“All,” replied Boris. “The boyarine in the Tapestried Chamber; in the room on her right the two maids, in that on the left the—the——”
“The Ugly One,” interjected Nadia.
“And the rest here and there in different rooms.”
“And they are staying for the night only?” asked Wilfrid.
“For the night only. They set off at ten in the morning for St Petersburg.”
“You didn’t hear the boyarine’s name?”
“We didn’t hear the names of any of them. They wish to remain unknown. ‘The name,’ said the officer with the spurs, who seems to be the boyarine’s right-hand man, ‘the name by which we choose to be known is Pay-well. Ask questions and it shall be Pay-not.’”
“It is the fashion,” remarked Nadia, “with some of our noble ladies to spend a week or two of religious seclusion in some convent. From a few words let fall by one of the party I believe the boyarine is returning from some such a visit.”
“It may be,” responded Wilfrid. “Is she young or old?”
“Not much past twenty,” replied Nadia.