Part 32 (1/2)
”Oh, she didn't rave and gush,” cried Polly, in a whisper, afraid that the lady heard. ”She said, Grandpapa, that Herr Bauricke is at Lucerne; just think, Grandpapa, the great Herr Bauricke!”
She took her mouth away from the old gentleman's ear in order to look in his face.
”Polly, Polly,” called Jasper from his seat on the farther end, ”you are losing all this,” as the train rounded a curve. ”Do come back.”
”Now, I'm glad of that,” exclaimed Grandpapa, in a tone of the greatest satisfaction, ”for I can ask him about the music masters in Dresden and get his advice, and be all prepared before we go there for the winter to secure the very best.”
”And I can see him, and perhaps hear him play,” breathed Polly, in an awestruck tone, quite lost to scenery and everything else. Jasper leaned forward and stared at her in amazement. Then he slipped out of his seat, and made his way up to them to find out what it was all about.
”How did she know?” he asked, as Polly told all she knew; ”I'm just going to ask her.” But the lady, who had caught s.n.a.t.c.hes of the conversation, though she hadn't heard Mr. King's part of it, very obligingly leaned forward in her seat and told all she knew.
And by the time this was done, they all knew that the information was in the American paper printed in Paris, and circulated all over the Continent, and that the lady had read it that very morning just before setting out.
”The only time I missed reading that paper,” observed old Mr. King, regretfully.
”And he is staying at our very hotel,” finished the lady, ”for I have seen you, sir, with your party there.”
”Another stroke of good luck,” thought old Mr. King, ”and quite easy to obtain the information I want as to a master for Polly and Jasper.”
”Now then, children,” he said to the two hanging on the conversation, ”run back to your seats and enjoy the view. This news of ours will keep.”
So Polly and Jasper ran back obediently, but every step of the toilsome ascent by which the car pushed its way to the wonderful heights above, Polly saw everything with the words, ”Herr Bauricke is at _our_ hotel,”
ringing through her ears; and she sat as in a maze. Jasper was nearly as bad.
And then everybody was pouring out of the cars and rus.h.i.+ng for the hotel on the summit; all but Mr. King's party and a few others, who had their rooms engaged by telegraphing up. When they reached the big central hall there was a knot of Germans all talking together, and on the outside fringe of this knot, people were standing around and staring at the central figure. Suddenly some one darted away from this outer circle and dashed up to them. It was the lady from their hotel.
”I knew you'd want to know,” she exclaimed breathlessly; ”that's Herr Bauricke himself--he came up on our train--just think of it!--the big man in the middle with the black beard.” She pointed an excited finger at the knot of Germans.
Old Mr. King followed the course of the finger, and saw his ”impertinent fellow who wasn't worth minding.”
XX
”I SHOULD MAKE HIM HAPPY,” SAID PHRONSIE
Polly got Jasper away into a side corridor by a beseeching little pull on his sleeve. ”Oh, just to think,” she mourned, ”I called that great man such unpleasant things--that he was big and fat, and--oh, oh!”
”Well, he _is_ big and fat,” declared Jasper. ”We can't say he isn't, Polly.”
”But I meant it all against him,” said Polly, shaking her head. ”You know I did, Jasper,” she added remorsefully.
”Yes, we neither of us liked him,” said Jasper, ”and that's the honest truth, Polly.”
”And to think it was that _great_ Herr Bauricke!” exclaimed Polly. Then her feelings overcame her, and she sank down on the cus.h.i.+oned seat in the angle.
Jasper sat down beside her. ”I suppose it won't do to say anything about people after this until we know them. Will it, Polly?”
”Jasper,” declared Polly, clasping her hands, while the rosy colour flew over her cheek, ”I'm never going to say a single--”
Just then the big form of Herr Bauricke loomed up before them, as he turned into the corridor.
Polly shrank up in her corner as small as she could, wis.h.i.+ng she was as little as Phronsie, and could hop up and run away.