Part 7 (1/2)

”It will make you famous! It's a big ad for the house! 'The Grand Hotel Royal refuses to receive the Prince of Zeit-Zeit.' Think what a stir that will make! Besides, you have no choice--I require it!”

”Fery well, monsieur,” agreed Pelletan, with a gesture of despairing obedience. ”T'ere iss one t'ing more--I haf an idea.”

”That's good; let's have it,” said Rushford, encouragingly. ”There's nothing like ideas.”

”Monsieur will remember,” began Pelletan, in a voice carefully lowered, ”t'at we agreed to touble t'e price of entertainment.”

”Yes--what of it? Anybody been kicking?”

”No--au contraire, monsieur--t'e house iss full--efery leetle room.”

”You see you don't need Zeit-Zeit; it's quite like the old times, isn't it?”

”Yess--only petter, monsieur; far petter. Oh, eet iss wunderschon!”

”Well, go ahead; what's the idea?”

”Since t'e house iss full,” said Pelletan, impressively, ”and t'ere are many more asking for rooms--oh, temanding t'em--t'e Prince among t'e number!--why may not we again touble t'e price?” and he leaned back in his chair, looking triumphantly at his partner. But his face fell as the latter shook his head. ”No?” he asked. ”Eet will not do?”

”No,” said Rushford, slowly; ”I'm afraid it won't do. You see it would be a kind of ex post facto proceeding--”

”A--I ton't quite comprehen', monsieur.”

”No matter--trust me--see what's happened since yesterday,” and he waved his hand at the busy corridor.

”Oh, eet iss kolossal!” cried Pelletan. ”I shall nefer cease to atmire monsieur. Perhaps,” he suggested timidly, ”since he ha.s.s peen so successful, monsieur may pe tempted to remain permanently. Surely he would pe one great success! In a year--two year--we would eclipse Ostend--monsieur himself ha.s.s said eet!”

”No,” laughed the other, ”I don't think I'd care to remain. Though, of course,” he added, ”the possibility of great success is always fascinating.”

”Oh, eet iss more t'an a possibility,” cried Pelletan. ”Eet is a certainty.”

”A certainty is not so fascinating as a possibility,” the American pointed out, his eyes twinkling.

”Unt t'en,” continued Pelletan, persuasively, fancying, no doubt, that he saw some signs of yielding in his partner's face, ”eef monsieur remains, he can haf t'e house done ofer to suit heem; he can t'row away t'e furniture he does not like; he can paint out t'e marble columns; he can cause all t'e servants to pe tressed to hees taste. He would make one grand sensation! T'e house would pe t'e talk of Europe, tint we would soon pe reech--oh, reech!” and the little Frenchman stretched his arms wide to indicate the vast extent of the wealth that was awaiting them.

But Rushford shook his head.

”No, Pelletan,” he said; ”no, I really can't do it. It's utterly impossible, or your impa.s.sioned eloquence would certainly prevail.

There's nothing I'd like better than to show the hotel-keepers of Europe a thing or two--they are more conceited with less reason for being so than any other cla.s.s of men I know. But I've got to go back to America before long to look after my business there. Besides, I don't really feel that hotel-keeping is my lifework. I'm afraid it would pall upon me after a time. But I tell you what I'll do, if you wish, Pelletan. I'll tear up the agreement and say no more about it. You may have all the profits.”

”Oh!” cried the Frenchman, dazzled by this munificence, by the golden vision which danced before his eyes. Then he hesitated. With his partner's marvellous influence withdrawn, might not the whole wonderful structure come tumbling about his ears? It would be like pulling out the foundation! What would prevent his guests from packing up and leaving to-morrow? ”No, monsieur,” he said, slowly, at last, ”I prefer eet as eet iss.”

”Very well,” and Rushford laughed again; it was not the first time his partners in business had been afraid to do without him! ”Let it be that way, then. Have you got that agreement with you?”

”Yess, monsieur; eet iss here,” and he produced it from an inner pocket.

”Let me have it a minute.”

Pelletan gave it to him with trembling hand. His partner opened it, got out his fountain-pen, and changed a word in the contract.