"Why? You do not wish—"
"Certainly not. At least, not now."
"I don't understand."
"You will very soon. If the King has any motive for holding his tongue, or misleading us with regard to our fellow-countryman, his courtiers must not hear his answers, lest, later on, we should fail to get more reliable replies from them."
"That is very true," I added, and, turning to Miss Poles, I said—"Do not forget for a moment that you are in the presence of a despot, before whom all these people bow down and worship in fear and trembling. You will not find any one of them of much use to you, if, by pleasing you, he would run the risk of displeasing the King."
"Then," exclaimed our Englishwoman, "we ought to have asked for a private audience."
"Do not be uneasy. We intend to ask for a private audience, but for to-day we must put up with what is given to us. Besides, we rather mistrust the presence of all these hangers-on."
"If we cannot speak to-day, let us go."
"Go? Where is your politeness, Miss Poles?"
"Does the King show us any?"