Major Alan Hawke, proceeding on his voyage, found a certain bitterness in
the distant mental contemplation of Captain Anstruther's employment
of his leisure till train time, not knowing that the young soldier's
sense of duty led him first to dispatch several careful official
dispatches, one to London, and the two others to Calcutta and Delhi,
respectively. When Captain Anstruther finally deposited his mail
with the head porter of the Grand Hotel National he deftly questioned
that functionary. "My friend--Major Hawke?"
"Gone up the lake for two or three days, sir. Going to Lausanne
and Chillon. Keeps all his luggage here, though. Shall I give him
any message for you?" With a view to artfully veiling his coming
meeting with the beautiful Egeria a la Houbigant, the captain
deposited a card marked "P. P. C."
"A devilish pleasant fellow and a right stunning hand at ecarte."
Anstruther prudently walked for a couple of squares, and then hailed
a passing voiture, directing him to the very cosiest restaurant in
the snug city of Bonnivard.
Major Hawke, far away now, entertained a slight resentment toward
the man who had so coolly aspired to les bonnes fortunes, and
ignored his own possible interference with the Lady of the Lake.
It was with a grim satisfaction, however, that he saw on the boat
the Misses Phenie and Genie Forbes, of Chicago, the bright particular
stars of the traveling upper tendom.
Pages:
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46