Part 12 (1/2)
The Governor-General hesitated, but not for long. The confident manner of the stranger had inspired him with the first courage that he had felt for many weeks and revived in him the long-slumbering hope that possibly there was somewhere in the world a desirable husband for Kalora. He was about to violate an important rule, but there was no reason why any one on the outside should hear about it.
”This is most unusual,” he said. ”If I comply with your request, I must beg of you not to mention the fact of this interview to any one. Remain here.”
He went away, and the young man waited minute after minute, pacing back and forth the length of the room, cutting nervous circles around the big office chairs, wiping his palms with his handkerchief and wondering if he had come on a fool's errand or whether--
He heard a rustle of soft garments, and turned. There in the doorway stood a feminine full moon--an elliptical young woman, with half of her pink and corpulent face showing above a gauzy veil, her two chubby hands clasped in front of her, the whole att.i.tude one of ma.s.sive shyness.
”I--I beg pardon,” he said, staring at her in wonder.
She tried to speak, but was too much fl.u.s.tered. He saw that she was smiling behind the veil, and then she came toward him, holding out her hand. He took the hand, which felt almost squashy, and said:
”I am very glad to meet you.”
Then there was a pause.
”Won't you be seated?” he asked.
She sank into one of the leather chairs and looked up at him with a little simper, and there was another pause.
”I--I never have seen you before, have I?” she asked, with a secretive attempt to take a good look at him.
”You can search me,” he replied, staring at her, as if fascinated by her wealth of figure. ”If I had seen you before, I have a remote suspicion that I should remember you. I don't think it would be easy to forget you.”
”You flatter me,” she said softly.
”Do I? Well, I meant every word of it. Will you pardon me for being a wee bit personal? Are there many young ladies in these parts that are as--as--corpulent, or fat, or whatever you want to call it--that is, are you any plumper than the average?”
”I have been told that I am.”
”Once more pardon me, but have you done anything for it?”
”For what?” she asked, considerably surprised.
”I wouldn't have mentioned it, only I think I can give you some good tips. I had a Cousin Flora who was troubled the same way. About the time she went to Smith College she got kind of careless with herself, used to eat a lot of candy and never take any exercise, and she got to be an awful looking thing. If you'll cut out the starchy foods and drink nothing but Kissingen, and begin skipping the rope every day, you'll be surprised how much of that you'll take off in a little while. At first you won't be able to skip more than twenty-five or fifty times a day, but you keep at it and in a month you can do your five hundred. Put on plenty of flannels and wear a sweater. And I'll show you a dandy exercise. Put your heels together this way,”--and he stood in front of her,--”and try to touch the floor with your fingers--so!”--ill.u.s.trating.
”You won't be able to do it at first, but keep at it, and it'll help a lot. Then, if you will lie flat on your back every morning, and work your feet up and down----”
She had listened, at first in utter amazement. Now her timid coquettishness was giving way to anger.
”What are you trying to tell me?” she asked.
”It's none of my business, but I thought you'd be glad to find out what'd take off about fifty pounds.”
”And is this why you came to see me?” she demanded.
”_I_ didn't come to see _you_.”
”My father said you were waiting and he sent me to you.”
”Sent _you_,” replied Mr. Pike in frank surprise. ”My dear girl, you may be good to your folks and your heart may be in the right place, and I don't want to hurt your feelings, but father has got mixed in his dates.
I certainly didn't come here to see _you_.”