Death might perhaps have been Wilfrid’s lot a few days earlier, but the re-establishment of the British Embassy put a different complexion upon matters. The Czar, the Court-party, the ministers, or whoever Marie’s mysterious enemies might be, could not very well arrest the nephew of Great Britain’s representative for a fault which, at its worst, was merely an irregular _amour_; still, bent on compassing his end, they sought to dispose of him in a manner speciously fair and open, by getting Prince Ouvaroff, the newly-expert swordsman, to challenge him to a duel to the death. Well, _that_ part of the plot should fail; the combat had no terrors for Wilfrid. But what of Marie, the Princess of the sorrowful eyes, who in the presence of a witness had given unequivocal proof of her love for an Englishman? She was not a British subject; her liberty and life were at the mercy of the Russian authorities. Would the royal house to which she belonged, pleased rather than otherwise, enjoin that the penalty for her fault must be seclusion for life in a fortress or a nunnery? Wilfrid’s immediate object was to find the Princess again, and he determined, when he should have found her, not to leave her side till he had seen her to a place of safety; and the safest place he could think of just then was the British Embassy. True, she had already refused that asylum, but fear, occasioned by the recent incident, might cause a change in her resolve. Not more than fifteen minutes had passed since she had fled from the terrace, but in fifteen minutes one may do much in the matter of hiding one’s self; and the Princess had hidden herself so effectually that Wilfrid could not find her, though he several times traversed the gardens as well as the ballroom. Although tormented by the fear that she _might_ have fallen into the hands of the four hirelings, Wilfrid adopted the more probable conclusion that the Princess had retired altogether from the masquerade. Was it likely that she would remain to run the chance of another meeting with Prince Ouvaroff, of whom she evidently stood in fear? But no sooner had Wilfrid formed this opinion than he dismissed it. The Princess had with her a letter meant for the Czarina. Did she still adhere to her intention of presenting it? Then, unless she knew the secret of the Czarina’s costume, she would have to wait till the Empress had publicly disclosed herself at the general unmasking, which was timed to take place at two o’clock.