I was very near being arrested--on your account again! You are destined to turn the heads of men of business!' At this point Margaret became aware that she and Logotheti were talking in undertones, while the conversation at the table had become general, and she reluctantly gave up the idea of again asking where he had got his information about her interview with Mr.Van Torp in New York.

The dinner came to an end before long, and the men went out with the ladies, and began to smoke in the drawing-room, standing round the coffee.
Lady Maud put her arm through Margaret's.
'Cigarettes are bad for your throat, I'm sure,' she said, 'and I hate them.' She led the Primadonna away through a curtained door to a small room furnished according to Eastern ideas of comfort, and she sat down on a low, hard divan, which was covered with a silk carpet.

The walls were hung with Persian silks, and displayed three or four texts from the Koran, beautifully written in gold on a green ground.

Two small inlaid tables stood near the divan, one at each end, and two deep English easy-chairs, covered with red leather, were placed symmetrically beside them.

There was no other furniture, and there were no gimcracks about, such as Europeans think necessary in an 'oriental' room.
With her plain black velvet, Lady Maud looked handsomer than ever in the severely simple surroundings.
'Do you mind ?' she asked, as Margaret sat down beside her.