CHAPTER IX — THE REDOUBTABLE DANGLOSS
Beverly's eyes showed her astonishment. Baron Dangloss courteously placed a chair for her and asked her to be seated.
"We were expecting you, Miss Calhoun," he explained. "Her royal highness left St. Petersburg but a few hours after your departure, having unfortunately missed you."
"You don't mean to say that the princess tried to find me in St. Petersburg?" cried Beverly, in wonder and delight.
"That was one of the purposes of her visit," said he brusquely.
"Oh, how jolly!" cried she, her gray eyes sparkling. The grim old captain was startled for the smallest fraction of a minute, but at once fell to admiring the fresh, eager face of the visitor.
"The public at large is under the impression that she visited the Czar on matters of importance," he said, with a condescending smile.
"And it really was of no importance at all, that's what you mean?" she smiled back securely.