The Prince of Graustark

by George Barr McCutcheon

  CHAPTER VI

  THE PRINCE AND MR. BLITHERS

  In order to get on with the narrative, I shall be as brief as possiblein the matter of the Blitherwood ball. In the first place, mere wordswould prove to be not only feeble but actually out of place. Anyattempt to define the sensation of awe by recourse to a dictionarywould put one in the ridiculous position of seeking the unattainable.The word has its meaning, of course, but the sensation itself is quiteanother thing. As every one who attended the ball was filled with awe,which he tried to put forward as admiration, the attitude of the guestwas no more limp than that of the chronicler. In the second place, I amnot qualified by experience or imagination to describe a ball thatstood its promoter not a penny short of one hundred thousand dollars. Ibelieve I could go as high as a fifteen or even twenty thousand dollaraffair with some sort of intelligence, but anything beyond thosefigures renders me void and useless.

  Mr. Blithers not only ran a special train de luxe from New York City,but another from Washington and still another from Newport, for itappears that the Newporters at the last minute couldn't bear the ideaof going to the Metropolis out of season. He actually had to take themaround the city in such a way that they were not even obliged to submitto a glimpse of the remotest outskirts of the Bronx.

  From Washington came an amazing company of foreign ladies andgentlemen, ranging from the most exalted Europeans to the lowliest ofthe yellow races. They came with gold all over them; they tinkled withthe clash of a million cymbals. The President of the United Statesalmost came. Having no spangles of his own, he delegated aMajor-General and a Rear-Admiral to represent Old Glory, and no doubtsulked in the White House because a parsimonious nation refuses to buybraid and buttons for its chief executive.

  Any one who has seen a gentleman in braid, buttons and spangles willunderstand how impossible it is to describe him. One might enumeratethe buttons and the spangles and even locate them precisely upon hisperson, but no mortal intellect can expand sufficiently to cope with anundertaking that would try even the powers of Him who created thecontents of those wellstuffed uniforms.

  A car load of orchids and gardenias came up, fairly depleting theflorists' shops on Manhattan Island, and with them came a small army ofskilled decorators. In order to deliver his guests at the doors ofBlitherwood, so to speak, the incomprehensible Mr. Blithers had atemporary spur of track laid from the station two miles away, employingno fewer than a thousand men to do the work in forty-eight hours. (Workon a terminal extension in New York was delayed for a week or more inorder that he might borrow the rails, ties and worktrains!)

  Two hundred and fifty precious and skillfully selected guests ate twohundred and fifty gargantuan dinners and twice as many suppers; drankbarrels of the rarest of wines; smoked countless two dollar Perfectosand stuffed their pockets with enough to last them for days to come;burnt up five thousand cigarettes and ate at least two dozen eggs forbreakfast, and then flitted away with a thousand complaints in twohundred and fifty Pullman drawing-rooms, Nothing could have been moreaccurately pulled-off than the wonderful Blitherwood ball. (Thesparring match on the lawn, under the glare of a stupendous cluster oflights, resulted in favour of Mr. Bullhead Brown, who successfully--ifaccidentally--landed with considerably energy on the left lower cornerof Mr. Sledge-hammer Smith's diaphragm, completely dividing the pursewith him in four scientifically satisfactory rounds, although they cameto blows over it afterwards when Mr. Smith told Mr. Brown what hethought of him for hitting with such fervour just after they had eatena hearty meal.)

  A great many mothers inspected Prince Robin with interest and confessedto a really genuine enthusiasm: something they had not experiencedsince one of the German princes got close enough to Newport to see itquite clearly through his marine glasses from the bridge of abattleship. The ruler of Graustark--(four-fifths of the guests askedwhere in the world it was!)--was the lion of the day. Mr. Blithers wasannoyed because he did not wear his crown, but was somewhat mollifiedby the information that he had neglected to bring it along with him inhis travels. He was also considerably put out by the discovery that thePrince had left his white and gold uniform at home and had to appear inan ordinary dress-suit, which, to be sure, fitted him perfectly but didnot achieve distinction. He did wear a black and silver ribbon acrosshis shirt front, however, and a tiny gold button in the lapel of hiscoat; otherwise he might have been mistaken for a "regular guest," toborrow an expression from Mr. Blithers. The Prince's host manoeuvreduntil nearly one o'clock in the morning before he succeeded in gettinga close look at the little gold button, and then found that theinscription thereon was in some sort of hieroglyphics that afforded noenlightenment whatsoever.

