V
THE PLOT THICKENS
At dinner that night I met my hero face to face for the first time ineight years, and for all his calling me a duffer (I learned of thisonly recently), he was mighty glad to see me, slapped me on the backand threw his arm across my shoulder. And why shouldn't he have beenglad? We had been boys together, played hooky many a school-timeafternoon, gone over the same fishing grounds, plunged into the sameswimming-holes, and smoked our first cigar in the rear of my father'sbarn; and it is the recollection of such things that cements all themore strongly friendship in man and man. We recalled a thousandepisodes and escapades, the lickings we got, and the lickings othersgot in our stead, the pretty school-teacher whom we swore to wed whenwe grew up. Nobody else had a chance to get a word in edgewise. ButNancy laughed aloud at times. She had been a witness to many of theselong-ago pranks.
"What! you are not going to the ball?" I asked, observing that he woreonly a dinner-coat and a pair of morocco slippers.
"No ball for me. Just as soon as you people hie forth, off comes thisb'iled shirt, and I shall probably meander around the house in my newsilk pajamas. I shall read a little from Homer--Jack, let me have thekey to that locked case; I've an idea that there must be some robustold, merry old tales hidden there--and smoke a few pipes."
"But you are not going to leave Mrs. Warburton and your sister to comehome without escort?" I expostulated.
"Where the deuce are you two men going?" Robert asked, surprised.Somehow, I seemed to catch a joyful rather than a sorrowful note in histones.
"An important conference at midnight, and heaven only knows how long itmay last," said Jack. "I wish you would go along, Bob."
"He can't go now, anyhow," said the pretty little wife. "He has got tostay now, whether he will or no. William will see to it that we womenget home all right,"--and she busied herself with the salad dishes.
Suddenly I caught Robert's eye, and we stared hard at each other.
"Chuck, you old pirate," he said presently, "what do you mean by comingaround and making love to my sister, and getting her to promise tomarry you? You know you aren't good enough for her."
I confess to no small embarrassment. "I--I know it!"
"What do you mean by it, then?"
"Why--er--that is--Confound you, Bob, _I_ couldn't help it, andbesides, I didn't _want_ to help it! And if you want to have it out--"
"Oh, pshaw! You know just as well as I do that it is against the law tohit a man that wears glasses. We'll call it quits if you'll promisethat in the days to come you'll let me hang around your hymeneal shackonce in a while."
"Why, if you put it that way!"--and we were laughing and shaking handsagain across the table, much to the relief of all concerned.
Dear Nan! I'm not afraid to let the whole world see how much I loveyou. For where exists man's strength if not in the pride of his love?
"What time does the kid get to sleep?" asked Robert.
"He ought to be asleep now," said Mrs. W. "We shall not reach theembassy until after ten. We have a reception first, and we must leavecards there. Won't you be lonesome here, Bobby?"
"Not the least in the world;"--and Bobby began to laugh.
"What's the joke?" I asked.
He looked at me sharply, then shook his head. "I'll tell you all aboutit to-morrow, Chuck. It's the kind of joke that has to boil a long timebefore it gets tender enough to serve."
"I'd give a good deal to know what is going on behind those eyes ofyours, Bob." Nancy's eyes searched him ruthlessly, but she might justas well have tried to pierce a stone wall. "You have been laughing allday about something, and I'd like to know what about. It's mischief. Ihaven't known you all these years for nothing. Now, don't do anythingsilly, Bob."
"Nancy,"--reproachfully--"I am a man almost thirty; I have passed theRubicon of cutting up tricks. Go to the ball, you beauty, dance andrevel to your heart's content; your brother Robert will manage to passaway the evening. Don't forget the key to that private case, Jack,"--asthe women left the table to put the finishing touches to their toilets.
"Here you are," said Jack. "But mind, you must put those books backjust as you found them, and lock the case. They are rare editions."
"With the accent on the _rare_, no doubt."
"I am a student, pure and simple," said Jack, lowering his eyes.
"I wouldn't swear to those adjectives," returned the scalawag. "If Iremember, you had the reputation of being a high-jinks man in yourclass at Princeton."
"Sh! Don't you dare to drag forth any of those fool corpses of college,or out you go, bag and baggage." Jack glanced nervously around the roomand toward the hall.
"My dear fellow, your wife wouldn't believe me, no matter what I saidagainst your character. Isn't that right, Chuck? Jack, you are a luckydog, if there ever was one. A handsome wife who loves you, a kid, afine home, and plenty of horses. I wonder if you married her for hermoney?"
Jack's eyes narrowed. He seemed to muse. "Yes, I believe I can do it aseasily as I did fifteen years ago."
"Do what?" I asked.
