Show THE I HILLMAN By E. E PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM JOHN HEARS MYSTERIOUS PHRASES WHICH TROUBLE 1 HIM WITH GRAVE DOUBTS ABOUT LOUISE-AT LOUISE TIMES HE WISHES HE WERE BACK IN THE HILLS Synopsis Synopsis Louise Maurel famous actress making a motor tour of ot rural England was was- obliged when her car broke down to spend the night at the ancestral home of ot Stephen and John bachelor woman-haters woman In the Cumberland district Before she left the next day she had captivated John Three months later he went to London and looked her up She Introduced him to her friends among them a playwright and Sophy Gerard a light-hearted light little actress John puritanical In his views entered the gay bohemian life of the city with enthusiasm It was soon seen that John and the prince of Seyre were rivals for the heart and hand of Louise Sophy also loved John secretly The prince tried to entice John into evil ways by sending fascinating women to charm and bedevil him I CHAPTER XIV XIV Continued r c 8 Sometimes with Miss Maurel sometimes sometimes sometimes some some- times with her little friend Sophy Gerard Gerard Gerard Ge Ge- rard and sometimes alone alone John re re- I I have Baedeker plied bought a taken a taxicab by the day and done doneall doneall all the sights Ive I've spent weeks In the National gallery picture gazing and Ive I've done all those more modern shows up round Bond street I have bought a racing car and learned to drive It I have been t to dinner parties that have bored me stiff I have been Introduced to crowds of people whom I never wish to see again and made one or two friends he added smiling at his guest for tor whom I hope I am properly grate grate- fu ful ful The prince has been showing you round a bit hasn't he grunted grunt grunt- ed The prince has been extraordinarily kind to me John admitted slowly for what reason I dont don't know He Her r has Introduced me to a great many pleasant and Interesting people and a aF ai F i great many whom I suppose a young t 4 r rG G i f f EW cs L IL r I Ir r 1 h hr r There Is No Secret About It It hf Is h Louise Maurel f rA man in my p position should be glad to tc t know He has shown me one side of London life pretty thoroughly And what about it all I demanded You find yourself something some some- 1 thing more of a citizen of the world eh r Not a bit bit John answered simply 1 The more I see of the life up here the I seems to me I mean of i co course course course- the ordinary life of pleasure k the life to be lived by a young manlike man manlike like myself who hasn't any profession or work upon which he can concentrate concentrate concen- concen his thoughts Then why do you stay reply Instead Instead Int In In- John made no immediate t stead he walked to the window of his 1 sitting room and stood looking across a th the Thames with a n discontented frown fro up upon n his face Between him and the Frenchman a curl curious us friendship had Sprung sprung up during the last few months I gather continued that to put it concisely and truthfully you are the most bored man In London There is something behind all this effort effort effort ef ef- fort of yours my friend to fit yourself yourself yourself your your- self the round human being into the square place Speak the truth now I 1 Treat me as a father confessor John swung round upon his heel Inthe In Inthe the c clear ear light it was obvious that he hewa's was wa's a little thinner in the face and andS and'S S 'S that some of the tan had gone from his complexion I I am nm staying up here and going on with it he announced doggedly because bet bea be a t cause of a woman IL- IL stopped eating placed the remains of his bis cake In n the saucer of f his hist fr- fr t teacup and nd laid it down do Then he hea a opened his lips to speak and abruptly closed them His His face face suddenly underwent underwent underwent under- under A few went a an an- extraordinary t seconds ls attitude had been that of a professor examining some favorite favorit object of study now a more moro personal i l. L note ote had humanized hi expression r Whatever thought or reflection it was i into his mind it had Bj- Bj that had come com sH P x plainly startled him Who Vho is t the woman o be ho asked aske 1 e breathlessly i V tj fi i J hJ Fi t b t I I There Is no secret about it so faias faras far fai faras as I am concerned John answered It is Louise Maurel I I thought you yot must have guessed The two men looked at each other In silence for some moments Out orthe on or the river rIer a little e tug was as hooting vig vig- The roar of ot the Strand came faintly into the room On the mantelpiece mantelpiece mantelpiece mantel mantel- piece a very ornate French clock was ticking licking lightly All AI these sounds seemed suddenly accentuated They beat time to a silence almost in its Intensity took out his handkerchief and dabbed his forehead He had bad written written written writ writ- I ten many plays and the dramatic In- In stint t was strongly developed In him Louise Louise I I he muttered under his breath She Is very different I know John went on after a moments moment's hesitation i She is very clever and a great artist I and she lives in an atmosphere of which a few months ago I knew noth noth- ing fag I have come up here to try to understand to try