The car of destiny

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Title:TheCarofDestiny
Author:C.N.WilliamsonandA.M.Williamson
ReleaseDate:November15,2007[Ebook#23500]
Language:English

***STARTOFTHEPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKTHECAROFDESTINY***

THE

CAROFDESTINY
BY


C.N.ANDA.M.WILLIAMSON

IllustrationsbyArmandBoth
NEWYORK
THEMcCLURECOMPANY
MCMVII

OTHERBOOKSBYTHESAMEAUTHORS
LadyBettyAcrosstheWater,
MyFriendtheChauffeur,

ThePrincessVirginia,
etc.

Copyright,1907,byTheMcClureCompany
Copyright,1906,byMcClure,Phillips&Co.

LadyMonica
LADYMONICA


To
DoñaMaríadelPilarHarvey,
WeDedicateThisSpanishStory
C.N.andA.M.Williamson


Contents
TheKing'sCar
TheGirl
TheGuestWhoWasNotAsked
“IDon'tThreaten—IWarn”
AMysteryConcerningaChauffeur
Puzzle:FindtheCar
TheImpudenceofShowingaHandkerchief
OvertheBorder
ASternChase
TheUnexpectednessofMissO'Donnel
MaríadelPilartotheRescue
UnderaBalcony
WhatHappenedintheCathedral

SomeLittleIdeasofDick's
HowtheDukeChanged
ASecretoftheKing's
LikeaThiefintheNight
TheManWhoLovedPilar
AParcelforLieutenantO'Donnel
TheMagicWord
TheDuchess'sHand
TheLuckoftheDream-Book
TheGlorificationofMonica
TheGoodwillofMariquita
WhatCordobaLacked
InthePalaceoftheKings
MoonlightintheGarden
LetYourHeartSpeak
TheGardenofFlamingLilies
TheHandUndertheCurtains


BehindanIronGrating
OntheRoadtoCadiz
TheSevenMenofEcija
TheRace
TheMoonintheWilderness
WilesandEnchantments
DreamsandanAwakening
TheFountain
DayAfterTo-morrow
ThroughtheNight
TheFifthBull;andAfter

[pg3]


I

TheKing'sCar
“MotortoBiarritz?Youmustbemad,”saidDickWaring.
“Why?” I asked; though I knew why as well as he. “A nice way to receive an
invitation.”
“If you must know, it's because the King of Spain will be there, visiting his
Englishfiancée,”Dickanswered.
“Iwishhimhappiness,”saidI.“Ihearhe'safineyoungfellow.Whyisn'tthere
roominBiarritzfortheKingandforme?”
“The detectives won't think there is, nor will they give you credit for your
generoussentiments,”saidDick.
“Theywon'tknowI'mthere.”
“TheyknewwhenyouwenttoBarcelona,fromMarseilles.”
Thiswasasoresubject.Itisnotmyfaultthatmyfatherwasasrecklesslybrave
ageneral,andasobstinatelydeterminedapartisanasDonCarloseverhad.IfI
hadbeenborninthosedays,itispossiblethatIshouldhavedoneasmyfather
did;butIwasnotborn,andthereforenotresponsible.NorwasittheKing'sfault
thatwelostourestateswhichmyancestorsownedinthedaysofCharlesV;nor
thatwelostourfortune,weCasaTrianas;northatmyfatherwasbanishedfrom
Spain. For the King was not born, therefore he was not responsible; so why


shouldIblamehimforanythingthathashappenedtome?
Itwasperhapsill-judgedtovisitmyfather'sland,sincetohimithadbeenaland

