Show The H L A Story torY About Abot an ang Ex Ex- Experiment g l S V With Life i S By E. E JP S JP THE PRINCE OF SEYRE AND CALAVERA THE DANCER CONSPIRE TO ENTICE JOHN FROM HIS HONORABLE LOVE OF DAINTY LOUISE MAUREL Synopsis Louise Louise Maurel famous actress making a motor tour of ot rural England was v obliged ed when her car broke down to spend the night at the ancestral home of Stephen and John bachelor woman woman haters haters In the Cumberland district Before she left the next day she had bad captivated John Three months later Inter he went to London and looked her up She Introduced him to her friends among them a and playwright and Sophy Gerard a light light hearted hearted little actress John puritanical In his bis views entered the gay bohemian n life of the city with enthusiasm It was soon seen that John and the prince of Seyre were I rivals for the heart and hand of ot Louise Sophy also loved John secretly i XII CHAPTER 7 71 7 71 1 Seyre House was one of the few mansions mansions mansions man man- in London which boasted a banqueting banqueting banqueting ban ban- hall ball as well as a picture gallery gallery gal gal- lery Although the long table was laid for forty guests it still stUl seemed with ith S Its shaded lights and its profusion of flowers like an oasis of color in the S middle of the huge somberly lighted apartment Some of the faces of the guests were well well known known to John through their published photographs to others he had been presented by bythe bythe the prince upon t their arrival He was seated between a young American star f T of musical comedy and a lady who had Ii only recently dropped from the social social so so- 1 cial firmament through the medium of oj the divorce court to return to the theater theater theater the the- ater of her earlier fame Both showed Y every desire to converse with him bec between between be be- c tween the Intervals of eating and drinking but were constantly brought j c to to a pause by Johns John's lack of knowledge of current topics After her third glass of champagne the lady who had rec recently been a countess announced her Intention of taking him under her wing i Someone must tell you all about I r things she insisted What you need I i Is a guide and a chaperon Wont Won't I Ido Ido I do he Perfectly agreed Fair play l I protested the young lady on his left whose name v was was vas as Rosie Bosie Sharon I spoke to him him first I Jolly bad luck luckl Lord Amerton drawled from frem the other side of the table Neither of you have an earth earth- 5 him bim out with ly Hes He's booked Saw Sav ti her the other evening I shant eat any more supper Rosie Bosie Sharon pouted pushing away her her plate You ought to have told us about j. j 5 her at once the lady who had been a countess declared severely Z John preserved his equanimity It is to be e presumed he murmured that you ladles ladies are both free from t- t any present attachment Got you there I Amerton chuckled f What about Billy Rosie Bosie Sharon sighed We dont don't come to the princes prince's supper supper supper sup sup- per parties to remember our ties she declared Lets all go on talking nonsense nonsense nonsense non non- sense please Even if my heart is broken I could never resist the princes prince's s 's pate I Apparently everyone was of the same mind The hum of laughter steadily stead stead- lly ily grew Under Under shelter of the fire of conversation the prince leaned toward toward toward to to- ward his companion and reopened their previous discussion Do you know he began I am inclined Inclined Inclined In In- to be somewhat disappointed by your lack of enthusiasm in a certain direction 1 I II I have disappointed many men In my time she replied Do you doubt my power now that I have promised to exercise it Who could he be replied courteously Yet this young man poses I 1 believe as something of a St St. Anthony He may give you trouble He H Is then what you call a prig A most complete and perfect specimen specimen sped sped- men even In this nation of prigs I All that you tell me she sighed makes the enterprise seem easier Itis It ItIs ItIs Is after all aU rather like the lioness and the mouse isn't It The prince made no reply but upon his lips there lingered a faintly Incredulous incredulous Incredulous ulous smile The woman by his side leaned back in her place She had 5 1 the air of accepting the challenge After supper she said we will see IA I A single chord of ot music in a minor key floated across tl the e room soft at first swelling later into a volume of sound then dying away a and ceasing altogether Every light In the place was suddenly extinguished There remained remained remained re re- re- re only the shaded lamps overhanging overhanging overhanging over over- hanging the pictures Not a whisper was heard In tn the room John looking around m in astonishment was conscious only of the suppressed half breathing of or the tIle themen themen men and women who lined the WAllis or were were still stIn standing in little groups at atthe atthe Ithe the end of the thelong long hall ball Again there came the music this time merged in aglow alow but insistent clamor of other Ins In- In s Then suddenly through c 3 the door at the farther end of the room came a dimly seen figure In white The place seemed wrapped