CHAPTER XX. THE DELEGATION
Prince Ferdinand William Otto was supremely happy. Three quitedelightful things had happened. First, Nikky had returned. He said hefelt perfectly well, but the Crown Prince thought he looked as thoughhe had been ill, and glanced frequently at Nikky's cigarette during theriding-hour. Second, Hedwig did not come to the riding-lesson, and hehad Nikky to himself. Third, he, Prince Ferdinand William Otto, was onthe eve of a birthday.
This last, however, was not unmixed happiness. For the one day thesentence of exile was to be removed so that he might lunch with theKing, and he was to have strawberry jam with his tea, some that MissBraithwaite's sister had sent from England. But to offset all this, hewas to receive a delegation of citizens.
He had been well drilled for it. As a matter of fact, on the morning ofNikky's return, they took a few minutes to go over the ceremony, Nikkybeing the delegation. The way they did it was simple.
Nikky went out into the corridor, and became the Chamberlain. He steppedinside, bowed, and announced: "The delegation from the city, Highness,"standing very stiff, and a trifle bowlegged, as the Chamberlain was.Then he bowed again, and waddled out--the Chamberlain was fat--andbecame the delegation.
This time he tried to look like a number of people, and was not sosuccessful. But he looked nervous, as delegations always do when theyvisit a Royal Highness. He bowed inside the door, and then came forwardand bowed again.
"I am, of course, standing in a row," said Nikky, sotto voce. "Now, whatcomes next?"
"I am to shake hands with every one."
So they shook hands nine times, because there were to be nine membersof the delegation. And Nikky picked up a brass inkwell from the desk andheld it out before him.
"Your Highness," he said, after clearing his throat, for all theworld as Prince Ferdinand William Otto had heard it done frequentlyat cornerstones and openings of hospitals, "Your Highness--we are hereto-day to felicitate Your Highness on reaching the mature age of ten.In testimonial of our--our affection and--er loyalty, we bring to you acasket of gold, containing the congratulations of the city, which we begthat Your Highness may see fit to accept. It will be of no earthly useto you, and will have to be stuck away in a vault and locked up. But itis the custom on these occasions, and far be it from us to give you adecent present that you can use or enjoy!"
Prince Ferdinand William Otto had to cover his mouth with his handto preserve the necessary dignity. He stepped forward and took theink-well. "I thank you very much. Please give my thanks to all thepeople. I am very grateful. It is beautiful. Thank you."
Whereupon he placed the ink-well on the desk, and he and Nikky againshook hands nine times, counting, to be sure it was right. Then Nikkybacked to the door, getting all tangled up in his sword, bowed again andretired.
When he reentered, the boy's face was glowing.
"Gee!" he said, remembering this favorite word of the American boy's."It's splendid to have you back again, Nikky. You're going to stay now,aren't you?"
"I am." Nikky's voice was fervent.
"Where did you go when you went away?"
"I took a short and foolish excursion, Highness. You see, while I lookgrown-up I dare say I am really not. Not quite, anyhow. And now andthen, like other small boys I have heard of, I--well, I run away. And amsorry afterward, of course."
Miss Braithwaite was not in the study. The Prince looked about, and drewclose--to Nikky. "Did you, really?"
"I did. Some day, when you are older, I'll tell you about it. I--has thePrincess Hedwig been having tea with you, as usual?"
Carelessly spoken as it was, there was a change in Nikky's voice. Andthe Crown Prince was sensitive to voices. Something similar happened toMonsieur Puaux, the French tutor, when he mentioned Hedwig.
"Not yesterday. We went to the fortress. Nikky, what is it to be inlove?"
Nikky looked startled, "Well," he said reflectively, "it's to like someone, a lady in your case or mine, of course; to--to like them very much,and want to see them often."
"Is that all?"
"It's enough, sometimes. But it's more than that. It's being dreadfullyunhappy if the other person isn't around, for one thing. It isn't reallya rational condition. People in love do mad things quite often."
"I know some one who is in love with Hedwig."
Nikky looked extremely conscious. There was, too, something the CrownPrince was too small to see, something bitter and hard in his eyes."Probably a great many are," he said. "But I'm not sure she would careto have us discuss it."