forbidden.Butafewmonthsafterhisdeath,whenIwastwenty-one,thelonging
toseeSpainhadbecomeanobsession.Anditmusthavebeenmyevilstarwhich
[pg4]influencedananarchisttothrowabombataroyalpersonageonthevery
dayIarrivedatBarcelona,thinly“disguised”underanEnglishname.
Myidentitywasdiscoveredatonce,asthesonofthegreatdeadCarlist.Iwas
suspectedandclappedintoacell,towaituntilmyinnocencecouldbeproved.
This was not easy; but, on the other hand, there was no proof against me; and
after an experience which scourged my pride and emptied my purse, I was
released, only to be politely but firmly advised never again to show the
undesirablefaceofaCasaTrianainSpain.
ItwasafterthisthatIflungmyselfofftoRussia,andthroughfriendlyinfluence
got a commission in the army. I had some adventures in the Boxer rising; and
though Heaven knows I have no grudge against the Japanese, the fight I made
laterontheRussiansidegavemesomethingtodofortwoyears.AfterthePeace
withIdleness,camethemotormania,andIthoughtofnothingelseforatime.
Butwhenyouhaverunyourcarformonths,motoringforitsownsakeceasesto
beallinall.Youaskyourselfwhatcountryyouwouldlikebesttovisitwiththe
machineyoulove.
Pridekeptmefromansweringthatquestionwiththenameof“Spain”;butitwas
becauseBiarritzisatthedoorofSpainthatIhadjustinvitedDickWaring—the
bestoffriends,themostdelightfulofAmericans,whofoughtsidebysidewith
me,forfun,inChina—todrivethereinmyGloriacar.
“Yes, they knew whenI wenttoBarcelona,”Iadmitted;forDickwasfamiliar
withthestory.“Butthatwasdifferent.Anyhow,I'mgoingtoBiarritz,whatever
happens.Youcandoasyoulike.”
“Ifyouwillgo,I'llgotoo,”saidDick;“andifanythinghappensI'llbeinitwith
you.Butyoumayregretyourrashness.”
“I'veneveryetregrettedrashness,”Isaid.“Thingsdoneonimpulsealwaysturn
outforthebest.”
So we started from Paris the next day, and had a splendid run, [pg 5]through

scenerytosetthespiritsingingintunewiththethrummingofthemotor.
WhateverwastohappeninBiarritz,andIwasfarenoughfromguessingthen,
nothinghappenedbytheway;andwearrivedonamorningofblueandgold.
Weputupataprivatehoteloutofthewayfromfashionablethoroughfares;and,
asmychildhoodandearlyyouthwerepassedinEngland,IcoulduseanEnglish
name without making myself ridiculous by a foreign accent. As for my brown
faceandblackeyes,manyaCornishmanhasafaceasbrownandeyesasblack;
therefore, I edited the name of Triana into Cornish Trevenna, and changed
Cristóbal,mymiddlename,intoChristopher.
Wetookourfirstmealintherestaurant,andeveryoneatthelittletablesnearby,
wastalkingoftheKingand“PrincessEna”;howprettyshewas,howmuchin
love he; how charming their romance. My heart quite warmed to my youthful
sovereign,whohashadsevenfeweryearsonearththanI.Ifeltthat,ifIhadhad
afairchance,Ishouldhavebeenhisloyalsubject.
“I'dliketohavealookathim,”saidItoWaringafterlunch.“Theladywiththe
nosewhosatonourleftsaidtoherhusbandwiththechin,thattheKingandthe
twoPrincessesmotoreveryafternoon.We'llmotortoo;andwheretheygo,there
we'llgoalso.”
“Takecare,”saidDick.
“Acatmaylookataking.SomayChrisTrevenna.”
“Nogoodadvisingyoutobecautious.”
“Ofcoursenot.Youwouldn'tcarearapformeiftherewas.”
“Shouldn'tI?Anyhow,ChrisTrevennamightaswellweargoggles.”
“There'snodustto-day,”saidI.“Itrainedinthenight.”
“Igiveyouup,”saidDick.Andifgivingmeupmeantgoingoutwithmeinmy
bigbluecardirectlyafterlunch,thenhekepthisword.Ropes,mychauffeur,and
right-handman,whositsalwaysinthetonneau,hadalreadyheardallaboutthe
King'sautomobile, andwasprimedwithparticulars.He leanedacross[pg6]to

