Evening star., 1907-09-01
THE POWERS AND MAXINE.

| moiselle de Renzie there"
| "Mademoiselle de Renzie! exclaimed
Ivor. of his guard for an instant. and
showing plainly that he was taken aback:
| Isn't she a friend Of yours?" asked the
foreign secretary rather sharply. Though
| I couldn't see him, I knew exactly how he
| would be looking at Ivor, his keen gray
eyes narrowed, his clean-shaven lips drawn
! in, the long, well-shaped hand, of which he
| Is said to be vain. toying with the pale
| Malmaison pink he always wears in his
| buttonhole.
"Yes. she is friend Of mine," Ivor an
"A but already! Perhaps I'd better tell
| you that the mission has to do with
| Mademoiselle de Renzie. and, directly, with
| no one else. She has acted as my agent in
| Paris"
Indeed! I didn't dream that she dab
| bled in politics.
And you should not dream 1t from any
| word of mine. Mr.. Dundas. if it weren't
| necessary to be entirely open with you, II
! you are to help me in this matter. But be-
| fore We go any further, 1 must know
| whether Mademoselie de RenZie's connec-
| ton with this business will for any reason
. keep you out of it,
| Not if-you need my help said Ivor,
with an effort; And 1 beg you won't sup
| pose that my hesitation has anything to do
with Miss de Renzie herself. l have for
| her the greatest respect and admiration
I'VE all have returned the foreign sec
| retary, especially those who know her
best. Among her many virtues she's one
| of the few women who can keep d secret
her own and those of others. She is a
| magnificent actress-on the stage and off.
And now | have your promise to help me,
| must tell you it's 10 help her as well,
| therefore l owe you the whole truth or
you will be handicapped. For several
| years Mademoiselle de Renzie has done
| good service-secret service, you must un-
UorStand-fOr Great Rritain'
by Jove! Maxine a political spy!' Ivor
| broke out impulsively.
| That's rather a hard name. isn't it?
There are better ones. And she S no traitor
! to her country, because, as you perhaps
| know. she's Polish by birth. 1 can assure
you we've much for which to thank her
cleverness and tact-and beauty. For our
sakes I'm sorry that she's serving our in
terests professionally for the last time. For
! her own sake. l ought to rejoice. as she's
engaged to be married. And if you can
save her from coming to grief over this
| very ticklish business she'll probably live
| happily ever after. Did you know of her
engagement"
No. replied Ivor II saw Miss de
Kenzie often when she was acting in Lon
don year ago, but after she went to
Paris-of course. she's very busy and has
crowds Of friends, and I've only crossed
once or twice since, on very hurried visits
other"
every good reason I thought bitterly
behind my sofa. You've been busy, too
falling In love with Diana Forrest.'D
1t hasn't been announced yet, but
thought as an old friend you might have
been told. l believe mademoiselle wants
to surprise everybody when the right time
comes-if the poor girl isn't ruined ire
trievably in this affair Of ours"
us there really serious danger Of that %
The most serious. If,you can't save her,
not only will the entente cordiale be shaken
to Its foundations (and I say nothing of
nUyT1 rot hi Oh, l.,
but her future happiness will be broken in
the crash. and-she says-she will not live
to suffer the agony Of her loss. She will
XIII herself If disaster comes and though
suicide Is usually the last resource of
coward. Mademosele de Renze is no
| coward. and I'm inclined to think I should
come to the same resolve in her place."
Tell me what I am to do" said Ivor.
evidently moved by the foreign secretary's s
strange words and his intense earnestness.
You will go to Paris by the first train
tomorrow morning. without mentioning
your intention to any one; you will drive
never stayed and are not known. 1 will
find means Of informing the lady of what
hotter you choose. You will there give
fictitious name Qet US say, George Sand
private sitting room. That DONE you will
say that you are expecting a lady to call
upon you, and will see no one else. You
will walt till Mademoiselle de Renze ap-
cars which will certainly be as soon as
she can possibly manage; and when you
and she are alone together sure that you're
not being spied upon. you will put into her
hands a small packet which 1 shall give
you before we part tonight"
1T sounds simple enough said Ivor, eff
that's ALL
"It is all. Yet 1t may be ANYTHING but
simple"
Would you prefer to have me call at her
house and save her coming to hotel? I'd
willingly do SO if"
No. AS I told you, should it be known
that you and she meet those who are
watching her at present ought not to sus-
pect the real motive of the meeting. So
much the better for us, but we must think
OF her. After o'clock every afternoon the
young Frenchman she's engaged to Is in
the habit of going to her house, and stop
ping until it's time for her to go to work
He dimes with her, but doesn't drive with
her to the theater as that would be rather
too public for the present, until their en-
gagements announced. He adOres her, but
Is inconvenlently Jealous like most Latins.
It's practically certain that he's heard your
name mentioned in connection with hers,
when she was in London and as a French
man invariably fails to understand that a
man can admire a beautiful woman with
out being in love with her. your call at her
house might give Mademoiselle Maxine a
mauvas quart d'heure."
Il see. But If she sends him away and
comes to my hotel
She'll probably make some excuse about
and thus get rid of him. She's quite clever
enough to manage that Then, as your
own name won't appear on any hotel list
In the papers next day. the most jealous
heart need have no cause for suspicion At
the same time, II certain persons whom
mademoiselle-and we, too-have to fear, do
find out that she has visited Ivor Dundas,
who has assumed a false name for the
pleasure Of a private interview with her.
interests of even deeper importance than
the most desperate love affair may still,
Well hope, be guarded by the pretext Of
your old friendship. Now. you understand
thoroughly2'
Il think So" replied Ivor, very grave and
troubled. knew by the change in his man
ner. out Of which all the gayety had been
slowly drained. Il will do my very best"
IF you are sacrificing any important en-
gagements Of your own for the next two
days, you won't suffer for it in the end"
remarked the foreign secretary meaningly.
No doubt Ivor saw the consulship at Al
giers dancing before his eyes, bound up
with an engagement to Di, just as a slice
Of rich plum cake and white bride cake are
tied together with bows of satin ribbons
sometimes in America. I didn't want him
to have the consulship, because getting
that would perhaps mean getting Di, too
Thank you," said Ivor.
And what hotel shall you choose in