"How can Princess Natalia be a sister of Jack Lamont? Did
she marry some old prince, and take to the fields in disgust?"
"Oh, no; Jack Lamont is a Russian. He is called Prince Ivan Lermontoff
when he's at home, but we call him Jack Lamont for short. He's going
to help me on the Russian business I told you of."
"What Russian business?" asked Katherine. "I don't remember your
speaking of it."
Dorothy went white, edged a little way from her friend, while her
widening eyes flashed a warning at the Lieutenant, who, too late,
remembered that this conversation on Russia had taken place during the
walk from the bank. The young man coughed slightly behind his open
hand, reddened, and stammered:
"Oh, I thought I had told you. Didn't I mention the prince to you as
we were coming here?"
"Not that I recollect," said Katherine. "Is he a real, genuine prince?
A right down regular, regular, regular royal prince?"
"I don't know about the royalty, but he's a prince in good standing in
his own land, and he is also an excellent blacksmith." The Lieutenant
chuckled a little. "He and his sister have both been touched a good
deal by Tolstoian doctrine. Jack is the most wonderful inventor, I
think, that is at present on the earth, Edison notwithstanding. Why,
he is just now engaged on a scheme by which he can float houses from
the mountains here down to New York. Float them-- pipe-line them would
perhaps be a better term.
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