describeitsappearance,aswellasmentionthemake;andwhensuchacarashe


wasintheactofpicturingpassedus,goingroundabendoftheroadwhichleads
toSpain,therewasnomistakingit.
“Let'sfollow,”saidI.
Dicksighed,butnaturallyIpaidnoattentiontothat.
There were five personsin the King'scar.Theslimyoungowner,threeladies,
two very slender and young, and the chauffeur, all five masked or goggled, so
thatitwasimpossibletoseetheirfaces.
“Iwishsomethingwouldhappentothem,”Isaid.
Waringlookedshocked.
“Justenoughofasomethingtostopthecar,andtempttheladiestotakeofftheir
motor-veils.ImayneverhaveanotherchancetoseethefutureQueenofSpain.”
WhenIwasasmallladinEngland,Iusedtolieunderafavouriteapple-treein
theorchardoftheoldplacewherewelived,andwishwithallmymightforthe
fallofacertainappleonwhicheyesandheartwerefixed.Itwasextraordinary
howoftentheapplewouldfall.
InaflashIrememberedthosewishesandthoseapplesaswebegantogainupon
theKing'scar.Itspaceslackened,andthenitstopped.Thechauffeurjumpedout,
andtwooftheladieswereraisingtheirthickveilsaswecameup.
As we were not supposed to know the King, who was “incog,” the ordinary
civilitiesbetweenmotoristswereinorder.Isloweddown,andtakingoffmyhat,
inquiredinFrenchiftherewereanythingIcoulddo.
Thetwogirls,whohadhastilywhippedofftheirveils,turnedandglancedatme.
Both were more than pretty; blond, violet-eyed, with radiant complexions; but
oneseemedtomebeautifulastheBlessedDamozellookingdownfromthestarframedwindowofheaven;andIwassuddenlysickwithjealousyoftheKing,
becauseIbelievedthatshewashisPrincess.
It was he who answered, in French better than mine. He thanked [pg7]me for
mykindoffer,andreferredmetohischauffeur,whohadnotyetdiscoveredthe

causeofthecar'ssuddenlossofpower.Butevenashespoke,themysterywas


solved. There was a leak in the petrol-tank, near the bottom; the last drop of
essencehadrunaway,and,astheyhadcomeoutforashortspin,therewasnone
inreserve.
An odd chance it seemed that brought me, the son of a banished rebel, to the
King'said;butlifeisodd.Irejoicedbecauseitwasodd,andmorebecauseofthe
girl.
Ihadasparebidonofpetrolwhich,withconventionalexpressionsofpleasure,I
gavetomyfellowmotorist.Weexchangedcompliments,andasnobodystaredat
measkance,Ihadreasontobelievethatneitherwords,actions,norlookswere
outoftheway.YetwhatIsaidanddidwassaidanddonewithnomoreguidance
ofthemindthanthegesturesandspeechofamechanicaldoll.
I was conscious only of the girl's eyes, for I had done that unreasonable,
indefinablething—falleninloveatfirstsight,andIhadfallenveryfar,andvery
deep.Shedidnotglanceatmeoften,andafterthefirstIscarcelyglancedather
at all, lest my eyes should be indiscreet. It was the most curious thing in the
world, and far beyond anything that had ever happened to me; but already I
knewthatIcouldnotloseheroutofmylife.SoonercouldIloselifeitself.Ifshe
werethePrincesswhowastobeQueenofSpain,IwouldfollowhertoMadrid,
comewhatmight,justforthejoyofbreathingtheairshebreathed,ofseeingher
drivepastmeinhercarriagesometimes.Ihadwondered,knowingthetraditions
ofourfamily,manyofthemtragic,whenlovewouldcometome.Nowithad
comequickly,inamoment;butnottogoasithadcome.ItandIwouldbeone,
foralways.Thegirlwaslittlemorethanachild,butIknewshewastobethe
one woman for me; and that was what I feared my eyes might tell her. So I
wouldnotlook;yettheairseemedchargedwithelectricitytoflashathousand
messages, and my blood tingled with the assurance that she had had my
message,thatunconsciouslyshewassendingbackamessagetome.

[pg 8] All this was going on in my inner self, while the outer husk of self
delivereditselfofconventionalthings.
Aleakwasmended,atankfilled,whilemylifewasbeingremade.Thenthere
werebows,liftingofcaps,manypolitenesses,andtheKing'scarshotaway.
“What'sthematter?”inquiredWaringbyandby.
“Nothing,”Ianswered.“Whydoyouask?”


“Youactasifyou'dhadastroke.Aren'tyougoingtodriveon?”
“No.Yes.I'mgoingback,”Isaid,andturnedthecar.
“Youdon'tmeantofollow,then?”
“There'ssomethingIneedtodoatonceatBiarritz,”Ianswered.Itwastrue.I
neededtofindoutwhethershewasthePrincess,or—justagirl.

