Part 98 (1/2)

'Kostalergi. Her father is Kostalergi, Prince of Delos.'

'All right; it will read well in the _Post_.'

'My dear friend, there is that amount of sarcasm in your conversation this evening, that to a plain man like myself, never ready to reply, and easily subdued by ridicule, is positively overwhelming. Has any disaster befallen you that you are become so satirical and severe?'

'Never mind _me_--tell me about yourself,' was the blunt reply.

'I have not the slightest objection. When we had walked a little way together, and I felt that we were beyond the risk of interruption, I led her to the subject of my sudden reappearance here, and implied that she, at least, could not have felt much surprise. ”You remember,” said I, ”I promised to return?”

'”There is something so conventional,” said she, ”in these pledges, that one comes to read them like the 'yours sincerely' at the foot of a letter.”

'”I ask for nothing better,” said I, taking her up on her own words, ”than to be 'yours sincerely.' It is to ratify that pledge by making you 'mine sincerely' that I am here.”

'”Indeed!” said she slowly, and looking down.

'”I swear it!” said I, kissing her hand, which, however, had a glove on.'

'Why not her cheek?'

'That is not done, major mine, at such times.'

'Well, go on.'

'I can't recall the exact words, for I spoke rapidly; but I told her I was named Minister at a foreign Court, that my future career was a.s.sured, and that I was able to offer her a station, not, indeed, equal to her deserts, but that, occupied by her, would be only less than royal.'

'At Guatemala!' exclaimed the other derisively.

'Have the kindness to keep your geography to yourself,' said Walpole. 'I merely said in South America, and she had too much delicacy to ask more.'

'But she said Yes? She consented?'

'Yes, sir, she said she would venture to commit her future to my charge.'

'Didn't she ask you what means you had? what was your income?'

'Not exactly in the categorical way you put it, but she alluded to the possible style we should live in.'

'I'll swear she did. That girl asked you, in plain words, how many hundreds or thousands you had a year?'

'And I told her. I said, ”It sounds humbly, dearest, to tell you we shall not have fully two thousand a year; but the place we are going to is the cheapest in the universe, and we shall have a small establishment of not more than forty black and about a dozen white servants, and at first only keep twenty horses, taking our carriages on job.”'

'What about pin-money?'

'There is not much extravagance in toilet, and so I said she must manage with a thousand a year.'

'And she didn't laugh in your face?'

'No, sir! nor was there any strain upon her good-breeding to induce her to laugh in my face.'

'At all events, you discussed the matter in a fine practical spirit. Did you go into groceries? I hope you did not forget groceries?'