  Exercising a potentate's prerogative, Prince Robin left the scene offestivity somewhat earlier than was expected. As a matter of fact, hedeparted shortly after one. Moreover, being a prince, it did not occurto him to offer any excuse for leaving so early, but gracefully thankedhis host and hostess and took himself off without the customaryassertion that he had had a splendid time. Strange to say, he did notoffer a single comment on the sumptuousness of the affair that had beengiven in his honor. Mr. Blithers couldn't get over that. He couldn'thelp thinking that the fellow had not been properly brought-up, or wasit possible that he was not in the habit of going out in good society?

  Except for one heart-rending incident, the Blitherwood ball was themost satisfying event in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. William W. Blithers.That incident, however, happened to be the hasty and well-managedflight of Maud Applegate Blithers at an hour indefinitely placedsomewhere between four and seven o'clock on the morning of the greatday.

  Miss Blithers was not at the ball. She was in New York City serenelyenjoying one of the big summer shows, accompanied by young Scoville andher onetime governess, a middle-aged gentlewoman who had seen evenbetter days than those spent in the employ of William W. Blithers. Theresolute young lady had done precisely what she said she would do, andfor the first time in his life Mr. Blithers realised that his daughterwas a creation and not a mere condition. He wilted like a famishedwater-lily and went about the place in a state of bewilderment so bleakthat even his wife felt sorry for him and refrained from the "I toldyou so" that might have been expected under the circumstances.

  Maud's telegram, which came at three o'clock in the afternoon, wasmeant to be reassuring but it failed of its purpose. It said: "Have agood time and don't lose any sleep over me. I shall sleep very soundlymyself at the Ritz to-night and hope you will be doing the same when Ireturn home to-morrow afternoon, for I know you will be dreadfullytired after all the excitement. Convey my congratulations to the guestof honor and believe me to be your devoted and obedient daughter."

  The co-incidental absence of young Mr. Scoville from the ball was acause of considerable uneasiness on the part of the agitated Mr.Blithers, who commented upon it quite expansively in the seclusion ofhis own bed-chamber after the last guest had sought repose. Some of thethings that Mr. Blithers said about Mr. Scoville will never beforgotten by the four walls of that room, if, as commonly reported,they possess auricular attachments.

  Any one who imagines that Mr. Blithers accepted Maud's defection as afinal disposition of the cause he had set his heart upon is very muchmistaken in his man. Far from receding so much as an inch from hisposition, he at once set about to strengthen it in such a way that Maudwould have to come to the conclusion that it was useless to combat theinevitable, and ultimately would heap praises upon his devoted head forthe great blessing he was determined to bestow upon her in spite ofherself.

  The last of the special coaches was barely moving on its jiggly way tothe main line, carrying the tag end of the revellers, when he set forthin his car for a mid-day visit to Red Roof. Already the huge camp ofSlavs and Italians was beginning to jerk up the borrowed rails andties; the work trains were rumbling and snorting in the meadows aboveBlitherwood, tottering about on the uncertain road-bed. He gave a fewconcise and imperative orders to obsequious superintendents andforemen,
who subsequently repeated them with even greater freedom tothe perspiring foreigners, and left the scene of confusion without somuch as a glance behind. Wagons, carts, motortrucks and all manner ofwheeled things were scuttling about Blitherwood as he shot down thelong, winding avenue toward the lodge gates, but he paid no attentionto them. They were removing the remnants of a glory that had passed atfive in the morning. He was not interested in the well-pluckedskeleton. It was a nuisance getting rid of it, that was all, and hewanted it to be completely out of sight when he returned from Red Roof.If a vestige of the ruins remained, some one would hear from him! Thatwas understood. And when Maud came home on the five-fourteen she wouldnot find him asleep--not by a long shot!

  Half-way to Red Roof, he espied a man walking briskly along the roadahead of him. To be perfectly accurate, he was walking in the middle ofthe road and his back was toward the swift-moving, almost noiselessPackard.

  "Blow the horn for the dam' fool," said Mr. Blithers to the chauffeur.A moment later the pedestrian leaped nimbly aside and the car shotpast, the dying wail of the siren dwindling away in the whirr of thewheels. "Look where you're going!" shouted Mr. Blithers from thetonneau, as if the walker had come near to running him down instead ofthe other way around. "Whoa! Stop 'er, Jackson!" he called to thedriver. He had recognised the pedestrian.

