"I will conduct you to her," said the suddenly mollified servant, "but I
do it on your own responsibility."
Princess Natalie was in her boudoir. She was alone, and thinking, in a
languishing reverie, of her friend, who had now been two days absent. On
hearing a light knock at the door, she sprang up from her seat.
"It is he!" she murmured, and with glowing cheeks she hastened to the
door.
But on finding there a strange and closely-enveloped form, Natalie
timidly drew back.
The stranger entered, closing the door behind him, threw back his mantle
and took off the hat that shaded his face.
"Cardinal Bernis!" cried Natalie, with surprise.
"Ah, then you yet recognize me, princess!" said Bernis. "That is
beautiful in you, and therefore you will not be angry with me for
calling upon you unannounced. I knew that I should find you alone, and
this was a too fortunate circumstance for me to let it pass unimproved.
I must speak to you, princess, even at the hazard of proving tiresome."
Natalie said, with a soft smile: "You were the friend of Count Paulo,
and therefore can never prove tiresome to me! I bid you welcome,
cardinal!"
"It is precisely because I was Count Paulo's friend, that I have come!"
said Bernis, seriously.
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