The Wicked Marquis

by E. Phillips Oppenheim

  CHAPTER VI

  Lady Margaret, who chanced to be the first arrival on the night of thedinner party in David Thain's honour, contemplated her sisteradmiringly. Letitia was wearing a gown of ivory satin, a form ofattire which seemed always to bring with it almost startlingreminiscences of her Italian ancestry.

  "So glad to find you alone, Letty," she remarked, as she sank into themost comfortable of the easy chairs. "There's something I've beenwanting to ask you for weeks. Bob put it into my head again thisafternoon."

  "What is it, dear?" Letitia enquired.

  "Why don't you marry Charlie Grantham?" her sister demanded abruptly.

  "There are so many reasons. First of all, he hasn't really ever askedme."

  "You're simply indolent," Lady Margaret persisted. "He'd ask you infive minutes if you'd let him. Do you suppose Bob would ever havethought of marrying me, if I hadn't put the idea into his head?"

  "You're so much cleverer than I," Letitia sighed.

  "Not in the least," was the prompt disclaimer. "I really doubt whetherI have your brains, and I certainly haven't your taste. The only thingthat I have, and always had, is common sense, common sense enough tosee that girls in our position in life must marry, and the sooner thebetter."

  "Why only our class of life?"

  "Don't be silly! It's perfectly obvious, isn't it, that the daughtersof the middle classes are having the time of their lives. They are allearning money. Amongst them it has become quite the vogue to takesituations as secretaries or milliners or that sort of thing, and itsimply doesn't matter whether they marry or not. They get all the funthey want out of life."

  "It sounds quite attractive," Letitia admitted. "I think I shall takea course in typewriting and shorthand."

  "You won't," Margaret rejoined. "You know perfectly well that that isone of the things we can never do. You've got to marry first. Thenyou can branch out in life in any direction you choose--art, travel,amours, or millinery. You can help yourself with both hands."

  "Which have you chosen, Meg?"

  "Oh, I am an exception!" Margaret confessed. "You see, Bob is suchfun, and I've never got over the joke of marrying him. Besides, Ihaven't any craving for things at all. I am not temperamental likeyou. Where's father?"

  "Just back from the country. He'll be here in time, though."

  "And who's dining?"

  "Charlie, for one," Letitia replied, "Aunt Caroline, of course, andUncle, Mrs. Honeywell, and the American person. The party was got upon his account, so I expect father wants to borrow money from him."

  "He doesn't look an easy lender," Lady Margaret remarked.

  "There's no one proof against father," Letitia declared. "He is tooexquisitely and transparently dishonest. You know, there's a man'sstory about the clubs that he once borrowed money from Lewis at fiveper cent. interest."

  Margaret remained in a serious frame of mind.

  "Something will have to be done," she sighed. "Robert went down andlooked at the mortgages, the other day. He says they are simplyappalling, there isn't an acre missed out. It's quite on the cards,you know, Letty, that Mandeleys may have to go."

  Letitia made a little grimace.

  "I am getting perfectly callous," she confided. "If it did, this housewould probably follow, father would realise everything he could lay hishands upon and become the autocrat of some French watering place, and Ishould cease to be the honest but impecunious daughter of a wickednobleman, and enjoy the liberty of the middle-class young women youwere telling me about. It wouldn't be so bad!"

  "Or marry--" Margaret began.

  "Mr. David Thain," the butler announced.

  The juxtaposition of words perhaps incited in Letitia a greaterinterest as she turned away from her sister to welcome the first of herguests. He had to cross a considerable space of the drawing-room, withits old-fashioned conglomeration of furniture untouched and unrenovatedfor the last two generations, but he showed not the slightest sign ofawkwardness or self-consciousness in any form. He was slight and nonetoo powerfully built, but his body was singularly erect, and he movedwith the alert dignity of a man in perfect health and used to gymnastictraining. His clean-shaven face disclosed nervous lines which hismanner contradicted. His mouth was unexpectedly hard, his deep-setgrey eyes steel-like, almost brilliant. These things made for astrength which had in it, however, nothing of the uncouth. The onlysingularity about his face and manner, as he took his hostess' fingers,was the absence of any smile of greeting upon his lips.