  The car came to a stop with grinding brakes, and at the same time thepedestrian halted a hundred yards away.

  "Back up," commanded Mr. Blithers in some haste, for the Prince seemedto be on the point of deserting the highway for the wood that lined it."Morning, Prince!" he shouted, waving his hat vigorously. "Want a lift?"

  The car shot backward with almost the same speed that it had goneforward, and the Prince exercised prudence when he stepped quickly upthe sloping bank at the roadside.

  "Were you addressing me," he demanded curtly, as the car came to a stop.

  "Yes, your highness. Get in. I'm going your way," said Mr. Blithersbeamingly.

  "I mean a moment ago, when you shouted 'Look where you are going,'"said Robin, an angry gleam in his eye.

  Mr. Blithers looked positively dumbfounded. "Good Heavens, no!" hecried. "I was speaking to the chauffeur." (Jackson's back seemed tostiffen a little.) "I've told him a thousand times to be careful aboutrunning up on people like that. Now this is the last time I'll warnyou, Jackson. The next time you go. Understand? Just because you happento be driving for me doesn't signify that you can run over people who--"

  "It's all right, Mr. Blithers," interrupted Robin, with his fine smile."No harm done. I'll walk if you don't mind. Out for a bit of exercise,you know. Thank you just the same."

  "Where are you bound for?" asked Mr. Blithers.

  "I don't know. I ramble where my fancy leads me."

  "I guess I'll get out and stroll along with you. God knows I need moreexercise than I get. Is it agreeable?" He was on the ground by thistime. Without waiting for an answer, he directed Jackson to run on toRed Roof and wait for him.

  "I shall be charmed," said Robin, a twinkle in the tail of his eye. "Aneight or ten mile jaunt will do you a world of good, I'm sure. Shall weexplore this little road up the mountain and then drop down to RedRoof? I don't believe it can be more than five or six miles."

  "Capital," said Mr. Blithers with enthusiasm. He happened to know thatit was a "short cut" to Red Roof and less than a mile as the crowflies. True, there was something of an ascent ahead of them, but therewas also a corresponding descent at the other end. Besides, he wasconfident he could keep up with the long-legged youngster by theparadoxical process of holding back. The Prince, having suggested theroute, couldn't very well be arbitrary in traversing it. Mr. Blithersregarded the suggestion as an invitation.

  They struck off into the narrow woodland road, not precisely side byside, but somewhat after the fashion of a horseback rider and hisgroom, or, more strictly speaking, as a Knight and his vassal. Robinstarted off so briskly that Mr. Blithers fell behind a few paces andhad to exert himself considerably to keep from losing more ground asthey took the first steep rise. The road was full of ruts and crossruts and littered with boulders that had ambled down the mountain-sidein the spring moving. To save his life, Mr. Blithers couldn't keep to astraight course. He went from rut to rut and from rock to rock with thefidelity of a magnetised atom, seldom putting his foot where he meantto put it, and never by any chance achieving a steady stride. He wouldtake one long, purposeful step and then a couple of short "feelers,"progressing very much as a man tramps over a newly ploughed field.

  At the top of the rise, Robin considerately slackened his pace and thechubby gentleman drew alongside, somewhat out of breath but as cheerfulas a cricket.

  "Going too fast for you, Mr. Blithers?" inquired Robin.

  "Not at all," said Mr. Blithers. "By the way, Prince," he went on,cunningly seizing the young man's arm and thereby putting a check onhis speed for the time being at least, "I want to explain my daughter'sunfortunate absence last night. You must have thought it very strange.Naturally it was unavoidable. The poor girl is really quiteheart-broken. I beg pardon!" He stepped into a rut and came perilouslynear to going over on his nose. "Beastly road! Thanks. Good thing Itook hold of you. Yes, as I was saying, it was really a mostunfortunate thing; missed the train, don't you see. Went down for theday--just like a girl, you know--and missed the train."

  "Ah, I see. She missed it twice."

  "Eh? Oh! Ha ha! Very good! She might just as well have missed it adozen times as once, eh? Well, she could have arranged for a special tobring her up, but she's got a confounded streak of thriftiness in her.Couldn't think of spending the money. Silly idea of--I beg your pardon,did I hurt you? I'm pretty heavy, you know, no light weight when I comedown on a fellow's toe like that. What say to sitting down on this logfor a while? Give your foot a chance to rest a bit. Deucedly awkward ofme. Ought to look out where I'm stepping, eh?"

