"Princesses do not carry passports," replied Barbara disdainfully.
"Then the little mother must retire to her own side of the frontier."
Barbara seemed disposed at first to maintain her ground, but wiser thoughts prevailed.
"You do but your duty," she replied.
And with this she retired, and took her station by the side of Zabern.
"Princess, I commend your celerity," smiled the marshal. "I was five years in getting out of Russia,—you have accomplished it in as many seconds."
Then lowering his voice to a whisper, he continued,—
"We cannot arrest the duke while he is on Russian ground. Were we to do so, this Cossack would report the matter. In their present mood Russian ministers would gladly seize upon the violation of their territory as a casus belli, and we don't want war at present."
"John Lilieski," said the princess, addressing the duke from her own side of the frontier, "you will either return under guard to Slavowitz, or you will not return at all. Take your choice betwixt imprisonment during my pleasure, or perpetual banishment from Czernova."
This decision from one whom he had been accustomed to regard as his affianced bride completely confounded his grace of Bora. His first surprise over, he proceeded to take counsel with his second. Though they spoke in low tones, Paul nevertheless caught a few words.