A LETTER FROM MAUD
Mr. Blithers, triumphant, left Red Roof shortly after luncheon; Mr.
Blithers, dismayed, arrived at Blitherwood a quarter of an hour later.
He had had his way with Robin, who, after all, was coming to dinner
that evening with Count Quinnox. The Prince, after a few words in
private with the Count, changed his mind and accepted Mr. Blithers'
invitation with a liveliness that was mistaken for eagerness by that
gentleman, who had made very short work of subduing Mrs. King when she
tried to tell him that her own dinner-party would be ruined if the
principal guest defaulted. He was gloating over his victory up to the
instant he reached his own lodge gates. There dismay sat patiently
waiting for him in the shape of a messenger from the local telegraph
office in the village below. He had seen Mr. Blithers approaching in
the distance, and, with an astuteness that argued well for his future
success in life, calmly sat down to wait instead of pedaling his
decrepit bicycle up the long slope to the villa.
He delivered a telegram and kindly vouchsafed the information that it
was from New York.
Mr. Blithers experienced a queer sinking of the heart as he gazed at
the envelope. Something warned him that if he opened it in the presence
of the messenger he would say something that a young boy ought not to
hear.
"It's from Maud," said the obliging boy, beaming good-nature. It cost
him a quarter, that bit of gentility, for Mr. Blithers at once said
something that a messenger boy ought to hear, and ordered Jackson to go
ahead.
It was from Maud and it said: "I shall stay in town a few days longer.
It is delightfully cool here. Dear old Miranda is at the Ritz with me
and we are having a fine spree. Don't worry about money. I find I have
a staggering balance in the bank. The cashier showed me where I had
made a mistake in subtraction of an even ten thousand. I was amazed to
find what a big difference a little figure makes. Have made no definite
plans but will write Mother to-night. Please give my love to the
Prince. Have you seen to-day's _Town Truth_? Or worse, has he seen it?
Your loving daughter, Maud."
The butler was sure it was apoplexy, but the chauffeur, out of a wide
experience, announced, behind his hand, that he would be all right the
instant the words ceased to stick in his throat. And he was right. Mr.
Blithers _was_ all right. Not even the chauffeur had seen him when he
was more so.
A little later on, after he had cooled off to a quite considerable
extent, Mr. Blithers lighted a cigar and sat down in the hall outside
his wife's bed-chamber door. She was having her beauty nap. Not even he
possessed the temerity to break in upon that. He sat and listened for
the first sound that would indicate the appeasement of beauty,
occasionally hitching his chair a trifle nearer to the door in the
agony of impatience. By the time Jackson returned from the village with
word that a copy of _Town Truth_ was not to be had until the next day,
he was so close to the door that if any one had happened to stick a hat
pin through the keyhole at precisely the right instant it would have
punctured his left ear with appalling results.
"What are we going to do about it?" he demanded three minutes after
entering the chamber. His wife was prostrate on the luxurious couch
from which she had failed to arise when he burst in upon her with the
telegram in his hand.
"Oh, the foolish child," she moaned. "If she only knew how adorable he
is she wouldn't be acting in this perfectly absurd manner. Every girl
who was here last night is madly in love with him. Why must Maud be so
obstinate?"
Mr. Blithers was very careful not to mention his roadside experience
with the Prince, and you may be sure that he said nothing about his
proposition to the young man. He merely declared, with a vast
bitterness in his soul, that the Prince was coming to dinner, but what
the deuce was the use?
"She ought to be soundly--spoken to," said he, breaking the sentence
with a hasty gulp. "Now, Lou, there's just one thing to do. I must go
to New York on the midnight train and get her. That woman was all right
as a tutor, but hanged if I like to see a daughter of mine traipsing
around New York with a school teacher. She--"
"You forget that she has retired on a competence. She is not in active
employment. Will. You forget that she is one of the Van Valkens."
"There you go, talking about good old families again. Why is it that so
blamed many of your fine old blue stockings are hunting jobs--"
"Now don't be vulgar, Will," she cut in. "Maud is quite safe with
Miranda, and you know it perfectly well, so don't talk like that. I
think it would be a fearful mistake for you to go to New York. She
would never forgive you and, what is more to the point, she wouldn't
budge a step if you tried to bully her into coming home with you. You
know it quite as well as I do."
He groaned. "Give me a chance to think, Lou. Just half a chance, that's
all I ask. I'll work out some--"
"Wait until her letter comes. We'll see what she has to say. Perhaps
she intends coming home tomorrow, who can tell? This may be a pose on
her part. Give her free rein and she will not pull against the bit. It
may surprise her into doing the sensible thing if we calmly ignore her
altogether. I've been thinking it over, and I've come to the conclusion
that we'll be doing the wisest thing in the world if we pay absolutely
no attention to her."
