She faced the image, but cast about "Then where does our success come in?"
"In our making the beast, all the same, bolt with him and throw him."
And Hugh further pointed the moral. "If in such proceedings all he knows is publicity the thing is to give him publicity, and it"s only a question of giving him enough. By the time he has enough for himself, you see, he"ll have too much for every one else--so that we shall "up"
in a body and slay him."
The girl"s eyebrows, in her wondering face, rose to a question. "But if he has meanwhile got the picture?"
"We"ll slay him before he gets it!" He revelled in the breadth of his view. "Our own policy must be to _organise_ to that end the inevitable outcry. Organise Bender himself--organise him to scandal." Hugh had already even pity to spare for their victim. "He won"t know it from a boom."
Though carried along, however, Lady Grace could still measure. "But that will be only if he wants and decides for the picture."
"We must make him then want and decide for it--decide, that is, for "ours." To save it we must work him up--he"ll in that case want it so indecently much. Then _we_ shall have to want it more!"
"Well," she anxiously felt it her duty to remind him, "you can take a horse to water----!"
"Oh, trust me to make him drink!"
There appeared a note in this that convinced her. "It"s you, Mr.
Crimble, who are "splendid"!"
"Well, I shall be--with my jolly wire!" And all on that scent again, "May I come back to you from the club with Pappend.i.c.k"s news?" he asked.
"Why, rather, of course, come back!"
"Only not," he debated, "till your father has left."
Lady Grace considered too, but sharply decided. "Come when you _have_ it. But tell me first," she added, "one thing." She hung fire a little while he waited, but she brought it out. "Was it you who got the "Journal" to speak?"
"Ah, one scarcely "gets" the "Journal"!"
"Who then gave them their "tip"?"
"About the Mantovano and its peril?" Well, he took a moment--but only not to say; in addition to which the butler had reappeared, entering from the lobby. "I"ll tell you," he laughed, "when I come back!"
Gotch had his manner of announcement while the visitor was mounting the stairs. "Mr. Breckenridge Bender!"
"Ah then I go," said Lady Grace at once.
"I"ll stay three minutes." Hugh turned with her, alertly, to the easier issue, signalling hope and cheer from that threshold as he watched her disappear; after which he faced about with as brave a smile and as ready for immediate action as if she had there within kissed her hand to him.
Mr. Bender emerged at the same instant, Gotch withdrawing and closing the door behind him; and the former personage, recognising his young friend, threw up his hands for friendly pleasure.
III
"Ah, Mr. Crimble," he cordially inquired, "you"ve come with your great news?"
Hugh caught the allusion, it would have seemed, but after a moment.
"News of the Moretto? No, Mr. Bender, I haven"t news _yet_." But he added as with high candour for the visitor"s motion of disappointment: "I think I warned you, you know, that it would take three or four weeks."
"Well, in _my_ country," Mr. Bender returned with disgust, "it would take three or four minutes! Can"t you make "em step more lively?"
"I"m expecting, sir," said Hugh good-humouredly, "a report from hour to hour."
"Then will you let me have it right off?"
Hugh indulged in a pause; after which very frankly: "Ah, it"s scarcely for you, Mr. Bender, that I"m acting!"
The great collector was but briefly checked. "Well, can"t you just act for Art?"
"Oh, you"re doing that yourself so powerfully," Hugh laughed, "that I think I had best leave it to you!"
His friend looked at him as some inspector on circuit might look at a new improvement. "Don"t you want to go round acting _with_ me?"
"Go "on tour," as it were? Oh, frankly, Mr. Bender," Hugh said, "if I had any weight----!"
"You"d add it to your end of the beam? Why, what have I done that _you_ should go back on me--after working me up so down there? The worst I"ve done," Mr. Bender continued, "is to refuse that Moretto."
"Has it deplorably been _offered_ you?" our young man cried, unmistakably and sincerely affected. After which he went on, as his fellow-visitor only eyed him hard, not, on second thoughts, giving the owner of the great work away: "Then why are you--as if you were a banished Romeo--so keen for news from Verona?" To this odd mixture of business and literature Mr. Bender made no reply, contenting himself with but a large vague blandness that wore in him somehow the mark of tested utility; so that Hugh put him another question: "Aren"t you here, sir, on the chance of the Mantovano?"
"I"m here," he then imperturbably said, "because Lord Theign has wired me to meet him. Ain"t you here for that yourself?"
Hugh betrayed for a moment his enjoyment of a "big" choice of answers.
"Dear, no! I"ve but been in, by Lady Sandgate"s leave, to see that grand Lawrence."
"Ah yes, she"s very kind about it--one does go "in."" After which Mr.
Bender had, even in the atmosphere of his danger, a throb of curiosity.
"Is any one _after_ that grand Lawrence?"
"Oh, I hope not," Hugh laughed, "unless you again dreadfully are: wonderful thing as it is and so just in its right place there."
"You call it," Mr. Bender impartially inquired, "a _very_ wonderful thing?"
"Well, as a Lawrence, it has quite bowled me over"--Hugh spoke as for the strictly aesthetic awkwardness of that. "But you know I take my pictures hard." He gave a punch to his hat, pressed for time in this connection as he was glad truly to appear to his friend. "I must make my little _rapport_." Yet before it he did seek briefly to explain. "We"re a band of young men who care--and we watch the great things. Also--for I must give you the real truth about myself--we watch the great people."
"Well, I guess I"m used to being watched--if that"s the worst you can do." To which Mr. Bender added in his homely way: "But you know, Mr.
Crimble, what I"m _really_ after."
Hugh"s strategy on this would again have peeped out for us. "The man in this morning"s "Journal" appears at least to have discovered."
"Yes, the man in this morning"s "Journal" has discovered three or four weeks--as it appears to take you here for everything--after my beginning to talk. Why, they knew I was talking _that_ time ago on the other side."
"Oh, they know things in the States," Hugh cheerfully agreed, "so independently of their happening! But you must have talked loud."
"Well, I haven"t so much talked as raved," Mr. Bender conceded--"for I"m afraid that when I do want a thing I rave till I get it. You heard me at Ded-borough, and your enterprising daily press has at last caught the echo."
"Then they"ll make up for lost time! But have you done it," Hugh asked, "to prepare an alibi?"