第58章 CHAPTER XXIX(2)

"Don't look so shocked," she exclaimed. "It's funny. I can't help being a bit slangy. You do take everything so seriously. Of course you can see that the Prince is waiting to make a fool of himself over Lucille. He has been trying more or less all his life."

"He may admire her," the Duchess said. "I am sure that he would not allow that to influence him in his present position. By the bye, she is anxious to leave us now that the Brott affair is over.

Do you think that the Prince will agree?"

Lady Carey's face hardened.

"I am sure that he will not," she said coolly. "There are reasons why she may not at present be allowed to rejoin her husband."

The Duchess used her needles briskly.

"For my part," she said, "I can see no object in keeping her here any longer. Mr. Brott has shown himself quite capable of keeping her at arm's length. I cannot see what further use she is."

Lady Carey heard the flutter of skirts outside and rose.

"There are wheels within wheels," she remarked. "My dear Lucille, what a charming toilette. We shall have the lady journalists besieging us in our box. Paquin, of course. Good-night, Duchess.

Glad to see you're getting on with the socks, or stockings, do you call them?"

Insolent aristocratic, now and then attractive in some strange suggestive way, Lady Carey sat in front of the box and exchanged greetings with her friends. Presently the Prince came in and took the chair between the two women. Lady Carey greeted him with a nod.

"Here's Lucille dying to return to her lawful husband," she remarked.

"Odd thing, isn't it? Most of the married women I ever knew are dying to get away from theirs. You can make her happy or miserable in a few moments."

The Prince leaned over between them, but he looked only at Lucille.

"I wish that I could," he murmured. "I wish that that were within my power."

"It is," she answered coolly. "Muriel is quite right. I am most anxious to return to my husband."

The Prince said nothing. Lady Carey, glancing towards him at that moment, was surprised at certain signs of disquietude in his face which startled her.

"What is the matter with you?" she asked almost roughly.

"Matter with me? Nothing," he answered. "Why this unaccustomed solicitude?"

Lady Carey looked into his face fiercely. He was pale, and there was a strained look about his eyes. He seemed, too, to be listening.

>From outside in the street came faintly to their ears the cry of a newsboy.

"Get me an evening paper," she whispered in his ear.

He got up and left the box. Lucille was watching the people below and had not appreciated the significance of what had been passing between the two. Lady Carey leaned back in the box with half-closed eyes. Her fingers were clenched nervously together, her bosom was rising and falling quickly. If he had dared to defy her! What was it the newsboys were calling? What a jargon! Why did not Saxe Leinitzer return? Perhaps-he was afraid! Her heart stood still for a moment, and a little half-stifled cry broke from her lips.

Lucille looked around quickly.

"What is the matter, Muriel?" she asked. "Are you faint?"

"Faint, no," Lady Carey answered roughly. "I'm quite well. Don't take any notice of me. Do you hear? Don't look at me."

Lucille obeyed. Lady Carey sat quite still with her hand pressed to her side. It was a stifling pain. She was sure that she had heard at last. "Sudden death of a visitor at the Carlton Hotel."

The place was beginning to go round.

Saxe Leinitzer returned. His face to her seemed positively ghastly.

He carried an evening paper in his hand. She snatched it away from him. It was there before her in bold, black letters:

"Sudden death in the Carlton Hotel."

Her eyes, dim a moment ago, suddenly blazed fire upon him.

"It shall be a life for a life," she whispered. "If you have killed him you shall die."

Lucille looked at them bewildered. And just then came a sharp tap at the box door. No one answered it, but the door was softly opened.

Mr. Sabin stood upon the threshold.

"Pray, don't let me disturb you," he said. "I was unable to refrain from paying you a brief visit. Why, Prince, Lady Carey! I can assure you that I am no ghost."

He glanced from one to the other with a delicate smile of mockery parting his thin lips. For upon the Prince's forehead the perspiration stood out like beads, and he shrank away from Mr.

Sabin as from some unholy thing. Lady Carey had fallen back across her chair. Her hand was still pressed to her side, and her face was very pale. A nervous little laugh broke from her lips.