The Wicked Marquis

by E. Phillips Oppenheim

  CHAPTER XII

  The Duchess waved her sugar tongs imperiously, and David, who hadhesitated upon the threshold of her drawing-room, made his way towardsher. There were a dozen people sitting around, drinking tea andchatting in little groups.

  "Now don't look sulky, please," she begged, as she gave him her lefthand. "This is not a tea party, and it is quite true that I did askyou to come and have a chat with me alone, but I couldn't keep thesepeople away. They'll all go directly, and if they don't I shall turnthem out. Letitia has promised me to take care of you and to see thatno one bites. Letitia, here is the shy man," she added."There!"--thrusting a cup of tea into his hand. "Take that, helpyourself to a muffin and go and hide behind the piano."

  Letitia rose from her place by the side of an extremely loquaciouspolitician, to whose animated conversation she had paid no attentionsince David's entrance.

  "You hear my aunt's orders?" she said, nodding. "Don't try to shakehands, with that collection of things to carry. I am to pilot you intoa corner and keep you quite safe until she is ready to take possessionof you herself."

  David looked longingly at some French windows which led out on to awide stone terrace.

  "Why not outside?" he suggested. "It's really quite warm to-day."

  "Why not, indeed?" she assented. "Come along."

  They passed out together, found two comfortable wicker chairs and asmall table, on which, with a sigh of relief, David deposited hisburden. Below them was a stretch of the Park, from which theythemselves were screened by a row of tall trees.

  "Don't sit down," she begged him. "Get me another of those smallmuffins first, and a cup of tea. If any one suggests coming out here,bolt the windows after you."

  David executed his task as speedily as possible. Letitia watched him alittle curiously as he returned.

  "You aren't really a bit shy, you know," she told him. "I watched youthrough the window there. How clever you were not to see that tiresomeMrs. Raymond!"

  "Why should I see her?" he asked. "She is a perfect stranger to me.She came up to me at a party, the other night, and asked me, as a greatfavour, to dine at her house and to tell her how to invest some moneyso that she could double it."

  "I know," Letitia assented, with her mouth full of muffin. "She doesthat to all the financiers and expects them to give her tips justbecause she has dark eyes and asks them to a tete-a-tete dinner. Iexpect we are all as bad, though," she went on rather gloomily, "evenif we are not quite so blatant. What on earth have you been doing tofather? He swaggers about as though he were already a millionaire."

  "I expect we are all as bad, though," she went on rathergloomily, "even if we are not quite so blatant."]

  David smiled a little sadly as he looked out across the tree tops.

  "Your father has rather a sanguine temperament," he said.

  "Well, don't encourage him to speculate, please," Letitia begged. "Wecouldn't afford to lose a single penny. As it is," she went on, "weare only able to come to Mandeleys because you've taken that ramshackleold barn close by and paid twice as much as it's worth. About theshooting, too! I almost laughed aloud when you mentioned it! Do youknow, Mr. Thain, that we haven't reared a pheasant for years, and thatwe don't even feed the wild ones?"

  "What about the partridges, though," he reminded her, "and the hares?I talked to a farmer when I was down there the other day, and hecomplained bitterly that there was only one vermin-killer on the wholeestate and that the place was swarming with rabbits. I rather enjoyrabbit shooting."

  "Oh, well, so long as you understand," Letitia replied, with a littleshrug of the shoulders, "take the shoot, for goodness' sake, and paydad as much as he chooses to ask for it. I've always noticed," shewent on reflectively, "one extraordinary thing about people who haven'tthe faintest idea of business. They are always much cleverer than areal business man in asking ever so much more than a thing is worth. Aperson with a sense of proportion, you see, couldn't do it."

  "One would imagine," he complained, "that you were trying to keep meaway from Mandeleys."

  "Don't, please, imagine such a thing," she begged earnestly. "If thereis anything I hate, it's London--or rather hate the way we have to livehere. You are entirely our salvation. If you desert us now, I shallbe the most miserable person alive. Only, you see, I know what fatheris, and what you do you must do with your eyes open."

  He was silent for a moment. The echo of her words lingered in hisears. He moved a little uneasily in his place, more uneasily stillwhen he found that she was watching him intently.

  "You are really a very mysterious person, Mr. Thain," she declared,with a note of curiosity in her tone. "I hear that you decline to beinterviewed, and you won't even tell the newspapers whether this isyour first visit to England or not."

