THE ROYAL TEA-TABLE
As Edestone and Colonel Stewart were leaving the Palace, they were met
by the young Prince of the Blood, who seemed bent upon renewing his
acquaintance with his American friend.
“I say, Edestone,” he greeted him, “you really must not leave before
giving me an opportunity of presenting you to some of the ladies of
the Court. You are the lion of the day and they are anxious to meet
you. My sister, Princess Billy, is almost in tears and hysterical. She
insisted upon seeing your pictures because she said that you were an
old friend of hers she had met on the steamer coming over from
America.”
Accepting, Edestone smiled as he thought of the undignified manner of
their meeting, and was taken in charge by the young man.
Colonel Stewart made his excuses when the invitation was extended to
him, saying: “Mr. Edestone, I shall wait for you in the Guards’ Room,”
and, turning to the young man, he added: “I deliver him into your
hands, and I hold you responsible for his valuable person which must
be delivered to me there.”
Edestone was then taken in charge by the young Prince, who proudly
bore him off to deliver him into the hands of the ladies. He was
rather bored with the idea, and would have preferred to have gone
directly to his hotel, as he had had an eventful day and he did not
feel in the humour for the small talk of the tea-table.
He was taken into one of the smaller rooms where several ladies and
young officers in khaki were just finishing their tea. The atmosphere
of the room was offensively heavy with the strong odour of iodoform.
His pity was aroused when he suddenly realized that almost every man
in the room bore the unmistakable mark of service in the trenches. It
was the first time that he had been brought violently into contact
with the far-reaching and horrible devastation of this cruel war. One
pitiful figure, a young man of about twenty-two who sat apart from the
rest, so affected him that he scarcely recovered himself in time to
acknowledge the great kindness of the Duchess of Windthorst, who was
receiving him in the most gracious manner. This boy was totally blind.
Edestone was filled with admiration for these descendants of the
Norman conquerors, who in their gallantry and patriotism responded so
quickly to the call of their country, while the miserable swine whose
homes and families were being protected by these noble men were
instigating strikes and riots under the leadership of a band of
traitors who hid their cowardice behind labour organizations, or
attempted to mislead the disgusted world by windy speeches on the
subject of humanitarism into which position they were not followed by
the very women that they were giving as their excuse for their
treasonable acts.
The Duchess presented him to Princess Wilhelmina and the others. In
the soft and rich voice of the Englishwoman of culture and refinement,
which always charmed him, she said:
“Mr. Edestone, my daughter tells me that you came over on the
_Ivernia_ with us.”
“No, no, mamma!” interrupted the Princess, with a frown and nervous
little laugh. “I said that Mrs. Brown said that she thought that Mr.
Edestone was on board.”
The Duchess acknowledged this correction, and with the cool effrontery
that only a woman can carry off to her entire satisfaction, she then
pretended that this was the first time that she had ever laid eyes on
him, when as a matter of fact she and the Princess had discussed this
remarkable, independent individual, who had so quietly and alone
occupied the large suite adjoining theirs.
“Do sit down, Mr. Edestone,” she smiled, “and tell us about your
wonderful electrical gun or ship. I really know so little about
electricity that I could not understand what my daughter has just been
telling me.” And then, as if to save him from the great embarrassment
of speaking, which she felt that he must have in her presence, she
hastened to continue: “I am really so sorry that I did not know you
were a fellow-passenger or I should most certainly have had you
presented. I am very fond of you Americans, I find them most charming
and so original, you know.”
Edestone bowed.
“I really became quite attached to your Mr. Bradley, who was on board.
I think you call him ‘Diamond King John.’ He was most attractive,”
and, with a charming smile, “he showed me his diamond suspender
buttons; and he dances beautifully, my daughter tells me. I understand
that Mr. Bradley is one of your oldest Arizona families--or was it
Virginia?--I am so stupid about the names of your different counties.
