Part 23 (1/2)
”Well, you must send for some,” said the princess, who, having taken the first step, was finding it pleasant to be firm.
”Moost? Moost? I do nod know whad ees 'appen to you, your Royal Highness. I say eed ees eembossible!” shouted the baroness; and she banged on the table with her fist.
”But surely her highness' request is a very natural one, Baroness; and there must be some nice children in the neighborhood if we were to look for them. Besides, Doctor Arbuthnot said that she ought to have children of her own age to play with,” said Miss Lambart who had been pitying the lonely child and seized eagerly on this chance of helping her to the companions.h.i.+p she needed.
”Do nod indervere, Englanderin!” bellowed the baroness; and her crimson was enriched with streaks of purple. ”I am in ze charge of 'er royal highness; and I zay zat she does not wiz zese children blay.”
The fine gray eyes of the princess were burning with a somber glow.
She was angry, and her mind was teeming with the instructions of her young mentors, especially with the more violent instructions of Erebus.
She gazed straight into the sparkling but blood-shot eyes of the raging baroness, and said in a somewhat uncertain voice but clearly enough:
”Old--red--peeg.”
Miss Lambart started in her chair; the baroness uttered a gasping grunt; she blinked; she could not believe her ears.
”But whad--but whad--” she said faintly.
”Old--red--peeg,” said the princess, somewhat pleased with the effect of the words, and desirous of deepening it.
”Bud whad ees eed zat 'appen?” muttered the bewildered baroness.
”If you do not find me children quickly, I shall write to my father that you do not as the English doctor bids; and you were ordered to do everything what the English doctor bids,” said the princess in a sinister tone. ”Then you will go back to Ca.s.sel-Na.s.sau and the Baroness Hochfelden will be my _gouvernante_.”
The baroness ground her teeth, but she trembled; it might easily happen, if the letter of the princess found the grand duke of Ca.s.sel-Na.s.sau in the wrong mood, that she would lose this comfortable well-paid post, and the hated Baroness Hochfelden take it.
”Bud zere are no 'igh an' well-born children, your Royal Highness,” she said in a far gentler, apologetic voice.
The princess frowned at her and said: ”Mees Lambart will find them. Is it not, Mees Lambart?”
”I shall be charmed to try, Highness,” said Miss Lambart readily.
”Do nod indervere! I veel zose childen vind myzelf!” snapped the baroness.
The princess rose, still quivering a little from the conflict, but glowing with the joy of victory. At the door she paused to say:
”And I want them soon--at once.”
Then, though the baroness had many times forbidden her to tempt the night air, she went firmly out into the garden. The next morning at breakfast she again demanded children to play with.
Accordingly when Doctor Arbuthnot paid his visit that morning, the baroness asked him what children in the neighborhood could be invited to come to play with the princess. She only stipulated that they should be high and well-born.
”Well, of course the proper children to play with her would be the Twins--Mrs. Dangerfield's boy and girl. They're high and well-born enough. But I doubt that they could be induced to play with a little girl. They're independent young people. Besides, I'm not at all sure that they would be quite the playmates for a quiet princess. It would hardly do to expose an impressionable child like the princess to such--er--er ardent spirits. You might have her developing a spirit of freedom; and you wouldn't like that.”
”_Mein Gott_, no!” said the baroness with warm conviction.
”Then there's Wiggins--Rupert Carrington. He's younger and quieter but active enough. He'd soon teach her to run about.”
”But is he well-born?” said the careful baroness.