She paused, got up, and looking straight at me, said icily:
“Can you not find some other opportunity to tell her what to say?”
I caught my breath with the pain of this and bit my lip as I gripped the back of my chair tightly. I think she must have seen something of what I suffered in that moment. Then I bowed.
“I have no answer to that, Princess. I shall leave Belgrade to-night for good. Of that you may now rest assured. Shall I take you back to the ballroom?”
But instead of placing her hand on the arm I offered, she sat down again and turned her face away from me. I stood a few moments in some hesitation and then said: “I bid you farewell, Princess;” and walked away.
“Mr. Bergwyn,” she called, when I had taken some half dozen paces. I stopped and turned. “I wish to speak to you.” She spoke without looking at me. I retraced my steps and stood by my former seat. Some moments of tense silence followed.
I broke the silence. “This has become very embarrassing to me, Princess; but I have decided upon my course. There are some things I have to tell you, but with your permission I will write them and send them by Karasch whom you can question as to the truth of that part of them which he knows. I recognise now the mistake I made in coming to the capital, and I will remedy it at once. I can easily find a pretext for my sudden departure.”
“No. You must not go. Please, sit down. Don’t you understand that we are probably being watched, although not overheard.”
I resumed my seat then; and again we were silent.
“You are angry at what I said?” she asked at length.