stammered Carmelita, "but your presence came as even more of a surprise to me than mine must have to you. You see, I did not even know you were in this country."
"Oh, yes. I am not only in this country but I am occupying the estate just down the road from this one."
For some strange reason Carmelita had a feeling of being trapped. Had the Prince known she was coming here? Was this a conspiracy on the part of Lucy and Rao-Singh? She dismissed the thought as disloyalty to her friend. Besides, Lucy knew nothing of his attempt to make forcible love to her in Paris.
The truth about this meeting would have given Carmelita a second surprise. Lucy Hodge had never expected Prince Rao-Singh to take seriously the invitation which she extended to him in Paris to visit America. But when he had announced his arrival to her over the telephone and then accepted her invitation to come out to her Long Island country home and actually put in an appearance, Lucy being an opportunist and appreciating the advantage of being sponsor for such a distinguished, rich and unusual visitor to our shores as the Indian potentate, had suggested casually that he rent a villa nearby for the summer. Prince Rao-Singh had surprised her again by acting upon her suggestion. Within a week he was
