Part 16 (1/2)

”I am not in your way, am I, Rendel?”

Rendel also made a conscious effort as he replied, rising from his chair as he spoke--

”Oh no, Sir William, please come in. I have some writing to finish, if you don't mind.”

”Pray go on,” said Sir William; ”I won't disturb you. I'll sit down here and read the paper till you are ready”; and he sat down with his back to the writing-table and the window, in the big chair which Rendel drew forward.

”Thank you,” Sir William said. ”I took the liberty of bringing in your afternoon paper which was outside.”

”Certainly,” Rendel replied, too absorbed for the moment in the thing his own attention was concentrated upon to realise the bearing of what Gore was saying. ”Of course,” and went back to his writing.

Gore leant back, idly turning over the pages of the _Mayfair Gazette_; then he started as his eye fell on the alarmist announcements. What was this? What incredible things were these that he saw? The letters were swimming before him; he could only vaguely distinguish the black capitals and the headlines; the rest was a blur. All that stood out clearly was: ”Cape to Cairo Railway in Danger,” and then beneath it: ”Sinister Rumours about the 'Equator, Ltd.'”

”Rendel!” he said, half starting up. Rendel turned round with a start, dragging his mind from the thing it was bent upon. ”How awful this is!”

said Sir William, holding up the paper with a shaking hand. Rendel began to understand. But, that he should have to look up for one moment, for the fraction of a second, from those words that he was transcribing!

”Yes, yes, it is terrible,” he said, and bent over his writing again.

Sir William tried to go on reading. What was this about Germany? War would mean the collapse of everything--private schemes as well as all others.

”War! Do you think it can possibly mean war?” he said. ”Can't Germany be squared?”

”War!” said Rendel without looking up. ”Who can tell?” And again he felt the supreme excitement of standing unseen at the right hand of the man who was driving the s.h.i.+p through the storm. Sir William laid down the paper on his knee and tried to think, but all he could do was to close his eyes and keep perfectly still. Everything was vague ... and the worst of it--or was it the best of it?--was that nothing seemed to matter.

At the same moment a brief colloquy was being exchanged outside the hall door. Stamfordham's brougham had drawn up again, and Thacker, who was standing hanging about the hall with a secret intention of being on the spot if tremendous things were going to happen, had instantly rushed out.

”Is Mr. Rendel in?” said Lord Stamfordham hurriedly as Thacker stood at the door of the brougham.

”Yes, my lord.”

”Ask him to come and speak to me.”

Thacker was shaken into unwonted excitement; he opened the door of the study quickly and went in. Sir William started violently. Any sudden noise in the present state of his nerves threw him completely off his balance.

”Can you come and speak to Lord Stamfordham, sir?”

Rendel sprang up; then with a sudden thought turned back and pulled down the top of his writing-table, which shut with a spring, and rushed out without seeing that Sir William had begun raising himself laboriously from his chair as he said--

”Don't let me be in your way, Rendel.”

”His lords.h.i.+p is not coming in, Sir William,” said Thacker.

Sir William sank back into his chair. Thacker, after waiting an instant as though to see whether Gore had any orders for him, went quietly out, closing the door after him.

Rendel had madly caught up a hat as he pa.s.sed, and flown down the steps, not seeing in his haste a burly personage who was coming along the pavement dressed in the ordinary garb of the English citizen, with nothing about him to show that his glowing right hand held the thunderbolts which he was going to hurl at the head of Gore. It is unnecessary to say that Robert Pateley knew Stamfordham's carriage well by sight; and it was with pleasure and satisfaction that he found that Providence had brought him on to the pavement at Cosmo Place in time to see one of the moves in the great game which the world was playing that day. It was better on the whole that he should not accost Rendel. There was no need at that moment for Stamfordham to be aware of his presence, although, after all, there was no reason why he should not be. But seeing Rendel standing speaking to Stamfordham at the door of the brougham he conceived that he was probably coming in again directly, and made up his mind to go in and see Gore at any rate if possible. He went up the steps, therefore, and into the house, the front door being open.

It happened neither Rendel nor Stamfordham saw him enter, the former having his back turned and blocking the view of the latter. Thacker, with intense interest, was watching the development of affairs from the dining-room window, and did not see Pateley go in either.

”Have you done the thing?” said Stamfordham quickly.

”All but,” Rendel said.

”Well, I want you to add this,” said Stamfordham. ”Get in and drive back with me, will you? I have so little time.”