She asked me to tell her the circumstances which had brought me to Lautenburg, She had heard some of the details from Marçais, but from the smile with which she told me this I had no difficulty in guessing her opinion of that diplomatist's perspicacity.
It was plain that she wanted to know my story, and I met her wishes with straightforward simplicity. Towards the end, as I felt her interested and friendly, I could not help giving her a moving picture of the distress our first meeting had caused me, I who had no sooner set eyes on her than my sole idea in life had been to gain her regard.
Melusine von Graffenfried nodded approval, closing her eyes as she blew rings from her cigarette to the ceiling.
"Please let us forget all that, Monsieur Vignerte," said the Grand Duchess. "Give me your hand." Then, turning to Melusine, she spoke in Russian, not knowing that I had a smattering of her native tongue.
"It's no good relying on him for my admission to the Kirchhaus."
Fräulein von Graffenfried replied with a shake of the head, which might be interpreted as "Didn't I say so?"
"Melusine," said the Grand Duchess, "light the samovar."
While the girl arranged the teacups round the heavy, humming tower of burnished copper, Aurora rose from the bed and opened a small secretaire. She beckoned me to her.
"Do you know that writing?" she asked, holding out a letter.
I examined the paper. I had never seen the writing in question.