He rang for pen and ink
as regally as though he had never sat at the wrong end of a
buzzer. After half an hour of trying to visualize a duke
writing a letter he produced this:
LADY ISTRA NASH,
Mouse Castle.
DEAR MADAM,--We hear from our friend Sir William Wrenn that some
folks are saying that to-day is not your birthday & want to stop
your celebration, so if you should need somebody to make them
believe to-day is your birthday we have sent our secretary, Sir
Percival Montague. Sir William Wrenn will hide him behind his
chair, and if they bother you just call for Sir Percival and he
will tell them. Permit us, dear Lady Nash, to wish you all the
greetings of the season, and in close we beg to remain, as ever,
Yours sincerely,
DUKE VERE DE VERE.
He was very tired. When he lay down for a minute, with a pillow
tucked over his head, he was almost asleep in ten seconds. But
he sprang up, washed his prickly eyes with cold water, and began
to dress.
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