He
found the adorable Jeneka, all trembling with indignation, in the
doorway. She saw him and pointed. He looked and saw the distinguished
stranger, the man of many titles and unbounded wealth, standing close to
the slim princess, holding both her hands and beaming upon her with all
of the unmistakable delirious happiness of love's young dream.
"What does it mean?" asked the Governor-General. "Is it possible----"
"He was rude to me," began Jeneka, "He was most insulting----"
Mr. Pike turned to meet his prospective father-in-law.
"You meant well, but you got twisted," he remarked. "This is the one I
was looking for."
At first Count Selim Malagaski was too dumfounded for speech.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "Can it be possible that you, a man worth
millions of piasters, an exalted ruler, a Noble of the Mystic Shrine,
have deliberately chosen this waspy, weedy----"
"Let up!" said Mr. Pike sharply. "You can say what you please about your
daughter, but you mustn't make remarks about the prospective Mrs. Pike.
I don't know anything about her local reputation for looks, but I think
she's the most beautiful thing that ever drew breath, and I'd make it
stronger than that if I knew how. You thought I meant the fat one.
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