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 old Samurai family. His father is an army officer on General Oku's staff. So may Samugi be, for that matter."

"Then why is he taking a servile position here?"

"Oh, that is done very often. Who knows the reason? Not I, nor do I care. Perhaps he's an army spy, perhaps he's writing a sociological book on the American millionaires, perhaps he is sent by his government for private reasons. But most likely of all he is simply desperately in love with Miss Priscilla Quarich, and has taken this devious oriental method of pressing a hopeless suit."

"Hopeless?" Valeska's eyes snapped.

"Of course. The question now is, what are we to do about it? If Miss Quarich finds out, she, of course, will have him immediately discharged. The only thing is to wait till we get his message definitely."

Valeska tossed her head and walked away. "So you consider yourself an expert in the human heart, do you?" she asked jauntily, as she put on her furs.

"I confess I don't know much about yours," was his retort; and then, as he watched her out of the door he added slowly, "I wish to Heaven I did!"

Three weeks elapsed, Miss Quarich having been put off from day to day on one excuse or another. But each Saturday a new gift had been received. On December twelfth it had been an exquisite inlaid mother-of-pearl lorgnette. On the nineteenth she had received a magnificently-set opal, and the next week a huge box of violets arrived, fresh and fragrant from Morley's. The tenor of the message was now growing evident. According to the presents so far received, it read,