CHAPTER XVII
As it is the custom of those connected with the world of the circus toeat, sleep, have their whole being, as it were, within the environmentof the show, to the total exclusion of hotels, boarding-houses, oroutside lodgings of any sort, he found on his arrival at his destinationthe entire company assembled in what was known as the "living-tent,"chatting, laughing, reading, playing games, and killing time generallywhilst waiting for the call to the "dining-tent," and this gave him anopportunity to meet all the persons connected with the "case," from the"chevalier" himself to the Brazilian coffee planter who was "backing"the show.
He found this latter individual a somewhat sullen and taciturn man ofmiddle age, who had more the appearance of an Austrian than a Brazilian,and with a swinging gait and an uprightness of bearing which were not tobe misunderstood.
"Humph! Known military training," was Cleek's mental comment as soon ashe saw the man walk. "Got it in Germany, too; I know that peculiar'swing.' What's his little game, I wonder? And what's a Brazilian doingin the army of the Kaiser? And, having been in it, what's he doingdropping into this line--backing a circus, and travelling with it like aBohemian?"
But although these thoughts interested him, he did not put them intowords nor take anybody into his confidence regarding them.
As for the other members of the company, he found "the indifferentrider," known as Signor Antonio Martinelli, an undoubted Irishman ofabout thirty years of age, extremely handsome, but with a certain"shiftiness" of the eye which was far from inspiring confidence, andwith a trick of the tongue which suggested that his baptismalcertificate probably bore the name of Anthony Martin. He found, too,that all he had heard regarding the youth and beauty of the chevalier'ssecond wife was quite correct, and although she devoted herself a greatdeal to the Brazilian coffee planter and the Irish-Italian "Martinelli,"she had a way of looking over at her middle-aged spouse, without hisknowledge, that left no doubt in Cleek's mind regarding the real stateof her feelings towards the man. And last, but not least by any means,he found the chevalier himself a frank, open-minded, open-hearted,lovable man who ought not, in the natural order of things, to have anenemy in the world. Despite his high-falutin' _nom de theatre_, he wasBelgian--a big, soft-hearted, easy-going, unsuspicious fellow, whoworshipped his wife, adored his children, and loved every creature ofthe animal world.
How well that love was returned, Cleek saw when he went with him to thatpart of the building where his animals were kept, and watched them"nose" his hand or lick his cheek whenever the opportunity offered. ButNero, the lion, was perhaps the greatest surprise of all, for so tame,so docile, so little feared was the animal, that its cage-door was open,and they found one of the attendants squatting cross-legged inside andplaying with it as though it were a kitten.
"There he is, doctor," said the chevalier, waving his hand towards thebeast. "Ah, I will not believe that it was anything but an accident,sir. He loved my boy. He would hurt no one that is kind to him. Fetchhim out, Tom, and let the doctor see him at close quarters."
Despite all these assurances of the animal's docility, Cleek could notbut remember what the creature had done, and, in consequence, did notfeel quite at ease when it came lumbering out of the cage with theattendant and ranged up alongside of him, rubbing its huge head againstthe chevalier's arm after the manner of an affectionate cat.
"Don't be frightened, sir," said Tom, noticing this. "Nothing more'n abig dog, sir. Had the care of him for eight years, I have--haven't I,chevalier?--and never a growl or scratch out of him. No 'smile' for yourold Tom, is there, Nero, boy, eh? No fear! Ain't a thing as anybody doeswith him, sir, that I wouldn't do off-hand and feel quite safe."
"Even to putting your head in his mouth?" queried Cleek.
"Lord yes!" returned the man, with a laugh. "That's nothing. Done itmany a day. Look here!" With that he pulled the massive jaws apart, and,bending down, laid his head within them. The lion stood perfectlypassive, and did not offer to close his mouth until it was again empty.It was then that Cleek remembered and glanced round at young Scarmelli.
"He never 'smiles' for any but the chevalier and his son, I believe yousaid," he remarked. "I wonder if the chevalier himself would be as safeif he were to make a feint of doing that?" For the chevalier, like mostof the other performers, had not changed his dress after the matinee,since the evening performance was soon to begin; and if, as Cleek had anidea, that the matter of costume and make-up had anything to do with themystery of the thing, here, surely, was a chance to learn.
