The Mask: A Story of Love and Adventure

by H. B. Marriott Watson

  CHAPTER XII

  For one blissful, ecstatic moment Helen lay tight in his embrace,nestling against the breast of the one being she loved better thananyone else in the world, responding with involuntary vibrations of herown body to the gust of fiery passion that swept his. But only for amoment. The next instant she had torn herself violently free, and wasgazing, wonderingly, fearfully, up into his face, trying to penetratethose glasses which veiled, as it were, the windows of his soul. Whyshe broke away so abruptly from his embrace she could not herself haveexplained. Something within her, some instinct to which her reason wasunable to give a name, made her body revolt against the unusual ardorof the caress. Strange! Never before had she felt so embarrassed atKenneth's demonstrations of affection.

  "How are you, dear?" she murmured, when at last she could find words.

  She had not yet heard the sound of his beloved voice, and when at lasthe answered her it seemed to her ears only like an echo of its formerself, so exhausted and wearied was he by what he had gone through.

  "Very tired, sweetheart," he replied huskily. "I shall need a longrest."

  She led the way into the house and up the stairs, where everything hadbeen so elaborately prepared for his welcome. In the bedroom shepointed with pride to the real Valenciennes lace coverlet put on in hishonor, and showed him the dressing-gown and slippers so lovingly laidout. He looked at everything, but made no comment. She half expecteda few words of praise, but none were forthcoming. While affectionatelydemonstrative he was unusually reticent. She wondered what worry hecould have on his mind to make him act so strangely and suddenlyKeralio's words of warning came to her mind. Was there a side to hislife of which she knew nothing? Were his thoughts elsewhere, evenwhile he was with her? Quickly there came a look of dismay andanxiety, which he was not slow to notice. Instantly on his guard, hemurmured in a low tone:

  "Forgive me, dear, I can't talk now. I'm so tired I can hardly keep myeyes open."

  Instantly her apprehension was forgotten in her desire to make himcomfortable.

  "That's right, dear. You must be dead with fatigue. You'll take anice nap and when you wake up it will be time for dinner. I've planneda nice little party to celebrate your return--only a few intimates--Mr.Parker is coming, and Wilbur Steell, and a young man named DickReynolds, an acquaintance of Wilbur's. You won't mind such oldfriends, will you?"

  He shook his head.

  "No, indeed. I'm very tired, now, but I'll be all right in a fewminutes."

  "Of course you will," she smiled, as she removed the handsome lacecoverlet from the bed. "No one will disturb you. My darling hubbiecan sleep as sound as a top, and, when he wakes, we'll talk a terriblelot, won't we?" Looking up roguishly, as she smoothed his pillow forhim, she added shyly: "There are two pillows here now. There has beenonly one while you were away----"

  For the first time he seemed to evince interest in what she was saying.His eyes flashed behind the blue spectacles, and his hands trembled, ashe quickly made a step forward and put his arm round her waist.

  "There'll always be two in the future, won't there?" he asked hoarsely.

  "Yes, of course there will," she laughed,

  "To-night?" he insisted.

  "Yes, of course," she said, her color heightening slightly under thepersistency of his gaze. What a foolish question! Changing the topicshe added, with a laugh: "Now, take your coat off, like a good boy, andgo to sleep. I'll go down and keep the house quiet. When it's time toget up, I'll come back."

  "Don't go yet," he murmured, looking at her ardently. Taking her handcaressingly he tried to lead her to the sofa. "Sit down here. I won'tsleep yet. Let us talk. I have so much to say."

  Firmly Helen withdrew from his embrace.

  "No, no; I won't stay a moment," she said decisively. "Not now. Youmust behave yourself. We'll talk all you want to to-night. But notnow. You are very tired. The sleep will do you good. Now be a goodboy--go to bed."

  He tried to intercept her before she reached the door, but she was tooquick for him. She went out and was about to close the door behind herwhen he called out:

  "Please send Francois to me."

  She nodded.

  "Yes, dear, I will. Of course you need him. Why didn't I think of itbefore?"

  She closed the door and went downstairs. It was hard to believe thathe was back home. How long she had waited for this day, and, even nowit had come, the void did not seem filled. There still seemedsomething wanting. What it was, she did not know, yet it was there.

  In the dining-room she ran into Ray, who had her arms filled withmagnificent American beauty roses.

  "Oh, how beautiful!" cried Helen enthusiastically. "Where did you getthose flowers?"

  The young girl laughed. "They're a present from me and Wilbur--inhonor of Kenneth's arrival. Where is he?"

  "Upstairs--he's going to lie down until dinner is ready. Poorsoul--he's almost dead with fatigue."

  "Has he got the diamonds?"

  Helen gasped. She hadn't thought of that. In all the excitement thereal object of her husband's trip to South Africa had quite escaped hermind.

  "I don't know," she said quickly. "I haven't asked him. We've hardlyexchanged a dozen words. He'll tell us later. Was nothing said aboutthem at the Customs? Didn't he declare them?"

  "No--I thought it was strange. That's why I asked you if he had them.Possibly he left them to be cut in Amsterdam."

  Helen grew thoughtful.

  "I don't know. He'll tell us later."

