‘I am still the head of my House, I believe. It would be more suitable for me to let my brother know of my arrival in order that he may wait upon me.’ I willingly charged myself with the delivery of the summons. The announcement that I came from Brussels secured my instant admission to Prince Louis’s presence. ‘I have the honour to act as secretary to his Imperial Highness, Prince Victor Napoleon,’ I explained. ‘Ah! In that case you bring me a letter from him, no doubt?’ ‘I bring your Highness a message simply. The Prince desires to see you.’ ‘But I cannot leave Petersburg--surely my brother knows that!’ ‘He knows it so well that he is in Petersburg.’ Prince Louis sprang to his feet, thunderstruck. ‘Victor is here!--already!’ he exclaimed in confusion. For answer I named the hotel at which we had put up, explaining at the same time that the Prince wished to preserve his incognito strictly. Prince Louis prepared to accompany me to the hotel in the carriage which had brought me to his house. As we drove along, he inquired-- ‘Are you in my brother’s confidence?’ ‘I believe I enjoy that honour,’ was my reply. ‘At least I am acquainted with the business which has brought him here.’ ‘Perhaps you can tell me something of my brother’s views?’ he said, feeling his way. ‘I think his Highness expects to receive full information before he takes a step which will be irrevocable.’ ‘Ah!’ ‘He thinks, perhaps, that you may have been deceived by exaggerated promises, and that he has the right to forbid any premature attempt whose failure would damage the Bonapartist cause.’ Prince Louis gnawed his moustache with some impatience. ‘My brother must not be unreasonable,’ he murmured. ‘One is never certain of success in these attempts.’ ‘If you will allow me to advise you, you will give him the fullest opportunity of judging of your prospects. It would be a serious thing for everybody if he were provoked into any public demonstration against you.’ The younger Prince changed colour. ‘Is it so serious as that?’ he exclaimed. And during the remainder of the drive he continued wrapped in thought, only the working of his brow betraying the anxiety within. The greeting between the brothers was cordial, if not affectionate. I took it for granted that I was to be a party to the conference, and as each brother believed that I was secretly friendly to him, neither suggested that I should retire. As soon as we were seated round the table, on which I had laid out some paper, pens, and ink, Prince Victor formally opened the discussion.