  "It really doesn't matter, Mr. Blithers," said Robin hastily. "We'llkeep right on if it's all the same to you. I'm due at home in--in halfan hour. We lunch very punctually."

  "I was particularly anxious for you and Maud to meet under theconditions that obtained last night," went on Mr. Blithers, with aregretful look at the log they were passing. "Nothing could have beenmore--er--ripping."

  "I hear from every one that your daughter is most attractive," saidRobin. "Sorry not to have met her, Mr. Blithers."

  "Oh, you'll meet her all right. Prince. She's coming home to-day. Ibelieve Mrs. Blithers is expecting you to dinner to-night. She--"

  "I'm sure there must be some mistake," began Robin, but was cut short.

  "I was on my way to Red Roof to ask you and Count Quiddux to give usthis evening in connection with that little affair we are arranging. Itis most imperative that it should be to-night, as my attorney is comingup for the conference."

  "I fear that Mrs. King has planned something--"

  Mr. Blithers waved his hand deprecatingly. "I am sure Mrs. King willlet you off when she knows how important it is. As a matter of fact, ithas to be tonight or not at all."

  There was a note in his voice that Robin did not like. It savoured ofarrogance.

  "I daresay Count Quinnox can attend to all the details, Mr. Blithers. Ihave the power of veto, of course, but I shall be guided by the counselof my ministers. You need have no hesitancy in dealing with--"

  "That's not the point, Prince. I am a business man,--as perhaps youknow. I make it a point never to deal with any one except the head of aconcern, if you'll pardon my way of putting it. It isn't right to speakof Growstock as a concern, but you'll understand, of course. Figure ofspeech."

  "I can only assure you, sir, that Graustark is in a position toindemnify you against any possible chance of loss. You will be amplysecured. I take it that you are not coming to our assistance throughany desire to be philanthropic, but as a business proposition, pure andsimple. At least, that is how we regard the matter. Am I not right?"

  "Perfectly," said Mr. Blithers. "I haven't got si
xteen millions tothrow away. Still I don't see that that has anything to do with myrequest that you be present at the conference to-night. To be perfectlyfrank with you, I don't like working in the dark. You have the power ofveto, as you say. Well, if I am to lend Groostork a good many millionsof hard-earned dollars, I certainly don't relish the idea that you maytake it into your head to upset the whole transaction merely becauseyou have not had the matter presented to you by me instead of by yourcabinet, competent as its members may be. First hand information on anysubject is my notion of simplicity."

  "The integrity of the cabinet is not to be questioned, Mr. Blithers.Its members have never failed Graustark in any--"

  "I beg your pardon, Prince," said Mr. Blithers firmly, "but I certainlysuspect that they failed her when they contracted this debt to Russia.You will forgive me for saying it, but it was the most asinine bit ofshort-sightedness I've ever heard of. My office boys could have seenfarther than your honourable ministers."

  To his utter amazement, Robin turned a pair of beaming, excited eyesupon him.

  "Do you really mean that, Mr. Blithers?" he cried eagerly.

  "I certainly do!"

  "By jove, I--I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say it. Yousee it is exactly what John Tullis said from the first. He was bitterlyopposed to the loan. He tried his best to convince the prime ministerthat it was inadvisable. I granted him the special privilege ofaddressing the full House of Nobles on the question, an honour that noalien had known up to that time. Of course I was a boy when all thishappened, Mr. Blithers, or I might have put a stop to the--but I'll notgo into that. The House of Nobles went against his judgment and votedin favour of accepting Russia's loan. Now they realise that dear oldJohn Tullis was right. Somehow it gratifies me to hear you say thatthey were--ahem!--shortsighted."

  "What you need in Groostock is a little more good American blood,"announced Mr. Blithers, pointedly. "If you are going to cope with theworld, you've got to tackle the job with brains and not with thatidiotic thing called faith. There's no such thing in these days ascharity among men, good will, and all that nonsense. Now, you've got asplendid start in the right direction, Prince. You've got Americanblood in your veins and that means a good deal. Take my advice andincrease the proportion. In a couple of generations you'll havesomething to brag about. Take Tullis as your example. Beget sons thatwill think and act as he is capable of doing. Weed out the thin bloodand give the crown of Grasstick something that is thick and red. Itwill be the making of your--"

  "I suppose you are advising me to marry an American woman, Mr.Blithers," said Robin drily.

  Mr. Blithers directed a calculating squint into the tree-tops. "I amsimply looking ahead for my own protection, Prince," said he.

