The Terrible Twins Part 27

On his words Erebus came flying down the face of the knoll at a breakneck pace, yelling as she came, and flung herself upon the battling pair. As far as the spectators could judge she and the princess were rending Wiggins limb from limb; and they all three yelled their shrillest. Then with a yell the Terror leaped upon them from the cave and they were all four rolling on the ground while the aching welkin rang.

Suddenly the tangle of whirling limbs was dissolved as Erebus and Wiggins tore themselves free, gained their feet and fled. The princess and the Terror sat up, panting, flushed and disheveled. The princess wriggled close to the Terror, snuggled against him, and put an arm round his neck.

"It was splendid!" she cried, and kissed him.

Unaware of the watching eyes, he submitted to the embrace with a very good grace.

"Well, I never!" said Miss Lambart.

"These delicate children," said Sir Maurice. "But it's certainly a delightful place for lovers. I'm so glad we've found it."

He was looking earnestly at Miss Lambart; and she felt that she was flus.h.i.+ng.

"Come along!" she said quickly.

They came out of their clump, about fifteen yards from their quarry.

The quick-eyed Terror saw them first. He did not stir; but a curious, short, sharp cry came from his throat. It seemed to loose a spring in the princess. She shot to her feet and stood prepared to fly, frowning. The Terror rose more slowly.

"Good afternoon, Highness. I've come to take you back to the Grange,"

said Miss Lambart.

"I'm not going," said the princess firmly.

"I'm afraid you must. Your father is there; and he wants you," said Miss Lambart.

"No," said the princess yet more firmly; and she took a step sidewise toward the mouth of the cave.

The Terror nodded amiably to his uncle and put his hands in his pockets; he wore the detached air of a spectator.

"But if you don't come of yourself, we shall have to carry you," said Miss Lambart sternly.

The Terror intervened; he said in his most agreeable tone: "I don't see how you can. You can't touch a princess you know. It would be _lese-majeste_. She's told me all about it."

The perplexity spread from the face of Miss Lambart to the face of Sir Maurice Falconer; he smiled appreciatively. But he said: "Oh, come; this won't do, Terror, don't you know! Her highness will _have_ to come."

"I don't see how you're going to get her. The only person who could use force is the prince himself, and I don't think he could be got up to the knoll. He's too heavy. I've seen him. And if you did get him up, I don't really think he'd ever find her in these caves," said the Terror in the dispa.s.sionate tone of one discussing an entirely impersonal matter.

"Anyhow, I'm not going," said the princess with even greater firmness.

Miss Lambart and Sir Maurice gazed at each other in an equal perplexity.

"You see, there isn't any real reason why she shouldn't stay here,"

said the Terror. "She came to England to improve her health; and she's improving it ever so much faster here than she did at the Grange. You can _see_ how improved it is. She eats nearly as much as Erebus."

"She has certainly changed," said Miss Lambart in a tart tone which showed exactly how little she found it a change for the better.

"The Twins have a transforming effect on the young," said Sir Maurice in a tone of resignation.

"I am much better," said the princess. "I'm getting quite strong, and I can run ever so fast."

She stretched out a tanning leg and surveyed it with an air of satisfaction.

"But it's nonsense!" said Miss Lambart.

"But what can you _do_?" said the Terror gently.

"I'll chance the _lese-majeste_!" cried Miss Lambart; and she sprang swiftly forward.

The princess bolted into the cave and up it. Miss Lambart followed swiftly. The cave ended in a dim pa.s.sage, ten feet down, the pa.s.sage forked into three dimmer pa.s.sages. Miss Lambart stopped short and tried to hear from which of them came the sound of the footfalls of the retiring princess. It came from none of the three; the floor of the eaves was covered with sound-deadening sand. Miss Lambart walked back to the entrance of the cave.

"She has escaped," she said in a tone of resignation.

"Well, I really don't see any reason for you to put yourself about for the sake of that disagreeable crew at the Grange. You have done more than you were called on to do in finding her. You can leave the catching of her to them. There's nothing to worry about: it's quite clear that this camping-out is doing her a world of good," said Sir Maurice in a comforting tone.

"Yes; there is that," said Miss Lambart.

"Let me introduce my nephew. Hyacinth Dangerfield--better, much better, known as the Terror--to you," Said Sir Maurice.

The Terror shook hands with her, and said: "How do you do? I've been wanting to know you: the princess--I mean Lady Rowington--likes you ever so much."

Miss Lambart was appeased.

"Perhaps you could give us some tea? We want it badly," said Sir Maurice.

"Yes, I can. We only drink milk and cocoa, of course. But we have some tea, for Mum walked up to have tea with us yesterday," said the Terror.

"I take it that she saw nothing of the princess," said Sir Maurice.

"Oh, no; she didn't see Lady Rowington. You must remember that she's Lady Rowington here, and not the princess at all," said the Terror.

"Oh? I see now how it was that when you were asked at home, you knew nothing about the princess," said Sir Maurice quickly.

"Yes; that was how," said the Terror blandly.

They had not long to wait for their tea, for the Twins had had their kettle on the fire for some time. Sir Maurice and Miss Lambart enjoyed the picnic greatly. On his suggestion an armistice was proclaimed.

Miss Lambart agreed to make no further attempt to capture the princess; and she came out of hiding and took her tea with them.

Miss Lambart was, indeed, pleased with, at any rate, the physical change in the princess, induced by her short stay at the knoll: she was a browner, brighter, stronger child. Plainly, too, she was a more determined child; and while, for her own part, Miss Lambart approved of that change also, she was quite sure that it would not be approved by the princess' kinsfolk and train. But she was somewhat distressed that the legs of the princess should be marred by so many and such deep scratches. She had none of the experienced Twins' quickness to see and dodge thorns. She took Miss Lambart's sympathy lightly enough; indeed she seemed to regard those scratches as scars gained in honorable warfare.

Miss Lambart saw plainly that the billowy archduke would have no little difficulty in recovering her from this fastness; and since she was a.s.sured that this green wood life was the very thing the princess needed, she was resolved to give him no help herself. She was pleased to learn that she was in no way responsible for the princess'

acquaintance with the Twins; that she had made their acquaintance and cultivated their society while the careless baroness slept in the peach-garden.

At half past five Sir Maurice and Miss Lambart took their leave of their entertainers and set out through the wood. They had not gone a hundred yards before a splendid yelling informed them that the strenuous life had again begun.

Miss Lambart had supposed that they would return straight to Muttle Deeping Grange with the news of their great discovery. But she found that Sir Maurice had formed other plans. They were both agreed that no consideration was owing to the billowy archduke. His manners deprived him of any right to it. Accordingly, he took her to Little Deeping post-office, and with many appeals to her for suggestions and help wrote two long telegrams. The first was to the editor of the Morning Post, the second was to the prime minister. In both he set forth his discovery of the princess happily encamped with young friends in a wood, and her reasons for running away to them. The postmistress despatched them as he wrote them, that they might reach London and ease the international situation at once. Since both the editor and the prime minister were on friendly and familiar terms with him, there was no fear that the telegrams would fail of their effect.

Then he took Miss Lambart to Colet House, to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Dangerfield, and to inform her how nearly the Twins had plunged Europe into Armageddon. Mrs. Dangerfield received the news with unruffled calm. She showed no surprise at all; she only said that she had found it very strange that a princess should vanish at Muttle Deeping and the Twins have no hand in it. She perceived at once that the princess had quite prevented any disclosure by a.s.suming the name of Lady Rowington.