And the Countess impressed.
"My dear Alicia," said she, when they had settled down to tea and confidential talk, "you have not yet told me what has taken Rudolph abroad again so soon." On nothing had the Baron laid more stress than on the necessity of maintaining the most profound secrecy respecting his mission.

"No, not even to your mozzer most you say.

My love, you vill remember ?" had been almost his very last words before departing for St.Petersburg.

His devoted wife had promised this not once, but many times, while his finger was being shaken at her, and would have scorned herself had she thought it possible to break her vows.
"That is a secret, mamma," she declared.
Her mother opened her eyes.
"A secret from me, Alicia ?" "Rudolph made me promise." "Not to tell your friends--but that hardly was intended to include your mother." The Baroness looked uncomfortable.
"I--I'm afraid----" she began, and stopped in hesitation.
"Did he specifically include me ?" demanded the Countess in an altered tone.
"I think, mamma, he did," her daughter faltered.
"Ah!" And there was a world of meaning in that comment.
"Believe me, mamma, it is something very, very important, or Rudolph would certainly have let me tell you all about it." Lady Grillyer opened her eyes still wider.
"Then I am to understand that he wishes to conceal from me anything that he considers of importance ?" "Oh, no! Not that! I only mean that this thing is very secret." "Alicia," pronounced the Countess, "when a man specifically conceals anything from his mother-in-law, you may be quite certain that she ought to be informed of it at once." "I--I can't, mamma!" "A trip to Germany--for it is there, I presume, he has gone--back to the scenes of his bachelorhood, unprotected by the influence of his wife! Do you call that a becoming procedure ?" "But he hasn't gone to Germany." "He has no business anywhere else!" "You forget his diplomatic duties." "Ah! He professes to have gone on diplomatic business ?" "Professes, mamma ?" exclaimed the poor Baroness.

"How can you say such a thing! He certainly has gone on a diplomatic mission!" "To Paris, no doubt ?" suggested Lady Grillyer, with an intonation that made it quite impossible not to contradict her.
"Certainly not! He has gone to Russia." The more the Countess learned, the more anxious she appeared to grow.
"To Russia, on a diplomatic mission?
This is incredible, Alicia!" "Why should it be incredible ?" demanded Alicia, flushing.
"Because he is a mere tyro in diplomacy.