Blithers. I'll guarantee that you do
not take this one so complacently."
He was right in his surmise. Robin ran his eye swiftly over the
cablegram and then started up from his chair with a muttered
imprecation.
"Sh!" cautioned the Count,--and just in time, for the young man was
on the point of enlarging upon his original effort. "Calm yourself,
Bobby, my lad. Try taking six or seven full, deep inhalations, and
you'll find that it helps wonderfully as a preventive. It saves many
a harsh word. I've--"
"You needn't caution me," murmured the Prince. "If I had the tongue
of a pirate I couldn't begin to do justice to _this_," and he
slapped his hand resoundingly upon the crumpled message from William
W. Blithers.
The message had been sent by Mr. Blithers that morning, evidently
just before the sailing of the fast French steamer on which he and
his wife were crossing to Havre. It was directed to August Totten and
read as follows:
"Tell our young friend to qualify statement to press at once.
Announce reconsideration of hasty denial and admit engagement.
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