The Prince and Betty

by P. G. Wodehouse

  Produced by Suzanne L. Shell, Charles Franks and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team

  THE PRINCE AND BETTY

  by P. G. WODEHOUSE

  [American edition]1912

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I THE CABLE FROM MERVO

  II MERVO AND ITS OWNER

  III JOHN

  IV VIVE LE ROI

  V MR. SCOBELL HAS ANOTHER IDEA

  VI YOUNG ADAM CUPID

  VII MR. SCOBELL IS FRANK

  VIII AN ULTIMATUM FROM THE THRONE

  IX MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION

  X MRS. OAKLEY

  XI A LETTER OP INTRODUCTION

  XII "PEACEFUL MOMENTS"

  XIII BETTY MAKES A FRIEND

  XIV A CHANGE OF POLICY

  XV THE HONEYED WORD

  XVI TWO VISITORS TO THE OFFICE

  XVII THE MAN AT THE ASTOR

  XVIII THE HIGHFIELD

  XIX THE FIRST BATTLE

  XX BETTY AT LARGE

  XXI CHANGES IN THE STAFF

  XXII A GATHERING OF CAT SPECIALISTS

  XXIII THE RETIREMENT OF SMITH

  XXIV THE CAMPAIGN QUICKENS

  XXV CORNERED

  XXVI JOURNEY'S END

  XXVII A LEMON

  XXVIII THE FINAL ATTEMPT

  XXIX A REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING

  XXX CONCLUSION

  THE PRINCE AND BETTY

  CHAPTER I

  THE CABLE PROM MERVO

  A pretty girl in a blue dress came out of the house, and began to walkslowly across the terrace to where Elsa Keith sat with Marvin Rossiterin the shade of the big sycamore. Elsa and Marvin had become engagedsome few days before, and were generally to be found at this timesitting together in some shaded spot in the grounds of the Keith's LongIsland home.

  "What's troubling Betty, I wonder," said Elsa. "She looks worried."

  Marvin turned his head.

  "Is that your friend, Miss Silver?"

  "That's Betty. We were at college together. I want you to like Betty."

  "Then I will. When did she arrive?"

  "Last night. She's here for a month. What's the matter, Betty? This isMarvin. I want you to like Marvin."

  Betty Silver smiled. Her face, in repose, was rather wistful, but itlighted up when she smiled, and an unsuspected dimple came into beingon her chin.

  "Of course I shall," she said.

  Her big gray eyes seemed to search Marvin's for an instant and Marvinhad, almost subconsciously, a comfortable feeling that he had beentested and found worthy.

  "What were you scowling at so ferociously, Betty?" asked Elsa.

  "Was I scowling? I hope you didn't think it was at you. Oh, Elsa, I'mmiserable! I shall have to leave this heavenly place."

  "Betty!"

  "At once. And I was meaning to have the most lovely time. See what hascome!"

  She held out some flimsy sheets of paper.

  "A cable!" said Elsa.

  "Great Scott! it looks like the scenario of a four-act play," saidMarvin. "That's not all one cable, surely? Whoever sent it must be amillionaire."

  "He is. It's from my stepfather. Read it out, Elsa. I want Mr. Rossiterto hear it. He may be able to tell me where Mervo is. Did you ever hearof Mervo, Mr. Rossiter?"

  "Never. What is it?"

  "It's a place where my stepfather is, and where I've got to go. I docall it hard. Go on, Elsa."

  Elsa, who had been skimming the document with raised eyebrows, now readit out in its spacious entirety.

  _On receipt of this come instantly Mervo without moment delay vital importance presence urgently required come wherever you are cancel engagements urgent necessity hustle have advised bank allow you draw any money you need expenses have booked stateroom Mauretania sailing Wednesday don't fail catch arrive Fishguard Monday train London sleep London catch first train Tuesday Dover now mind first train no taking root in London and spending a week shopping mid-day boat Dover Calais arrive Paris Tuesday evening Dine Paris catch train de luxe nine-fifteen Tuesday night for Marseilles have engaged sleeping coupe now mind Tuesday night no cutting loose around Paris stores you can do all that later on just now you want to get here right quick arrive Marseilles Wednesday morning boat Mervo Wednesday night will meet you Mervo now do you follow all that because if not cable at once and say which part of journey you don't understand now mind special points to be remembered firstly come instantly secondly no cutting loose around London Paris stores see._

  _SCOBELL._

  "_Well!_" said Elsa, breathless.

  "By George!" said Marvin. "He certainly seems to want you badly enough.He hasn't spared expense. He has put in about everything you could putinto a cable."

  "Except why he wants me," said Betty.

  "Yes," said Elsa. "Why does he want you? And in such a desperate hurry,too!"

  Marvin was re-reading the message.

  "It isn't a mere invitation," he said. "There's nocome-right-along-you'll-like-this-place-it's-fine about it. He seems tolook on your company more as a necessity than a luxury. It's a sort ofimperious C.Q.D."

