Carnacs Folly | Page 8

laid for two. That opened his eyes. The men had disappeared and he
and Luzanne were alone. She was sitting on a sofa near the table,
showing to good advantage. She was composed, while Carnac was
embarrassed. Carnac began to take a grip on himself.
The waiter entered. "When shall I serve dinner, sir?" he said.
Carnac realized that the dinner had been ordered by the two men, and

he said quietly: "Don't serve it for a half-hour yet--not till I ring, please.
Make it ready then. There's no hurry. It's early."
The waiter bowed and withdrew with a smile, and Carnac turned to
Luzanne. She smiled, got up, came over, laid a hand on his arm, and
said: "It's quiet and nice here, Carnac dear," and she looked up
ravishingly in his face.
"It's too quiet and it's not at all nice," he suddenly replied. "Your father
and Ingot have gone. They've left us alone on purpose. This is a dirty
game and I'm not going to play it any longer. I've had enough of it. I've
had my fill. I'm going now. Come, let's go together."
She looked a bit smashed and overdone. "The dinner!" she said in
confusion.
"I'll pay for that. We won't wait any longer. Come on at once, please."
She put on her things coolly, and he noticed a savage stealthiness as she
pushed the long pins through her hat and hair. He left the room.
Outside the hotel, Carnac held out his hand.
"Good night and good-bye, Luzanne," he said huskily. "You can get
home alone, can't you?"
She laughed a little, then she said: "I guess so. I've lived in New York
some years. But you and I are married, Carnac, and you ought to take
me to your home."
There was something devilish in her smile now. Then the whole truth
burst upon Carnac. "Married--married! When did I marry you? Good
God!" "You married me this afternoon after lunch at Shipton. I have the
certificate and I mean to hold you to it."
"You mean to hold me to it--a real marriage to-day at Shipton! You and
your father and Ingot tricked me into this."
"He was a real Judge, and it was a real marriage."

"It is a fraud, and I'll unmask it," Carnac declared in anger.
"It would be difficult to prove. You signed our names in the hotel
register as Mr. and Mrs. Carnac Grier. I mean to stick to that name--
Mrs. Carnac Grier. I'll make you a good wife, Carnac--do believe it.
"I'll believe nothing but the worst of you ever. I'll fight the thing out, by
God!"
She shook her head and smiled. "I meant you to marry me, when you
saved my life from the streetcar. I never saw but one man I wanted to
marry, and you are that man, Carnac. You wouldn't ask me, so I made
you marry me. You could go farther and fare worse. Come, take me
home--take me home, my love. I want you to love me."
"You little devil!" Carnac declared. "I'd rather cut my own throat. I'm
going to have a divorce. I'm going to teach you and the others a lesson
you won't forget."
"There isn't a jury in the United States you could convince after what
you've done. You've made it impossible. Go to Judge Grimshaw and
see what he will say. Go and ask the hotel people and see what they
will say. You're my husband, and I mean you shall live with me, and I'll
love you better than any woman on earth can love you. . . . Won't you?"
She held out her hand.
With an angry exclamation, Carnac refused it, and then she suddenly
turned on her heel, slipped round a corner and was gone.
Carnac was dumbfounded. He did not know what to do. He went
dazedly home, and slept little that night. The next day he went out to
Shipton and saw Judge Grimshaw and told him the whole tale. The
Judge shook his head.
"It's too tall a story. Why, you went through the ceremony as if it was
the real thing, signed the papers, paid my fee, and kissed the bride. You
could not get a divorce on such evidence. I'm sorry for you, if you don't
want the girl. She's very nice, and 'd make a good wife. What does she

mean to do?"
"I don't know. She left me in the street and went back to her home. I
won't live with her."
"I can't help you anyhow. She has the certificate. You are validly
married. If I were you, I'd let the matter stand."
So they parted, and Carnac sullenly went back to his apartments. The
next day he went to see a lawyer, however.