Lady Muriel looked from one to the other in blank astonishment.
"What, you know them, Eric?" she exclaimed.
"This mystery grows deeper every day!"
"Then we must be somewhere in the Third Act," said Eric. "You don't
expect the mystery to be cleared up till the Fifth Act, do you?"
"But it's such a long drama!" was the plaintive reply. "We must have
got to the Fifth Act by this time!"
"Third Act, I assure you," said the young soldier mercilessly.
"Scene, a railway-platform. Lights down. Enter Prince (in disguise,
of course) and faithful Attendant. This is the Prince--"
(taking Bruno's hand) "and here stands his humble Servant!"
What is your Royal Highness next command.?"
And he made a most courtier-like low bow to his puzzled little friend.
"Oo're not a Servant!" Bruno scornfully exclaimed. "Oo're a Gemplun!"
"Servant, I assure your Royal Highness!" Eric respectfully insisted.
"Allow me to mention to your Royal Highness my various situations--past,
present, and future."
"What did oo begin wiz?" Bruno asked, beginning to enter into the jest.
"Was oo a shoe-black?"
"Lower than that, your Royal Highness! Years ago, I offered myself as
a Slave--as a 'Confidential Slave,' I think it's called?" he asked,
turning to Lady Muriel.
But Lady Muriel heard him not: something had gone wrong with her glove,
which entirely engrossed her attention.
"Did oo get the place?" said Bruno.
"Sad to say, Your Royal Highness, I did not! So I had to take a
situation as--as Waiter, which I have now held for some years haven't
I?" He again glanced at Lady Muriel.
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