按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Can't you see me？〃 answered Mellin hilariously； entering with
Madame de Vaurigard； who was rosy with laughter。 〃Peculiar thing
to look at a man and not see him。〃
Candles were lit in many sconces on the walls； and the card…table
had been pushed to the centre of the room； little towers of blue；
white and scarlet counters arranged upon it in orderly rows like
miniature castles。
〃Now； then；〃 demanded Cooley； 〃are the ladies goin' to play？〃
〃Never！〃 cried Madame de Vaurigard。
〃All right；〃 said the youth cheerfully； 〃you can look on。 Come and
sit by me for a mascot。〃
〃You'll need a mascot； my boy！〃 shouted Pedlow。 〃That's right；
though； take her。〃
He pushed a chair close to that in which Cooley had already seated
himself； and Madame de Vaurigard dropped into it； laughing。
〃Mellin； you set there；〃 he continued； pushing the young man into
a seat opposite Cooley。 〃We'll give both you young fellers a
mascot。〃 He turned to Lady Mount…Rhyswicke； who had gone to the
settee by the fire。 〃Madge； you come and set by Mellin；〃 he
commanded jovially。 〃Maybe he'll forget you ain't a widow again。〃
〃I don't believe I care much about bein' anybody's mascot to…night；〃
she answered。 There was a hint of anger in her tired monotone。
〃What？〃 He turned from the table and walked over to the fireplace。
〃I reckon I didn't understand you；〃 he said quietly； almost gently。
〃You better come； hadn't you？〃
She met his inscrutable little eyes steadily。 A faint redness
slowly revealed itself on her powdered cheeks； then she followed
him back to the table and took the place he had assigned to her
at Mellin's elbow。
〃I'll bank；〃 said Pedlow； taking a chair between Cooley and the
Italian； 〃unless somebody wants to take it off my hands。 Now；
what are we playing？〃
〃Pokah；〃 responded Sneyd with mild sarcasm。
〃Bravo！〃 cried Mellin。 〃That's ~my~ game。 Ber…~ravo！~〃
This was so far true： it was the only game upon which he had ever
ventured money； he had played several times when the wagers were
allowed to reach a limit of twenty…five cents。
〃You know what I mean； I reckon；〃 said Pedlow。 〃I mean what we
are playin' ~fer~？〃
〃Twenty…five franc limit；〃 responded Cooley authoritatively。
〃Double for jacks。 Play two hours and settle when we quit。〃
Mellin leaned back in his chair。 〃You call that high？〃 he asked；
with a sniff of contempt。 〃Why not double it？〃
The fat man hammered the table with his fist delightedly。 〃'He's
game；' she says。 'He's the gamest little Indian ever come down
the big road！' she says。 Was she right？ What？ Maybe she wasn't！
We'll double it before very long； my boy； this'll do to start on。
There。〃 He distributed some of the small towers of ivory counters
and made a memorandum in a notebook。 〃There's four hundred apiece。〃
〃That all？〃 inquired Mellin； whereupon Mr。 Pedlow uproariously
repeated Madame de Vaurigard's alleged tribute。
As the game began； the intelligent…looking maid appeared from the
dining…room； bearing bottles of whisky and soda； and these she
deposited upon small tables at the convenience of the players；
so that at the conclusion of the first encounter in the gentle
tournament there was material for a toast to the gallant who had
won it。
〃Here's to the gamest Indian of us all；〃 proposed the fat man。
〃Did you notice him call me with a pair of tens？ And me queen…
high！〃
Mellin drained a deep glass in honor of himself。 〃On my soul； Chan'
Pedlow； I think you're the bes' fellow in the whole world；〃 he said
gratefully。 〃Only trouble with youyou don't want to play high
enough。〃
He won again and again； adding other towers of counters to his
original allotment； so that he had the semblance of a tiny castle。
When the cards had been dealt for the fifth time he felt the light
contact of a slipper touching his foot under the table。
That slipper； he decided （from the nature of things） could belong to
none other than his Helene； and even as he came to this conclusion
the slight pressure against his foot was gently but distinctly
increased thrice。 He pressed the slipper in return with his shoe；
at the same time giving Madame de Vaurigard a look of grateful
surprise and tenderness； which threw her into a confusion so
evidently genuine that for an unworthy moment he had a jealous
suspicion she had meant the little caress for some other。
It was a disagreeable thought； and； in the hope of banishing it；
he refilled his glass； but his mood had begun to change。 It seemed
to him that Helene was watching Cooley a great deal too devotedly。
