After all, she must know that he had been engaged to marry the dead girl, and fancied—as Mrs. Cairns had done—that he wished to have Anne arrested.
The following evening he arrayed himself with particular care and drove in a hansom to Westminster.
The cab stopped before a great pile of brick buildings near the Abbey, and when Giles had dismissed it he entered a large and well-lighted hall with a tesselated pavement.
Here a porter volunteered, on ascertaining his business, to conduct him to the door of the Princess Karacsay's flat, which was on the first floor.
Giles was admitted by a neat maid-servant, who showed him into a picturesque drawing-room.
A tall woman in evening dress was standing beside the window in the twilight.
Giles thought her figure was familiar and recognized the turn of her head.
He uttered a cry. "Anne," he said, stretching his arms. "Anne, my dearest!" _____
CHAPTER XI
PRINCESS KARACSAY
Even as he spoke the room was flooded with the light of the electric lamps.
The woman by the window turned and came forward smiling.
With a feeling of bitter disappointment Giles recoiled.
It was not Anne.
He had been deceived by a chance resemblance.
"I can quite understand your mistake," said the Princess Karacsay. "It is not the first time that I have been taken for my friend."
Indeed, she was very like Anne, both in figure and face.
She had the same dark hair and dark eyes, the same oval face and rich coloring.
But her expression was different.
She was more haughty than Miss Denham, and there was less simplicity in her manner.
Even as Ware looked at her the likeness seemed to vanish, and he wondered that he should have made such a mistake.
But for the twilight, the turn of her head, and her height, together with the way in which she carried herself, he would not have been deceived.
"One would take you for Miss Denham's sister," he said when seated.
The Princess smiled oddly.
"We are alike in many ways," she replied quietly. "I look upon Miss Denham as my second self.
You called me Anne when you mistook me for her," she added, with a keen glance.
"I have no right to do so, Princess, but——" He hesitated, not knowing how to choose his words.
She saw his perplexity and smiled.
"I quite understand, Mr. Ware."
"Anne—I mean Miss Denham—has told you about me?"
"I have not seen her for months, Mr. Ware, not since that terrible event which has made a fugitive of her."
Giles was bitterly disappointed, and his face showed his feelings.
From what Mrs. Cairns had said he was certain that the Princess would be able to help him, and here she confessed an ignorance of Anne's whereabouts.
Nevertheless Ware still hoped.
He thought that not knowing his real errand, she was feigning ignorance for the sake of her friend's safety.
"I am sorry she has not spoken to you about me," he remarked, "for then you would know that I wish her well."
"Oh, I know that.
Anne—I may as well call her Anne to you, Mr. Ware—wrote to me from Rickwell several times.
She told me all about you.
But I have not seen her since the death of your fiancee.
I have no idea where she is now."
"I thought—and Mrs. Cairns thought—that she would come to you in her distress, or at least communicate her whereabouts."
"She has done neither, and I do not know where to address a letter."
"What is to be done?" said Giles half to himself and much distressed.
Princess Karacsay rose and glanced at the clock with a laugh.
"Oh, if we talk, something may come of our putting our heads together," she said. "Meantime we can make ourselves comfortable.
Here are coffee and cigarettes, Mr. Ware.
Would you prefer a cigar?"
"No, thank you, Princess.
These look very good."