This
evening Mr. Perry promised it should open for them. He
was going to bring a real prince, whom he familiarly
dubbed "a jolly fellow," to call upon Miss Vance.
"Who is the man?" said Clara irritably. "Be careful, Mr.
Perry. I have had enough of foreign adventurers."
"Oh, the Hof Kalender will post you as to Prince
Wolfburgh. I looked him up in it. He is head of one of
the great mediatized families. Would have been reigning
now if old Kaiser Wilhelm had not played Aaron's serpent
and gobbled up all the little kings. Wolfburgh has kept
all his land and castles, however."
"Very well. Let us see what the man is like," Miss Vance
said loftily.
Mrs. Waldeaux was not in the house when they arrived.
Every day she went early in the morning to the Green
Park, where she had seen George last, and wandered about
until night fell. She thought that he had gone to Paris,
and that she was alone in London. But somehow she came
nearer to him there.
When she found that Clara had arrived, she knew that she
would be full of pity for her. She came down to dinner
in full dress, told some funny stories, and laughed
incessantly.
No. She had not missed them. The days had gone merry as
a marriage bell with her even after her son and his wife
had run away to Paris.
Mr. Perry congratulated her warmly on the match.
"The lady is very fetching, indeed," he said. "I
remarked that the first day on ship-board. Oh, yes, I
know a diamond when I see it.
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