"Raa? Did you say Raa? That . . . Good G----But surely you know. . . ."
He did not finish what he was going to say, so I told him I did not know
anything, not having seen Lord Raa since I came to school, and
everything having been arranged for me by my father.
"Not seen him since . . . everything arranged by your father?"
"Yes."
Then he asked me abruptly where I was staying, and when I told him he
said he would walk back with me to the hotel.
His manner had suddenly changed, and several times as we walked together
up the Tritoni and along the Du Marcelli he began to say something and
then stopped.
"Surely your father knows. . . ."
"If he does, I cannot possibly understand. . . ."
I did not pay as much attention to his broken exclamations as I should
have done but for the surprise and confusion of coming so suddenly upon
him again; and when, as we reached the hotel, he said:
"I wonder if your father will allow me to speak. . . ."
"I'm sure he'll be delighted," I said, and then, in my great impatience,
I ran upstairs ahead of him and burst into my father's room, crying:
"Father, whom do you think I have brought to see you--look!"
To my concern and discomfiture my father's reception of Martin was very
cool, and at first he did not even seem to know him.
"You don't remember me, sir?" said Martin.
"I'm afraid I can't just place you," said my father.
After I had made them known to each other they sat talking about the
South Pole expedition, but it was a chill and cheerless interview, and
after a few minutes Martin rose to go.
"I find it kind of hard to figure you fellows out," said my father. "No
money that I know of has ever been made in the Unknown, as you call it,
and if you discover both Poles I don't just see how they're to be worth
a two-cent stamp to you. But you know best, so good-bye and good luck to
you!"
I went out to the lift with Martin, who asked if he could take me for a
walk in the morning. I answered yes, and inquired what hour he would
call for me.
"Twelve o'clock," he replied, and I said that would suit me exactly.
The Bishop came to dine with us that night, and after dinner, when I had
gone to the window to look out over the city for the three lights on the
Loggia of the Vatican, he and my father talked together for a long time
in a low tone. They were still talking when I left them to go to bed.