  "I am afraid that I am a little early," he apologised.

  "We are all the more grateful to you," Lady Margaret assured him."Letitia and I always bore one another terribly. A married sister, youknow, feels rather like the cuckoo returning to the discarded nest."

  "One hates other people's liberty so much," Letitia sighed.

  "I should have thought liberty was a state very easy to acquire," DavidThain observed didactically.

  "That is because you come from a land where all the women are cleverand the men tolerant," Letitia replied. "Where is that husband ofyours, Margaret?"

  "I am ashamed to say," her sister confessed, "that he stayed down inthe morning room while Gossett fetched him a glass of sherry. Look athim now," she added, as Sir Robert entered the room unannounced andcame smiling towards them. "How can I have any faith in a husband likethat. Doesn't he look as though the only thing that could trouble himin life was that he hadn't been able to get here a few minutes earlier!"

  "Given away, eh?" the newcomer groaned, as he kissed Letitia's fingers."How are you, Mr. Thain? Your country is entirely to blame for myhabits. I got so into the habit of drinking cocktails while I was overthere that I really prefer my aperitif to my wine at dinner."

  Sir Robert, who had discovered within the last few days exactly whereMr. David Thain stood amongst the list of American multi-millionaires,drew this very distinguished person a little on one side to ask about arailway. Then the Marquis made his appearance, and immediatelyafterwards the remaining guests. David Thain, of whom many of themorning papers, during the last few days, had found something to say,found himself almost insinuated into the position of favoured guest.He took Mrs. Honeywell--a dark and rather tired-looking lady--in todinner, but he sat at Letitia's left hand, and she gave him a good dealof her attention.

  "You know everybody, don't you, Mr. Thain?" she asked him, soon afterthey had taken their places.

  "Except the gentleman on your right," he answered.

  She leaned towards him confidentially.

  "His name," she whispered, "is Lord Charles Grantham. He is the son ofthe Duke of Leicester, who is, between ourselves, almost as wicked aduke as my father is a marquis. Fortunately, however, his mother lefthim a fortune. Do you notice how thoughtful he looks?"

  David Thain glanced across the table at the young man in question, whowas exchanging rather weary monosyllables with his right-hand neighbour.

  "He is perhaps overworked?"

  Letitia shook her head.

  "Not at all. He cannot make up his mind whether or not he wants tomarry me."

  "And can you make up your mind whether you wish to marry him?"

  Letitia lost for a moment her air of gentle banter.

  "What a downright question!" she observed. "However, I can't tell youbefore I answer him, can I, and he hasn't asked me yet."

  "I should think," David Thain said coolly, "that you would make anexcellent match."

  Their eyes met for a moment. There was a challenging light in hers towhich he instantly responded. Her very beautiful white teeth closedfor a moment upon her lower lip. Then she smiled upon him once more.

  "It is so reassuring," she murmured, "to be told things like that bypeople who are likely to know. Charles, talk to me at once," she wenton, turning towards him. "Mr. Thain and I agree far too perfectly uponeverything."

  Thain was deep in conversation with his neighbour before Lord Charleswas able to disentangle himsel
f from the conversational artifices ofthe Duchess. Letitia took note of his aptness with a little, malicioussmile. It was towards the close of dinner when she once more turnedtowards him.

  "Have you been telling Mrs. Honeywell how you made all your millions?"she asked.

  "I have been trying to point out," he replied, "that the first millionis all one has to make. The rest comes."

  "What a delightful country!" Letitia observed. "If I were to borrowfrom all my friends and collected a million, do you think I could goout there and become a multi-millionaire?"

  "Women are not natural money-makers," he pronounced.

