“That was the adventure in which the dog, Chris, played a part; as I told you yesterday, Mr. Bergwyn. Isn’t it an extraordinary coincidence, Gatrina, that Mr. Bergwyn should have an immense dog, positively an immense creature of the same name, Chris? I declare I’ve been thinking about it ever since I left your house;” and she turned to me with a glance. Her audacity increased with every fresh thrust she made.
“There are many big dogs in the world, Baroness, and not nearly enough names to go round. Thousands of them must bear the same; and a dog is not like us, you see, and cannot change its name.”
“Yours is such a splendid creature, too,” she said, ignoring this. “Huge, almost black, smooth-coated; just the kind of dog you would love, Gatrina.”
“You make me curious. I must have an opportunity of seeing it, Mr. Bergwyn,” said Gatrina, steadily, looking at me for the first time since I had spoken to her. She was quite calm and self-collected now, and Elma’s interposition had served one good purpose. It had given us both time to get over the surprise and confusion of the meeting.
“It will give me great pleasure, Princess,” I answered gravely. I understood, of course, that she did not intend Elma to know the truth about the hill business.
“You are feeling better again now, dear?” said Elma, solicitously. “I am so glad. I wonder what upset you. However, you have got over it, and that’s the great thing. I suppose it must have been the heat unless”—with a pause and a mischievous shrug of the shoulders—“unless it was the shock of meeting Mr. Bergwyn so unexpectedly.”
“I am obliged to you for the implied compliment, Baroness. Do you think the Princess expected an American citizen to wear a cowboy’s dress or a red man’s war paint?” I laughed, and Gatrina joined me.
“I assure you, Mr. Bergwyn, the Baroness can make the most wonderful mistakes,” she said. “I did not understand for the moment what she meant about your dog; but I believe I see it now. I do, indeed.” She was a better actress than Elma after all, and her merry laugh now was a most natural one.
“I must plead my complete mystification, I fear.”
“Of course, you can both misunderstand,” said Elma, spitefully.