He at length shaped a plan, based on his love for her, on his desire to relieve her of her needless fear, and on the constant danger in which he stood. That afternoon he drove to the Princess Valenko’s. On the way he gave a look over his shoulder. A block behind in a sleigh he saw two men wrapped to the eyes, yet not so bundled up but that he recognized Ivan and Nicolai; and near them in another sleigh were two other men whom he instinctively felt to be their confederates. Before his ring at the Valenko palace had been answered, he saw the two sleighs draw up across the street half a block ahead. Once admitted, he had not long to wait, but was ushered up a broad stairway into a great front drawing-room. He had hoped to find the princess alone; great, therefore, was his disappointment when he found himself with four gorgeous young officers and three women, all centring about her. Without rising she gave him her hand, and smiled with distant, condescending friendship. “Ah--the American who is almost my relative,” she said in French; and proceeded with imperious languor to introduce him to the women and to the immaculate, gilded officers, to all of whom he bowed--though the latter he inwardly cursed as the brainless handiwork of tailors and valets. She smiled amusedly into his face, and then about at the others. “He thinks, my almost relative”--with a little gesture toward him--“that he met me a few days ago here in St. Petersburg. And that--in what manner he has not said--he misconducted himself on that occasion. And that he shares some great secret of mine.” Drexel fairly gasped. She had flung away her secret--and there she sat, easy, unconcerned, smiling. “But impossible!” cried one of the officers. “The princess has been abroad since August.” “Why it is simply absurd, monsieur,” said a stupid-looking, richly-dressed woman. “You remember, Olga--” this to the princess--“it’s only two weeks since you and I heard Tannhäuser together in Berlin. Ugh--what a wretched Elizabeth she was! And we came back yesterday from Berlin on the same train!” “Yes,” returned the princess, smiling her slight, amused smile at Drexel. “But still I would not think of disputing the matter with Monsieur Drexel. Americans are so clever, you know.” They all laughed at this. Drexel felt his conclusions going all to pieces, felt himself plunged again into the old uncertainty. “Just a stupid mistake on my part, of course,” he said, rather doggedly. “I hope the princess will pardon me.”