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 myself as I pictured his fury at the discovery; but he was not there. He had returned hastily to Sofia, I overheard; but the place was packed with troops, and he had left some drastic orders for our disposal.

I helped the plucky little Broumoff from the cart with a very deferential air and led her into the house, Spernow in close attendance. They took us into a room on the ground floor, where three officers awaited us, one of them being Captain Wolasky, who, to my surprise, gave no response to my start of recognition.

A chair was placed for the "Princess," and she was shrewd enough to seat herself so that the light of the lamp left her face in the shadow. I could have laughed at the comedy underlying the situation, but, assuming a tone of hot indignation, I exclaimed:

"I demand to know the reason why I am subjected to this infamous treatment! What is the meaning of this arrest?"

The man in the centre of the three looked up angrily:

"It is not in my instructions to give you any such needless information, sir. You must be fully aware of what you have done. You are the Count Benderoff?"

"I am the Hon. Gerald Winthrop, as well as the Count Benderoff, and a British subject."

"Englishmen are much too prone to meddle in matters that don't concern them, and must be prepared to take the consequences," he answered drily.

"There may also be consequences for those who meddle with them," I returned hotly; and with the object of provoking him into a personal dispute so as to waste more time, I poured out a volume of protests and objections, together with loud and angry demands