Arms and the Woman

And I had forgotten his very existence! What did he know? What had he

seen?

"You may inform Count von Walden," continued Dan, "that I shall await

his advent with the greatest of impatience. Now let me add that you

are treating this gentleman with much injustice. I'll stake my life on

his courage. The Princess Hildegarde is alone responsible for what has

just happened."

"The Princess Hildegarde!" I cried.

Hillars went on: "Why she did this is none of your business or mine.

Why she substituted herself concerns her and this gentleman only. Now

go, and be hanged to you and your Prince and your Count, and your whole

stupid country. Come, Jack."

The fellow looked first at me, then at Dan.

"I apologize," he said to Dan, "for mistaking this man for you." He

clicked his heels, swung around, and marched off.

"Come," said Dan.

I dumbly followed him up to my room. He struck a match and lit the

candle.

"Got any tobacco?" he asked, taking out a black pipe. "I have not had

a good smoke in a week. I want to smoke awhile before I talk."

I now knew that he had been a witness to all, or at least to the larger

part of it.

"There is some tobacco on the table," I said humbly. I felt that I had

wronged him in some manner, though unintentionally. "The Princess

Hildegarde!" I murmured.

"The very person," said Hillars. He lit his pipe and sat on the edge

of the bed. He puffed and puffed, and I thought he never would begin.

Presently he said: "And you never suspected who she was?"

"On my word of honor, I did not, Dan," said I, staring at the faded

designs in the carpet. The golden galleon had gone down, and naught

but a few bubbles told where she had once so proudly ridden the waters

of the sea. The Princess Hildegarde? The dream was gone. Castles,

castles! "I am glad you did not know," said Dan, "because I have

always believed in your friendship. Yet, it is something we cannot

help--this loving a woman. Why, a man will lay down his life for his

friend, but he will rob him of the woman he loves. It is life. You

love her, of course."

"Yes." I took out my own pipe now. "But what's the use. She is a

Princess. Why, I thought her at first a barmaid--a barmaid! Then I

thought her to be in some way a lawbreaker, a socialist conspirator.

It would be droll if it were not sad. The Princess Hildegarde!" I

laughed dismally. "Dan, old man, let's dig out at once, and close the

page. We'll talk it over when we are older."