In a a mystical mystical mystical mys mys- twilight with long black rays of deeper shadow lying across the floor There was a little murmur of tense voices and aud then again silence For a few moments the figure in white was motionless Then without any visible commencement she seemed seemed suddenly to blend into the waves waves waves' of low passionate m music masle The dance itself It Itself itself it- it self was without form or definite movement move move- ment She seemed at first like some white limbless spirit floating here and there across the dark bars of s shadow ado V at the calling of the melody There was no apparent effort of of the body She was merely a u a beautiful unearthly shape It was vas like the flitting of a white moth through the blackness of a moonless sum sum-mer summer night But her mo motions ons grew more animated animated animated ani ani- mated more human With feet which seemed never to m the earth she glided toward the corner C where John was standing He caught the smolderIng smolderIng smoldering smolder- smolder Ing fire In her ej es as she danced within Within with With- in a few feet of him He lie felt a catch in his breath Some subtle Some subtle and only half- half expressed essed emotion shook his w whole hole beIng being being be be- ing seemed Jo tear at the locked chamber chamber cham- cham ber of hi his soul She had flung fling her arms forward so near that they almost touched him He lie could hav have e sw sworn orn that her lips had called his name He felt himself bewitched bewitched bewitched be be- witched filled with an Insane longing to throw out his arms in response to her passionate unspoken invitation in obedience to the clamoring of his seething seething seething seeth seeth- ing senses He had forgotten even that anyone else was in the room Then suddenly the music stopped The lights flared out from the ceiling and from every corner of the apartment apart apart- ment Slender and erect her arms hanging limply at her sides without a touch of color in her cheeks or a coil of her black hair disarranged without ut uta a sign of heat or disturbance or passion passion passion pas pas- sion In her face John found AMa Aida Calavera standing within a few feet of him her eyes seeking for his She laid her fingers upon his arm The room room was wa's was ringing with shouts of applause applause applause ap ap- ap- ap in which John unconsciously ly Joined Everyone E was trying to pr press ss forward toward to her With her l left eft lefthand ft hand she she waved them back If I have pleased you she said I Iam Iam Iam am so glad I go now to rest for a little time i She tightened her clasp upon her companions companion's arm and they passed out of the picture gallery and down a long t f 1 9 jr y 1 Go Quickly and Come Back Quickly I Wat Walt for You corridor John felt as if Ir he were walking walling in a dream Volition seemed to have left him He lie only knew that the still white hand upon his arm seemed like a vise burning into his flesh She led him to the end of the corridor corridor corridor corri corri- dor through another door into a small room room furnished in plain but comfortable ble fashion We will invade the princes prince's own sanctum she murmured Before I dance I drink nothing but hut water Now Now I 1 want some ioma champagne Will you fetch me some and bring it to me yourself She sank back upon a divan as she spoke John turned to leave the the- room but she called him back Come here she Invited close to tomy tomy tomy my side I can wait walt for the cham cham- Tell me why you are so silent And my dancing that dancing that pleased you He lIe felt the words stick in his throat Your dancing was Indeed wonderful he stammered It was for you I she whispered her her voice growing softer and lower It was for you I danced Did you not feel it iu Her arms stole toward him The unnatural unnatural unnatural un un- un- un natural calm with which she had finIshed finished finished fin fin- her dance seemed suddenly to pass Her bosom was rising and fallIng fallIng falling fall fall- ing more quickly There was a a- faint spot of color in her cheek It It was wonderful he told her I will get you the champagne Her lips Ups were parted She smiled up at him and Go quickly she whispered come back quickly I I wait for you He left the room and passed out again into the picture gallery before he had the least l idea ea where he was The band was playing a waltz and andone andone andone one or two couples were dancing The people seemed suddenly to have bave become become become be be- come like puppets In some strange unreal dream He Ill felt an almost feverish feverish fever fever- rIsh r- r ish longing for the open air for a along along along long draft of the fresh sweetness of the night far away from this overheated overheated overheated over over- heated atmosphere charged with unnamable unnamable un uno namable things As he be passed through the farther arther doorway he came face to face with the prince Where are are you going the latter asked Mademoiselle Calavera has asked me to get her some champagne he lie an an- The prince smiled I will see that it is sent to her ber at once he promised You are in my sanctum are you not You can pursue your jour tete-a-tete tete there here without inter inter- You are