CHAPTER XXX
THE UNMASKING
At midnight a mellow chime rang somewhere by the cypress pool.Laughing and jesting, calling to one another, the masked crowd movedoff to the vine-hung villa ahead, gleaming moon-white through theshrubbery.
Somewhat reluctantly the minstrel followed. It had been his intentionto unmask in some secluded corner whence, presently, he might slip awayto his room, but finding himself jostled and pushed on by a Greek and aBedouin who, to do them justice, seemed quite unaware of theirimportunities, he surrendered to the press about him and presentlyfound himself in an unpleasantly conspicuous spot in the great roomwhich the Sherrills occasionally used as a ballroom.
All about him girls and men were unmasking amid a shower of laughingraillery. That the Seminole chief with her tunic and beaded sash andher brilliant turban was very near him, was a pleasant and altogetheraccidental mitigation of his mishap. That a Greek and a Bedouin werejust behind him--a fact not in the least accidental--and that a graymonk was slipping about among the guests whispering to receptive ears,did not interest him in the least. A string orchestra played softly inan alcove. The leader's eyes, oddly enough, were upon the ancientGreek.
Now suddenly a curious hush swept over the room. Uncomfortably awarethat he was a spectacular object of interest by reason of his mask andthat every unmasked eye was full upon him, the minstrel, following thelines of least resistance, removed the bit of cambric from his eyes.After all, in the sea of faces before him, there were none familiar.
As the mask dropped--the ancient Greek thoughtfully adjusted his tunic.
Instantly without pause or warning the soft strain of the orchestraswept dramatically into a powerful melody of measured cadences. It wasthe tune Carl had played upon his flute to Jokai of Vienna monthsbefore. The minstrel, mask in hand, stared at the orchestra, blanchedand bit his lip.
"God bless my soul!" exclaimed Queen Elizabeth to Jethro, "it's theimmigrant, Jethro, and there he was on the lace spread with his feettied and gurgling. I'll never forget his eyes."
"Jokai of Vienna!" said the Black Palmer, whistling. "By Jove, they'vetrapped him nicely."
For an uncomfortable instant, the silence continued, then came thesaving stir of laughter and chatting.
The Bedouin with an unrelenting air of dignity and command, removed hismask and bowed low; to Diane in whose startled eyes below the Seminoleturban flashed sympathy and acute regret.
"Miss Westfall," said he gravely, "permit me to present to you, PrinceRonador of Houdania."
White and stern, his fine eyes flashing imperially, Ronador bowed.
"Rest assured, Miss Westfall," he said, "that I know you have notbetrayed my confidence. Baron Tregar is an ardent patriot who byvirtue of his office must needs object to democratic masquerading."
The Baron stroked his beard.
"For inspiring the musical ceremony due your rank, Prince," he saiddryly, "I crave indulgence."
Smiling, the ancient Greek at the Baron's elbow unmasked, to show thecheerful face of Mr. Poynter.
"Prince," said Mr. Poynter, "I sincerely trust I have made no error intranscribing the Regent's Hymn for our excellent musicians. Havingheard it so many times in your presence in Houdania, I could not wellforget. At your service," with a glance at his Grecian attire,"Herodotus, father of nomads!"
But Ann Sherrill in the gorgeous raiment of a Semiramis was already athand, sparkling italics upon her royal guest, and Philip moved aside.
"I am _overwhelmed_!" whispered Ann a little later. "I am _indeed_! Iwas not in the _least_ aware that our mysterious incognito was aprince, were you, Diane?"
"Yes," said Diane. Her color was very high and she deliberatelyavoided the imploring eyes of Mr. Poynter.
"What in the _world_ is it all about?" begged Ann helplessly. "And_who_ was the grayish monk who flitted about so mysteriously telling usthat the minstrel was a _prince_! It spread like wildfire. As foryou, Philip Poynter, it's exactly like you! To depart night beforelast and suddenly reappear is _quite_ of a piece with your mysterioushabit of fading periodically out of civilization. Baron Tregar, how_exceedingly_ delightful of you to come this way and surprise me when Ifancied you were so keen about those horrid tarpon that you wouldn'tleave them for all I _wrote_ and _wrote_."
There was a sprightly nervousness in Ann's manner. She wasuncomfortably aware of a subtle undercurrent.
"And I've another unexpected guest," she added to Diane. "Carl's here.Wandering in from Heaven knows where, as he always does. He's makinghis peace with your aunt--"
Herodotus, who had been trying for some time to get into friendlycommunication with his lady, suddenly murmured "Frost in Florida!" withaudible regret and moved off good-humoredly to look for Carl.
He found that young man listening attentively to his aunt's reproaches.
