“But how would you do that? Have you any plan?”
“I have some sort of an idea.”
“Cyril, you are wonderful! I will never grumble at your devotion to politics again, since I know what is involved. Oh, there is Michael!” as youthful footsteps crossed the anteroom at a run, and the handle of the door was violently agitated. “He will want me to tell him a story now that his lessons are over. Say good morning nicely to Count Mortimer, my little son. Then I will not detain you longer, Count.”
“Poor dear little woman!” was Cyril’s thought as he left her. “She is so easily managed that it seems almost a shame to try it on with her. But it was really necessary to make that no more scenes of jealousy should occur at inconvenient times.”
He went back to his house, passing on the way Sir Egerton Stratford, who was taking an afternoon ride. It gave Cyril intense pleasure to respond to the startled and almost mechanical salutation of the British Minister, and he anticipated with glee the explanation which could not be long delayed. But he had no time to call at the Legation at present, and there was a good deal of business to be arranged immediately with Prince Mirkovics and the rest of his colleagues, in view of the important political changes to be announced on the morrow. When he had got rid of them he returned to the Palace, where he had a long interview with Stefanovics in his office, after which he prepared to go home, thinking that he had accomplished a pretty fair day’s work for an invalid. But his time for rest had not yet arrived, for just as he was on the point of locking his desk for the night, Baroness von Hilfenstein entered the room, to his great astonishment.
“What can I do for you, Baroness?” he asked. “Pray sit down.”
The old lady complied, but seemed to have some difficulty in declaring the object of her visit. At last she spoke in a kind of gasp.
“Count, I have been making up my mind for some days—since I saw how political events were tending, indeed—to seek this interview with you, but I have found no opportunity hitherto. At last, fearing that I should be too late, I asked her Majesty’s permission not to appear this evening, pleading a headache, and thus succeeded in finding you alone. May I ask if it is settled that you take office to-morrow, and if you have any hope of retaining it?”
“It is a little unusual to communicate political details of this kind to any one outside Cabinet circles,” said Cyril, “but to you, Baroness, I cannot hesitate to speak freely. So far as anything human can be said to be settled, it is settled that I enter upon office, and (although this is not generally known) I have strong hopes of being able to maintain my position.”
“Would it appear to you extremely strange, Count, if I entreated and advised you very strongly to give up your intention, and to return to England for good?”