i had a habit of applying to every
one the endearing epithet, which lost a consonant somewhere in his
mustache. "When a military officer is granted a six months' leave, it is
exactly then that we watch him."

De Chauxville shrugged his shoulders in deprecation, possibly with
contempt for any system of watching.

"May one call it an affaire de coeur?" asked Vassili, with his grim
smile.

"Certainly. Are not all private affairs such, one way or the other?"

"And you want a passport?"

"Yes--a special one."

"I will see what I can do."

"Thank you."

Vassili emptied his glass, drew in his feet, and glanced at the clock.

"But that is not all I want," said De Chauxville.

"So I perceive."

"I want you to tell me what you know of Prince Pavlo Alexis."

"Of Tver?"

"Of Tver. What you know from your point of view, you understand, my dear
Vassili. Nothing political, nothing incriminating, nothing official. I
only want a few social details."

Again the odd smile fell over the dignified face.

"In case," said Vassili, rather slowly, "I should only impart to you
stale news and valueless details with which you are already acquainted,
I must ask you to tell me first what you know--from your point of view."

"Certainly," answered De Chauxville, with engaging frankness. "The man I
know slightly is the sort of thing that Eton and Oxford turn out by the
dozen. Well dressed, athletic, silent, a thorough gentleman--et voila
tout."

The face of Vassili expressed something remarkably like disbelief.

"Ye--es," he said slowly.

"And you?" suggested De Chauxville.

"You leave too much to my imagination," said Vassili. "You relate mere
facts--have you no suppositions, no questions in your mind about the
man?"

"I want to know what his purpose in life may be. There is a purpose--one
sees it in his face. I want also to know what he does with his spare
time; he must have much to dispose of in England."

Vassili nodded, and suddenly launched into detail.

"Prince Pavlo Alexis," he said, "is a young man who takes a full and
daring advantage of his peculiar position. He defies many laws in a
quiet, persistent way which impresses the smaller authorities and to a
certain extent paralyzes them. He was in the Charity League--deeply
implicated. He had a narrow escape. He was pulled through by the
cleverest man in Russia."

"Karl Steinmetz?"

"Yes," answered Vassili behind the rigid smile; "Karl Steinmetz."

"And that,"