“I quite appreciate that,” he admitted.  “Both Seaman and I have endeavoured to reason with her, but, as you are doubtless aware, the Princess is a woman of very strong will.  She is also very powerfully placed here, and it is the urgent desire of the Court at Berlin to placate in every way the Hungarian nobility.  You will understand, of course, that I speak from a political point of view only.  I cannot ignore the fact of your unfortunate relations with the late Prince, but in considering the present position you will, I am sure, remember the greater interests.”

His visitor was silent for a moment.

“You say that the Princess is waiting here?”

“She is with my wife and asks for your escort home.  My wife also looks forward to the pleasure of renewing her acquaintance with you.”

“I shall accept your Excellency’s guidance in the matter,” Dominey decided.

The Princess Terniloff was a woman of world culture, an artist, and still an extremely attractive woman.  She received the visitor whom her husband brought to her in a very charming little room furnished after the style of the simplest French period, and she did her best to relieve the strain of what she understood must be a somewhat trying moment.

“We are delighted to welcome you to London, Sir Everard Dominey,” she said, taking his hand, “and I hope that we shall often see you here.  I want to present you to my cousin, who is interested in you, I must tell you frankly, because of your likeness to a very dear friend of hers.  Stephanie, this is Sir Everard Dominey—­the Princess Eiderstrom.”

Stephanie, who was seated upon the couch from which her cousin had just risen, held out her hand to Dominey, who made her a very low and formal bow.  Her gown was of unrelieved black.  Wonderful diamonds flashed around her neck, and she wore also a tiara fashioned after the Hungarian style, a little low on her forehead.  Her manner and tone still indicated some measure of rebellion against the situation.

“You have forgiven me for my insistence this morning?” she asked.  “It was hard for me to believe that you were not indeed the person for whom I mistook you.”

“Other people have spoken to me of the likeness,” Dominey replied.  “It is a matter of regret to me that I can claim to be no more than a simple Norfolk baronet.”

“Without any previous experience of European Courts?”

“Without any at all.”

“Your German is wonderfully pure for an untravelled man.”

“Languages were the sole accomplishment I brought away from my misspent school days.”

“You are not going to bury yourself in Norfolk, Sir Everard?” the Princess Terniloff enquired.

“Norfolk is very near London these days,” Dominey replied, “and I have experienced more than my share of solitude during the last few years.  I hope to spend a portion of my time here.”

“You must dine with us one night,” the Princess insisted, “and tell us about Africa.  My husband would be so interested.”