  "I don't see what business it is of the newspapers," he rejoined. "Iam not a person of any possible interest to any one. I have donenothing except make a great deal of money. That, too, was purely amatter of good fortune and a little foresight. In America," he wenton, "one expects to meet with that personal curiosity. Over here, Imust say that it surprises me."

  "I suppose you are right," she admitted, "but, you see, under thepresent conditions of living, the possession of money does give suchenormous power to any one. Then you must remember that our press hasbecome Americanised lately. However, I am not a journalist, so willyou answer me one question?"

  "Certainly," he replied.

  "Have you ever been in England before?"

  "Once."

  "Long ago?"

  "A great many years ago."

  "I don't really know why I am curious," she went on thoughtfully, "butthere was a time, when I saw you first--doesn't this sound hackneyed,but it's quite true--when I fancied that I'd seen you before. Itworried me for days. Even now it sometimes perplexes me."

  He hated the lie which had risen so readily to his lips and choked itback.

  "A dear lady, a friend of the Duchess, made the same remark to me whenwe were introduced," he said. "She excused herself gracefully bysaying that people were so much alike, nowadays."

  "I don't think that you are particularly like other people," sheobserved, studying him. "Would you like to hear what Ada Honeywellthinks about you?"

  "So long as it leaves me still able to hold up my head," he murmured."Mrs. Honeywell struck me as being rather severe in her strictures."

  "It was only of your appearance she was speaking," Letitia continued."She said that she could see three things in your face--a Franciscanmonk, a head _maitre d'hotel_ at the most select of French restaurants,and the modern decadent criminal, as opposed to the Charles Peace type."

  "I am much obliged, I'm sure," he remarked, leaning back and laughingfor once quite naturally. "My type of criminal, I presume, is one whobrings art to his aid in working out his nefarious schemes."

  "Precisely," she murmured. "Like Wainwright, the poisoner, or theBorgias. But at any rate we agreed upon something. There is purposein your face."

  "You speak as though that were unusual! I suppose we all have a setcourse in life."

  She nodded.

  "And a good deal depends upon the goal, doesn't it?"

  There was a brief--to David, an enigmatic pause. Letitia's questionshad puzzled him. She might almost have suspected his identity. Theyboth listened idly for a few moments to the music of a violin, whichsome one was playing in the drawing-room.

  "You've asked me a great many questions," he said abruptly. "Whatabout you? What is your goal?"

  "My dear Mr. Thain," she replied, "how can you ask! I am animpecunious young woman of luxurious tastes. It is my purpose toentrap somebody with a comfortable income into marrying me. I havebeen at it for several seasons," she went on a little dolefully, "butso far Charles Grantham is my only certainty, and he wobblessometimes--especially when he sees anything of Sylvia Laycey."

  "Sylvia Laycey," he repeated. "Is she the daughter of the presenttenant o
f Broomleys?"

  Letitia nodded.

  "And a very charming girl, too," she declared. "You'll most certainlyfall in love with her. Everybody does when she comes up to stay withme."

  "Falling in love isn't one of my ordinary amusements," he observed alittle drily.

  "Superior person!" she mocked.

  The Duchess suddenly appeared upon the balcony.

  "Look here," she said, "there's been quite enough of this. Mr. Thaincame especially to see me. Every one else has gone."

  "I wonder if that might be considered a hint," Letitia observed,glancing at the watch upon her wrist. "All right, aunt, I'll go. Youwouldn't believe, Mr. Thain," she added, buttoning her gloves, "thatone's relations are supposed to be a help to one in life?"

  "You're only wasting your time with Mr. Thain, dear," her aunt repliedequably. "I've studied his character. We were eight days on thatsteamer, you know, and all the musical comedy young ladies in the worldseemed to be on board, and I can give you my word that Mr. Thain is awoman-hater."

  "I am really more interested in him now than I have ever been before,"Letitia declared, laughing into his eyes. "My great grievance withCharlie Grantham is that he cannot keep away from our hated rivals inthe other world. However, you'll talk to me again, won't you, Mr.Thain?"

  David was conscious of a curious fit of reserve, a sudden closing up ofthat easy intimacy into which they seemed to have drifted.

  "I shall always be pleased," he said stiffly.

  Letitia kissed her aunt and departed. The Duchess sank into her emptyplace.

  "I am going to be a beast," she began. "Have you been lending money tomy brother?"

  "Not a sixpence," David assured her.

  The Duchess was evidently staggered.

  "You surprise mo," she confessed. "However, so much the better. Itwon't interfere with what I have to say to you. I first took you toGrosvenor Square, didn't I?"

  "You were so kind," he admitted.

