CHAPTER XV
THE PRINCE, WITH APOLOGIES
Tillie brought the supper basket for the shelter-house about six o'clockand sat down for a minute by the fire. She said Mr. Pierce (Carter toher) had started out with a gun about five o'clock. It was foolish, butit made me uneasy.
"They've gone plumb crazy over that Mr. von Inwald," she declared. "Itmakes me tired. How do they know he's anything but what he says he is?He may be a messenger from the emperor of Austria, and he may be sellingflannel chest protectors. Miss Cobb's all set up; she's talking aboutgetting up an entertainment and asking that Miss Summers to recite."
She got up, leaving the basket on the hearth.
"And say," she said, "you ought to see that dog now. It's been soakin'in peroxide all day!"
She went out with the peroxide, but a moment later she opened the doorand stuck her head in, nodding toward the basket.
"Say," she said, "the chef's getting fussy about the stuff I'm using inthe diet kitchen. You've got to cut it out soon, Minnie. If I was youI'd let him starve."
"What!" I screeched, and grasped the rail of the spring.
"Let him starve!" she repeated.
"Wha--what are you talking about?" I demanded when I got my voice.
She winked at me from the doorway.
"Oh, I'm on all right, Minnie!" she assured me, "although heaven onlyknows where he puts it all! He's sagged in like a chair with brokensprings."
I saw then that she thought I was feeding Senator Biggs on the sly, andI breathed again. But my nerves were nearly gone, and when just then Iheard a shot from the direction of the deer park, even Tillie noticedhow pale I got.
"I don't know what's come over you, Minnie," she said. "That's only Mr.Carter shooting rabbits. I saw him go out as I started down the path."
I was still nervous when I put on my shawl and picked up the basket.But there was a puddle on the floor and the soup had spilled. Therewas nothing for it but to go back for more soup, and I got it from thekitchen without the chef seeing me. When I opened the spring-house dooragain Mr. Pierce was by the fire, and in front of him, where I'd leftthe basket, lay a dead rabbit. He was sitting there with his chin in hishands looking at the poor thing, and there was no basket in sight.
"Well," I asked, "did you change my basket into a dead rabbit?"
"Basket!" he said, looking up. "What basket?"
I looked everywhere, but the basket was gone, and after a while Idecided that Mr. Dick had had an attack of thoughtfulness (or hunger)and had carried it out himself.
And all the time I looked for the basket Mr. Pierce sat with the gunacross his knees and stared at the rabbit.
"I'd thank you to take that messy thing out of here," I told him.
"Poor little chap!" he exclaimed. "He was playing in the snow, andI killed him--not because I wanted food or sport, Minnie, but--well,because I had to kill something."
"I hope you don't have those attacks often," I said. He looked at therabbit and sighed.
"Never in my life!" he answered. "For food or sport, that's different,but--blood-lust!" He got up and put the gun in the corner, and I saw helooked white and miserable.
"I don't like myself to-night, Minnie," he said, trying to smile, "andnobody likes me. I'm going into the garden to eat worms!"
I didn't like to scold him when he was feeling bad anyhow, but businessis business. So I asked him how long he thought people would stay if heacted as he had that day. I said that a sanatorium was a place wherethe man who runs it can't afford to have likes and dislikes; that for mypart I'd a good deal rather he'd get rid of his excitement by shootingoff a gun, provided he pointed it away from the house, than to sitaround and let his mind explode and kill all our prospects. I told him,too, to remember that he wasn't responsible for the morals or actions ofhis guests, only for their health.
"Health!" he echoed, and kicked a chair. "Health! Why, if I wanted tokeep a good dog in condition, Minnie, I wouldn't bring him here."
"No," I retorted, "you'd shut him in an old out oven, and give him ashoe to chew, and he'd come out in three days frisking and happy. Butyou can't do that with people."
"Why not?" he asked. "Although, of course, the supply of out ovens andold shoes is limited here."
"As far as Mr. von Inwald goes," I went on, "that's not your affair ormine. If Miss Patty's own father can't prevent it, why should you worryabout it?"
"Precisely," he agreed. "Why should I? But I do, Minnie--that's thedevil of it."
"There are plenty of nice girls," I suggested, feeling rather sorry forhim.
"Are there? Oh, I dare say." He stooped and picked up his rabbit."Straight through the head; not so bad for twilight. Poor little chap!"
He said good night and went out, taking the gun and the rabbit with him,and I went into the pantry to finish straightening things for the night.In a few minutes I heard voices in the other room, one Mr. Pierce's, andone with a strong German accent.
"When was that?" Mr. von Inwald's voice.
"A year ago, in Vienna."
"Where?"
"At the Bal Tabarin. You were in a loge. The man I was with told me whothe woman was. It was she, I think, who suggested that you lean over therail--"
"Ah, so!" said Mr. von Inwald as if he just remembered. "Ah, yes, Irecall--I was with--the lady was red-haired, is it not? And it was shewho desired me--"
"You leaned over the rail and poured a glass of wine on my head. It wasvery funny. The lady was charmed."
"I recall it perfectly. I remember that I did it under protest--it was avery fine wine, and expensive."
"Then you also recall," said Mr. Pierce, very quietly, "that becauseyou were with a--well, because you were with a woman, I could not returnyour compliment. But I demanded the privilege at some future date whenyou were alone."
"It is a pity," replied Mr. von Inwald, "that now, when I am alone,there is no wine!"
"No, there is no wine," Mr. Pierce agreed slowly, "but there is--"
I opened the door at that, and both of them started. Mr. von Inwald wasstanding with his arms folded, and Mr. Pierce had one arm raised holdingup a glass of spring water. In another second it would have been in theother man's face.
I walked over to Mr. Pierce and took the glass out of his hand, and hisexpression was funny to see.
"I've been looking everywhere for that glass," I said. "It's got to bewashed."
Mr. von Inwald laughed and picked up his soft hat from the table.
He turned around at the door and looked back at Mr. Pierce, stilllaughing.
"Accept my apologies!" he said. "It was such a fine wine, and soexpensive."
Then he went out.