“The princess!” ejaculated the captain.
“Yes. My cousin—the Princess Valenko.”
“The daughter of the military governor?”
“The same,” said the prince.
The stupid amazement on the face of the big officer was a sight to see. This was quickly followed by the sense of the danger to him of his heinous blunder.
“I believe the captain said he had something to say to me,” Sonya remarked with an awful hauteur that completed the man’s discomfiture. “What is it?”
“Nothing—a mistake—I beg pardon,” stammered the captain.
“You are sure you have nothing to say?”
“Nothing, princess—nothing—I assure you. I ask a thousand pardons. Nothing.”
“In that case,” said Berloff, “we shall go on into the study. Come on, captain.”