in this city of light." He waved his
left hand, from which I caught the purple fire of amethyst.

"It was a notable affair, and I don't mind telling you now that it was
largely political. I had just returned from a secret mission at Rome,
and I was forced to mingle with diplomatic people. Prince Wronsky was
the representative of the Czar at that time in France, a charming man
with a flavour of _diablerie_ in his speech. He was a fervent Greek
Catholic, like most of his countrymen, and it pleased him to fence
mischievously with me on the various dogmas of our respective faiths.
He called himself _the_ Catholic; I was only a Roman Catholic. I told
him I was satisfied.

"On this particular night he was rather agitated when I made my
salutations. He whispered to me that madame the princess had that very
day presented him with a son and heir. Naturally I congratulated him.
His restlessness increased as the evening wore on. At last he beckoned
to me--we were very old friends--to follow him into his library. There
he hesitated.

"'I want you to do me a favour, an odd one; but as you are known to me
so long I venture to ask it. Do go upstairs and see my boy--' His tone
was that of entreaty. I smiled.

"'Dear prince, I am, as a priest, hardly a judge of children. But if you
wish it--is there anything wrong with the little chap's health?'

"'God forbid!' he ejaculated and piously crossed himself. We went to the
first _etage_ of his palace--he was gorgeously housed--and there he
said:--

"'Madame is in another wing of our apartments--go in here--the child is
attended by the nurse.' With that he pushed me through a swinging door
and left me standing in a semi-lighted chamber. I was very near ill
temper, I assure you, for my position was embarrassing. The room was
large and heavily hung with tapestries. A nurse, a hag, a witch, a dark
old gypsy creature, came over to me and asked me, in Russian:--

"'Do you wish to see his Royal Highness the King of Earth and Heaven?'
Thinking she was some stupid _moujik's_ wife, I nodded my head
seriously, though amused by the exalted titles. She put up a thin hand
and I tiptoed to a cradle of gold and ivory--it certainly seemed so to
my inexperienced eyes--the nurse parted the curtains, and there I saw--I
saw--but my son, you will think I exaggerate--I saw the most exquisite
baby in the universe. You laugh at an old bachelor's rhapsody! In
reality I don't care much for children. But that c