The Princess Passes Volume 56 by Alice Muriel Williamson, Charles Norris Williamson (great book club books .txt) 📕

Veiled Windows Of The Villa, I Remarked In A Low Voice, "It's All

Right."

"That Goes Without Saying."

"Why?"

"Because You Promised."

"Thanks For The Compliment. Have You Had Your _Café Au Lait_?"

"No. I Got Up Early, And Thought Of Walking Round To Your Hotel To See

You, But Decided I Wouldn't."

"I Half Expected You."

"I Didn't Want To Seem Too--Importunate. I Hoped You'd Come Here."

"Like A Promising Child, I've Justified Your Hopes. Let's Walk Down To

The Grand Port, To A Garden Restaurant I Remember; And Over Our

Coffee, I'll Tell You The Story Of My Diplomatic _Coup_. Meanwhile,

We'll Discuss Shakespeare And The Musical Glasses."

"Anything But The Contessa," Said The Boy, Springing Up, And Cramming

His Panama Over His Curls. "I Shall Breathe More Freely On The Other

Side Of The Gate, And I Shan't Consider Myself Out Of The Scrape Until

I'm Out Of Her House For Good."

In The Street He Drew Fuller Breaths, And With Each Yard Of Distance

That We Put Between Ourselves And The Villa His Eyes Grew Brighter And

His Step More Airy.

I Unfolded My Plan For The Morning, Which Was To Take A Trip Up The

Lake To The Abbey Of Hautecombe, And Return In Time For _Déjeuner_,

Since, As A Guest Of The Contessa, The Boy Could Scarcely Absent

Himself All Day Without Conspicuous Rudeness. "You'll Have To Be Tied

To The Lady's Apron Strings, If She Wants You Knotted There, For The

Afternoon," Said I. "But I'm Going To Have A Telegram From My Friends

To Meet Them On The Top Of Mont Revard To-Morrow, So If You Want An

Excuse----"

"What, Your Friends The Winstons?" He Broke In, With One Of The Sudden

Flaming Blushes That Made Him Seem So Young.

"Yes, Why Not?"

"They Are Coming To Join You?"

"I Told You They Might Turn Up At Any Moment, And----"

"And Now The Moment Has Arrived. Then It Has Also Arrived For Us To

Say Good-Bye."

"Do You Mean That?"

"Oh, Don't Think Me Ungrateful--Or Ungracious. I'm Neither. But, In

Any Case, We Must Sooner Or Later Have Reached The Parting Of The

Ways. You Are Bound To Monte Carlo. I Have--The Vaguest Plans."

"I Thought You Said That Your Sister Might Be Going There With

Friends."

"But My Sister And I Are--Very Different Persons."

"Surely You Would Wish To Meet Her There?"

"It's Rather Undecided At Present, Anyhow," Returned The Boy, His Eyes

Bent On The Ground As We Walked, Our Steps Less Sprightly Now.

"There's Only One Thing Settled, Which Is, That I Can't Go With You Up

Mont Revard To Meet--People."

"There Isn't The Slightest Chance Of My Meeting Anyone There, Friend

Diogenes," I Began. "I Was Only Waiting For You To Give Me Time To

Explain, Since You're Inclined To Be Obtuse, The Difference Between

Sending A Telegram To Yourself, And----"

"Oh, I See. You Aren't Going To Meet A Soul On Mont Revard?"

"Not Even An Astral Body--By Appointment. And The Plan Was Made For

Your Deliverance. Rather Hard Lines That You Should Kick At It."

He Looked Up, Laughing And Merry Once More. "I Won't Kick Again. Man,

You Are--Well, You're Different From Other Men. Yes, From Every Other

Man I've Ever Met."

"Am I To Take That As Praise?"

He Nodded, His Big Eyes Sending Blue Rays Into Mine.

"Thanks. Best Man You Ever Met?"

Another Nod, And More Colour In His Cheeks.

"Good Enough To Be Introduced To Your Sister?"

"Good Enough--Even For That."

"What If I Should Fall In Love With Her?"

The Boy Straightened His Shoulders, After A Slight Start Of Surprise,

And Seemed To Pull Himself Together. For A Moment He Was Silent, As We

Walked On Under The Close-Growing Plane Trees Which Lined The Long,

Straight Road To The Grand Port. Then At Last He Said, "You Wouldn't."

"How Can You Tell That?"

"Because--She Isn't--Your Style."

"You Don't Know My 'Style' Of Girl."

"Oh, Yes, I Do. Don't You Remember A Talk We Had, The First Day We

Were Friends? We Told Each Other A Lot Of Things. I Can See That Girl;

The Girl Who--Who----"

"Jilted Me," I Supplied. "Don't Hesitate To Call A Spade A Spade."

"A Lovely, Angelic-Looking Creature, Typically English; Golden Hair;

Skin Like Cream And Roses."

"The Type Has Palled Upon Me," Said I. "I Know Now That Molly

Winston--My Friend's Wife--Was Right. I Never Really Loved That Girl.

It Was Her Popularity And My Own Vanity That I Was In Love With."

"Are You Sure?"

