<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></SPAN>CHAPTER VI</h2>
<p>On the following day, having sent my servant
to inquire, I was informed that the Don Josè
de Martinos had arrived at the hotel, and had
engaged rooms on the floor above our own.
Accordingly, after luncheon I ascended to the
rooms in question, and asked whether he would
receive me. I had scarcely waited more than a
minute before he made his appearance. He
paused on the threshold to give an order to his
man, and while he did so, I was permitted an
opportunity of taking stock of him. He was a
tall, muscular man of between thirty-five and
forty years of age. His appearance did not
betray so much of his Spanish origin as I had
expected. Indeed, it would have been difficult
to have given him a nationality. I noticed that
his beard, which he wore closely clipped, was
not innocent of the touch of Time. His face was
a powerful one, but at first glance I was not
altogether prepossessed in its favour. His hands
and feet were small, the former particularly so<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</SPAN></span>
for a man of his size and build. Moreover, he
was faultlessly dressed, and carried himself with
the air of a man of the world and of good
breeding.</p>
<p>"Sir Richard Hatteras," he said, as he crossed
the room to greet me, "this is kind of you
indeed. My friend, Anstruther, informed me
that you were in Venice, and was good enough
to take upon himself the responsibility of
introducing me to you."</p>
<p>His voice was strong and musical, and he
pronounced every word (he spoke excellent
English) as if it had a value of its own. I
inquired after Anstruther's health, which for
some time past had been precarious, and it was
with satisfaction that I learnt of the improvement
that had taken place in it.</p>
<p>"You would scarcely know him now," said
Martinos. "He looks quite strong again. But
permit me to offer you a cigar. We Spaniards
say that we cannot talk unless we smoke; you
English that you cannot smoke if you talk."</p>
<p>As he said this he handed me a box of cigars.</p>
<p>"I fancy you will like them," he said. "The
tobacco was grown upon my own estate in Cuba;
for that reason I can guarantee their purity."</p>
<p>The weed I selected was excellent, in fact
one of the best cigars I had ever smoked. While
he was lighting his I stole another glance at him.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</SPAN></span>
Decidedly he was a handsome man, but—here
was the stumbling-block—there was something,
I cannot say what, about him that I did not
altogether like. It was not a crafty face, far
from it. The eyes were well placed; the mouth
from what one could see of it under his black
moustache was well moulded, with white, even
teeth; the nose was slightly aquiline; and the
chin large, firm, and square. Nevertheless, there
was something about it that did not suit my
fancy. Once I told myself it was a cruel face,
yet the singularly winning smile that followed
a remark of mine a moment later went some
way towards disabusing my mind upon that
point.</p>
<p>"Lady Hatteras, I understood from Senor
Anstruther, is with you," he said, after we had
talked of other things.</p>
<p>"She is down-stairs at this moment," I
answered. "We are a party of four—Miss
Trevor (the daughter of the Dean of Bedminster),
the Duke of Glenbarth, my wife, and myself.
I hope you will permit me the pleasure of introducing
you to them at an early date."</p>
<p>"I shall be most happy," he replied. "I am
particularly fond of Venice, but, when all is said
and done, one must have companions to enjoy it
thoroughly."</p>
<p>I had been given to understand that this was<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</SPAN></span>
his first visit to the Queen of the Adriatic, but I
did not comment upon the fact.</p>
<p>"One is inclined to believe that Adam would
have enjoyed the Garden of Eden if it had not
been for Eve," I remarked, with a smile.</p>
<p>"Poor Adam," he answered, "I have always
thought him a much-abused man. Unlike ourselves,
he was without experience; he had a companion
forced upon him who worked his ruin,
and his loss on the transaction was not only
physical but financial."</p>
<p>"How long do you contemplate remaining in
Venice?" I asked, after the little pause that
followed his last speech.</p>
<p>"I scarcely know," he answered. "My movements
are most erratic. I am that most unfortunate
of God's creatures, a wanderer on the face
of the earth. I have no relations and few
friends. I roam about as the fancy takes me,
remain in a place as long as it pleases me, and
then, like the Arab in the poem, silently take up
my tent and move on as soon as the city I
happen to be in at the time has lost its charm.