  "In what respect?"

  "Well I am putting a lot of money into the hands of your people. Isn'tit natural that I should look ahead to some extent?"

  "But my people are honest. They will pay."

  "I understand all that, but at the same time I do not relish the ideaof some day being obliged to squeeze blood from a turnip. Now is thetime for you to think for the future. Your people are honest, I'llgrant. But they also are poor. And why? Because no one has been able toact for them as your friend Tullis is capable of acting. The day willcome when they will have to settle with me, and will it be any easierto pay William W. Blithers than it is to pay Russia? Not a bit of it.As you have said, I am not a philanthropist. I shall exact full andprompt payment. I prefer to collect from the prosperous, however, andnot from the poor. It goes against the grain. That's why I want to seeyou rich and powerful--as well as honest."

  "I grant you it is splendid philosophy," said Robin. "But are you notforgetting that even the best of Americans are sometimes failures whenit comes to laying up treasure?"

  "As individuals, yes; but not as a class. You will not deny that we arethe richest people in the world. On the other hand I do not pretend tosay that we are a people of one strain of blood. We represent a mixtureof many strains, but underneath them all runs the full stream thatmakes us what we are: Americans. You can't get away from that. Yes, I_do_ advise you to marry an American girl."

  "In other words, I am to make a business of it," said Robin, tolerantly.

  "It isn't beyond the range of possibility that you should fall in lovewith an American girl, is it? You wouldn't call that making a businessof it, would you?"

  "You may rest assured, Mr. Blithers, that I shall marry to pleasemyself and no one else," said Robin, regarding him with a coldness thatfor an instant affected the millionaire uncomfortably.

  "Well," said Mr. Blithers, after a moment of hard thinking, "it mayinterest you to know that I married for love."

  "It _does_ interest me," said Robin. "I am glad that you did."

  "I was a comparatively poor man when I married. The girl I married waswell-off in her own right. She had brains as well. We worked togetherto lay the foundation for a--well, for the fortune we now possess. Afortune, I may add, that is to go, every dollar of it, to my daughter.It represents nearly five hundred million dollars. The greatest king inthe world to-day is poor in comparison to that vast estate. My daughterwill one day be the richest woman in the world."

  "Why are you taking the pains to enlighten me as to your daughter'sfuture, Mr. Blithers?"

  "Because I regard you as a sensible young man, Prince."

  "Thank you. And I suppose you regard your daughter as a sensible youngwoman?"

  "Certainly!" exploded Mr. Blithers.

  "Well, it seems to me, she will be capable of taking care of herfortune a great deal more successfully than you imagine, Mr. Blithers.She will doubtless marry an excellent chap who has the capacity toincrease her fortune, rather than to let it stand at a figure that someday may be surpassed by the possessions of an ambitious king."

  There was fine irony in the Prince's tone but no trace ofoffensiveness. Nevertheless, Mr. Blithers turned a shade more purplethan before, and not from the violence of exercise. He was having somedifficulty in controlling his temper. What manner of fool was thisfellow who could sneer at five hundred million dollars? He managed tochoke back something that rose to his lips and very politely remarked:

  "I am sure you will like her, Prince. If I do say it myself, she is ashandsome as they grow."

  "So I have been told."

  "You will see her to-night."

  "Really, Mr. Blithers, I cannot--"

  "I'll fix it with Mrs. King. Don't you worry."

  "May I be pardoned for observing that Mrs. King, greatly as I love her,is not invested with the power to govern my actions?" said Robinhaughtily.

  "And may I be pardoned for suggesting that it is your duty to yourpeople to completely understand this loan of mine before you agree toaccept it?" said Mr. Blithers, compressing his lips.

  "Forgive me, Mr. Blithers, but it is not altogether improbable thatGraustark may secure the money elsewhere."

  "It is not only improbable but impossible," said Mr. Blithers flatly.

  "Impossible?"

  "Absolutely," said the millionaire so significantly that Robin wouldhave been a dolt not to grasp the situation. Nothing could have beenclearer than the fact that Mr. Blithers believed it to be in his powerto block any effort Graustark might make in other directions to securethe much-needed money.

  "Will you come to the point, Mr. Blithers?" said the young Prince,stopping abruptly in the middle of the road and facing his companion."What are you trying to get at?"

  Mr. Blithers was not long in getting to the point. In the first place,he was hot and tired and his shoes were hurting; in the second place,he felt that he knew precisely how to handle these money-seeking scionsof nobility. He planted himself squarely in front of the Prince andjammed his hands deep into his coat pockets.