[pg9]


II

TheGirl
It was easy to learn that she was not the Princess. I did that by going into a
stationer'sshopandaskingforaphotographoftheroyallovers.Itwasnotquite
soeasytofindoutwhoshewas,withoutpinningmynewsecretonmysleeve;
butluckilyeveryoneinBiarritzboastedknowledgeoftheKing'saffairs,andthe
affairsoftheprettyPrincess.ChristopherTrevennamadehimselfagreeableafter
dinnertotheladywiththenose,whowouldprobablyhaveshrunkawayinfear
ifshehadknownthatshewastalkingwiththeMarquésdeCasaTriana.
I, in my character of Trevenna, found out that the Princess had a friend, Lady
Monica Vale, daughter of the widowed Countess of Vale-Avon, who, when at
home,livedintheIsleofWight.Atpresent,thetwowerestayingatBiarritz,ina

villa;andLadyMonica,agirlofeighteenornineteen,sometimeshadthehonour
ofgoingoutwiththePrincesses,intheKing'smotor.
Therewereotherprivilegedfriendsaswell;butthedescriptionofLadyMonica
Vale,thoughpaintedwithacolourlessbrush,wasunmistakable.
Casually I inquired the name of the house where Lady Vale-Avon and her
daughterwerestaying,andhavinglearnedit,Imadeanexcusetoescapefrom
theladywiththenose.
Itwashalf-pastteno'clock,andanightfloodedwithmoonlight.Istrolledout,
smokingacigarette,andintenminutesstoodbeforethegardengateoftheVilla
Esmeralda.


Therewerelightsinthreeorfourofthewindows,sparkling[pg10]amongclosegrowingtrees;andIhadnotfinishedmysecondcigarette,whenacarriagedrove
roundthecornerandstopped.
Imovedintothebackground.Agroomjumpeddown,unfastenedthegate,and
having opened the brougham door, respectfully aided a middle-aged lady to
descend.
The moonlight showed me a clear, proud profile, and fired the diamonds in a
tiarawhichcrownedaheadofwavedgreyhair.
There were billows of violet satin and lace to keep off the ground; and as the
groomhelpedthewearertoadjustthemunderherchinchillacoat,agirlsprang
out of the carriage, her white figure and rippling hair of daffodil gold in full
moonlight.
I stood as a man might stand who sees a vision, hardly breathing. I made no
sound,yetsheturnedandsawme,shelteredasIwasbythedappledtrunkofa
tallplane-tree.ItwasasifIhadcalled,andshehadanswered.
I knew she remembered me, and that she did not misunderstand my presence.
Therewasnoangerinherface,onlysurprise,andalightwhichwashiddenas
shedroppedherhead,andpassedonthroughthegate.
I could have sung the song of the stars. She had not forgotten me since the

afternoon.Thelookinmyeyesthen,hadarrestedsomethoughtofhers,andset
meapartinhermindfromothermen.
It was no stupid conceit which made me feel this, but a kind of exalted
conviction.
Whenthegatewasshut,Itookoffmyhatandlookedatthelightedwindows.I
couldmakehercare.Isaidtomyself,“We'remeantforeachother.Andifthat's
true,thoughallthemountainsintheworldwerepiledupasbarriersbetweenus,
I'dcrossthem.”
That was a vow. And through the remaining hours of the night I tried to plan
howitwouldbebesttobeginitsfulfilment.
Menwhohavegonethroughacampaignasclosefriends,havefewsecretsfrom


oneanother;andIhadnonefromDickWaring.Nevertheless,Iwouldnowhave
keptoneifitwerepossible;[pg11]butitwasnot.IfIhadnottoldhim,hewould
haveguessed,andthenhemighthavethoughtthathehadtherighttochaffme
onlosingmyhead.
Itisonlyahappyloverwhocanbeartobechaffed,however,andafewwords
wereenoughtoshowmytactfulAmericanwheretosethisfeetontheslippery
path.
Hetoohadseenthegirl;thereforehecouldnotbesurprisedatmystateofmind.
Butheregrettedit,andurgedthatthebestIcoulddowastogoaway,beforethe
thoughtofherhadtakentoodeepaholduponme.
“Yousee,”hesaid,“you'reinahopelessposition;andit'sbettertolookfactsin
theface.Ifyou'dfalleninlovewithalmostanyothergirl,exceptPrincessEna
herself,youmighthavehoped.Butasitis,whathaveyoutolookforwardto?
Yououghtn'ttohavecometoBiarritz.Inthecircumstances,andwiththeKing
here,itwasbravado.Friendsofhis,enemiesofyours,mightevensayitwasbad
taste,whichisworse.Andthen,havingcome,youproceedtofollowtheKing's
motor-car;youfallheadoverearsinlovewithagirlinit,afriendofthebrideelect,towhomyourrealname,ifshe'snothearditalready,couldeasilybemade

