" At first Prince Andrew read with his eyes only, but after a while, in spite of himself (although he knew how far it was safe to trust Bilibin), what he had read began to interest him more and more.

When he had read thus far, he crumpled the letter up and threw it away.

It was not what he had read that vexed him, but the fact that the life out there in which he had now no part could perturb him.

He shut his eyes, rubbed his forehead as if to rid himself of all interest in what he had read, and listened to what was passing in the nursery.

Suddenly he thought he heard a strange noise through the door.