CHAPTER X
CHANCE
She considered him with guileless eyes. He was _too_ good-looking, tooattractive, too young, and far too much pleased with himself. That wasthe impression he gave her. And, as he was, in addition, plainly one ofher own sort, a man she was likely to meet anywhere--a well-bred,well-mannered and agreeable young fellow, probably a recentundergraduate, which might account for his really inoffensivebreeziness--she felt perfectly at ease with him and safe enough tocontinue imprudently her mischief.
"If you are going to begin at the beginning," she said, "perhaps itmight steady your nerves to repeat your own name very slowly anddistinctly. Physicians recommend it sometimes," she added seriously.
"My name is John Seabury," he said, laughing. "Am I lucid?"
"Lucid so far," she said gravely. "I knew a Lily Seabury----"
"My sister. She's in Paris."
"Yes, I knew that, too," mused the girl, looking at him in a differentlight--different in this way that his credentials were nowunquestionable, and she could be as mischievous as she pleased with theminimum of imprudence.
"Do you ever take the advice of physicians," he asked naively, "aboutrepeating names?"
"Seldom," she said. "I don't require the treatment."
"I was only wondering----"
"You were wondering what C. G. stood for on my satchel? I will be veryglad to tell you, Mr. Seabury. _C_ stands for Cecil, and _G_ for Gay;Cecil Gay. Is that lucid?"
"Cecil!" he said; "that's a man's name."
"How rude! It is _my_ name. Now, do you think your mental calibrerequires any more re-boring?"
"Oh, you know about calibres and things. Do you shoot? I _can_ talkabout dogs and guns. Listen to me, Miss Gay." The subject shifted fromshooting to fishing, and from hunting to driving four-in-hand, andeventually came back to the horses and the quaint depot-sleigh which waswhirling them so swiftly toward their destination.
"Jack Austin and I were in Paris," he observed.
"Oh--recently?"
"Last year."
"I thought so."
"Why?" he asked.
"Oh, I suppose it was one of those obsessed premonitions----"
"You are laughing at me, Miss Gay."
"Am I? Why?"
"Why? How on earth is a man to know why? _I_ don't know why you do it,but you do--all the time."
"Not _all_ the time, Mr. Seabury, because I don't know you well enough."
"But you know my sister!"
"Yes. She is a dear."
"Won't that introduce me? And, besides, you know Jack Austin----"
"No, I don't."
"Isn't that odd?" he said. "You don't know Jack Austin and I don't knowMrs. Austin. It was nice of her to ask me. They say she is one of thebest ever."
"It was certainly nice of her to ask you," said the girl, eyesbrightening over her muff.
"I was in Europe when they were married," he said. "I suppose you werethere."
"No, I wasn't. That sounds rather strange, doesn't it?"
"Why, yes, rather!" he replied, looking up at her in his boyish,perplexed way. And for a moment her heart failed her; he _was_ nice, butalso he was a living temptation. Never before in all her brief life hadshe been tempted to do to anybody what she was doing to him. She hadoften been imprudent in a circumspect way--conventionally unconventionalat times--even a little daring. At sheer audacity she had drawn theline, and now the impulse to cross that line had been too much for her.But even she did not know exactly why temptation had overcome her.
There was something that she ought to tell him--and tell him at once.Yet, after all, it was really already too late to tell him--had been toolate from the first. Fate, Chance and Destiny, the Mystic Three,disguised, as usual, one as a German conductor; one as a large mottledman; the other as a furry footman had been bumped by Seabury and jeeredat by a girl wearing dark blue eyes and chinchillas. And now theaffronted Three were taking exclusive charge of John Seabury and CecilGay. She was partly aware of this; she did not feel inclined tointerfere where interference could do no good. And that being the case,why not extract amusement from matters as they stood? Alas, it is notwell to laugh at the Mystic Three! But Cecil Gay didn't know that. Yousee, even _she_ didn't know everything.
* * * * *
"You will like Jack Austin," he asserted.
"Really?"
"I'm willing to bet----"
"Oh, wait till we know one another officially before we begin to makewagers.... Still, I might, perhaps safely wager that I shall not findyour friend Jack Austin very agreeable to-night."
