The Irish standard. [volume], November 13, 1909, Image 3

About The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
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Van Torp and his man departed, just
as Potts appeared, accompanied by a
very neat-looking English stewardess
in a smart white cap. Lady Maud was
unusually silent, but she smiled pleas
antly at what Margaret said, and the
latter made up her mind to drown her
anger against Logotheti, and at the
same time be avenged on him, in an
orgy of luxurious comfort, sea-air, and
gunshine. The capacity of a perfectly
iiealthy and successful singer for en
joying everything, from a halfpenny
bun and a drive in a hansom to a mil
lionaire's yacht and the most expen
sive fat of the land, or sea, has never
been measured. And if they do have
terrible fits of temper now and then,
who shall blame them? They are al
ways sorry for It, because it is bad
for the voice.
Mr. Van Torp reached his quarters,
and prepared to scrub and dress com
fortably after a week at Bayreuth and
a railroad journey.
Lady Maud did not begin to dress at
once, as there was plenty of time be
fore dinner she left the stewardess to
unpack her things, and came out upon
the six-foot gangway outside her cab
in door to breathe the air, for it was
warm. The city lay half a mile away
in the afterglow of the sunset.
But she felt none of that healthy
pleasure which a lovely sight naturally
gave her. She was at a crisis of her
life, and the exquisite evening scene
was the battlefield of a coming strug
gle, with herself, or with another, she
hardly knew, hi half an hour, or in
an hour, at most, she was to sit at ta
ble with a man she fully believed to
be the husband for whom she had
been wearing mourning, out of mere
decency, but with the profound inward
satisfaction of being free.
She had already come to the conclu
sion that if Kralinsky was really Ley
She Burled Her Handsome Face in
the Splendid Flowers.
en, the latter had seised the opportu
nity offered him by his own supposed
death to disappear from St. Peters
burg, and had taken another name.
Leven had been a ruined man when
he had tried to divorce her when he
died, or disappeared, he left nothing
but debts, which were extinguished
with him, for no one attempted to
make his widow responsible for them,
since there was no estate and she had
no fortune beyond the allowance her
father made her. Lord Creedmore was
far from being a rich peer, too, and
what he gave her was not much, al
though it would more than suffice for
her simple wants, now that she in
tended to live with him again.
But if Leven had not been killed and
had turned into Kralinsky, he now
had plenty of ready money, though
it was not easy to guess how he had
obtained possession of a quantity of
valuable Asiatic rubies within the few
weeks that had elapsed between his
supposed destruction by the bomb and
the date of Van Torp's transaction
with him In New York. That was a
mystery. So was his possible acquaint
ance, or connection, with the eastern
girl who was looking for him, If there
was a shadow of truth in Logotheti's
story. Lady Maud did not believe
there was, and she felt morally sure
that the tale had evolved itself out of
the Greek's fertile brain, as a fantas
tic explanation of his atrocious con
duct.
While she was thinking over these
matters and rehearsing in her
thoughts the scene that was before
her, she saw a gondola making
straight for the yacht across the fast
fading green of the lagoon that lay
between the vessel and the Piazzetta.
It came nearer, and she drew back
from the rail against her cabin door,
under the shadow of the promenade
deck, which extended over the gang
way and was supported by stanchions,
as on an ocean liner. The Lancashire
Lass, with her single yellow funnel,
her one short signal mast, her turret
shaped wheel-house, and her generally
business-like appearance, looked mora
like a cross between a fast modern
cruiser, and an ocean "greyhound"
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than like "a private yacht. She even
had a couple of quick-firing guns
mounted just above her rail.
Lady Maud looked at the gondola,
and as it came still nearer, she saw
that it brought only one passenger,
and that he had a fair beard. She
quietly opened her cabin door, and
went in to dress for dinner.
Meanwhile Mr. Van Torp had com
pleted his toilet, and sent for the cap
tain.
"I suppose you're ready at any mo
ment, captain?" inquired the million
aire.
"Yes, sir. The pilot is on board,
and the gentleman you expected is
just coming alongside."
"Then you can start now," said the
owner, after a moment's thought.
"Where are we bound, sir?"
"Oh, well, I don't know. I wanted
to say a few words about that, cap
tain. Do you happen to know anything
about a yacht called the Erinna, be
longing to a Mr. Logotheti, a Greek
gentleman who lives in Paris?"
