Confused by the impact upon her perceptions of so much that was unexpected
and bizarre, the girl looked round with an uncertain smile, and found
Karslake watching her with a manner of peculiar gravity and concern.

"Prince Victor is an extraordinary man," Karslake replied to her unspoken
comment; "probably the most learned Orientalist alive. Sometimes I think
the East has never had a secret he doesn't know."

He paused and drew nearer, with added earnestness in his regard.

"Princess Sofia," said he, diffidently, "if I may say something without
meaning to seem disrespectful--"

Perplexed, she encouraged him with one word: "Please."

"I'm afraid," Karslake ventured, "you will have many strange experiences in
this new life. Some of them, I fancy, you won't immediately understand,
some things may seem wrong to you, you may find yourself confronted with
conditions hard to accept ..."

He rested as if in doubt, and she fancied that he was listening intently,
almost apprehensively, for some signal of warning. But on her part Sofia
heard no sound.

Impressed and puzzled, she uttered a prompting "Yes?"

"I only want to say"--he employed a tone so low that she could barely hear
him--"if you don't mind--whatever happens--I'd be awf'ly glad if you'd
think of me as one who sincerely wants to be your friend."