So they settled the terms of the wager; cigarettes versus the inevitablebonbons.
"Everybody likes Jack Austin on sight," he said triumphantly, "so youmay as well send the cigarettes when you are ready;" and he mentionedthe brand.
"You will never smoke those cigarettes," she mused aloud, lookingdreamily at him, her muff pressed alongside of her pretty cheek. "Tellme, Mr. Seabury, are you vindictive?"
"Not very."
"Revengeful?"
"Well--no, I don't think so," he replied. "Why?"
"I'm much relieved," she said, simply.
"Why?"
"Because I've done a dreadful thing--perfectly dreadful."
"To me?"
She nodded.
Perplexed and curious, he attempted to learn what she meant, but sheparried everything smiling. And now, the faster the horses sped, thefaster her pulses beat, and the more uncertain and repentant she becameuntil her uncertainty increased to a miniature panic, and, thoroughlyscared, she relapsed into a silence from which he found it beyond hispowers to lure her.
For already a bright light was streaming out toward them from somewhereahead. In its rays the falling snow turned golden, every separate flakedistinct as they passed a great gate with the lodge beside it and wentspinning away along a splendid wooded avenue and then straight up towarda great house, every window ablaze with light.
John Seabury jumped out and offered his aid to Cecil Gay as severalservants appeared under the porte-cochere.
"I had no idea that Jack Austin lived so splendidly," he whispered toMiss Gay, as they entered the big hall.
But she was past speech now--a thoroughly scared girl; and she lost notime in following a maid into the elevator, whither Seabury presentlyfollowed her in tow of a man-servant.
"Luxury! Great Scott," thought Seabury. "This dubbing a palace a cottageis the worse sort of affectation, and I'll tell Jack Austin so, too."
The elevator stopped; the doors clicked open; Seabury turned smilinglyto Cecil Gay, but she hurried past him, crimson-cheeked, head bent, andhe followed his pilot to his room.
"Dinner is hannounced at 'awf awfter height, sir," announced the manwith dignity.
"Thank you," said Seabury, watching a valet do sleight-of-hand trickswith the contents of his suit-case. And when he was alone he hoppednimbly out of his apparel and into a bath and out again in a high stateof excitement, talking to himself all the while he was dressing.
"Good old Jack! The Mrs. must have had the means to do this sort ofthing so well. I'm delighted!--de--lighted!... If ever a man deservedaffluence, it's Jack Austin! It suits him. It will do him good. Itbecomes him.... Plucky fellow to go on grinding at the law!... Onlything to do, of course--decent thing to do--self-respect and allthat.... But, by jingo!"--he looked about him as he stood buttoning hiscollar. "Hah!" stepping to the wall and examining a picture--"GreatJenkins!--why, here's a real Fortuny--in a _bedroom_!"
He cared for good pictures, and he stood before the exquisite aquarelleas long as he dared. Then, glancing at his watch, he completed histoilet, opened his door, and, scorning the lift, fled blithely down thegreat staircase on pleasing bent--and on being pleased.
A big drawing-room, charmingly lighted, and gay already with the chatterand laughter of a very jolly throng--this is what confronted him as aservant offered him a tray containing cards.
"I don't see
my name here," he said, examining the slim envelopes.
"Beg pardon, sir--what name, sir?"
"Mr. Seabury."
The servant looked and Seabury looked in vain.
"An oversight," commented the young fellow, coolly. "I'll ask Mrs.Austin about it." And he walked in, and, singling out the hostess,advanced with smiling confidence, thinking to himself: "She _is_ pretty;Jack's right. But--but, by George!--she looks like Cecil Gay!"
His hostess received him very charmingly, saying that it was so good ofhim to come; and he said it was so good of her to have asked him, andthen they said several similar things. He spoke of Jack--mentioning himand continuing to another subject; and she smiled a trifle uncertainly.Her smile was still more vague and uncertain when he laughinglymentioned the dinner-cards; and she said it was a vexing oversight andwould be immediately arranged--glancing rather sharply at an amiablegentleman standing near her. And this amiable gentleman came up toSeabury and shook hands very cordially, and said several agreeablethings to which Seabury responded, until new arrivals separated him fromhis hostess and the amiable gentleman, and he fell back and glancedabout him. And, after a little while an odd expression came into hiseyes; he stood very still; a slight flush slowly spread over his facewhich had grown firmer. In a few moments the color went as it had come,slowly; the faint glitter died out in his eyes.
