[Quickly enclosing note in envelope and addressing it.]
MARIANO. To Mees Granger-Seempson?
PIKE. Do you know where she is?
MARIANO. She walks on the terrace alone.
PIKE. Give it to her yourself--to no one else--[emphatically]--and do it now.
[Gives him the note.]
MARIANO. At once, sir!
[Going.]
PIKE. Hurry!
[Almost pushes him out of the upper doors and closes them. He goes quickly to the door on the right, opens it, and calls.]
Ivanoff!
[IVANOFF opens the door and comes out apprehensively.]
IVANOFF [as he enters]. Have they come?
PIKE. Not yet! Ivanoff, you prayed to see your wife and your friend Glenwood before you went back to Siberia.
IVANOFF [falling back with a cry]. Ah!
PIKE. If that prayer is answered through me, will you promise to remember that it"s my fight?
IVANOFF. Ah! it is impossible--you wish to play with me!
PIKE. Do I look playful?
[A bugle sounds sharply outside the window.]
IVANOFF [wildly]. The carabiniere--for me.
[The two rush together to the window.]
PIKE [thrusting IVANOFF behind him]. Don"t show yourself!
IVANOFF. [looking out of the window over PIKE"S shoulder]. Look! Near the lamp yonder--there by the doors--the carabiniere.
PIKE. They"ve been there since this afternoon.
[Shading his eyes from the light of the room with one hand.]
Look there--who on earth--who"s that they"ve got with them?--Why, good Lord! it"s Doc!
[Astounded.]
IVANOFF. It is Herr von Grollerhagen! Did I not tell you he was a Russian? He has betrayed me himself. He was not satisfied that others should. [Bitterly.] I knew I was in the wolf"s throat here!
PIKE. Don"t you believe it! They"ve arrested poor old Doc. They got him as he went out.
IVANOFF [pointing]. No; they speak respectfully to him. They bow to him--
PIKE [grimly]. They"ll be bowing to us in a minute. That"s probably the way these colonels run you in.
[Sharp knock on upper doors.]
PIKE [urging him toward the door on the right]. You wait till I call you, and remember it"s my fight.
IVANOFF [turning, half hysterically]. You _promise_ before I am taken that I shall see--
[MARIANO enters at upper doors.]
PIKE [domineeringly, as he sees MARIANO]. And don"t you forget what I"ve been telling you--you get the sand out of that gear-box first thing tomorrow morning, or I"ll see that you draw your last pay Sat.u.r.day night.
[IVANOFF bows meekly and exit to right, closing door after him.]
MARIANO. Miss Granger-Seempson!
[Exit.]
PIKE. All right, Mariano!
[ETHEL enters haughtily.]
I"m much obliged to you for taking my note the right way. I"ve got some pretty good reasons for not leaving this room.
[She is icy in manner, but her hands fidget with the note he has sent her, crumpling it up.]
ETHEL [sitting]. Your note seemed so extraordinarily urgent--
PIKE. It had to be. Some folks who want to see me are coming here, and I want you to see them--here. They"d stopped you from coming if they could.
ETHEL [holding herself very straight in her chair]. There was no effort to prevent me.
PIKE. No; I didn"t give "em time.
ETHEL. May I ask to whom you refer?
PIKE. The whole kit and boodle of "em!
ETHEL [not relaxing her coldness]. You are inelegant, Mr. Pike.