to seem anathema maranatha. But that's not all. You're here under a name not
yourown.Ifyoushouldbyluckorill-luckgetachancetomeetLadyMonica,
you couldn't be introduced to her as Christopher Trevenna; it would be a false
pretence;stilllesscouldyouthrowyourrealnameinherface;forbetweenthe
KingofSpainasafriend,andyouasanacquaintance,thegirlwouldbeinan
uncomfortableposition,tosaytheleast.No,mydearfellow,youcan'tmeetthis
younglady;andtheonlythingforyourpeaceofmind,ifyou'vereallyfallenin
love,istogoaway.”
IhadnoargumentswithwhichtomeetDick's.Ilistenedinsilence,but—Imade
no preparation for departure. If there was nothing to be gained by staying, at
leasttherewasaslittletobegainedbygoing;forIknewthatIshouldnotforget
thegirl.IfIwerestruckblind,herfacewouldstillliveformyeyes,whiteand
pureagainstabackgroundofdarkness.
[pg012]WestayedonatBiarritz,butIbehavedwithcircumspection,andmade
no further attempts to put myself in the King's Way, though he arrived at the
VillaMouriscoteverymorningfromSanSebastian.Dickapprovedmyconduct


and, pitying my depression, perhaps repented his hardness. He found several
ParisianfriendsatBiarritz,andwhenwehadbeenthereforthreedays,hecame
backtothehotelfromtheCasinoonenightwithanimportantair.
“Strangehowone'stemptedtodothingsoneknowsoneoughtn'ttodo,”saidhe.
“Now,it'sunwisetotellyouI'vemetamanwhoknowsLadyMonicaVale,yet
I'mdoingit.”
“Whatdidthemansay?”Iasked.
“A number of things—charming, of course. She's not engaged, if that's any
consolation.”
“Oh,Iknewthat.”
“How?”
“Byhereyes.”

“Apparentlysheobservedyoursalso.”
“What?She'sspokenof—she—”
“ThesisterofmymanisafriendofLadyMonica's.Shetoldthesisteraboutthe
motor-caradventure.”
“Forgoodnesssakedon'tforcemetoaskquestions.”
“Iwon't.I'veasoftheart,whichhasoftenbeenmyundoing.Shesaidshe'dseen
themostinterestingmanintheworld.Don'tfaint.”
“Don'tbeanass.”
“I'm not chaffing. She did say that—honest Injun. At least, I've Henri de la
Mole'swordforit.HissisterwasatschoolattheconventoftheVirginofTears
withLadyMonicaVale.LadyMonicasupposedtheotherdaythatwewereboth
French, which is a compliment to your accent. She said she wished she could
findout‘whowasthebrownmanwiththeeyes.’I'mafooltohavetoldyouthat
though,eh?Itcan'tdoyouanygood,andwillprobablymakeyouworse.”


“Butithasdonemegood.”
[pg013]“Flatteredyourvanity.However,Ihaven'ttoldyouallyet.DelaMole
saysthemother'sadragon,hardasiron,coldassteel,livingforambition.She
wasleftpoor,onherhusband'sdeath,astheVale-Avonestateswentwiththetitle
to a distant relative, and the girl's been brought up to make a brilliant match.
She'sbeengiveneveryaccomplishmentunderHeaven,toaddtoherbeauty;and
asthefamily'soneoftheoldestinGreatBritain,connectedwithroyaltyinone
wayoranother,inStuartdays,Lady'sMonica'sexpectedtopulloffsomething
from the top branch, in the way of a marriage. De la Mole's heard that the
present Lord Vale-Avon has been first favourite with the mother up till lately,
though he's next door to an idiot. Princess Ena's engagement to the King of
Spainhaschangedeverything.Yousee,LadyVale-Avonand herdaughterlive
notfarfromthePrincess,intheIsleofWight.WhentheKingcamea-courtingto
England,camealso,thoughnotexactlyinhistrain,anotherSpaniard,theDuke

ofCarmona,and—”
“Don't,” I cut in; “I won't hear his name in connection with her's. That half
Moorishbrute!”
“HemayhaveadashofMoorishblood,buthe'snothalfMoorish;andifhe'sa
brute, he's a good-looking brute, according to de la Mole, also he's one of the
richestyoungmeninSpain.LadyVale-Avon—”
IjumpedupandstoppedDick.“I'minearnest,”Isaid.“Ican'tbeartolisten.I
knowthesortofthingsyou'dsay.Butdon't.Ifyoudo,IthinkI'llkillthefellow.”
“Evermethim?”
“No.Themenofmyhouse andofhishavebeenenemiesforgenerations.But
I'veheardofcertainexploits.”
“He'scomingheretostopwithhismother,theoldDuchess,who'sbeenspending
thewinteratBiarritz.Anotherreasonforyoutovamose.”
“Youmean,tostay.Atleast,heshan'thaveaclearcoast.”
“Idon'tseehowyoucanhopetoblockit.”
[pg014]“Iwill—somehow.”


