*CHAPTER XVII.*
*A FRIEND IN NEED.*
Angela took her place by Mrs. Benstein's side as if they had beenfriends of standing. She had a game to play, and not too manyinstructions as to how it was to be played, but, at the same time, shewas strangely moved to the financier's wife. In spite of her beauty andintelligence there was an atmosphere about her that was just a littlepathetic. She reminded Angela of some white mountain-peak stretchingaway far above its fellows, solitary, beautiful and alone.
The light shimmered upon her jewels as they gently heaved upon herbreast. Her fine eyes were just a little interrogative as they turnedupon Angela.
"It is very good of you to interest yourself in me," she said. "Iwonder why you do it?"
Angela coloured slightly; after all, her attentions were not quitedisinterested.
"Perhaps it is because you fascinate me," Angela said frankly. "I havenever seen any one like you before. I love character. And yet, youseem quite lonely, as if you were apart from the rest."
"Well, so I am," Isa Benstein replied. "The men on occasions like thiscount for nothing. I never see a lot of men crowded round a pretty womanwithout a strong temptation to laugh. They look so foolish. And yetyour women here rather avoid me--they are not quite sure of my position.But I could lead the whole lot of them if I chose to do so."
Angela did not doubt it. She had only to look in that beautiful faceand see that the boast was no idle one. The brilliant light died out ofthe speaker's eyes.
"But what is the good of it?" she said. "I don't believe there is anysociety worthy of the name to-day. Money seems to be everything. Yourpoor aristocrat sneers at the monied people. But ain't they just asostentatious themselves! Don't they rob their creditors and neglecttheir bills to appear like other people? It seems such a dreadfullysnobbish thing to do."
The fine eyes were looking round contemptuously, the breastplate ofrubies heaved slowly. The words sounded strange from one so superblyattired, and Mrs. Benstein laughed as she caught Angela's smile.
"You are thinking that I am no better than the rest," she went on."Well, perhaps not. But, then, my plumes are borrowed ones. You see myhusband is what is called a money-lender. There are lots of great ladieshere to-night who come to him for assistance, they bring their jewelsand he lends them money. I am wearing nearly all borrowed plumesto-night."
Angela gave a little gasp at the audacity of the confession.
"Oh, of course it is wrong," Mrs. Benstein proceeded. "It's like alaundress who keeps back a silk blouse from somebody else's washing towear on a Sunday. I've done that myself."
Angela listened in dazed fascination. Such a confession from one sostately and beautiful was amazing.
"You have learnt the art of jesting with a perfectly serious face," shesuggested.
"My dear, I am telling you the exact truth. I suppose it is the impishspirit in my blood that prompts me to do such things. In the day of myearly Sunday holidays things were different. But you can't expect a highmorality in a little Shoreditch second-hand clothes shop."
"You will tell me that you served in one next," Angela laughed.
"My dear, I did," was the reply. "Do you know, I have not the slightestidea who my parents are. All I know is that I am not a Jewess, though Iwas brought up as one. I used to run about the streets. I grew upsomehow. And then I drifted into that shop. I educated myself prettywell, for the simple reason that I cannot forget anything. My husbandtook me away and married me. I would have married any one to get awayfrom that blighting desolation. I was going mad for the want of colourand brightness in my life. And--and there you are."
"Nobody could possibly tell that you have not been used to this lifealways," Angela said. "There have been jealous eyes round you to-night,but they found no flaw."
"I had no intention of them finding a flaw," Mrs. Benstein said coolly."I have intuition and observation. And yet, till this very night, Ihave never sat and chatted with a lady before. I like you, Miss Lyne,and I would do anything for you. I like your kind face and thosethoughtful eyes."
Angela was glad to hear it. The confession made her task all theeasier.
"I am going to ask you to help me," she said. "I felt sure from thefirst that I could rely upon you. May I not be personal just for alittle longer? You say your plumes are borrowed ones. Have you anyidea of the identity of the ruby you are wearing on your forehead?"
"Not the least. My husband never mentions his clients by name--or, atleast, very seldom. I took a fancy to this stone as a kind of climax tomy costume, and with great reluctance my husband let me have it. Youreyes are telling me strange things, Miss Lyne."
"My tongue is going to tell you stranger," Angela whispered. "To thinkthat you should be ignorant of the fact that you are wearing the sacredBlue Stone of Ghan."
"The Shan of Koordstan's Royal gem!" Mrs. Benstein exclaimed. "Oh, Iknow all about that. There is very little underground political historythat I don't know. Koordstan and the Cardinal Moth and the--the rest ofit. Our host to-night would give me something for the stone."
"Our host of to-night means to have it," Angela said under her breath.
"I see, I see. What an intellect the man has! It was he who persuadedme to come as Queen of the Rubies. For his own ends he got me invitedhere. He felt pretty sure that my husband would let me have the BlueStone to wear. I am in danger."
"I don't think you are exactly in danger," Angela said.
"Oh, yes, I am. You don't know everything, I can see. The Shan ofKoordstan is here to-night."
"He is here with one of his suite called Aben Abdullah, who, by the way,is my beloved one in disguise. He is Harold Denvers, who is aiding theShan."
"A romance, a veritable romance, with danger and difficulties clingingto it like an aroma. So I am to play the part of one of Sir Clement'spuppets! We shall see. Now tell me everything."
