Part 90 (1/2)

”They call him the Faro King,” said Drake. ”Made all his money by gambling in Paris, and now he is a squire with a living in his gift.”

Then over the laughter and voices, the band and the singing, with an awful suddenness there came a crash of thunder. The band and the comic song stopped, and there was a hush for a moment. Then Lord Robert said:

”Wonder if this is the dreadful storm that is to overwhelm the nation, don't you know!”

That fell on the house of frivolity like a second thunderbolt, and people began to look up with blanched faces.

”Well, it isn't the first time the _storm_ has howled; it's been howling all along,” said Lord Robert, but n.o.body laughed.

Presently the company recovered itself, the bands and the singing were heard again, louder and wilder than before, the men shouted for more champagne, and nicknamed every waiter ”Father Storm.”

Glory was ashamed. With her head on her hand she was looking at the people around when the ”Faro King,” who had been making eyes at her, leaned over her shoulder and said in a confidential whisper, ”And what is Gloria looking for?”

”I am looking for _a man_,” she answered. And as the big beard turned away with ”Oh, confound it!” she became aware that Drake and Lord Robert were at high words from opposite sides of the table.

”No, I tell you no, no, _no_!” said Drake. ”Call him a weakling and a fool and an a.s.s, if you will, but does that explain everything? This is one of the men with the breath of G.o.d in him, and you can't judge of him by ordinary standards.”

”Should think not, indeed, dear chap,” said Lord Robert, ”Common sense laughs at the creature.”

”So much the worse for common sense. When it judges of these isolated beings by the standards of the common herd then common sense is always the greatest nonsense.”

”Oho! oho!” came in several voices, but Drake paid no attention.

”Jesus Christ himself was mocked at and ridiculed by the common sense of his time, by his own people, and even his own family, and his family and people and time have been gibbeted by all the centuries that have come after them. And so it has been with every ardent soul since who has taken up his parable and introduced into the world a new spirit. The world has laughed at him and spat upon him, and, only for its fear of the sublime banner he has borne, it would have shut him up in a mad-house.”

They were strange words in a strange place. Everybody listened.

”But these sombre giants are the leaders of the world for all that, and one hour of their Divine madness is worth more to humanity than a cycle of our sanity. And yet we deny them friends.h.i.+p and love, and do our best to put them out of the pale of the human family! We have invented a new name for them too--degenerates--pygmies and pigs as we are, who ought to go down on our knees to them with our faces buried in the dirt!

Gentlemen,” he cried, filling his gla.s.s and rising to his feet, ”I give you a toast--the health of Father Storm!”

Glory had sat trembling all over, breathing hard, blus.h.i.+ng, and wide-eyed until he had done. Then she leaped up to where he stood beside her, threw her arms about his neck, and kissed him.

”And now you ring down quick, my dear,” said Betty, and everybody laughed a little.

Drake was laughing with the rest, and Glory, who had dropped back to her seat in confused embarra.s.sment, was trying to laugh too.

”Another bottle of fizz anyway,” cried Drake. He had mistaken the meaning of Glory's kiss, and was utterly intoxicated by it. She could have cried with shame and rage, seeing he thought such conduct came naturally to her and perhaps imagined it wasn't the first time she had done as much. But to carry off the situation she laughed a good deal with him, and when the wine came they jingled gla.s.ses.

”I'm going to see you home to-night,” he whispered, smiling slyly and looking her full in the eyes. She shook her head, but that only provoked him to fresh effort.

”I must, I will--you _shall_ allow me,” and he began to play with her hand and ruffle up the lace that covered her round arm.

Just then his man Benson, looking hot and excited, came up to him with a message. Glory overheard something about ”the office,” ”the Secretary,”

and ”Scotland Yard.” Then Drake turned to her with a smile, over a look of vexation, and said: ”I'm sorry, dear--very--I must go away for a while. Will you stay here until I return, or----”

”Take me out and put me in a cab,” said Glory. Their getting up attracted attention, and Lord Robert said:

”Is it, perhaps, something about that----”