I possess a <i>pied-à-terre</i> of four rooms in Cairo,
I have lived amongst the Khabyles in the desert,
and with the Armenians in the mountains. To
sum it up, I have the instincts of the Wandering
Jew, and fortunately the means of gratifying
them."<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>What it was I cannot say, but there was
something in his speech that grated upon my
feelings. Whether what he had said were true
or not, I am not in a position to affirm, but the
impression I received was that he was talking
for effect, and every one will know what that
means.</p>
<p>"As you are such a globe-trotter," I said,
"I suppose there is scarcely a portion of the
world that you have not visited?"</p>
<p>"I have perhaps had more than my share of
travelling," he answered. "I think I can safely
say that, with the exception of South America,
I have visited every portion of the known
globe."</p>
<p>"You have never been in South America
then?" I asked in some surprise.</p>
<p>"Never," he replied, and immediately changed
the conversation by inquiring whether I had met
certain of Anstruther's friends who were supposed
to be on their way to Venice. A few minutes
later, after having given him an invitation to
dinner on the next evening, I bade him good-bye
and left him. On my return my wife was
eager to question me concerning him, but as
things stood I did not feel capable of giving her
a detailed reply. There are some acquaintances
who, one feels, will prove friends from the outset;
there are others who fill one from the first with<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</SPAN></span>
a vague distrust. Not that I altogether distrusted
Martinos, I had not seen enough of him to do
that; at the same time, however, I could not
conscientiously say, as I have already observed,
that I was altogether prepossessed in his favour.</p>
<p>The following morning he accepted my invitation
for that evening, and punctually at half-past
seven he made his appearance in the drawing-room.
I introduced him to my wife, and also to
Miss Trevor when she joined us.</p>
<p>"My husband tells me that you are a great
traveller," said Phyllis, after they had seated
themselves. "He says you know the world as
we know London."</p>
<p>"Your husband does me too much honour," he
answered modestly. "From what I have heard
of you, you must know the world almost as well
as I do. My friend, Anstruther, has told me a
romantic story about you. Something connected
with a South Sea island, and a mysterious
personage named——"</p>
<p>He paused for a moment as if to remember
the name.</p>
<p>"Nikola," I said; "you do not happen to have
met him, I suppose?"</p>
<p>"To my knowledge, never," he answered. "It
is a strange surname."</p>
<p>At that moment Glenbarth entered the room,
and I introduced the two men to each other.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</SPAN></span>
For some reason of my own I was quite prepared
to find that the Duke would not take a fancy to
our new acquaintance, nor was I destined to be
disappointed. Before dinner was half over I
could see that he had a great difficulty in being
civil to the stranger. Had Martinos not been our
guest, I doubt very much whether he would have
been able to control himself. And yet the
Spaniard laid himself out in every way to please.
His attentions were paid chiefly to my wife, I
do not believe that he addressed Miss Trevor
more than a dozen times throughout the meal.
Notwithstanding this fact, Glenbarth regarded
him with evident animosity, insomuch that Miss
Trevor more than once looked at him with an
expression of positive alarm upon her face. She
had not seen him in this humour before, and
though she may have had her suspicions as to
the reason of it, it was plain that she was far
from approving of his line of action. When the
ladies withdrew, and the wine was being circulated,
I endeavoured to draw the two men into
greater harmony with each other. The attempt,
however, was unsuccessful. More than once
Glenbarth said things which bordered on rudeness,
until I began to feel angry with him. On
one occasion, happening to look up suddenly
from the cigar which I was cutting, I detected
a look upon the Spaniard's face that startled<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</SPAN></span>
me. It however showed me one thing, and
that was the fact that despite his genial behaviour,
Martinos had not been blind to the
young man's treatment of himself, and also that,
should a time ever arrive when he would have
a chance of doing Glenbarth a mischief, he
would not be forgetful of the debt he owed him.
Matters were not much better when we adjourned
to the drawing-room. Glenbarth, according to
custom, seated himself beside Miss Trevor, and
studiously ignored the Spaniard. I was more
sorry for this than I could say. It was the behaviour
of a school-boy, not that of a man of the
world; and the worst part of it was, that it was
doing Glenbarth no sort of good in the eyes of
the person with whom he wished to stand best.
