Kaulnitz was one of her innumerable cousins, and was then minister in Paris.
'Why should you?' said her niece. 'Do you think either that it is quite honourable to make inquiries unknown to people? It always savours to me too much of the Third Section.'
'You are so exaggerated in all your scruples; you prefer to be suspicious of a person in silence than to ask a few questions,' said the Princess. 'But surely when two ambassadors and the Kaiser guarantee his position you may be content.'
The answer she had received from Kaulnitz had indeed only moderately satisfied her. It said that there was nothing known to the detriment of the Marquis de Sabran; that he had never been accused of anything unfitting his rank and name; but that he was a viveur, and was said to be very successful at play; he was not known to have any debts, but he was believed to be poor and of precarious fortunes. On the whole the Princess had decided to keep the answer to herself; she had remembered with irritation that her niece had suggested baccara as the source of the hundred gold pieces.
'I never intended to convey that ambassadors would disown him or the Kaiser either, whose signature is in his pocket-book. Only,' said Wanda, 'as you and I are all alone, surely it will be as well to leave this gentleman to the monks and to Greswold. That is all I mean.'
'It is a perfectly unnecessary scruple, and not at all like one of your race. The Szalras have always been hospitable and headstrong.'
'I hope I am the first—I have done my best for M. de Sabran; as for being headstrong—surely that is not a sweet or wise quality that you should lament my loss of it?'
'You need not quarrel with me,'said the Princess, pettishly. 'You have a terrible habit of contradiction, Wanda: and you never give up your opinion.'
The mistress of Hohenszalras smiled, and sighed a little.
'Dear mother, we will do anything that amuses you.'