"In this strait," she continued, "I have received succour from a totally unexpected quarter. In the most generous and delicate manner Prince Tchernigow has this day made me an offer of his hand." (Dollamore said he was never surprised, but if the stick was on the alert it must have heard him whistle.) "We are to be married at once!" "Very satisfactory indeed," said Dollamore. "Fancy being a princess, with 'vassals and serfs by your side'!--Very delicious indeed." "Oh, I'm so happy!" cried Laura, with that feigned ecstasy of joy which she had so often indulged in; "the Prince is so charming!" "Is he indeed?" said Dollamore. "Yes; some people require to be known thoroughly before they're appreciated. But what will a friend of ours say to this? I mean Sir Charles Mitford." "Ah!" said Laura, who turned pale at the name; "that is exactly the subject in which I require your assistance." "Mine! How can I help you? Suppose he were to come here--" "It is that I am dreading. I took every precaution to hide my destination. I came here under a feigned name; I have lived in the strictest retirement, having seen no one but the Prince since I have been here; and yet I never hear a carriage dash up to the door of the hotel but I rush to the window, and concealing myself behind the curtains, look out in the full expectation of seeing him leap into the portico. If he were to come now, under present circumstances, what should I do?--good God, what should I do?" "What should you do? Tell him to go back again. You are not his wife, for him to bully and curse and order about. You are not bound to give in to his cowardly whims, and need not endure his ruffianly insults." "You don't know him now; you don't know how frightful his temper has become to any one who crosses him. No, no, no, we shall be married at once, and leave this place; and should he come here afterwards, I trust you to tell him nothing more than you can possibly help; above all, to keep silence as to our intended route." "That will be easily managed, by your not telling me which way you intend going. I'll do what I can to help you, Mrs. Hammond; but I may as well say, that the less I am brought into contact with Sir Charles Mitford, the better I shall be pleased." "At all events you will do as much as I have asked you?" she said. "I will; and as that principally consists in holding my tongue, I shall have no difficulty in doing it. When are you to be married?" "To-morrow morning, at Frankfort, where there are both Russian and English embassies; and whence we start to--" "You forget; I was not to know your route." "I had forgotten," she said with a smile. She seemed reassured; her colour came again, and as she held out her hand, she said, "I may rely on you?" "Rigidly to do nothing," he said; and took her hand, and left her.