The truth was the poor lad was far from being
himself. He was suffering from an acute attack
of a disease which has not yet received the
proper attention of Science—the disease of first
love. So overwhelmed was he by his passion,
that he could not bear any stranger even to look
upon the object of his adoration. Later in the
evening matters reached their climax, when my
wife asked the Don to sing.</p>
<p>"I feel sure that you <i>do</i> sing," she said in
that artless way which women often affect.</p>
<p>"I try sometimes to amuse my friends,"
said he, and begging us to excuse him he<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</SPAN></span>
retired to his own rooms, to presently return
with a large Spanish guitar. Having taken
a seat near the window, and when he had
swept his fingers over the strings in a few
preliminary chords, he commenced to sing. He
was the possessor of a rich baritone, which
he used with excellent effect. My wife was
delighted, and asked him to sing again. Miss
Trevor also expressed her delight, and seconded
my wife's proposal. This was altogether too
much for Glenbarth. Muttering something about
a severe headache he hurriedly left the room. My
wife and I exchanged glances, but Martinos and
Miss Trevor did not appear to notice his absence.
This time he sang a Spanish fishing-song, but I
did not pay much attention to it. A little later
the Don, having thanked us for our hospitality,
took his departure, and when Miss Trevor had
said good-night to us, and had retired to her
own room, my wife and I were left alone
together.</p>
<p>"What could have made the Duke behave like
that?" she said.</p>
<p>"He is madly in love, my dear, and also
madly jealous," I answered. "I hope and trust,
however, that he is not going to repeat this
performance."</p>
<p>"If he does he will imperil any chance he has
of winning Gertrude's love," she replied. "He<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</SPAN></span>
will also place us in a decidedly awkward
position."</p>
<p>"Let this be a lesson to you, my dear, never
to play with fire again," I replied. "You bring
two inflammable people together, and wonder
that there should be an explosion."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm really very angry with him. I
don't know what the Don Josè must have
thought."</p>
<p>"Probably he thought nothing about it," I
replied. "You mustn't be too angry with Glenbarth,
however. Leave him to me, and I'll talk to
him. To-morrow, I promise you, he'll be sorry
for himself. If I know anything of women,
Gertrude will make him wish he had acted
differently."</p>
<p>"I don't think she will bother about the
matter. She has too much sense."</p>
<p>"Very well; we shall see."</p>
<p>I then bade her go to bed, promising myself to
sit up for Glenbarth, who, I discovered, had gone
out. It was nearly midnight when he returned.
I noticed that every trace of ill-humour had
vanished from his face, and that he was quite
himself once more.</p>
<p>"My dear Dick," he said, "I don't know how
to apologize for my ridiculous and rude behaviour
of to-night. I am more ashamed of myself than
I can say. I behaved like a child."<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Because he happened to be in a repentant
mood I was not going to let him off the chastising
I felt that I ought to give him.</p>
<p>"A nice sort of young fellow you are, upon my
word," I said, putting down the paper I had been
reading as I spoke. "I've a very good mind to
tell you exactly what I think of you."</p>
<p>"It would be only wasting your time," he
returned. "For you can't think half as badly of
me as I do of myself. I can't imagine what
made me do it."</p>
<p>"Can't you?" I said. "Well, I can, and
as you are pretty certain to catch it in one
particular quarter to-morrow, I fancy, on mature
reflection, that I can afford to forgive you. The
man had done you no harm; he not only did not
interfere with you, but he was not trespassing
upon your——"</p>
<p>"Don't speak of him," said the young fellow,
flaring up at once. "If I think of him I shall
get angry again. I can't bear the look of the
beggar."</p>
<p>"Steady, my young friend, steady," I returned.
"You mustn't call other people's friends by that
name."</p>
<p>"He is not your friend," said Glenbarth excitedly.
"You've never seen him until to-night,
and you've known me ever since I was about so
high."<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"I began to imagine you only 'so high' this
evening," I said. "It's a good thing for you that
the wife has gone to bed, or I fancy you would
have heard something that would have made your
ears tingle. After the foolish manner of women,
she has come to the conclusion that she would
like you to marry Miss Trevor."</p>
<p>"God bless her!" he said fervently. "I knew
that she was my friend."</p>
<p>"In that case you would probably have enjoyed
a friend's privilege, had you been here to-night
before she retired, and have received a dressing-down
that is usually reserved for her husband.
