The Mask: A Story of Love and Adventure

by H. B. Marriott Watson

  CHAPTER V

  Sunday evenings at Mrs. Traynor's were always enjoyable. No formalinvitations were issued. Friends just dropped in as they feltinclined. There was good music, excellent tea _a la Russe_ and alwaysa number of interesting people.

  To-night, the second Sunday since Kenneth went away, promised to beduller than usual. Mr. Steell was there, of course, and he had broughtDick Reynolds, a slightly built, shrewd looking young man with glasses,who kept everybody amused with exciting stories of the underworld.Yet, for all the animation, there was an atmosphere of gloom in theair, an indefinable sense of depression which all felt and could notexplain. The lawyer, Dick, and Ray were in a corner carrying on ananimated discussion. Helen, her mind preoccupied, her thoughtshundreds of miles away with the loved absent one, sat quietly at thepiano, running her fingers lightly over the keys, her thoughts manyleagues distant with the man who had carried her heart away with him.

  Her face was pale, her expression grave. Why had Kenneth's going awayaffected her like this? She had not had a moment's peace of mind sincehis departure. She could not sleep. Horrible dreams and thoughtshaunted her all night. Some danger threatened, that she feltinstinctively. Something dreadful was going to happen. What it was,she did not know. But it was something that threatened her happiness,perhaps her life or Kenneth's----. At the mere thought a shiver ranthrough her, and a convulsive sob rose in her throat, almost chokingher. Not until this moment had she fully realized how much she lovedhim.

  A sudden burst of laughter at the other end of the room aroused herfrom her reverie. Looking up, she asked:

  "What are you all so amused about?"

  Ray smiled as she replied:

  "We're arguing about dual personalities. Mr. Steell insists that thereis no such thing. Mr. Reynolds agrees with him. He is wrong ofcourse. I know of several well-authenticated cases, and the medicalrecords are there to back me up."

  "Exactly what do you mean by dual personality?" demanded the lawyer.

  Ray returned to the attack, while Helen, amused, rose from the pianoand went over to listen to the argument.

  "I mean that a person we know well may suddenly cease being that personand assume a personality entirely different."

  Mr. Steell laughed derisively.

  "Does the patient change her or his skin?"

  "No, the change is wholly mental. Although in fact, the new mentalattitude does result in certain physical modifications. For instance,a person who in his normal condition may be most punctilious and neatin his dress is likely to become unkempt and slovenly in the newcharacter he unconsciously assumes."

  "Have you ever encountered any such dual personalities?"

  "Personally, no. But I have heard of them, and physicians oftenencounter them in their practice."

  The lawyer shrugged his shoulders as he turned to Helen.

  "What do you think about it?" he asked, with an incredulous smile.

  "About what?"

  "These so-called dual personalities."

  Before his hostess could answer, the drawing-room door opened and Mr.Parker entered. Helen rose and went forward to greet the president ofthe Americo-African Mining Company.

  "Oh, Mr. Parker, how are you? I am so glad you came to see us."

  The visitor advanced smiling into the room. With a salute to allpresent, he asked cheerily:

  "Well, what news of the wanderer?"

  Helen sighed.

  "None as yet."

  The visitor chuckled as he crossed the room to shake hands with Ray andMr. Steell.

  "Oh, well you must be patient. He'll soon be there, and then we shallhear wonderful tales."

  "What's the latest news from the seat of war--I mean the mines?" askedRay roguishly.

  Mr. Parker smiled.

  "Everything is going well, thank you."

  "No new big finds?" demanded Mr. Steell.

  The president laughed. Shaking his head, he said:

  "We can't expect to make such finds every day. If we often picked upstones of that size, we'd soon own all the wealth in the world."

  "More likely," retorted Ray quickly, "that diamonds would become socheap that children would buy them for marbles."

  Mr. Steell looked interested.

  "What is the real market value of the two big gems you have alreadypicked up?"

  The president looked at him for a moment in silence. Then, slowly, hesaid:

  "A very conservative estimate is $1,200,000 for both stones. They arethe purest white. There are larger stones in the world, but none offiner quality."

  "What do you expect to do with them?"