"Yes, sir," answered Capt. Brown,
for it was a part of his business to
read the yachting news. "She was at
Cowes when we sailed. She was re
ported the other day from Gibraltar as
having entered the Mediterranean aft
er taking fresh provisions, owner and
party on board. There is no further
word of her."
"Well," said Mr. Van Torp, "I have
an idea she's gone to Naples, but I
want you to find her right away wher
ever she is, owner and party on board.
That's all, captain. If you happen to
see her anywhere, you just come and
tell me if I'm alone, and if I'm not, why
send one of your young men to say
you want to know something—any
thing you happen to think of, and I'll
come to your room and tell you what
to do. See? That's all, and now let's
start, please."
"All right, sir."
When the party assembled In the
deck saloon for dinner, Lady Maud
was missing. Stemp, who did not
intend that his master should dine
without his personal attention, no mat
ter how much the chief steward might
object to his presence, approached Mr.
Van Torp and whispered something.
Lady Maud begged that the party
would sit down without her, and she
would join them in a moment.
So they took their places, and the
vacant one was on the owner's right,
between him and the prima donna.
"You see," said Mr. Van Torp, ex
plaining to Mrs. Rushmore, which was
wholly unnecessary, "we are Ameri
cans, and this ship is America, so the
English guest goes first."
But Mrs. Rushmore knew these
things, for she was used to handling
lions in numbers and the little lions
and the middle-sized ones are very
particular about their places at table,
but the great big ones do not care
"one dingle Sam," as Mr. Van Torp
would have elegantly expressed their
Indifference. For he was a great big
lion himself.
"Did you ever meet Lady Maud?"
he Inquired, speaking to Kralinsky.
"Which Lady Maud?" asked the for
eigner in his rather oily voice. "There
are several."
"Countess Leven, who was Lady
Maud Foxwell," explained Mrs. Rush
more.
Kralinsky turned quietly to her, his
single eyeglass fixed and glittering.
"No," he answered. "I knew poor
Leven well, but I was never intro
duced to his wife. I have heard that
she'is very beautiful."
"You say you knew the late Count
Leven?" observed Mrs. Rushmore,
with an encouraging and interrogatory
smile.
"Intimately," answered Kralinsky
with perfect self-possession. "We were
In the same regiment in the Caucasus.
I dare say you remember that he be
gan life as a cavalry officer and then
entered the diplomacy. Gifted man,
very," the Russian added in a thought
ful tone, "but no balance! It seems
to me that I have heard he did not
treat his wife very well."
Mr. Van Torp had met several very
cool characters In his interesting and
profitable career, but he thought that
If the man before him was Leven him
self, as he seemed to b.e, he beat them
all for calm effrontery.
"Were you ever told that'yon looked
like him?" asked Mr. Van Torp care
lessly.
Even at this question Kralinsky
showed no embarrassment.
"To tell the truth," he replied, "I re
member that one or two in the regi
ment saw a slight resemblance, and
we were of nearly the same height, I
should say. But when I last saw
Leven he did not wear a beard."
At this point Lady Maud came In
quietly and made directly for the va
cant place. The two men rose as soon
as she appeared, and she found her
self face to face with Kralinsky, with
the table between them. Their eyes
met, but Lady Maud could not detect
the slightest look of recognition In his.
Van Torp introduced him, and also
watched his face narrowly, but there
was not the least change of expres
sion, nor any^uick. glance».of surprise.
Yet "Krallhsky possibly d?d hot know
that Lady Maud was on the yacht,
for he had not been told previously
that she was to be of the party, and In
the short conversation which had pre
ceded her appearance, no one had
actually mentioned the fact. She her
self had come to dinner late with the
express purpose of presenting herself
before him suddenly, but she had to
admit that the intended surprise did I
not take place.
She was not astonished, however,
for she had more than once seen her
husband placed in very difficult situ
ations, from which he had generally
extricated himself by his amazing
power of concealing the truth. Being I
seated nearly opposite to him, it was
not easy to study his features without
seeming either to stare at him rudely
or to be bestowing more attention on
him than on any of the others. Hdr
eyes were very good, and her memory
for details was fair, and if she did
not look often at his face, she watched
his hands and listened to the intona
tions of his voice, and her conviction
that he was Leven grew during din
ner. Yet there was still a shadow of
doubt, though she could not have told
exactly where It lay.
