I didn't quite see, at first
sight, what I was to do; but neither did the assistant manager see what
that had to do with him.
Once I knew a girl who was an actress, and on tour in the country she
nearly drowned herself one day. When the star heard of it, he said: "How
_should_ we have played to-night if you'd been dead--without an
understudy, too?"
At this moment I knew just how the girl must have felt when the star
said that.
"I--I think I must stay here a day or two, until I can--arrange things,"
I managed to stammer. "Have you a small single room disengaged?"
"We have one or two small north rooms which are usually occupied by
valets and maids," the young man informed me. "They are twelve francs a
day."
"I'll take one," I replied. And then I added anxiously: "Have any
relatives of the Princess come?"
"None have come; and certainly none will come, as it would now be too
late. Her death was very sudden. The Princess's maid knows what to do.
She is an elderly woman, experienced. The suite occupied by Her Highness
will be free to-morrow."
"Oh! And had she no friends here?"
"I do not think the Princess was a lady who made friends.
Pages:
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37