very much envied Mademoiselle Calavera is is there John replied As for me I am afraid 1 I. I shall shaH have to go now The smile faded from the princes prince's lips His eyebrows came slowly together to to- gether You are leaving he be repeated I must I John insisted I cant can't help it Forgive my behaving like a aboor aboor aboor boor but I must go Good night I IThe The prince stretched out his hand but he was was too late John found himself after a few minutes' minutes hurried walking in PIc a- a dilly He turned abruptly down Duke street and made his way to St. St James James' park From here he be walked slowly eastward When he reached the Strand however er the storm in his soul was still unabated He turned away from the Milan The turmoil of his passions drove him to the thoughts of flight Half Halt an hour later he entered entered entered en en- St. St Pancras station What time Is the next train north to Kendal or Carlisle he inquired The porter stared at him Johns John's evening clothes were spattered with mud the raindrops were glistening on his coat and face and his silk hat hal was ruined It was not only his clothes however which attracted the mans man's at at- There was the strained look of a fugitive in Johns John's face a fugitive flying from some threatened fate The newspaper train at five thirty is the earliest sir he said I dont don't know whether you can get to Kendal by It but it stops at Carlisle John looked at the clock There was an hour to wait valt lIe He wandered about the station gloomy chill chili deserted The place sickened him and he strolled out into the streets again By chance he left the station by the same exit as on the day of his arrival in London He stopped short How Ho could he have forgotten even I for a moment This was not the world which come t to discover This was just some spot plague-spot upon which he lie had stumbled Through the murky dawn and across the ugly streets he looked into Louises Louise's drawing drawing room She would be there waiting for him on the morrow Louise I The thought of ot her was like a sweet purifying stimulant He felt the throbbing of ot his nerves soothed He felt himself growing calm The terror of ot the last few hours was like a nightmare which had passed He summoned a taxicab and was driven to the Milan Ills His wand wanderings for tor the night w were ere over CHAPTER XII XIII Sophy Gerard sat in the little backroom back backroom backroom room of Louises Louise's house the latter latt latter lat lat- t ter r called her den but which she seldom seldom sel sel- sel dom entered The little actress was looking very trim and neat n n a simple blue serge costume which fitted her to perfection her hair very i arranged arranged ar ar- ranged and tied up with a bow She had a pen in in her mouth there was a sheaf sheat of bills before her and an an open housekeeping book lay on on her knee She had bad been busy for the last half balf hour bour making snaking calculations the result of which had brought a frown to her I face There is no doubt about it it she de de- de- de Louise is extravagant I l IThe IThe The door opened and Louise hers herself lf tn in a gray morning gown of some soft material with a bunch of red deep-red roses at her waist looked Into iato the room Why little girl she exclaimed how long have you been here All the morning Sophy replied I took the dogs out and then I start started d don on on your housekeeping book and the bills Your checks will h have ve to be larger than ever this month Louis Louis' and I d dont don't nt see how you cen an possibly draw them unless you go and see yo your r bankers first Louise threw herself into an easy chair Dear me I she sighed I thought I had been so careful I l How can you talk about being c careful care careful care care- ful Sophy protested tapping the pile of bills with her forefinger You seem to be overdrawn already I will see to that Louise promised The bank manager Is such a charmIng charmIng charming charm- charm Ing pert person on Besides what are banks for but to oblige their clients How pale you look little girl Were you out late last night Sophy swung around in her place I am all right I spent the evening In In my rooms and went to bed at eleven Who's lunching with you I Isee Isee Isee see the table is laid for two Louise glanced at the clock upon the mantelpiece Mr l she replied I suppose he will be here in a minute or tw two o. o Sophy dropped the housekeeping pool book ook and Jumped up Id Id better go then Of course not Louise ans answered ered You must stay to lunch Ring Bing the bell and tell them to lay a place for you jou Afterward if you like you may come in here and mid finish brooding over these wretched bills while Mr Strange- Strange wey vey talks to me Sophy came suddenly across the room and sank on the floor at Louises Louise's fee feet What are you going to do about Mr Louise she asked fully What am I going to do about him He Is in love with you Sophy con con- continued I Lam am sure sure sure-I I am almost sure of ot it Louises Louise's laugh was unconvincing You foolish child I she exclaimed I believe that you have bave been worry worry- ing Why do yo you think so much about other people Please tell me Sophy begged I want to understand how things really reany are lire between you and John n Are |