Evening star., 1913-04-06


kitchen table moved into the living room
for the occasion. Imposing candelabra
adorned the four corners of the table, and
the very best plate in the castle was put to
use. There were roses in the center of the
board, huge bowl of short-stemmed Mar
shall Mel beauties The Countess's chair
was pulled out by my stately butler,
Hawkes., mine by the almost equally inn
posing footman, and we faced each other
across the bowl of roses and lifted an Ameri-
can cocktail to the health of those who were
about to sit down to the feast. The Count
ess admitted having made it herself.
at is the best Manhattan ever tasted"
said | warmly
at was meant to be Martini she said
sorrowfully.
We began with marvellous hors d'emves,
then a clear soup, a fish asplc, "a Why
rhapsodizeo Let it be sufficient if | say that
in discussing the A1addin-like feast secret
ly and faithfully promised my chef mate
rial increase in wages.
"Have | told you, Mr.. Smart said the
Countess suddenly, @that l am expecting my
mother here to visit me week after next?"
She tactfully put the question to me at
time when | was SO full of contentment that
nothing could have depressed me. | must
confess, however, that was guilty of gulp
ing my champagne a little noisily. he
question came with the salad course.
"You don't say SOL" l exclaimed quite
cheerfully.
@That is to say, she is coming if you think
you can manage it quite safely
@I manage it? My dear Countess, why
speak of managing thing that is SO OBJ
viously to be desired?'
@You don't understand. Can you SNUG
gle her into the castle without anyone know
c1,o &c hoi
watched every minute of the time by de-
tectives, spies, secret agents, lawyers, and
Heaven knows who else. The instant she
leaves Paris-bang! 1t will be like the start
ers shot in race. They will be after her
like streak. And if you are not very, very
clever they will play hob with everything.
"Then why run the risk?" l ventured.
"My two brothers are coming with her,
she said reassuringly. 3They are such big,
strong fellows that"
any dear Countess, it isn't strength We'll
need" deplored.
"No, no, l quite understand. 1t is cum
ming, strategy, caution, and all that sort OF
thing But l will let you know in ample
time, so that you may be prepared. You
are so wonderfully ingenious at working out
plots and conspiracles in your books, Mr..
Smart, that | am confident you can manage
everything beautifully"
Blatchford was removing my salad plate:
A spasm of alarm came over me. l had
quite forgotten the two men. The look of
warning l gave her brought forth merry,
amused smile.
@Dont hesitate to speak before Blatch-
ford and Hawkes." she said, to my astonish-
ment. @They are to be trusted implicitly
"Do you mean to say, Countess, that
at has all been quite satisfactorily at
tended to through Mr.. Poopendyke,S she
said. "He consulted me before definitely
engaging anyone, Mr.. Smart, and l referred
him to my lawyers in Vienna. l do hope
that Hawkes., and Blatchford, and Henri the
chef are quite satisfactory to you. They
were recently employed by someone in the
British Embassy at
@Pray rest easy, Countess managed to
say, interrupting out of consideration for
Hawkes. and B1atchford, who, l thought,
might feel uncomfortable at hearing them
selves discussed so impersonally. EVERY
thing is most satisfactory. did not realize
that l had you to thank for my present
mental and astronomical comfort. You
have surrounded me with diadems."
WIOULD you be entertained by real