I had picked up
enough Russian in Petersburg to make out that the man was apologizing
for having fallen asleep, and I also was able to explain to him that
I desired to see his master.
"He nodded vigorously, and said, 'Will the Excellency come this way?
The Princess is here.'
"I distinctly made out the word 'princess,' and I was a good deal
embarrassed. I had thought it would be easy enough to explain my
intrusion to a man, but how a woman would look at it was another
matter, and as I followed him down the hall I was somewhat puzzled.
"As we advanced, he noticed that the front door was standing open,
and with an exclamation of surprise, hastened toward it and closed
it. Then he rapped twice on the door of what was apparently the
drawing-room. There was no reply to his knock, and he tapped again,
and then, timidly, and cringing subserviently, opened the door and
stepped inside. He withdrew himself at once and stared stupidly at
me, shaking his head.
"'She is not there,' he said. He stood for a moment, gazing blankly
through the open door, and then hastened toward the dining-room. The
solitary candle which still burned there seemed to assure him that
the room also was empty.
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