Page 7 of The Gambler

obedient. If necessary, I shall even BID you be obedient.--Your

  own POLINA.

  "P.S.--If so be that you still bear a grudge against me for what

  happened last night, pray forgive me."

  Everything, to my eyes, seemed to change as I read these words.

  My lips grew pale, and I began to tremble. Meanwhile, the cursed

  Frenchman was eyeing me discreetly and askance, as though he

  wished to avoid witnessing my confusion. It would have been

  better if he had laughed outright.

  "Very well," I said, "you can tell Mlle. not to disturb

  herself. But," I added sharply, "I would also ask you why you

  have been so long in handing me this note? Instead of chattering

  about trifles, you ought to have delivered me the missive at

  once--if you have really come commissioned as you say."

  "Well, pardon some natural haste on my part, for the situation

  is so strange. I wished first to gain some personal knowledge of

  your intentions; and, moreover, I did not know the contents of

  the note, and thought that it could be given you at any time."

  "I understand," I replied. "So you were ordered to hand me the

  note only in the last resort, and if you could not otherwise

  appease me? Is it not so? Speak out, Monsieur de Griers."

  "Perhaps," said he, assuming a look of great forbearance, but

  gazing at me in a meaning way.

  I reached for my hat; whereupon he nodded, and went out. Yet on

  his lips I fancied that I could see a mocking smile. How could

  it have been otherwise?

  "You and I are to have a reckoning later, Master Frenchman," I

  muttered as I descended the stairs. "Yes, we will measure our

  strength together." Yet my thoughts were all in confusion, for

  again something seemed to have struck me dizzy. Presently the

  air revived me a little, and, a couple of minutes later, my

  brain had sufficiently cleared to enable two ideas in particular

  to stand out in it. Firstly, I asked myself, which of the

  absurd, boyish, and extravagant threats which I had uttered at

  random last night had made everybody so alarmed? Secondly, what

  was the influence which this Frenchman appeared to exercise over

  Polina? He had but to give the word, and at once she did as he

  desired--at once she wrote me a note to beg of me to forbear! Of

  course, the relations between the pair had, from the first, been

  a riddle to me--they had been so ever since I had first made

  their acquaintance. But of late I had remarked in her a strong

  aversion for, even a contempt for--him, while, for his part, he

  had scarcely even looked at her, but had behaved towards her

  always in the most churlish fashion. Yes, I had noted that.

  Also, Polina herself had mentioned to me her dislike for him,

  and delivered herself of some remarkable confessions on the

  subject. Hence, he must have got her into his power

  somehow--somehow he must be holding her as in a vice.

  VIII

  All at once, on the Promenade, as it was called--that is to say,

  in the Chestnut Avenue--I came face to face with my Englishman.

  "I was just coming to see you," he said; "and you appear to be

  out on a similar errand. So you have parted with your employers?"

  "How do you know that?" I asked in astonishment. "Is EVERY ONE

  aware of the fact? "

  "By no means. Not every one would consider such a fact to be of

  moment. Indeed, I have never heard any one speak of it."

  "Then how come you to know it?"

  "Because I have had occasion to do so. Whither are you bound? I

  like you, and was therefore coming to pay you a visit."

  "What a splendid fellow you are, Mr. Astley!" I cried, though

  still wondering how he had come by his knowledge. "And since I

  have not yet had my coffee, and you have, in all probability,

  scarcely tasted yours, let us adjourn to the Casino Cafe, where

  we can sit and smoke and have a talk."

  The cafe in question was only a hundred paces away; so, when

  coffee had been brought, we seated ourselves, and I lit a

  cigarette. Astley was no smoker, but, taking a seat by my side,

  he prepared himself to listen.

  "I do not intend to go away," was my first remark. "I intend,

  on the contrary, to remain here."

  "That I never doubted," he answered good-humouredly.