She longed to lead him into a trap
by asking some question to which if
he were Leven, he would know the an
swer, though not if he were any one
else, a question to which he would not
hesitate to reply unsuspectingly if the
answer were known to him. But Lady
Maud was not ingenious in such
Margaret was in the best of spirits,
and talked more than usual, not stop
ping to think how Van Torp's mere
presence would have chilled and si
lenced her three or four months
earlier.
On the whole it was a gay dinner,
and Mrs. Rushmore and Kralinsky
knew that it was a very good one, and
told each other so afterward as they
walked slowly up and down the great
promenade deck in the starlight. For
people who are very fond of good eat
ing can chatter pleasantly about their
food for hours, recalling the recent de
lights of a perfect chaud-froid or a
faultless sauce and it was soon evl-
Their Eyes Met.
dent that there was nothing connect
ed with such subjects which Kralin
sky did not understand and appreci
ate, from a Chinese blrd's-nest soup to
the rules of the great Marie-Antblne
Careme and Brillat-Savarin's "Physi
ology of Taste." Kralinsky also knew
everybody.' Between gastronomy and
society, he appeared to Mrs. Rush
more to know everything there was
to be known.
Lady Maud caught snatches of the
conversation as the two came near
her, and then turned back and she re
membered that Leven used to talk on
the same subjects with elderly women
on whom he wished to make a pleas
ant impression. The voice was his,
too, and yet she knew she had a doubt
somewhere, a very small doubt, which
it was a sort of slow torture to feel
was still unsatisfied.
Mr. Van Torp sat between her and
Lady Margaret, while the two others
walked. The deep-.cushloned straw
chairs stood round a low fixed table
on which there had been coffee, and at
Margaret's request the light had been
put out, though it was only a small,
opalescent one, placed under the awn
ing abaft the wheel-house and bridge.
"We must be going very fast," said
Lady Maud," for the sea is flat as a
millpond, and yet there's a gale as
soon as one gets out of the lee of
things."
"She's doing 22, I believe," replied
Van Torp.. "and. she can
THE IRISH STANDARD. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1909.
COK
versational tricks, and could not think
of anything that would do.
The outward difference of appear
ance between him and the man she
had married was so small that she
could assuredly not have sworn in ev
idence that Kralinsky was not her
husband. There was the beard, and
she had not seen Leven with a beard
since the first months of her mar
riage four years ago, when he had cut
it off for some reason known only to
himself. Of course a recollection, al
ready four years old, could not be
trusted like one that dated only as far
back as three months for he had left
her not long before his supposed
death.
There were the hands, and there
was the left hand especially. That
might be the seat of the doubt. Pos
sibly she had 'never noticed that
Leven had a way of keeping his left
little finger almost constantly crooked
and turned inward as if it were lame.
But she was not sure even of that,
for she was not one of those people
who study the hands of every one they
know, and can recognize them at a
glance. She had certainly never
watched her husband's as closely as
she was watching Kralinsky's now.
*a
if
pressed. She will, by and by, when
she gets warmed up."
"Where are we going?" Margaret
asked. "At this rate we are sure to
get somewhere!"
I don know where we're going
I'm sure." The millionaire smiled in
the gloom. "But as jou say, it doesn't
take more than five minutes to get
somewhere in a ship like this."
"You must have told the captain
what you wanted him to do! You
must have given some orders!"
"Why, certainly. I told him to look
around and see If he could find anoth
er yacht like this anywhere in the
Mediterranean. So hp's just looking
around, like that, I suppose. And if
he finds another yacht anything like
this, we'll see which of us can go fast
est. You see I don't know anything
about ships, or where to o, so I just
thought of that way of passing the
time, and when you're tired of rushing
about and want to go anywhere in par
ticular, why, I'll take you there. If
the weather cuts up we'll go in some
where and wait, and see things on
shore. Will that do?"
Margaret laughed at the vagueness
of such a roving commission, but Lady
Maud looked toward her friend in the
starlight and tried to see his expres
sion. for she was sure that he had a
settled plan in his mind, which he
would probably put into execution.
She rose. "Do you roina very much
if I go to bed. I'm rather sleepy after
the journey. Oh, I mustn't forget to
tell you," she added, speaking to Mar
garet, "I always lock my door at
night, so don't be surprised! If you
want to come in and talk when you
come down just call, or knock, and I'll
let you in directly."
