Ruth thought of Nels and Dorothy. Would they come to grief she wondered. As for herself she didn’t have to choose—love didn’t come and art had turned its back on her. She wondered if it was written in the stars that she should have neither art nor love. Then she remembered Pendragon’s quotation, “The stars incline, but do not compel.” So many things had happened here perhaps another miracle would be performed. She wondered why Gloria said nothing about Pendragon’s sudden recovery.
It was a relief not to see Prince Aglipogue at the luncheon table. The dinner guests of the night before had all returned to their own homes. Aglipogue was gone, and Ruth wondered if Angela would be troubled, because, for once, there was an uneven number of people at the table. She did look a bit troubled, though she was trying hard to conceal it. An engagement announced and broken within twenty-four hours was rather trying. Still she was smiling:
“We’ve got news of your servant, Gloria dear,—rather horrid news. It’s quite a shock—a bad way to end a pleasant Christmas party, even though he was only a servant, and not a very good one.” She paused, but no one came to her rescue with questions or information and she went on:
“They found him in the snow—he must have tried to walk to the station and got lost—he was dead—frozen—and he had the—that horrible beast with him—the dead snake wound round his body.”
Her voice broke hysterically and she shivered with horror.
“They didn’t bring him here—thank God—but took him to an undertaker’s in the village. If he has any relatives that you could wire—”
“None that I know of—they wouldn’t be in America anyway,” said Gloria, quite calmly, though her face was pale.
“Then Terry said he’d arrange things, you know—one place is as good as another. I’m glad you take it so quietly—it’s an awful ending.”
“He must have been furious because Pendragon shot the snake,” said Terry.
“Still, if the excitement of killing a snake could cure Pen, Miss Mayfield ought to be willing to sacrifice her servant,” said John Peyton-Russell.