now, O'Donahue, suppose I had come over here on my own
account, where should I have been? I could not have mustered up the
amiable impudence you did, to persuade the commander-in-chief to give me
letters to the ambassador: nor could I have got up such a turn-out, nor
have fitted the turn-out so well as you do. I should have been as
stupid as an owl, just doing what I have done the whole of the blessed
morning for want of your company--looking after one of the floating
bridges across the river, and spitting into the stream, just to add my
mite to the Baltic Sea."

"I'm sorry you were not better amused."

"I was amused; for I was thinking of the good-humoured face of Mrs
McShane, which was much better than being in high company, and
forgetting her entirely. Let me alone for amusing myself after my own
fashion, O'Donahue, and that's all I wish. I suppose you have heard
nothing in your travels about your Powlish princess?"

"Of course not; it will require some tact to bring in her name--I must
do it as if by mere accident."

"Shall I ask the courier if she is an acquaintance of his?"

"An acquaintance, McShane?"

"I don't mean on visiting terms; but if he knows anything about the
family, or where they live?"

"No, McShane, I think you had better not; we do not know much of him at
present. I shall dine at the ambassador's tomorrow, and there will be a
large party."

During the day invitations for evening parties were brought in from the
Prince Gallitzin and Princess Woronzoff.

"The plot thickens fast, as the saying is," observed McShane; "you'll be
certain to meet your fair lady at some of these places."

"That is what I trust to do," replied O'Donahue; "if not, as soon as I'm
intimate, I shall make inquiries about her; but we must first see how
the land lies."

O'Donahue dined at the ambassador's, and went to the other parties, but
did not meet with the object of his search. Being a good musician, he
was much in request in so musical a society as that of Saint Petersburg.
The emperor was still at his country palace, and O'Donahue had been
more than a fortnight at the capital without there being an opportunity
for the ambassador to present him at court.

Dimitri, the person whom O'Donahue engaged as courier, was a very
clever, intelligent fellow; and as he found that O'Donahue had all the
liberality of an Irishman, and was in every respect a most indulgent
master, he soon had his interest at heart. Per