第21章

"Iwasindanger，andindeadlyfear。IwasafraidImightdie——notthatIfeardeath——andIwantedhelpandwarmth。IwasnotdressedasIamnow！"

OntheinstantitcametomehowIknewherface，eventhefirsttimeIhadseenit。Iwishedtohelpheroutoftheembarrassingpartofherconfidence，soIsaid：

"Dearie，IthinkIknow。Tellme，child，willyouputonthefrock……thedress……costumeyouworethatnight，andletmeseeyouinit？Itisnotmereidlecuriosity，mychild，butsomethingfar，farabovesuchidlefolly。"

"Waitformeaminute，AuntJanet，"shesaid，assheroseup；"I

shallnotbelong。"Thenshelefttheroom。

Inaveryfewminutesshewasback。Herappearancemighthavefrightenedsomepeople，forshewascladonlyinashroud。Herfeetwerebare，andshewalkedacrosstheroomwiththegaitofanempress，andstoodbeforemewithhereyesmodestlycastdown。Butwhenpresentlyshelookedupandcaughtmyeyes，asmilerippledoverherface。Shethrewherselfoncemorebeforemeonherknees，andembracedmeasshesaid：

"IwasafraidImightfrightenyou，dear。"IknewIcouldtruthfullyreassureherastothat，soIproceededtodoso：

"Donotworryyourself，mydear。Iamnotbynaturetimid。Icomeofafightingstockwhichhassentoutheroes，andIbelongtoafamilywhereinisthegiftofSecondSight。Whyshouldwefear？Weknow！Moreover，Isawyouinthatdressbefore。Teuta，IsawyouandRupertmarried！"Thistimesheherselfitwasthatseemeddisconcerted。

"Sawusmarried！Howonearthdidyoumanagetobethere？"

"Iwasnotthere。MySeeingwaslongbefore！Tellme，dear，whatday，orratherwhatnight，wasitthatyoufirstsawRupert？"Sheansweredsadly：

"Idonotknow。Alas！IlostcountofthedaysasIlayinthetombinthatdrearyCrypt。"

"Wasyour——yourclothingwetthatnight？"Iasked。

"Yes。IhadtoleavetheCrypt，foragreatfloodwasout，andthechurchwasflooded。Ihadtoseekhelp——warmth——forIfearedImightdie。Oh，Iwasnot，asIhavetoldyou，afraidofdeath。ButIhadundertakenaterribletasktowhichIhadpledgedmyself。Itwasformyfather’ssake，andthesakeoftheLand，andIfeltthatitwasapartofmydutytolive。AndsoIlivedon，whendeathwouldhavebeenrelief。ItwastotellyouallaboutthisthatIcametoyourroomto—day。Buthowdidyouseeme——us——married？"

"Ah，mychild！"Ianswered，"thatwasbeforethemarriagetookplace。

Themornafterthenightthatyoucameinthewet，when，havingbeentroubledinuncannydreaming，IcametoseeifRupertwasa’richt，I

lostremembranceo’mydreaming，forthefloorwasallwet，andthattookoffmyattention。Butlater，themornafterRupertusedhisfireinhisroomforthefirsttime，ItoldhimwhatIhaddreamt；

for，lassie，mydear，Isawyeasbrideatthatweddin’infinelaceo’eryershrood，andorange—flowersandithersinyerblackhair；an’

Isawthestarsinyerbonnyeen——theeenIlove。Butoh，mydear，whenIsawtheshrood，andkentwhatitmightmean，Iexpeckittoseethewormscrawlroundyerfeet。ButdoyeaskyermantotellyewhatItell’thimthatmorn。’Twillinterestyetoknowhowthehairto’mencanlearnbydreams。Hasheevertelltyeaughto’

this？"

"No，dear，"shesaidsimply。"Ithinkthatperhapshewasafraidthatoneorotherofus，ifnotboth，mightbeupsetbyitifhedid。

Yousee，hedidnottellyouanythingatallofourmeeting，thoughI

amsurethathewillbegladwhenheknowsthatwebothknowallaboutit，andhavetoldeachothereverything。"

Thatwasverysweetofher，andverythoughtfulinallways，soI

saidthatwhichIthoughtwouldpleaseherbest——thatis，thetruth：

"Ah，lassie，thatiswhatawifeshouldbe——whatawifeshoulddo。

Rupertisblessedandhappytohavehisheartinyourkeeping。"

IknewfromtheaddedwarmthofherkisswhatIhadsaidhadpleasedher。

LetterfromErnestRogerHalbardMelton，Humcroft，Salop，toRupertSentLeger，Vissarion，LandoftheBlueMountains。

