white mosques stood out against the trees, and the roof of one was not
one dome, but many like an inverted egg frier, or almost as though it
was boiling over.

We were stopped at the entry by a sentry.

"Where are you going?"

"To the Russian Hospital."

He took us in charge and led us, in spite of protestations, to the
hotel. A man in a shabby frock-coat received us, and Jo, mistaking him
for the innkeeper, clamoured once more for the Russians. The shabby man
explained that he was the Prefect, and that this was a State reception.
We began to be awed by our own dignity. We explained to him that the
Shadow had changed his mind and had sent Bogami instead.

Bogami brought our knapsacks to our room, where he was immobilized by
the sight of himself in the looking-glass of the wardrobe; probably he
had never seen such a thing before, and he goggled at it. He at last
backed slowly from the room.

We rested a while, then descended to find--the Shadow.

He was rather hurt with us, and wanted to know why the ---- we had gone
off without him. We explained, compared watches, and found that Jan's
was an hour too fast. The poor Shadow had been chasing us on a borrowed
horse, with our permissions to travel in his pocket, and wildly hoping
that he would catch us up before we were arrested as spies.