"All right," Margaret answered.
Lady Maud disappeared below, leav
ing the two together, for Mrs. Rush
more and Kralinsky had found a pleas
ant sheltered place to sit, further aft,
and the Count was explaining to the
good American lady the delicious Rus
sian mysteries of "Borshtsh," "Shtshi,"
"Kasha," and "Smyetany," after ex
tolling the unapproachable flavor of
fresh sturgeon's roe, and explaining
that "caviare" Is not at all the Rus
sian name for it and is not even a
Russian word and Mrs. Rushmore lis
tened with intense interest and stood
up for her country, on a basis of
Blue Point oysters, planked shad, can
vas-backs, and terrapin done in the
Philadelphlan manner, which she
maintained to be vastly superior to
the Baltimorlan and each listened to
the other with real Interest.
Van Torp and Margaret had not
been alone together for five minutes
since they had left Hayreuth on the
previous day, but Instead of talking,
after Lady Maud was gone, the prima
donna began to sing very sofUy and
beautifully—nothing grand nor very
difficult not the waltz-song that had
made her famous, nor the "Good Fri
day" music .yrhich she could never
sing to the world, but sweet old me
lodious songs slie had learned when
a girl Ehubert's "Serenade" and "Ave
Maria," and Tosti's."Malia," and then
Beethoven's "Adelaide and Van
Torp was silent and perfectly happy,
as well he might be.
When she bid Van Torp good-night
she pressed his hand frankly, as she
had never done before, but he took
np sudden advantage of what he felt
in her touch, and he returned the
pressure so discreetly that she was
almost disappointed, though not quite,
for there was just, a little something
more than usual there.
She did not disturb Lady Maud,
either, when she went to her cabin,
though if Bhe had known that her
beautiful neighbor was wide awake
"and restless, she would at least have
said good-night and asked her If she
was still so very tired.
But Lady Maud slept, too, at last,
though not very long, and was the
only one who appeared at breakfast
to keep Van Torp company, for Mar
garet. slept the sleep of a singer,
which is deep and long as that of the
healthy dormouse, and Mrs. Rush
more had her first tea and toast hap
pily in her cheerful surroundings of
pink and gilding. As for Kralinsky,
his man informed Stemp and the chief
steward that the count never thought
of getting up till between nine and
ten o'clock, when he took a cup of
chocolate and a slice or two of sponge
cake in his own room before dressing.
So Lady Maud and Van Torp had the
yacht to themselves for some time
that morning.
"I fancy from what you said last
night that your plan Is to catch Lo
gotheti and the Tartar girl at sea,"
said Lady Maud, when they were
alone.
"I supposed you'd understand," an
swered Van Torp. "Do you see any
harm In that? It occurred to me that
It might be quite a drastic form of
demonstration. How does It strike
you? At all low-down?"
"No, frankly not!" Lady Maud was
still incensed at Logotheti's conduct.
"A man who does such things de
serves anything that his rival can do
to him. I hope you may overhaul the
yacht, runalongside of her and show
Margaret the two, making love to
each other in Tartar on deck! That's
the least that ought to happen to
him!"
"Thank you. I like to hear you talk
like that. Capt. Brown will do
hiB
level best, I think. And now, tell me,"
he lowered his voice a little more,
"Is that man Leven, or not?"
"I am sure he is," Lady Maud an
swered, "and yet I feel as if there ought
to be a little doubt still. I don't know
how to express it, for it's rather an
odd sensation."
"I should think It might be! Is
there anything I can say or do? I'll
ask the man any question you sug
gest. I'm certain he's not old Levi
Longlegs,.and If he's not Leven, who
on earth Is he? That's what I should
like to know."
^m-^.
VI shall find out, never fear! 'I
know I shall, because I must, If I am
ever to have any peace again. I'm not
a very nervous person, you know, am
I? But It's more than I can bear long,
to sit opposite a man at table, again
and again, as I shall have to, and not
be sure whether he'B my husband,
come back from the dead, or some
one else!" She paused, and her noB
trils dilated a little, but Van Torp
only nodded slowly and sympathetic
ally. "I mean to know before go to
bed to-night," she said, with a little
desperation In her voice. "I shall talk
to him till I am sure of one thing or
the other. At table, I cannot tell, but
If we are alone together I know I can
settle the question. If you see that
we are talking at the other end of
the deck, try to keep Mrs. Rushmore
and Margaret from coming near us.
