Lord Montague was evidently getting uneasy, for his attention was distracted from the occupation of feeding.
"No, don"t go Lord Montague, an old friend, Mr. Burnett."
"Much pleased," said his lordship, looking round rather inquiringly at the intruder. "I can"t say much for the champagne--ah, not bad, you know--but I always said that your terrapin isn"t half so nasty as it looks." And his lordship laughed most good-humoredly, as if he were paying the American nation a deserved compliment.
"Yes," said Philip, "we have to depend upon France for the champagne, but the terrapin is native."
"Quite so, and devilish good! That ain"t bad, "depend upon France for the champagne!" There is nothing like your American humor, Miss Mavick."
"It needs an Englishman to appreciate it," replied Evelyn, with a twinkle in her eyes which was lost upon her guest.
In the midst of these courtesies Philip bowed himself away. The party was over for him, though he wandered about for a while, was attracted again by the music to the ballroom, and did find there a dinner acquaintance with whom he took a turn. The lady must have thought him a very uninteresting or a very absent-minded companion.
As for Lord Montague, after he had what he called a "go" in the dancing-room, he found his way back to the buffet in the supper-room, and the historian says that he greatly enjoyed himself, and was very amusing, and that he cultivated the friendship of an obliging waiter early in the morning, who conducted his lordship to his cab.
XVII
The morning after The Puritan Nun was out, as Philip sat at his office desk, conscious that the eyes of the world were on him, Mr. Mavick entered, bowed to him absent-mindedly, and was shown into Mr. Hunt"s room.
Philip had dreaded to come to the office that morning and encounter the inquisition and perhaps the compliments of his fellow-clerks.
He had seen his name in staring capitals in the book-seller"s window as he came down, and he felt that it was shamefully exposed to the public gaze, and that everybody had seen it. The clerks, however, gave no sign that the event had disturbed them. He had encountered many people he knew on the street, but there had been no recognition of his leap into notoriety. Not a fellow in the club, where he had stopped a moment, had treated him with any increased interest or deference. In the office only one person seemed aware of his extraordinary good fortune. Mr. Tweedle had come to the desk and offered his hand in his usual conciliatory and unctuous manner.
"I see by the paper, Mr. Burnett, that we are an author. Let me congratulate you. Mrs. Tweedle told me not to come home without bringing your story. Who publishes it?"
"I shall be much honored," said Philip, blushing, "if Mrs. Tweedle will accept a copy from me."
"I didn"t mean that, Mr. Burnett; but, of course, gift of the author --Mrs. Tweedle will be very much pleased."
In half an hour Mr. Mavick came out, pa.s.sed him without recognition, and hurried from the office, and Philip was summoned to Mr. Hunt"s room.
"I want you to go to Washington immediately, Mr. Burnett. Return by the night train. You can do without your grip? Take these papers to Buckston Higgins--you see the address--who represents the British Argentine syndicate. Wait till he reads them and get his reply. Here is the money for the trip. Oh, after Mr. Higgins writes his answer, ask him if you can telegraph me "yes" or "no." Good-morning."
While Philip was speeding to Washington, an important conference was taking place in Murad Ault"s office. He was seated at his desk, and before him lay two despatches, one from Chicago and a cable from London.
Opposite him, leaning forward in his chair, was a lean, hatchet-faced man, with keen eyes and aquiline nose, who watched his old curbstone confidant like a cat.
"I tell you, Wheatstone," said Mr. Ault, with an unmoved face, bringing his fist down on the table, "now is the time to sell these three stocks."
"Why," said Mr. Wheatstone, with a look of wonder, "they are about the strongest on the list. Mavick controls them."
"Does he?" said Ault. "Then he can take care of them."
"Have you any news, Mr. Ault?"
"Nothing to speak of," replied Ault, grimly. "It just looks so to me.
All you"ve got to do is to sell. Make a break this afternoon, about two or three points off."
"They are too strong," protested Mr. Wheatstone.
"That is just the reason. Everybody will think something must be the matter, or n.o.body would be fool enough to sell. You keep your eye on the Spectrum this afternoon and tomorrow morning. About Organization and one or two other matters."
"Ah, they do say that Mavick is in Argentine up to his neck," said the broker, beginning to be enlightened.
"Is he? Then you think he would rather sell than buy?"
Mr. Wheatstone laughed and looked admiringly at his leader. "He may have to."
Mr. Ault took up the cable cipher and read it to himself again. If Mr.
Hunt had known its contents he need not have waited for Philip to telegraph "no" from Washington.
"It"s all right, Wheatstone. It"s the biggest thing you ever struck.
Pitch "em overboard in the morning. The Street is shaky about Argentine.
There"ll be h---to pay before half past twelve. I guess you can safely go ten points. Lower yet, if Mavick"s brokers begin to unload. I guess he will have to unless he can borrow. Rumor is a big thing, especially in a panic, eh? Keep your eye peeled. And, oh, won"t you ask Babc.o.c.k to step round here?"
Mr. Babc.o.c.k came round, and had his instructions when to buy. He had the reputation of being a reckless broker, and not a safe man to follow.
The panic next day, both in London and New York, was long remembered. In the unreasoning scare the best stocks were sacrificed. Small country "investors" lost their stakes. Some operators were ruined. Many men were poorer at the end of the scrimmage, and a few were richer. Murad Ault was one of the latter. Mavick pulled through, though at an enormous cost, and with some diminution of the notion of his solidity. The wise ones suspected that his resources had been overestimated, or that they were not so well at his command as had been supposed.
When he went home that night he looked five years older, and was too worn and jaded to be civil to his family. The dinner pa.s.sed mostly in silence. Carmen saw that something serious had happened. Lord Montague had called.
"Eh, what did he want?" said Mavick, surlily.
Carmen looked up surprised. "What does anybody after a reception call for?"
"The Lord only knows."
"He is the funniest little man," Evelyn ventured to say.
"That is no way, child, to speak of the son of a duke," said Mavick, relaxing a little.
Carmen did not like the tone in which this was said, but she prudently kept silent. And presently Evelyn continued:
"He asked for you, papa, and said he wanted to pay his respects."
"I am glad he wants to pay anything," was the ungracious answer. Still Evelyn was not to be put down.
"It was such a bright day in the Park. What were you doing all day, papa?"
"Why, my dear, I was engaged in Research; you will be pleased to know.
Looking after those ten millions."
When the dinner was over, Carmen followed Mr. Mavick to his study.
"What is the matter, Tom?"
"Nothing uncommon. It"s a beastly hole down there. The Board used to be made up of gentlemen. Now there are such fellows as Ault, a black-hearted scoundrel."