"A handle——?"

"Yes. I used to be Grand Duke Peter Nicholaevitch of Zukovo and Galitzin——"

"G-Grand Duke Peter!" she whispered in a daze. And then, "Oh—how—how could you?" she gasped.

Peter laughed.

"I couldn't help it, Beth. I was born that—way. But you will forgive me, won't you?"

"Forgive——? Oh—it—it makes such a difference to find—you're not you—but somebody else——"

"No. I amme. I'm not anybody else. But I had to tell you—sometime. You don't think any the less of me, do you, Beth?"

"I—I don't know what to think. I'm so—you're so——"

"What?"

"Grand—and I'm——"