“But your boxes, where are they?” asked the Baroness.

“I have not the least idea!  I sent the porter’s wife to try and find them, but she has never come back.  She is so stupid, poor old thing!”

“I think I had better bring a couple of men-servants,” said the Baroness.  “They may be of use.  Should you like my carriage to take you to the station?  Anything I can do—­”

The Princess stared, as if quite puzzled.

“Thanks, but we have plenty of horses,” she said.

“Yes, but you said that all your servants had left last night.  I supposed the coachman and grooms were gone too.”

“I daresay they are!” The Princess laughed.  “Then we will go in cabs.  It will be very amusing.  By the bye, I wonder whether those brutes of men thought of leaving the poor horses anything to eat, and water!  I must really go and see.  Poor beasts!  They will be starving.  Will you come with me?”

She moved towards the door, really very much concerned, for she loved horses.

“Will you go down like that?” asked the Baroness aghast, glancing at the purple velvet dressing-gown, and noticing, as the Princess moved, that her feet, on which she wore small kid slippers, were stockingless.

“Why not?  I shall not catch cold.  I never do.”

The Baroness would have given anything to be above caring whether any one should ever see her, or not, on the stairs of her house in a purple dressing-gown, without stockings and with her hair standing on end; and she pondered on the ways of the aristocracy she adored, especially as represented by her Excellency Marie-Sophie-Hedwige-Zenaide-Honorine-Pia Rubomirska, Dowager Princess Conti.  Ever afterwards she associated purple velvet and bare feet with the idea of financial catastrophe, knowing in her heart that even ruin would seem bearable if it could bring her such magnificent indifference to the details of commonplace existence.

At that moment, however, she felt that she was in the position of a heaven-sent protectress to the Princess.

“No,” she said firmly.  “I will go myself to the stables, and the porter shall feed the horses if there is no groom.  You really must not go downstairs looking like that!”

“Why not?” asked the Princess, surprised.  “But of course, if you will be so kind as to see whether the horses need anything, it is quite useless for me to go myself.  You will promise?  I am sure they are starving by this time.”

The Baroness promised solemnly, and said that she would come back within an hour, with her servants, to take away Sabina and to help the Princess’s preparations.  In consideration of all she was doing the Princess kissed her on both her sallow cheeks as she took her leave.  The Princess attached no importance at all to this mark of affectionate esteem, but it pleased the Baroness very much.

Just as the latter was going away, the door opened suddenly, and a weak-looking young man put in his head.