"By George, I believe you've hit it, Lou! She'll be looking for a
letter or telegram from me and she'll not receive a word, eh? She'll be
expecting us to beg her to come back and all the while we just sit
tight and say not a word. We'll fool her, by thunder. By to-morrow
afternoon she'll be so curious to know what's got into us that she'll
come home on a run. You're right. It takes a thief to catch a
thief,--which is another way of saying that it takes a woman to
understand a woman. We'll sit tight and let Maud worry for a day or
two. It will do her good."
Maud's continued absence was explained to Prince Robin that evening,
not by the volcanic Mr. Blithers but by his practised and adroit
better-half who had no compunction in ascribing it to the alarming
condition of a very dear friend in New York,--one of the Van Valkens,
you know.
"Maud is so tender-hearted, so loyal, so really sweet about her
friends, that nothing in the world could have induced her to leave this
dear friend, don't you know."
"I am extremely sorry not to have met your daughter," said Robin very
politely.
"Oh, but she will be here in a day or two, Prince."
"Unfortunately, we are leaving to-morrow, Mrs. Blithers."
"To-morrow?" murmured Mrs. Blithers, aghast.
"I received a cablegram to-day advising me to return to Edelweiss at
once. We are obliged to cut short a very charming visit with Mr. and
Mrs. King and to give up the trip to Washington. Lieutenant Dank left
for New York this afternoon to exchange our reservations for the first
ship that we can--"
"What's this?" demanded Mr. Blithers, abruptly withdrawing his
attention from Count Quinnox who was in the middle of a sentence when
the interruption came. They were on the point of going out to dinner.
"What's this?"
"The Prince says that he is leaving to-morrow--"
"Nonsense!" exploded Mr. Blithers, with no effort toward geniality. "He
doesn't mean it. Why,--why, we haven't signed a single agreement--"
"Fortunately it isn't necessary for me to sign anything, Mr. Blithers,"
broke in Robin hastily. "The papers are to be signed by the Minister of
Finance, and afterwards my signature is attached in approval. Isn't
that true, Count Quinnox?"
"I daresay Mr. Blithers understands the situation perfectly," said the
Count.
Mr. Blithers looked blank. He _did_ understand the situation, that was
the worst of it. He knew that although the cabinet had sanctioned the
loan by cable, completing the transaction so far as it could be
completed at this time, it was still necessary for the Minister of
Finance to sign the agreement under the royal seal of Graustark.
"Of course I understand it," he said bluntly. "Still I had it in mind
to ask the Prince to put his signature to a sort of preliminary
document which would at least assure me that he would sign the final
agreement when the time comes. That's only fair, isn't it?"
"Quite fair, Mr. Blithers. The Prince will sign such an article
to-morrow or the next day at your office in the city. Pray have no
uneasiness, sir. It shall be as you wish. By the way, I understood that
your solicitor--your lawyer, I should say,--was to be here this
evening. It had occurred to me that he might draw up the statement,--if
Mrs. Blithers will forgive us in our haste--"
"He couldn't get here," said Mr. Blithers, and no more. He was thinking
too intently of something more important. "What's turned up?"
"Turned up, Mr. Blithers?"
"Yes--in Groostock. What's taking you off in such a hurry?"
"The Prince has been away for nearly six months," said the Count, as if
that explained everything.
"Was it necessary to cable for him to come home?" persisted the
financier.
"Graustark and Dawsbergen are endeavouring to form an alliance, Mr.
Blithers, and Prince Robin's presence at the capitol is very much to be
desired in connection with the project."
"What kind of an alliance?"
The Count looked bored. "An alliance prescribed for the general
improvement of the two races, I should say, Mr. Blithers." He smiled.
"It would in no way impair the credit of Graustark, however. It is what
you might really describe as a family secret, if you will pardon my
flippancy."
The butler announced dinner.
"Wait for a couple of days. Prince, and I'll send you down to New York
by special train," said Mr. Blithers.
"Thank you. It is splendid of you. I daresay everything will depend on
Dank's success in--"
"Crawford," said Mr. Blithers to the butler, "ask Mr. Davis to look up
the sailings for next week and let me know at once, will you?" Turning
to the Prince, he went on: "We can wire down to-night and engage
passage for next week. Davis is my secretary. I'll have him attend to
everything. And now let's forget our troubles."
A great deal was said by her parents about Maud's unfortunate detention
in the city. Both of them were decidedly upset by the sudden change in
the Prince's plans. Once under pretext of whispering to Crawford about
the wine, Mr. Blithers succeeded in transmitting a question to his
wife. She shook her head in reply, and he sighed audibly. He had asked
if she thought he'd better take the midnight train.
Mr. Davis found that there were a dozen ships sailing the next week,
but nothing came of it, for the Prince resolutely declared he would be
obliged to take the first available steamer.
