Adrien Leroy | Page 6

thereby smashing a
champagne glass, and thrust her angry, flushed countenance close to
his.
"What's your game?" she hissed. "Are you playing with me and Adrien?
Are you setting him against me? I know your artful tricks; but don't you
play 'em on me, Jasper! What are you doing up at the Castle so often?
Making yourself pleasant to old Lord Barminster's niece there, I'll be
bound. P'raps she ain't fond of scent or a pork chop or two, and she can
have real statues if she likes. You don't remind him of that, do you? Oh,
no, of course not! But you mind your skin, Jasper, for you can't play
fast and loose with me. Shuffle him on to that Constance girl, and I'll
make you pay for it. I know something you wouldn't like my lord to
hear about; so, if you don't want me to open my mouth and split on
your little games, don't you play me any of your tricks, that's all, or I'll
go straight to Adrien and tell him all!"
She stopped, out of breath, and Jasper Vermont, springing to his feet,
glared down at her in impotent fury. But she only laughed at his angry
face.
"Oh, no, you wouldn't like Adrien to know how you fooled poor Julia,
though it is over twenty years ago. I haven't forgotten, if you have, how
you took her over to Paris while I was away on my first tour, and went
through some form of marriage with her. You wouldn't like him to
know how you told her what you'd done, when there was no longer
need to keep it dark from your father, and of the attack of brain fever it
brought on, poor dear! You were a nice brute to her, you were, Jasper
Vermont; and it's a lucky thing for you and her too that when she
recovered her memory had gone, and she forgot you as well as the
child."
Jasper stirred uneasily.

"I didn't think she would have cared so much," he said. "Besides, she's
all right now; she only forgets those few years."
"Lucky thing for you," repeated Ada dryly.
"What have you done with the child?" he asked suddenly.
His companion's face lighted up with malicious triumph.
"I've put her where you can't find her, anyhow," she said. "You shan't
break her heart, as you did her mother's."
"Oh, nonsense, Ada!" said Vermont contemptuously. "Don't begin to
rant--you're not on the stage now. I kept all my promises to you, at any
rate. I got you on at the Rockingham and I introduced you to Leroy;
and if you had only played your cards properly you would have hooked
him by this time. As it is, he'll marry his cousin, if you're not careful."
"If he does, it'll be your fault," she snarled. "And I'll tell Adrien all, and
how you're fooling him in other ways as well."
Jasper sprang across the room, his face working with anger. There was
something so deadly in the light of his dark eyes, such murderous hate
in every line of his face, that the woman shrank back and uttered a cry
of fear, instinctively glancing at a knife which lay on the table close to
Jasper's other hand.
How far Vermont's anger might have carried him she did not know, for,
to her intense relief, the door opened and Adrien Leroy himself entered
the room. He gazed in surprise at the two occupants, and in an instant
Jasper had regained his self-control. He did not release Ada's wrist, but,
smoothing his scowl into a sleek smile, he said with a careless laugh:
"No, Ada, your arm is as slim as ever. The bracelet will just fit you."
He relaxed his grip as he spoke and turned to Leroy. "Ada has bet me
that the new bracelet you bought her is too small, Adrien," he explained
glibly. "She thought she was getting stout."

Adrien nodded indifferently; while Ada, with a little cry of relief, ran
towards him.
"Adrien, how good of you to come!" she exclaimed. "I did not expect
you so soon."
Leroy did not seem to notice her, but looked round the room with
evident displeasure. The table, with its remains of supper; the stained
cloth; above all, the undesirable odour of food and stale tobacco; all
seemed to fill him with disgust. Gently, but firmly, he put Ada from
him.
"Jasper," he said, turning to Vermont, "you know why I came. Give
Miss Lester the deeds of the Casket Theatre. I am tired and am going
home."
With a courteous good-night to Ada, who, without attempting to thank
him for his gift, stood scowling and sullen, he passed out of the room;
while Vermont leaned back against the table with