Jacob's Ladder

by E. Phillips Oppenheim

  CHAPTER XXV

  They steamed slowly past the Statue of Liberty, early in the afternoona few days later. Jacob and his young companion were leaning over therail, watching the great, tangled city slowly define itself through ashroud of mist.

  "One good thing about this voyage," the latter remarkedsympathetically, "it's taken your mind off yourself--made you forgetyour troubles, in a kind of way."

  "You mean about poor Sam?"

  "I'm afraid I wasn't thinking about your brother," Felixstoweconfessed. "I was thinking of the other little affair. Of course, it'sbeen rather a bad egg for you, so to speak, having her pop up everyminute or two, but there's something about life on one of these greatliners--I don't know what it is, but you seem to be able to shove allsorts of things out of your mind, eh?"

  Jacob felt for a moment rather ashamed of himself. It was not like himto be inconstant in anything, and he would not for a moment admit thatwhat he had regarded as the passion of his life had been merely afantasy. At the same time, he could not ignore the fact that duringthe last few days he had been conscious of a sense of freedom whichwas altogether pleasant.

  "I have conquered that," he declared proudly. "For me it is finished.You must have observed my indifference at dinner last night. I findmyself able to converse with her now without the slightest emotion."

  "Fine!" was the enthusiastic rejoinder. "You must have a will of iron.Those things do pull you about a bit, though. I remember an affair ofmy own with little Kitty Bond--second from the left in the front rowof the Gaiety, you know. For three days she was simply droppingsugarplums down my throat, never took her eyes off me all through theshow, welcome at any hour to the flat, though mother was in thecountry visiting the parson uncle--all the usual sort of slush, youknow. And then one day some one told her about dad and figured outwhat my income was likely to be. Little Johnny in the rubber market itwas. I shall never forget the night Kitty introduced me and then wentoff to supper with him in his coupe. Fairly gave me the pip."

  "I beg," Jacob said with dignity, "that you will not compare your calflove for a picture-postcard young lady with what might easily havebeen a great passion."

  Felixstowe tapped a cigarette upon the rail and lit it.

  "It took me more than three days to get over it, at any rate," heremarked pointedly.

  A grave-looking, clean-shaven young man, very neatly dressed andwearing thin, gold-rimmed spectacles, met them as they stepped off thesteamer.

  "Mr. Jacob Pratt, I am sure?" he said. "My name is Morse--Sydney H.Morse. I am your brother's secretary."

  "How is Sam?" Jacob enquired eagerly.

  "He is in precisely the same condition of coma," the secretaryreplied. "The physician says that he may remain so for days."

  "Shall I be able to see him?"

  "Doctor Bardolf will discuss that with you, Mr. Pratt. In themeantime, one of your brother's servants is here to see after all theluggage and pass it through the Customs, if you will hand him thelist. I have a car here for you and--and--"

  "My secretary," Jacob indicated. "Mr. Sydney Morse--Lord Felixstowe."

  The former, startled for a moment out of his gravity, solemnly shookhands.

  "Glad to meet you, Lord Felixstowe," he said impressively. "Welcome toNew York."

  "I am very glad to be here," Felixstowe observed, as he returned theother's salute in friendly fashion. "Gay little hamlet, what?"

  "It's a city full of interest, sir," the other affirmed.

  "You'll have to show me around. I bet you know the ropes. The pick ofthe world's fluff on its home soil, eh?"

  The New Yorker looked a little staggered and edged his way towardsJacob.

  "Here is the car, Mr. Pratt," he announced, opening the door of a veryhandsome limousine.

  "Where are you taking us?" Jacob enquired.

  "To your brother's house in Riverside Drive."

  "Wouldn't it be more convenient for us to go to an hotel?" Jacobsuggested. "With sickness in the house, it seems to me that it wouldbe better."

  "Your brother would never forgive me if I allowed such a thing," Morseprotested earnestly. "The house is very large, and there are half adozen suites well out of hearing of Mr. Pratt's rooms. Besides, youwill be able to see him then at the earliest possible moment."

  "Just as you say," Jacob assented.