"It is my French tutor."
Nikky laughed suddenly, and flung the boy to his shoulder. "Of coursehe is!" he cried gayly. "And you are, and the Chancellor. And I am, ofcourse." He stood the boy on the desk.
"Do you think she is in love, with you?" demanded the Crown Prince, veryseriously.
"Not a bit of it, young man!"
"But I think she is," he persisted. "She's always around when you are."
"Not this morning."
"But she is, when she can be. She never used to take riding-lessons. Shedoesn't need them." This was a grievance, but he passed it over. "Andshe always asks where you are. And yesterday, when you were away, shelooked very sad."
Nikky stood with his hand on the boy's shoulder, and stared outthrough the window. If it were so, if this child, with his uncannysensitiveness, had hit on the truth! If Hedwig felt even a fraction ofwhat he felt, what a tragedy it all was!
He forced himself to smile, however. "If she only likes me just alittle," he said lightly, "it is more than I dare to hope, or deserve.Come, now, we have spent too much time over love and delegations.Suppose we go and ride."
But on the way across the Place Prince Ferdinand William Otto resumedthe subject for a moment. "If you would marry Hedwig," he suggested,an anxious thrill in his voice, "you would live at the Palace always,wouldn't you? And never have to go back to your regiment?" For thebugaboo of losing Nikky to his regiment was always in the back of hissmall head.
"Now, listen, Otto, and remember," said Nikky, almost sternly. "Itmay be difficult for you to understand now, but some day you will. Thegranddaughter of the King must marry some one of her own rank. No matterhow hard you and I may wish things to be different, we cannot changethat. And it would be much better never to mention this conversation toyour cousin. Girls," said Nikky, "are peculiar."
"Very well," said the Crown Prince humbly. But he made careful note ofone thing. He was not to talk of this plan to Hedwig, but there wasno other restriction. He could, for instance, take it up withthe Chancellor, or even with the King to-morrow, if he was in anapproachable humor.
Hedwig was not at the riding-school. This relieved Prince FerdinandWilliam Otto, whose views as to Nikky were entirely selfish, but Nikkyhimself had unaccountably lost his high spirits of the morning. Heplayed, of course, as he always did. And even taught the Crown Princehow to hang over the edge of his saddle, while his horse was cantering,so that bullets would not strike him.
They rode and frolicked, yelled a bit, got two ponies and whacked a poloball over the tan-bark, until the Crown Prince was sweating royally andwas gloriously flushed.
"I don't know when I have been so happy," he said, dragging out hishandkerchief and mopping his face. "It's a great deal pleasanter withoutHedwig, isn't it?"
While they played, overhead the great hearse was ready at last. Itswoodwork shone. Its gold crosses gleamed. No fleck of dust disturbed itsaustere magnificence.
The man and the boy who had been working on it stood back and surveyedit.
"All ready," said the man, leaning on the handle of his long brush. "Nowit may happen any time."
"It is very handsome. But I am glad I am not the old King." The boypicked up pails and brushes. "Nothing to look forward to but--that."
"But much to look back on," the man observed grimly, "and little that isgood."
The boy glanced through a window, below which the riding-ring stretchedits brown surface, scarred by nervous hoofs
. "I would change places withthe Crown Prince," he said enviously. "Listen to him! Always laughing.Never to labor, nor worry, nor think of the next day's food--"
"Young fool!" The man came to his shoulder and glanced down also. "Wouldlike to be a princeling, then! No worry. No trouble. Always play, play!"He gripped the boy's shoulder. "Look, lad, at the windows about. Thatis what it is to be a prince. Wherever you look, what do you see?Stablemen? Grooms? Bah, secret agents, watching that no assassin, suchperhaps as you and I, lurk about."
The boy opened wide, incredulous eyes. "But who would attack a child?"he asked.
"There be those, nevertheless," said the man mockingly. "Even a childmay stand in the way of great changes."
He stopped and stared, wiping the glass clear that he might see better.Nikky without his cap, disheveled and flushed with exertion, was makinga frantic shot at the white ball, rolling past him. Where had he seensuch a head, such a flying mop of hair? Ah! He remembered. It was theflying young devil who had attacked him and the others that night in theby-street, when Peter Niburg lay stunned!
