At　the　same　time　it's　absurd　how　the　Press　give　these　things　away。　It　seems　that　some　fellow　who　was　bicycling　saw　a　man　get　in　and　out　of　poor　Dicky's　taxi　and　is　quite　prepared　to　swear　to　him。〃
  〃Has　he　not　been　rather　a　long　time　in　coming　forward　with　his　evidence？〃　the　Prince　remarked。　〃I　do　not　remember　to　have　seen　any　mention　of　such　a　person　in　the　papers　before。〃
  〃He　watched　so　well；〃　Bransome　answered；　〃and　was　so　startled　that　he　was　knocked　down　and　run　over。　The　detective　in　charge　of　the　case　found　him　in　a　hospital。〃
  〃These　things　always　come　out　sooner　or　later；〃　the　Prime　Minister　remarked。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　our　police　wait　too　long　before　they　make　an　arrest。　They　play　with　their　victim　so　deliberately　that　sometimes　he　slips　through　their　fingers。　Very　often；　too；　they　let　a　man　go　who　would　give　himself　away　from　sheer　fright　if　he　felt　the　touch　of　a　policeman　upon　his　shoulder。〃
  〃As　a　nation；〃　Bransome　remarked；　helping　himself　to　the　entree；　〃we　handle　life　amongst　ourselves　with　perpetual　kid　gloves。　We　are　always　afraid　of　molesting　the　liberty　of　the　subject。　A　trifle　more　brutality　sometimes　would　make　for　strength。　We　are　like　a　dentist　whose　work　suffers　because　he　is　afraid　of　hurting　his　patient。〃
  Somerfield　was　watching　his　fiancee　curiously。
  〃Are　you　really　very　pale　tonight；　Penelope；〃　he　asked；　〃or　is　it　those　red　flowers　which　have　drawn　all　the　color　from　your　cheeks？〃
  〃I　believe　that　I　am　pale；〃　Penelope　answered。　〃I　a