“Nodoubtyou'reahundredtimesthemanheis,but—fate'shandicappedyoufor
ashowplaceinthematrimonialmarket.Youare—”
“Amancountrylessandpenniless.Don'thesitatetostatethecasefrankly.”
“Well,you'vesaidit.Whiletheother'srich,andagrandeeofSpain.And,though
delaMolesaystheKingdoesn'tcareforhim,onaccountofsomethingorother
connected with the Spanish-American War, he's bound to become a persona
grata at Court if he marries a friend of the young Queen; and, no doubt, that
influenceshischoice.”
“ThankHeaven,LadyMonicaisn'tSpanish.”
“Ah,butSpain'sthefashionnow.Andyouhaven'theardallmynews.Henride
laMolesaysLadyMonicaisaskedtobeamaidofhonourfortheyoungQueen
ofSpain,theoneEnglishwomanshe'stohaveinattendance.”

“Atleasttheweddingwon'tbetillJune.It'sonlytheendofFebruarynow.I've
gotmorethanthreemonths.”
“Youhaven'tgotone.SoonafterthePrincessesleaveBiarritz,LadyVale-Avon
andLadyMonicaaregoingtovisittheoldDuchessofCarmonainSpain.”
“What,they'regoingtoSeville?”
“Ifherhouseisthere.I'mtellingyouwhatI'vebeentold.”
“The principal house of the Duke is in Seville, though he has a place near
Granada, and a flat in Madrid as a substitute for a fine house that was burned
down.”
“ThenSeville'swherethey'llbe.Anyhow,they'retoseethegreatshowinHoly
Weekthere.”
ItwasasifDickhadsuddenlydrenchedmewithicedwater.
ForafewsecondsIdidnotspeak.ThenIsaid,“Areyoutryingtobreakittome
thatthematchisarranged?”
“ItoldyouLadyMonicawasn'tengaged.”


“AndItoldyouIknewshewasn't.Butthatisn'ttosaythemother,thewoman
‘ashardasironandcoldassteel,’hasn't[pg15]plannedherdaughter'sfuture,a
girlsoyoung,andalwayskeptundercontrol.”
“Itlooksasifthewindwassettinginthatquarter.ApersonofLadyVale-Avon's
type would hardly accept such an invitation if she didn't intend something to
comeofit.”
“You'recertaintheinvitation'sbeenaccepted?”
“Certain. Angèle de la Mole has been with her brother in Spain, and Lady
Monica'sbeenaskingheradviceaboutwhattotakeandwhattowear.TheDuke
himself is in Paris, buying a new automobile; at least, so his mother says; but
otherpeoplesayhe'satMonteCarlo.Anyhow,he'sexpectedhereintimeforthe
ball.”
“Whatball?”

“Didn'tItellyou?AmaskedballtheoldDuchessisgivinginhonourofPrincess
Ena.Agrandaffairitwillbe,saysdelaMole.There'sbeenjealousyaboutthe
invitations,whichhavebeencarefullyweeded.”
“YouandI'llaccept,”saidI.
“We'renotlikelytohavethechance.”
“Sometimes a man must make a chance. I shall meet Lady Monica at the
Duchess'sball.”
“Allright.Supposeyougointhegarbofapalmer?”
“Eh?”
“Iwasthinkingofanotherfirstmeeting,casenotdissimilar,youknow,Romeo
and Juliet. My poor, mad friend, there's more hope for a Montague with a
CapuletthanforaCasaTrianawithafriendofthefutureQueenofSpain,and
thedaughterofaLadyVale-Avon.”
“RomeowonJuliet.”


