Part 25 (1/2)
They walked on in silence for awhile. Then--
”Heaven knows what happened to Rohscheimer,” said Haredale abruptly, ”to have frightened him into writing such a stupendous cheque! I may hear, later, but thus far he is too sore to touch upon the matter!”
”My father has visited him.”
”At last--yes! Do you remember when Rohscheimer offered me five hundred pounds if I could induce the Marquess to come to dinner? Gad! He came perilously near to a just retribution that day! I think if I had been in uniform I should have run him through!”
”These extraordinary donations of course are the sequel to the mysterious business of the card and the unseen hand?”
”Certainly. Severac Bablon is at the bottom of the whole business. I described the device, introducing two triangles, do you remember, which appeared on the cards, to a chap at the club who is rather a learned Orientalist, and he a.s.sured me that, so far as he could judge from my description, it corresponded with that of the supposed seal of Solomon.
I was unable to remember part of the design, of course. But, at any rate, this merely goes to prove that Bablon is an accomplished showman.”
”I am afraid I must be going, d.i.c.k. I have to meet Zoe Oppner.”
”Let's go and find a cab, then. But it was so delightful to have you all to myself, Mary, if only for a very little while.”
The boyishness had gone out of his voice again, and Lady Mary knew all too well of what he was thinking. She took his arm and pressed it hard.
”I don't think anyone was ever in such a dreadful position in the world before, d.i.c.k!” she declared. ”To tolerate it seems impossible, seems wrong. But to defy Rohscheimer, with your affairs as they are, means--what does it mean, d.i.c.k?”
”I dare not think what it means, Mary,” he replied. ”Not when _you_ are with me. But one day--soon, I am afraid--it will all be taken out of my hands. I shall tell Mr. Julius Rohscheimer exactly what I think of him, and there will be an end of the whole arrangement.”
They said no more until the girl was entering the cab. Then:
”_I_ understand, d.i.c.k,” she whispered, ”and n.o.body else knows, so try to be diplomatic for a little longer.”
Holding her hand, he looked into her eyes. Then, without another word between them, the cab moved off, and Haredale stood looking after it until it was lost amid the traffic. He started to walk across to Park Lane.
At the Astoria Zoe was waiting patiently. But when, at last, Mary found herself in her friend's room, the gloomy companions.h.i.+p of the thoughts with which she had been alone since leaving Haredale, proved too grievous to be borne alone. She threw herself on to a cus.h.i.+oned settee, and her troubles found vent in tears.
”Mary, dear!” cried Zoe, all that was maternal protective in her nature, a.s.serting itself. ”Tell me all about it.”
The unruly mop of her brown hair mingled with the gold of her friend's, and presently, between sobs, the story was told--an old, old story enough.
”He will have to resign his commission,” she sobbed. ”And then he will have to go abroad! Oh, Zoe! I know it must come soon. Even _I_ cannot expect him, nor wish him to dance attendance on that odious Julius Rohscheimer for ever! And he makes so little headway.”
Zoe's little foot beat a soft tatoo upon the carpet.
”I wonder--will there always be a Julius Rohscheimer for him to dance attendance upon!” she said softly.
Mary raised her tearful eyes.
”What do you mean, Zoe?”
”Has it never occurred to you that--Severac Bablon will ultimately make a poor man of Rohscheimer?”
”Oh! I should not like to think that, because----”
”If he went that far, he might do the same for Pa. I can't believe that, Mary. Pa's awful mean, but after all his money is cleaner than Rohscheimer's.”
Mary dried her eyes.