  "Now I come to think of it," she reflected, "I remember thinking itstrange at the time that, though I couldn't induce you to go anywhereelse, or meet any one else, you never hesitated about making Reginald'sacquaintance."

  "He was your brother, you see," David reminded her.

  "It didn't occur to me," she replied drily, "that that was the reason.However, what I want to say to you is this, in bald words--don't lendhim money."

  David looked once more across the tops of the trees.

  "I gather that the Marquis, then, is impecunious?" he said.

  "Reginald hasn't a shilling," the Duchess declared earnestly. "Let mejust tell you how they live. Letitia has two thousand a year, and sohas Margaret, from their mother. Margaret's husband, who is a decentfellow, won't touch her money and makes her an allowance, so thatnearly all her two thousand, and all of Letitia's, except the fewha'pence she spends on clothes, go to keeping an establishmenttogether. Reginald has sold every scrap of land he could, years ago.Mandeleys is the only estate he has left, and there isn't a square yardof that that isn't mortgaged to the very fullest extent. It's always ascramble between his poor devils of lawyers and himself, whetherthere's a little margin to be got out of the rents after paying theinterest. If there is, it goes, I believe, towards satisfying theclaims of a lady down at Battersea."

  "A lady down at Battersea," David replied. "Is it--may I ask--an oldattachment?"

  "A very old one indeed," the Duchess replied, "and, to tell you thetruth, it's one of the most reputable things I know connected withReginald. He is inconstant in everything else he does, and withoutbeing in any way wilfully dishonest, he is absolutely unreliable. Butthis lady at Battersea--she belonged to one of his tenants orsomething--I forget the story--has kept him within reasonable boundsfor more years than I should like to say-- What do you see over there,Mr. Thain?" she broke off suddenly, following his steadfast gaze.

  David dropped his eyes from the clouds. His fingers relaxed theirnervous clutch of the sides of his chair.

  "Nothing," he answered. "I am interested. Please go on."

  "Reginald has stuck at nothing to get money," the Duchess continued."He has been on the board of any company willing to pay him a fewguineas for his name. I believe things have come to such a pitch inthat direction that the most foolhardy investor throws the prospectusaway if his name is on it. He has drained his relatives dry. And yet,if you can reconcile all these things, he is, in his way, the very soulof honour. Now, having told you this, you can do as you please. Ifyou lend him money, you'll probably never get it back. If you've anyto chuck away, I can show you a hundred deserving charities. Reginaldwithout money is really a harmless and extraordinarily amusing person.Reginald in search of money is the most dangerous person I know. Thatis what I wanted to tell you, and if you like now you can run away. Myhairdresser is waiting for me, and he is just a little more independentthan my chef. Stop, though, there's one thing more."

  The Duchess had rung a bell with her foot, and a servant was waiting atthe windows to show David out. The latter turned back.

  "You are not making a fool of yourself with Letitia, are you?"

  David was very white and cold for a moment. He looked his hostess inthe face, and, as she expressed it afterwards, froze her up.

  "I am afraid that I do not understand you, Duchess," he said.

  "Oh, don't be silly!" she replied. "Remember that I am your oldestfriend in this country, and I say what I like to everybody. You avoidmost women as you would the plague--most women except Letitia. I'vewarned you against the father. Now I am warning you against thedaughter. And then you can go and lose your heart to one and lend amillion to the other, if you want. Letitia, for all her apparentamiability, is the proudest girl I ever knew. I hope you understandme?"

  "Perfectly!"

  "Letitia will marry for money, all right," her aunt continued. "Sheunderstands that that is her duty, and she will do it. But it will besome one--you will forgive me, Mr. Thain--with kindred associations,shall I say? Letitia, fortunately, takes after her father. She has notemperament, but a sense of family tradition which will give her allthe backbone she needs."

  "Is there any other member of the family," David began--

  "Don't be a silly boy," the Duchess interrupted, "because that's whatyou are, really, in this world and amongst our stupid class of people.You are just as nice as can be, though. Run along, and don't forgetthat you are coming to dine on Friday. You'll meet the Chancellor ofthe Exchequer, and he's going to try and persuade you to settle downhere, for the sake of your income tax."

  "Another plunderer!" David groaned. "I am beginning to feel ratherlike a lamb with an exceedingly long fleece."

  "You would look better with your hair cut," the Duchess remarked, asshe waved her hand. "Try that place at the bottom of Bond Street. TheDuke always goes there. A Mr. Saunders is his man. Better ask forhim. You'll find him at the top end of the room."