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She telephoned some trivial sounding excuse to her long-suffering friend. Every one who knew her well was accustomed to interruptions by her school interests. And as she listened to that friend’s wailing remonstrance she was tempted to tell the truth. “Locked up in the Russian Consulate! Prisoner! Involved in Court mystery. Obliged to produce a Prince of the blood royal or take the consequences.” Truly, she told herself as she hung the receiver on its hook, things were getting rather uncommon and going rather quickly. And in that moment of apprehension she strangely drew comfort from the undeniable fit and texture of her new tailor-made suit, as shown forth in a large mirror between the window and the door. The contemplation of these encouragements fortified her until the return of her jailors, and during the ordeal of being swept through congested traffic by the side of a Nicolai Sergieevitch Epifanoff, in a bright red motor car.

Arriving at Gouverneur Hospital, she left her companions in consultation with the Matron and the House Surgeon, while she went up to the Children’s Ward to prepare the mind of her friend and sometime co-laborer, Miss McCarthy, the Nurse-in-Charge. There was generally a First Reader or so under Miss McCarthy’s care, and the two young women were great friends.

“I was going to send for you,” Miss McCarthy began when they had moved a little away from the door. “You’ve sent us a good many queer cases, but what do you call your latest?”

“That’s a Russian Prince of high degree,” said Teacher.

“Yes, he looked like one,” laughed the nurse. “But you should see him now that he’s washed. He’s really not burned at all,” she amplified. “Shock, a little; hunger, more; dirt, most.”

“But do you realize what I tell you? He’s a Russian Prince. An Ambassador and a Consul or two have come to fetch him. They’re down in the reception room, and I came up to make sure that you had him. I don’t know what they would have done to me if I had lost him again.”

“Oh! we have him,” Miss McCarthy assured her when she had heard a few more details of Miss Bailey’s story, and had been properly impressed thereby. “He’s there in the third bed on the left. You go right on in. I’ll go down-stairs. They’ll want me if he’s going to be transferred.”

Upon the smooth pillow of the third bed there lay a mass of bright gold hair, gleaming even in the faint light of the shaded electric lamp. And the hair surrounded a little face whose every line and contour was beautified, exalted. Teacher turned, incredulous, to make sure that she was right, but the neighboring beds were empty. Only up at the far end of the ward were there other shaded lights and a gently watchful nurse.

Teacher sat upon the chair by the bedside and watched the sleeping Fire-lighter. He moaned a little moan. Such a tired little moan! Ah, this everlasting barrier of speech! Oh, to have been able, now at the very last, to explain that she was not a demon actuated by cruelty! But she did not dare to wake him. She knew the effect which the mere sight of her would produce. And so the little Prince slept on until the big Prince came softly to his bedside.

Miss Bailey rose and relinquished her chair. The big man noiselessly took her place, and she stood at the bed’s foot. The man looked long and earnestly at the little sleeping face, then laid his hand on the soft hair and uttered a short name.

Still asleep, the child answered. And very gently the man asked a question. Then the baby turned and opened his eyes. The man spoke again. The little voice answered him, and Miss Bailey left them alone together.

She waited in the hall, and presently Prince Nicolai Sergieevitch Epifanoff joined her there.