  "What is her real sphere?" she asked sweetly. "I should so much liketo know your opinion of us."

  "As yet," he replied, "I have had no time to form one."

  "What a pity!" she sighed. "It would have been so instructive."

  "In the small amenities of daily life," he said thoughtfully, "in whatone of our writers calls the insignificant arts, women seem inevitablyto excel. They always appear to do better, in fact, in the narrowercircles. Directly they step outside, a certain lack of breadth becomesnoticeable."

  "Dear me!" she murmured. "It's a good thing I'm not one of thesemodern ladies who stand on a tub in Hyde Park and thump the drum forvotes. I should be saying quite disagreeable things to you, Mr. Thain,shouldn't I?"

  "You couldn't be one of those, if you tried," he replied. "You see, ifI may be permitted to say so, nature has endowed you with rather a raregift so far as your sex is concerned."

  "Don't be over-diffident," she begged. "I may know it, mayn't I?"

  "A sense of humour."

  "When a man tells a woman that she has a sense of humour," Letitiadeclared, "it is a sure sign that he--"

  She suddenly realised how intensely observant those steely grey eyescould be. She broke off in her sentence. They still held her, however.

  "That he what?"

  "Such a bad habit of mine," she confided frankly. "I so often begin asentence and have no idea how to finish it. Ada," she went on,addressing Mrs. Honeywell, "has Mr. Thain taught you how to become amillionairess?"

  "I haven't even tried to learn," that lady replied. "He has promisedme a subscription to my Cripples' Guild, though."

  "What extraordinary bad taste," Letitia remarked, "to cadge from him atdinner time!"

  "If your father weren't within hearing," Mrs. Honeywell retorted, "I'dlet you know what I think of you as a hostess! Why are we all sofrightened of your father, Letitia? Look at him now. He is the mostpicturesque and kindly object you can imagine, yet I find myself alwayschoosing my phrases, and slipping into a sort of pre-Victorian English,when I fancy that he is listening."

  "I see him more from the family point of view, I suppose," Letitiaobserved, "and yet, in a way, he is rather a wonderful person. Forinstance, I have never seen him hurry, I have never seen him angry, inthe ordinary sense of the word; in fact he has the most amazingcomplacency I ever knew. Of course, Aunt Caroline," she went on,turning to the Duchess a few moments later, "if you want to stay withthe men, pray do so. If not, you might take into account the fact thatI have been trying to catch your eye for the last three minutes."

  Thain drew up nearer to his host after the women had withdrawn, andfound himself next Sir Robert, who talked railways with eloquence andsome understanding. Lord Charles was frankly bored, and bestowed hiswhole attention upon the port. The Marquis discussed a recent landbill with his brother-in-law, but in a very few moments gave the signalto rise. He attached himself at once to David Thain.

  "You play bridge?" he asked.

  "Never if I can avoid it," was the frank reply.

  "Then you and I will entertain one another," his host suggested.

  The Marquis's idea of entertainment was to install his guest in acomfortable chair in a small den at the back of the house, which hekept for his absolutely private use, and to broach the subject whichhad led to David's welcome at Grosvenor Square.

  "Let me ask you," he began, "have you seen anything more of this manVont?"

  "Nothing."

  The Marquis looked ruminatively at the cedar spill with which he hadjust lit his cigarette.

  "I am almost certain," he said, "that I saw him on the platform atRaynham--the nearest station to Mandeleys--yesterday. He seemedmarvellously little altered."

  "He has probably taken up his abode down there, then," David observed.

  The Marquis's face darkened. He brushed the subject aside.

  "There is a matter concerning which I wish to speak to you, Mr. Thain,"he said. "You are one of the fortunate ones of the earth, who haveattained, by your own efforts, I believe, an immense prosperity."

  David listened in silence, watching the ash at the end of his cigar.

