Nella's this afternoon was at the flood.

Vivacious, alert, imperious, and yet ineffably sweet, she seemed to radiate the very joy and exuberance of life.
'I have forgotten,' he said.
'You have forgotten! That is surely very wrong of you?
You gave me to understand that it was something terribly important.

But of course I knew it couldn't be, because no man, and especially no Prince, ever discussed anything really important with a woman.' 'Recollect, Miss Racksole, that this afternoon, here, I am not the Prince.' 'You are Count Steenbock, is that it ?' He started.

'For you only,' he said, unconsciously lowering his voice.
'Miss Racksole, I particularly wish that no one here should know that I was in Paris last spring.' 'An affair of State ?' she smiled.
'An affair of State,' he replied soberly.

'Even Dimmock doesn't know.