New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-08

viii give ms some hints for our guidance
From Mrs. Gyegory's point Of view; the APP ear
of this friend iii need was inueeu n'ost Iortu-
nate for the very thing that had Deen puzLllng
her was how she was to contrlNe 10 PROVIDE her
husband with companion VINO Wou,d take him
a SsiS a lTf u al Msoia Mr. Gregory uniucy
was not given TO making friends with his travel
ling compatrots, whom he regarded win susplcioh
and whose advances he always repelied roughly,
unless they could produce undeniable vouchers for
their respectablnty - l. - .,.,.
rod hea rded man with blue spectacles, whose leu
tonic accent had not been removed by his long
residence in London. lie did not look mrticn-
hrlv distinguished but he was very polite, and
he mentioned several well-known persons as being
| among his English ntimates while he was loud
in his praises of the attractions of Maloja.
The skating, ach masnlhcenl! he declared
.obngran no They are all tob0ggamng in
Msloia@fhe laties, too. Il is quite easy. will
undertake TO teach MI krekon IN one day"
orys face a. she pictured to herself her poderous
| Jnhus fying down snow-slope; but. encounter
ing stern glance OF in9uiry from mat gentle,
! remarked mildly that it was no doubt an in
Migrating form OF eXercls2. \ Although she
on. / am not very strong Just now
Nonsense'' gowled Mr.; Gregory, " what you
want is rousng, Emily httle hqalthy exertion
Mrs Gregory said no more; but in her heart
she wondered whether tobogganing is the kind
of healthy exertdon which would be likely 10 keep
| an elderly gentleman busy Tor couple of con
| secutive hours or so at a safe distance from the
house Later in the evening she elected from
Connt Schalkenburg the information that il
Near the hotel they have wass they call The
run he explained " but that is too steep.
H. is difficult and even dancherOuS for beginners.
| II would be better that | should take you and
MIR Krelor for an excursion down the Maloia
Pass where is plenty OF sufficiently rapid de-
! Or perhaps YOU might take Mr. Gregory with
| mo" Nenturp6
in low voice; " am hardly fit for excursions
Count Sehnlln nbgrg g5inned vii ar
Well at any rate be appeared 10 understand
what WAS required of him, and that was something
gained bst Mrs. Gregory felt a little ashamed
Of having displayed such eagerness 10 get rid of her
| husband, and would gladly hnve explained 10
this stranger her reasons for dong so, had NOT
that seemed rather too risky plan to adopt
On the following day Count SchalkNburgs
| 81 dye started in the wake of those which CON
tanned Mr.. and Mrs. Gregory, the latter's maid
| and Their luggage. II IS d two days drive f1om
! Core TO Maoja, and in bad weather the passage
of the Julier is sometimes attended with am;
/ Guilty Fortunately, the travellers were favored
with brilliant sunshine: and this, combined with
| q mode of progression which was novel 10 nun, ana
conviction that his wife was in constant lear OF
| being overwhelmed by an avalanche, suflced 10
! Muhlen. where they halted for the night, count
| Schalkenburg made himself both useful ana agree,
able, putting into requlsitiOn all the resources oil
! the little inn, and succeeding by means Vi an
| interview with the cook. in providing MI OrcSofy
with dinner which that fastidious critic w's
! pleased 10 cal eatable. All indeed promised 50
we II that before setting ont again, Mrs, Gregory
| seized an opportunity Oftelegraphlng TO St MorIH
! and begging her son to come over TO MalOla the
/ next day about II o'clock. She htd MADE hef
calculations ana thought hefseII Justed III talihS
| this bold step.
But calcu ations based upon the continuance OF
| any mood of Mr.. GregOrys were always precdflOuh
Perhaps he found second day OF Jogging along in
an open slcdge behind heavy post horse rather
wearisOme: perhaps a passing snoW-shOWer Wh;cI
| The travellers encountered near Slvaplana chilled
him: perhaps worst hypothesis of all to his trem-
/ bling vile, he going 10 have a ~ OF gOut:
! AT all events, when he stepped INTO tie nail OF
the huge hotel which has been built near the
summit OF the MalOa Pass he was ready 20 quarrel
with the first person whom ne met; which hrSt
person being naturally the manager Of tile esttb-
lishment. he proceeded 10 vent hiN III humOr upon
| him in Il vehement, If SOMEWHAT lncoherent
10 shiOn. TO the amazement OF that amlable func-
| EVERYTHING was wrong The sittng.room was
| drau2hty: the bedrooms were too small; he WIS
convinced that ha OF his letters had been stqpdly
mlslid; "Ia3le-dhote Certainly not. COO bess
| like chill at sch0ol-least, damned III between
| two people whom / never saw In my life before,
| and don't want TO see again ?
| During this little scene Count Schalkenburg
stood i'll the background. slowly passing one Land
over the other and smiling pleasantly. The table
| d'hote was good enough for HIM; he was quite
| satisfied with his modest little bedroom on the
third floor Presently lie found An opportunity of
! soothing the rutfed feelings of the manager, 10
|
OF high social position and great wealth English
men of that class, he explained are often hftle
| oyerbearing; but on the other hand, they are
usually willing 10 pay long prices Then he skipped
back TO the slttng-rOOm.
A tousand pardons' ne exclaimed popping
his head III at the door. wanted only to tell
you that there Is very gCol orchesler IN the
house. WaSS playing every evening down STARS IL
you would care 10 come down when you shall have
finished your dinner you would not DE Obliged 10
speak 10 anybody, and you would hear the music.
fl,Dnl hrftlr 70 in.,iI uff. 10
bed early" answered Mr.. Gregory gruliy. And
then, in a slightly more civil tone Shall find
you later on in the smOklng-roOm
The Count SAID he would make a point OF beins
there. and so Withdrew. lie must have been a
man OF quick perceptions and keen vision not
Sithstanding his blue spectaces; Tor during
that brief colloGuy he had had time TO catch
hal1-timd, half mploring glance from Mrs. Gre
CORY. upon whlG. he had unleStatlngly placed the
correct interpretation There could be nc doubt
but tnat. for some reason or other, The lady
wished TO speak to him in private Well, Tat
could he easily managed. When the table d'hote
was over, Count SchallIenburg stationed himself
behind folding-scrccn in the hall and there
waited patiently until he saw Mr.. Gregory stump
downstairs, looking neither 10 night nor 10 let,
and make for the smoking room. Then hc rose
and ran nimbly up the broad staircase. lie had
not. however. reached the first floor when ne en-
counteled Mrs. Gregory III the act OF ehectlnS
cautious and n0isecsS descent
ON she exclaimed, an 50 glad have
met Won | was hoping TO see You that / might
asl, YOU 10 do me a very great kindness.
Madam replied the ahabe Count, poWlhS
low you have but 10 command me
The fact was that Mrs. Gregory lad made up
her mind to DO an audaciouS thing She had
thought at first of telcsfaphinc to Bon TO post.
pone his visit: but upon further consideration
She had perceived that no better opportunity Of
getting rid of her husband for few hours was
likely 10 be secured by waiting. ON the morrow
She might reasonably plead fatigue as an
excuse for remaining within doors This
excuse would not perhaps Dt admitted
later. moreover Count Scnalkcnburg might,
for augIt she knew. he leaving shortly
Therefore she had resolved 10 take that useful
parsonage into her confidence and TO appeal 10
him for aid
Her appeal was not made in vain nor was sine
called upon to enter into any long explanations
Count Schakenburg realized the position OF affairs
AT once and expressed himself with regard to
il in tone of respectful sympathy. ans