a bow, "and
all enemies of Somerfield's."

Somerfield, hearing his name, came up to them. The Duchess, too,
strolled over to the fire. The Prime Minister and Bransome returned with
Maiyo towards the corner of the room where they had been sitting.

"Prince," the Prime Minister said, "we have been talking about your
speech at the Herrick Club last night."

The Prince smiled a little gravely.

"Did I say too much?" he asked. "It all came as a surprise to me--the
toast and everything connected with it. I saw my name down to reply,
and it seemed discourteous of me not to speak. But, as yet, I do not
altogether understand these functions. I did not altogether understand,
for instance, how much I might say and how much I ought to leave
unsaid."

"We have read what you said," Bransome remarked. "What we should like to
hear, if I may venture to say so, is what you left unsaid."

The Prince for a moment was thoughtful. Perhaps he remembered that the
days had passed when it was necessary for him to keep so jealously his
own counsel. Perhaps his natural love of the truth triumphed. He felt a
sudden longing to tell these people who had been kind to him the things
which he had seen amongst them, the things which only a stranger coming
fresh to the country could perhaps fully comprehend.

"What I said was of little importance," the Prince remarked, "but I
felt myself placed in a very difficult position. Before I knew what to
expect, I was listening to a glorification of the arms of my country at
the expense of Russia. I was being hailed as one of a nation who possess
military genius which had not been equalled since the days of Hannibal
and Caesar. Many things of that sort were said, many things much too
kind, many things which somehow it grieved me to listen to. And when
I stood up to reply, I felt that the few words which I must say would
sound, perhaps, ungracious, but they must be said. It was one of those
occasions which seemed to call for the naked truth."

Penelope and the Duchess had joined the little group.

"May we stay?" the former asked. "I read every word of your speech,"
she added, turning to the Prince. "Do tell us why you spoke so severely,
what it was that you objected to so strongly in General Ennison's
remarks?"

The Prince turned earnestly towards her.

"My dear young lady," he said, "all that I objected to was this
over-glorification of the feats of arms accomplished by us. People
over here did not u