  "The day my daughter is married to the man of my choice, I will handover to that man exactly twenty million dollars," he said slowly,impressively.

  "Yes, go on."

  "The sole object I have in lif
e is to see my girl happy and at the sametime at the top of the heap. She is worthy of any man's love. She is asgood as gold. She--"

  "The point is this, then: You would like to have me for a son-in-law."

  "Yes," said Mr. Blithers.

  Robin grinned. He was amused in spite of himself. "You take it forgranted that I can be bought?"

  "I have not made any such statement."

  "And how much will you hand over to the man of _her_ choice when shemarries him?" enquired the young man.

  "You will be her choice," said the other, without the quiver of aneye-lash.

  "How can you be sure of that? Has she no mind of her own?"

  "It isn't incomprehensible that she should fall in love with you, isit?"

  "It might be possible, of course, provided she is not already in lovewith some one else."

  Mr. Blithers started. "Have you heard any one say that--but, that'snonsense! She's not in love with any one, take it from me. And just toshow you how fair I am to her--and to you--I'll stake my head you fallin love with each other before you've been together a week."

  "But we're not going to be together for a week."

  "I should have said before you've known each other a week. You willfind--"

  "Just a moment, please. We can cut all this very short, and go aboutour business. I've never seen your daughter, nor, to my knowledge, hasshe ever laid eyes on me. From what I've heard of her, she _has_ a mindof her own. You will not be able to force her into a marriage thatdoesn't appeal to her, and you may be quite sure, Mr. Blithers, thatyou can't force me into one. I do not want you to feel that I have asingle disparaging thought concerning Miss Blithers. It is possiblethat I could fall in love with her inside of a week, or even sooner.But I don't intend to, Mr. Blithers, any more than she intends to fallin love with me. You say that twenty millions will go to the man shemarries, if he is your choice. Well, I don't give a hang, sir, if youmake it fifty millions. The chap who gets it will not be me, so what'sthe odds? You--"

  "Wait a minute, young man," said Mr. Blithers coolly. (He was neveranything but cool when under fire.) "Why not wait until you have met mydaughter before making a statement like that? After all, am I not theone who is taking chances? Well, I'm willing to risk my girl'shappiness with you and that's saying everything when you come rightdown to it. She will make you happy in--"

  "You will be her choice," said the other, without thequiver of an eye-lash ]

  "I am not for sale. Mr. Blithers," said Robin abruptly. "Good morning."He turned into the wood and was sauntering away with his chin high inthe air when Mr. Blithers called out to him from behind.

  "I shall expect you to-night, just the same."

  Robin halted, amazed by the man's assurance. He retraced his steps tothe roadside.

  "Will you pardon a slight feeling of curiosity on my part, Mr.Blithers, if I ask whether your daughter consents to the arrangementyou propose. Does she approve of the scheme?"

  Mr. Blithers was honest. "No, she doesn't," he said succinctly. "Atleast, not at present. I'll be honest with you. She stayed away fromthe ball last night simply because she did not want to meet you. That'sthe kind of a girl _she_ is."

  "By jove, I take off my hat to her," cried Robin. "She is a brick,after all. Take it from me, Mr. Blithers, you will not be able to handover twenty millions without her consent. I believe that I should enjoymeeting her, now that I come to think of it. It would be a pleasure toexchange confidences with a girl of that sort."

  Mr. Blithers betrayed agitation. "See here, Prince, I don't want her toknow that I've said anything to you about this matter," he said,unconsciously lowering his voice as if fearing that Maud might besomewhere within hearing distance. "This is between you and me. Don'tbreathe a word of it to her. 'Gad, she'd--she'd skin me alive!" At thevery thought of it, he wiped his forehead with unusual vigour.

  Robin laughed heartily. "Rest easy, Mr. Blithers. I shall not eventhink of your proposition again, much less speak of it."

  "Come now, Prince; wait until you've seen her. I know you'll get onfamously--"

  "I should like her to know that I consider her a brick, Mr. Blithers.Is it too much to ask of you? Just tell her that I think she's a brick."

  "Tell her yourself," growled Mr. Blithers, looking very black. "Youwill see her this evening," he added levelly.

  "Shall I instruct your chauffeur to come for you up here or will youwalk back to--"

  "I'll walk to Red Roof," said Mr. Blithers doggedly. "I'm going to askMrs. King to let you off for to-night."