"The Princess Hildegarde--" But with those three words the sentence on
his lips came to an end. Amazement replaced the smile. He stepped
back. Phyllis's eyes expressed scornful surprise. What she understood
to be rudeness I knew to be a mistake. He had mistaken her to be
Gretchen, just as I had mistaken Gretchen to be Phyllis. It was a
situation which I enjoyed. All this was but momentary. We passed on.
"Was the man crazy?" asked Phyllis, as we moved toward the carriages,
where we saw Pembroke waving his hand.
"Not exactly crazy," I answered.
"The Princess Hildegarde; did he not call me that?"
"He did."
"He must have mistaken me for some one else, then."
"The very thing," said I. "I wonder what he is doing here in London?"
"Mercy! do you know him?"
"Slightly." We were almost at the carriage. "I am sorry to say that
he is a great personage in this very court which you are so soon to
grace."
"How strange! I'm afraid we shan't get on."
Pembroke and I dismissed our carriage. We were going back to the club.
Ethel and her husband were already seated in their carriage.
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