“They are a bit slow at adopting anything,” commented Carlton.  “Did you know, Mrs. Downs, that electric lights are still as scarce in London as they are in Timbuctoo?  Why, I saw an electric-light plant put up in a Western town in three days once; there were over a hundred burners in one saloon, and the engineer who put them up told me in confidence that—­”

What the chief engineer told him in confidence was never disclosed, for at that moment Miss Morris interrupted him with a sudden sharp exclamation.

“Oh, Mr. Carlton,” she exclaimed, breathlessly, “listen to this!” She had been reading one of the dozen papers which Carlton had purchased at the station, and was now shaking one of them at him, with her eyes fixed on the open page.

“My dear Edith,” remonstrated her aunt, “Mr. Carlton was telling us—­”

“Yes, I know,” exclaimed Miss Morris, laughing, “but this interests him much more than electric lights.  Who do you think is in London?” she cried, raising her eyes to his, and pausing for proper dramatic effect.  “The Princess Aline of Hohenwald!”

“No?” shouted Carlton.

“Yes,” Miss Morris answered, mocking his tone.  “Listen. `The Queen’s Drawing-room’—­em—­e—­m—­`on her right was the Princess of Wales’—­em—­m.  Oh, I can’t find it—­no—­yes, here it is. `Next to her stood the Princess Aline of Hohenwald.  She wore a dress of white silk, with train of silver brocade trimmed with fur.  Ornaments—­emeralds and diamonds; orders—­Victoria and Albert, jubilee Commemoration Medal, Coburg and Gotha, and Hohenwald and Grasse.’”

“By Jove!” cried Carlton, excitedly.  “I say, is that really there?  Let me see it, please, for myself.”

Miss Morris handed him the paper, with her finger on the paragraph, and picking up another, began a search down its columns.

“You are right,” exclaimed Carlton, solemnly; “it’s she, sure enough.  And here I’ve been within two hours of her and didn’t know it?”

Miss Morris gave another triumphant cry, as though she had discovered a vein of gold.

“Yes, and here she is again,” she said, “in the Gentlewoman:  `The Queen’s dress was of black, as usual, but relieved by a few violet ribbons in the bonnet; and Princess Beatrice, who sat by her mother’s side, showed but little trace of the anxiety caused by Princess Ena’s accident.  Princess Aline, on the front seat, in a light brown jacket and a becoming bonnet, gave the necessary touch to a picture which Londoners would be glad to look upon more often.’”

Carlton sat staring forward, with his hands on his knees, and with his eyes open wide from excitement.  He presented so unusual an appearance of bewilderment and delight that Mrs. Downs looked at him and at her niece for some explanation.  “The young lady seems to interest you,” said she, tentatively.

“She is the most charming creature in the world, Mrs. Downs,” cried Carlton, “and I was going all the way to Grasse to see her, and now it turns out that she is here in England, within a few miles of us.”  He turned and waved his hands at the passing landscape.  “Every minute brings us nearer together.”