The Heart of Rome | Page 9

bring my maid to pack her things," suggested the Baroness.
"Yes. If she could only help me to pack mine too! Do you think she
would?"
"Of course!"
"You are really the kindest person in the world," said the Princess. "I
was quite in despair, when you came. Just look at those things!"
She pointed to the chairs and sofas, covered with clothes and dresses.
"But your boxes, where are they?" asked the Baroness.
"I have not the least idea! I sent the porter's wife to try and find them,
but she has never come back. She is so stupid, poor old thing!"
"I think I had better bring a couple of men-servants," said the Baroness.
"They may be of use. Should you like my carriage to take you to the
station? Anything I can do--"
The Princess stared, as if quite puzzled.
"Thanks, but we have plenty of horses," she said.
"Yes, but you said that all your servants had left last night. I supposed
the coachman and grooms were gone too."
"I daresay they are!" The Princess laughed. "Then we will go in cabs. It
will be very amusing. By the bye, I wonder whether those brutes of
men thought of leaving the poor horses anything to eat, and water! I
must really go and see. Poor beasts! They will be starving. Will you
come with me?"
She moved towards the door, really very much concerned, for she loved

horses.
"Will you go down like that?" asked the Baroness aghast, glancing at
the purple velvet dressing-gown, and noticing, as the Princess moved,
that her feet, on which she wore small kid slippers, were stockingless.
"Why not? I shall not catch cold. I never do."
The Baroness would have given anything to be above caring whether
any one should ever see her, or not, on the stairs of her house in a
purple dressing-gown, without stockings and with her hair standing on
end; and she pondered on the ways of the aristocracy she adored,
especially as represented by her Excellency Marie-Sophie-Hedwige-
Zenaide-Honorine-Pia Rubomirska, Dowager Princess Conti. Ever
afterwards she associated purple velvet and bare feet with the idea of
financial catastrophe, knowing in her heart that even ruin would seem
bearable if it could bring her such magnificent indifference to the
details of commonplace existence.
At that moment, however, she felt that she was in the position of a
heaven-sent protectress to the Princess.
"No," she said firmly. "I will go myself to the stables, and the porter
shall feed the horses if there is no groom. You really must not go
downstairs looking like that!"
"Why not?" asked the Princess, surprised. "But of course, if you will be
so kind as to see whether the horses need anything, it is quite useless
for me to go myself. You will promise? I am sure they are starving by
this time."
The Baroness promised solemnly, and said that she would come back
within an hour, with her servants, to take away Sabina and to help the
Princess's preparations. In consideration of all she was doing the
Princess kissed her on both her sallow cheeks as she took her leave.
The Princess attached no importance at all to this mark of affectionate
esteem, but it pleased the Baroness very much.

Just as the latter was going away, the door opened suddenly, and a
weak-looking young man put in his head.
"Mamma! Mamma!" he cried, in a thin tone of distress, almost as if he
were going to cry.
He was nearly thirty years old, though he looked younger. He was thin,
and pale, with a muddy and spotted complexion, and his scanty black
hair grew far back on his poorly developed forehead. His eyes had a
look that was half startled, half false. Though he was carefully dressed
he had not shaved, because he could not shave himself and his valet
had departed with the rest of the servants. He was the Princess's only
son, himself the present Prince, and the heir of all the Conti since the
year eleven hundred.
"Mamma!"
"What is the matter, sweetheart?" asked the Princess, with ready
sympathy. "Your hands are quite cold! Are you ill?"
"The child! Something has happened to it--we do not know--it looks so
strange--its eyes are turned in and it is such a dreadful colour--do
come--"
But the Princess was already on her way, and he spoke the last words as
he ran after her. She turned her head as she went on.
"For heaven's sake send a doctor!" she cried to the Baroness, and in a
moment she was gone, with the weak young man close at her side.
The Baroness nodded quickly, and when all three reached the door she
left the two to go upstairs and ran down, with a