第20章

“IamafraidIcannotgosofarastosaythatshedoes，“hesaidregretfully。“IdonotknowwhyIfindmyselftalkingonthismattertoyou。IfeelthatIshouldapologiseforgivingsuchapersonalturntotheconversation。“

“Ibegthatyouwilldonothingofthesort，“Mr。Sabinprotested。

“Iam，asamatteroffact，mostdeeplyinterested。“

“Youencourageme，“Mr。Brottdeclared，“toaskyouaquestion-tomeaveryimportantquestion。“

“Itwillgivemegreatpleasure，“Mr。Sabinassuredhim，“ifIamabletoanswerit。“

“Youknow，“Mr。Brottsaid，“ofthatportionofherlifeconcerningwhichIhaveaskednoquestions，butwhichsomehow，wheneverIthinkofit，fillsmewithacertainamountofuneasiness。IrefertothelastthreeyearswhichtheCountesshasspentinAmerica。“

Mr。Sabinlookedup，andhislipsseemedtomove，buthesaidnothing。Mr。Brottfeltperhapsthathewasondifficultground。

“Irecognisethefact，“hecontinuedslowly，“thatyouarethefriendoftheCountess，andthatyouandIarenothingmorethanthemerestacquaintances。Iaskmyquestionthereforewithsomediffidence。Canyoutellmefromyourrecent，moreintimateknowledgeoftheCountessandheraffairs，whetherthereexistsanyreasonoutsideherowninclinationswhysheshouldnotacceptmyproposalsofmarriage？“

Mr。Sabinhadtheairofamangravelysurprised。Heshookhisheadveryslightly。

“Youmustnotaskmesuchaquestionasthat，Mr。Brott，“hesaid。

“ItisnotasubjectwhichIcouldpossiblydiscusswithyou。ButIhavenoobjectiontogoingsofarasthis。MyexperienceoftheCountessisthatsheisawomanofmagnificentandeffectivewillpower。Ithinkifshehasanydesiretomarryyouthereareorcouldbenoobstaclesexistingwhichshewouldnoteasilydisposeof。“

“Thereareobstacles，then？“

“Youmustnotaskmethat，“Mr。Sabinsaid，withacertainamountofstiffness。“TheCountessisaverydearfriendofmine，andyoumustforgivemenowifIsaythatIprefernottodiscussheranylonger。“

Ahallservantenteredtheroom，bearinganoteforMr。Brott。Hereceiveditatfirstcarelessly，buthisexpressionchangedthemomenthesawthesuperscription。Heturnedalittleaway，andMr。Sabinnoticedthatthefingerswhichtoreopentheenvelopeweretrembling。Thenoteseemedshortenough，buthemusthavereadithalfadozentimesbeforeatlastheturnedroundtothemessenger。

“Thereisnoanswer，“hesaidinalowtone。

Hefoldedthenoteandputitcarefullyintohisbreastpocket。Mr。

Sabinsubduedaninsanedesiretostrugglewithhimanddiscover，byforce，ifnecessary，whowasthesenderofthosefewbrieflines。

ForMr。Brottwasachangedman。

“Iamafraid，“hesaid，turningtohisguest，“thatthishasbeenaverydulleveningforyou。Totellyouthetruth，thisclubisnotexactlythehauntofpleasure-seekers。Itgenerallyoppressesmeforthefirsthourorso。Wouldyoulikeahandatbridge，oragameofbilliards？Iamwhollyatyourservice-untiltwelveo’clock。“

Mr。Sabinglancedattheclock。

“Youareverygood，“hesaid，“butIwasnevermuchgoodatindoorgames。Golfhasbeenmyonlyrelaxationformanyyears。Besides，ItoohaveanengagementforwhichImustleaveinaveryfewminutes。“

“Itisverygoodofyou，“Mr。Brottsaid，“tohavegivenmethepleasureofyourcompany。Ihavethegreatestpossibleadmirationforyourniece，Mr。Sabin，andCamperdownisathunderinggoodfellow。HewillbeourleaderintheHouseofLordsbeforemanyyearshavepassed。“

“Heis，Ibelieve，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“ofthesamepoliticsasyourself。“

“Weareboth，“Mr。Brottanswered，withasmile，“Iamafraidoutsidethepaleofyourconsiderationinthisrespect。WearebothRadicals。“

Mr。Sabinlitanothercigaretteandglancedoncemoreattheclock。

“ARadicalpeer！“heremarked。“Isn’tthatratherananomaly？TheprinciplesofRadicalismandaristocracyseemsodivergent。“

“Yet，“Mr。Brottsaid，“theyarenotwhollyirreconcilable。Ihaveoftenwishedthatthiscouldbemoregenerallyunderstood。Ifindmyselfattimesveryunpopularwithpeople，whosegoodopinionIamanxioustoretain，simplyowingtothistoogeneralmisapprehension。“

Mr。Sabinsmiledgently。

“Youwerereferringwithoutdoubt-“hebegan。

“TotheCountess，“Brottadmitted。“Yes，itistrue。Butafterall，“headdedcheerfully，“Ibelievethatourdisagreementsaremainlyuponthesurface。TheCountessisawomanofwidecultureandunderstanding。Hermind，too，isplastic。Shehasfewprejudices。“

Mr。Sabinglancedattheclockforthethirdtime，androsetohisfeet。Hewasquitesurenowthatthenotewasfromher。Heleanedonhisstickandtookhisleavequietly。Allthetimehewasstudyinghishost，wonderingathisairofonlypartiallysuppressedexcitement。

“Imustthankyouverymuch，Mr。Brott，“hesaid，“foryourentertainment。Itrustthatyouwillgivemeanopportunityshortlyofreciprocatingyourhospitality。“