July29，1907。

MYDEARCOUSINRUPERT，WehaveheardsuchglowingaccountsofVissarionthatIamcomingouttoseeyou。Asyouareyourselfnowalandowner，youwillunderstandthatmycomingisnotaltogetherapleasure。Indeed，itisadutyfirst。WhenmyfatherdiesIshallbeheadofthefamily——thefamilyofwhichUncleRoger，towhomwewererelated，wasamember。ItisthereforemeetandfittingthatIshouldknowsomethingofourfamilybranchesandoftheirSeats。Iamnotgivingyoutimeformuchwarning，soamcomingonimmediately——infact，Ishallarrivealmostassoonasthisletter。ButIwanttocatchyouinthemiddleofyourtricks。IhearthattheBlueMountaineergirlsarepeaches，sodon’tsendthemALLawaywhenyouhearI’mcoming！

DosendayachtuptoFiumetomeetme。IhearyouhaveallsortsofcraftatVissarion。TheMacSkelpie，Ihear，saidyoureceivedherasaQueen；soIhopeyouwilldothedecentbyoneofyourownfleshandblood，andthefutureHeadoftheHouseatthat。Ishan’tbringmuchofaretinuewithme。_I_wasn’tmadeabillionairebyoldRoger，socanonlytakemymodest"manFriday"——whosenameisJenkinson，andaCockneyatthat。Sodon’thavetoomuchgoldlaceanddiamond—hiltedscimitarsabout，likeagoodchap，orelsehe’llwanttheveryworst——hiswygesryzed。ThatoldimageRookethatcameoverforMissMcS。，andwhombychanceIsawattheattorneyman’s，mightpilotmedownfromFiume。Theoldgentleman—by—Act—of—

ParliamentMr。BinghamTrent（Isupposehehashypheneditbythistime）toldmethatMissMcS。saidhe"didherproud"whenshewentoverunderhischarge。IshallbeatFiumeontheeveningofWednesday，andshallstayattheEuropa，whichis，Iamtold，theleastindecenthotelintheplace。Soyouknowwheretofindme，oranyofyourattendantdemonscanknow，incaseIamtosuffer"substitutedservice。"

YouraffectionateCousin，ERNESTROGERHALBARDMELTON。

LetterfromAdmiralRooketotheGospodarRupert。

August1，1907。

SIR，InobediencetoyourexplicitdirectionthatIshouldmeetMr。ErnestR。H。MeltonatFiume，andreporttoyouexactlywhatoccurred，"withoutkeepinganythingback，"——asyouwillrememberyousaid，I

begtoreport。

Ibroughtthesteam—yachtTrenttoFiume，arrivingthereonthemorningofThursday。At11。30p。m。IwenttomeetthetrainfromSt。Peter，due11。40。Itwassomethinglate，arrivingjustastheclockwasbeginningtostrikemidnight。Mr。Meltonwasonboard，andwithhimhisvaletJenkinson。Iamboundtosaythathedidnotseemverypleasedwithhisjourney，andexpressedmuchdisappointmentatnotseeingYourHonourawaitinghim。Iexplained，asyoudirected，thatyouhadtoattendwiththeVoivodeVissarionandtheVladikatheNationalCouncil，whichmetatPlazac，orthatotherwiseyouwouldhavedoneyourselfthepleasureofcomingtomeethim。Ihad，ofcourse，reservedrooms（thePrinceofWales’ssuite），forhimattheRed’Ungheria，andhadwaitingthecarriagewhichtheproprietorhadprovidedforthePrinceofWaleswhenhestayedthere。Mr。Meltontookhisvaletwithhim（onthebox—seat），andIfollowedinaStadtwagenwiththeluggage。WhenIarrived，Ifoundthemaitred’hotelinastuporofconcern。TheEnglishnobleman，hesaid，hadfoundfaultwitheverything，andusedtohimlanguagetowhichhewasnotaccustomed。Iquietedhim，tellinghimthatthestrangerwasprobablyunusedtoforeignways，andassuringhimthatYourHonourhadeveryfaithinhim。Heannouncedhimselfsatisfiedandhappyattheassurance。ButInoticedthathepromptlyputeverythinginthehandsoftheheadwaiter，tellinghimtosatisfythemiloratanycost，andthenwentawaytosomeurgentbusinessinVienna。Cleverman！

ItookMr。Melton’sordersforourjourneyinthemorning，andaskediftherewasanythingforwhichhewished。Hesimplysaidtome：

"Everythingisrotten。Gotohell，andshutthedoorafteryou！"

Hisman，whoseemsaverydecentlittlefellow，thoughheisasvainasapeacock，andspeakswithaCockneyaccentwhichissimplyterrible，camedownthepassageafterme，andexplained"onhisown，"

asheexpressedit，thathismaster，"Mr。Ernest，"wasupsetbythelongjourney，andthatIwasnottomind。Ididnotwishtomakehimuncomfortable，soIexplainedthatImindednothingexceptwhatYourHonourwished；thatthesteam—yachtwouldbereadyat7a。m。；andthatIshouldbewaitinginthehotelfromthattimeontillMr。

Meltoncaredtostart，tobringhimaboard。

InthemorningIwaitedtillthemanJenkinsoncameandtoldmethatMr。Ernestwouldstartatten。Iaskedifhewouldbreakfastonboard；heansweredthathew

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