The fat man closed the door behind him gently, and came into the centre of the room.
"Mr. Aldringham," said Ivanovitch, "allow me to present Monsieur Virot, who acts as manager of our estates."
The Frenchman"s sallow and greasy countenance broke into a hideously affable smile as Paul shook hands with him.
The pause which followed this introduction became so embarra.s.sing that the lady suggested that they go in to tea; and in a cheerful dining-room Paul found himself looking curiously at the collection of tea and coffee pots, _vodka_ decanters, bacon and eggs, and m.u.f.fins and cakes, which were spread promiscuously on the clean white tablecloth.
The conversation turned on many things, but for the most part upon the weather. Paul"s host finished before the rest, and, pleading business, begged to be excused, and left the room.
When the others of the odd little party had eaten and drunk their fill of the heterogeneous meal they returned to the drawing-room and Paul saw before him a most uncomfortable evening. "A strangely a.s.sorted company," he thought, "to find here in this far-away spot." Clearly, they were all people of the world, and yet there seemed a curious restraint upon them. Paul guessed, somehow, that it was because of his presence.
"I trust that you will pardon me, Mademoiselle," and he turned to the lady--"but I have travelled all the way from Kieff to-day, and to-morrow morning I must rise early to go on my way to the Vseslavitch estate. I would prove but a dull companion at dinner, I am afraid. If you will permit me, I think I had better go up to my room."
There was no dissent to Paul"s suggestion. In fact, Cousin Michael smiled slightly behind one of his great red hands as if in approval of the idea.
So, to the evident relief of all, Paul said good-night. He was glad to escape from his strange companions.
CHAPTER XX
Hearing the sound of lightly-falling footsteps behind him, Boris Ivanovitch ceased his investigations of Sir Paul"s kit-bag and cautiously turned his head.
As he did so, he experienced a painful sensation. He felt a little cold ring of steel pressed against his right temple, and from past experience, both objective and subjective, he knew that a Colt cartridge was held, so to speak, in leash within five inches of his head.
For several infinitely long seconds Boris did not entirely revel in the pause that followed.
It was, indeed, with some relief that he heard Paul"s distinctly pleasant, though slightly mocking, voice break the accentuated silence and say:
"Don"t be alarmed, Ivanovitch. I mean you no harm. I am simply psychologically interested in your movements. The fact that I am attempting to protect the contents of my kit-bag from your attentions is of comparatively small importance."
Boris drew a little breath of relief, not the less sincere because he was conscious that the muzzle of the revolver was withdrawn from his temple.
He heard the door of the chamber close softly; then the pleasant voice spoke again, though with a slightly harder ring in its tones.
"Stand up, Ivanovitch," said the voice, "and be seated. I have a good deal to say, and it is not my habit to talk to any man when I find him on his knees."
Boris rose a little unsteadily and faced about, to find the most disconcerting eyes of Sir Paul bent full upon him.
Still retaining the revolver in his hand, the baronet seated himself upon the edge of his bed and then motioned to his host to sit down upon a chair.
For a few minutes the two men gazed at each other with curiosity and interest. Swiftly, however, it came to Paul that a man in Boris"s apparent position was not likely to be engaged in theft. There sprang into his brain the notion that the man was simply searching through his belongings with the idea of blackmail.
It almost made Paul laugh to think that any man should attempt to blackmail him. He had nothing to disguise, nothing to hide.
Indeed, as he sat easily on the edge of the bed, looking at the dark, disconcerted face before him, he had half a mind to throw his weapon aside and to tell Ivanovitch to go his way in peace.
"What did you find?" Paul asked.
Boris did not even blink his heavy-lidded eyes.
"Nothing," he said.
"Yet," rejoined Paul, almost meditatively, "you must have been here some minutes at least before I arrived."
"I tell you," said Boris, almost earnestly, "that I found nothing."
"That is to say," said Paul, "nothing which you could turn to your own good account."
Boris smiled a sour yet demure little smile.
"Precisely," he said evenly.
"Permit me," said the baronet, just as quietly, "to inform you that you are a liar. I think you will be able to hand me something that is of interest to us both."
"I was not aware that I could," replied Boris, with a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
Paul picked up again the six-shooter which he had laid carelessly at his side.
"Try," he said, and his voice was gently persuasive.
Just a flicker of vindictiveness crept into Boris" eyes, and under the suasion of firearms he turned again to the bag.
After a few moments Paul, now schooled to infinite placidity, inquired for the second time if he had found anything.
"Only a few papers," said Boris, crossly.
"Pardon me," said the baronet, "if I am not mistaken you have found something that seems of interest to you. Be kind enough to hand it to me."
The Russian turned about, and with a carefully-manicured hand offered Paul a photograph which Paul had seen protruding from his pocket.
Paul took it and looked at it casually, though the muscles on his closed jaws stood out in a manner that was not wholly pleasant to look upon. It was, however, with unfathomable eyes that he surveyed the portrait before him.
The photograph revealed the features of a girl with an astonishingly quiet face. Her cheeks were round and soft, and her chin was round and soft, too, but her mouth, a little full and p.r.o.nounced, was distinctly sad and set. A pair of large eyes looked out upon the world unwaveringly and serenely, if a little sorrowfully, beneath a pair of finely pencilled, level brows, which formed, as it were, a little bar of inflexible resolve. A ma.s.s of dark hair was coiled upon the girl"s head after the manner of early Victorian heroines. It was a face at once striking and wistful in its splendour.
Paul looked up from the picture to Ivanovitch.
"You," he said simply, "know everybody hereabouts. Therefore I feel confident that you will be able to tell me the name of this girl. That is all I ask you--at present."
Boris laughed and then checked his laughter.
"The lady," he said, "is Mademoiselle Vseslavitch, who, as you are probably aware, lives no great distance away."
"So!" murmured Paul, and he nodded his head.
"Yes," said Boris, "and if it is of any interest to you to know it, I propose to marry the lady."