  "Your money, my son-in-law, Sir Robert, tells me," the Marquiscontinued, "has been made in brilliant and sagacious speculation.There have no doubt been others who have followed in your footsteps,and, in a humbler way, have shared your success."

  David had developed a rare gift of silence. He smoked steadily, andhis expression was remarkably stolid.

  "I find myself in need of a sum," the Marquis proceeded, with the airof a man introducing a business proposition, "of two hundred and twentythousand pounds--there or thereabouts."

  There was a momentary gleam of interest in David's eyes, gone, however,almost as soon as it had appeared. For the first time he made a remark.

  "Over a million dollars, eh?"

  The Marquis inclined his head.

  "My position," he continued, "naturally precludes me from making use ofany of the ordinary methods by means of which men amass wealth. I haveat various times, however, made small but not entirely unsuccessfulspeculations--upon the Stock Exchange. The position in which I nowfind myself demands something upon a larger scale."

  "What capital," David Thain enquired, "can you handle?"

  The Marquis stroked his chin thoughtfully. He was aware of apocketbook a shade fuller than usual, of three overdrawn bankingaccounts, and his recent interview with his lawyers.

  "Capital," he repeated. "Ah! I suppose capital is necessary."

  "In any gambling transaction, you always have to take into account thepossibility," David reminded him, "that you might lose."

  "Precisely," the Marquis assented, selecting another cigarette, "butthat is not the class of speculation I am looking for. I am anxious todiscover an enterprise, either by means of my own insight into suchmatters, which is not inconsiderable, or the good offices of a friend,in which the chances of loss do not exist."

  David was a little staggered. He contemplated his host curiously.

  "Such speculations," he said at last, "are difficult to find."

  "Not to a man of your ability, I am sure, Mr. Thain," the Marquisasserted.

  "Do I gather that you wish for my advice?"

  The Marquis inclined his head.

  "That," he intimated, "was my object."

  David smoked steadily, and his host contemplated him with a certainartistic satisfaction. He had been something of a sculptor in hisyouth, and he saw possibilities in the shape and pose of the greatfinancier.

  "The long and short of it is," David said at last, "that you want tomake a million dollars, without any trouble, and without any chance ofloss. There are a good many others, Marquis."

  "But they have not all the privilege," was the graceful rejoinder, "ofknowing personally a Goliath of finance. You will pardon the allegory.I take it from this morning's _Daily Express_."

  "In my career," David continued, after a moment's pause, "you wouldperhaps be surprised to hear that I have done very little speculating.I have made great purchases of railways, and land through whichrailways must run, because I knew my job and because I had insight.The time for that is past now. To make money rapidly one must, as youyourself have already decided, speculate. I can tell you of aspeculation in which I have myself indulged, but I do not for a momentpretend that it is a certainty
. It was good enough for me to put intwo million dollars, and if what I believe happens, my two millionswill be forty millions. But there is no certainty."

  The Marquis fidgeted in his chair.

  "By what means," he asked tentatively, "could I interest myself in thisundertaking?"

  "By the purchase of shares," was the prompt reply.

  The Marquis considered the point. The matter of purchasing anythingpresented fundamental difficulties to him!

  "Tell me about these shares?" he invited. "What is the nature of theundertaking?"

  "Oil."

  The Marquis grew a little more sanguine. There was an element offantasy about oil shares. Perhaps they could be bought on paper.

  "Large fortunes have been made in oil," he said. "Personally, I am abeliever in oil. Where are the wells?"

  "In Arizona."

  "An excellent locality," the Marquis continued approvingly. "What isthe present price of the shares?"

  "They are dollar shares," David replied, "and their present price ispar. You may find them quoted in some financial papers, but aspractically the entire holding is in my possession, the market for themis limited."

  "Precisely," the Marquis murmured. "To come to business, Mr. Thain,are you disposed to part with any?"

  David appeared to consider the matter.

  "Well, I don't know," he said, "I've made something like twenty milliondollars out of my railways, and I have about reached that point whenspeculations cease to attract."

