CHAPTER VIII
UP THE MOUNTAIN
Richard, passing the Hotel de Paris that evening in his wicked-lookinggrey racing car, saw Hunterleys standing on the steps and pulled up.
"Not going up to La Turbie, by any chance?" he enquired.
Hunterleys nodded.
"I'm going up to the dinner," he replied. "The hotel motor is startingfrom here in a few minutes."
"Come with me," Richard invited.
Hunterleys looked a little doubtfully at the long, low machine.
"Are you going to shoot up?" he asked. "It's rather a dangerous road."
"I'll take care of you," the young man promised. "That hotel 'bus willbe crammed."
They glided through the streets on to the broad, hard road, and creptupwards with scarcely a sound, through the blue-black twilight. Aroundand in front of them little lights shone out from the villas and smallhouses dotted away in the mountains. Almost imperceptibly they passedinto a different atmosphere. The air became cold and exhilarating. Theflavour of the mountain snows gave life to the breeze. Hunterleysbuttoned up his coat but bared his head.
"My young friend," he said, "this is wonderful."
"It's a great climb," Richard assented, "and doesn't she just eat itup!"
They paused for a moment at La Turbie. Below them was a chain ofglittering lights fringing the Bay of Mentone, and at their feet thelights of the Casino and Monte Carlo flared up through the scenteddarkness. Once more they swung upwards. The road now had become narrowerand the turnings more frequent. They were up above the region of villasand farmhouses, in a country which seemed to consist only of bleakhill-side, open to the winds, wrapped in shadows. Now and then theyheard the tinkling of a goat bell; far below they saw the twin lights ofother ascending cars. They reached the plateau at last and drew upbefore the club-house, ablaze with cheerful lights.
"I'll just leave the car under the trees," Richard declared. "No onewill be staying late."
Hunterleys unwound his scarf and handed his coat and hat to a page-boy.Then he stood suddenly rigid. He bit his lip. His wife had just issuedfrom the cloak-room and was drawing on her gloves. She saw him andhesitated. She, too, turned a little paler. Slowly Hunterleys approachedher.
"An unexpected pleasure," he murmured.
"I am here with Mr. Draconmeyer," she told him, almost bluntly.
Hunterleys bowed.
"And a party?" he enquired.
"No," she replied. "I really did not want to come. Mr. Draconmeyer hadpromised Monsieur Pericot, the director here, to come and bring Mrs.Draconmeyer. At the last moment, however, she was not well enough, andhe almost insisted upon my taking her place."
"Is it necessary to explain?" Hunterleys asked quietly. "You know verywell how I regard this friendship of yours."
"I am sorry," she said. "If I had known that we were likely tomeet--well, I would not have come here to-night."
"You were at least considerate," he remarked bitterly. "May I bepermitted to compliment you upon your toilette?"
"As you pay for my frocks," she answered, "there is certainly no reasonwhy you shouldn't admire them."
He bit his lip. There was a certain challenge in her expression whichmade him, for a moment, feel weak. She was a very beautiful woman andshe was looking her best. He spoke quickly on another subject.
"Are you still," he asked, "troubled by the attentions of the person youspoke to me about?"
"I am still watched," she replied drily.
"I have made some enquiries," Hunterleys continued, "and I have come tothe conclusion that you are right."
"And you still tell me that you have nothing to do with it?"
"I assure you, upon my honour, that I have nothing whatever to do withit."
It was obvious that she was puzzled, but at that moment Mr. Draconmeyerpresented himself. The newcomer simply bowed to Hunterleys and addressedsome remark about the room to Violet. Then Richard came up and they allpassed on into the reception room, where two or three very fussy butvery suave and charming Frenchmen were receiving the guests. A fewminutes afterwards dinner was announced. A black frown was uponRichard's forehead.
"She isn't coming!" he muttered. "I say, Sir Henry, you won't mind if weleave early?"
"I shall be jolly glad to get away," Hunterleys assented heartily.
Then he suddenly felt a grip of iron upon his arm.
"She's come!" Richard murmured ecstatically. "Look at her, all in white!Just look at the colour of her hair! There she is, going into thereception room. Jove! I'm glad we are here, after all!"
Hunterleys smiled a little wearily. They passed on into the _salle amanger_. The seats at the long dining-tables were not reserved, and theyfound a little table for two in a corner, which they annexed. Hunterleyswas in a grim humour, but his companion was in the wildest spirits.Considering that he was placed where he could see Mr. Grex and hisdaughter nearly the whole of the time, he really did contrive to keephis eyes away from them to a wonderful extent, but he talked of herunceasingly.