  Ray filled the vases with the flowers, while Helen busied herself atthe buffet, getting out all the pretty silverware with which the dinnertable was to be decorated. The young girl hummed lightly as shedecorated the room with the fragrant blossoms.

  "Isn't it lovely that Kenneth is back?" she exclaimed.

  "Yes, indeed."

  "I hardly knew him at first in those spectacles."

  "I'm not surprised at that."

  "If it hadn't been for that white patch of hair I don't think we couldhave picked him out of the crowd. There was an awful crush there."

  There was a pause, and then Helen asked:

  "How do you think he looks?"

  "About the same," replied the girl carelessly. "He doesn't seem in asgood spirits as when he went away. He is very quiet. He hardly spokea word to us on the way home. Possibly he has some business anxiety onhis mind."

  "Did he ask about me?"

  "Yes--you were his first question."

  "Did you tell him about Dorothy?"

  "That she was not so well? Yes."

  "What did he say? Was he worried?"

  "Not particularly. I think men are more sensible in those matters thanwe women. He knows baby is well taken care of." Changing the subject,the young girl went on: "I hope everybody will be jolly to-night. I'vemade up my mind to have a good time."

  Helen sighed.

  "I'm feeling a little uneasy about Dorothy. I got a letter thismorning from Aunt Carrie, saying she was not feeling so well. Thedoctor was going to see her to-day, and, if she got worse, they saidthey'd telegraph."

  Ray looked at her sister in consternation.

  "What would you do then?"

  "I would have to go at once to Philadelphia."

  "And Kenneth just come home--oh, Helen!"

  "I couldn't help it. Kenneth couldn't go. Somebody must go. Thechild could not be left alone. Who should go better than its mother?"

  Ray made a gesture of protest.

  "Well, don't let's imagine the worst. Dorothy won't get worse.To-morrow you'll get a reassuring letter, and your worries will beover."

  "I hope so," smiled Helen.

  Leaving the task of sorting the knives and forks Ray came over to whereHelen was standing. The young girl pointed to all the vases filledwith the crimson roses.

  "How do you like that?" she exclaimed.

  "Beautiful!"

  There was a brief silence, both w
omen being preoccupied by theirthoughts, when Ray, in her usual vivacious, impulsive way, burst out:

  "Sis, I have something to tell you."

  Helen looked up quickly.

  "Something to tell me--something good?"

  "I'm so happy! I'm engaged at last."

  "To Wilbur, of course?"

  "Yes."

  Helen gave an exclamation of joy.

  "Oh, I'm so glad. When did it happen? Tell me all about it--quick."

  "He proposed to-day, and I said yes. We're to be married in twomonths."

  The next moment the two women were in each other's arms.

  "I'm so glad--so glad," murmured Helen. "I hope you'll both be very,very happy."

  "We certainly shall if we are like you and Kenneth. Wilbur says thatyour example is the one thing that decided him to make the plunge."

  Helen smiled.

  "You'll have one advantage I don't enjoy. Your husband, being alawyer, won't be taking trips to South Africa all the time."

  "Oh, I don't know," laughed the girl; "it's sometimes nice to losesight of each other for a time. The lovemaking is all the more furiouswhen your husband gets back."

  "Yes--unless he happens to meet some other charmer on his travels."

  "Oh, nonsense, Helen--men don't really have such adventures. That onlyhappens in novels."

  "I hope so," murmured her sister.

  "Oh, by the bye," exclaimed Ray, "who do you suppose we saw on thedock?"

  "Who?"

  "That horrid creature--Signor Keralio."

  Helen looked up in surprise.

  "Keralio? What was he doing there? Did he speak to you?"

  "No--he seemed to avoid us. Once I got lost for a moment in the crush,and, as I turned, I thought I saw him talking earnestly to Kenneth andFrancois. Of course I must have been mistaken, for, when I finallyrejoined them, both denied having seen him!"

  "Keralio!" murmured Helen. "How strange! That man seems to pursue uslike some evil genius. No matter where we go, he follows like ashadow. Oh, I forgot all about Francois. Where is he?"

  "Downstairs."

  Helen touched a bell.

  "Why do you need him?"

  "Kenneth wants him. I forgot all about it. All his things needputting away. The litter upstairs is simply terrible."

  "There won't be much time for unpacking," objected Ray. "It'shalf-past five already. We'll soon have to think of dressing fordinner."

  Suddenly the door opened and Francois appeared. He entered quietly,stealthily, and, advancing to where his mistress was, stood in silence,awaiting her orders.

  "Your master wants you upstairs, Francois."

  The man bowed.

  "_Bien_, madame!"

  "Tell Mr. Traynor not to keep you too long, because there's a lot ofwork to be done downstairs before dinner."

  "_Bien_, madame."

  The man lingered in the room, arranging the chairs, and fussing aboutthe table, until he began to make Helen nervous. Peremptorily she said:

  "You had better go, Francois; monsieur is waiting for you."

  The valet bowed obsequiously, and left the room, shutting the doorcarefully. Instead of proceeding immediately upstairs, he stopped fora moment behind the closed door and listened intently. But, unable tooverhear the two women, who were conversing in an undertone, he hurriedupstairs toward his employer's bedroom. Arrived on the landing, hewent straight to the room, and, without stopping for the formality ofknocking, he turned the handle and went in.