ason weather, Mr.
Fouracres"--calling me by name, just like that. And it's no good you nor
anybody else--'

The effort of repeating the Prince's utterance with what was meant to be a
princely accent proved so exhausting to Mr. Fouracres that he sank together
in his chair and lost all power of coherent speech. In a moment he seemed
to be sleeping. Having watched him a little while, Mr. Ruddiman spoke his
name, and tried to attract his attention; finding it useless he went back
into the inn.

'I'm afraid I shall have to put it off to another day, was his remark to
the landlord's daughter. 'Mr. Four-acres is--rather drowsy.'

'Ah, sir!' sighed the young woman. 'I'm sorry to say he's often been like
that lately.'

Their eyes met, but only for an instant. Mr. Ruddiman looked and felt
uncomfortable.

'I'll come again very soon, Miss Fouracres,' he said. 'You might just speak
to your father about the room.'

'Thank you, sir. I will, sir.'

And, with another uneasy glance, which was not returned, the under-master
went his way. Descending towards Longmeadows, he thought over the
innkeeper's story, which may be briefly related. Some ten years before this
Mr. Fouracres occupied a very comfortable position; he was landlord of a
flourishing inn--called an hotel--in a little town of some importance as an
agricultural centre, and seemed perfectly content with the life and the
society natural to a man so circumstanced. His manners were marked by a
certain touch of pompousness, and he liked to dwell upon the excellence of
the entertainment which his house afforded, but these were innocent
characteristics which did not interfere with his reputation as a sensible
and sound man of business. It happened one day that two gentlemen on
horseback, evidently riding for their pleasure, stopped at the inn door,
and, after a few inquiries, announced that they would alight and have
lunch. Mr. Fouracres--who himself received these gentlemen--regarded one of
them with much curiosity, and presently came to the startling conclusion
that he was about to entertain no less a person than the Heir Apparent. He
knew that the Prince was then staying at a great house some ten miles away,
and there could be no doubt that one of his guests had a strong resemblance
to the familiar portraits of His Royal Highness. In his excitement at the
supposed discovery, Mr. Fouracres at once communicated it to those about
him, and in a very few minutes half the town ha