"As Sure As That I'm Starving For My Breakfast. If The Young

Lady--She's Married Now, And I Wish Her All Happiness--Should Appear

Before Me At The End Of This Street, And Sob Out A Confession Of

Repentance For The Past, It Wouldn't In The Least Affect My Appetite.

I Should Tell Her Not To Mind, And Hurry On To Join You At The

Corner."

"You Would Have Forgotten By That Time That There Was A Me."

"I Can't Think Of Anyone Or Anything At The Moment Which Would Make

Me Forget That," Said I.

"The Contessa?"

"Not She, Nor Any Other Pretty Doll."

"An Earthquake, Then?"

"Nor An Earthquake: For I Should Probably Occupy Myself In Trying To

Save Your Life. To Tell The Honest Truth, Little Pal, You've Become A

Confirmed Habit With Me, And I Confess That The Thought Of Finishing

This Tramp Without You Gave Me A Distinct Shock, When You Flung It At

My Head. If You Were Open To The Idea Of Adoption, I Think I Should

Have To Adopt You, You Know: For, Now That I've Got Used To Seeing You

About, It Seems To Me That, As Certain Advertisements Say Of The

Articles They Recommend, No Home Would Be Complete Without You. But

There's Your Sister; She Would Object To Annexation."

The Boy Was Busily Kicking Fallen Leaves As He Walked. "You Might Ask

Her--If You Should Ever See Each Other."

"Make Her Meet You At Monte Carlo, And Introduce Us There. I'll Tell

You What I'll Do. I'll Give A Dinner At The Hôtel De Paris--The Night

After We Arrive. It Shall Be In Your Hands, And Of Course Your

Sister's, Who Ought To Know Your Pal. You Must Try Hard To Get Her To

Come. Is It A Bargain?"

"I Can't Answer For Her."

"But I Only Ask You To Try Your Hardest. Come Now, When I've Told You

About Last Night, You'll Say I Deserve A Reward."

"Yes, I'll Try."

"But, By Jove, I'd Forgotten That Your Sister Is An Heiress," I Went

On. "I've Vowed Not To Fall In Love With A Girl Who Has A Lot Of

Money."

"I Told You That You Wouldn't Fall In Love With Her."

"Is She Like You?"

"A Good Many People Think So. That's Why I'm So Sure She Wouldn't Be

The Sort Of Girl You'd Care For--You, A Man Who Admires The English

Rose Type Or--A Contessa."

"The Contessa Was Your Affair. For Me, A Woman Of Her Type Could Never

Be Dangerous. Whereas, A Girl Like Your Sister----"

"Still Harping On My Sister!"

"I Often Think Of Her As 'The Princess.' It's A Pretty Name. I Fancy

It Suits Her. Once Or Twice, Since We've Been Chums, You Have Had

Letters, I Know. I Hope You've Better News Of Her?"

"She's Cured In Body And Mind. It Is--Rather A Queer Coincidence,

Perhaps, For Like You, She Has Found Out, So She Tells Me--That She

Wasn't Really In Love With--The Man. She Was Only In Love With Love."

"I'm Heartily Glad. If She's As True And Brave A Little Soul, As

Glorious A Pal As You Are, She Will One Day Make Some Fellow The

Happiest Man Alive."

The Boy Did Not Answer. Perhaps He Was Overwhelmed With The Indirect

Praise Suddenly Heaped Upon Him; Perhaps He Thought That I Spoke Too

Freely Of The Princess His Sister. I Was Not Sure, Myself, That I Had

Not Gone Beyond Good Taste; But Calling Up The Picture Of A Girl,

Resembling In Character The Little Pal, Had Stirred Me To Sudden

Enthusiasm. Fancy A Girl Looking At One With Such Eyes! A Girl Capable

Of Being Such A Companion. It Would Not Bear Thinking Of. There Could

Be No Such Girl.

I Was Glad That, At This Moment, We Arrived At The Grand Port, And The

Garden Restaurant, Where My Regrets For The Light That Never Was On

Land Or Sea--Or In A Girl's Eyes--Were Temporarily Drowned In _Café Au

Lait_.

The Talk Was No More Of The Unseen Princess, But Of Paolo. At Last I

Condescended To Enter Into A Detailed Account Of The Night's

Happenings, Where The Aëronaut Was Concerned, And The Boy Threw Up His

Chin, Showing His Little White Teeth In A Burst Of Laughter At My

Manoeuvre. "But That _Isn't_ An American Duel," He Objected, Still

Rippling With Mirth. "You Commit Suicide, You Know. The Man Who Draws

The Short Bit Of Paper Agrees To Go Quietly Off And Kill Himself

Decently Somewhere, Before The End Of A Stipulated Time."

"I'm Aware Of That, But I Gambled On Paolo's Ignorance Of The Custom,"

Said I. "I Flattered Myself That I'd Totted Up His Character Like A

Sum On A Slate, And I Acted On The Estimate I Formed. If I Had Kept

Entirely To Facts, Without Giving The Rein To My Imagination, You

Might Now Be Doomed To Travel At This Time Next Year To Buda-Pesth,

And There Drown Yourself In The Largest Possible Vat Of Beer. Had

Paolo Been Unlucky In The Matter Of Getting The Short Bit Of Paper, A

Little Thing Like That