Part 35 (1/2)
”I am going to Lenox,” he continued, ”to meet there a few American friends, with whom I have certain affairs of importance to discuss. You, also, have been invited to Lenox. My request is that you defer your visit there until after my departure.”
I raised my eyebrows at this. It seemed to me that Mr. de Valentin was going a little too far.
”May I inquire,” I asked politely, ”in what respect you find my presence there undesirable? We are not bound, I presume, to come much into contact with one another.”
”You misunderstand me,” Mr. de Valentin declared. ”It is not a personal matter at all. My visit to Lenox has been arranged solely to discuss a certain matter with certain people. The presence of those who are not interested in it would be an embarra.s.sment to all of us. Further, to recur to a matter which we have already spoken of, I cannot divest myself of certain suspicions concerning your servant.”
I considered my reply for a moment or two.
”As regards the latter,” I said after a pause, ”I can not take you seriously. Besides, it is very unlikely that my servant would accompany me to Lenox. If my presence there would be an embarra.s.sment, I really do not see why Mrs. Van Reinberg asked me.”
”She did so thoughtlessly,” Mr. de Valentin answered. ”Her reasons were tolerably clear to me, perhaps to you. With regard to them, I have nothing to say, except that your visit could be paid just as well, say in a fortnight after we land.”
”Unfortunately,” I answered, ”that would not suit me. To be frank with you, Miss Van Hoyt would have left.”
”If I can arrange,” Mr. de Valentin continued, with some eagerness, ”that she should not have left!”
I hesitated for a moment.
”Mr. de Valentin,” I said, ”I cannot conceive what cause for embarra.s.sment could arise from my presence in Lenox at the same time as yourself. I do not ask you to tell me your secrets; but, in the absence of some more valid reason for staying away, I shall certainly not break my present engagement.”
There was a silence between us for several moments. Mr. de Valentin was fingering his cigarette case nervously.
”I am perhaps asking too much of a stranger, Mr. Courage,” he said. ”The matter is of the deepest importance to me, or I would not have troubled you. Supposing Miss Van Hoyt should herself fix the date of your visit, and engage to be there?”
”That,” I answered, ”would, of course, be sufficient for me.”
Mr. de Valentin rose from his seat.
”We will leave it like that then,” he said. ”I must apologize, Mr.
Courage, for having troubled you with my private affairs, and wish you good-night!”
We separated a few moments later, and I went down to my state-room. I found Guest busy writing in a pocket-book, seated on the edge of his bunk. I told him of my conversation with Mr. de Valentin.
”I knew it was risky,” he remarked when I had finished, ”but it was an opportunity which I dared not miss.”
”You might have told me about it,” I protested. ”I was altogether unprepared.”
”The less you know,” he answered, ”the better. If you like, I will show you tracings of some letters which I discovered in Mr. de Valentin's portfolio. They were quite worth the journey to America, apart from anything else. Personally, I should advise you not to see them until our return to England.”
”Very well,” I answered. ”Don't show them to me. But I shouldn't try it again. Mr. de Valentin is on his guard.”
Guest smiled a little wearily.
”I am not likely to make such a mistake as that,” he answered. ”Besides, I have been through all his papers. His secrets are ours now, only we must know what is decided upon at Lenox. Then we can return to England, and the first part of our task will be done!”
CHAPTER XXIV
A PRACTICAL WOMAN