I live in hopes that you may get it to-morrow."</p>
<p>"Bosh!" he answered. "And now, if you
have forgiven me, I think I will go to bed.
I've had enough of myself for one day."</p>
<p>With that we shook hands, and bade each
other good-night. At his bedroom door he
stopped me.</p>
<p>"Do you think she will forgive me?" he
asked, as humbly as would a boy who had been
caught stealing sugar-plums.</p>
<p>"My wife," I answered. "Yes, I think it is
very probable that she will."</p>
<p>"No, no; how dense you are; I mean——"
Here he nodded his head in the direction of the
room occupied by Miss Trevor.</p>
<p>"You'll have to find out that for yourself," I<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</SPAN></span>
replied, and then went on to my dressing-room.</p>
<p>"That will give your Grace something to think
about all night," I said, as I took off my coat.</p>
<p>As it turned out, I was destined to be fairly
accurate in the prophecy I had made concerning
Miss Trevor's treatment of Glenbarth on the
morrow. At breakfast she did not altogether
ignore him, but when I say that she devoted the
larger share of her attention to myself, those of
my readers who are married, and have probably
had the same experience, will understand. My
wife, on the other hand, was affability itself,
and from her behaviour toward him appeared to
be quite willing to forgive and forget the unfortunate
episode of the previous evening. I
chuckled to myself, but said nothing. He was
not at the end of his punishment yet.</p>
<p>All that day we saw nothing of Martinos.
Whether he remained at home or went abroad
we could not say. On returning to the hotel to
lunch, however, we discovered a basket of roses
in the drawing-room, with the Don's card tied to
the handle.</p>
<p>"Oh, what lovely flowers!" cried my wife
in an ecstasy. "Look, Gertrude, are they not
beautiful?"</p>
<p>Miss Trevor cordially admired them; and in
order, I suppose, that Glenbarth's punishment<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</SPAN></span>
might be the more complete, begged for a bud to
wear herself. One was given her, while I watched
Glenbarth's face over the top of the letter I was
reading at the moment. My heart was touched
by his miserable face, and when he and my wife
had left the room to prepare for lunch, I
determined to put in a good word for him.</p>
<p>"Miss Gertrude," I said, "as an old friend
I have a favour to ask of you. Do you think
you can grant it?"</p>
<p>"You must first tell me what it is," she said,
with a smile upon her face. "I know from
experience that you are not to be trusted."</p>
<p>"A nice sort of character for a family man,"
I protested. "Lady Hatteras has been telling
tales, I can see."</p>
<p>"Your wife would never tell a tale of any
one, particularly of you," she asserted. "But
what would you ask of me?"</p>
<p>"Only a plea for human happiness," I said
with mock gravity. "I have seen absolute
despair written indelibly on a certain human
countenance to-day, and the sight has troubled
me ever since. Are you aware that there is
a poor young man in this hotel, whose face
opens like a daisy to the sun when you smile
upon him, and closes in the darkness of your
neglect?"</p>
<p>"How absurd you are!"<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"Why am I absurd?"</p>
<p>"Because you talk in this fashion."</p>
<p>"Will you smile upon him again? He has
suffered a great deal these last two days."</p>
<p>"Really you are too ridiculous. I don't
know what you mean."</p>
<p>"That is not the truth, Miss Trevor, and you
know it."</p>
<p>"But what have I done wrong?"</p>
<p>"That business with the rose just now, for
instance, was cruel, to say the least of it."</p>
<p>"Really, Sir Richard, you <i>do</i> say such foolish
things. If I want a rose to wear surely I may
have one. But I must not stay talking to you,
it's five-and-twenty minutes past one. I must
go and get ready for lunch."</p>
<p>I held open the door for her, and as she passed
I said—</p>
<p>"You will do what I ask? Just to please
me?"</p>
<p>"I don't know what you mean, but I will
think it over," she replied, and then departed
to her room.</p>
<p>She must have done as she promised, for
the rose was absent from her dress when she sat
down to lunch. Glenbarth noticed it, and from
that moment his drooping spirits revived.</p>
<p>That afternoon my wife and I went down to meet
the P. and O. mail-boat, in order to discover some<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</SPAN></span>
friends who were on their way to Egypt. As
neither the Duke of Glenbarth nor Miss Trevor
were acquainted with them they were excused
from attendance. When we joined them it
was plain that all traces of trouble had been
removed, and in consequence the Duke was
basking in the seventh heaven of happiness.
