Part 4 (1/2)

”Nothing brownish, thank you,” said momma, with decision.

”No, madam? Then perhaps you would prefer this, sir. More on the iron gray, sir.”

”That would certainly be more becoming,” said momma. ”And I like that invisible line. But it's rather too woolly. I'm afraid it wouldn't keep its appearance. What do you think, Mamie?”

”Oh, there's no _wool_liness, madam.” The gentleman's outfitter's tone implied that wool was the last thing he would care to have anything to do with. ”It's the nap. And as to the appearance of these goods”--he smiled slightly--”well, we put our reputation on them, that's all. I can't say more than that. But I have the same thing in a smooth finish, if you would prefer it.”

”I think I would prefer it. Wouldn't you, Mamie?”

The man brought the same thing in a smooth finish, and looked interrogatively at poppa.

”Oh, I prefer it, too,” said he, with a profound a.s.sumption of intelligent interest. ”Were you thinking of having the pants made of the same material, Augusta?”

The gentleman's outfitter suddenly turned his back, and stood thus for an instant struggling with something like a spasm. Knowing that if there's one thing in the world momma hates it's the exhibition of poppa's sense of humour, I walked to the door. When I came back they were measuring the Senator.

”Will you have the American shoulder, sir? Most of our customers prefer it.”

”Well, no. The English shoulder would be more of a novelty on me. You see I come from the United States myself.”

”Do you indeed, sir?”

The manners of some tailors might be emulated in England.

”Tails are a little longer than they were, sir, and waistcoats cut a trifle higher. Not more than half an inch in both cases, sir, but it does make a difference. Now, with reference to the coat, sir; will you have it finished with braid or not? Silk braid, of course, sir.”

”Augusta?” demanded the Senator.

”Is braid _de nouveau_?” asked momma.

”Not precisely, madam, but the Prince certainly has worn it this season while he didn't last.”

”Do you refer to Wales?” asked poppa.

”Yes, sir. He's very generally mentioned simply as 'The Prince.' His Royal Highness is very conservative, so to speak, about such things, so when he takes up a style we generally count on its lasting at least through one season. I can a.s.sure you, sir, the Prince has appeared in braid. You needn't be afraid to order it.”

”I think,” put in momma, ”that braid would make a very neat finish, love.”

Poppa walked slowly towards the door, considering the matter. With his hand on the k.n.o.b he turned round.

”No,” he said, ”I don't think that's reason enough for me. We're both men in public positions, but I've got nothing in common with Wales. I'll have a plain hem.”

CHAPTER IV.

”If there's one thing I hate,” said Senator Wick several times in the discussion of our plans, ”it's to see a citizen of the United States going round advertising himself. If you a.n.a.lyse it, it's a mean thing to do, for it's no more a virtue to be born American than a fault to be born anything else. I'm proud of my nationality and my income is a source of satisfaction to me, but I don't intend to brandish either of them in the face of Europe.”

It was this principle that had induced poppa to buy tourist tickets second cla.s.s by rail, first cla.s.s by steamer, all through, like ordinary English people on eight or nine hundred a year. Momma and I thought it rather n.o.ble of him and resolved to live up to it if possible, but when he brought forth a large packet of hotel coupons, guaranteed to produce everything, including the deepest respect of the proprietors, at ten s.h.i.+llings and sixpence a day apiece, we thought he was making an unnecessary sacrifice to the feelings of the non-American travelling public.

”Two dollars and a half a day!” momma e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. ”Were there no more expensive ones?”

”If there had been,” poppa confessed, ”I would have taken them. But these were the best they had. And I understand it's a popular, sensible way of travelling. I told the young man that the one thing we wished to avoid was ostentation, and he said that these coupons would be a complete protection.”