“You are welcome, M. l’Ambassadeur,” he said deliberately, “although you come booted and spurred and armed grimly for so festive an occasion.”
“I crave your Majesty’s pardon,” I replied; “the urgency of my errand must be my apology for this untimely and unseemly appearance.”
He looked at me with well-feigned surprise.
“Your errand is urgent, then, sir,” he remarked coolly; “in that case this is scarcely the time or place for it. However, the sooner it is heard, the sooner it is over.”
“Your Majesty’s permission is scarcely as gracious as I hoped to receive,” I said coldly, “but I am compelled to trespass upon your patience. One of my suite, M. de Lambert, has been missing since early morning, and all my efforts to discover him have been unavailing. I received his passports and intended to act upon them, in accordance with your Majesty’s wishes; but he almost immediately disappeared, and I fear that he has met with foul play.”
Peter listened to me with close attention, not by the movement of a muscle betraying any feeling upon the subject, and his dark eyes searching my face, which I strove to render as immovable and inscrutable as his own.
“This young man, M. de Lambert,” he said slowly, “is, I hear, something of a wild gallant; therefore, M. le Vicomte, it seems to my poor judgment that you make too much of a trifle. He is, doubtless, absent on some business of his own, and will shortly reappear. I see no reason for your apprehension of foul play.”
“Unhappily, your Majesty,” I replied boldly, “there are but too good grounds for such apprehensions. He has but lately recovered from a wound dealt by the hand of an assassin.”
The czar started slightly; it was apparent that he was ignorant of this occurrence.
“It seems strange, M. l’Ambassadeur,” he said, “that an assassin should attack one of your suite and you make no complaint to the authorities or to me.”