In a remote corner a band of mandolins and guitars played the long, sweeping, mad melody of a Spanish waltz. It seemed to go tingling to the hearts of many of the diners. Their eyes glittered with enthusiasm, with abandon, with deviltry. They swung their heads from side to side in rhythmic movement. High in air curled the smoke from the innumerable cigarettes. The long, black claret bottles were in cl.u.s.ters upon the tables. At an end of the hall two men with maudlin grins sang the waltz uproariously, but always a trifle belated.
An unsteady person, leaning back in his chair to murmur swift compliments to a woman at another table, suddenly sprawled out upon the floor. He scrambled to his feet, and, turning to the escort of the woman, heatedly blamed him for the accident. They exchanged a series of tense, bitter insults, which spatted back and forth between them like pellets. People arose from their chairs and stretched their necks. The musicians stood in a body, their faces turned with expressions of keen excitement toward this quarrel, but their fingers still twinkling over their instruments, sending into the middle of this turmoil the pa.s.sionate, mad, Spanish music. The proprietor of the place came in agitation and plunged headlong into the argument, where he thereafter appeared as a frantic creature harried to the point of insanity, for they buried him at once in long, vociferous threats, explanations, charges, every form of declamation known to their voices. The music, the noise of the galloping horses, the voices of the brawlers, gave the whole thing the quality of war.
There were two men in the _cafe_ who seemed to be tranquil. Hollanden carefully stacked one lump of sugar upon another in the middle of his saucer and poured cognac over them. He touched a match to the cognac and the blue and yellow flames eddied in the saucer. "I wonder what those two fools are bellowing at?" he said, turning about irritably.
"Hanged if I know!" muttered Hawker in reply. "This place makes me weary, anyhow. Hear the blooming din!"
"What"s the matter?" said Hollanden. "You used to say this was the one natural, the one truly Bohemian, resort in the city. You swore by it."
"Well, I don"t like it so much any more."
"Ho!" cried Hollanden, "you"re getting correct--that"s it exactly. You will become one of these intensely---- Look, Billie, the little one is going to punch him!"
"No, he isn"t. They never do," said Hawker morosely. "Why did you bring me here to-night, Hollie?"
"I? I bring you? Good heavens, I came as a concession to you! What are you talking about?--Hi! the little one is going to punch him, sure!"
He gave the scene his undivided attention for a moment; then he turned again: "You will become correct. I know you will. I have been watching.
You are about to achieve a respectability that will make a stone saint blush for himself. What"s the matter with you? You act as if you thought falling in love with a girl was a most extraordinary circ.u.mstance.--I wish they would put those people out.--Of course I know that you---- There! The little one has swiped at him at last!"
After a time he resumed his oration. "Of course, I know that you are not reformed in the matter of this uproar and this remarkable consumption of bad wine. It is not that. It is a fact that there are indications that some other citizen was fortunate enough to possess your napkin before you; and, moreover, you are sure that you would hate to be caught by your correct friends with any such _consomme_ in front of you as we had to-night. You have got an eye suddenly for all kinds of gilt. You are in the way of becoming a most unbearable person.--Oh, look! the little one and the proprietor are having it now.--You are in the way of becoming a most unbearable person. Presently many of your friends will not be fine enough.--In heaven"s name, why don"t they throw him out? Are you going to howl and gesticulate there all night?"
"Well," said Hawker, "a man would be a fool if he did like this dinner."
"Certainly. But what an immaterial part in the glory of this joint is the dinner! Who cares about dinner? No one comes here to eat; that"s what you always claimed.--Well, there, at last they are throwing him out. I hope he lands on his head.--Really, you know, Billie, it is such a fine thing being in love that one is sure to be detestable to the rest of the world, and that is the reason they created a proverb to the other effect. You want to look out."
"You talk like a blasted old granny!" said Hawker. "Haven"t changed at all. This place is all right, only----"
"You are gone," interrupted Hollanden in a sad voice. "It is very plain--you are gone."