Thetwomenpartedfinallyinthehall。Mr。Sabinsteppedintohishiredcarriage。

“DorsetHouse！“hedirected。

Thislittledifferenceofopinion，“thePrinceremarked，lookingthoughtfullythroughtheemeraldgreenofhisliqueur，“interestsme。OurfriendDolinskiherethinksthathewillnotcomebecausehewillbeafraid。DeBrouillac，onthecontrary，saysthathewillnotcomebecauseheistoosagacious。Felixhere，whoknowshimbest，saysthathewillnotcomebecauseheprefersevertoplaythegamefromoutsidethecircle，alooker-ontoallappearance，yetsometimeswieldinganunseenforce。Itisastrongpositionthat。“

Lucilleraisedherheadandregardedthelastspeakersteadily。

“AndI，Prince！“sheexclaimed，“Isaythathewillcomebecauseheisaman，andbecausehedoesnotknowfear。“

ThePrinceofSaxeLeinitzerbowedlowtowardsthespeaker。

“DearLucille，“hesaid，sorespectfullythatthefaintironyofhistonewaslosttomostofthosepresent，“I，too，amofyouropinion。Themanwhohasaright，realorfancied，toclaimyoumustindeedbeacowardifhesuffereddangersofanysorttostandintheway。Afterall，dangersfromus！Isitnotalittleabsurd？“

LucillelookedawayfromthePrincewithalittleshudder。Helaughedsoftly，anddrankhisliqueur。Afterwardsheleanedbackforamomentinhischairandglancedthoughtfullyaroundattheassembledcompanyasthoughanxioustoimpressuponhismemoryallwhowerepresent。Itwasalittlegroup，everymemberofwhichboreawell-knownname。Theirhost，theDukeofDorset，inwhosesplendidlibrarytheywereassembled，was，ifnotthepremierdukeoftheUnitedKingdom，atleastoneofthosewhosemanyhereditaryofficesandancientfamilyentitledhimtoaforemostplaceinthearistocracyoftheworld。RaouldeBrouillac，CountofOrleans，boreanamewhichwasscarcelyabsentfromasinglepageofthemartialhistoryofFrance。ThePrinceofSaxeLeinitzerkeptupstillasemblanceofroyaltyintheStatewhichhisancestorshadruledwithdespoticpower。LadyMurielCareywasayoungerdaughterofaducalhouse，whichhadmorethanonceintermarriedwithRoyalty。Theothers，too，hadtheirclaimstobeconsideredamongstthegreatestfamiliesofEurope。

ThePrinceglancedathiswatch，andthenatthebridgetablesreadysetout。

“Ithink，“hesaid，“thatalittlediversion-whatdoesourhostesssay？“

“Twosetscanstartatleast，“theDuchesssaid。“LucilleandI

willstayout，andtheCountdeBrouillacdoesnotplay。“

ThePrincerose。

“Itisagreed，“hesaid。“Duke，willyouhonourme？FelixandDolinskiareourancientadversaries。Itshouldbeaninterestingtrialofstrength。“

Therewasageneralmovement，are-arrangementofseats，andalittlebuzzofconversation。Thensilence。Lucillesatbackinagreatchair，andLadyCareycameovertoherside。

“Youarenervousto-night，Lucille，“shesaid。

“Yes，Iamnervous，“Lucilleadmitted。“Whynot？Atanymomenthemaybehere。“

“Andyoucare-somuch？“LadyCareysaid，withahardlittlelaugh。

“Icaresomuch，“Lucilleechoed。

LadyCareyshookoutherambersatinskirtandsatdownuponalowdivan。Sheheldupherhands，smallwhitehands，ablazewithjewels，andlookedatthemforamomentthoughtfully。

“HewasverymuchinearnestwhenIsawhimatSherry’sinNewYork，“sheremarked，“andhewasaltogethertoocleverforMr。

Horserandourfriendsthere。Afteralltheirtalkandboastingtoo。Why，theyareignorantoftheveryelementsofintrigue。“

Lucillesighed。

“Here，“shesaid，“itisdifferent。ThePrinceandheareancientrivals，andRaouldeBrouillacisnolongerhisfriend。Muriel，I

amafraidofwhatmayhappen。“

LadyCareyshruggedhershoulders。

“Heisnofool，“shesaidinalowtone。“Hewillnotcomeherewithamagistrate’swarrantandapolicemantobackitup，norwillheattempttoturnthethingintoanAdeiphidrama。Iknowhimwellenoughtobesurethathewillattemptnothingcrude。Lucille，don’tyoufinditexhilarating？“

“Exhilarating？Butwhy？“

“Itwillbeagameplayedthroughtotheendbymasters，andyou，mydearwoman，aretheinspiration。Ithinkthatitismostfascinating。“

Lucillelookedsadlyintothefire。

“Ithink，“shesaid，“thatIamwearyofallthesethings。Iseemtohavelivedsuchaverylongtime。AtLenoxIwasquitehappy。

OfmyownwillIwouldneverhaveleftit。“

LadyCarey’sthinlipscurledalittle，herblueeyeswerefullofscorn。Shewasnotaltogetherapleasantwomantolookupon。Hercheekswerethinandhollow，hereyesalittletooprominent，somehiddenexpressionwhichseemedattimestoflitfromonetotheotherofherfeaturessuggestedasensualitywhichwasalittleincongruouswithhersomewhatangularfigureandgenerallycolddemeanour。Butthatshewasawomanofcourageandresourcehistoryhadproved。

“Howidyllic！“sheexclaimed。“Positivelymedieval！Fancylivingwithonemanthreeyears。“

Lucillesmiled。