"I hope you realize it's not our fault," he said.
"I acquit you of everything," I cried. "But won't you explain to your friends and—and get them away?"
He promised to do his best, though some of the men looked anything but tractable; and I went back to the princess, hoping that the music would drown all the going and coming. "Play like mad!," I whispered to this boy at the piano; "Noise, at all costs!" And, as if I hadn't enough to bear, I thought he was going to take offence. Half-way through, the door opened a crack, and I saw—who do you think? Colonel Butler; Phyllida's cabman hero. Nothing could surprise me then—the fact that he was in evening-dress... If he'd brought his cab in with him...
I hurried to the door, no longer caring whether he met Phyllida, whether she threw herself at his head... Anything...
"This is a case for heroic measures, Lady Ann," he said, when I had explained my tragic position. "Some of these fellows have been doing themselves rather well and they swear they won't go without a dance. If you leave things to me, I believe I can pull you through. Certainly I'll do my best, but you must back me up in everything. Is that agreed? Then, as soon as the music stops, will you present me to the princess? I'll get hold of your husband and Will and tell them what has to be done."
I asked leave to present him... The princess knew his name, knew all about him—far more than I had ever guessed. It appears that he ought to have had the V.C.; and, if it lay in my gift, he should have had it that night! Oh, I don't wonder that he did well in the war. Such coolness, determination, foresight...
"I expect Lady Ann has told you, ma'am," he began, "that the Forest Rangers have been having their regimental dinner. Lady Ann has most kindly lent us the house for a little dance later on. I want to know whether I may ask an extraordinary favour. It will give immense gratification if you will allow Lady Ann to present the officers to you before the dance begins. I know it's a very big thing to ask, because there are a great many of them; but, if you knew the pleasure you would confer, I could almost hope that you would forgive my presumption."
The princess is really and truly the sweetest woman I know. Was there a moment's hesitation? Colonel Butler brought them in, one after another, announced the names, herded them out again, brought in more. Arthur hunted them upstairs to his bedroom as they came out, so that there should be a little room on the stairs... And, when she came out—this presentation was really a very clever stroke on Colonel Butler's part to give her an excuse for leaving—, there was a word and a smile for every one—praising the girls' dresses, saying she hoped that all the young people would have a very pleasant time. Graciousness like that cannot be learned, but perhaps a certain dignity can. To do these girls justice, they behaved quite admirably; no familiarity, no nervousness—to the outward eye. I hope for their sakes that, when they compared their own "shoes and shoulder-straps" with what was thought fitting to be worn by another generation, trained in a different school, the lesson was not altogether thrown away...
I did not suppose that Colonel Butler seriously intended that I should improvize a dance at a moment's notice, but I had misjudged my man. He had given his word, he said, and, if he broke it, there might be an unpleasant scene; if, however, I would back him up, he would "see me through" again. Almost before the princess was out of the house, one section was rolling back the rug in the drawing-room and disposing of the furniture. Arthur, with his coat off and his shirt-sleeves rolled up, was dashing down to the cellar and up again, bringing wine that literally cannot be replaced; and, to judge from next day's accounts, it must have been Colonel Butler himself who won over my rather unyielding cook. He has a gift of silver speech; the superior young man at the piano, who always left all arrangements of terms to his agent, if you please, sat with a bottle of champagne and a plate of sandwiches playing till four o'clock...
The relief was so great that I really quite lost my head. Colonel Butler asked me for the first dance—quite charmingly.