There were several people he knew among the guests; he nodded quietly toyoung Van Guilder, to Brimwell and others, then crossed to speak toCatherine Hyland and Dorothy Minster. He was very agreeable, but alittle distrait. He seemed to have something on his mind.
Meanwhile his hostess was saying to her husband: "Who _is_ that, Jim?"And her husband said: "You can search me. Didn't you ask him?" And hiswife responded: "He's talking to nearly everybody. It's curious, isn'tit?" Here she was interrupted by the flushed entrance of her unmarriedsister, Cecil Gay.
Meanwhile, Seabury was saying coolly: "I haven't seen Jack yet."
"Jack?" repeated Dorothy Minster. "Which Jack?"
"Jack Austin."
"Oh," said Miss Minster, who did not know him; "is he to be here?"
But Seabury only smiled vaguely. His mind, his eyes, his attention werefixed upon a vision of loveliness in the foreground--a charminglyflushed young girl who knew everybody and was evidently a tremendousfavorite, judging from the gay greetings, the little volleys oflaughter, and the animated stirring of groups among which she passed.
Watching her, quite oblivious to his surroundings, the servant at hiselbow was obliged to cough discreetly half a dozen times and repeat "Begpardon, sir," before he turned to notice the silver salver extended.
"Oh--thank you," he said, picking up an envelope directed, "Mr.Seabury," and opening it. Then a trifle surprised but smiling, he turnedto find the girl whose name was written on the card. She was speaking tothe hostess and the amiable man who had first greeted him. And this iswhat he didn't hear as he watched her, waiting grimly for a chance ather:
"Cecil! _Who_ is that very young man?"
"Betty, how should _I_ know----"
"Look here, Cis," from the amiable gentleman; "this is some of yourdeviltry----"
"Oh, _thank_ you, Jim!"
"Yes, it is. Who is he and where did you rope him?"
"Jim!"
"Cecil! What nonsense is this?" demanded her hostess and elder sister."How did he get here and who is he?"
"I did _not_ bring him, Betty. He simply came?"
"How?"
"In the depot-sleigh, of course----"
"With _you_?"
"Certainly. He wanted to come. He _would_ come! I couldn't turn him out,could I--after he climbed in?"
Host and hostess glared at their flushed and defiant relative, who triedto look saucy, but only looked scared. "_He_ doesn't know he's made amistake," she faltered; "and there's no need to tell him yet--isthere?... I put my name down on his card; he'll take me in.... Jim,don't, for Heaven's sake, say anything if he calls Betty Mrs. Austin.Oh, Jim, be decent, please! I _was_ a fool to do it; I don't know whatpossessed me! Wait until to-morrow before you say anything! Besides, hemay be furious! Please wait until I'm out of the house. He'll breakfastlate, I hope; and I promise you I'll be up early and off by the seveno'clock train----"
"In Heaven's name, who _is_ he?" broke in the amiable man so fiercelythat Cecil jumped.
"He's only Lily Seabury's brother," she said, meekly, "and he thinkshe's at the Austins'--and he might as well be, because he knows half thepeople here, and I've simply _got_ to keep him out of their way so thatnobody can tell him where he is. Oh, Betty--I've spoiled my ownChristmas fun, and his, too! _Is_ there any way to get him to theAustins' now?'
"The Jack Austins' of Beverly!" exclaimed her sister, incredulously. "Ofcourse not!"
"And you _let_ him think he was on his way there?" demanded herbrother-in-law. "Well--you--are--the--limit!"
"So is _he_," murmured the abashed maid, slinking back to give place toa new and last arrival. Then she turned her guilty face in a sort ofpanic of premonition. She was a true prophetess; Seabury had seen hischance and was coming. And _that's_ what comes of mocking the MysticThree and cutting capers before High Heaven.