Part 46 (1/2)
Then I challenged him laughingly to a game; but I suppose he was in reality no player at all, for he got out of the challenge by saying he would rather look on.
So we went on with our game again and had made some half a dozen moves, when a servant came to say that Count Soma.s.sy, the Minister of Justice, wished to speak with his Excellency. He pretended intense regret for the interruption to our game, begged us both to excuse him for a few minutes, and then the ”old comrade” and I were left alone. I knew of course that this had all been arranged; and that we were now to come to the real business of the meeting.
”You are staying some time in Pesth?” he opened.
”I scarcely know. You see I am a foreigner now, and an American citizen is never long away from the States without a heart ache.”
”You say 'now,'” he commented, as I had intended. I thought he would appreciate the word.
”Yes. I am Hungarian by birth--but a naturalized citizen of the United States. Here, of course, I am only a girl; but at home, in Jefferson City, Missouri, I am quite a person of importance. I inherited my uncle's fortune, and over there you know we reckon importance by dollars. You would be astonished at the consideration I receive in my travels from all our representatives, consuls, and even amba.s.sadors.”
This was not strictly accurate; but the point had to be driven home that he could not play monkey-tricks with me. He did not like this any more than I thought he would, and paused so long that I said: ”Shall we not have a game, General, while his Excellency is away? It looks as if his sudden appointment might last some time.”
I think he began to gather in that I was not quite fooled by the little entertainment.
”I think not, thank you. The fact is I wish to speak to you on some matters.”
”Connected with America?”
”Well, not exactly. Rather of a private character.”
I froze instantly and was appropriately dignified. ”I don't think I quite understand. In Missouri we don't discuss our private affairs with strangers.”
”This is not Missouri,” he said, dropping for the moment the ”old comrade” tone and using the brief curt note of authority. As an American citizen I resented the tone and rose.
”I am not a school girl, sir, having a lesson in geography.” It was intentionally pert and flippant, and I made him a bow and moved toward the door.
”I am sorry. Pray forgive my manner. An old soldier, you know, drops now and again into the drill manner.”
”American women do not take kindly to drilling, General.”
”No, no, Miss Gilmore; you must acquit me of any intention to offend you. I wish to speak to you seriously. Pray sit down again.”
I should have been intensely sorry to have ended so promising an interview, so I sat down and stared stonily at him. He was one of those vulture-faced old men, with a large hook nose, a wide mouth, and a small square chin, which when he spoke suggested irresistibly the moving lower bill of the bird. He had dark, piercing, beady eyes, rather deep set under prominent eyebrows, and a waxen white forehead, rounded like a bird's poll.
”I wish to speak to you about Count Gustav.”
”Yes?”
”I am a friend of his and his family, and possess their confidence, and being also a friend of General von Erlanger's, I thought it would be desirable for me to speak with you.”
”Yes?”
”As a mutual friend, if I may say so, and an old man of long experience of the world.”
”Yes?” I said again, maintaining the same stony stare.
”Count Gustav has told me the facts, and as it is generally the case in these exceedingly private and painful matters a solution satisfactory to both sides can be found by a third disinterested person--where there is a mutual desire to find one, of course--he deemed it best, and I agreed with him, that I should see you and speak plainly and frankly to you.”
This time when he paused I bowed merely and said nothing.