to get a little nearer to her There was another silence this time almost an awkward one Then Grail Grall- lot rose suddenly to his feet I will respect your confidence he promised holding out his hand Have no fear of that I am due now at the theater Your tea is excellent and such little cakes I never tasted be be- fore You will wish me good luck No Nol I 1 Why not John demanded a little startled Because pronounced from what what- I have seen seen and know of ot you both th there re are arc no tw two people In Inthis Inthis inthis this world less suitable for each other Look here John expostulated I dont don't want you to go away thinking so You dont don't understand what this means to me Perhaps not my friend replied but remember that it is at least my trade to understand men and I women I have known Louise Maurel Maurel Mau Mau- rel reI since she was a child Then it t is I whom you dont don't un un- un- un That may be so confessed One makes mistakes Let us leave It at that You are a young man of undeveloped temperament You maybe may maybe maybe be capable of much which at present I do not find in you Tell me the one quality In w which you consider me most lacking John begged I want you on my side Grail Grall- lot And I replied as he shook his friends friend's hand and hurried off oft want only to be on the side that will mean happiness for you both He left the room a little abruptly John walked back to the window oppressed oppressed oppressed op op- op- op pressed with a sense of something almost ominous in the Frenchmans Frenchman's manner something which he be could not fathom against which he struggled in vain Side by side with it there surged into his memory the disquietude disquietude tude which his present relations with Louise had developed She was always charming when she had any time to spare spare sometimes sometimes almost affectionate On the other hand he was profoundly conscious of her desire to keep himat himat him himat at arms arm's length for the present He had accepted her decision without without without with with- out a murmur He made but few efforts efforts efforts ef ef- forts to see her alone and when they met he made no special claim upon her notice He lIo was serving his apprenticeship apprenticeship apprenticeship doggedly and faithfully Yet there were times like the present when he found his task both hateful and difficult difficult dif dif- He lIe walked aimlessly backward and forward d chafing against the restraint of the narrow walls and the low ceil- ceil Ing A sudden desire had seized him to fly back to the hills lulls wreathed In mist though they might be to struggle on his way through the blinding r rain ln to drink down long gulps of his own purer less civilized atmosphere The telephone bell rang He placed the receiver to his ear almost mechanically me me- Who is It he asked Lady Hilda Is asking for you sir sir the hall porter announced Lady Hilda lda peered around Johns John's room through he her lorgnette and did not hesitate to express her tion My y dear man she exclaimed aa 4 r 7 v w. w what makes you live In a hotel Why dont don't you take rooms of your own and furnish them Surroundings like these are destructive to ones one's individuality Well Nell you see John explained n a he ic drew an easy chair lr up to the fire for his guest my stay In London Is k only a temporary one and it hasn't seemed worth while to settle any any- where She stretched She stretched out her graceful bo y yIn yn In n front of the fire and raised her veil cell She was very smartly dressed as usual Her white silk stockings which she seemed to have no objection to displaying displaying displaying dis dis- dis- dis playing were of the latest vogue The chinchilla around her neck and In her hei little littie toque was most becoming She I seemed to bring with her an atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- I phere Indefinable in to its way but distinctly distinctly dis dis- attractive Brisk In her ber speech a little commanding in her manner she was still essentially feminine John at her direct Invitation had haf called upon her once or twice since their meeting at the opera and he had found her from the first more attractive attractive attractive at at- than any other society woman of his acquaintance None the less he was a little taken aback at her present present pres pres- ent visit Exactly why are you here anyhow anyhow any any- how low she demanded I feel sur sure that thai Eugene ugene told me the reason which had brought rought you from your wilds but I I have forgotten It It For one thing John replied I Ilave 1 have lave come because I dont don't want to appear appear ap ap- ap- ap pear prejudiced and the fact that I 1 never spent a month In London Longon or even evena a week seemed a little mind narrow ed the real attraction Lady Hilda asked It Is a woman Isn't It I am very fond of a woman who lis is s In London John admitted Perhaps Perhaps Per haps laps it is true that Iam I am here on her account Lady Hilda withdrew from her muff a gold cigarette case and a little box of matches Order some mixed vermouth with lemon emon for me please she begged I Ilave have lave been shopping and I hate teaI tea I dont don't know why I came to see you I suddenly thought of It when I was in Bond street It was very kind of you John said