That was all he knew. The Princess had not asked of him a legal
impossibility, but he had felt, when she spoke, that it would be
easier to explain the dogma of papal infallibility to a Chinese pirate
than to make her understand how he felt towards the good woman who had
a right to live under his name and had borne it so honourably for many
years.
Sabina would understand. He wished now, with all his heart, that in
the hours they had spent together he had told her the secret which he
had been obliged to confide to her mother. He wondered whether she
knew it, and hoped that she did. She would at least understand his
silence now, she would know why he was not at the Embassy that morning
as soon as he could be received by her mother. She might not forgive
him, because she knew that he loved her, but she would see why he
could not divorce in order to marry her.
An hour passed, and two hours, and still he sat in his chair, while
Masin came and went softly, as if his master were ill. Then reporters
sent up cards, with urgently polite requests to be received, and he
had to give orders that he was not to be disturbed on any account. He
would see no one, he would answer no questions, until he had made up
his mind what to do.
At last he rose, shook himself, walked twice up and down the room and
then spoke to Masin.
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