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The proprietor of the place, having pushed to the street the little man, who may have been the most vehement, came again and resumed the discussion with the remainder of the men of war. Many of these had volunteered, and they were very enduring.
"Yes, you are gone," said Hollanden, with the sobriety of graves in his voice. "You are gone.--Hi!" he cried, "there is Lucian Pontiac.--Hi, Pontiac! Sit down here."
A man with a tangle of hair, and with that about his mouth which showed that he had spent many years in manufacturing a proper modesty with which to bear his greatness, came toward them, smiling.
"h.e.l.lo, Pontiac!" said Hollanden. "Here"s another great painter. Do you know Mr. Hawker?--Mr. William Hawker--Mr. Pontiac."
"Mr. Hawker--delighted," said Pontiac. "Although I have not known you personally, I can a.s.sure you that I have long been a great admirer of your abilities."
The proprietor of the place and the men of war had at length agreed to come to an amicable understanding. They drank liquors, while each firmly, but now silently, upheld his dignity.
"Charming place," said Pontiac. "So thoroughly Parisian in spirit. And from time to time, Mr. Hawker, I use one of your models. Must say she has the best arm and wrist in the universe. Stunning figure--stunning!"
"You mean Florinda?" said Hawker.
"Yes, that"s the name. Very fine girl. Lunches with me from time to time and chatters so volubly. That"s how I learned you posed her occasionally. If the models didn"t gossip we would never know what painters were addicted to profanity. Now that old Thorndike--he told me you swore like a drill-sergeant if the model winked a finger at the critical time. Very fine girl, Florinda. And honest, too--honest as the devil. Very curious thing. Of course honesty among the girl models is very common, very common--quite universal thing, you know--but then it always strikes me as being very curious, very curious. I"ve been much attracted by your girl Florinda."
"My girl?" said Hawker.
"Well, she always speaks of you in a proprietary way, you know. And then she considers that she owes you some kind of obedience and allegiance and devotion. I remember last week I said to her: "You can go now. Come again Friday." But she said: "I don"t think I can come on Friday. Billie Hawker is home now, and he may want me then." Said I: "The devil take Billie Hawker! He hasn"t engaged you for Friday, has he? Well, then, I engage you now." But she shook her head. No, she couldn"t come on Friday. Billie Hawker was home, and he might want her any day. "Well, then," said I, "you have my permission to do as you please, since you are resolved upon it anyway. Go to your Billie Hawker." Did you need her on Friday?"
"No," said Hawker.
"Well, then, the minx, I shall scold her. Stunning figure--stunning! It was only last week that old Charley Master said to me mournfully: "There are no more good models. Great Scott! not a one." "You"re "way off, my boy," I said; "there is one good model," and then I named your girl. I mean the girl who claims to be yours."
"Poor little beggar!" said Hollanden.
"Who?" said Pontiac.
"Florinda," answered Hollanden. "I suppose----"
Pontiac interrupted. "Oh, of course, it is too bad. Everything is too bad. My dear sir, nothing is so much to be regretted as the universe.
But this Florinda is such a st.u.r.dy young soul! The world is against her, but, bless your heart, she is equal to the battle. She is strong in the manner of a little child. Why, you don"t know her. She----"
"I know her very well."
"Well, perhaps you do, but for my part I think you don"t appreciate her formidable character and stunning figure--stunning!"
"d.a.m.n it!" said Hawker to his coffee cup, which he had accidentally overturned.
"Well," resumed Pontiac, "she is a stunning model, and I think, Mr.
Hawker, you are to be envied."
"Eh?" said Hawker.
"I wish I could inspire my models with such obedience and devotion. Then I would not be obliged to rail at them for being late, and have to badger them for not showing up at all. She has a beautiful figure--beautiful."
CHAPTER XXIX.
When Hawker went again to the house of the great window he looked first at the colossal chandelier, and, perceiving that it had not moved, he smiled in a certain friendly and familiar way.
"It must be a fine thing," said the girl dreamily. "I always feel envious of that sort of life."
"What sort of life?"
"Why--I don"t know exactly; but there must be a great deal of freedom about it. I went to a studio tea once, and----"