Suddenly Lady Constance, who had cracked an almond, held out the kernel to the duke.
"Look," she said with almost childish glee, "this nut has two kernels.
Now, let us have a phillipine. Will you, duke?"
"Of course I will, Lady Constance," he answered. "We must arrange all about it. I forget the rules. Is it not the first person who says "phillipine" to-morrow morning who wins?"
"That"s it," she answered. "Now, what are you going to give me, or what am I going to give you?"
"Whatever you like," said the duke.
"Well, you choose first," said Lady Constance.
"I don"t quite know what I want," said the duke.
The bishop laughed softly. Things were going excellently well.
"Surely, my dear boy," he said, "even you--fortunate as you are--cannot say that there is nothing in the world that you don"t want?"
"I know!" the duke answered suddenly, with a quick flush. "There is one thing which I want very much!"
"Well, then, if it is not too expensive," Lady Constance said, "and if you win, of course, I will give it to you. But what is it?"
"I don"t think I will tell you now," the duke replied. "We will wait and see the issues. But what do you want, Lady Constance?"
"Well, I don"t know, either," she said. "Oh, yes, I do. I saw Barrett"s the other day--the place in Piccadilly, you know--there were some delightful little ivory pigs. I should like a pig to add to my collection of charms. I meant to have bought one then, only I was rather in a hurry, and besides, your chain charms ought always to be given to you if they are to bring you good luck."
"Very well, then, that is settled," said the duke.
"I don"t think it is at all fair, all the same," she said, "not to tell me what your prize is to be if you win."
"My resolution upon that point is inflexible, Lady Constance," he answered.
Then there was a curious momentary silence. n.o.body looked at the other.
Lord Hayle was thinking of the bridge-party to which he was going. The bishop had realised what the duke meant, and was wondering if his daughter had realised it also. The duke wondered if, carried away by the moment, he had been a little too explicit. Lady Constance? What did Lady Constance wonder?
The bishop saved the situation, if, indeed, it needed salvage.
"Well," he said, "shall we go into the drawing-room? Gerald, I know, wants to get away, and I and Paddington will be allowed to smoke, as there"s n.o.body else there. Connie won"t mind, I know."
"Oh, I sha"n"t mind a bit," Lady Constance answered. "Father"s disgraceful when we"re alone. He smokes everywhere. But the butler has invented a wonderful way of removing all traces of smoke in the air by the next morning. He makes one of the maids put down a couple of great copper bowls full of water, and they seem to absorb it all. Then, we will go."
Laughing and chatting together, they pa.s.sed out of the dining-room and mounted to the drawing-rooms on the first floor.
Lord Camborne and his guest sat by one of the fire-places and played a game of chess. Lady Constance was at the Erard, some distance away. Her touch of the piano was perfect, and she played brilliant little trifles, s.n.a.t.c.hes from Grieg or Chopin, and once she played a Tarantelle of Miguel Arteaga--a flashing, scarlet thing, instinct with the heat and spirit of the South.
The bishop won the game of chess. He was, as a matter of fact, though the duke did not know it, one of the finest amateurs of the game then living.
The duke was at his best an indifferent performer.
A minute or two after the game was over Mr. Westinghouse, the chaplain, came into the drawing-room. He had been dining in his own rooms that night, as he was very busy upon some special correspondence for the bishop. It was then that Lord Camborne saw his chance.
"Westinghouse," he said, "I think we had better go through those letters now, because some of them are most important. I am sure, Paddington, you will excuse me for a few minutes? Come along, Westinghouse, and we will get the whole thing done, and then we will come back, and my daughter will sing to us."
Together the two clergymen left the drawing-room.
Lady Constance was still at the piano, playing soft and dreamy music to herself.
The duke was standing in front of the fire looking out upon the great room lit with its softly-shaded electric lights. The harmonies of colour at that discreet and comfortable hour blended charmingly. It was a room designed by some one who knew what a beautiful room should be. The flowers standing about everywhere blended into the colour scheme. It was as lovely a place as could be found in London on that winter"s night.
The duke stood there, tall, young-looking, and with that unmistakable aura which "personality" gives--motionless, and saying nothing. His head was a little bowed; he was thinking deeply.
Suddenly he left the hearth-rug, took three quick steps out into the middle of the room, and then walked up to the piano. He leant over it and looked at the beautiful girl, who went on playing, smiling up at him.
"What are you playing?" he asked.
"It is the incidental music of a little play called _Villon_ by Alfred Calmour," she said. "I don"t know who wrote the music in the first instance, but it was afterwards collected and welded into a sort of musical pictorial account of the play. You know about Villon, I suppose?"
"He was a French medieval poet, wasn"t he? And rather a rascal, too?"
the duke said.
"Yes," she replied. "The story is this: Villon lived with robbers and cut-throats, despite all his beautiful poetry. One night he and two friends, called Beaugerac and Rene de Montigny, decided to rob an old man, who was said to have a lot of money stowed away. His name was Gervais.
"It was a bitter night in old Paris, and people said that wolves would be coming into the streets. The rich man"s house was on the outskirts of the town. Villon is to go to the house, knock at the door, and ask for shelter. Then, when he is once inside, he is to make a signal to Beaugerac and Montigny, who are to rush in and kill the old man, tie up his daughter, who lives with him, and take away the money.
"Villon goes through the snow, and is admitted by the daughter, Marie.
"The old man is there, and asks him to sit down and share their simple supper. Villon does so, and during the meal the old man says: "What is your name, stranger, who have come to us to share our meal this cold winter"s night?"
"Taken unawares, Villon told the truth. "I, sir," he said, "am one Francois Villon, a poor master of arts of the University of Paris."
""Villon!" says the girl suddenly. "Villon, the poet!"
""None other! At your service, mademoiselle," he answers, rising.
""Villon!" said the old man, "Villon, the poet! who a.s.sociates with cut-throats and robbers? Begone from my house!"
""Sir," the poet answers, "I wish you a very good night. Mademoiselle, you have then read my poems?"
""Ay, and loved them truly," Mary answers in a whisper.
""Begone!" Gervais says once more.
"Villon casts a last look at the girl and goes to the door and opens it.
Flakes of snow are driven in by the wind as he does so. There is a sudden snarl of anger, a shriek of pain, and then a low gurgle.
"Beaugerac and Montigny have watched their confederate through the window, sitting at supper, and have come to the conclusion that he has betrayed them. So Villon lies dying on the threshold as they rush away, frightened at what they have done, and the girl bends over him and places a crucifix upon his lips."
She stopped. "Now then," she said, "I will play you the piece. It is marvellously descriptive of the little story of the play."