III + 

But with the arrival of the royal party M. de Kernogan’s troubles began. To begin with, though M. Martin-Roget had not arrived, my lord Tony undoubtedly had. He had come in, in the wake of Lady Blakeney, but very soon he began wandering round the room obviously in search of someone. Immediately there appeared to be quite a conspiracy among the young folk in the ballroom to keep both Lord Tony’s and Mlle. Yvonne’s movements hidden from the prying eyes of M. le duc: and anon His Royal Highness, after a comprehensive survey of the ballroom and a few gracious words to his more intimate circle, wandered away to the cardroom, and as luck would have it he claimed M. le duc de Kernogan for a partner at faro. + 

Now M. le duc was a courtier of the old regime: to have disobeyed the royal summons would in his eyes have been nothing short of a crime. He followed the royal party to the cardroom, and on his way thither had one gleam of comfort in that he saw Lady Blakeney sitting on a sofa in the octagon hall engaged in conversation with his daughter, whilst Lord Anthony Dewhurst was nowhere in sight. + 

However, the gleam of comfort was very brief, for less than a quarter of an hour after he had sat down at His Highness’ table, Lady Blakeney came into the cardroom and stood thereafter for some little while close beside the Prince’s chair. The next hour after that was one of special martyrdom for the anxious father, for he knew that his daughter was in all probability sitting out in a specially secluded corner in the company of my lord Tony. + 

If only Martin-Roget were here! + 