t says dad won't go back to town until
he's had twenty-one baths, and he's only had eleven and she's got to
stay with him. And you needn't worry about what to call Oskar. He's not
to know we're here."

I was worried on my way back to the spring-house--not that the prince
would make much difference, as far as I could see things being about as
bad as they could be. But some of the people were talking of leaving,
and since we had to have a prince it seemed a pity he wasn't coming
with all his retinue and titles. It would have been a good ten thousand
dollars' worth of advertising for the place, and goodness knows we
needed it.

When I got back to the spring-house Miss Patty and Mr. Pierce were still
there. He was in front of the fire, with his back to it, and she was
near the door.

"Of course it isn't my affair," he was saying. "You are perfectly--"
Then I opened the door and he stopped. I went on into the pantry to take
off my overshoes, and as I closed the door he continued. "I didn't mean
to say what I have. I meant to explain about the other night--I had a
right to do that. But you forced the issue."

"I was compelled to tell you he was coming," she said angrily. "I felt
I should. You have been good enough to take Mr. Carter's place here and
save me from an embarrassing situation--"

"I had no philanthropic motives," he insisted stubbornly. "I did it,
as you must know, for three meals a day and a roof over my head. If you
wish me to be entirely frank, I disapprove of the whole thing."

I heard the swish of her dress as she left the door and went toward him.

"What would you have had me do?" she asked.

"Take those two children to your father. What if there was a row?
Why should there be such a lot made of it, anyhow? They're young, but
they'll get older. It isn't a crime for two people to--er--love each
other, is it? And if you think a scandal or two in your family--granting
your father would make a scandal--is going to put another patch on the
ragged reputations of the royal family of--"

"How dare you!" she cried furiously. "How DARE you!"

I heard her cross the room and fling the door open and a second later it
slammed. When I came out of the pantry Mr. Pierce was sitting in his old
position, elbow on knee, holding his pipe and staring at the bowl.

CHAPTER XII

WE GET A DOCTOR

I had my hands full the next day. We'd had another snow-storm during
the night and the trains were blocked again.