"
"He speaks lovely English," declared Mrs. Dick, still reading.
"I know all that," he said, walking around nervously, "but if he's going
to be my brother-in-law, I suppose I don't get down on my knees and
knock my head on the floor. What do I say to him? Your Highness? Oh,
I've known a lord or two, but that's different. You call them anything
you like and lend them money."
"I dare say you can with Oskar, too." Mrs. Dicky put the note down and
sighed. "Well, he's coming. Pat says dad won't go back to town until
he's had twenty-one baths, and he's only had eleven and she's got to
stay with him. And you needn't worry about what to call Oskar. He's not
to know we're here."
I was worried on my way back to the spring-house--not that the prince
would make much difference, as far as I could see things being about as
bad as they could be. But some of the people were talking of leaving,
and since we had to have a prince it seemed a pity he wasn't coming
with all his retinue and titles. It would have been a good ten thousand
dollars' worth of advertising for the place, and goodness knows we
needed it.
When I got back to the spring-house Miss Patty and Mr. Pierce were still
there. He was in front of the fire, with his back to it, and she was
near the door.
"Of course it isn't my affair," he was saying. "You are perfectly--"
Then I opened the door and he stopped. I went on into the pantry to take
off my overshoes, and as I closed the door he continued.
Pages:
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104