"Yes. I will go and look for the others at once." Waldemar made a hasty movement towards the door, but his mother laid her hand on his arm.
"I must claim your attention for a few minutes first. I have something important to discuss with you."
"Won't it do later?" asked Waldemar, impatiently. "I should like before ..."
"I particularly wish to speak to you alone," the Princess interrupted him. "You will still be in time for the sail. You can all very well put it off for a quarter of an hour."
Young Nordeck looked annoyed at being thus detained, and obeyed with evident reluctance when invited to sit down. There seemed little prospect of his attention being given to the matter in hand, for his eyes wandered off continually to the window near him which opened on to the shore.
"Our stay in C---- is drawing to an end," said the Princess; "we must soon begin to think of our departure."
Waldemar gave a start almost of dismay.
"So soon? September promises to be fine, why not spend it here?"
"I cannot, on Wanda's account. I can hardly expect my brother to do without his darling any longer. It was very unwillingly, and only by my especial wish, that he consented to leave her behind. I promised him in return that I would myself take her to Rakowicz."
"Rakowicz is not far from Wilicza, is it?" asked Waldemar, quickly.