The Yellow Crayon

by E. Phillips Oppenheim

  CHAPTER XXX

  Mr. Sabin found a fourth chair, and calmly seated himself by Lucille'sside. But his eyes were fixed upon Lady Carey. She was slowly recoveringherself, but Mr. Sabin, who had never properly understood her attitudetowards him, was puzzled at the air of intense relief which almost shonein her face.

  "You seem--all of you," he remarked suavely, "to have found the musica little exciting. Wagner certainly knew how to find his way to theemotions. Or perhaps I interrupted an interesting discussion?"

  Lucille smiled gently upon him.

  "These two," she said, looking from the Prince to Lady Carey, "seem tohave been afflicted with a sudden nervous excitement, and yet I do notthink that they are, either of them, very susceptible to music."

  Lady Carey leaned forward, and looked at him from behind the large fanof white feathers which she was lazily fluttering before her face.

  "Your entrance," she murmured, "was most opportune, besides being verywelcome. The Prince and I were literally--on the point of flying at oneanother's throats."

  Mr. Sabin glanced at his neighbour and smiled.

  "You are certainly a little out of sorts, Saxe Leinitzer," he remarked."You look pale, and your hands are not quite steady. Nerves, I suppose.You should see Dr. Carson in Brook Street."

  The Prince shrugged his shoulders.

  "My health," he said, "was never better. It is true that your comingwas somewhat of a surprise," he added, looking steadily at Mr. Sabin."I understood that you had gone for a short journey, and I was notexpecting to see you back again so soon."

  "Duson," Mr. Sabin said, "has taken that short journey instead. Itwas rather a liberty, but he left a letter for me fully explaining hismotives. I cannot blame him."

  The Prince stroked his moustache.

  "Ah!" he remarked. "That is a pity. You may, however, find it politic,even necessary, to join him very shortly."

  Mr. Sabin smiled grimly.

  "I shall go when I am ready," he said, "not before!"

  Lucille looked from one to the other with protesting eyebrows.

  "Come," she said, "it is very impolite of you to talk in riddles beforemy face. I have been flattering myself, Victor, that you were here tosee me. Do not wound my vanity."

  He whispered something in her ear, and she laughed softly back at him.The Prince, with the evening paper in his hand, escaped from the box,and found a retired spot where he could read the little paragraph at hisleisure. Lady Carey pretended to be absorbed by the music.

  "Has anything happened, Victor?" Lucille whispered.

  He hesitated.

  "Well, in a sense, yes," he admitted. "I appear to have become unpopularwith our friend, the Prince. Duson, who has always been a spy upon mymovements, was entrusted with a little sleeping draught for me, which hepreferred to take himself. That is all."

  "Duson is--"

  He nodded.

  "He is dead!"

  Lucille went very pale.

  "This is horrible!" she murmured

  "The Prince is a little annoyed, naturally," Mr. Sabin said. "It isvexing to have your plans upset in such a manner."

  She shuddered.

  "He is hateful! Victor, I fear that he does not mean to let me leaveDorset House just yet. I am almost inclined to become, like you, anoutcast. Who knows--we might go free. Bloodshed is always avoided asmuch as possible, and I do not see how else they could strike at me.Social ostracism is their chief weapon. But in America that could nothurt us."

  He shook his head.

  "Not yet," he said. "I am sure that Saxe Leinitzer is not playing thegame. But he is too well served here to make defiance wise."

  "You run the risk yourself," she protested.

  He smiled.

  "It is a different matter. By the bye, we are overheard."

  Lady Carey had forgotten to listen any more to the music. She waswatching them both, a steely light in her eyes, her fingers nervouslyentwined. The Prince was still absent.

  "Pray do not consider me," she begged. "So far as I am concerned, yourconversation is of no possible interest. But I think you had betterremember that the Prince is in the corridor just outside."

  "We are much obliged to you," Mr. Sabin said. "The Prince may hear everyword I have to say about him. But all the same, I thank you for yourwarning."

  "I fear that we are very unsociable, Muriel," Lucille said, "and, afterall, I should never have been here but for you."

  Lady Carey turned her left shoulder upon them.

  "I beg," she said, "that you will leave me alone with the music. Iprefer it."

  The Prince suddenly stood upon the threshold. His hand rested lightlyupon the arm of another man.

  "Come in, Brott," he said. "The women will be charmed to see you. And Idon't suppose they've read your speeches. Countess, here is the man whocounts all equal under the sun, who decries class, and recognises nosocial distinctions. Brott was born to lead a revolution. He is ournatural enemy. Let us all try to convert him."

