Part 4 (1/2)
Prince Albert looked at him with some mistrust, which gradually cleared.
”I remember you!” he said. ”You are Lady Chesterford's father. Let us have tea and my evening paper.”
Once at the tea-table there was no more anxiety about Prince Albert.
”There are sandwiches,” he said. ”There is toast. There is jam. Also these are caviare and these are bacon. And there is iced coffee. I will stay here. But it is very strange that Lady Chesterford is not here. Eat those sandwiches, Sophy. And there are cakes. Why is not Lady Chesterford----”
”She is flying, dearest,” said she. ”Dodo cannot give us tea while she is flying. Ah, and here is dearest Edith and Lord Ledgers.”
The news of the august arrivals had spread through the house, and such guests as were in it came out on to the terrace. Dodo's father took up an advantageous position between the Prince and the Princess, and was with difficulty persuaded to put on his hat again. He spoke with a slight Scotch accent that formed a pleasant contrast to the German inflection.
”My daughter will be much distressed, your Highness,” he said, ”that she has not been here to have the honour to receive you. And so, your Highness, the privilege falls on me, and honoured I am----”
”So kind of you, Mr. Vane,” said that genial woman. ”And your children, Nadine? They are well. And, dearest Edith, you have been in Berlin, I hear. How was my cousin Willie?”
Mr. Vane gave a little gasp; he prevented himself with difficulty from taking off his hat again.
”The Emperor came to my concert there, ma'am,” said Edith.
”He would be sure to. He is so musical: such an artist. His hymn of Aegir. You have heard his hymn? What do you think about it?”
Edith's honesty about music was quite incorruptible.
”I don't think anything at all about it,” she said. ”There's nothing to think about.”
Princess Albert choked with laughter.
”I shall tell Willie what you say,” she said. ”So good for him. Albert dearest, Mrs. Arbuthnot says that Willie's Aegir is nothing at all.
Remind me to tell Willie that, when I write.”
”Also, I will not any such thing remind you,” said her husband. ”It is not good to anger Willie. Also it is not good to speak like that of the Emperor. When all is said and done he is the Cherman Emperor. My estate, my money, my land, they are all in Chermany. No! I will have no more iced coffee. I will have iced champagne at dinner.”
Mr. Vane already had his hand on the jug.
”Not just a wee thimbleful, sir?” he asked.
”And what is a thimbleful? I do not know a thimbleful. But I will have none. I will have iced champagne at dinner, and I will have port. I will have brandy with my coffee, but that will not be iced coffee: it shall be hot coffee. And I will remind you, Sophy, not to tell the Emperor what that lady said of his music. Instead I will remind you to say that she was gratified and flattified--is it not?--that he was so _leutselig_ as to hear her music. Also I hear a flying-machine, so perhaps now we shall learn why Lady Chesterford was not here----”
”Dearest, you have said that ten times,” said his wife, ”and there is no good to repeat. There! The machine is coming down. We will go and meet dearest Dodo.”
The Prince considered this proposition on its merits.
”No: I will sit,” he said. ”I will eat a cake. And I will see what is a thimbleful. Show me a thimbleful. A pretty young lady could put that in her thimble, and I will put it now in my thimble inside me.”
Fresh hedonistic plans outlined themselves.
”And when I have sat, I will have my dinner,” he said. ”And then I will play Bridge, and then I will go to bed, and then I will snore!”
Dodo had frankly confessed that she was a sn.o.b; otherwise her native honesty might have necessitated that confession when she found herself playing Bridge in partners.h.i.+p with Nadine against her princely guests.