'The Russian prince arrived this evening while you were at the theatre, and threatened the director with all sorts of legal consequences because the rooms he had ordered were occupied. He turns out to be only a count after all.'
'You don't say so,' observed Mr. Van Torp, in an encouraging tone.
'What became of him?' Margaret asked, without much interest.
'Did Potts not tell you, my dear? Why, Justine assisted at the whole interview and came and told me at once.'
Justine was Mrs. Rushmore's Parisian maid, who always knew everything.
'What happened?' inquired Margaret, still not much interested. [{185}]
'He arrived in an automobile,' answered Mrs. Rushmore, and she paused.
'What old Griggs calls a sudden-death-cart,' Mr. Van Torp put in.
'What a shocking name for it!' cried Mrs. Rushmore. 'And you are always in them, my dear child!' She looked at Margaret. 'A sudden-death-cart! It quite makes me shiver.'
'Griggs says that all his friends either kill or get killed in them,' explained the American.