Part 14 (1/2)

”Then I haven't made myself clear enough.”

”That's true. You haven't made yourself clear enough.”

”In what detail have I failed? Because--”.

”In the detail of the doc.u.ment. I've told you I know nothing about it.

You've told me you know everything. Yet--”

”So I do.”

”Prove that by saying what it is--to satisfy my curiosity.”

”I've explained why I can't do that--here.”

”Then why should you stay here longer, since that is the point, to my mind. You understood before you came into my carriage that I had no intention of letting you go all the way home with me.”

Count G.o.densky suddenly laughed. And the laugh frightened me--frightened me horribly, just as I had begun to have confidence in myself, and feel that I had got the best of the game.

CHAPTER XI

MAXINE OPENS THE GATE FOR A MAN

”You are afraid that du Laurier may find out,” he said. ”But he knows already.”

”Knows what?”

”That I expected to have the privilege of going to your house with you.”

All that I had gained seemed worthless. Those quiet, sneering words of his almost crushed me. On the load I had struggled to bear without falling they laid one feather too much.

My voice broke. ”You--devil!” I cried at him. ”You dared to tell Raoul that?”

Opposite, on her narrow little seat, Marianne stirred uneasily. Till now our tones had been quiet, and she could not understand one word we said.

She is the soul of discretion and a triumph of good training in her walk of life; but she loves me more than she loves any other creature on earth, and now she could see and hear that the man had driven me to the brink of hysterics. She would have liked to tear his face with her nails, or choke him, I think. If I had given her the word, I believe she would have tried with all her strength--which is not small--and a very good will, to kill him. I was dimly conscious of what her restlessness meant, and vaguely comforted too, by the thought of her supreme loyalty.

But I forgot Marianne when G.o.densky answered my question.

”Yes, I told him. It was the truth. And I've always understood that you made a great point of never doing anything which you considered in the least risque. So why should I suppose you would rather du Laurier didn't know? You might already have mentioned it to him.”

”He wouldn't believe you!” I exclaimed, desperately. And my only hope was that I might be right.

”As a matter of fact, he didn't seem to at first, so I at once understood that you hadn't spoken of our appointment. But it was too late to atone for my carelessness, and I did the next best thing: justified my veracity. I suggested that, if he didn't take my word for it, he might stand where he could see us speaking together at the stage door, and--”

”Ah, I am glad of that!” I cut in. ”Then he saw that we didn't drive away together.”

”You jump at conclusions, just like less clever women. I hardly thought you'd receive me into your carriage at the theatre, so I took the precaution of warning du Laurier that he needn't expect to see that. You would suggest a place for me to meet you, I said. When I knew it, I would inform him if he chose to wait about somewhere for a few minutes.”

”Raoul du Laurier would scorn to spy upon me!” I broke out.