Why had she consented to sit by Cooley； when she had promised to
watch Robert Russ Mellin？ He observed the pair stealthily。
Cooley consulted her in laughing whispers upon every discard； upon
every bet。 Now and then； in their whisperings； Cooley's hair touched
hers； sometimes she laid her hand on his the more conveniently to
look at his cards。 Mellin began to be enraged。 Did she think that
puling milksop had as much as a shadow of the daring； the devilry；
the carelessness of consequences which lay within Robert Russ Mellin？
〃Consequences？〃 What were they？ There were no such things！ She
would not look at himwell； he would make her！ Thenceforward he
raised every bet by another to the extent of the limit agreed upon。
Mr。 Cooley was thoroughly happy。 He did not resemble Ulysses； he
would never have had himself bound to the mast； and there were
already sounds of unearthly sweetness in his ears。 His conferences
with his lovely hostess easily consoled him for his losses。 In
addition； he was triumphing over the boaster； for Mr。 Pedlow； with
a very ill grace and swearing （not under his breath）； was losing
too。 The Countess； reiterating for the hundredth time that Cooley
was a 〃wicked one；〃 sweetly constituted herself his cup…bearer；
kept his glass full and brought him fresh cigars。
Mellin dealt her furious glances； and filled his own glass； for
Lady Mount…Rhyswicke plainly had no conception of herself in the
role of a Hebe。 The hospitable Pedlow； observing this neglect；
was moved to chide her。
〃Look at them two cooing doves over there；〃 he said reproachfully；
a jerk of his bulbous thumb indicating Madame de Vaurigard and her
young protege。 〃Madge； can't you do nothin' fer our friend the
Indian？ Can't you even help him to sody？〃
〃Oh； perhaps；〃 she answered with the slightest flash from her tired
eyes。 Then she nonchalantly lifted Mellin's replenished glass from
the table and drained it。 This amused Cooley。
〃I like that！〃 he chuckled。 〃That's one way of helpin' a feller！
Helene； can you do any better than that？〃
〃Ah； this dear； droll Cooley！〃
The tantalizing witch lifted the youth's glass to his lips and let
him drink； as a mother helps a thirsty child。 〃~Bebe！~〃 she laughed
endearingly。
As the lovely Helene pronounced that word； Lady Mount…Rhyswicke was
leaning forward to replace Mellin's empty glass upon the table。
〃I don't care whether you're a widow or not！〃 he shouted furiously。
And he resoundingly kissed her massive shoulder。
There was a wild shout of laughter； even the imperturbable Sneyd
（who had continued to win steadily） wiped tears from his eyes； and
Madame de Vaurigard gave way to intermittent hysteria throughout
the ensuing half…hour。
For a time Mellin sat grimly observing this inexplicable merriment
with a cold smile。
〃Laugh on！〃 he commanded with bitter satire； some ten minutes after
play had been resumedand was instantly obeyed。
Whereupon his mood underwent another change； and he became convinced
that the world was a warm and kindly place； where it was good to
live。 He forgot that he was jealous of Cooley and angry with the
Countess； he liked everybody again； especially Lady Mount…Rhyswicke。
〃Won't you sit farther forward？〃 he begged her earnestly； 〃so that
I can see your beautiful golden hair？〃
He heard but dimly the spasmodic uproar that followed。 〃Laugh on！〃
he repeated with a swoop of his arm。 〃I don't care！ Don't you care
either； Mrs。 Mount…Rhyswicke。 Please sit where I can see your
beautiful golden hair。 Don't be afraid I'll kiss you again。 I
wouldn't do it for the whole world。 You're one of the noblest women
I ever knew。 I feel that's true。 I don't know how I know it； but
I know it。 Let 'em laugh！〃
After this everything grew more and more hazy to him。 For a time
there was； in the centre of the haze； a nimbus of light which
revealed his cards to him and the towers of chips which he constantly
called for and which as constantly disappearedlike the towers of
a castle in Spain。 Then the haze thickened； and the one thing clear
to him was a phrase from an old…time novel he had read long ago：
〃Debt of honor。〃
The three words appeared to be written in flames against a
background of dense fog。 A debt of honor was as promissory note
which had to be paid on Monday； and the appeal to the obdurate
grandfathera peer of England； the Earl of Mount…Rhyswicke； in
factwas made at midnight； Sunday。 The fog grew still denser；
lifted for a moment while he wrote his name many times on slips of
blue paper； closed down once more； and again liftedout…of…doors
this ti