  Their first drive through New York--up Fifth Avenue and alongRiverside Drive--was far too interesting for conversation to flourish.The brownstone house which finally turned out to be their destination,and which had once belonged to a famous multimillionaire, surpassedall their expectations. An English butler hurried forward at the soundof Morse's latchkey. A fountain banked with flowers was playing inthe middle of a circular hall. The light was toned and softened byexquisite stained-glass windows. Everywhere was an air of unboundedluxury. The adjoining suites into which Jacob and his companion wereushered surpassed anything they had seen in domestic architecture.They had scarcely had time to look around before a coloured servant inlivery, with a white linen coat, presented Scotch whisky and soda, anda silver pail of ice, on a magnificent salver.

  "I am going to like this country," Lord Felixstowe declared withconviction. "Say when, Jacob."

  The secretary, who had left them for a few minutes, returned presentlywith a dignified personage whom he introduced as the senior of thephysicians in attendance upon Mr. Samuel Pratt.

  "Doctor Bardolf has attended your brother for many years," heexplained.

  "I am very glad to meet you, sir," the physician said, as he shookhands. "I am going to pull your brother through this trouble, allright, but you must be patient."

  "That's good hearing," Jacob declared heartily.

  "He is now," the physician continued, "in a state of coma, followingupon brain fever. I'd like you not to be in any hurry to visit him fora day or two. I want him to come to himself quite naturally and not tobe brought round by the shock of seeing any one unexpectedly."

  "I am entirely in your hands," Jacob replied. "Now that I am on thespot, I feel much more comfortable."

  "So do I," Morse echoed, with a little sigh of relief.

  "Your brother is not a man with many friends, Mr. Pratt," thephysician proceeded, "and in the present state of the stock markets ithas not been thought advisable to advertise his illness. I dare say,therefore, that Mr. Morse will be very glad of your advice and help inmany directions. I know, in fact, that he has been anxiously awaitingit."

  "I have indeed," the young man confessed earnestly. "Mr. Pratt as arule enjoys such excellent health that we have never even contemplateda situation like this."

  "I shall be pleased to do what I can," Jacob promised, a littledubiously. "My brother and I are partners, of course, in the Pratt OilCombine, but I know very little of his affairs outside."

  The physician smiled.

  "Your brother has the reputation of being extraordinarily fortunate,"he said. "That, however, is outside my province. I have only to add,Mr. Pratt, that the invalid has two nurses, the best I could find inNew York, in constant attendance upon him. Any change in his conditionwould bring me to his bedside in less than ten minutes. Untilto-morrow, I beg to take my leave."

  The physician hurried away, and a few minutes later Morse also excusedhimself, on the pretext of a heavy mail. Jacob and his young companionmade luxurious use of their wonderful bathrooms, subsequently attiringthemselves in the garments laid out by a ubiquitous and efficientvalet, after which Felixstowe set up his typewriter and insisted uponjustifying his existence. Jacob accordingly dictated a few lines toDauncey, which his anxious secretary took down with great care.Felixstowe smudged his fingers badly with the carbon copy and, afterJacob had appended his signature, stamped and addressed the missivewith punctilious attention.

  "There is no doubt whatever," he declared, as he gave the letter overto the care of a specially summoned servant and threw himself into themost comfortable of the easy-chairs, "that a certain amount of workdoes give spice to the day's pleasure."r />
  "You'll have to do a great deal more than that," Jacob warned him,"when the busy days come along."

  "And why not?" was the grandiloquent reply. "When I get going, I shallbe able to do a great deal more without fatigue. Six o'clock, olddear," he added, glancing at his watch, "and mark you, something tellsme that before long that genial blackamoor, with the smile which seemsto slit his face in two, will be here with cocktails. Footstepsoutside! Why, I can hear the ice chinking in the shaker!"

  The door opened--to admit only Morse, however. Felixstowe's facefell. The newcomer was attired in dinner clothes, which accordedfairly well with the tenets of eastern civilisation except that hisjacket was unusually long and his black tie of the flowingdescription.

  "Mr. Pratt has an excellent chef here," he announced, "but I thoughtthat as you two gentlemen are strangers in New York, you wouldprobably like to sample one of the best restaurants. I have ordereddinner at the Waldorf. It is not so exclusive as some of the otherplaces, but I feel sure that you will find it amusing."

  "Is the bird's-nesting good there?" Felixstowe enquired anxiously.

  "Bird's-nesting? I don't quite get you," Morse replied, politelypuzzled.

  "The fluff," his questioner explained, "the skirts,--the little ladieswho help to make the world a cheerful and a joyous place."

