“That is exactly what we have to do for the short time we are at sea,” Yamina answered. “When we arrive at Athens, I will be disembarked with your luggage and, once we reach the Residency in safety, I will disappear!”

“The Residency!” Lord Castleford gave a groan. “Can you imagine what I as the incoming British Minister shall look like, arriving with a Russian in Turkish dress? Incidentally, I consider that costume extremely indecent!”

“There are some other garments in the trunk,” Yamina replied, “but I doubt if they include a crinoline or a fashionable bodice buttoned tightly to the neck!”

She spoke in a manner that made Lord Castleford utter an inarticulate sound of fury, as he walked towards one of the portholes to stand looking out at the sunshine glimmering on the sea.

“I am sorry – I really am! I did not mean to make – trouble for anyone.”

Yamina’s voice was almost pleading and, after a moment, he said with some difficulty,

“I must also apologise for being rude, but you have completely disconcerted me.”

“That is indeed understandable, considering, as I well know, your career is at stake,” Yamina said. “But I promise, if you will help me, no one will ever know that I was here.”

“I hope that will be possible,” Lord Castleford said and turned from the porthole to look at her.

Angry though he still was, he had to admit to himself that she was lovely. Her dark eyes were very large in her pale face and her long hair glittering with diamonds fell over her shoulders and reached nearly to her waist.

Her lips were crimson and her eyes darkened with kohl in the manner of all the women in the harem, but instead of making her look bold it seemed somehow at variance with the sensitiveness of her perfect features and the expression in her eyes which Lord Castleford could not help knowing was one of innocence.

“You are very young,” he said unexpectedly.

“I shall be nineteen next month.”

“You must have suffered some disagreeable experiences since you left Russia.”

He paused and then asked,

“Why did you leave?”

“My father and I were at our country house at Balaclava when the invading Armies closed in on us.”

“So you escaped?”

“Our Turkish servant, whom you saw with me when we were in the Bazaar, managed to get us aboard a troopship carrying the wounded to Scutari.”

“Then you hid somewhere near where I left you the other afternoon?”

“It is a poor part of the City with few houses and we were safe there until the authorities decided on a house-to-house search.”

“I understand your predicament,” Lord Castleford said.

He walked across the cabin to sit down opposite her in the other armchair.

His eyes were on her face as he said,

“I rode in that part of the town the afternoon after I left you. I had a feeling we might meet again.”

“I saw you.”