I cannot give you a stronger illustration of the strange delirium of my faculties than the fact that I actually forgot the Princess whom we came expressly to meet, and never once asked about her. It was some time in the sixth week of our sojourn that the thought shot through my brain,--"Was n't there a princess to be here?--did n't we expect to see her?" How Mrs. G. H. laughed when I asked her the question! She really could n't stop herself for ten minutes. "But I am right," cried I; "there really _was_ a princess?"
"To be sure you are, my dear Mr. Dodd," said she, wiping her eyes; "but you must have been living in a state of trance, or you would have remembered that the poor dear Duchess was obliged to accompany the Empress to Sicily, and that she could n't possibly count upon being here before the middle of September."
"What month are we in now?" asked I, timidly.
"June, July, August, September," said I, counting on my fingers; "that will be four months!"
"I mean," said I, "it will be four months since I saw Mrs. D. and the family."
She pressed her handkerchief to her face, and I thought I heard her sob; indeed I am certain I did. Nothing was further from my thoughts than to say a rude thing, or even an unfeeling one, and so I assured her over and over. I protested that it was the very first time since I came away that I ever as much as remembered one belonging to me; that it was impossible for a man to feel less the ties of family; that I looked upon myself--and, indeed, I hoped she also looked upon me in a way--in fact, regarded me in a light--I'm not exactly clear, Tom, what light I said; of course, you can imagine what I intended to say, if I did n't say it.
"Is this really true?" said she, without uncovering her face, while she extended her other hand towards me.
"True!" repeated I. "If it were not true, why am I here? Why have I left--" I just caught myself in time, Tom. I was nearly "in it" again, with an allusion to Mrs. D.; but I changed it, and said, "Why am I your slave,--why am I at your feet--" Just as I said that, suiting the action to the words, the door of the room was jerked violently open, and a tall man, with a tremendous bushy pair of whiskers, poked his head in.