"Make a feint of it? Certainly I will, doctor," the chevalier replied."But why a feint? Why not the actual thing?"
"No, please--at least, not until I have seen how the beast is likely totake it. Just put your head down close to his muzzle, chevalier. Goslow, please, and keep your head at a safe distance."
The chevalier obeyed. Bringing his head down until it was on a levelwith the animal's own, he opened the ponderous jaws. The beast was aspassive as before; and, finding no trace of the coming of the mysteriousand dreaded "smile," he laid his face between the double row of gleamingteeth, held it there a moment, and then withdrew it uninjured. Cleektook his chin between his thumb and forefinger and pinched it hard. Whathe had just witnessed would seem to refute the idea of either costume ormake-up having any bearing upon the case.
"Did you do that to-day at the matinee performance, chevalier?" hehazarded, after a moment's thoughtfulness.
"Oh, yes," he replied. "It was not my plan to do so, however. I alter myperformance constantly to give variety. To-day I had arranged for mylittle son to do the trick; but somehow--Ah! I am a foolish man,monsieur; I have odd fancies, odd whims, sometimes odd fears,since--since that awful night. Something came over me at the lastmoment, just as my boy came into the cage to perform the trick I changedmy mind. I would not let him do it. I thrust him aside and did the trickmyself."
"Oho!" said Cleek. "Will the boy do it to-night, then, chevalier?"
"Perhaps," he made reply. "He is still dressed for it. Look, here hecomes now, monsieur, and my wife, and some of our good friends with him.Ah, they are so interested, they are anxious to hear what report youmake upon Nero's condition."
Cleek glanced round. Several members of the company were advancingtowards them from the "living-tent." In the lead was the boy, a littlefellow of about twelve years of age, fancifully dressed in tights andtunic. By his side was his stepmother, looking pale and anxious. Butalthough both Signor Martinelli and the Brazilian coffee planter came tothe edge of the tent and looked out, it was observable that theyimmediately withdrew, and allowed the rest of the party to proceedwithout them.
"Dearest, I have just heard from Tom that you and the doctor areexperimenting with Nero," said the chevalier's wife, as she came up withthe others and joined him. "Oh, do be careful, do! Much as I like theanimal, doctor, I shall never feel safe until my husband parts with itor gives up that ghastly 'trick.'"
"My dearest, my dearest, how absurdly you talk!" interrupted herhusband. "You know well that without that my act would be commonplace,that no manager would want either it or me. And how, pray, should welive if that were to happen?"
"There would always be my salary; we could make that do."
"As if I would consent to live upon your earnings and add nothingmyself! No, no! I shall never do that--never. It is not as though thatfoolish dream of long ago had come true, and I might hope one day toretire. I am of the circus, and of it I shall always remain."
"I wish you might not; I wish the dream might come true, even yet," shemade reply. "Why shouldn't it? Wilder ones have come true for otherpeople; why should they not for you?"
Before her husband could make any response to this, the whole trend ofthe conversation was altered by the boy.
"Father," he said, "am I to do the trick to-night? Senor Sperati says itis silly of me to sit about all dressed and ready if I am to do nothing,like a little super, instead of a performer and an artist."
"Oh, but that is
not kind of the senor to say that," his father replied,soothing his ruffled feelings. "You are an artist, of course; neversuper--no, never. But if you shall do the trick or not, I cannot say. Itwill depend, as it did at the matinee. If I feel it is right, you shalldo it; but if I feel it is wrong, then it must be no. You see, doctor,"catching Cleek's eye, "what a little enthusiast he is, and with howlittle fear."
"Yes, I do see, chevalier; but I wonder if he would be willing to humourme in something? As he is not afraid, I've an odd fancy to see how he'dgo about the thing. Would you mind letting him make the feint youyourself made a few minutes ago? Only, I must insist that in thisinstance it be nothing more than a feint, chevalier. Don't let him gotoo near at the time of doing it. Don't let him open the lion's jawswith his own hands. You do that. Do you mind?"
"Of a certainty not, monsieur. Gustave, show the good doctor how you goabout it when papa lets you do the trick. But you are not really to doit just yet, only to bend the head near to Nero's mouth. Now then, come,see."