Miss Braithwaite had a bad headache that afternoon, and the Crown Princedrove out with his aunt. The Archduchess Annunciata went shopping. Soonenough she would have Hedwig's trousseau on her mind, so that day shebought for Hilda--Hilda whose long legs had a way of growing out ofskirts, and who was developing a taste of her own in clothes.
So Hilda and her mother shopped endlessly, and the Crown Prince sat inthe carriage and watched the people. The man beside the coachman satwith alert eyes, and there were others who scanned the crowd intently.But it was a quiet, almost an adoring crowd, and there was even a dog,to Prince Ferdinand William Otto's huge delight.
The man who owned the dog, seeing the child's eyes on him, put himthrough his tricks. Truly a wonderful dog, that would catch things onits nose and lie dead, rousing only to a whistle which its owner calledGabriel's trumpet.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto, growing excited, leaned quite out of thewindow. "What is your dog's name?" he inquired, in his clear treble.
The man took off his hat and bowed. "Toto, Highness. He is of Frenchorigin."
"He is a very nice dog. I have always wanted a dog like that. He must bea great friend."
"A great friend, Highness." He would have expatiated on the dog, but hewas uncertain of the etiquette of the procedure. His face beamed withpleasure, however. Then a splendid impulse came to him. This dog, hisboon companion, he would present to the Crown Prince. It was all he had,and he would give it, freely, even though it left him friendless.
But here again he was at a loss. Was it the proper thing? Did one dosuch things in this fashion, or was there a procedure? He cocked an eyeat the box of the carriage, but the two men sat impressive, immobile.
Finally he made up his mind. Hat in hand, he stepped forward."Highness," he said nervously, "since the dog pleases you, I--I wouldpresent him to you."
"To me?" The Crown Prince's voice was full of incredulous joy.
"Yes, Highness. If such a thing be permissible."
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
"He is the best I have, Highness. I wish to offer my best."
Prince, Ferdinand William Otto almost choked with excitement. "I havealways wanted one," he cried. "If you are certain you can spare him,I'll be very good to him. No one," he said, "ever gave me a dog before.I'd like to have him now, if I may."
The crowd was growing. It pressed closer, pleased at the boy's delight.Truly they were participating in great things. A small cheer and manysmiles followed the lifting of the dog through the open window of thecarriage. And the dog was surely a dog to be proud of. Already it shookhands with the Crown Prince.
Perhaps, in that motley gathering, there were some who viewed the scenewith hostile eyes, some who saw, not a child glowing with delight over agift, but one of the hated ruling family, a barrier, an obstacle in theway of freedom. But if such there were, they were few. It was, indeed,as the Terrorists feared. The city loved the boy.
Annunciata, followed by an irritated Hilda, came out of the shop.Hilda's wardrobe had been purchased, and was not to her taste.
The crowd opened, hats were doffed, backs bent. The Archduchess movedhaughtily, looking neither to the right nor left. Her coming broughtno enthusiasm. Perhaps the curious imagination of the mob found herdisappointing. She did not look like an Archduchess. She looked, indeed,like an unnamiable spinster of the middle class. Hilda, too, was shyand shrinking, and wore an unbecoming hat. Of the three, only the CrownPrince looked royal and as he should have looked.
"Good Heavens," cried the Archduchess, and stared into the carriage."Otto!"
"He is mine," said the Crown Prince fondly. "He is the cleverest dog. Hecan do all sorts of things."
"Put him out."
"But he is mine," protested Ferdinand William Otto. "He is a gift. Thatgentleman there, in the corduroy jacket--"
"Put him out," said the Archduchess Annunciata.
There was nothing else to do. The Crown Prince did not cry. He was muchtoo proud. He thanked the donor again carefully, and regretted that hecould not accept the dog. He said it was a wonderful dog, and just thesort he liked. And the carriage drove away.
He went back to the Palace, and finding that the governess still had aheadache, settled down to the burnt-wood frame. Once he glanced up atthe woolen dog on its shelf at the top of the cabinet. "Well, anyhow,"he said sturdily, "I still have you."