"Wallop that kid brother of mine. Bob, I hope you'll fall desperatelyin love some day, and that you will have a devil of a time winning thegirl. You need something to stir up your vitals. By George! and I hopeshe won't have a cent of money."
"Lovable brother, that!" Bob knocked the ash from his cigar and essayedat laughter which wasn't particularly felicitous. "Supposing I was inlove, new, and that the girl had heaps of money, and all that?"
"_And all that_," mimicked the elder brother. "What does 'and all that'mean?"
"Oh, shut up!"
"Well, I hope you _are_ in love. It serves you right. You've made morethan one girl's heart ache, you good-looking ruffian!"
Then we switched over to politics, and Robert became an interestedlistener. Quarter of an hour later the women returned, and certainlythey made a picture which was most satisfactory to the masculine eye.Ah, thou eager-fingered Time, that shall, in days to come, wither theroses in my beauty's cheeks, dim the fire in my beauty's eyes, draw mybeauty's bow-lips inward, tarnish the golden hair, and gnarl theslender, shapely fingers, little shall I heed you in your passing ifyou but leave the heart untouched!
Bob jumped to his feet and kissed them both, a thing I lacked thecourage to do. How pleased they looked! How a woman loves flattery fromthose she loves!
Well, William is in front with the carriage; the women are putting ontheir cloaks, and I am admiring the luxurious crimson fur-lined garmentwhich brother Robert had sent to Nancy from Paris. You will see by thisthat he was not altogether a thoughtless lad. Good-by, Mr. Robert; Ileave you and your guiding-star to bolt the established orbit; forafter this night the world will never be the same careless,happy-go-lucky world. The farce has its tragedy, and what tragedy isfree of the ludificatory? Youth must run its course, even as the gay,wild brook must riot on its way to join the sober river.
I dare say that we hadn't been gone twenty minutes before Robert stoleout to the stables, only to return immediately with a bundle under hisarm and a white felt hat perched rakishly on his head. He was chucklingaudibly to himself.
"It will frighten the girls half to death. A gray horse and a bay; oh,I won't make any mistake. Let me see; I'll start about twelve o'clock.That'll get me on the spot just as the boys leave. This is the richestyet. I'll wager that there will be some tall screaming." He continuedchuckling as he helped himself to his brother's perfectos and fine oldScotch. I don't know what book he found in the private case; some oldrascal's merry tales, no doubt; for my hero's face was never in repose.
We had left Mrs. Secretary-of-the-Interior's and were entering the redbrick mansion on Connecticut Avenue. Carriages lined both sides of thestreet, and mounted police patrolled up and down.
"I do hope Bob will not wake up the baby," said Mrs. W.
"Probably he won't even take the trouble to look at him," replied Jack;"not if he gets into that private case of mine."
"I can't und
erstand what you men see in those horrid chronicles," Nancydeclared.
"My dear girl," said Jack, "in those days there were no historians;they were simply story-tellers, and we get our history from thesetales. The tales themselves are not very lofty, I am willing to admit;but they give us a general idea of the times in which the characterslived. This is called literature by the wise critics."
"Critics!" said I; "humph! Criticism is always a lazy man's job. Whenno two critics think alike, of what use is criticism?"
"Ah, yes; I forgot. That book of essays you wrote got several sounddrubbings. Nevertheless," continued Jack, "what you offer is in themain true. Time alone is the true critic. Let him put his mark ofapproval on your work, and not all the critical words can bury it orhinder its light. But Time does not pass his opinion till long afterone is dead. The first waltz, dearest, if you think you can stand it.You mustn't get tired, little mother."
"I am wonderfully strong to-night," said the little mother. "Howbeautifully it is arranged!"
"What?" we men asked, looking over the rooms.
"The figures on Mrs. Secretary-of-State's gown. The lace is beautiful.Your brother. Nan, has very good taste for a man. That cloak of yoursis by far the handsomest thing I have seen to-night; and that bit ofscarf he sent me isn't to be matched."
"Poor boy!" sighed Nancy. "I wonder if he'll be lonely. It's a shame toleave him home the very first night."
"Why didn't he come, then?" Mrs. W. shrugged her polished shoulders.
"Oh, my cigars and Scotch are fairly comforting," put in Jack,complacently. "Besides, Jane Isn't at all bad looking,"--winking at me."What do you say, Charlie?"
But Charlie had no time to answer. The gray-haired, gray-whiskeredambassador was bowing pleasantly to us. A dozen notable military andnaval attaches nodded; and we passed on to the ball-room, where theorchestra was playing _A Summer Night in Munich_. In a moment Jack andhis wife were lost in the maze of gleaming shoulders and white linen.It was a picture such as few men, once having witnessed it, can forget.Here were the great men in the great world: this man was an oldrear-admiral, destined to become the nation's hero soon; there, afamous general, of long and splendid service; celebrated statesmen,diplomats, financiers; a noted English duke; a scion of the Hapsburgfamily; an intimate of the German kaiser; a swart Jap; a Chinaman withhis peacock feather; tens of men whose lightest word was listened to bythe four ends of the world; representatives of all the great kingdomsand states. The President and his handsome wife had just left as wecame, so we missed that formality, which detracts from the pleasures ofthe ball-room.