  Brott was pale, and deep new lines were furrowed on his face.Nevertheless he smiled faintly as he bowed over Lucille's fingers.

  "My introduction," he remarked, "is scarcely reassuring. Yet here atleast, if anywhere in the world, we should all meet upon equal ground.Music is a universal leveler."

  "And we haven't a chance," Lady Carey remarked with uplifted eyebrows,"of listening to a bar of it."

  Lucille welcomed the newcomer coldly. Nevertheless, he manoeuvredhimself into the place by her side. She took up her fan and commencedswinging it thoughtfully.

  "You are surprised to see me here?" he murmured.

  "Yes!" she admitted.

  He looked wearily away from the stage up into her face.

  "And I too," he said. "I am surprised to find myself here!"

  "I pictured you," she remarked, "as immersed in affairs. Did I not hearsomething of a Radical ministry with you for Premier?"

  "It has been spoken of," he admitted.

  "Then I really cannot see," she said, "what you are doing here."

  "Why not?" he asked doggedly.

  She shrugged her shoulders.

  "In the first place," she said, "you ought to be rushing about amongstyour supporters, keeping them up to the mark, and all that sort ofthing. And in the second--"

  "Well?"

  "Are we not the very people against whom you have declared war?"

  "I have declared war against no people," he answered. "It is systems andclasses, abuses, injustice against which I have been forced to speak.I would not deprive your Order of a single privilege to which they arejustly entitled. But you must remember that I am a people's man. Theircause is mine. They look to me as their mouthpiece."

  Lucille shrugged her shoulders.

  "You cannot evade the point," she said. "If you are the, what do youcall it, the mouthpiece of the people, I do not see how you can beanything else than the enemy of the aristocracy."

  "The aristocracy? Who are they?" he asked. "I am the enemy of all thosewho, because they possess an ancient name and inherited wealth, considerthemselves the God-appointed bullies of the poor, dealing them outmeagre charities, lordly patronage, an unspoken but bitter contempt. Butthe aristocracy of the earth are not of such as these. Your class arefurnishing the world with advanced thinkers every year, every month!Inherited prejudices can never survive the next few generations. Thefusion of classes must come."

  She shook her head.

  "You are sanguine, my friend," she said. "Many generations have come andgone since the wonderful pages of history were opened to us. And duringall these years how much nearer have the serf and the aristocrat cometogether? Nay, have they not rather drifted apart?... But listen! Thisis the great chorus. We must not miss it."

  "So the Prince has brought back the wanderer," Lady Carey whispered toMr. Sabin behind her fan. "Hasn't he rather the air of a sheep who hasstrayed from the fold?"

  Mr. Sabin raised the horn eyeglass, which he so seldom used, andcontemplated Brott s
teadily.

  "He reminds me more than ever," he remarked, "of Rienzi. He is like aman torn asunder by great causes. They say that his speech at Glasgowwas the triumph of a born orator."

  Lady Carey shrugged her shoulders.

  "It was practically the preaching a revolution to the people," she said."A few more such, and we might have the red flag waving. He left Glasgowin a ferment. If he really comes into power, what are we to expect?"

  "To the onlookers," Mr. Sabin remarked, "a revolution in this countrywould possess many interesting features. The common people lack theferocity of our own rabble, but they are even more determined. I may yetlive to see an English Duke earning an honest living in the States."

  "It depends very much upon Brott," Lady Carey said. "For his own sake itis a pity that he is in love with Lucille."

  Mr. Sabin agreed with her blandly.

  "It is," he affirmed, "a most regrettable incident."

  She leaned a little towards him. The box was not a large one, and theirchairs already touched.

  "Are you a jealous husband?" she asked.

  "Horribly," he answered.

  "Your devotion to Lucille, or rather the singleness of your devotion toLucille," she remarked, "is positively the most gauche thing about you.It is--absolutely callow!"

  He laughed gently.

  "Did I not always tell you," he said, "that when I did marry I shouldmake an excellent husband?"

  "You are at least," she answered sharply, "a very complaisant one."

  The Prince leaned forward from the shadows of the box.

  "I invite you all," he said, "to supper with me. It is something of anoccasion, this! For I do not think that we shall all meet again just aswe are now for a very long time."

  "Your invitation," Mr. Sabin remarked, "is most agreeable. But yoursuggestion is, to say the least of it, nebulous. I do not see what is toprevent your all having supper with me to-morrow evening."

  Lady Carey laughed as she rose, and stretched out her hand for hercloak.

  "To-morrow evening," she said, "is a long way off. Let us make sure ofto-night--before the Prince changes his mind."

  Mr. Sabin bowed low.

  "To-night by all means," he declared. "But my invitation remains--achallenge!"