Being about the same figure as Lieutenant Mild the same dress fits him, with a little alteration by the tailor.' It did fit him indeed; and of the male costumes it was that on which Somerset had bestowed most pains when designing them.

It shrewdly burst upon his mind that there might have been collusion between Mild and De Stancy, the former agreeing to take the captain's place and act as blind till the last moment.

A greater question was, could Paula have been aware of this, and would she perform as the Princess of France now De Stancy was to be her lover?
'Does Miss Power know of this change ?' he inquired.
'She did not till quite a short time ago.' He controlled his impatience till the beginning of the second act.

The Princess entered; it was Paula.

But whether the slight embarrassment with which she pronounced her opening words, 'Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise,' was due to the newness of her situation, or to her knowledge that De Stancy had usurped Mild's part of her lover, he could not guess.