_Adr._ And he refused to see me at first, but as I was coming away I met a lady who interceded for me. _Kore._ His daughter? The princess Sophie? _Adr._ No. Sophie Remon. One of the Red Cross workers. _Kore._ Remon? I don't know her. _Adr._ Her district is farther north, but she comes here occasionally. _Kore._ She must have great influence. _Adr._ Yes. I was surprised to meet her in the palace. _Kore._ Naturally. In the enemy's camp. A spy on one side or the other. _Adr._ [_Sternly_] I, too, was in the palace, Korelenko. _Kore._ [_Looking at him closely, after a surprised start_] All right. I suppose she explained her presence there. _Adr._ I asked nothing. She is probably a friend of the princess. _Kore._ I hope not. She can't be her friend and yours too. _Adr._ Why not? _Kore._ I learned to-day that the princess Sophie is one of Petrizoff's spies. She has a wager with him, a luck-piece against a tiara, that she will secure evidence to convict you. _Adr._ Petrizoff need not be at so much trouble. He can imprison me without evidence when he pleases. _Kore._ Not you. That may do for other poor devils, but you have friends all over Russia. It would make too much of a stir even for Petrizoff. He would have to show the papers---- [_Re-enter Vera, right_] _Vera._ Have you forgotten you were hungry? _Adr._ Come, Sasha. [_They go out, right, with Vera, as Vetrova and princess Sophie Travinski appear at street door. She wears a_ _long gray ulster marked with a red cross, and a plain, drooping hat with veil_] _Sophie._ Thank you, sir. I might have missed the house. _Vet._ [_As they enter_] Bless you, no! There's not a child in the village out of its cradle that couldn't tell you where the Shepherd lives. _Soph._ [_Looking about the room_] And he lives here? _Vet._ As I've told you, lady,--with me, old Vetrova. Ten years since he came in at that door to be a son to me and Catherine. _Soph._ He has lived here ten years? _Vet._ Not all of that, for he is often called away. But he always comes back. 'Tis never too far to come back. [_Draws up the large chair_] Will you sit here, madam? _Soph._ You have a granddaughter? [_Sitting_] _Vet._ Little Vera,--and a grandson, too. Twins, though not a bit alike, as you may see for yourself before you go. 'Twas Vasil, my grandson, who brought the Shepherd to us. He was just seven years old then, and a fine lad. We can say that about our grandchildren, ma'am. The Shepherd loved him at first sight, and a father he's been to him ever since. His own father, my Andrei, died under the rod one bad year when taxes couldn't be paid, and his wife--the little mother--died too when they brought him in. She dropped like that. But we don't tell the children. They'll not have to dig up graves for trouble. [_Going right_] I'll let the Shepherd know you are here. _Soph._ [_In sudden confusion_] Wait--I mean--yes--tell him I am here.