When I got back to the spring-house Miss Patty and Mr. Pierce were still there.  He was in front of the fire, with his back to it, and she was near the door.

“Of course it isn’t my affair,” he was saying.  “You are perfectly—­” Then I opened the door and he stopped.  I went on into the pantry to take off my overshoes, and as I closed the door he continued.  “I didn’t mean to say what I have.  I meant to explain about the other night—­I had a right to do that.  But you forced the issue.”

“I was compelled to tell you he was coming,” she said angrily.  “I felt I should.  You have been good enough to take Mr. Carter’s place here and save me from an embarrassing situation—­”

“I had no philanthropic motives,” he insisted stubbornly.  “I did it, as you must know, for three meals a day and a roof over my head.  If you wish me to be entirely frank, I disapprove of the whole thing.”

I heard the swish of her dress as she left the door and went toward him.

“What would you have had me do?” she asked.

“Take those two children to your father.  What if there was a row?  Why should there be such a lot made of it, anyhow?  They’re young, but they’ll get older.  It isn’t a crime for two people to—­er—­love each other, is it?  And if you think a scandal or two in your family—­granting your father would make a scandal—­is going to put another patch on the ragged reputations of the royal family of—­”

“How dare you!” she cried furiously.  “How dare you!”

I heard her cross the room and fling the door open and a second later it slammed.  When I came out of the pantry Mr. Pierce was sitting in his old position, elbow on knee, holding his pipe and staring at the bowl.

CHAPTER XII

WE GET A DOCTOR

I had my hands full the next day.  We’d had another snow-storm during the night and the trains were blocked again.  About ten o’clock we got a telegram from the new doctor we’d been expecting, that he’d fallen on the ice on his way to the train and broken his arm, and at eleven a delegation from the guests waited on Mr. Pierce and told him they’d have to have a house physician at once.

Senator Biggs was the spokesman.  He said that, personally, he couldn’t remain another day without one; that he should be under a physician’s care every moment of his fast, and that if no doctor came that day he’d be in favor of all the guests showing their displeasure by leaving together.

“Either that,” Thoburn said from the edge of the crowd, “or call it a hotel at once and be done with it.  A sanatorium without a doctor is like an omelet without eggs!”

“Hamlet without ham,” somebody said.

“We’re doing the best we can,” Mr. Pierce explained.  “We—­we expect a doctor to-day.”

“When?” from Mr. Jennings, who had come on a cane and was watching Mr. Pierce like a hawk.