Madame Ladoguin viewed the work of art with a caustic eye.
“Indeed, madame, I fear I should hardly recognise Hadgi-Antoniou from your picture of it.”
“Then you must make it right, Mr Armitage,” said Eirene, rising. “Cure its defects instead of mine, if you please.”
CHAPTER XX.
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION.
“Now that you have your information,” said Armitage, when he had recounted to Wylie what had passed during his audience of Eirene, “what do you think of doing?”
“There can’t be much doubt about that. We must go to Czarigrad and get hold of the Patriarch. Panagiotis must go, I suppose, as he is the only one likely to have influence in that quarter, and I must go to keep him up to the mark when he gets discouraged.”
“You won’t exactly publish abroad the object of your journey, I suppose?”
“What do you take me for? We go to Czarigrad to stir up the Embassy, of course.”
“And what is my part in the programme?”
“To stay here and keep an eye on Princess Eirene, I presume. She may manage to send us some further particulars. You are sure she is staunch?”