"It is nice to meet again, isn"t it?" he returned. "When did you get to town?"
"Only yesterday! You live in Washington, now, don"t you?"
"Yes, off and on. It"s my headquarters for refitting and starting afresh. What do you say to a turn at the _dansant_?"
"I"m ready, I"m sure," she replied. "Afterward we"ll--"
"Discuss other matters!" he interjected.
She gave him an amused look, and they pa.s.sed down the corridor and up the marble steps to the elevator.
They were dancing the _Maxixe_ when they entered.
"Do you mind if we don"t do it on the heels?" said she. "I think it"s prettier the other way."
"So do I," said he, and they drifted down the room.
He knew almost everyone on the floor; the women nodded to him, then stared coldly at his companion; the men too stared at her--but not coldly--and when they thought about it, which was seldom of late, nodded to him, and resumed their staring.
And Harleston did not wonder--indeed, had it been otherwise, it would have argued a sudden paucity of appreciation on the part of the smart set there a.s.sembled. For this slender young person in black, a small hat on her head, topping hair of flaming red, an exquisite figure and a charming pair of slender high-arched feet, was worth anyone"s staring, be it either coldly or with frank interest. And she did not seem to know it; which in this day of smug and blatant personal appreciation of one"s good points--feminine points--is something of a rarity in the s.e.x. It may be, however that Madame X was fully aware of her beauty, but she was modest about it, or seemed to be; which amounts to the same thing.
They sat down at a remote table and Harleston ordered two cold drinks--an apollinaris with a dash of lemon for her, a Jerry Hill for himself. He noticed that the men were looking and wavering and he deliberately turned his chair around and gave them his back. He had no objection to presenting the Lady of Peac.o.c.k Alley to his men friends, but just at this time it was not convenient. The adventure was rather unusual, and the lady altogether attractive and somewhat fascinating; he chose, for the present at least, to go it alone. Moreover, they were to meet on a matter of her business and by her appointment.
He had suggested the _dansant_ that he might study her. And the more he saw of her, the more he was struck by her unaffected naturalness and apparent sincerity. Not a word, not even a suggestion while they were dancing, of the matter of the cab; it was as though she were just an old friend. And her dancing was a delight--such a delight, indeed, that he was reluctant to have it end. Somehow, one gets to know quickly one"s partner in the _dansant_.
"This is perfectly entrancing, Mr. Harleston," she said presently, "but don"t you think we would better hunt a retired corner and discuss other matters?"
"If you will dine with me when we"ve discussed them," he replied.
"It"s only six o"clock," she smiled; "will the discussion take so long?"
"It depends somewhat on when you wish to dine, and somewhat on the character of the discussion."
Her smile grew into a quiet, rippling laugh.
"Come along," she answered. "I"ve found a secluded nook in the big red-room downstairs. It"s cozy and nice, and I"ve had the maid reserve it for me. Afterwards," with a sharp stab of her brown eyes, "I"ll decide whether I"ll dine with you."
The place was as she had said, cozy and nice and secluded; and he put her into it--where the subdued light would fall on her face.
"Very good, sir," she smiled; "I am not afraid of the light."
"Nor would I be if I were you," he replied.
She shrugged her shoulders ever so slightly.
"Why fence?" she asked.
"Why, indeed?" he replied.
"And why, may I ask, did you meet me here this afternoon?"
"Curiosity--later, satisfaction and appreciation."
"And why do you think I wanted to meet you?"
"Heaven knows!" he replied.
"Suppose, Mr. Harleston, we resume the conversation just where we left off last night. Your last remark then was that I had a chance to get the articles, but no one else had a chance. I"m here now for my chance."
"And that chance depends on a number of contingencies," he replied: "whether I have the desired articles; whether you have the t.i.tle to them, or the right of possession to them; whether they concern private matters or public matters; if the latter, whether the United States is concerned."
"We can a.s.sume the first," said she. "I know for a fact that you took the articles in question from the cab, which you found deserted before a vacant lot."
"How do you know it?" Harleston asked.
"Because, as I told you over the telephone, you were seen--in fact, I saw you. I saw you light a match inside the cab, come out with the envelope, look it over quickly, and put it in your pocket. You"ll admit these facts?"
"I am advised by my counsel that I"m not obliged to answer!" he laughed.
"On the ground that it will incriminate you?" she asked quickly. "Isn"t that tantamount to admitting the fact?"
"That is a matter of argument, it seems to me."
She smiled good naturedly and went on:
"As to your second contingency, Mr. Harleston; the envelope and its contents were left with me for delivery to another party--which I believe gives me the right of possession, as you term it. At any rate, it gives me a better t.i.tle than yours."
"If the party who left them with you had a good t.i.tle," he amended. "If, however, he obtained them from--a deserted cab, say--then his t.i.tle would be no better than you"ve put in me; not so good, in fact, for according to your tale I have the envelope."
She shrugged again.
"Now as to your third contingency," she went on, "I am not able to say what is the nature of the doc.u.ment, nor whom nor what nation it concerns."
"You mean that you"re ignorant of its contents and its nature?" he asked.
She met his glance frankly. "I mean that I haven"t any idea of its contents or its purpose."
He slowly tapped his cigarette against the swinging bra.s.s ash-receiver.
"Wouldn"t it be well, my dear Madame X, to lay your cards on the table--all your cards?"
"I"m perfectly willing, if you"ll do likewise," she replied instantly.
He looked at her thoughtfully.
"Very well," he returned. "Let me see your hand and you shall see mine."
"This one?" she smiled, holding it up.