"We shall go down to-morrow," he said, and even Mr. Blithers subsided.
He looked to his wife in desperation. She failed him for the first time
in her life. Her eyes were absolutely messageless.
"I'll go down with you," he said, and then gave his wife a look of
defiance.
The next morning brought Maud's letter to her mother. It said: "Dearest
Mother: I enclose the cutting from _Town Truth_. You may see for
yourself what a sickening thing it is. The whole world knows by this
time that the ball was a joke--a horrible joke. Everybody knows that
you are trying to hand me over to Prince Robin neatly wrapped up in
bank notes. And everybody knows that he is laughing at us, and he isn't
alone in his mirth either. What must the Truxton Kings think of us? I
can't bear the thought of meeting that pretty, clever woman face to
face. I know I should die of mortification, for, of course, she must
believe that I am dying to marry anything on earth that has a title and
a pair of legs. Somehow I don't blame you and dad. You really love me,
I know, and you want to give me the best that the world affords. But
why, oh why, can't you let me choose for myself? I don't object to
having a title, but I do object to having a husband that I don't want
and who certainly could not, by any chance, want me. You think that I
am in love with Channie Scoville. Well, I'm not. I am very fond of him,
that's all, and if it came to a pinch I would marry him in preference
to any prince on the globe. To-day I met a couple of girls who were at
the ball. They told me that the Prince is adorable. They are really
quite mad about him, and one of them had the nerve to ask what it was
going to cost dad to land him. _Town Truth_ says he is to cost ten
millions! Well, you may just tell dad that I'll help him to practice
economy. He needn't pay a nickle for my husband--when I get him. The
world is small. It may be that I shall come upon this same Prince
Charming some place before it is too late, and fall in love with him
all of a heap. Loads of silly girls do fall in love with fairy princes,
and I'm just as silly as the rest of them. Ever since I was a little
kiddie I've dreamed of marrying a real, lace-and-gold Prince, the kind
Miranda used to read about in the story books. But I also dreamed that
he loved me. There's the rub, you see. How could any prince love a girl
who set out to buy him with a lot of silly millions? It's not to be
expected. I know it is done in the best society, but I should want my
prince to be happy instead of merely comfortable. I should want both of
us to live happy ever afterwards.
"So, dearest mother, I am going abroad to forget. Miranda is going with
me and we sail next Saturday on the _Jupiter_ I think. We haven't got
our suite, but Mr. Bliss says he is sure he can arrange it for me. If
we can't get one on the _Jupiter_, we'll take some other boat that is
just as inconspicuous. You see, I want to go on a ship that isn't
likely to be packed with people I know, for it is my intention to
travel incog, as they say in the books. No one shall stare at me and
say: 'There is that Maud Blithers we were reading about in _Town
Truth_--and all the other papers this week. Her father is going to buy
a prince for her.'
"I know dad will be perfectly furious, but I'm going or die, one or the
other. Now it won't do a bit of good to try to stop me, dearest. The
best thing for you and dad to do is to come down at once and say
goodbye to me--but you are not to go to the steamer! Never! Please,
please come, for I love you both and I do so want you to love me. Come
to-morrow and kiss your horrid, horrid, disappointing, loathsome
daughter--and forgive her, too."
Mr. Blithers was equal to the occasion. His varying emotions manifested
themselves with peculiar vividness during the reading of the letter by
his tearful wife. At the outset he was frankly humble and contrite; he
felt bitterly aggrieved over the unhappy position in which they
innocently had placed their cherished idol. Then came the deep breath
of relief over the apparent casting away of young Scoville, followed by
an angry snort when Maud repeated the remark of her girl friend. His
dismay was pathetic while Mrs. Blithers was fairly gasping out Maud's
determination to go abroad, but before she reached the concluding
sentences of the extraordinary missive, he was himself again. As a
matter of fact, he was almost jubilant. He slapped his knee with
resounding force and uttered an ejaculation that caused his wife to
stare at him as if the very worst had happened: he was a chuckling
lunatic!
"Immense!" he exclaimed. "Immense!"
"Oh, Will!" she sobbed.
"Nothing could be better! Luck is with me, Lou. It always is."
"In heaven's name, what are you saying, Will?"
"Great Scott, can't you see? He goes abroad, she goes abroad. See? Same
ship. See what I mean? Nothing could be finer. They--"
"But I do not want my child to go abroad," wailed the unhappy mother.
"I cannot bear--"
"Stuff and nonsense! Brace up! Grasp the romance. Both of 'em sailing
under assumed names. They see each other on deck. Mutual attraction.
Love at first sight. Both of 'em. Money no object. There you are. Leave
it to me."