As he spoke he divided the lion's jaws and signalled the child to bend.He obeyed. Very slowly the little head drooped nearer to the gaping,full-fanged mouth, very slowly and very carefully, for Cleek's hand wason the boy's shoulder, Cleek's eyes were on the lion's face. The hugebrute was as meek and as undisturbed as before, and there was actualkindness in its fixed eyes. But of a sudden, when the child's head wason a level with those gaping jaws, the lips curled backward in a ghastlyparody of a smile, a weird, uncanny sound whizzed through the baredteeth, the passive body bulked as with a shock, and Cleek had just timeto snatch the boy back when the great jaws struck together with a snapthat would have splintered a skull of iron had they closed upon it.
The hideous and mysterious "smile" had come again, and, brief though itwas, its passing found the boy's sister lying on the ground in a deadfaint, the boy's stepmother cowering back, with covered eyes and shrill,affrighted screams, and the boy's father leaning, shaken and white,against the empty case and nursing a bleeding hand.
In an instant the whole place was in an uproar. "It smiled again! Itsmiled again!" ran in broken gasps from lip to lip; but through it allCleek stood there, clutching the frightened child close to him, but notsaying one word, not making one sound. Across the dark arena came a rushof running footsteps, and presently Senor Sperati came panting up,breathless and pale with excitement.
"What's the matter? What's wrong?" he cried. "Is it the lion again? Isthe boy killed? Speak up!"
"No," said Cleek very quietly, "nor will he be. The father will do thetrick to-night, not the son. We've had a fright and a lesson, that'sall." And, putting the sobbing child from him, he caught youngScarmelli's arm and hurried him away. "Take me somewhere that we cantalk in safety," he said. "We are on the threshold of the end,Scarmelli, and I want your help."
"Oh, Mr. Cleek, have you any idea--any clue?"
"Yes, more than a clue. I know how, but I have not yet discovered why.Now, if you know, tell me what did the chevalier mean, what did his wifemean, when they spoke of a dream that might have come true, but didn't?Do you know? Have you any idea? Or, if you have not, do you think yourfiancee has?"
"Why, yes," he made reply. "Zelie has told me about it often. It is of afortune that was promised and never materialized. Oh, such a long timeago, when he was quite a young man, the chevalier saved the life of avery great man, a Prussian nobleman of great wealth. He was profuse inhis thanks and his promises, that nobleman; swore that he would make himindependent for life, and all that sort of thing."
"And didn't?"
"No, he didn't. After a dozen letters promising the chevalier thingsthat almost turned his head, the man dropped him entirely. In the midstof his dreams of wealth a letter came from the old skinflint's stewardenclosing him the sum of six hundred marks, and telling him that as hismaster had come to the conclusion that wealth would be more of a cursethan a blessing to a man of his class and station, he had thought betterof his rash promise. He begged to tender the enclosed as a proper andsufficient reward for the service rendered, and 'should not trouble theyoung man any further.' Of course, the chevalier didn't reply. Whowould, after having been promised wealth, education, everything one hadconfessed that one most desired? Being young, high-spirited, andbitterly, bitterly disappointed, the chevalier bundled the six hundredmarks back without a single word, and that was the last he ever heard ofthe Baron von Steinheid from that day to this."
"The Baron von Steinheid?" repeated Cleek, pulling himself up as thoughhe had trodden upon something. "Do you mean to say that the man whoselife he saved--Scarmelli--tell me something: Does it happen by anychance that the 'Chevalier di Roma's' real name is Peter JanssenPullaine?"
"Yes," said Scarmelli, in reply. "That is his name. Why?"
"Nothing, but that it solves the riddle, and--the lion has smiled forthe last time! No, don't ask me any questions; there isn't time toexplain. Get me as quickly as you can to the place where we left Mr.Narkom's motor. Will this way lead me out? Thanks! Get back to theothers, and look for me again in two hours' time; and--Scarmelli!"
"Yes, sir?"
"One last word--don't let that boy get out of your sight for oneinstant, and don't, no matter at what cost, let the chevalier do histurn to-night before I get back. Good-bye for a time. I'm off."
Then he moved like a fleetly-passing shadow round the angle of thebuilding, and two minutes later he was with Narkom in the red limousine.
"To the German embassy as fast as we can fly," he said as he scrambledin. "I've something to tell you about that lion's smile, Mr. Narkom, andI'll tell it while we're on the wing."