"You knew, of course, that they were engaged?" he explained. "I called round at the villa this morning, after I had been to the hospital, and found them busy fixing the wedding day."
She looked at him vaguely.
"Engaged?" she murmured. "Why, I thought--"
A spot of colour suddenly burned in her cheeks. She was beginning to understand. It was Draconmeyer who had put those ideas into her head.
Her heart gave a little leap.
"Henry!" she whispered.
He was already at the table, however. He changed five mille notes deliberately, counted his plaques and turned to her.
"I am going to play on your principle," he declared. "I have always thought it an interesting one. See, the last number was twenty-two. I am going to back twenty and all the _carres_."
He covered the board around number twenty. There were a few minutes of suspense, then the click as the ball fell into the little s.p.a.ce.
"_Vingt-huit, noir, pa.s.se et pair!_" the croupier announced.
Hunterleys" stake was swept away. He only smiled.
"Our numbers are going to turn up," he insisted cheerfully. "I am certain of it now. Do you know that this is the first time I have played since I have been in Monte Carlo?"
She watched him half in fear. This time he staked on twenty-nine, with the maximum _en plein_ and all the _carres_ and _chevaux_. Again the few moments of suspense, the click of the ball, the croupier"s voice.
_"Vingt-neuf, noir, impair et pa.s.se!"_
She clutched at his arm.
"Henry!" she gasped.
He laughed.
"Open your bag," he directed. "We"ll soon fill it."
He left his stake untouched. Thirty-one turned up. He won two _carres_ and let the table go once without staking. Ten was the next number.
Immediately he placed the maximum on number fourteen, _carres_ and _chevaux_. Again the pause, again the croupier"s voice.
_"Quatorze rouge, pair et manque!"_
Hunterleys showed no exultation and scarcely any surprise. He gathered in his winnings and repeated his stake. This time he won one of his _carres_. The next time _quatorze_ turned up again. For half-an-hour he continued, following his few chosen numbers according to the run of the table. At the end of that time Violet"s satchel was full and he was beginning to collect mille notes for his plaques. He made a little calculation in his mind and decided that he must already have won more than the necessary amount.
"Our last stake," he remarked coolly.
The preceding number had been twenty-six. He placed the maximum on twenty-nine, the _carres_, _chevaux_, the column, colour and last dozen.
He felt Violet"s fingers clutching his arm. There was a little buzz of excitement all round the table as the croupier announced the number.
_"Vingt-neuf noir, impair et pa.s.se!..."_
They took their winnings into the anteroom beyond, where Hunterleys ordered tea. There was a little flush in Violet"s cheeks. They counted the money. There was nearly five thousand pounds.
"Henry!" she exclaimed. "I think that that last coup was the most marvellous win I ever saw!"
"A most opportune one, at any rate," he replied grimly. "Look who is coming."
Draconmeyer had entered the room, and was peering everywhere as though in search of some one. He suddenly caught sight of them, hesitated for a moment and then approached. He addressed himself to Violet.
"I have just seen Linda," he said. "She is broken-hearted at the thought of your departure."
"I am sorry to leave her," Violet replied, "but I feel that I have stayed quite long enough in Monte Carlo. By the bye, Mr. Draconmeyer, there is that little affair of the money you were kind enough to advance to me."
Draconmeyer stood quite still. He looked from husband to wife.
"Four thousand pounds, my wife tells me," Hunterleys remarked coolly, as he began to count out the notes. "It is very good of you indeed to have acted as my wife"s banker. Do you mind being paid now? Our movements are a little uncertain and it will save the trouble of sending you a cheque."
Draconmeyer laughed. It was not a pleasant laugh, nor was it in the least mirthful.
"Dear me!" he exclaimed. "I had forgotten that little matter. As you will, certainly."
He accepted the notes and stuffed them into his pocket.
"By the bye," he continued, "I think that I ought to congratulate you, Sir Henry. That last little affair of yours was wonderfully stage-managed. Your country owes you more than it is ever likely to pay.
You have succeeded, at any rate, in delaying the inevitable."
"I trust," Hunterleys enquired politely, "that you were not detained upon the yacht for very long?"
"We landed at the Villa at twelve o"clock this morning," Draconmeyer replied. "You know, of course, of the little surprise our young American friend had prepared for Mr. Grex?"
Hunterleys shook his head.
"I have heard nothing definite."
"He was married to the daughter of the Grand Duke Augustus at midday at Nice," Draconmeyer announced. "His Serene Highness received a telephone message only a short time ago."
Violet gave a little cry. She leaned across the table eagerly.
"You mean that they have eloped?"
Draconmeyer a.s.sented.
"All Monte Carlo will be talking about it to-morrow," he declared. "The Grand Duke has been doing all he can to get it hushed up, but it is useless. I will not detain you any longer. I see that you are about to have tea."
"We shall meet, perhaps, in London?" Hunterleys remarked, as Draconmeyer prepared to depart.
Draconmeyer shook his head.
"I think not," he replied. "The doctors have advised me that the climate of England is bad for my wife"s health, and I feel that my own work there is finished. I have received an offer to go out to South America for a time. Very likely I shall accept."
He pa.s.sed on with a final bow. Violet looked across their table and her eyes shone.