“Itwasn'texactlyafortunatemarriage.Seehere,ifyou'regoinginforthepartof
Romeo,it'snogoodaskingmetoplayMercutio.”
IlookedatDickandsmiled.“Ishallasknothing,”Isaid.“Yet—”
“Yet,youknowmightywell,ifyouwantaMercutio,I'llbe[pg16]readytotake
uptherôleatamoment'snoticeallforthesakeofyourbeauxyeux.Well,you're
right.There'ssomethingqueeraboutyou,Ramón,whichmakesusothersgladto
dowhatwecan,evenifitweretocostourlives.Ifyou'dbeenakinginexile,
you'dhavehadnotroubleinfindingfollowers.FromyourFrenchvalettoyour
Russian soldiers; from your English chauffeur to your American friend, it's
prettywellthesame.Iexpectyou'llgettothatmaskedball.”
“IfIdon't,itwon'tbeforlackoftrying,”saidI.
“But—”
“Butwhat—”
“Thisaffairofyoursisgoingtoendintragedy—forsomeone,”saidDick.

[pg17]


III

TheGuestWhoWasNotAsked
DuringthenexttwoorthreedaysIfoundmoretodo.IgotDicktointroduceme
tohisfriendHenridelaMole,notasChristopherTrevenna,butundermyown
name,andwhenheandhissisterhadbeeninterestedinwhattheychosetothink
aromance,Iwasabletolearnthroughthemthat,curiouslyenough,LadyValeAvonhadarrangedforherdaughtertoappearattheballasJuliet.
The costume, it seemed, decided itself, because there happened to be among
LadyVale-Avon'sinheritedandmosttreasuredpossessions,aninterestingpearl
head-dress of the conventional Juliet fashion. This had been sent for from
England;andifIcouldsucceedingettingtotheball,asIfullyintendedtodo,I
shouldhavelittledifficultyinidentifyingtheheadthatIadored.
HadInottakendelaMolemoreorlessintomyconfidence,hewouldhavedone
nothing to further my interests; but, if I really have any such power as Dick
Waringhinted,IusedittoenlistdelaMoleuponmyside.Finallyhenotonly
agreed,butofferedtohelpmeentertheDuchessofCarmona'shouseasoneof
hermaskedguests.Hehadbeenaskedtostandatthedoorthatnight,andrequest
each person, or in any case the man of each party, to raise his mask for an
instant. This, in order to keep out reporters and intruders of all sorts; and his
promisewastoletmepassinunchallenged.Imightcountonhisgoodoffices,
not only in that way, but in any other way possible, for “all the world loves a
lover,” said he. And he wished me the best of luck, though he looked as if he
hardlyexpectedmetohaveit.
[pg018]Probablyitwasfoolishandconceited,butIcouldnotresistplayingup

totherôleDicksuggested.ShewastobeJuliet.IwouldbeRomeo.
By this time, no doubt, the Duchess's invited guests had their costumes well
underway;Ihadtogetmine,andtheonlywaytohavesomethingworthyofthe
occasionwastogotoParisforit.Ididgo,andwasbackinBiarritzintwodays.
Therestmovedeasily,withoutahitch.Thenightoftheballcame.Idressedand
wentalone,ratherthandragDickintoanaffairwhichmightenddisagreeably.
I did not put myself forward, but stood for a while and watched the dancers,
waitingformychance.
Carmonahadarrivedthedaybefore.Ihadnevermethim,butwhatIhadheardI
didnotlike;andhavingseenhimonceortwiceinLondon,atadistance,hewas
recognizable in a costume copied from a famous portrait of that Duke of Alba
wholoomedgreatinPhiliptheSecond'sday.Becauseofaslightdifferenceone
from the other, in the height of his shoulders, he was difficult to disguise; and
though the arrangement of the costume was intended to hide the peculiarity, it
wasperceptible.
Whenthe“DukeofAlba”haddancedtwiceinsuccessionwithJulietCapulet,I
could bear my rôle of watcher no longer. Besides, I knew that I had not much
timetowaste.ForthesakeofdelaMole,whohadruntheriskofadmittinga
stranger,Imustvanishbeforethehourforthemaskstofall.WhenItookoffmy
cap and bowed before this white Juliet with the pearl-laced plaits of gold, she
gazedatmethroughhervelvetmaskinthesilenceofsurprise.Icouldnotguess
whethershepuzzledherselfastowhatwasundermyyellow-brownwigandmy
mask;butatleastshemustknowitwasRomeowhobeggedadance.
Ididnoturgemyclaimonsuchaplea,however,leastitshouldrouseCarmona's
opposition, and cause him to keep the girl from me if he could. I merely said,
“Thenextisourdance,”riskingarebuff;butitdidnotcome.
[pg 019]“Yes,” she said, almost timidly. It was the first time I had heard her
speak,andhervoicewenttomyheart.
TheDukestared,asthoughhewouldhavestrippedoffmymaskbysheerforce
ofcuriosity.Buthehadtoletthegirlgo;andasthemusicbeganshewasinmy

