Naturally I congratulated him.
His restlessness increased as the evening wore on. At last he beckoned
to me--we were very old friends--to follow him into his library. There
he hesitated.
"'I want you to do me a favour, an odd one; but as you are known to me
so long I venture to ask it. Do go upstairs and see my boy--' His tone
was that of entreaty. I smiled.
"'Dear prince, I am, as a priest, hardly a judge of children. But if you
wish it--is there anything wrong with the little chap's health?'
"'God forbid!' he ejaculated and piously crossed himself. We went to the
first _etage_ of his palace--he was gorgeously housed--and there he
said:--
"'Madame is in another wing of our apartments--go in here--the child is
attended by the nurse.' With that he pushed me through a swinging door
and left me standing in a semi-lighted chamber. I was very near ill
temper, I assure you, for my position was embarrassing. The room was
large and heavily hung with tapestries. A nurse, a hag, a witch, a dark
old gypsy creature, came over to me and asked me, in Russian:--
"'Do you wish to see his Royal Highness the King of Earth and Heaven?'
Thinking she was some stupid _moujik's_ wife, I nodded my head
seriously, though amused by the exalted titles.
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