“Well, we can’t tell. Don’t force the idea on her. She may think of it for herself. I’ll take the little chap and Kalliopé straight to Zoe when we get in, so that your wife can just come in and see them casually.”
“Thanks, Wylie. You and Zoe are really frightfully good——”
“Oh, shut up, old man! I thought we agreed long ago that there was to be no more of that sort of thing. It’s little enough we can do to make things easier for you—and your wife, and we’re heartily glad to do it.”
Danaë, unaware of these arrangements, was rather taken aback on her arrival at the Konak at Klaustra. The place had been the abode of the Roumi Governor in the days before liberation, and had been adapted to European use by the erection of a second storey on three sides of the hollow square of buildings surrounding the paved court. The central portion, facing the gateway, was evidently the residence of the Prince, and a lady in black stood at the top of the steps, with a background of gaily dressed servants. She came forward to welcome her husband, and bestowed also a greeting—not a specially cordial one—on Wylie, who saluted in return, and reined his horse round as soon as Prince and Princess Theophanis had gone indoors. Danaë was preparing to dismount and follow them, but he told her hastily to stay where she was, and turned the mule. The buildings on the left-hand side of the square formed another dwelling, of less pretensions, and here also a lady was waiting on the steps. Before Wylie could dismount she ran down to him, and Danaë watched their greeting with curiosity and interest. The Lady Zoe was not beautiful, nor particularly young, but she was unaccountably reminded of another couple she would fain have forgotten—Janni’s mother and Prince Romanos, now sundered for ever through her instrumentality.
“And where is the autocrat?” inquired Wylie gaily of his wife.
“Just inside. I would not let Linton bring him out here, lest Maurice should see—and be reminded——”
“Of course. Let’s go in and pay our respects. Oh, by the bye, Zoe, what do you say to starting an understudy for him? We have picked up rather a jolly little waif of about his age, and brought him along with his nurse.”
“Graham! what an extraordinary thing to do! A child that you know nothing of? Show him to me at once. He looks clean, at any rate,” she admitted reluctantly, “and he has rather a dear little face. Are you sure he hasn’t been anywhere where there’s infection?”
“I can only say that he hasn’t come out with anything between Therma and here. The girl is tremendously careful of him, too, but I don’t know anything about his surroundings before we got him. It is a queer business altogether.”
“Lady, my little lord is tired and hungry,” said Danaë piteously, as Janni’s eyes began to wrinkle up, and his mouth to open, while the lady addressed as Zoe stood undecided.