  The Marquis held on to the sides of his chair and struggled against thefeeling almost of reverence which he feared might be reflected in hiscountenance.

  "A very desirable sum of money, Mr. Thain," he conceded.

  "It's enough for me," David acknowledged. "There are two millionshares in the Pluto Oil Company, practically the whole of which standin my name. If the calculations which the most experienced oil men inthe States have worked out materialise, those shares will be worth tenmillion dollars in four months' time. Let me see," he went on, "twohundred and thirty thousand pounds is, roughly speaking, one million,one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. You can have two hundredthousand of my shares, if you like, at a dollar."

  "This is exceedingly kind of you," the Marquis declared. "Let me see,"he reflected, "two hundred thousand dollars would be--"

  "A matter of forty thousand pounds."

  "I see!" the Marquis ruminated. "Forty thousand pounds!"

  "You are not, I am sure, a business man," his guest continued, "so youwill pardon my reminding you that you can easily obtain an advance fromyour bankers upon the title deeds of property, or a short mortgagewould produce the amount."

  "A mortgage," the Marquis repeated, as though the idea were a new oneto him. "Ah, yes! I must confess, though, that I have the strongestpossible objection to mortgages, if they can in any way be dispensedwith."

  "I suppose that is how you large English landowners generally feel,"David remarked tolerantly. "If you would prefer it, I will take yournote of hand for the amount of the shares, payable, say, in threemonths' time."

  The Marquis upset the box of cigarettes which he was handling. He wasnot as a rule a clumsy person, but he felt strongly the need of someextraneous incident. He stood on the hearthrug whilst the servant whomhe summoned collected the cigarettes and replaced them in the box. Assoon as the door was closed, he turned to his guest.

  "Your offer, Mr. Thain," he said, "is a most kindly one. It simplifiesthe whole matter exceedingly."

  "You had better make the usual enquiries concerning the property," thelatter advised. "I am afraid you will find it a little difficult overon this side to get exact information, but if you have any friends whounderstand oil prospecting--"

  The Marquis held out his hand.

  "It is not an occasion upon which a further opinion is necessary," hedeclared. "I approve of the locality of the property, and the factthat you yourself are largely interested is sufficient for me."

  "Then any time you like to meet me at your lawyer's," David suggested,"I'll hand over the shares and you can sign a note of hand for theamount."

  The Marquis considered the matter for a moment, thoughtfully. Therewas something about the idea of letting Mr. Wadham see him sign apromissory note for forty thousand pounds which occurred to him assomewhat precarious.

  "Perhaps you have legal connections of your own here," he ventured."To tell you the truth, I have been obliged to speak my mind in a veryplain manner to my own solicitors. I consider that they mismanaged theVont case most shamefully. I would really prefer to keep away fromthem for a time."

  David nodded.

  "I have a letter to some lawyers, at my rooms," he said. "I will sendyou their address, and we can make an appointment to meet at theiroffice."

  The Marquis assented gravely. He considered that the matter was nowbetter dismissed from further discussion.

  "I have no doubt," he said, "that my sister would like to talk to youfor a time. Shall we join the ladies?"

  David threw away his cigar and professed his readiness. They crossedthe hall and entered the drawing-room. There was one table of bridge,and Letitia was seated with her sister on a divan near the window. Theformer sighed as she watched the entrance of the two men.

  "Do look at father, Meg," she whispered. "I am perfectly certain hehas been borrowing money."

  Margaret shrugged her shoulders.

  "What if he has, my dear!" she rejoined. "These people can afford topay for their entertainment. I think it's rather clever of him."

  Letitia groaned.

  "You have such ignoble ideas, Meg," she said reprovingly. "Now I knowI shall have to make myself agreeable to Mr. Thain, and I either likehim or dislike him immensely. I haven't the least idea which."

  "I shouldn't be surprised," her sister whispered, as Thain approached,"if he didn't help you presently to make up your mind."