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io 108 INTRIGUES AT SOFIA [chap.viii.
was, as ever, extremely cautious. The very next day
Shelking, who was provided with a letter ad hoc from
Madame Sementovsky, was received by King
Ferdinand in a prolonged audience. I learnt immediately
that I had been the principal subject of the interview.
Ferdinand was complaining about me, and Shelking
assured him, according to information received from an
authentic source and originating in our Foreign Office,
that it would be quite easy for the King to get rid of
me : that it was only necessary to press the spring a
little harder, that is, obstinately to demand of St.
Petersburg my instant recall. I took great care not to show
Shelking that I was aware of his intrigues, and the
evening before his departure I invited him to dine at the
Legation. Shelking arrived to dinner charming as ever,
witty and agreeable, and after dinner he enchanted
every one by his delightful playing of the piano; then
with the young diplomats present he got up a game of
poker, lost promptly and good-humouredly several
hundred francs, and the next morning he set out on his
return to St. Petersburg, just forgetting to settle up his
little gambling debt!
Warned by the intrigue which had been formed
against me, I only took two measures to fight it. During
the month of July, I informed King Ferdinand, through
his private secretary, M. Dobrovitch, that if for any
reason His Majesty wished me to leave Sofia, he had
only to tell me so quite frankly, and then I would
myself beg St. Petersburg to give me another post, as
I considered it quite inadmissible that between the
King of the Bulgarians and the Russian Minister such
constant misunderstandings should exist. Some time
after I received, through the same M. Dobrovitch,
the answer that the King still appreciated, esteemed and
liked me very sincerely; that if some friction had
existed between him and me, it was due solely to
misunderstandings ; that the King considered the
continuation of my work in Sofia to be valuable for Bulgaria,
etc., etc. It is true that in the meantime the political
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