Part 10 (1/2)
”I insist: there will be trust on both sides or no negotiations.”
”But I a.s.sure you, my dear friend--”
”My dear Count, it is useless: I am determined. Blindfold? I should say not! This is not--need I remind you again?--the Paris of Balzac and that wonderful Dumas of yours!”
”What do you propose, then?” De Morbihan enquired, worrying his moustache.
”What better place for the proposed conference than here?”
”But not here!”
”Why not? Everybody comes here: it will cause no gossip. I am here--I have come half-way; your friends must do as much on their part.”
”It is not possible....”
”Then, I beg you, tender them my regrets.”
”Would you give us away?”
”Never that: one makes gifts to one's friends only. But my interest in yours is depreciating so rapidly that, should you delay much longer, it will be on sale for the sum of two sous.”
”O--d.a.m.n!” the Count complained peevishly.
”With all the pleasure in life.... But now,” Lanyard went on, rising to end the interview, ”you must forgive me for reminding you that the morning wanes apace. I shall be going home in another hour.”
De Morbihan shrugged. ”Out of my great affection for you,” he purred venomously, ”I will do my possible. But I promise nothing.”
”I have every confidence in your powers of moral suasion, monsieur,”
Lanyard a.s.sured him cheerfully. ”Au revoir!”
And with this, not at all ill-pleased with himself, he strutted off to a table at which a high-strung session of chemin-de-fer was in process, possessed himself of a vacant chair, and in two minutes was so engrossed in the game that the Pack was quite forgotten.
In fifteen minutes he had won thrice as many thousands of francs.
Twenty minutes or half an hour later, a hand on his shoulder broke the grip of his besetting pa.s.sion.
”Our table is made up, my friend,” De Morbihan announced with his inextinguishable grin. ”We're waiting for you.”
”Quite at your service.”
Settling his score and finding himself considerably better off than he had imagined, he resigned his place gracefully, and suffered the Count to link arms and drag him away up the main staircase to the second storey, where smaller rooms were reserved for parties who preferred to gamble privately.
”So it appears you succeeded!” he chaffed his conductor good-humouredly.
”I have brought you the mountain,” De Morbihan a.s.sented.
”One is grateful for small miracles....”
But De Morbihan wouldn't laugh at his own expense; for a moment, indeed, he seemed inclined to take umbrage at Lanyard's levity. But the sudden squaring of his broad shoulders and the hardening of his features was quickly modified by an uneasy sidelong glance at his companion. And then they were at the door of the cabinet particulier.
De Morbihan rapped, turned the k.n.o.b, and stood aside, bowing politely.