Will you?"
To Mrs. Rushmore's amazement
and Margaret's surprise, Lady Maud
made a dead set at Kralinsky all that
day. an attention which he seemed
to appreciate as it deserved. Before
breakfast was over, Van Torp had re
peated to her what Kralinsky had
said about having formerly keen In
timate with Leven, and Lady Ma«4
took this statement as a basis of op
erations for finding out just how much
he knew of her own life she judged
that if he were not Leven himself, he
must soon betray the fact by his igno
rance.
That was the strangest day she had
ever passed. She found it very easy
to talk to Kralinsky, as it always is
when there has been long familiarity,
even if it has been only the familiar
Intercourse of domestic discord. He
knew many details of her life In Lon
don. That was clear after half an
hour's conversation. She alluded to
the idle talk there had been about her
and Van Torp Kralinsky knew all
about that and had heard, as he said,
some silly story about Leven having
found her with the American in cer
tain rooms in the Temple, and about
an envelope which was said to have
contained over four thousand and one
hundred pounds in bank-notes. He
politely scouted the story as non
sense, but he had heard it, and Lady
Maud knew that every word of It was
true. He knew of Leven's unsuccess
ful attempt to divorce her on that
ground, too, and he knew the num
ber of her house in Charles street,
Berkeley square.
On the other hand, there were
many things of which he knew noth
ing, or pretended to be ignorant, such
as the names of her brothers and sis
ters, her father's favorite pursuits
and the like. But she understood very
well that if he thought she suspected
his Identity under the disguise of his
beard, and If he wished to avoid re
cognition, he was just the man to pre
tend blank ignorance of some vital
matters, after admitting his acquaint
ance with many others. He had been
very intimate with Leven, to the last,
he said Leven had always written
to him very fully about his life, very
wittily sometimes, but always without
balance! That was it he had no "bal
ance." Yes, he himself had been in
Petersburg when Leven was killed
and had seen him on the previous
day. Within a week he had made a
rapid trip to New York, whence he
had now just returned. He had
crossed on five-day boats both going
and coming, and he named them.
"I am naturally Interested in meet
ing any one who knew my husband so
well," Lady Maud said, making a bold
dash at a possibility. "We had many
differences, as you seem to know, but
I dare say that If he could come back
to life and know the real truth, we
should forgive each other."
She looked up to him with a gentle
smile as she said this, for she had
often felt it and In that instant a
flash of light came into his usually
rather uncertain
eyeB.
Her heart stood
still she looked at the sea again di
rectly, for she was leaning against the
rail then she drew breath, as If from
an effort. She had seen a look that
could only mean Recognition. Leven
was alive and was standing beside
her. But she had the courage to go
on talking, after a moment, an'd she
tried to change the subject, thought
not very adroitly.
During the afternoon Mr. Van Torp
had a revelation, sudden and clear,
for he had watched Lady Maud and
Kralinsky all day and had thought
about them a good deal, considering
how his mind was occupied with other
matters even nearer to his heart than
bis best friend's welfare. As soon as
the revelation came upon him he rang
for his own man.
"Stemp, see here!" be begati.
"You've valeted around with all sorts
of different looking men. How long
does it take to grow a beard like
Count Kralinsky's?"
"A year, sir. Not a day less, and
longer with most gentlemen. If you
were thinking of It, sir—"
"You don't believe it could be man
aged in three months, by taking an
expert around with you to work on
your face?"
"That's out of the question, sir.
Gentlemen's beards that have shaved
all their lives, as I suppose you have,
sir, do grow faster, but I should con
sider a year a short time for such a
fine one as the count's. Indeeif I
should, sir."
"Do you suppose you could stick It
on fresh every day, the way they do
for the stage?"
"Not so that it wouldn't show in
broad daylight, sir."
"Well, that's all. I wasn't exactly
thinking of trying a beard. I was only
thinking—Just like that. What I rang
for was a cap. Got any more like this?
You see I've managed to get a spot
of Ink on this one. Had it on the
table when I was writing, I suppose.
That's the worst of white caps, they
spot so."
