"What would we have done with-out the duke`?" I murmured a moment
later.
"There's a more important question than that to be answered," said
Blakely; "we have still to decide what we shall do with the duke."
"I don't understand."
"It's my charming way of breaking news gently, sweetheart."
"Bad news?"
"Not exactly. It may annoy you."
"It annoys me that you seems afraid to tell it," I said.
"I'm not afraid, not the least bit. I'm a little ashamed, though.
You see mother is....."
"Don't dare adopt an apologizing attitude towards your mother.
Hasn't she done everything in the world for us?"
"There are some things one would rather do for oneself, girlie. I
had quite set my heart on Perry Arnold being best man at our
wedding."
"And so he shall be."
"I wrote him a week ago, and his answer came this morning. He was
delighted, poor chap! He's in Denver, now, and could be here in
three days." "You won't need him for three months," I warned. "But
why can't you have him, dear?"
"Because mother has already engaged the duke in that capacity."
"Not really?"
"It's the gospel truth. Perry will think me no end of a snob. I
won't know what explanation to make."
"Nonsense! I'll explain it to him myself."
"Then you feel I ought to accept mother's arrangements?"
"You must, if it will make her happy."
"She assured me she would be most miserable if I didn't."
"Then it's settled," I said.
"That's not all, Elizabeth; the duke is sailing for Japan on the
twenty-sixth of February."
"And this is the twentieth!" I gasped.
"Yes, sweetheart. And mother has arranged our wedding for the
twenty-fourth."