Abduction -- Fiction; Americans -- Europe -- Fiction; Love stories
“Not in the least, Mr. Savage. We delight in traveling alone. Do you
see the baroness anywhere, Frances?” Mr. Savage stared in amazement.
A distinct, blighting frost settled over the whole September world
and his smile lost all but its breadth. The joy left his eyes and
his heart like a flash, but his lips helplessly, witlessly
maintained a wide-open hospitality until long after the inspiration
was dead.
“She is not here, I am afraid,” responded Lady Saxondale, glancing
through the hurrying crowd. “Have you seen the Baroness St. Auge,
Mr. Savage? Or do you know her?”
“I can't say that I have--er--I mean don't--no, I should say both,”
murmured he distractedly. “Does she live here?”
“She resides in a house, not in a railway station,” observed Lady
Jane, with a cutting sarcasm of which she was rather proud. Lady
Saxondale turned her face away and buried a convulsive smile in her
handkerchief.
“I mean in Brussels,” floundered Dickey, his wits in the wind. He
was gazing dumbly at the profile of the slim iceberg that had so
sharply sent the blast of winter across the summer of his content.
“She certainly understood that we were to come on this train,
Frances. You telegraphed her,” said Lady Jane, ignoring him
completely. She raised herself on her dainty tiptoes, elevated her
round little chin and tried to peer over the heads of a very tall
and disobliging multitude. Dickey, at a loss for words, stretched
his neck also in search of the woman he did not know.
“How very annoying,” said Lady Saxondale, a faint frown on her
brow. “She is usually so punctual.”
“Perhaps she--er--didn't get your telegram,” ventured Dickey. “What
sort of a looking--I mean, is she old or young?”
“Neither; she is just my age,” smiled Lady Saxondale. Dickey dumbly
permitted the rare chance for a compliment to slip by. “Jane, won't
you and Mr. Savage undertake a search for her? I will give William
directions regarding the luggage.” She turned to the man and the
maids, and Mr. Savage and Lady Disdain were left to work out their
salvation as best they could.
“I can't think of troubling you, Mr. Savage. It won't be necessary
for you to dodge around in this crowd to--”
“No trouble, I assure you, Lady Jane. Be glad to do it, in fact.
Where shall we go first?” demanded he, considerably flurried.
“You go that way and I'll go this. We'll find her more easily,” said
she, relentlessly, indicating the directions.
“But I don't know her,” he cried.
“How unfortunate! Would you know her if I were to describe her to
you? Well, she's tall and very fair. She's also beautiful. She's
quite stunning. I'm sure you'll know her.” She was starting away
when he confronted her desperately.
“You'll have to go with me. I'll be arrested for addressing the
wrong lady if I go alone, and you'll suffer the mortification of
seeing them drag me off to jail.”
“The what? Why do you say mortification, Mr. Savage? I am quite
sure--”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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