A little later, Mr. Van Torp was
looking- out ton- a ciiuu* to
alone wltR Lady Maud, and as soon
as he found his opportunity he told
her what Stemp had said. Strangely
enough, it had never occurred to him
that such a remarkable beard as Kra
linsky's must have taken a long time
to grow, and that Leven, who had
none, had not left London more than
three months ago. He watched the
effect of this statement on his friend's
face, but to his surprise she remained
grave and sad.
"I cannot help it," she said In a
tone of conviction. "He must be
Leven, Whatever Stemp tells you about
his beard."
"Well, then R's a false beard, and
will come off," observed Mr. Van
Torp, with at least equal gravity.
"Stemp says that's impossible, but he
must be wrong, unless you are."
"It's real," Lady Maud said, "and
he is my husband. I've talked to him
all day, and he knows things about
my life that no one else could, and if
there are others about which he is
vague, that must be because he is
pretending, and does not want to
show that he knows everything."
Van Torp shook his head, but re
mained unconvinced Lady Maud did
not change her mind either, and was
already debating with herself as to
whether it would not be really wiser
to speak out and tell Kralinsky that
she had recognized him under his
transparent disguise. She felt that
she must know the worst, if she was
ever to reBt again.
Neither Margaret nor Mrs. Rush
more had ever seen Leven, and they
Then Suddenly Slipped Into the Re
cess.
had not the least idea of what was
really going on under their eyes. They
only saw that Lady Maud was making
a dead set at the count, and if Mar
garet wondered whether she had mis
judged her friend's character, the el
der lady had no doubt as to what was
happening.
"My dear child," she said to Mar
garet, "your friend Is going to console
herself. Widows of that age general
ly do, my dear. I myself could never
understand how one could marry
again. I should always feel that dear
Mr. Rushmore was In the room. It
quite makes me blush to think of It!
Yet it is an undeniable fact that many
young widows marry again. Mark
my words, Margaret, your friend Is
going to console herself before long.
If It is not this one. It will bo an
other. My dear, I am quite positive
about It."
When the sun went down that even
ing'the yacht had passed OU'anto and
the cape, and her course had been
changed to head her for Cape Spartl
vento and the Straits of Messina,
having done in 24 hours as much as
the little Italian mall steamers do in
48, and nearly half as much again as
the Erinna could have done at her
highest speed. As Mr. Van Torp had
predicted, his engines had "warmed
up," and were beating their own
record. The gale made by the vessel's
way was stronger than a woman could
stand In with any regard to her ap
pearance, but as the weather contin
ued to be calm it was from dead
ahead, and there was plenty of shel
ter on the promenade deck abaft the
wheelhouse, on condition of not going
too near the rail.
After dinner Kralinsky and Mrs.
Rushmore walked a little, as on the
previous evening, and Lady Maud sat
with Margaret and Van Torp. But
before the two walkers went off to sit
down in the quiet corner they had
found yesterday, Lady Maud rose,
went half way aft, and deliberately
placed herself where they were obliged
to pass close to her at each turn,
standing and leaning against the
bright white side of the engine sky
light, which was as high as the wheel
house Itself, and broke in aft, where
the big ventilating fans were situated,
making a square corner inward.
She stood there, and as It was not
•ery dark In the clear starlight, Kra
linsky saw in passing that she fol
lowed his face with her eyes, turning
her head to look at him when he was
coming towards her, and turning it
•ery slowly back again as he came
near and went by. It was Impossible
to convey more clearly an invitation
to get rid of his companion and join
her, and he was the last man in the
world to misunderstand it.
But Mrs. Rushmore saw it too, and
as she considered him a lion, and
therefore entitled to have his own
way, she made it easy for him.
"My dear count," she said blandly,
after passing Lady Maud twice, "I
have really had enough now, and if
you will promise to finish your walk
alone, I think I will go and sit with
the others."
He left her with Margaret and Van
Torp and went back to Lady Maud,
who moved as he came up to her,
made., two ate.pa beside, hirp, And then
«*tfl*ltfBtp
JT
«X*"^
uddenfy" slipped iiito tBe recess
vhere the fanhouse joined the engine
skylight. She stood still, and he in
stantly ranged himself beside her.
They were quite out of sight of the
others, and of the bridge, and even it
it had been daylight they could not
have been seen except by some one
coming from aft.
"I want to speak to you," she said,
in a low, steady voice. "Please listen
quite quietly, for some of them may
begin to walk again."
Kralinsky bent his head twice, and
then inclined it towards her, to hear
better what she was going to say.
