Adrien Leroy | Page 5

chop. Well, Jasper, what's the news?"
"Just the question I was about to ask," he replied, as the maid-servant
brought in a bottle of champagne and glasses on a silver tray. "How did
the comedy go?"
"Rotten!" pronounced Ada shortly. "I told Adrien it wouldn't go,
though I did my best--didn't I, Ju? The frocks were really
first-class--blue satin and silver, with loads of pearls, and my turquoise
armlets. All right, eh?"
"Yes," agreed Vermont, adding, with a sneer, "Perhaps the stupid
public got tired of looking at the blue satin."
"Then they could have looked at me instead," retorted Ada tartly. "But
I've no patience with Adrien. Why can't he get 'em something lively? A

musical comedy now--I could make that go, if you like! Plenty of songs
and no talky-talky business. Besides, I can dance."
"But can't act," murmured Jasper, with his sarcastic smile.
"Can't I!" cried Ada furiously. "That's all you know about it. Why
didn't you come last night?"
"Business," he answered carelessly, sipping his wine; adding, as he saw
her about to question him, "With which I won't trouble you, my fair
Ada."
"Oh won't you!" was that lady's retort. "You're mighty polite, I must
say. I suppose you were down at that old Castle again, and Adrien too!
What were you doing there?"
"Minding our own business," he replied smilingly, as he lit a cigarette.
"Close as a fox, you are," she declared, with a short, disagreeable laugh.
"Where's Adrien? Down there still?"
"No; at the Thessalian. I left him there with Mortimer Shelton."
"I hate that man," said Miss Lester viciously.
"So do I," agreed Vermont, "but I don't say so. Anyhow, Adrien's safe
there for another hour, and I came on to give you a word of warning."
He turned to her companion, who had been quietly finishing her supper
as if unconscious of anyone's presence.
"Julia, you look tired; you'd better get off to bed."
She rose and hesitated for a moment, looking from him to Ada; then
quietly left the room. Vermont gazed after her, much as he would have
watched a useless piece of furniture in course of removal; then he leant
back in his chair, and, before resuming, regarded fixedly Ada's flushed,
handsome face.

"Well?" she queried, impatiently striking the table with her fork.
Jasper leant forward and spoke with calm, unpleasant deliberation.
"Ada," said he, "there was once a person who killed the goose that laid
him golden eggs; there was another who beat his horse till it pitched
him into the ditch; but neither of these attained such a height of folly as
Miss Lester bids fair to reach, if she persists in worrying her prize
donkey into kicking her to the ground and leaving her in the mud."
"Oh, don't be an idiot, Jasper!" she exclaimed irritably. "Speak out
plain, can't you?"
"I certainly can, and will, my dear lady. To put it plainly, then, you are
going the quickest way to make Adrien tired of you. After all, if you
happen to possess a goose with the propensity to lay golden eggs,
surely it is wise to humour him. And if the said goose happens to
dislike the smell of onions, why fill the house with that particular
perfume, sufficient to suffocate an elephant? Again, is it not the height
of folly to stick plaster statues on the staircase which he ascends daily,
when you know this particular goose detests imitation art? In short, my
dear Ada, if you persist in thrusting vulgarity down his throat, you will
find yourself very soon out of the graces of our friend, Adrien Leroy."
Ada, who had been beating a loud tattoo with the fork which she still
held in her hand, sprang to her feet and struck the table with a force
which set the glasses jingling.
"Jasper!" she almost shouted. "You'll drive me mad! Why don't you
speak out and say what you mean? What's the matter with Adrien?
What does he want? Aren't there a hundred men who'd be glad enough
to furnish a house for me as I like? And can't I even eat what I choose
without Adrien Leroy's delicate nose being turned up in disapproval?"
"You can go to the deuce, if you like, my dear," declared Jasper with a
calm smile. "I merely warn you that you are on the way to finding
yourself in the street, if I may be allowed to speak out. Have another
cigarette, and spray some patchouli about the room. There are more

geese than one, as you say; and, after all, it is hard if you can't indulge
in onions in your own room at one o'clock in the morning."
Goaded almost to desperation by the sneering sarcasm of Vermont's
words, the woman threw down her fork,