The Car of Destiny | Page 5

of mind, if
you've really fallen in love, is to go away."
I had no arguments with which to meet Dick's. I listened in silence,
but--I made no preparation for departure. If there was nothing to be
gained by staying, at least there was as little to be gained by going; for I
knew that I should not forget the girl. If I were struck blind, her face
would still live for my eyes, white and pure against a background of
darkness.
We stayed on at Biarritz, but I behaved with circumspection, and made
no further attempts to put myself in the King's Way, though he arrived
at the Villa Mouriscot every morning from San Sebastian. Dick
approved my conduct and, pitying my depression, perhaps repented his
hardness. He found several Parisian friends at Biarritz, and when we
had been there for three days, he came back to the hotel from the

Casino one night with an important air.
"Strange how one's tempted to do things one knows one oughtn't to
do," said he. "Now, it's unwise to tell you I've met a man who knows
Lady Monica Vale, yet I'm doing it."
"What did the man say?" I asked.
"A number of things--charming, of course. She's not engaged, if that's
any consolation."
"Oh, I knew that."
"How?"
"By her eyes."
"Apparently she observed yours also."
"What? She's spoken of--she--"
"The sister of my man is a friend of Lady Monica's. She told the sister
about the motor-car adventure."
"For goodness sake don't force me to ask questions."
"I won't. I've a soft heart, which has often been my undoing. She said
she'd seen the most interesting man in the world. Don't faint."
"Don't be an ass."
"I'm not chaffing. She did say that--honest Injun. At least, I've Henri de
la Mole's word for it. His sister was at school at the convent of the
Virgin of Tears with Lady Monica Vale. Lady Monica supposed the
other day that we were both French, which is a compliment to your
accent. She said she wished she could find out 'who was the brown man
with the eyes.' I'm a fool to have told you that though, eh? It can't do
you any good, and will probably make you worse."

"But it has done me good."
"Flattered your vanity. However, I haven't told you all yet. De la Mole
says the mother's a dragon, hard as iron, cold as steel, living for
ambition. She was left poor, on her husband's death, as the Vale-Avon
estates went with the title to a distant relative, and the girl's been
brought up to make a brilliant match. She's been given every
accomplishment under Heaven, to add to her beauty; and as the family's
one of the oldest in Great Britain, connected with royalty in one way or
another, in Stuart days, Lady's Monica's expected to pull off something
from the top branch, in the way of a marriage. De la Mole's heard that
the present Lord Vale-Avon has been first favourite with the mother up
till lately, though he's next door to an idiot. Princess Ena's engagement
to the King of Spain has changed everything. You see, Lady Vale-Avon
and her daughter live not far from the Princess, in the Isle of Wight.
When the King came a-courting to England, came also, though not
exactly in his train, another Spaniard, the Duke of Carmona, and--"
"Don't," I cut in; "I won't hear his name in connection with her's. That
half Moorish brute!"
"He may have a dash of Moorish blood, but he's not half Moorish; and
if he's a brute, he's a good-looking brute, according to de la Mole, also
he's one of the richest young men in Spain. Lady Vale-Avon--"
I jumped up and stopped Dick. "I'm in earnest," I said. "I can't bear to
listen. I know the sort of things you'd say. But don't. If you do, I think
I'll kill the fellow."
"Ever met him?"
"No. The men of my house and of his have been enemies for
generations. But I've heard of certain exploits."
"He's coming here to stop with his mother, the old Duchess, who's been
spending the winter at Biarritz. Another reason for you to vamose."
"You mean, to stay. At least, he shan't have a clear coast."

"I don't see how you can hope to block it."
"I will--somehow."
"No doubt you're a hundred times the man he is, but--fate's
handicapped you for a show place in the matrimonial market. You
are--"
"A man countryless and penniless. Don't hesitate to state the case
frankly."
"Well, you've said it. While the other's rich, and a grandee of Spain.
And, though de la Mole says the King doesn't care for him, on account
of something or other connected with the Spanish-American War,