  "That's what makes it so strange. We have hardly met for years. Why, hedidn't even know where I was. The cable was sent to the bank andforwarded on. And I don't know where he is!"

  "Which brings us back," said Marvin, "to mysterious Mervo. Let usreason inductively. If you get to the place by taking a boat fromMarseilles, it can't be far from the French coast. I should say at aventure that Mervo is an island in the Mediterranean. And a smallisland for if it had been a big one we should have heard of it."

  "Marvin!" cried Elsa, her face beaming with proud affection. "Howclever you are!"

  "A mere gift," he said modestly. "I have been like that from a boy." Hegot up from his chair. "Isn't there an encyclopaedia in the library,Elsa?"

  "Yes, but it's an old edition."

  "It will probably touch on Mervo. I'll go and fetch it."

  As he crossed the terrace, Elsa turned quickly to Betty.

  "Well?" she said.

  Betty smiled at her.

  "He's a dear. Are you very happy, Elsa?"

  Elsa's eyes danced. She drew in her breath softly. Betty looked at herin silence for a moment. The wistful expression was back on her face.

  "Elsa," she said, suddenly. "What is it like? How does it feel, knowingthat there's someone who is fonder of you than anything--?"

  Elsa closed her eyes.

  "It's like eating berries and cream in a new dress by moonlight on asummer night while somebody plays the violin far away in the distanceso that you can just hear it," she said.

  Her eyes opened again.

  "And it's like coming along on a winter evening and seeing the windowslit up and knowing you've reached home."

  Betty was clenching her hands, and breathing quickly.

  "And it's like--"

  "Elsa, don't! I can't bear it!"

  "Betty! What's the matter?"

  Betty smiled again, but painfully.

  "It's stupid of me. I'm just jealous, that's all. I haven't got aMarvin, you see. You have."

  "Well, there are plenty who would like to be your Marvin."

  Betty's face grew cold.

  "There are plenty who would like to be Benjamin Scobell's son-in-law,"she said.

  "Betty!" Elsa's voice was serious. "We've been friends for a good longtime, so you'll let me say something, won't you? I think you're gettingjust the least bit hard. Now turn and rend me," she addedgood-humoredly.

  "I'm not going to rend you," said Betty. "You're perfectly right. I amgetting hard. How can I
help it? Do you know how many men have asked meto marry them since I saw you last? Five."

  "Betty!"

  "And not one of them cared the slightest bit about me."

  "But, Betty, dear, that's just what I mean. Why should you say that?How can you know?"

  "How do I know? Well, I do know. Instinct, I suppose. The instinct ofself-preservation which nature gives hunted animals. I can't think of asingle man in the world--except your Marvin, of course--who wouldn'tdo anything for money." She stopped. "Well, yes, one."

  Elsa leaned forward eagerly.

  "Who, Betty?"

  "You don't know him."

  "But what's his name?"

  Betty hesitated.

  "Well, if I am on the witness-stand--Maude."

  "Maude? I thought you said a man?"

  "It's his name. John Maude."

  "But, Betty! Why didn't you tell me before? This is tremendouslyinteresting."

  Betty laughed shortly.

  "Not so very, really. I only met him two or three times, and I haven'tseen him for years, and I don't suppose I shall ever see him again. Hewas a friend of Alice Beecher's brother, who was at Harvard. Alice tookme over to meet her brother, and Mr. Maude was there. That's all."

  Elsa was plainly disappointed.

  "But how do you know, then--? What makes you think that he--?"

  "Instinct, again, I suppose. I do know."

  "And you've never met him since?"

  Betty shook her head. Elsa relapsed into silence. She had a sense ofpathos.

  At the further end of the terrace Marvin Rossiter appeared, carrying alarge volume.

  "Here we are," he said. "Scared it up at the first attempt. Now then."

  He sat down, and opened the book.

  "You don't want to hear all about how Jason went there in search of theGolden Fleece, and how Ulysses is supposed to have taken it in on hisround-trip? You want something more modern. Well, it's an island in theMediterranean, as I said, and I'm surprised that you've never heard ofit, Elsa, because it's celebrated in its way. It's the smallestindependent state in the world. Smaller than Monaco, even. Here aresome facts. Its population when this encyclopaedia was printed--theremay be more now--was eleven thousand and sixteen. It was ruled over upto 1886 by a prince. But in that year the populace appear to have saidto themselves, 'When in the course of human events....' Anyway, theyfired the prince, and the place is now a republic. So that's whereyou're going, Miss Silver. I don't know if it's any consolation to you,but the island, according to this gentleman, is celebrated for theunspoilt beauty of its scenery. He also gives a list of the fish thatcan be caught there. It takes up about three lines."

  "But what can my stepfather be doing there? I last heard of him inLondon. Well, I suppose I shall have to go."

  "I suppose you will," said Elsa mournfully. "But, oh, Betty, what ashame!"