"This evening?"
"You will surely grant me a respite of twenty-four hours. I promise I will start to-morrow morning."
"No, you must go to-day, before the prince returns. There are horses and a carriage at your disposal to take you to Mittau. You will do well to go thence straight to Paris. If your stay in Russia were heard of here, after your sudden departure from Pampeln, it might give rise to questions. I want to avoid that."
The tone she had spoken these words in did not suffer Paul to hesitate.
"Very well, then, madame," he said, "I will leave this evening."
"Without seeing—you know whom?" said Lise's mother.
"No; I won't promise that! If I did not pay my respects to all whom they are due to before I quit the château, in the first place I should be set down as a boor, and besides, your end would not be granted, for everybody would try to find out the cause of such singular conduct."
"You pretend not to understand me. I will speak more plainly, much as it costs me to do so. You shall not see the princess again in private."
"I can promise you one thing alone, that I will not provoke an explanation between Madame la Princess and myself. You must admit that if she honors me by demanding one I could not refuse her it."
"She will not try to see you."