"And that costume, Carl," fluttered Queen Elizabeth in aggrieveddisapproval. "Why, dear me, it's enough to make a body shudder, it'sso sort of sinister--it is indeed! And I do hope you don't set yourhair on fire with that extraordinary light in your turban. Is it acandle or an electric bulb?"
"A forty horse power glowworm!" Carl assured her gravely, and theportly Jethro sniggered to the danger of his seams.
Philip's hand came down heavily upon the Palmer's broad shoulder andCarl wheeled. In that instant as he grasped Philip's hand in a silencemore eloquent than words, every finer instinct of his queerly balancednature flashed in his face. The two hands tightened and fell apart.
"Come, smoke!" invited Carl, smiling. "I'm glad you're here. Ihaven't been ragged and abused for so long there's a lonely furrow inmy soul."
But Dick Sherrill, looking very warm and disgruntled in a costume heinformed them bitterly was meant for Claude Duval, came up as they wereturning away and insisted upon presenting Carl to the guest of theevening.
"Ann sent me," he added. "And you've got to come. And I want to sayright now that Ann makes me tired. She's as notional as a lunatic._She_ planned this rig and now she doesn't like it. And if I don'tlook like a highwayman you can wager your last sou I feel like one, andthat's sufficient. The whole trouble is that Ann's been so busy withhair-dressers and manicurists and _corsetieres_ and dressmakers and theLord knows what not over that stunning Indian girl, who'll likely runoff with the family topazes, that she's had no time for her brother,and rubs it in now by laughing at the shape of my legs. What's thematter with my legs, Carl?"
"Too ornamental," said Carl. "Curvilinear grace is all very well but--"
"Shut up!" said Sherrill viciously. "Have you ever met this king-pinI'm exploiting?"
"I've seen him," said Car. "Once when he was riding up the mountainroad to Houdania with a brilliant escort and one--er--other time.Think I told you I'd spent a month or so in a Houdanian monasteryseveral years ago, didn't I, Dick?"
"Yes," said Dick. "That's why I asked. Poynter, who in blue blazesare you looking for?"
Philip flushed.
"Dry up!" he advised. "You're grouchy."
Sherrill was still heatedly denying the charge when they halted nearthe Baron.
"You wear a singular costume," suggested Ronador stiffly, when theformalities of presentation were at an end. He glanced at the luminousturban and thence to the chains. Carl, though he had primarilyintended the singular rig for the eyes of Tregar, had subtly invitedthe remark. His eyes were darkly ironic.
"Prince," he said guilelessly, "it is a silent parable."
"Yes?"
"I am 'The Ghost of a Man's Past!'" explained the Palmer lightly--andclanked his chains. The level glances of the two met with the keennessof invisible swords.
"The heavy, sinister black," suggested the Palmer, "the flashes offorbidden scarlet--the hours of a man's past are scarlet, are theynot?--the cloud above the head, with a treacherous heart of fire, theclanking chains of bondage--they are all here. And the skeleton in thecloset--Sire--behold!" He laughed and flung back his mantle, revealinga perfect
skeleton cunningly etched in glaring white upon aclose-fitting garment of black.
Did the Baron's eyes flash suddenly with a queer dry humor? Philipcould not be sure.
With a clank of symbolic chains Carl bowed and withdrew, and comingsuddenly upon his cousin, halted and stared. Long afterward Diane wasto remember that she had caught a similar look in the eyes of Ronador.
"Well?" she begged, slightly uncomfortable.
Carl smiled. Once more his fine eyes were impassive. With ready gracehe admired the delicately-thonged tunic and the beaded sash, the brightturban with the beaten band of silver and the darkly lovely facebeneath it.
"It's a duplicate of the rig my little Indian friend wears," sheexplained, smiling. "Hasn't Ann told you? She's quite wild about it."
"Ann's very busy soothing Dick," laughed Carl and to the malicioussatisfaction of that worthy Greek who had been trailing along in hiswake, presented Herodotus. Diane nodded, smiled politely--and soughtdelicately to ignore the ancient Greek. It was a hopeless task. Mr.Poynter insisted upon considering himself included in every word sheuttered.
"Isn't mother a _dear_!" exclaimed Ann Sherrill joining them. "Afterragging me _desperately_ for days about Keela, until I threatened tokill myself, and giving me an _exceedingly_ horrid little book on theadvisability of curbing one's most _interesting_ impulses, she's takenher under her wing to-night and they're excellent friends. Philip,dear, go unruffle Dick. He's _horribly_ fussed up about something orother. Carl, I want you to meet Keela. It's the most _interesting_thing I've dared in ages and Dad's been very decent about it. Dadalways _did_ understand me. He has a sense of humor."
Diane and Carl followed, laughing, at her heels. Ann presently foundher mother and Keela and unaware of the astonished interest in Carl'seyes, presented him.
"The Black Palmer!" said Keela naively.
"Lady of Gold and Black!" said Carl and bowed profoundly.