āWe canāt come to the villa! Hereās a letter from Jerry wanting us to start immediately for the Dolomitesādid you ever know anything so exasperating?ā
She passed the letter to Constance, and then as she remembered the first sentence, made a hasty attempt to draw it back. It was too late; Constanceās eyes had already pounced upon it. She read it aloud with gleeful malice.
āāWho in thunder is Constance Wilder?āāIf thatās an example of the famous Jerry Juniorās politeness, I prefer not to meet him, thank you.āItās worse than his last insult; I shall never forgive this!ā She glanced down the page and handed it back with a laugh; from her point of vantage it was naĆÆvely transparent. From Mr. Wilderās point, however, the contents were inscrutable; he looked from the letter Ā to his daughterās serene smile, and relapsed into a puzzled silence.
āI should say on the contrary, that he doesnāt want you to start immediately for the Dolomites,ā Constance observed.
āItās a girl,ā Nannie groaned. āI suspected it from the moment we got the telegram in Lucerne. Oh, why did I ever let that wretched boy get out of my sight?ā
āI dare say sheās horrid,ā Constance put in. āOne meets such frightful Americans traveling.ā
āWe will go up to Riva on the afternoon boat and investigate.ā It was Mrs. Eustace who spoke. There was an undertone in her voice which suggested that she was prepared to do her duty by her brotherās son, however unpleasant that duty might be.
āAmerican girls are so grasping,ā said Nannie plaintively. āItās scarcely safe for an unattached man to go out alone.ā
Mr. Wilder leaned forward and reexamined the letter.
āBy the way, Miss Nannie, how did Ā Jerry learn that you were here? His letter, I see, was mailed in Riva at ten oāclock last night.ā
Nannie examined the post mark.
āI hadnāt thought of that! How could he have found outāunless that beast of a head waiter telegraphed? What does it mean?ā
Mr. Wilder spread out his hands and raised his shoulders. āYouāve got me!ā A gleam of illumination suddenly flashed over his face; he turned to his daughter with what was meant to be a carelessly off-hand manner. āErāConstance, while I think of it, you didnāt discharge Tony again yesterday, did you?ā
Constance opened her eyes.
āDischarge Tony? Why should I do that? He isnāt working for me.ā
āYou werenāt rude to him?ā
āFather, am I ever rude to anyone?ā
Mr. Wilder looked at the envelope again and shook his head. āThereās something mighty fishy about this whole business. When you get hold of that brother of Ā yours again, my dear young woman, you make him tell what heās been up to this weekāand make him tell the truth.ā
āMr. Wilder!ā Nannie was reproachful. āYou donāt know Jerry; heās incapable of telling anything but the truth.ā
Constance tittered.
āWhat are you laughing at, Constance?ā
āNothingāonly itās so funny. Why donāt you advertise for him? Lostāa young man, age twenty-eight, height, five feet eleven, weight one hundred and seventy pounds, dark hair, gray eyes, slight scar over left eye brow; dressed when last seen in double breasted blue serge suit and brown russet shoes. Finder please return to Hotel du Lac and receive liberal reward.ā
āHe isnāt lost,ā said Nannie. āWe know where he is perfectly; heās at the Hotel Sole dā Oro in Riva, and thatās at the other end of the lake. Weāre going up on the afternoon boat to join him.ā
āOh!ā said Constance, meekly.
Ā āYou take my advice,ā Mr. Wilder put in. āGo up to Riva if you mustāitās a pleasant tripābut leave your luggage here. See this young man in person and bring him back with you; tell him we have just as good mountains as heāll find in the Dolomites. If by any chance you shouldnāt find himāā
āOf course, weāll find him!ā said Nannie.
Constance looked troubled.
āDonāt go, itās quite a long trip. Write instead and give the letter to Gustavo; heāll give it to the boat steward who will deliver it personally. Then if Jerry shouldnāt be thereāā
Nannie was losing her patience.
āShouldnāt be there? But he says heās there.ā
āOh! yes, certainly, that ends it. Only, you know, Nannie, I donāt believe there really is any such person as Jerry Junior! I think heās a myth.ā
Gustavo had been hanging about the gate looking anxiously up the road as if Ā he expected something to happen. His brow cleared suddenly as a boy on a bicycle appeared in the distance. The boy whirled into the court and dismounted; glancing dubiously from one to the other of the group, he finally presented his telegram to Gustavo, who passed it on to Nannie. She ripped it open and ran her eyes over the contents.
āCan anyone tell me the meaning of this? Itās Italian!ā She spread it on the table while the three bent over it in puzzled wonder.
āCeingide mai maind dunat comtu Riva stei in Valedolmo geri.ā
Constance was the first to grasp the meaning; she read it twice and laughed.
āThatās not Italian; itās English, only the operator has spelt it phoneticallyāI begin to believe there is a Jerry,ā she added, āno one could cause such a bother who didnāt exist.ā She picked up the slip and translated:
āāChanged my mind. Do not come to Riva; stay in Valedolmo. Jerry.āā
Ā āIām a clairvoyant you see. I told you he wouldnāt be there!ā
āBut where is he?ā Nannie wailed.
Constance and her father glanced tentatively at each other and were silent. Gustavo who had been hanging officiously in the rear, approached and begged their pardon.
āScusi, signora, but I sink I can explain. Ecco! Ze telegram is dated from Limoneāzat is a village close by here on ze ozzer side of ze lake. He is gone on a walking trip, ze yong man, of twoātree days wif an Englishman who is been in zis hotel. If he expect you so soon he would not go. But patience, he will come back. Oh, yes, in a little while, after oneātwo day he come back.ā
āWhat is the man talking about?ā Mrs. Eustace was both indignant and bewildered. āJerry was in Riva yesterday at the Hotel Sole dā Oro. How can he be on a walking trip at the other end of the lake today?ā
āYou donāt supposeāā Nannieās voice Ā was tragicāāthat he has eloped with that American girl?ā
āGood heavens, my dear!ā Mrs. Eustace appealed to Mr. Wilder. āWhat are the laws in this dreadful country? Donāt banns or something have to be published three weeks before the ceremony can take place?ā
Mr. Wilder rose hastily.
āYes, yes, dear lady. Itās impossible; donāt consider any such catastrophe for a moment. Come, Constance, I really think we ought to be going.āEr, you see, Mrs. Eustace, you canāt believeāthat is, donāt let anything Gustavo says trouble you. With all respect for his many fine qualities, he has not Jerryās regard for truth. And donāt bother any more about the boy; he will turn up in a day or so. He may have written some letters of explanation that you havenāt got. These foreign mailsāā He edged toward the gate.
Constance followed him and then turned back.
āWeāre on our way to the jail,ā she Ā said, āto visit our donkey-driver who has managed to get himself arrested. While weāre there we can make inquiries if you like; itās barely possible that they might have got hold of Jerry on some false charge or other. These foreign jailsāā
āConstance!ā said Nannie reproachfully.
āOh, my dear, I was only joking; of course itās impossible. Good bye.ā She nodded and laughed and ran after her father.