"Why, my dear sir, Graustark is in--" began Uncle Caspar, but she checked him instantly.
"Uncle Caspar, you are not to tell him. I have recommended that he study geography and discover us for himself. He should be ashamed of his ignorance."
He was not ashamed, but he mentally vowed that before he was a day older he would find Graustark on the map and would stock his negligent brain with all that history and the encyclopedia had to say of the unknown land. Her uncle laughed, and, to Lorry's disappointment, obeyed the young lady's command.
"Shall I study the map of Europe, Asia or Africa?" asked he, and they laughed.
"Study the map of the world," said Miss Guggenslocker, proudly.
"Edelweiss is the capital?"
"Yes, our home city,--the queen of the crags," cried she. "You should see Edelweiss, Mr. Lorry. It is of the mountain, the plain and the sky. There are homes in the valley, homes on the mountain side and homes in the clouds."
"And yours? From what you say it must be above the clouds--in heaven."
"We are farthest from the clouds, for we live in the green valley, shaded by the white topped mountains. We may, in Edelweiss, have what climate we will. Doctors do not send us on long journeys for our health. They tell us to move up or down the mountain. We have balmy spring, glorious summer, refreshing autumn and chilly winter, just as we like."
"Ideal! I think you must be pretty well toward the south. You could not have July and January if you were far north."
"True; yet we have January in July. Study your map. We are discernible to the naked eye," she said, half ironically.
"I care not if there are but three inhabitants Graustark, all told, it is certainly worthy of a position on any map," said Lorry, gallantly; and his listeners applauded with patriotic appreciation. "By the way, Mr. Gug--Guggenslocker, you say the conductor asked you for my name and you did not know it. May I ask how you learned it later on?" His curiosity got the better of him, and his courage was increased by the champagne the old gentleman had ordered.
"I did not know your name until my niece told it to me after your arrival in the carriage," said Uncle Caspar.
"I don't remember giving it to Miss Guggenslocker at any time," said Lorry.
"You were not my informant," she said, demurely.
"Surely you did not guess it."
"Oh, no, indeed. I am no mind reader."
"My own name was the last thing you could have read in my mind, in that event, for I have not thought of it in three days."