“This must be a somewhat expensive habit on your part?”
“Not so, my lord,” replied Pauline with a charming curtsey. “It is not every guest I treat in this way.”
CHAPTER IX
A DOCUMENT MISSING
While Wilfrid was thinking that if Pauline’s ways with Ouvaroff were as fascinating as her ways with him, it was no wonder that the poor Prince’s head was turned, the maid Vera, who had gone off on some errand for her mistress, now re-entered, bearing a salver, upon which lay two name-cards.
“Visitors, my lady.”
Just the trace of a frown appeared upon Pauline’s face as she took the cards in her hand. Wilfrid’s society was much more interesting than that of Count Baranoff and General Benningsen. She was on the point of feigning some excuse for not receiving them when Vera remarked,
“They say they have startling news.”
“In that case I’d better see them.”
And bidding Wilfrid excuse her absence for a short time she descended to that same entrance-hall in which she had held her first interview with him.