"It has pleased you to keep up this
comedy for 24 hours," she began.
He made a slight movement, which
was natural under the circumstances.
"I do not understand," he said, in
his oily voice. "What comedy? I real
ly have no—"
"Don't go on," she answered, inter*
rupting him sharply. -'Listen to what
I ain going to tell ymi, aai then de
cide what you will do. I don't think
your decision will make very much,
difference to me, but it will make a
difference to the world and to your
self. I saw
from a window when
you brought Mr. Van Torp to the
hotel in Bayreuth, and I recognized
you at once. Since this afternoon I
have no doubt left."
"1 never saw you till last night,"
said Kralinsky, with some little sur
prise in his tone, and with perfect as
surance.
"Do you really think you can de
ceive me any longer?" she asked. "I
told you this afternoon that If you
could come back from the dead, and
know tho truth, we should probably
forgive each other, though we had
many differences. Shall we?" She
paused a moment, and by his quick
change of position she saw that ha
was much moved. "I don't mean that
we should over go back to the old life,
for we were not suited to eae^t
other from the flret, you and I.
You wanted to marry me because I
was pretty and smart, and I n*B?$led
yo« beoeme I wanted to be, raiamfryt,
and you were better looking than
most men, and seemed to have what
thought was necessary—fortune and
a decent position. No, don't Interrupt
me. We soon found out that we dM
not care for each other. You went
your way, and I went mine. I don't
mean to reproach you, for when I
say you were beginning to be tired of
me I did nothing to keep you. I my
self was tired of it already. But what
ever you may have thought, I was
a faithful wife. Mr. Van Torp had
given me a great deal of money for
my charity, and does still. I can ac
count for it. I never used a penny of
It for myself, nnd never shall and
he never was, and never will be, any
more than a trusted friend. I don't
know why you chose to disappear
when the man who had your pocket
book was killed and you were said to
be dead. It's not my business, and If
you choose to go on living under an
other name, now that you are rieh
again, I shall not betray you, and few
people will recognize you, at least in
England, so long as you wear that
board. But you had it when we were
married, and I knew you at once, and
when I heard you were to be of the
party here, I made up my mind at
once that I would accept the invita
tion and come too, and speak to you
as I'm speaking now. When I be
lieved you were dead I forgave you
everything, though I was glad you
were gone frankly, I did not wish
you alive again, but since you are,
God forbid that I should wish you
dead. You owo me two things In ex
change for my forgiveness: First,
yours, if I treated you ungenerously
or unkindly and, secondly, you ought
to take back every word you ever said
to mo about Mr. Van Torp, for there
was not a shadow of truth in what
you thought. Will you do that? I
ask nothing else."
"Indeed I will, my dear Maud," said
Count Kralinsky, in a voice full of
emotion.
Lady Maud drew a long breath, that
trembled a little as It left her heated
lips again. She had done what she
believed most firmly to be right, and
It had not been easy. She had not
been surprised by his patient Bilence
while she had been talking for she
had felt that It was hers to speak and
his to listen.
"Thank you," she said now. "I shall
never go back to what I have said*
and neither of us need ever allude
old times again during this trip. II
will not last long, for I shall probably
go home by land from the first port1
we touch, and it Is not likely that wei
shall ever meet again. If we do, Ii
shall behave as if you were Count'
Kralinsky, whom I have met abroad,
neither more nor less. I suppose you
will have conscience enough not to
marry. Perhaps, If I thought another
woman's happiness depended on it, I
would consent to divorce you, but you
shall never divorce me."
"No power could make me wish to,"
Kralinsky answered, still deeply
moved. "I was mad in those days,
Maud I was beside myself, between
my debts and my entanglements with
women not fit to touch your shoes.
I've seen it all since. That is the chief
reason why I chose to disappear from
society when I had the chance, and
become some one else! I swear to
you, on my mother's soul in heaven,
that I thought of nothing but that—
to set you free and begin life over
again as another man. No thought of
marrying has ever crossed my mind!
Do you think I could be as bad as
that? But I'm not defending myself
—how could I? All the right Is on
your side, and all the wrong on mine.
And now—I would give heaven and
earth to undo it all and to come back
to you!"
Lady Maud drew as far as she could
into the corner where the fanhouse
joined the engine skylight. She had
not ejected this: it was too Tsunh
(To be Continued.)