If I had known that you cared about about seeing me I would have come to you yoo with pleasure What does it matter she an You are thinking perhaps that I risk my reputation in coming to toa toa toa a young mans man's rooms Those things do not count for me Ever since II 1 was a child I have done exactly as I I I liked and people have shrugged their shoulders and said Ab Ah well it is only Lady Hilda I 1 I am quite cond convinced con con- vinced that 1 if I chose to take you off to Monte Carlo with me next week and spend a month with you there I should get my pass to the royal Inclosure inclosure inclosure sure at Ascot when I returned and my Invitation to the next court ball even evenIn evenin evenin in this era of starch You see they would say It is only Lady Hilda t I I The waiter walter brought the vermouth which his visitor sipped contentedly So there is a woman is there she went on looking across the room at he her cOI companion 1 anlon Have you committed yourself rs lt already then Dont Don't you remember remember remember re re- re- re member what I told you the first night nigh we met after the opera that opera that it I is well to wait walt Yes I remember John admitted I 1 meant It It ItHe itHe He laughed good yet no not not without some trace of self conscious ness The mischief was done then h he said It be undone she asked lazily Or are you one of those ted tedious tedious tedi- tedi ous people who are faithful forever Fidelity she continued knocking th the ash from her her cigarette Is really t to tomy tomy my mind the most bourgeois of vices It comes from a want elasticity of I Ithe In Inthe inthe the emotional fibers Nothing in Hf life has bored me so much as the tho faithfulness faithfulness faithfulness faith faith- of my lovers You ought to put all aU this into on one of your books John suggested I probably shall when I write m my reminiscences she replied Tell m me about this woman And dont don't stand stam about In that restless way at the other othe end of the room Bring a close chair to me there me-there there close to my side I IJohn IJohn IJohn John obeyed and his visitor contemplated contemplated contemplated plated him thoughtfully through a little cloud of tobacco smoke Yes she decided there is no us use denying it You are hatefully gooc good good- looking and somehow or other I think thin your Four our clothes have Improved you Yo You have a little more air than when yo you first carne came to town Are Arc you quite sure sur that you haven't made up your up-your your mind mine about this woman in a hurry Quite sure John laughed I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose I am rather an idiot idlof but I am am d to the vice of which you were speaking She nodded I should Imagine she said that tha you were not an adept in the art o of flirtation Is It true that the tho woman woma Is Louise Maurel Quite true John replied But dont don't you know know know- She broke off oft abruptly She saw th the tho face of the tho man by her side s suddenly su rt r FK MM vr- vr i change and her instinct warned her herf of f the danger into which she was rush- rush lag Ing ng You surprise e me see very much she said Louise Maurel Is a very wonderful wonderful won- won erful woman but she seems to spend the whole of her time with my cousin the prince They are without doubt very have havea friendly John assented They a good many Interests In n common and the prince is connected with the syndicate syndicate syn- syn which finances the theater I Ido Ido Io do o not Imagine however that the prince rince wishes to marry her or she him Im Lady Hilda began to laugh softly but ut as if genuinely amused John sat and nd watched her In ominous silence Not ot the flicker of ot a smile parted his lips His rus visitor however was She leaned over and patted his hand Simple Simon Simoni 1 she murmured leaning a little toward him If you go on looking like that I shall snail pat your cheeks too You are really much too oo nice looking to wear vear such thunder thunder thunder thun thun- der clouds 1 I Perhaps if we chose some other subject of conversation conversation- John s said ld stiffly Oh dear me I she interrupted Very well I You really are a n most trying person you know I put up with witha a great grent deal from you John was silent Her face darkened a little littie and an angry light flashed in her eyes Well Ill I'll leave you alone if you like she decided tossing her cigarette into the grate If my friendship Isn't worth having g let It go It hasn't often been offered In vain There are more men In London than I could count who would go down on their knees for such a visit as as I am nm paying paying you And Anc you you you-you you she she- added with a little tremble of real anger nger in her tone youre too hatefully polite and priggish priggish prig prig- I gish I Come CoIne and ring the bell for the lift ift I am going 1 I She slid sUd gracefully to her feet shook the he cigarette ash from her ber clothes and picked up her muff You are really an egregious thickheaded thick thick- headed leaded obstinate countryman she declared declared declared de de- as she moved toward the door You haven't either manners or I am a perfect Idiot to waste my time upon you I wouldn't have done it she added as he followed her dumbly down the corridor I if I hadn't |