She crept to the window and leaned upon the sill. She thought that she could distinguish his tall figure there by the carved stone bench. "John!" she called softly, "I am, so lonely--John, dearest--won't you come?" Then she felt that her ears must be deceiving her, for there was the sound of a faint suppressed sob, and then, a second afterwards, her husband's voice answering cheerily, with its usual casual note: "You naughty little night bird! Go back to bed--and to sleep--yes--I am coming immediately now!" But when he did steal in silently from the dressing-room an hour later in a grey dawn, Amaryllis, worn out with speculation and disappointment, had fallen asleep. He looked down upon her charming face--the long, curly brown lashes sweeping the flushed cheek, and at the rounded, beautiful girlish form--all his very own to clasp and to kiss and to hold in his arms--and two scalding tears gathered in his blue eyes, and he took his place beside her without making a sound. CHAPTER V "Here are the papers, Hans, but I think the whole thing stupid nonsense. What does it matter to any one what Poland wants? What a nuisance all these old boring political things are! They always spoiled our happiness since the beginning--and now if it wasn't for them we could have a glorious time here together. I would love managing to come out to meet you under Stanislass' nose. None of the others I have ever had are as good in the way of a lover as you." The man swore in German under his breath. "Of a lightness always, Harietta! No _devouement_, no patriotism.... Should I have agreed to the divorce, loving your body as I do, had it not been a serious matter? The pig-dog who now owns you must be sucked dry of information--and then I shall take you back again." A cunning look came into Madame Boleski's hazel eyes. She had not the slightest intention of permitting this--to go back to Hans! To the difficulty of making both ends meet! Even though he did cause every inch of her well-preserved body to tingle! They had suggested her getting the divorce for their own stupid political ends, to be able to place her in the arms of Stanislass Boleski, and there she meant to stay! It was infinitely more agreeable to be a grande dame in Paris, and presently in London, than to be the spouse of Hans in Berlin, where, whatever his secret power might be with the authorities, he could give her no great social position; and social position was the goal of all Harietta Boleski's desires!