"If you please," said the interpreter, bowing at every other word, "here is one of the Emperor"s couriers just from Ischl, with despatches from the court of his Imperial Majesty for the ladies if they are ready to receive them. The courier had orders not to disturb their sleep. He waited here in the corridor until he heard voices. Will the excellent ladies be pleased to receive them? His orders are to wait for answers."
Jimmie signified that we would receive them, when forth stepped a man in the imperial liveries and handed him a packet on a silver tray.
Jimmie had the wit to lay a gold piece on the tray, at which the courier almost knelt to express his thanks. The other attendants drew long envious breaths.
The door was shut, and Mrs. Jimmie and Bee opened their letters. Both were from Count Andreae von Engel, saying that he and Von Furzmann, rendered desperate by the near departure of his Majesty for the manoeuvres, had resolved to risk dismissal from his suite by absence without leave. The letter said that on that day--the day on which it was written--they had both attended his Majesty on a hunt, and as he seldom hunted with the same officers two days in succession, they bade fair not to be on duty after noon the next day. Therefore, if we heard nothing to the contrary, they would leave Ischl on the one o"clock train in uniform, as if on official business. Their servants would board the train at Gmund with citizens" clothes, and they would be with us soon after seven that night. They begged leave to dine with us in our private dining-room that evening, and would we be so gracious as to receive them until midnight, when they must take train for Ischl, and be on duty in uniform by seven in the morning.
I simply shrieked, as I looked at Jimmie"s perplexed face.
"What shall we do?" he said. "We can"t have "em here! We must stop "em!
Get a telegraph blank, Bee! We haven"t any private dining-room, anyhow, and if they got caught we might be dragged into it! Well, what is it?"
He turned to the door half savagely, and there stood the proprietor, with some ten or twelve servants at his heels.
"You were speaking to me the other day about better rooms? Will it please you to look at some on the second floor, which have never been occupied since they were done over? There are five rooms _en suite_--just about what your Excellency desires."
Jimmie turned to us with a sickly grin.
We all waited for Mrs. Jimmie to speak.
"Jimmie, dear," she said at last, "if you don"t object, I think it would be very nice to take those rooms, and entertain the gentlemen this evening. Of course, they cannot be seen in the public dining-room, and, after all, they _are_ gentlemen and in the Emperor"s suite, so their attentions to us, while a little more p.r.o.nounced than we are accustomed to, _are_ an honour."
Jimmie said nothing, but went to the door and signified that we would look at the rooms.
We did look; we took them, and before noon every handsome piece of furniture from all over the house had been placed in our suite; flowers were everywhere, and servants fairly swarmed at our commands.
Jimmie, in reality, was not at all pleased by any of this, but he has such a blissful sense of humour that he could not help seeing the pitiful front it put upon human nature, both Austrian and American. He permitted himself, however, only one remark. This was now done with his wife"s sanction, and loyalty to her closed his lips. But he beckoned me over to the window, and, handing me a paper-knife, he turned up the sole of his shoe, saying:
"Sc.r.a.pe "em off!"
"Sc.r.a.pe what off, Jimmie?"
"The servants! I haven"t been able to step to-day without crushing a dozen of "em!"
As I turned away he called out:
"There aren"t any on the shoes I wore yesterday!"
A rumour somewhat near the truth had swept through the hotel, for wherever we appeared we found ourselves the object of the deepest attention, not only by the slavish minions of the hotel from the proprietor down, but from the other guests.
It was so p.r.o.nounced that my feeble spirit quaked, so to borrow some of my sister"s soul-sustaining joy, I went into her room and said:
"Bee, what does all this mean, anyhow? Where will it land us?"
Bee"s eyes gleamed.
"If you aren"t actually blind to opportunity," she said, slowly, "you certainly are hopelessly near-sighted. Don"t you understand how n.o.body can do anything or be anybody without royal approval? Haven"t you seen enough here to-day, to say nothing of the attentions we had from women in Ischl, to know what all this counts for?"