"Say, I'm sorry for you, Sir Henry!" he declared. "It's just your badluck, being here with me while I've got this fit on, but I've got totalk to some one, so you may as well make up your mind to it. Therenever was anything like that girl upon the earth. There never wasanything like the feeling you get," he went on, "when you're absolutelyand entirely convinced, when you know--that there's just one girl whocounts for you in the whole universe. Gee whiz! It does get hold of you!I suppose you've been through it all, though."
"Yes, I've been through it!" Hunterleys admitted, with a sigh.
The young man bit his lip. The story of Hunterleys' matrimonialdifferences was already being whispered about. Richard talked polovigorously for the next quarter of an hour. It was not until the coffeeand liqueurs arrived that they returned to the subject of Miss Grex.Then it was Hunterleys himself who introduced it. He was beginning torather like this big, self-confident young man, so full of his simplelove affair, so absolutely honest in his purpose, in his outlook uponlife.
"Lane," he said, "I have given you several hints during the day, haven'tI?"
"That's so," Richard agreed. "You've done your best to head me off. Sodid my future father-in-law. Sort of hopeless task, I can assure you."
Hunterleys shook his head.
"Honestly," he continued, "I wouldn't let myself think too much abouther, Lane. I don't want to explain exactly what I mean. There's no realreason why I shouldn't tell you what I know about Mr. Grex, but for agood many people's sakes, it's just as well that those few of us whoknow keep quiet. I am sure you trust me, and it's just the same,therefore, if I tell you straight, as man to man, that you're onlylaying up for yourself a store of unhappiness by fixing your thoughts soentirely upon that young woman."
Richard, for all his sublime confidence, was a little staggered by theother's earnestness.
"Look here," he said, "the girl isn't married, to start with?"
"Not that I know of," Hunterleys confessed.
"And she's not engaged because I've seen her left hand," Richardproceeded. "I'm not one of those Americans who go shouting all over theworld that because I've got a few million dollars I am the equal ofanybody, but honestly, Sir Henry, there are a good many prejudices overthis side that you fellows lay too much store by. Grex may be a noblemanin disguise. I don't care. I am a man. I can give her everything sheneeds in life and I am not going to admit, even if she is an aristocrat,that you croakers are right when you shake your heads and advise me togive her up. I don't care who she is, Hunterleys. I am going to marryher."
Hunterleys helped himself to a liqueur.
"Young man," he said, "in a sense I admire your independence. Inanother, I think you've got all the conceit a man needs for this world.Let us presume, for a moment, that she is, as you surmise, the daughterof a nobleman. When it suits her father to throw off his incognito, sheis probably in touch with young men in the highest circles of manycountries. Why should you suppose that you can come alon
g and cut themall out?"
"Because I love her," the young man answered simply. "They don't."
"You must remember," Hunterleys resumed, "that all foreign noblemen arenot what they are represented to be in your comic papers. Austrian andRussian men of high rank are most of them very highly cultivated, veryaccomplished, and very good-looking. You don't know much of the world,do you? It's a pretty formidable enterprise to come from a New Yorkoffice, with only Harvard behind you, and a year or so's travel as atourist, and enter the list against men who have had twice youropportunities. I am talking to you like this, young fellow, for yourgood. I hope you realise that. You're used to getting what you want.That's because you've been brought up in a country where money can doalmost anything. I am behind the scenes here and I can assure you thatyour money won't count for much with Mr. Grex."
"I never thought it would," Richard admitted. "I think when I talk toher she'll understand that I care more than any of the others. If youwant to know the reason, that's why I'm so hopeful."
Monsieur le Directeur had risen to his feet. Some one had proposed hishealth and he made a graceful little speech of acknowledgment. Heremained standing for a few minutes after the cheers which had greetedhis neat oratorical display had died away. The conclusion of his remarkscame as rather a surprise to his guests.
"I have to ask you, ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "with many,many regrets, and begging you to forgive my apparent inhospitality, tomake your arrangements for leaving us as speedily as may be possible.Our magnificent situation, with which I believe that most of you arefamiliar, has but one drawback. We are subject to very dense mountainmists, and alas! I have to tell you that one of these has come on mostunexpectedly and the descent must be made with the utmost care. Believeme, there is no risk or any danger," he went on earnestly, "so long asyou instruct your chauffeurs to proceed with all possible caution. Atthe same time, as there is very little chance of the mist becomingabsolutely dispelled before daylight, in your own interests I wouldsuggest that a start be made as soon as possible."
Every one rose at once, Richard and Hunterleys amongst them.
"This will test your skill to-night, young man," Hunterleys remarked."How's the nerve, eh?"
Richard smiled almost beatifically. For once he had allowed his eyes towander and he was watching the girl with golden hair who was at thatmoment receiving the respectful homage of the director.
"Lunatics, and men who are head over heels in love," he declared, "nevercome to any harm. You'll be perfectly safe with me."