  Mr. Morse proved that behind his severe expression and depressingspectacles he was only human. He smiled.

  "The Waldorf is, I believe, very largely patronised by New Yorkladies," he said. "I am afraid that in that respect I am not a veryefficient cicerone. I shall be able to introduce you, however, toothers who may be able to atone for my deficiency in that direction."

  Morse was as good as his word. He had a plentiful acquaintance, andthe anxiety for news concerning Mr. Samuel Pratt brought visitorscontinually to his table. His answer to one was practically his answerto all.

  "Just fine," he replied to an elderly stockbroker who questioned himrather closely. "He is just now back in the Adirondacks, having thetime of his life, I guess. Going to bring home a great collection ofheads and finish up with a fortnight at the salmon--Why, yes, Mr.Kindacott," he went on, a little doubtfully, "I could get a littlenote through, if you particularly wished it, but you know what Mr.Pratt's orders were--no business except in a matter of great urgency.I am dealing with most everything from Riverside Drive."

  The stockbroker passed on. Felixstowe glanced at his _vis-a-vis_ withadmiration.

  "I should never have guessed from the look of you that you could tell'em like that," he remarked.

  Morse smiled deprecatingly.

  "It is not my custom," he admitted, "to depart from the truth, but ina business life out here you have to put scruples behind you. If theyknew down in Wall Street that Mr. Samuel was as ill as he is, a wholebunch of stocks we are interested in would tumble down half a dozenpoints. That is why I didn't introduce you, Mr. Pratt, as well as LordFelixstowe," he added, turning to Jacob. "If they got to know that youwere Mr. Samuel's brother, over from England, it would make them kindof restless."

  "I quite understand," Jacob assented. "I have no desire to makeacquaintances on this side until Sam is well enough to go round withme."

  The meal, a very excellent and somewhat prolonged one, came to aconclusion about ten o'clock. Morse glanced at his watch.

  "Gentlemen," he said, "I am now entirely at your service. If you wouldlike to go home, I admit that it is my usual custom to retire early.If, on the other hand, Lord Felixstowe, or even you, Mr. Pratt, wouldlike to see a little New York night life, I will do my best."

  "I am for the giddy whirl," Felixstowe declared promptly. "I haveeaten strange and delicious food of an exhilarating character. Theflavour of terrapin is upon my palate. I am imbibing New York. It isgetting into my blood."

  "You are also imbibing a considerable quantity of Pommery," Jacobobserved. "I may have letters for the English mail at nine o'clockto-morrow morning, remember."

  "You will find me waiting by your bedside," the young man promised."To-night the magic of a strange city calls."

  "If you will take the car home, Mr. Pratt," Morse suggested, "LordFelixstowe and I will take a taxi--that is to say, unless you care tojoin us."

  Jacob shook his head.

  "Show Lord Felixstowe everything there is to be seen," he begged. "Assoon as my brother is out of danger, I'll have a turn around myself."

  Towards three o'clock, Jacob, who was reading in bed, heard stealthyfootsteps in the next room. He coughed and Felixstowe at once entered.

  "So you've got back," Jacob remarked, laying down his book.

  Felixstowe's tie had escaped an inch or two to the right, his theatrehat was set well on the back of his head, his expression was beatific.

  "Jacob, old bean," he declared, sitting down heavily upon the bed,"we've got the knock. London's a back number. We're beaten at thepost."

  "In what respect?"

  "The lasses!" Felixstowe exclaimed, smacking the part of the bedwhere he imagined Jacob's leg to be,--"the lasses, the drink andthe gilded halls! And I'll tell you another thing. Our friend Morsecan take off his spectacles and go a bit. He's no stranger on themerry-go-rounds.... Gee! What's that?"

  The young man slipped from the bed and crossed the room to where, ona very handsome little round table, a bottle of whisky and otherappurtenances were attractively displayed.

  "The one thing I needed to send me to sleep like a top was anightcap," he declared, mixing himself a drink. "Jacob, have you anymore relatives? Let's visit 'em all."

  "You go to bed," Jacob insisted. "I'm going to turn out the lightdirectly."

  Lord Felixstowe, his glass in his hand, one-stepped lightly out of theroom, humming under his breath a little ditty which seemed to containdual references to a prospective sovereignty of the May and the hourat which he would like his shaving water. Jacob turned over and sleptthe sleep of the just.