arms.Ihardlydaredbelievemyownluck.Neitherofusspoke.Iwaslostinthe
sense ofhernearness,theknowledgethatit was themusic whichgave methe


righttoholdherthus,andthatwhenthemusicdiedImustlethergo.
Butaquickthoughtcame.Ifwedancedthewaltzthrough,Carmonaorsomeone
else would claim her for the next. If I could hide the girl before it was over,
perhapsImightkeepherforalittletime.Indeed,Imustkeepher,ifthismeeting
werenottoendinfailure;fortherewerethingsIhadtosay.
The conservatory was too obvious; and the shallow staircase with its rosegarlandedbalusters,anditsfatsilkcushionforeachstep,wouldsoonbeinvaded
by a dozen couples. What to do, then? I would have given much to know the
house.
“Imustspeakwithyou,”Isaidatlast.“Wherecanwego?”
Shedidnotsayinreturn,“Doyouknowme,then?”oranyotherconventional
thing.ThehopeinmethatshehadrememberedwellenoughtoguesswhoIwas,
brightened.Shewouldnothaveansweredapersonsheregardedasastranger,as
sheansweredme,
“There'sacard-roomattheendofthecorridortotheleft,offthebighall,where
wemightrestforamomentortwo,”shesaid.“ButImustn'tstoplong.”
“No,”Ipromised.“Iwon'ttrytokeepyou.Iaskonlyafewmoments.Ican'ttell
howIthankyouforgivingmethose.”
IthrewaglanceroundforCarmona,andsawhimdancingwithastatelyMary
Stuart.IguessedhispartnertobeLadyVale-Avon;andifIwereright,itwasa
bad omen.Shewasnotawomantocareforextraneousdancing,thereforeshe
favouredCarmonainparticular.
Still,forthemomenthewasoccupied;andwhenhisbackwas[pg20]turnedI
whisked Lady Monica out of the ball-room, past the decorated staircase in the
square hall, and to the room at the end of the corridor. There I pushed aside a
portièreandfollowedherin.
Shehadbeenright;theroomwasunoccupied,thoughtwoorthreebridgetables

were ready for players. In one corner was a small sofa. The girl sat down,
carefully leaving no place for me, even had I presumed; and, leaning forward,
claspedherlittlehandsnervouslyroundherknees.


Thenshelookedupatmethroughhermask;andIdidnotkeepherwaiting.
“I'venoinvitationto-night,”Isaid.“ButIhadtocome.Icametoseeyou.Do
youforgivemeforsayingthis?”
“I—thinkso,”sheanswered.
“Youwouldbesure,ifyouknewall.”
“Idoknow.Atleast—Imean—butofcourse,Ioughtn'ttobeherewithyou.”
“Accordingtoconventionyououghtn't.Yet—”
“I'mnotthinkingofconventions.But—oh,Ishouldhateyoutomisunderstand!”
“Icouldnevermisunderstand.”
I snatched off my mask and stood looking down at her, knowing that my face
wouldsaywhatwasinmyheart,andnotnowwishingtohidethesecret.
“Youknow,”Isaid,“thatI'veworshippedyousincethefirstmomentIsawyou.
Itwasimpossibletomeetyouinanyordinaryway,foryouhavenofriendwho
wouldintroducetoyoutheMarquésdeCasaTriana.Haveyoueverheardthat
namebefore,LadyMonica?”
“Yes,”sheansweredfrankly.“Iheardityesterday.FromAngèledelaMole.”
“Herbrother'safriendofmybestfriend.”
“Iknow.”
“If it hadn't been for him, I should have had great trouble in getting here tonight.YetIwouldhavecome.DidMademoiselledelaMoletellyouthatIloved
you?”
[pg021]LadyMonicadroppedherheadanddidnotanswer,butthelittlehands
werepressedtightlytogether.
“I'vealwaysbeenproudofmyname,”Isaid,“thoughit'scountedamisfortune
to bear it; but when I saw you, then I knew for the first time how great a
misfortuneitmaybe.”