  It is a curious fact that, on my way to see him, I had never

  even thought of telling him of my love for Polina. In fact, I

  had purposely meant to avoid any mention of the subject. Nor,

  during our stay in the place, had I ever made aught but the

  scantiest reference to it. You see, not only was Astley a man of

  great reserve, but also from the first I had perceived that

  Polina had made a great impression upon him, although he never

  spoke of her. But now, strangely enough, he had no sooner seated

  himself and bent his steely gaze upon me, than, for some reason

  or another, I felt moved to tell him everything--to speak to him

  of my love in all its phases. For an hour and a half did I

  discourse on the subject, and found it a pleasure to do so, even

  though this was the first occasion on which I had referred to

  the matter. Indeed, when, at certain moments, I perceived that

  my more ardent passages confused him, I purposely increased my

  ardour of narration. Yet one thing I regret: and that is that I

  made references to the Frenchman which were a little

  over-personal.

  Mr. Astley sat without moving as he listened to me. Not a word

  nor a sound of any kind did he utter as he stared into my eyes.

  Suddenly, however, on my mentioning the Frenchman, he

  interrupted me, and inquired sternly whether I did right to

  speak of an extraneous matter (he had always been a strange man

  in his mode of propounding questions).

  "No, I fear not," I replied.

  "And concerning this Marquis and Mlle. Polina you know nothing

  beyond surmise?"

  Again I was surprised that such a categorical question should

  come from such a reserved individual.

  "No, I know nothing FOR CERTAIN about them" was my reply.

  "No--nothing."

  "Then you have done very wrong to speak of them to me, or even

  to imagine things about them."

  "Quite so, quite so," I interrupted in some astonishment. "I

  admit that. Yet that is not the question." Whereupon I related

  to him in detail the incident of two days ago. I spoke of

  Polina's outburst, of my encounter with the Baron, of my

  dismissal, of the General's extraordinary pusillanimity, and of

  the call which De Griers had that morning paid me. In

  conclusion, I showed Astley the note which I had lately received.

  "What do you make of it?" I asked. "When I met you I was just

  coming to ask you your opinion. For myself, I could have killed

  this Frenchman, and am not sure that I shall not do so even yet."

  "I feel the same about it," said Mr. Astley. "As for Mlle.

  Polina--well, you yourself know that, if necessity drives, one

  enters into relation with people whom one simply detests. Even

  between this couple there may be something which, though unknown

  to yo
u, depends upon extraneous circumstances. For, my own part,

  I think that you may reassure yourself--or at all events

  partially. And as for Mlle. Polina's proceedings of two days

  ago, they were, of course, strange; not because she can have

  meant to get rid of you, or to earn for you a thrashing from the

  Baron's cudgel (which for some curious reason, he did not use,

  although he had it ready in his hands), but because such

  proceedings on the part of such--well, of such a refined lady as

  Mlle. Polina are, to say the least of it, unbecoming. But she

  cannot have guessed that you would carry out her absurd wish to

  the letter?"

  "Do you know what?" suddenly I cried as I fixed Mr. Astley

  with my gaze. "I believe that you have already heard the story

  from some one--very possibly from Mlle. Polina herself?"

  In return he gave me an astonished stare.

  "Your eyes look very fiery," he said with a return of his

  former calm, "and in them I can read suspicion. Now, you have

  no right whatever to be suspicious. It is not a right which I

  can for a moment recognise, and I absolutely refuse to answer

  your questions."

  "Enough! You need say no more," I cried with a strange emotion

  at my heart, yet not altogether understanding what had aroused

  that emotion in my breast. Indeed, when, where, and how could

  Polina have chosen Astley to be one of her confidants? Of late I

  had come rather to overlook him in this connection, even though

  Polina had always been a riddle to me--so much so that now, when

  I had just permitted myself to tell my friend of my infatuation

  in all its aspects, I had found myself struck, during the very

  telling, with the fact that in my relations with her I could

  specify nothing that was explicit, nothing that was positive. On

  the contrary, my relations had been purely fantastic, strange,

  and unreal; they had been unlike anything else that I could

  think of.

  "Very well, very well," I replied with a warmth equal to

  Astley's own. "Then I stand confounded, and have no further

  opinions to offer. But you are a good fellow, and I am glad to

  know what you think about it all, even though I do not need your

  advice."

