The Great Secret | Page 8

room
was in a terrible state of fright, and from what I saw of the other two, I
am afraid you may find this a more serious affair than you have any
idea of. By the bye, one of the two told me that they had engaged every
room in that corridor. You may be able to trace him by that."
Mr. Blumentein shrugged his shoulders.
"That statement, at any rate, was a false one," he said. "All the rooms in
the vicinity of yours were occupied by regular customers."
Now, in all probability, if Mr. Blumentein had looked me in the face
when he made this last statement, I should have left the hotel within
half an hour or so for good, and the whole episode, so far as I was
concerned, would have been ended. But I could not help noticing a
somewhat unaccountable nervousness in the man's manner, and it
flashed into my mind suddenly that he knew a good deal more than he
meant to tell me. He was keeping something back. The more I watched
him, the more I felt certain of it. I determined not to leave the hotel.
"Well," I said, "we will look upon the whole affair last night as a
misunderstanding. I will keep on my room for to-night, at any rate. I

shall be having some friends to dine in the restaurant."
The man's face expressed anything but pleasure.
"Just as you like, Mr. Courage," he said. "Of course, if, under the
circumstances, you preferred to leave us, we should quite understand
it!"
"I shall stay for to-night, at any rate," I answered. "I am only up for a
day or two."
He walked with me to the door. I hesitated for a moment, and then
asked him the question which had been in my mind for some time.
"By the bye, Mr. Blumentein," I said, "if it is a permissible question,
may I ask the name of the young lady with whom you were talking in
the hall just now--a young lady with a French maid and a Japanese
spaniel?"
Mr. Blumentein was perceptibly paler. His eyes were full of suspicion,
almost fear.
"Why do you ask me that?" he inquired sharply.
"Out of curiosity, I am afraid," I answered readily. "I am sorry if I have
been indiscreet!"
The man made an effort to recover his composure. I could see, though,
that, for some reason, my question had disquieted him.
"The lady's name is Miss Van Hoyt," he said slowly. "I believe that she
is of a very well-known American family. She came here with excellent
recommendations; but, beyond her name, I really know very little about
her. Nothing more I can do for you, Mr. Courage?"
"Nothing at all, thank you," I answered, moving towards the door.
"They have just telephoned down to say that a gentleman has called for
you--Sir Gilbert Hardross, I believe."

I nodded and glanced at the clock.
"Thanks!" I said, "I must hurry."
"I will reserve a table for you in the restaurant to-night, sir," Mr.
Blumentein said, bowing me out.
"For three, at eight o'clock," I answered.
CHAPTER IV
A MATCH AT LORD'S
My cousin, Gilbert Hardross, was eight years older than I, and of
intensely serious proclivities. He was, I believe, a very useful member
of the House, and absolutely conscientious in the discharge of what he
termed his duty to his constituents. We drove down together to Lord's,
and knowing him to be a person almost entirely devoid of imagination,
I forbore to make any mention of the events of the previous night. One
question, however, I did ask him.
"What sort of an hotel is the Universal supposed to be, Gilbert? Rather
a queer lot of people staying there, I thought."
My cousin implied by a gesture that he was not surprised.
"Very cosmopolitan indeed," he declared. "It is patronized chiefly, I
believe, by a certain class of Americans and gentlemen of the sporting
persuasion. The restaurant, of course, is good, and a few notabilities
stay there now and then. I should have thought the Carlton would have
suited you better."
I changed the subject.
"How are politics?" I asked.
He looked at me as though in reproach at the levity of my question.
"You read the papers, I suppose?" he remarked. "You know for

yourself that we are passing through a very critical time. Never," he
added, "since I have been in the House, have I known such a period of
anxiety."
Considering that Gilbert represented a rural constituency, and that his
party was not even in office, I felt inclined to smile. However, I took
him seriously.
"Same old war scare, I suppose?" I remarked.
"It has been a 'scare' for a good many years," he replied seriously.
"People