Angela proceeded to explain that she was going much beyond HaroldDenvers' hurried instructions. But from the first her instinct had toldher that she could make a friend of the woman. She concealed nothing,she spoke of the difficult position of the Shan, and what Harold had togain by a recovery of the sacred jewel.
"I'm glad you told me," Mrs. Benstein said slowly. "Very glad. Butthere is more danger here than you anticipate, danger to me and to allof us. Sir Clement Frobisher is one of the greatest scoundrels onearth; he is cunning into the bargain, a perfect master of trickery andintrigue. Do you know anything of the Cardinal Moth?"
Angela shook her head. She was practically ignorant on that point.Mrs. Benstein indicated the nodding, trembling spray of blossom on herbreast.
"These flowers are in it," she said. "The Cardinal Moth must play itspart with the rest. There will be no rest until the Moth is back againover the altar in the temple of Ghan. You wonder perhaps how I know allthese things, but the blood of all nations contrives to make the mysterythat is called Isa Benstein. Now I want you to bring General Pearson tome; I want you to stay here whilst we go away for a dance together. SirClement, and perhaps another man, will be looking for me. Say that Ishall be back here in ten minutes to see you. You need say no more thanthat."
Angela went away, wondering but obedient. The handsome old soldier wouldbe delighted. He had been looking for his next partner for a long time.He was quite distracted by her absence. They walked away together,leaving Angela behind. Presently in the distance she could see thefigure of Frobisher wandering in and out of the crowd. Angela walkedsmiling up to him.
"Hide-and-seek," she cried gaily. "You are looking for somebody?"
"Even the Queen of the Rubies," Frobisher responded in a similar strain."A handsome reward will be paid to anybody giving information as to herpresent whereabouts."
"You may keep your beloved money," Angela said. "I am above suchthings. Mrs. Benstein is dancing with General Pearson, and in tenminutes she has asked me to meet her under
the lamps yonder. And herecomes Count Lefroy, as if he were looking for somebody, too."
Angela slipped away as Lefroy came up, showing his teeth in a queer,uneasy smile. He was trembling, too, as if he had run a long distance.Frobisher suppressed a disposition to snarl.
"You have finished, then?" he asked. "My rubies were worthy of a closerinspection."
"And would have had the closer inspection only Lady Frobisher was calledaway," Lefroy replied. "Her ladyship would have left me alone with thembut I implored her not to place so fierce a temptation in my way. Shedoes not know that I share your passion for those stones, especiallylarge ones."
"Like the Blue Stone of Ghan, for instance?" said Frobisher, with asharp indrawing of his breath. "It would be good to get hold of that,eh?"
Lefroy's eyes grew a trifle harder and more uneasy. He seemed to bemiserably uncertain in his mind, divided in opinion as to whether heshould stay where he was or go away on some errand of his own. Thecrowd became slightly more thick as the strains of music ceased and thedance came to an end. In spite of everything, the rooms were growingunpleasantly warm, and the guests were seeking cool corners. Mrs.Benstein came presently, leaning on the arm of her military escort. Herface was turned away, so that neither of the two men watching her couldsee her features.
Lefroy drew a deep, long breath. The time had come, he would have tostand up and fight Frobisher, the secret that he had half deemed his ownwas on the verge of exposure.
"Mrs. Benstein is going into the conservatory," he said meaningly. "Ipropose to follow her wise example and do the same thing. A sybaritelike you does not care for robust air. I presume, therefore, that youare going to stay where you are."
Frobisher hooked his arm quite affectionately through that of hiscompanion.
"On the contrary, I feel that a tonic would do me good," he saidsweetly. "I am distressed for your sake. There is a nervousness aboutyou to-night that alarms me; I could not enjoy myself thinking about it.What should I do, where should I be without my Lefroy? Orestes andPylades, Damon and Pythias _et hoc_, where are you all alongside ofLefroy and Frobisher?"
He led the way into the conservatory close to where Mrs. Benstein andher companion were seated. By accident or design, Isa Benstein had herback to them. She seemed to be chatting gaily and without a trouble inthe world to the General, who rose presently and proceeded back in thedirection of the ballroom on ices bent. Then Mrs. Benstein rose andsauntered to the door of the conservatory. Both the men there watchedher breathlessly--the time had come, and they both of them knew it.
She wheeled round suddenly as if conscious of their presence and smiledgloriously.
"I am admiring the flowers," she said. "They are exquisite. But I musthave a word with Miss Lyne, whom I see in the distance. If mydistracted General misses me, pray tell him that I shall be back atonce. I trust you to do this for me, Sir Clement?"
Frobisher nodded with his mouth wide open, even he felt at a loss forwords. There stood the lady of the rubies, her dress glistening withthe gems, but her fair broad brow was clear as day, there was no vestigeof a stone to mar its pure symmetry.
"It's a wonderfully warm night," Frobisher gasped.
"Sultry," Lefroy said meaningly, "very sultry. Deprives you of yourwits, doesn't it? Weren't you saying something just now about the BlueStone of Ghan? Or did I dream it? Come along."
"Where to?" Frobisher asked, like a man in a dream.
"Why, to the smoking-room, to be sure," Lefroy said with polite mockery."As you told me just now with such tender consideration for others, youare not quite yourself. A little brandy, the brandy you know, and asmall soda. You seem to want it badly."
"Egad," Frobisher burst out bitterly; "egad, I fancy we both do!"