Had I asked the young man at that moment
for half his estates I believe he would
willingly have given them to me. He would
have done so even more willingly had he
known that it was to my agency that he owed
the wondrous change in his affairs. For some
reason of her own Miss Trevor was also in the
best of spirits. My wife was happy because her
turtle-doves were happy, and I beamed upon
them all with the complacency of the God out
of the machine.</p>
<p>All this time I had been wondering as to the
reason why we had not heard or seen anything
of Nikola. Why I should have expected to do
so I cannot say, but after the events of three
evenings ago, I had entertained a vague hope that
I should have seen him, or that he would have
communicated with me in some form or another.
We were to see him, however, before very long.</p>
<p>We had arranged to visit the Academy on
our return from the mail-boat, where my
wife was anxious to renew her acquaintance<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</SPAN></span>
with the Titans. For my own part I am prepared
to admit that my knowledge of the
pictures is not sufficiently cultivated to enable
me to derive any pleasure from the constant
perusal of these Masters. Phyllis and Miss
Trevor, however, managed to discover a source
of considerable satisfaction in them. When we
left the gallery, we made our way, according to
custom, in the direction of the piazza of Saint
Mark. We had not advanced very far upon our
walk, however, before I chanced to turn round, to
discover, striding after us, no less a person than
our new acquaintance, Don Josè Martinos. He
bowed to the ladies, shook hands with myself,
and nodded to the Duke.</p>
<p>"If you are proceeding in the direction of
the piazza, will you permit me to accompany
you?" he asked, and that permission having
been given by my wife, we continued our
walk. What Glenbarth thought of it I do not
know, but as he had Miss Trevor to himself, I
do not see that he had anything to complain of.
On reaching Florian's <i>café</i>, we took our customary
seats, the Don placing himself next to my
wife, and laying himself out to be agreeable.
Once he addressed Glenbarth, and I was astonished
to see the conciliatory manner that the
other adopted towards him.</p>
<p>"Now that he sees that he has nothing to<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</SPAN></span>
fear, perhaps he will not be so jealous," I said
to myself, and indeed it appeared as if this
were likely to be the case. I was more relieved
by this discovery than I could say. As we should
probably be some time in Venice, and the Don
had arrived with the same intention, and we
were to be located in the same hotel, it was of
the utmost importance to our mutual comforts
that there should be no friction between the
two men. But enough of this subject for the
present. There are other matters to be considered.
In the first place I must put on record
a curious circumstance. In the light of after
events it bears a strange significance, and he
would be a courageous man who would dare to
say that he could explain it.</p>
<p>It must be borne in mind, in order that the
importance of what I am now about to describe
may be plainly understood, that Miss Trevor
was seated facing me, that is to say, with her
back towards the Cathedral of St. Mark. She
was in the best of spirits, and at the moment
was engaged in an animated discussion with
my wife on the effect of Ancient Art upon her
<i>bête noir</i>, the Cockney tourist. Suddenly,
without any apparent reason, her face grew
deathly pale, and she came to a sudden stop
in the middle of a sentence. Fortunately no
one noticed it but my wife and myself, and as<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</SPAN></span>
she was herself again in a moment, we neither
of us called attention to it. A moment later
I glanced across the square, and to my amazement
saw no less a person than Doctor Nikola
approaching us. Was it possible that Miss
Trevor, in some extraordinary manner, had
become aware of his proximity to her, or was
it only one of those strange coincidences that
are so difficult to explain away? I did not
know what to think then, nor, as a matter of
fact, do I now.</p>
<p>Reaching our party, Nikola raised his hat to
the ladies.</p>
<p>"I fear, Lady Hatteras," he said, "that I
must have incurred your displeasure for keeping
your husband so long away from you the other
night. If so, I hope you will forgive me."</p>
<p>"I will endeavour to do so," said my wife
with a smile, "but you must be very careful
how you offend again."</p>
<p>Then turning to Miss Trevor, he said, "I hope
you will grant me your gracious intercession,
Miss Trevor?"</p>
<p>"I will do my best for you," she answered,
with a seriousness that made my wife and I look
at her.</p>
