“No.”
“Give me—well, say two hundred dollars, and I’ll have the purser change it.” 131
She went to her suitcase, where it stood on the lounge; he unstrapped it for her; she found the big packet of treasury notes and handed them to him.
“Good heavens!” he muttered. “This won’t do. I’m going to have the purser lock them in the safe and give me a receipt. Then when you meet the Princess Mistchenka, tell her what I’ve done and ask her advice. Will you, Rue?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“You’ll wait here for me, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
So he noted the door number and went away hastily in search of the purser, to do what he could in the matter of foreign money for the girl. And on the upper companionway he met the Princess Mistchenka descending, preceded by porters with her luggage.
“James!” she exclaimed. “Have you come aboard to elope with me? Otherwise, what are you doing on the Lusitania at this very ghastly hour in the morning?”
She was smiling into his face and her daintily gloved hand retained his for a moment; then she passed her arm through his.