Jerry Junior | Page 8

a guest of the house; if anything, they were the interlopers. Besides,
nobody talked secrets with a head waiter. His own long conversations
with Gustavo were as open and innocent as the day; the signorina was
perfectly welcome to listen to them as much as she chose.
She was sitting with her chin in her hand, eyeing the flying coat-tails of
Gustavo, a touch of amusement in her face. Her father was eyeing her
severely.
"Constance, it is disgraceful!"
She laughed. Apparently she already knew or divined what it was that
was disgraceful, but the accusation did not appear to bother her much.
Mr. Wilder proceeded grumblingly.
"It's bad enough with those five deluded officers, but they walked into
the trap with their eyes open and it's their own affair. But look at
Gustavo; he can scarcely carry a dish without breaking it when you are
watching him. And Giuseppe--that confounded Farfalla with its yellow
sails floats back and forth in front of the terrace till I am on the point of
having it scuttled as a public nuisance; and those three washer-women
and the post-office clerk and the boy who brings milk, and Luigi
and--every man, woman and child in the village of Valedolmo!"
"And my own dad as well?"
Mr. Wilder shook his head.
[Illustration: "He had also shifted his position so that he might
command the profile of the girl"]
"I came here at your instigation for rest and relaxation--to get rid of
nervous worries, and here I find a big new worry waiting for me that I'd
never thought of having before. What if my only daughter should take
it in her head to marry one of these infernally good-looking Italian
officers?"
Constance reached over and patted his arm.

"Don't let it bother you, Dad; I assure you I won't do anything of the
sort. I should think it my duty to learn the subjunctive mood, and that is
impossible."
Gustavo came hurrying back with a tray. He arranged the glasses, the
ice, the sugar, the cakes, with loving, elaborate obsequiousness. The
signorina examined the ice doubtfully, then with approval.
"It's exactly right to-day, Gustavo! You got it too large the last time,
you remember."
She stirred in some sugar and tasted it tentatively, her head on one side.
Gustavo hung upon her expression in an agony of apprehension; one
would have thought it a matter for public mourning if the lemonade
were not mixed exactly right. But apparently it was right--she nodded
and smiled--and Gustavo's expression assumed relief. Constance broke
open a pine nut cake and settled herself for conversation.
"Haven't you any guests, Gustavo?" Her eyes glanced over the empty
court-yard. "I am afraid the hotel is not having a very prosperous
season."
"Grazie, signorina. Zer never are many in summer; it is ze dead time,
but still zay come and zay go. Seven arrive last night."
"Seven! That's nice. What are they like?"
"German mountain-climbers wif nails in zer shoes. Zey have gone to
Riva on ze first boat."
"That's too bad--then the hotel is empty?"
"But no! Zer is an Italian Signora wif two babies and a governess, and
two English ladies and an American gentleman--"
"An American gentleman?" Her tone was languidly interested. "How
long has he been here?"
"Tree--four day."

"Indeed--what is he like?"
"Nice--ver' nice." (Gustavo might well say that; his pockets were lined
with the American gentleman's silver lire.) "He talk to me always.
'Gustavo,' he say, 'I am all alone; I wish to be 'mused. Come and talk
Angleesh.' Yes, it is true; I have no time to finish my work; I spend
whole day talking wif dis yong American gentleman. He is just a
little--" He touched his head significantly.
"Really?" She raised her eyes with an air of awakened interest. "And
how did he happen to come to Valedolmo?"
"He come to meet his family, his sister and his--his aunt, who are going
wif him to ze Tyrollo. But zay have not arrive. Zey are in Lucerne, he
says, where zer is a lion dying, and zey wish to wait until he is dead;
zen zey come.--Yes, it is true; he tell me zat." Gustavo tapped his head
a second time.
The signorina glanced about apprehensively.
"Is he safe, Gustavo--to be about?"
"Si, signorina, sicuramente! He is just a little simple."
Mr. Wilder chuckled.
"Where is he, Gustavo? I think I'd like to make that young man's
acquaintance."
"I sink, signore, he is packing his trunk. He go away today."
"Today, Gustavo?" There was audible regret in Constance's tone. "Why
is he going?"
"It is not possible for him to stand it, signorina. Valedolmo too dam
slow."
"Gustavo! You mustn't say that; it is very, very bad. Nice men don't say
it."

Gustavo held his ground.
"Si, signorina,