<p>Then Nikola shook hands with Glenbarth, and
glanced at the Don.</p>
<p>"Permit me to introduce you to Don Josè de<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</SPAN></span>
Martinos, Doctor Nikola," I said; "he has
lately arrived from Algiers."</p>
<p>The two men bowed gravely to each other.</p>
<p>"You are fond of travelling, I presume,
Senor," said Nikola, fixing his eyes upon the Don.</p>
<p>"I have seen a considerable portion of the
world," the other answered. "I have seen the
Midnight Sun at Cape North and the drift ice
off the Horn."</p>
<p>"And have not found it all barren," Nikola
remarked gravely.</p>
<p>From that moment the conversation flowed
smoothly. Miss Trevor had quite recovered
herself, and I could see that the Don was
intensely interested in Nikola. And indeed on
this particular occasion the latter exerted himself
to the utmost to please. I will admit,
however, that something not unlike a shudder
passed over me as I contrasted his present
affability with his manner when he had
threatened the unfortunate Police Agent a few
nights before. Now he was a suave, pleasant-mannered
man of the world, then he figured
almost as an avenging angel; now he discussed
modern literature, then I had heard him threaten
a human being with the direst penalties that it
was possible for man to inflict. When it was
time for us to return to our hotel, Nikola rose
and bade us good-bye.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"I hope you will permit me the pleasure of
seeing more of you while you are in Venice,"
said Nikola, addressing the Don. "If you are
an admirer of the old palaces of this wonderful
city, and our friends will accompany you, I shall
be delighted to show you my own poor abode.
It possesses points of interest that many of the
other palaces lack, and, though it has fallen
somewhat to decay, I fancy you will admit that
the fact does not altogether detract from its
interest."</p>
<p>"I shall hasten to avail myself of the opportunity
you are kind enough to offer me," the
other replied, after which they bowed ceremoniously
to each other and parted.</p>
<p>"Your friend is an extraordinary man," said
the Don as we walked towards the steps. "I
have never met a more interesting person. Does
he altogether reside in Venice?"</p>
<p>"Oh dear, no," I replied. "If one were
asked to say where Nikola had his abode it
would be almost necessary to say 'in the world.'
I myself met him first in London, afterwards in
Egypt, then in Australia, and later on in the
South Sea Islands. Now we are together again
in Venice. I have good reason for knowing
that he is also familiar with China and Thibet.
He himself confesses to a knowledge of Africa
and Central America."<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"To Central America?" said the Don quickly.
"Pray what part of Central America does he
know?"</p>
<p>"That I am unable to say," I replied. "I have
never questioned him upon the subject."</p>
<p>From that moment the Don almost exclusively
addressed himself to my wife, and did not refer
to Nikola again. We parted in the hall of the
hotel. Next morning we saw him for a few
moments at the post-office, but at no other time
during the day. On the following day he
accompanied us on an excursion to Chioggia,
and dined with us afterwards. Though I knew
that Glenbarth still disliked him, his hostility
was so veiled as to be scarcely noticeable. Towards
the end of the evening a note was brought
to me. One glance at the handwriting upon
the envelope was sufficient to show me that it
was from Nikola. It ran as follows—</p>
<blockquote><p>"<span class="smcap">My dear Hatteras</span>,</p>
<p>"Remembering your friend Don Martinos'
desire to see my poor palace, I have
written to ask him if he will dine with me to-morrow
evening at eight o'clock. If I can
persuade you and the Duke of Glenbarth to give
me the pleasure of your society, I need scarcely
say that you will be adding to my delight.</p>
<p class="midind">
"Sincerely yours,</p>
<p class="deepind">
"<span class="smcap">Nikola</span>."</p>
</blockquote><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"You have not of course received your letter
yet," I said, addressing the Don. "What do
you say to the invitation?"</p>
<p>"I shall accept it only too willingly," he
answered without delay. "Provided, of course,
you will go too."</p>
<p>"Have you any objection to raise, Duke?"
I asked, addressing Glenbarth.</p>
<p>I could see that he was not very anxious to
go, but under the circumstances he could not
very well refuse.</p>
<p>"I shall be very happy," he answered.</p>
<p>And for once in his life he deliberately said
what he knew to be untrue.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</SPAN></span></p>
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