Farewell, Nikola | Page 5

told me--your
demoniacal, fascinating Nikola. You must admit that it is very strange."
"A coincidence, a mere coincidence, that is all," I replied. "Nikola
possesses an extraordinary face, and it must have impressed itself more
deeply upon you than the average countenance is happy enough to do."
Whether my explanation satisfied her or not she said no more upon the

subject. But that our strange meeting with Nikola had had an
extraordinary effect upon her was plainly observable. As a rule she was
as bright and merry a companion as one could wish to have; on this
particular evening, however, she was not herself at all. It was the more
annoying for the reason that I was anxious that she should shine on this
occasion, as I was expecting an old friend, who was going to spend a
few days with us in Venice. That friend was none other than the Duke
of Glenbarth, who previous to his succession to the Dukedom had been
known as the Marquis of Beckenham, and who, as the readers of the
history of my adventures with Doctor Nikola may remember, figured as
a very important factor in that strange affair. Ever since the day when I
had the good fortune to render him a signal service in the bay of a
certain south-coast watering-place, and from the time that he had
accepted my invitation to join him in Venice, I had looked forward to
his coming with the greatest possible eagerness. As it happened it was
wellnigh seven o'clock by the time we reached our hotel. Without
pausing in the hall further than to examine the letter-rack, we ascended
to our rooms on the floor above. My wife and Miss Trevor had gone to
their apartments, and I was about to follow their example as soon as I
had obtained something from the sitting-room.
"A nice sort of host, a very nice host," said a laughing voice as I
entered. "He invites me to stay with him, and is not at home to bid me
welcome. My dear old Dick, how are you?"
"My dear fellow," I cried, hastening forward to greet him, "I must beg
your pardon ten thousand times. I had not the least idea that you would
be here so early. We have been sitting on the piazza, and did not hurry
home."
"You needn't apologise," he answered. "For once an Italian train was
before its time. And now tell me about yourself. How is your wife, how
are you, and what sort of holiday are you having?"
I answered his questions to the best of my ability, keeping back my
most important item as a surprise for him.
"And now," I said, "it is time to dress for dinner. But before you do so,

I have some important news for you. Who do you think is in Venice?"
Needless to say he mentioned every one but the right person.
"You had better give it up, you will never guess," I said. "Who is the
most unlikely person you would expect to see in Venice at the present
moment?"
"Old Macpherson, my solicitor," he replied promptly. "The rascal
would no more think of crossing the Channel than he would
contemplate standing on his head in the middle of the Strand. It must be
Macpherson."
"Nonsense," I cried. "I don't know Macpherson in the first place, and I
doubt if he would interest me in the second. No! no! this man is neither
a Scotchman nor a lawyer. He is an individual bearing the name of
Nikola."
I had quite expected to surprise him, but I scarcely looked for such an
outbreak of astonishment.
"What?" he cried, in amazement. "You must be joking. You don't mean
to say you have seen Nikola again?"
"I not only mean that I have seen him," I replied, "but I will go further
than that, and say that he was sitting on the piazza, with us not more
than half an hour ago. What do you think his appearance in Venice
means?"
"I don't know what to think," he replied, with an expression of almost
comic bewilderment upon his face. "It seems impossible, and yet you
don't look as if you were joking."
"I tell you the news in all sober earnestness," I answered, dropping my
bantering tone. "It is a fact that Nikola is in Venice, and, what is more,
that he has given me his address. He has invited me to call upon him,
and if you like we will go together. What do you say?"

"I shall have to take time to think about it," Glenbarth replied seriously.
"I don't suppose for a moment he has any intention of abducting me
again; nevertheless, I am not going to give him the opportunity. By
Jove, how that