  Then, after a pause, I resumed:

  "For instance, what reason should you assign for the General

  taking fright in this way? Why should my stupid clowning have

  led the world to elevate it into a serious incident? Even De

  Griers has found it necessary to put in his oar (and he only

  interferes on the most important occasions), and to visit me,

  and to address to me the most earnest supplications. Yes, HE, De

  Griers, has actually been playing the suppliant to ME! And, mark

  you, although he came to me as early as nine o'clock, he had

  ready-prepared in his hand Mlle. Polina's note. When, I would

  ask, was that note written? Mlle. Polina must have been aroused

  from sleep for the express purpose of writing it. At all events

  the circumstance shows that she is an absolute slave to the

  Frenchman, since she actually begs my pardon in the

  note--actually begs my pardon! Yet what is her personal concern

  in the matter? Why is she interested in it at all? Why, too, is

  the whole party so afraid of this precious Baron? And what sort

  of a business do you call it for the General to be going to

  marry Mlle. Blanche de Cominges? He told me last night that,

  because of the circumstance, he must 'move with especial care at

  present.' What is your opinion of it all? Your look convinces me

  that you know more about it than I do."

  Mr. Astley smiled and nodded.

  "Yes, I think I DO know more about it than you do," he

  assented. "The affair centres around this Mlle. Blanche. Of

  that I feel certain."

  "And what of Mlle. Blanche?" I cried impatiently (for in me

  there had dawned a sudden hope that this would enable me to

  discover something about Polina).

  "Well, my belief is that at the present moment Mlle. Blanche

  has, in very truth, a special reason for wishing to avoid any

  trouble with the Baron and the Baroness. It might lead not only

  to some unpleasantness, but even to a scandal."

  "Oh, oh! "

  "Also I may tell you that Mlle. Blanche has been in

  Roulettenberg before, for she was staying here three seasons

  ago. I myself was in the place at the time, and in those days

  Mlle. Blanche was not known as Mlle. de Cominges, nor was her

  mother, the Widow de Cominges, even in existence. In any case

  no one ever mentioned the latter. De Griers, too, had not

  materialised, and I am convinced that not only do the parties

  stand in no relation to one another, but also they have not long

  enjoyed one another's acquaintance. Likewise, the Marquisate de

  Griers is of recent creation. Of that I have reason to be sure,

  owing to a certain circumstance. Even the name De Griers itself

  may be taken to be a new invention, seeing that I have a friend

  who once met the said 'Marquis' under a different name

  altogether."

  "Yet he possesses a good circle of friends?"

  "Possibly. Mlle. Blanche also may possess that. Yet it is not

  three years since she received from the local police, at the

  instance of the Baroness, an invitation to leave the town. And

  she left it."

  "But why?"

  "Well, I must tell you that she first appeared here in company

  with an Italian--a prince of some sort, a man who bore an

  historic name (Barberini or something of the kind). The fellow

  was simply a mass of rings and diamonds -- real diamonds, too --

  and the couple used to drive out in a marvellous carriage. At

  first Mlle. Blanche played 'trente et quarante' with fair success,

  but, later, her luck took a marked change for the worse. I

  distinctly remember that in a single evening she lost an

  enormous sum. But worse was to ensue, for one fine morning her

  prince disappeared--horses, carriage, and all. Also, the hotel

  bill which he left unpaid was enormous. Upon this Mlle. Zelma

  (the name which she assumed after figuring as Madame Barberini)

  was in despair. She shrieked and howled all over the hotel, and

  even tore her clothes in her frenzy. In the hotel there was

  staying also a Polish count (you must know that ALL travelling

  Poles are counts!), and the spectacle of Mlle. Zelma tearing her

  clothes and, catlike, scratching her face with her beautiful,

  scented nails produced upon him a strong impression. So the pair

  had a talk together, and, by luncheon time, she was consoled.