But I agree with him that family is not everything, and that clothes
make the gentleman. He tells me that he gets all of his clothes from
the same tailor as the Duke. Do you get your clothes in London, Mr.
Edestone?” And then, seeing an expression on Edestone’s face which
indicated to her that he was going to be bold enough to attempt to
enter into the conversation, hastily added: “No, of course not, you
would naturally get yours in New York, where Mr. Bradley tells me that
the finish of the buttonholes is much better on account of the
enormous salaries that you very rich Americans are able to pay your
tailors. No tea, Mr. Edestone? How foolish of me to ask! You would
like to have one of those American drinks; what is it you call them?
Cockplumes? My son could make one for you. Madame La Princesse de
Blanc taught him how to make one.”
Edestone smilingly declined.
The Duchess, who by this time was beginning to feel that perhaps Mr.
Edestone would not insist upon taking off his coat or squatting Indian
fashion on the floor, continued:
“My son tells me that it was at her house in Paris that he had the
pleasure of making your acquaintance.”
“Yes, Duchess,” nodded Edestone.
“She is a most delightful little American,” continued the Duchess. “So
bright, natural, unconventional, and original. And she chews tobacco
in the most fascinating manner.”
Edestone all this time had been debating in his mind whether this
silly prattle was the result of real ignorance, snobbishness, or
kindness of heart. He gave her the benefit of the doubt, however, and,
wishing to show her that she might put her mind at rest as to his
ability to overcome any embarrassment that he might have had, said
with a perfectly solemn face:
“You should have asked your friend, Mr. Bradley, to show you his
suspenders themselves, Duchess. They are, I am told, set with rubies,
sapphires, and diamonds, and cost, I understand, $10,000.”
“How very odd,” said the Duchess.
“And I am sure,” he continued, “that he feels as proud of having
danced with the Princess as she could have been at having been the
recipient of so much attention at the hands of ‘King John,’ who
apparently is also a Prince Charming.”
And then ignoring their pretence of having just seen him for the first
time, in a most natural manner Edestone referred to the episodes of
the crossing.
Turning to the Princess, who all this time had vainly endeavoured to
check her mother, and changing his manner out of deference for her
youth and inexperience, and assuming a more humble demeanour, he
continued:
“I sincerely hope, Princess, that I did not hurt you when I was forced
to handle you so roughly, but it was blowing almost a hurricane.”
“I forgive you, Mr. Edestone,” she said with a charming smile, “for
hurting my arm; but,” with a little pout, “I don’t think I can forgive
you for hurting my feelings. Why did you not ask Mr. Bradley to
present you? He said that he knew you very well.”
“Oh, I was rather afraid,” laughed Edestone, “to suggest this to him.
You know we do not move in exactly the same set, and I did not wish to
give him an opportunity to snub me. Now that he does speak so
familiarly of his royal friends, I thought that he might consider me a
bit presumptuous.”
“You don’t mean to say,” snorted the Duchess, “that that creature
would dare to speak of me as a friend?”
“Well,” said Edestone, “I shall do him the justice of saying that I am
quite certain he would not if he did not believe that you were, and
did not think that it was perfectly natural that you should be.”
The Princess, who was looking at Edestone with an intense look, of
which however she was absolutely unconscious, broke in impatiently:
“Oh, mamma, do stop talking about that dreadful man and ask Mr.
Edestone to tell us something about his wonderful work.” A light came
into her eyes which would have alarmed an American mother had she seen
it in the eyes of her daughter at a mixed summer resort.
Edestone was anxious to get away as he took absolutely no interest in
this particular phase of life; yet he did not wish to appear
unappreciative of the great honour that had been conferred upon him by
these ladies of such high rank. However, an opportunity soon presented
itself which permitted him to retire, and he bowed himself out of the
room, but not, it must be admitted, until he had answered a number of
questions which the Princess insisted on putting to him. He did this
with perfect deference, yet in such a businesslike way that she was
convinced, should a year elapse before he next saw her, he would
probably not recognize her.