"I can't," was my brief reply. "I only ask you to refute the untruth."

"I will--at once. Poor Geoffrey."

"Have you heard from him lately?" I asked.

"You're very inquisitive. I have not."

"I'm very glad of that," I answered her. "You know how greatly the affair annoyed the Emperor. You were awfully injudicious. It's a good job that I chanced to meet you both at the station in Moscow."

"Well," she laughed, "I was going to England with him, and we had arranged to be married at a registrar's office in London. Only you stopped us--you nasty old thing!"

"And you ought to be very glad that I recognised you just in the nick of time. Ten minutes later and you would have left Moscow. Think of the scandal--the elopement of a young Imperial Grand d.u.c.h.ess of Russia with an English commoner."

"Well, and isn't an English commoner as good, and perhaps better, than one of these uniformed and decorated Russian aristocrats? I am Russian," she added frankly, "but I have no love for the Muscovite man."

"It was a foolish escapade," I declared; "but it's all over now. The one consolation is that n.o.body knows the actual truth."

"Except His Majesty. I told him everything; how I had met Geoffrey in Hampshire when I went to stay with Lady Hexworthy; how we used to meet in secret, and all that," she said.

"Well now," I exclaimed, looking straight into her face, "I want to ask you a plain open question. I have a motive in doing so--one which I will explain to you after you have answered me honestly and truthfully.

I--"

"At it again!" cried the pretty madcap. "You're really not yourself to-night, Uncle Colin. What is the matter with you?"

"Simply I want to know the truth--whether there is still any love between Geoffrey and yourself?"

"Ah! no," she sighed, pulling a grimace. "It's all over between us. It broke his heart, poor fellow, but some kind friend, at your Emba.s.sy, I think, wrote and told him about Paul Urusoff and--well, he wrote me a hasty letter. Then I replied, a couple of telegrams, and we agreed to be strangers for ever. And so ends the story. Like a novel, isn't it?"

she laughed merrily.

My eyes were fixed upon her. I was wondering if she were really telling me the truth. As the Emperor had most justly said, she was an artful little minx where her love-affairs were concerned.

Colonel Polivanoff, the Grand Chamberlain of the Court, crossed the great palm-garden at that moment, and bowed to my pretty companion.

"But," she added, turning back to me, "people ought not to say that he's been foolish enough to do away with himself on my account. It only shows that I must have made some enemies of whom I'm quite unaware."

"Everyone has enemies," I answered her. "You are no exception. But, is it really true that Geoffrey is no longer in your thoughts?" I asked her very seriously.

"Truth and honour," she declared, with equal gravity.

"Then who is the fortunate young man at present--eh?"

"That's my own secret. Uncle Colin," she declared, drawing herself up.

"I'll ask you the same question. Who is the lady you are in love with at the present moment?"

"Shall I tell you?"

"Yes. It would be interesting."

"I'm in love with you."

"Ah?" she cried, nodding her head and laughing. "I thought as much.

You've brought me out here to flirt with me. I wonder if you'll kiss me--eh?" she asked mischievously.

"I will, if you tempt me too much," I said threateningly. "And then the report you've spread about will be the truth."

She laughed merrily and tapped my hand with her fan.

"I never can get the better of you, dear old uncle," she declared. "You always have the last word, and you're such a delightfully old-fashioned person. Now let's try and be serious." And she settled herself and, turning to me, added: "Why do you wish to know about Geoffrey Hamborough?"

"For several reasons," I said. "First, I think Your Highness knows me quite well enough to be aware that I am your very sincere friend."

"My best friend," she declared quickly; her manner changed in an instant from merry irresponsibility to deep earnestness. "That night on the railway platform at Moscow you saved me making a silly fool of myself.

It was most generous of the Emperor to forgive me. I know how you pleaded for me. He told me so."

"I am your friend," I replied. "Now, as to the future. You tell me that you find all the Court etiquette irksome, and that you are antagonistic to this host of young men about you. You are, in brief, sorry that you are back in Russia. Is that so?"

"It is so exactly."

"And how about Prince Urusoff--eh?"

"I haven't seen him for fully three months, and I don't even know where he is. I believe he's with his regiment, the 21st Dragoons of White Russia, somewhere away in the Urals. I heard that the Emperor sent him there. But he certainly need not have done so. I found him only a foolish young boy."

Her Imperial Highness was a young lady of very keen intelligence. After several governesses at home, she had been sent to Paris, and afterwards to a college at Eastbourne--where she was known as Miss Natalia Gottorp, the latter being one of the family names of the Imperial Romanoffs--and there she had completed her education. From her childhood she had always had an English governess, Miss West, consequently, with a Russian's adaptability, she spoke English almost without a trace of accent. Though so full of fun and frolic, and so ready to carry on a violent flirtation, yet she was, on the other hand, very thoughtful and level-headed, with a keen sense of humour, and a nature extremely sympathetic with any person in distress, no matter whom they might be.

Hers was a bright, pleasant nature, a smiling face, and ever-twinkling eye full of mischief and merriment.

"Well," I said, looking into her face, "I've been thinking about you a good deal since you've been away--and wondering."

"Wondering what?"

"Whether, as you have no love for Russia, you might not like to go back to England?" I said slowly.

"To England!" she cried in delight. "Ah! If I only could! I love England, and especially Eastbourne, with the sea and the promenade, the golf, and the concerts at the Devonshire Park, and all that. Ah! I only wish I could go."

"But if you went you'd fall in love with some young fellow, and then we should have another scandal at Court," I said.

"I wouldn't. Believe me, I wouldn't, really, Uncle Colin," she pleaded, looking up into my face with almost childish simplicity.

I shook my head dubiously.

"All I've told you is the real truth," she a.s.sured me. "I've only amused myself. Every girl likes men to make love to her. Why should I be so bitterly condemned?"

"Because you are not a commoner."

"That's just it. But if I went to England and lived again as Miss Natalia Gottorp, n.o.body would know who I am, and I could have a really splendid time. Here," she cried, "all the glitter and etiquette of Court life stifle me. I've been bored to death on the tour round the Empire, but couldn't you try and induce the Emperor to let me go back to England? Do, Uncle Colin, there's a dear. A word from the Emperor, and father would let me go in a moment. I wish poor mother were alive. She would soon let me go, I know."

"And what would you do in England if you went back?"

"Why, I'd have my old governess, Miss West--the one I had at Strelna--to live with me, and I'd be ever so happy. I'd take a house on the sea-front at Eastbourne, so as to be near the old college, and see the girls. Try what you can do with Uncle Alexander, won't you? there's a dear old uncle," she added, in her most persuasive tones.