  "First, they will be brought here and exhibited in their crude state.You can easily realize the value to our company of such a giganticadvertisement. Crowds will flock to see the wonderful crystals. Thenewspapers all over the country will give them the widest publicity.After everybody has seen them, we shall probably send them to Amsterdamto be cut."

  "Then, what will you do with them?"

  "To tell you the truth, we have not made up our minds. Such very largestones have really no commercial value. Take for instance the famousCullinan, the wonder of the modern world. That gem was so huge that itwas of no real value to the owners; so, unable to realize on itthemselves, they induced the Transvaal government to buy it and presentit to the King of England. We shall try to be a little more practical.Our first duty is to our stockholders. We shall probably have thestones cut up into a number of smaller stones, on which we shall beable to realize a large sum. It's a rare stroke of good fortune forus."

  Helen had said nothing, but stood listening in silence. It was less ofthe money involved in the adventure that she was thinking than of herhusband's safety.

  "Suppose Kenneth loses the gems?" she faltered.

  The old gentleman laughed.

  "There's no fear of him losing them. He may have to fight for them,but he'll never lose them I know him too well for that."

  Helen's eyes opened wide.

  "He may have to fight for them," she echoed. "Do you mean that?"

  "No--no, of course not," said the president hastily. "No one will evenknow he has them in his possession. We have kept the matter veryquiet."

  Mr. Steell shrugged his shoulders. Drily he said:

  "Oh, I guess Ken is big enough to take care of himself. It does lookas if it were tempting Providence to carry loose on one's personvaluables for so large an amount, but it's hardly likely that any ofthe denizens of the underworld know of his departure. Still less thathe is carrying a million loose in his clothes. I don't see thatthere's any reason to worry."

  "That's precisely my opinion," said a musical voice immediately behindthem.

  All started and looked up. Everyone had been so intent on theconversation that they had not noticed a man who had entered the room.

  He was a tall, dark-complexioned man of five and thirty with strong,stern features, which, in repose, were actually forbidding. The mouth,partly concealed by a long, bristling moustache, was firm, suggestingrelentless will power, and his eyes, restless, keen and searching, hadtaken in every person there long before anyone was aware of hispresence. He was fashionably, even elegantly dressed, and on his lefthand he wore a solitaire of uncommon size and luster. His hair,carefully curled, scented and parted, was extraordinarily dark,contrasting sharply with the unusual pallor of his face. He spoke lowand musically, with a slight foreign accent.

  Helen started involuntarily on hearing the sound of his voice, and acloud passed momentarily over her face. It lasted only a moment. Shewas too tactful, too much the woman of the world not to greet with atleast apparent cordiality any visitor under her roof, no matter howunwelcome he might really be. Turning quickly, she advanced and heldout her hand.

  "How do you do, Signor Keralio? How you startled us! I did not hearyou come in."

  The newcomer's black eyes flashed, and his thin lips parted in a smileas he bent low and ceremoniously kissed his ho
stess' hand incontinental fashion. Fond, as are most men of the Latin race, ofmaking extravagant compliments, he murmured softly:

  "Your tiny ears, Madam, were not intended to distinguish such grosssounds as ordinary mortal's footsteps. Dainty and delicately fashionedas the shells strewn along the beach, they were modeled only to listento the gods or re-echo the music of the murmuring sea." Apologeticallyhe added:

  "But I'm afraid I intrude. Possibly you discuss family affairs----"

  A look of annoyance crossed Helen's face. Quickly withdrawing herhand, she said:

  "Oh, not at all. We were only talking about my husband. You know hesailed for South Africa two weeks ago. This is Mr. Steell, SignorKeralio. I think you know my sister. Mr. Parker--Signor Keralio."

  The old gentleman nodded affably, and, putting on his glass,scrutinized the newcomer narrowly. The president of theAmerico-African Mining Company had always made it a point not toneglect any chance introduction. He had no idea who the visitor was,but he looked prosperous. Possibly with a little careful manipulation,he might be induced to invest in some A. A. M. stock. Holding out hishand, he said affably:

  "Signor Keralio---- Let me see. Where have I heard that name before?"

  Ray came to the rescue.

  "Signor Keralio is the well-known fencing master."

