Part 19 (1/2)
”Princess!”
”Nadine, what time is it?”
The young Circa.s.sian, with hair as black as ink, souple and slender, rose from her chair and was hastening from the bedroom to ascertain the time when her mistress recalled her:
”Don't go away, Nadine! Stay with me!”
The dusky Circa.s.sian obeyed: she stared with big, astonished eyes into those of her mistress:
”But, Princess, why don't you wish me to go?”
The Princess stammered in a mysterious tone:
”Don't you know then, Nadine, that to-day is the anniversary?... and I am frightened!”
Princess Sonia Danidoff was in her bath robe. It must have been a quarter past eleven, or even nearer midnight than that. Although she had lived in Paris for years, she had never been able to make up her mind to settle in a flat of her own. Possessing an immense fortune, she much preferred the American way of living, and had taken a suite of rooms in one of those great palace-hotels near the place de l'Etoile. Though a very smart staff of servants was reserved for her exclusive use, her favourite attendant was a pretty Circa.s.sian, in whom she had absolute confidence. This Nadine was a native of Southern Russia. The movement of city life and civilised manners and customs had at first terrified this little savage; but she had learned to adapt herself to her changed surroundings, and was now high in the favour of Princess Sonia. She, and she alone, was authorised to be present when the beautiful great lady took her daily baths. For some years past the Princess had insisted on the presence of a maid when she took her baths: without fail they must either be in the bathroom itself, or in the room next to it, within reach or call. But on this particular evening Sonia Danidoff, more nervous and restless than usual, would not allow Nadine to leave her for a second. As to the time--well, if she did not know the exact time it could not be helped! Really it did not matter to her whether she were half an hour or no, for the ball given in her honour by Thomery, the millionaire sugar refiner: in fact, it would be much better to make her appearance after all the guests had a.s.sembled--her arrival would give the crowning touch of brilliancy to this society function.
Sonia Danidoff had p.r.o.nounced the word ”anniversary” in a tone of anguish so sincere that Nadine was genuinely alarmed. She knew, only too well, what this fatal word meant to her mistress.
She had not forgotten that five years ago to the day, just when the Princess was enjoying her evening bath, a mysterious individual had appeared before her, who, after frightening her, had robbed her of a large sum of money. The adventure would have been little out of the ordinary, for hotel robberies are frequent, had not the audacious bandit been quickly identified as the enigmatic and elusive Fantomas, whose prodigious reputation had only increased with the pa.s.sage of the years.
Sonia Danidoff, who was not ignorant of the dramatic adventures imputed to this legendary hero, could not bear to think of the position she had been placed in that awful night, when, threatened and robbed by Fantomas, she had escaped death by a series of unknown and unguessable circ.u.mstances: the tormenting mystery of it all had preyed insistently upon her mind. Since then Sonia Danidoff had never taken a bath without thinking of Fantomas; and every year when the anniversary of his aggression came round she suffered cruelly: she was seized with wild, unreasoning fears at the idea that she might see this terrifying bandit appear before her again, and that this time he would be merciless.
Nadine knew all this. She also shuddered at the vision this horrible anniversary evoked, but controlling herself, she was anxious to change the current of her dear mistress's thoughts:
”Forget, try to forget, Sonia Danidoff,” she counselled in her melodious voice: ”You are going to a ball--at Monsieur Thomery's--at your fiance's house!”
The Princess shuddered:
”Ah, Nadine, my Nadine!” she cried, raising herself, and regarding her maid with a strange look: ”I cannot overcome my uneasiness--my alarms!... This coincidence of date agitates me.... You know how superst.i.tious we are at home--in our Russia--and the life I lead in Paris has not destroyed in me the simplicity of soul of a daughter of the Steppes!”
Nadine did not know what reply to make to this pathetic outburst. The Princess went on:
”And then, do you see, I think it wrong of Monsieur Thomery to even want to give this ball, only a fortnight after the tragic death of that poor Baroness de Vibray!... I tried to dissuade him from it.... I think the Baroness was his most intimate friend once!...”
”So it is said,” murmured Nadine.
Sonia Danidoff went on, as if speaking to herself:
”I am not sure of it ... it is precisely to remove this suspicion from my mind that Thomery was determined to have his ball to-night at all costs!... The Baroness de Vibray, so he told me, was no more than a good old friend.... I cannot make her death an excuse for putting off the announcement of our marriage ... that would be to give colour to scandal.”
Sonia Danidoff shrugged her beautiful shoulders:
”Hand me a mirror!”
Nadine obeyed. The Princess gazed long and complacently at the marvellously lovely face reflected in the gla.s.s.
”Princess,” cried Nadine, ”you must leave the bath, you will be late otherwise!”