"That's just it!" she exclaimed. "Maud sees through the whole arrangement, Will. She said last night that she wouldn't be at all surprised if you offered to assume Graustark's debt to Russia in order to—"
"That's just what I've done, old girl," said he in triumph. "I'll have 'em sewed up so tight by next week that they can't move without asking me to loosen the strings. And you can tell Maud once more for me that I'll get this Prince for her if—"
"But she doesn't want him!"
"She doesn't know what she wants!" he roared. "Where is she going?"
"You saw her start off on Katydid, so why—"
"I mean on the day of the ball."
"To New York."
"By gad, I'll—I'll see about that," he grated. "I'll see that she doesn't leave the grounds if I have to put guards at every gate. She's got to be reasonable. What does she think I'm putting sixteen millions into the Grasstork treasury for? She's got to stay here for the ball. Why, it would be a crime for her to—but what's the use talking about it? She'll be here and she'll lead the grand march with the Prince. I've got it all—"
"Well, you'll have to talk to her. I've done all that I can do. She swears she won't marry a man she's never seen."
"Ain't we trying to show him to her?" he snorted. "She won't have to marry him till she's seen him, and when she does see him she'll apologise to me for all the nasty things she's been saying about me." For a moment it looked as though Mr. Blithers would dissolve into tears, so suddenly was he afflicted by self-pity. "By the way, didn't she like the necklace I sent up to her from Tiffany's?"
"I suppose so. She said you were a dear old foozler."
"Foozler? What's that mean?" He wasn't quite sure, but somehow it sounded like a term of opprobrium.
"I haven't the faintest idea," she said shortly.
"Well, why didn't you ask her? You've had charge of her bringing up. If she uses a word that you don't know the
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