"Who is that handsome young fellow over there, standing at the side ofthe Russian ambassador's wife?" asked Nancy, pressing my arm.
"Where? Oh, he's Count Karloff (or something which sounds like it), awealthy Russian, in some way connected with the Russian government; adiplomat and a capital fellow, they say. I have never met him. ...Hello! there's a stunning girl right next to him that I haven't seenbefore. ... Where are you going?"
Nancy had dropped my arm and was gliding kitty-corner fashion, acrossthe floor. Presently she and the stunning girl had saluted each otherafter the impulsive fashion of American girls, and were playingcat-in-the-cradle, to the amusement of those foreigners nearest. A nod,and I was threading my way to Nancy's side.
"Isn't it glorious?" she began. "This is Miss Annesley, Charlie; Betty,Mr. Henderson." Miss Annesley looked mildly curious at Nan, whosuddenly flushed. "We are to be married in the spring," she explainedshyly; and I dare say that there was a diffident expression on my ownface.
Miss Annesley gave me her hand, smiling. "You are a very fortunate man,Mr. Henderson."
"Not the shadow of a doubt!" Miss Annesley, I frankly admitted on thespot, was, next to Nancy, the handsomest girl I ever saw; and as Ithought of Mr. Robert in his den at home, I sincerely pitied him. I waswilling to advance the statement that had he known, a pair of crutcheswould not have kept him away from No. 1300 Connecticut Avenue.
I found three chairs, and we sat down. There was, for me, very littleopportunity to talk. Women always have so much to say to each other,even when they haven't seen each other within twenty-four hours. Fromtime to time Miss Annesley glanced at me, and I am positive that Nancywas extolling my charms. It was rather embarrassing, and I was ballingmy gloves up in a most dreadful fashion. As they seldom addressed aword to me, I soon became absorbed in the passing scene. I waspresently aroused, however.
"Mr. Henderson, Count Karloff," Miss Annesley was saying. (Karloff is aname of my own choosing. I haven't the remotest idea if it meansanything in the Russian language. I hope not.)
"Charmed!" The count's r's were very pleasantly rolled. I could see bythe way his gaze roved from Miss Annesley to Nancy that he was puzzledto decide which came the nearer to his ideal of womanhood.
I found him a most engaging fellow, surprisingly well-informed onAmerican topics. I credit myself with being a fairly good reader offaces, and, reading his as he bent it in Miss Annesley's direction, Ibegan to worry about Mr. Robert's course of true love. Here was a manwho possessed a title, was handsome, rich, and of assured socialposition: it would take an extraordinary American girl to look coldlyupon his attentions. By and by the two left us, Miss Annesley promisingto call on Nancy.
"And where are you staying, Betty?"
"Father and I have taken Senator Blank's house in Chevy Chase for thewinter. My horses are already in the stables. Do you ride?"
"I do."
"Then we shall have some great times together."
"Be sure to call. I want you to meet my brother."
"I believe I have," replied Miss Annesley.
"I mean my younger brother, a lieutenant in the Army."
"Oh, then you have two brothers?"
"Yes," said Nancy.
"The dance is dying, Mademoiselle," said the count in French.
"Your arm, Monsieur. _Au revoir,_ Nancy."
"Poor Bobby!" Nancy folded her hands and sighed mournfully. "It appearsto me that his love affair is not going to run very smooth. But isn'tshe just beautiful, Charlie? What color, what style!"
"She's a stunner, I'm forced to admit. Bob'll never stand a ghost of ashow against that Russian. He's a great social catch, and is backed bymany kopecks."
"How unfortunate we did not know that she would be here! Bobby wouldhave met her at his best, and his best is more to my liking than thecount's. He has a way about him that the women like. He's no laggard.But money ought not to count with Betty. She is worth at least aquarter of a million. Her mother left all her property to her, and herfather acts only as trustee. Senator Blank's house rents for eightthousand the season. It's ready furnished, you know, and one of thehandsomest homes in Washington. Besides, I do not trust thoseforeigners,"--taking a remarkably abrupt curve, as it were.
"What were you doing off your own box?" "Getting on thewrong box"--Act I.]
"There's two Bs in your bonnet, Nancy," I laughed.
"Never mind the Bs; let us have the last of this waltz."
This is not my own true story; so I shall bow off and permit my hero tofollow the course of true love, which is about as rough-going athoroughfare as the many roads of life have to offer.