Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-03
Mr. ofernroof had nov obtained the oh.

won Ii, however, by r0manclng, ana 10 re
tain it he found it necessary to continue
romancing. He had begun by processing
an acquaintance with the Duchess O
DoubIechin; he had now t.. continue b5
announcing his acquaintance with the
most illustrious of her friends. The Mar
quis of Haughtitone, Viscount and Wis
countess Swaren, Lord Rupert Rathill ano
half score of others were soon numbered
among his supposed intimates. Nor die
he stop there. Royalty itself was not out.
side his knowledge; but, as he modestly
said in speaking of princes of the blood, ii
would be presumptuous to call yourself
their friend
! One night shortly after, his Royal High.
ness prince Fitzedward arrived in India
on his tour through that country, and Mr.
| Oferproof happened to be dining at the
mess of the Doltshire Regiment. There
was only one other guest-a Captain, the
Honorable Charles Knowesly-an officer
of the Guards who, like his Royal High
ness, was spending three or four months in
| travelling through India. During dinner
the conversation turned upon the royal
| visit.
"Any chance of his coming here" asked
Mr.. Oferproof He wanted to know his
ground before he yentured further.
Not as far as ! know" answered Colonel
| Teddy, "and suppose if he were coming,
| should be informed of it."
Pm sorry" said Mr.. Oferproof, now
feeling secure. 81 should like to pay my
respects to his Highness Just for the sake
Of old tines
! "You have met him, them inquired
Captain knowesly.
"Oh, yes, often-at the Duchess OF
Doublechin's," answered Mr.. Oferproof,
carelessly. HE and his father used often
to be there. l have frequently been in the
covers with them both"
Indeed" SAID Captain Knowesly. who
seemed much interested, "Mav l ask in
what years that was?"
"Well," said Mr. Oferproof, affecting to
reflect, 81 think it was in 's7 and 'SS-no,
not 'SS; that year met him at Lord Ru-
pert Rathilps. Yes, it was in 'S6 and 81
| that | met him at Doublechin House"
"Oferproof has met everybody, think"
sneered Captain Pitcher. Captain Pitcher
was one of the few officers in Punkabrandy
who did not believe in Mr.. Oferproofs
grand acquaintance. By strange coinci-
dence he was one of the few officers in
Punkabrandy who were not in Mr.. Ofer-
| proofs debt.
swell, have met his Royal Highness,
at any rate" replied Mr.. Oferproof, little
snappishly THAT fellow Pitcher, as he used
to say, always made him savage), "and if
he only comes here, you'll see that he'll
tell you SO himself"
| "No doubt, Mr.. Oferproof,n said Cap
| xoi,, poxroc1u cootJ,prlu
81 only wish he was coming" added Mr..
Oferproof. sand for very little I'd run
down to Calcutta, as say, to pay HIM my
respects. Indeed, / would do so, only
can't possibly leave Punkabrandy just at
present; business affairs will keep me tied
here for the next month, at least
After this declaration Captain Pitcher
was silenced, if not convinced. But Mr..
| Oferproof was not content with such vic
| tory. He carried the war into the enemy S
J country by relating-as was his wont
when referring to any distinguished per-
sonage whom he claimed to know-yari-
Gus anecdotes about Prince Fitzedward. 1t
so happened that he had picked up num-
| Der of these authentic and otherwise)
/ from the buffers of several of his custom
ers at whose houses the Prince had visited,
and now he retailed them as facts which
fell under his own observation, or as stories
| told him by the noblemen and ladies in
whose houses they purported to occur.
1t was about a fortnight after this con-
versation that Mr.. Oferproof happened to
i meet Colonel Teddy out walking. The
| Colonel hailed the wine merchant Justify.
Hi, Oferproofw he cried. 81 want to
speak to you. You'll dine with US to-
night, won't you? Now, don't say no."
'sWith pleasure, Colonel" replied Mr..
Oferproof, surprised and gratifed by this
| familiar and pressing invitation "Any
business he asked after pause, as a
vague suspicion fitted across his mind
that possibly he might be wanted not en-
tirely for his own sake.
s'No, not exactly that, replied the Colo
mel. ..The fact is that / have Just received
word that his Royal Highness has altered
| his plans, and is going to stop a night
with US on his way to Lahore, and as
you're the only man at the Station who
has ever met him, we want you to come
and give us some tips as to his tastes, so
that we may know how to entertain him.
| Now, be sure and come p And before Mr.
Oferproof could reply, the gallant Colonel
hustled oil exclleulv.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that the
wine merchant was startled and embar.
raised, not to say dumbfeunded, by Colonel
Toddy's declaration. OF course he did not
know the Prince; of course he had no;
met him at Lord Rupert Rathills and
shot with him in the Doublechin covers
Indeed, he had only twice in his life seen
his ROYAL Highness-once riding in the
park and once walking down Piccadilly
| He had talked as he did because he fell
sure that there was no chance of the
Prince coming to Punkabrandy. Now, to
his horror, he learned that his Royal
Highness was Just about to come, and all
the fietions on which Mr.. Oferproof7s social
success was founded would be laid bare to
the gaze of a disguised world.
If Mr.. Oferproof had been an ordinary
man, he would have solved the difficulty
by running away; and even he, at the first
shock, thought whether he could not
Eavoid exposure by being called away or
business Just at the time the Prince was to
arrive at Punkabrandy. But moments
reflection made him reject the idea. He
himself had cut off such retreat bv de.
claring publicly that he could not possibly
leave Punkabrandy. II, after such state.
/ ment, he did leave at the present time, no.
body could mistake his motive for doing
so.
No, he must remain and brazen the
matter out, be the result what il might
And, as he was a man of courage and re
course, although the prospect seemed bad
enough, he did not lose heart He re
solved 10 miss no opportunity Of explain
ing the situation, which he determined L
represent in this fashion: He had met tn,
Prince several times, both at Doublechir
House and at Rathill Manor, but on ever,
/ such occasion there was large company
and though he, Of course, well remembers,
J that the Prince was there, it was highl,
/ probable that the Prince would not re