Part 9 (1/2)

It was enough. The secretary, the valet, and the huge, vulgar-looking man in tweeds faded away in an instant, though not before I had seen the latter spot the broken mirror, and a ferocious glint come into his eyes.

Nor did he look surprised.

Juanita began to come to herself and she was tenderly carried away by the women. Morse accompanied them and spoke in a rapid whisper to the distinguished old lady, who, I knew, must be the Senora Balmaceda.

The two of us were left alone, and for my part I sank down in an adjacent chair quite exhausted in mind, if not in body, by the happenings of the last ten minutes. Up to the present--I will say nothing of the future--I had never lived so fast or so much in such a short s.p.a.ce of time; and you've got to get accustomed to that sort of thing really to enjoy it!

”I'm afraid your visit has been somewhat exciting,” said my host, in his musical, level voice. His eyes were as dark and inscrutable as ever, but nevertheless, I saw that the man was badly moved. He took a slim, gold cigarette case from his waistcoat pocket and his hand trembled.

Moreover, under the tan of his skin he was as white as a ghost--there was a curious gray effect.

I laughed.

”I confess to having been a little startled. Your secretary brought me in here and I was talking to Miss Morse in the conservatory when--” I hesitated for a moment.

He saved me the trouble of going on.

”I guess,” he said, ”you and I had better have a little drink now,” and he went to the wall.

I don't pretend to know how the service was managed--I suppose there was a sergeant-major somewhere in the background who drilled the host of personal and hotel attendances who ministered to the wants of Gideon Morse. At any rate, this time no one entered but one of the hotel footmen, and he brought the usual tray of cut-gla.s.s bottles, etc.

Morse mixed us both a brandy and soda and I noticed two things. First, his hand was steady again; secondly, the brandy was not decanted but came out of a bottle, on which was the fleur-de-lys of ancient, royal France, blown into the gla.s.s.

There was a twinkle in his eye when he saw I had spotted that.

”Yes,” he said, ”there are only three dozen bottles left, even in the Ritz. They were found in a bricked-up cellar of the Tuileries,” and he tossed off his gla.s.s with relish.

So did I--Cleopatra's pearls were not so expensive.

”Now look here, Sir Thomas,” Morse said, sitting down by me and drawing up his chair, ”you've seen something to-night of a very unfortunate nature. You've seen it quite by accident. If news of it got about, if it were even whispered through a certain section of London, then the very gravest harm might result, not only to me but to many other persons also.”

”My dear sir, I have seen nothing. I have heard nothing. You may place implicit reliance upon that,” and I held out my hand to him, which he took in a firm grip.

”Thank you, Sir Thomas,” he replied simply. ”It was a question,” he hesitated for the fraction of a second, and I knew he was lying, ”it was a question of impudent blackmail. I had expected something of the sort and was prepared. You saw how the cowardly hound ran away.”

”Quite so, Mr. Morse. Of course a man in your position must be subject to these things occasionally.”

”Ah, you see that,” he said briskly, and I knew he was relieved. ”You are a man of the world, and you see that. Well, I am thankful for your promise of silence. I am the more annoyed, though, that Juanita should have been present at a scene which, though really burlesque, must have seemed to her one of violence.”

I had my own opinion about the burlesque nature of the incident, but I made haste to rea.s.sure him.

”Of course,” I said, ”it must have been distressing for any lady, but it was the suddenness that upset her, and I'm sure Miss Morse's nerves are far too good for it to have any permanent effect.”

”Yes,” he answered, and in his voice there was a caress, ”I can explain it all to Juanita, and the memory of this evening will soon go from her.”

Again I had my own private opinion, which I forbore to state.

Personally, I had very little doubt but that Juanita would remember this evening as long as the darling lived! It would not be my fault if she didn't! But I saw that this was no moment to tell him that I loved her.

Perhaps, if we had been granted five minutes more in the conservatory and I had said all I meant, and heard from her all I hoped, I should have spoken then. As it was I could not, though in my own mind I was certain she cared for me.

We were silent for a few moments, and then Morse seemed to recall himself from private thought.