"Yes, I know," I hastened to say. "But what of these men? You know what they will think; they are Austrians, Russians, and Hungarians, remember, not Americans!"
Bee laughed.
"A man is a man," she said, sententiously. "Don"t worry for fear the poor dears" hearts will be broken. Now I"ll tell you something. Mrs.
Jimmie"s sincere indifference and my silent eye-homage have stirred these blase officers out of their usual calm. There you have the whole thing. Von Engel thinks Mrs. Jimmie"s indifference is a.s.sumed, and both Von Engel and Von Furzmann are determined that my silence shall voice itself. I have no doubt that they would like to have me _write_ it, so that they could boast of it afterward to their fellow officers. Now, as Jimmie would say in his frightful slang, "I"m going to give them a run for their money." Von Engel will probably beseech you to arrange to keep Jimmie at your side, so that he can have a few words with Mrs. Jimmie.
Von Furzmann will plead with you to permit him a word with me. I need hardly tell you that your role to-night is to make yourself as disagreeable as possible to both of them by keeping the conversation general, and by cutting in at any attempt at a _tete-a-tete_."
I felt limp and weak. "And all this display, this dinner, this added expense?"
"Part of the game, my dear!"
"And the end of it all? When they come back from the manoeuvres?"
"We shall be gone! Without a word!"
"Then this _isn"t_ a flirtation?"
"Only on their parts. They are after our scalps. But we are actuated by the true missionary spirit."
We leaned over and shook hands solemnly. I do _love_ Bee!
That night--shall I ever forget it? Those stunning men dashed into our rooms m.u.f.fled in military cloaks, which they tossed aside with such grace that they nearly secured _my_ scalp, for all they were after Bee"s and Mrs. Jimmie"s. They were in velveteen hunting costumes; we in the smartest of evening dress. Jimmie had given his fancy free rein in ordering the dinner, but, to his amazement and indignation, the little game being played by the rest of us so surprised and baffled our guests that Jimmie"s delicacies were removed with course after course untasted.
The officers searched the brilliant room with their eyes, hoping for a quiet nook, or balcony. There was none, and their disguise effectually prevented them from suggesting to go out. I saw that, finally, they pinned their hopes to me, and the way I clung to Jimmie to prevent their speaking to me almost roused his suspicions that I was in love with him.
We stuck doggedly to the table, even after dinner was over and the servants dismissed. Finally, Von Furzmann, who spoke English rather well, rose in a determined manner, and quite forgetful of our proximity, said to Bee in a loud, distinct tone:
"My heart is on fire!"
It was too much. Jimmie and I led the way in a general shout of laughter, and then, as a happy family party, we adjourned to the single salon, where we grouped ourselves together, and, strive as they might, the officers could not outwit my sister nor upset her plan.
Toward midnight, when the hour of parting drew near, they grew so desperate I almost feared that they would say something rash. But they were diplomats and game. Occasionally a gleam of suspicion would appear on their countenances--it was so very unusual, I imagined, for their plans so persistently to miscarry--but both Bee and I have an extremely guiltless and innocent eye, and we used an unwinking gaze of genial friendliness which disarmed them.
At last they flung their cloaks around them, as their servants announced their carriage for the third time.
"_Such_ an evening!" moaned Von Engel.
It might mean anything!
Bee bit her lip.
"I was never more loath to leave. Promise that you will be here when we return. It will only be ten days! Promise us!"
"I hardly think--" began Jimmie, but Bee trod on his foot.
"Ouch!" said Jimmie, fiercely.
"I beg your pardon, Jimmie, dear!" murmured Bee. "It is possible," said Bee to Von Engel. "We never make plans, you know. We go whenever we are bored, or when we have nothing pleasant to look forward to."
"Oh, then, pray remain! We shall _fly_ to see you the moment we are free!"
"That surely is an inducement," said Bee, with a little laugh, which caused Von Engel to colour.