Bewitched (Bantam Series No. 16) by Barbara Cartland

Europe which were not at war.”
    “And you enjoyed my country?” the Princess enquired.
    “I have never forgotten the beauty of it, the charm of its people, and of course its incomparable dancers,” Sir Algernon replied.
    The Marquis saw Saviya’s eyes light up and hoped in her enthusiasm she would not forget the part she had to play.
    “You speak, I suppose, of the Imperial Ballet, Sir Algernon,” she said.
    “Not only was the Imperial Ballet a delight beyond words,” Sir Algernon replied, “but I was also entranced by your Gypsy dancers. In fact my Host, Prince Paul Borokowski, with whom I stayed, married some years later a dancer of the Gypsy race.”
    “Surely that was very unusual?” the Marquis asked, remembering what Saviya had said to him about a Gypsy marrying a Gorgio.
    “Not in Russia,” Sir Algernon replied. “There the Gypsy dancers and singers have a special position that is quite different from anywhere else in the world.”
    The Marquis looked incredulous and, turning to the Princess, Sir Algernon went on:
    “You will bear me out, Ma’am, when I say there are some Gypsies who inhabit stately houses, go abroad in their elegant equipages, and are not at all inferior to Russians of the highest rank in appearance or in intellect.”
    “Yes, that is true,” Saviya admitted.
    “And you will also agree,” Sir Algernon continued, “that it is due not only to their amazing and magnificent dancing, but to the power of song.”
    He saw both the Marquis and Captain Collington were listening and said:
    “Did you not know, Ruckley, that some of the best singers in the world have come from the Russian Gypsies? They have been acknowledged not only by the public of their own country, but by the most fastidious of foreign critics.”
    “I must admit that such a phenomenon had escaped my notice,” the Marquis replied.
    “Did you never hear of Catalani?” Sir Algernon enquired. “She was an Italian—one of the greatest Operatic Sopranos the world has ever known. She was so enchanted by the voice of a Moscow Gypsy when she heard her sing, that she tore from her shoulders a cashmere shawl that had been given to her by the Pope as the ‘best singer in the world’.”
    “It is no longer mine by right,” the Italian declared, wrapping her shawl round the Gypsy.”
    “I must thank you for the land things you say about my country,” the Princess said, as Sir Algernon paused for breath.
    “It is because what I found in Russia was so unique, so unforgettable,” Sir Algernon replied, “that I really believe that it altered my life.”
    He paused for effect and went on:
    “I have ever since cultivated the Arts, but I can never surpass or even equal the magnificent treasures to be found in your Palaces, in the homes of your Princes.”
    “You make me envious, Gibbon,” the Marquis remarked.
    “It is true,” Sir Algernon said.
    He then went into a long discourse about the pictures he had seen in Moscow and the wonderful collections of Objets d’Art to be found in the Palaces of St. Petersburg.
    He appealed to Saviya for confirmation of all he contended, and was delighted when she flattered him for being so discerning and knowledgeable on such matters.
    When finally Bush came to say that the rein had been repaired and the carriage was now ready to convey her Highness to London, the Princess rose with a murmur of regret.
    “You have been so kind!” she said to the Marquis. “What appeared at first to be a disaster has been changed into a delight!”
    “I hope you will allow me to call on you as soon as I return to London,” the Marquis replied.
    “My husband and I will be delighted,” the Princess answered, “and I know he will want to add his thanks to mine for your hospitality.”
    “We shall meet in the very near future,” Sir Algernon said as she held out her hand to him. “The Russian Ambassador and his wife, Princess Lieven, are great friends of mine, and you must permit me to give a