"Maud is not the kind of girl to take up with a stranger on board--"
"Don't glare at me like that! Love finds the way, it doesn't matter
what kind of a girl she is. But listen to me, Lou; we've got to be
mighty careful that Maud doesn't suspect that we're putting up a job on
her. She'd balk at the gang-plank and that would be the end of it. She
must not know that he is on board. Now, here's the idea," and he talked
on in a strangely subdued voice for fifteen minutes, his enthusiasm
mounting to such heights that she was fairly lifted to the seventh
heaven he produced, and, for once in her life, she actually submitted
to his bumptious argument without so much as a single protesting word.
The down train at two-seventeen had on board a most distinguished group
of passengers, according to the Pullman conductor whose skilful
conniving resulted in the banishment of a few unimportant creatures who
had paid for chairs in the observation coach but who had to get out,
whether or no, when Mr. Blithers loudly said it was a nuisance having
everything on the shady side of the car taken "on a hot day like this."
He surreptitiously informed the conductor that there was a prince in
his party, and that highly impressed official at once informed ten
other passengers that they had no business in a private car and would
have to move up to the car ahead--and rather quickly at that.
The Prince announced that Lieutenant Dank had secured comfortable
cabins on a steamer sailing Saturday, but he did not feel at liberty to
mention the name of the boat owing to his determination to avoid
newspaper men, who no doubt would move heaven and earth for an
interview, now that he had become a person of so much importance in the
social world. Indeed, his indentity was to be more completely obscured
than at any time since he landed on American soil. He thanked Mr.
Blithers for his offer to command the "royal suite" on the _Jupiter_,
but declined, volunteering the somewhat curt remark that it was his
earnest desire to keep as far away from royalty as possible on the
voyage over. (A remark that Mr. Blithers couldn't quite fathom, then or
afterward.)
Mrs. Blithers' retort to her husband's shocked comment on the
un-princely appearance of the young man and the wofully ordinary suit
of clothes worn by the Count, was sufficiently caustic, and he was
silenced--and convinced. Neither of the distinguished foreigners looked
the part of a nobleman.
"I wouldn't talk about clothes if I were you," Mrs. Blithers had said
on the station platform. "Who would suspect you of being one of the
richest men in America?" She sent a disdainful glance at his baggy
knees and bulging coat pockets, and for the moment he shrank into the
state of being one of the poorest men in America.
They were surprised and not a little perplexed by the fact that the
Prince and his companion arrived at the station quite alone. Neither of
the Kings accompanied them. There was, Mrs. Blithers admitted, food for
thought in this peculiar omission on the part of the Prince's late host
and hostess, and she would have given a great deal to know what was
back of it. The "luggage" was attended to by the admirable Hobbs, there
being no sign of a Red Roof servant about the place. Moreover, there
seemed to be considerable uneasiness noticeable in the manner of the
two foreigners. They appeared to be unnecessarily impatient for the
train to arrive, looking at their watches now and again, and frequently
sending sharp glances down the village street in the direction of Red
Roof. Blithers afterwards remarked that they made him think of a couple
of absconding cashiers. The mystery, however, was never explained.
Arriving at the Grand Central Terminal, Prince Robin and the Count made
off in a taxi-cab, smilingly declining to reveal their hotel
destination.
"But where am I to send my attorney with the agreement you are to sign,
Prince?" asked Mr. Blithers, plainly irritated by the young man's
obstinacy in declining to be "dropped" at his hotel by the Blithers
motor.
"I shall come to your office at eleven to-morrow morning, Mr.
Blithers," said Robin, his hat in his hand. He had bowed very deeply to
Mrs. Blithers.
"But that's not right," blustered the financier. "A prince of royal
blood hadn't ought to visit a money-grubber's office. It's not--"
"_Noblesse oblige_," said Robin, with his hand on his heart. "It has
been a pleasure to know you, Mrs. Blithers. I trust we may meet again.
If you should ever come to Graustark, please consider that the castle
is yours--as you hospitable Americans would say."
"We surely will," said Mrs. Blithers. Both the Prince and Count Quinnox
bowed very profoundly, and did not smile.
"And it will be ours," added Mr. Blithers, more to himself than to his
wife as the two tall figures moved off with the throng. Then to his
wife: "Now to find out what ship they're sailing on. I'll fix it so
they'll _have_ to take the _Jupiter_, whether they want to or not."
"Wouldn't it be wisdom to find out what ship Maud is sailing on, Will?
It seems to me that she is the real problem."
"Right you are!" said he instantly. "I must be getting dotty in my old
age, Lou."
They were nearing the Ritz when she broke a prolonged period of
abstraction by suddenly inquiring: "What did you mean when you said to
him on the train: 'Better think it over, Prince,' and what did he mean
by the insolent grin he gave you in reply?"
Mr. Blithers looked straight ahead.
"Business," said he, answering the first question but not the last.