  A look of disappointment came over the president's face. Only afencing master? Ugh! He was hardly worth bothering about. Hewondered whether the business were profitable and if all fencingmasters dressed like millionaires and had such polished manners. Helenexplained:

  "Signor Keralio is a friend of my husband. Kenneth enjoys fencing, andSignor Keralio is his teacher."

  "Oh, yes, to be sure," smiled Mr. Parker. "Capital idea--splendidexercise. I'd try it myself, only I'm afraid I'd do my adversary someinjury."

  The Italian gave a low chuckle. With veiled irony, he said:

  "Monsieur is right. He no doubt has a good eye, a supple wrist. Anencounter might be very unpleasant for his opponent."

  Ray, unable to control her mirth, hastily beat a retreat, followed moreleisurely by Mr. Steell, and taking refuge at the far end of the roomsat down at the piano, and began to play softly a Chopin nocturne.

  Waving the newcomer to a seat, Mr. Parker offered him a cigar, whichthe fencing master, with a courteous bow, asked his hostess' permissionto smoke.

  "By all means," she said, "and with your permission I'll leave yougentlemen alone a few moments. I have a letter to finish. It must gotonight to catch the boat."

  "It's to your husband, I wager," said Keralio, with a sardonic smile.

  "An easy guess," she retorted. "I write him every day."

  The fencing master gave a sigh as he exclaimed:

  "Ah, such devotion is truly beautiful! Why have I never known suchlove as that?"

  "Perhaps you never deserved it!" she retorted.

  Mr. Parker chuckled.

  "That's what we in the American vernacular call 'a knock-out.'"

  Helen laughed lightly. There was a swish of silken petticoats, and shedisappeared in an alcove, where she sat down at a desk. Keralio lookedafter her with undisguised admiration and puffed his cigar in silencefor a few moments. Then he said:

  "It's a big job which you and Traynor are doing out there in SouthAfrica. I see by the papers that you've already made some valuablefinds."

  He appeared unconcerned, and looked narrowly at his _vis a vis_ to seewhat effect his words had on him, possibly to draw him out. But Mr.Parker was too old a bird to be caught napping, even by a cleveradventurer. Instantly on his guard, he said carelessly:

  "The outlook is very bright, very promising indeed. Our stockholdersare quite satisfied, and it is likely that we shall make good money.But of course everything is in the experimental stage as yet."

  "But you have found diamonds--big diamonds?"

  "Oh, yes," replied the president with affected carelessness; "we havepicked up a few stones. As I told you, the prospects are verypromising."

  "But haven't you recently made some extraordinary finds?"

  Mr. Parker shook his head.

  "No--nothing worth mentioning.'"

  Keralio smiled skeptically.

  "Isn't your memory somewhat at fault, cher monsieur? Surely youhaven't forgotten the two stones of enormous size just picked up--findsof sensational importance. The newspapers have been full of the story."

  Mr. Parker made a deprecatory gesture.

  "Pshaw! My dear sir, you ought to know what newspaper talk is worth!No yarn is too fantastic to print so long as it sells their papers. Wefound two stones of fair size, it is true, but to say that they are ofpriceless value is a gross exaggeration."

  The Italian eyed his companion closely. Significantly he said:

  "They're valuable enough, however, to justify you in refusing to trusttheir shipment to ordinary channels and in going to the expense ofsending to South Africa one of your officers to whom is confided thetask of bringing the gems home."

  "How did you know that?" demanded Mr. Parker, surprised.

  "There is very little I do not know," smiled Keralio ironically, as heblew a ring of cigar smoke up to the ceiling.

  His curiosity aroused, the president of the A. A. M. Co. was about toquestion his companion farther, but at that moment Helen rose from thedesk and came toward them.

  "I'm not in the humor to write now," she said. "I'd rather talk."Sitting in a chair near them, she added quickly: "Won't you let me getyou some tea?"

  Both men shook their heads. Mr. Parker rose. With a mischievoustwinkle in his eye, he said:

  "I'll go over to the others and take a hand at bridge. I want to makesome money, Signor--I'll leave you to entertain Mrs. Traynor."

  With a courteous salutation to his hostess, a graceful act ofchivalrous politeness of which he was a past master, Mr. Parker crossedthe room in the direction of the card table.