Billy and the Big Stick [7]
Both appetite and digestion had fled from him.
In the anteroom Billy was whispering final instructions to St. Clair.
"Whatever happens," he begged, "don't LAUGH! Don't even smile politely! He's very ignorant, you see, and he's sensitive. When he meets foreigners and can't understand their language, he's always afraid if they laugh that he's made a break and that they're laughing at HIM. So, be solemn; look grave; look haughty!"
"I got you!" assented St. Clair. " I'm to 'register' pride."
"Exactly!" said Billy. "The more pride you register, the better for us."
Inwardly cold with alarm, outwardly frigidly polite, Billy presented "Lieutenant Hardy." He had come, Billy explained, in answer to the call for help sent by himself to the Secretary of State, which by wireless had been communicated to the LOUISIANA. Lieutenant Hardy begged him to say to the president that he was desolate at having to approach His Excellency so unceremoniously. But His Excellency, having threatened the life of an American citizen, the captain, of the LOUISIANA was forced to act quickly.
"And this officer? " demanded President Ham; "what does he want?"
"He says," Billy translated to St. Clair, "that he is very glad to meet you, and he wants to know how much you earn a week."
The actor suppressed his surprise and with pardonable pride said that his salary was six hundred dollars a week and royalties on each film. Billy bowed to the president.
"He says," translated Billy, "he is here to see that I get my ten thousand francs, and that if I don't get them in ten minutes he will return to the ship and land marines."
To St. Clair it seemed as though the president received his statement as to the amount of his salary, with a disapproval that was hardly flattering. With the heel of his giant fist the president beat upon the table, his curls shook, his gorilla-like shoulders heaved.
In an explanatory aside Billy made this clear.
"He says," he interpreted, "that you get more as an actor than he gets as president, and it makes him mad."
"I can see it does myself," whispered St. Clair. "And I don't understand French, either."
President Ham was protesting violently. It was outrageous, he exclaimed; it was inconceivable that a great republic should shake the Big Stick over the head of a small republic, and for a contemptible ten thousand francs.
"I will not believe," he growled, "that this officer has authority to threaten me. You have deceived him. If he knew the truth, he would apologize. Tell him," he roared suddenly, "that I DEMAND that he apologize!"
Billy felt like the man who, after jauntily forcing the fighting, unexpectedly gets a jolt on the chin that drops him to the canvas.
While the referee might have counted three Billy remained upon the canvas.
Then again he forced the fighting. Eagerly he turned to St. Clair.
"He says," he translated, "you must recite something." St. Clair exclaimed incredulously: "Recite!" he gasped.
Than his indignant protest nothing could have been more appropriate.
"Wants to see you act out," insisted Billy. "Go on," he begged; "humor him. Do what he wants or he'll put us in jail!"
"But what shall I----"
"He wants the curse of Rome from Richelieu, explained Billy. "He knows it in French and he wants you to recite it in English. Do you know it? "
The actor smiled haughtily.
"I WROTE it he protested. " Richelieu's my middle name. I've done it in stock."
"Then do it now!" commanded Billy. "Give it to him hot. I'm Julie de Mortemar. He's the villain Barabas. Begin where Barabas hands you the cue, 'The country is the king!' "
In embarrassment St. Clair coughed tentatively.
"Whoever heard of Cardinal Richelieu," he protested, "in a navy uniform?"
"Begin!" begged Billy.
"What'll I do with my cap?" whispered St. Clair.
In an ecstasy of alarm Billy danced from foot to foot. "I'll hold your cap," he cried. "Go on!"
St. Clair gave his cap of gold braid to Billy and shifted his "full-dress" sword-belt. Not without concern did President Ham observe
In the anteroom Billy was whispering final instructions to St. Clair.
"Whatever happens," he begged, "don't LAUGH! Don't even smile politely! He's very ignorant, you see, and he's sensitive. When he meets foreigners and can't understand their language, he's always afraid if they laugh that he's made a break and that they're laughing at HIM. So, be solemn; look grave; look haughty!"
"I got you!" assented St. Clair. " I'm to 'register' pride."
"Exactly!" said Billy. "The more pride you register, the better for us."
Inwardly cold with alarm, outwardly frigidly polite, Billy presented "Lieutenant Hardy." He had come, Billy explained, in answer to the call for help sent by himself to the Secretary of State, which by wireless had been communicated to the LOUISIANA. Lieutenant Hardy begged him to say to the president that he was desolate at having to approach His Excellency so unceremoniously. But His Excellency, having threatened the life of an American citizen, the captain, of the LOUISIANA was forced to act quickly.
"And this officer? " demanded President Ham; "what does he want?"
"He says," Billy translated to St. Clair, "that he is very glad to meet you, and he wants to know how much you earn a week."
The actor suppressed his surprise and with pardonable pride said that his salary was six hundred dollars a week and royalties on each film. Billy bowed to the president.
"He says," translated Billy, "he is here to see that I get my ten thousand francs, and that if I don't get them in ten minutes he will return to the ship and land marines."
To St. Clair it seemed as though the president received his statement as to the amount of his salary, with a disapproval that was hardly flattering. With the heel of his giant fist the president beat upon the table, his curls shook, his gorilla-like shoulders heaved.
In an explanatory aside Billy made this clear.
"He says," he interpreted, "that you get more as an actor than he gets as president, and it makes him mad."
"I can see it does myself," whispered St. Clair. "And I don't understand French, either."
President Ham was protesting violently. It was outrageous, he exclaimed; it was inconceivable that a great republic should shake the Big Stick over the head of a small republic, and for a contemptible ten thousand francs.
"I will not believe," he growled, "that this officer has authority to threaten me. You have deceived him. If he knew the truth, he would apologize. Tell him," he roared suddenly, "that I DEMAND that he apologize!"
Billy felt like the man who, after jauntily forcing the fighting, unexpectedly gets a jolt on the chin that drops him to the canvas.
While the referee might have counted three Billy remained upon the canvas.
Then again he forced the fighting. Eagerly he turned to St. Clair.
"He says," he translated, "you must recite something." St. Clair exclaimed incredulously: "Recite!" he gasped.
Than his indignant protest nothing could have been more appropriate.
"Wants to see you act out," insisted Billy. "Go on," he begged; "humor him. Do what he wants or he'll put us in jail!"
"But what shall I----"
"He wants the curse of Rome from Richelieu, explained Billy. "He knows it in French and he wants you to recite it in English. Do you know it? "
The actor smiled haughtily.
"I WROTE it he protested. " Richelieu's my middle name. I've done it in stock."
"Then do it now!" commanded Billy. "Give it to him hot. I'm Julie de Mortemar. He's the villain Barabas. Begin where Barabas hands you the cue, 'The country is the king!' "
In embarrassment St. Clair coughed tentatively.
"Whoever heard of Cardinal Richelieu," he protested, "in a navy uniform?"
"Begin!" begged Billy.
"What'll I do with my cap?" whispered St. Clair.
In an ecstasy of alarm Billy danced from foot to foot. "I'll hold your cap," he cried. "Go on!"
St. Clair gave his cap of gold braid to Billy and shifted his "full-dress" sword-belt. Not without concern did President Ham observe