  Indeed, that evening the couple entered the Casino arm-in-arm --

  Mlle. Zelma laughing loudly, according to her custom, and

  showing even more expansiveness in her manners than she had

  before shown. For instance, she thrust her way into the file of

  women roulette-players in the exact fashion of those ladies who,

  to clear a space for themselves at the tables, push their

  fellow-players roughly aside. Doubtless you have noticed them?"

  "Yes, certainly."

  "Well, they are not w
orth noticing. To the annoyance of the

  decent public they are allowed to remain here--at all events such

  of them as daily change 4000 franc notes at the tables (though,

  as soon as ever these women cease to do so, they receive an

  invitation to depart). However, Mlle. Zelma continued to change

  notes of this kind, but her play grew more and more

  unsuccessful, despite the fact that such ladies' luck is

  frequently good, for they have a surprising amount of cash at

  their disposal. Suddenly, the Count too disappeared, even as the

  Prince had done, and that same evening Mlle. Zelma was forced to

  appear in the Casino alone. On this occasion no one offered her

  a greeting. Two days later she had come to the end of her

  resources; whereupon, after staking and losing her last louis

  d'or she chanced to look around her, and saw standing by her

  side the Baron Burmergelm, who had been eyeing her with fixed

  disapproval. To his distaste, however, Mlle. paid no attention,

  but, turning to him with her well-known smile, requested him to

  stake, on her behalf, ten louis on the red. Later that evening a

  complaint from the Baroness led the authorities to request Mlle.

  not to re-enter the Casino. If you feel in any way surprised

  that I should know these petty and unedifying details, the

  reason is that I had them from a relative of mine who, later

  that evening, drove Mlle. Zelma in his carriage from

  Roulettenberg to Spa. Now, mark you, Mlle. wants to become

  Madame General, in order that, in future, she may be spared the

  receipt of such invitations from Casino authorities as she

  received three years ago. At present she is not playing; but

  that is only because, according to the signs, she is lending

  money to other players. Yes, that is a much more paying game. I

  even suspect that the unfortunate General is himself in her

  debt, as well as, perhaps, also De Griers. Or, it may be that the

  latter has entered into a partnership with her. Consequently you

  yourself will see that, until the marriage shall have been

  consummated, Mlle. would scarcely like to have the attention of

  the Baron and the Baroness drawn to herself. In short, to any

  one in her position, a scandal would be most detrimental. You

  form a member of the menage of these people; wherefore, any act

  of yours might cause such a scandal--and the more so since daily

  she appears in public arm in arm with the General or with Mlle.

  Polina. NOW do you understand?"

  "No, I do not!" I shouted as I banged my fist down upon the

  table--banged it with such violence that a frightened waiter came

  running towards us. "Tell me, Mr. Astley, why, if you knew this

  history all along, and, consequently, always knew who this Mlle.

  Blanche is, you never warned either myself or the General, nor,

  most of all, Mlle. Polina" (who is accustomed to appear in the

  Casino -- in public everywhere with Mlle. Blanche)." How could you

  do it?"

  "It would have done no good to warn you," he replied quietly,

  "for the reason that you could have effected nothing. Against

  what was I to warn you? As likely as not, the General knows more

  about Mlle. Blanche even than I do; yet the unhappy man still

  walks about with her and Mlle. Polina. Only yesterday I saw this

  Frenchwoman riding, splendidly mounted, with De Griers, while

  the General was careering in their wake on a roan horse. He had

  said, that morning, that his legs were hurting him, yet his

  riding-seat was easy enough. As he passed I looked at him, and

  the thought occurred to me that he was a man lost for ever.

  However, it is no affair of mine, for I have only recently had

  the happiness to make Mlle. Polina's acquaintance. Also"--he

  added this as an afterthought--"I have already told you that I

  do not recognise your right to ask me certain questions, however

  sincere be my liking for you."

  "Enough," I said, rising. "To me it is as clear as day that

  Mlle. Polina knows all about this Mlle. Blanche, but cannot

  bring herself to part with her Frenchman; wherefore, she consents

  also to be seen in public with Mlle. Blanche. You may be sure