Miss Morris handed him the paper, with her finger on the paragraph, and
picking up another, began a search down its columns.
"You are right," exclaimed Carlton, solemnly; "it's she, sure enough.
And here I've been within two hours of her and didn't know it?"
Miss Morris gave another triumphant cry, as though she had discovered a
vein of gold.
"Yes, and here she is again," she said, "in the Gentlewoman: 'The
Queen's dress was of black, as usual, but relieved by a few violet
ribbons in the bonnet; and Princess Beatrice, who sat by her mother's
side, showed but little trace of the anxiety caused by Princess Ena's
accident. Princess Aline, on the front seat, in a light brown jacket
and a becoming bonnet, gave the necessary touch to a picture which
Londoners would be glad to look upon more often.'"
Carlton sat staring forward, with his hands on his knees, and with his
eyes open wide from excitement. He presented so unusual an appearance
of bewilderment and delight that Mrs. Downs looked at him and at her
niece for some explanation. "The young lady seems to interest you,"
said she, tentatively.
"She is the most charming creature in the world, Mrs. Downs," cried
Carlton, "and I was going all the way to Grasse to see her, and now it
turns out that she is here in England, within a few miles of us." He
turned and waved his hands at the passing landscape. "Every minute
brings us nearer together."
"And you didn't feel it in the air!" mocked Miss Morris, laughing.
"You are a pretty poor sort of a man to let a girl tell you where to
find the woman you love."
Carlton did not answer, but stared at her very seriously and frowned
intently. "Now I have got to begin all over again and readjust
things," he said. "We might have guessed she would be in London, on
account of this royal wedding. It is a great pity it isn't later in
the season, when there would be more things going on and more chances
of meeting her. Now they will all be interested in themselves, and,
being extremely exclusive, no one who isn't a cousin to the bridegroom
or an Emperor would have any chance at all. Still, I can see her! I
can look at her, and that's something."
"It is better than a photograph, anyway," said Miss Morris.
"They will be either at Buckingham Palace or at Windsor, or they will
stop at Brown's," said Carlton. "All royalties go to Brown's. I don't
know why, unless it is because it is so expensive; or maybe it is
expensive because royalties go there; but, in any event, if they are
not at the palace, that is where they will be, and that is where I
shall have to go too."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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