On the day, having sent my to inquire, I was that the Don Josè de Martinos had at the hotel, and had rooms on the above our own. Accordingly, after I to the rooms in question, and asked he would me. I had waited more than a minute he his appearance. He paused on the to give an order to his man, and while he did so, I was permitted an opportunity of taking stock of him. He was a tall, man of thirty-five and years of age. His did not so much of his Spanish as I had expected. Indeed, it would have been difficult to have him a nationality. I noticed that his beard, which he closely clipped, was not of the touch of Time. His was a powerful one, but at I was not in its favour. His hands and were small, the particularly so[Pg 133] for a man of his size and build. Moreover, he was dressed, and himself with the air of a man of the world and of good breeding.
"Sir Richard Hatteras," he said, as he the room to me, "this is of you indeed. My friend, Anstruther, me that you were in Venice, and was good to take upon himself the of me to you."
His voice was and musical, and he every word (he spoke excellent English) as if it had a value of its own. I after Anstruther's health, which for some time past had been precarious, and it was with that I learnt of the that had taken place in it.
"You would know him now," said Martinos. "He looks again. But permit me to offer you a cigar. We Spaniards say that we cannot talk unless we smoke; you English that you cannot if you talk."
As he said this he me a box of cigars.
"I you will like them," he said. "The tobacco was upon my own in Cuba; for that I can their purity."
The I was excellent, in one of the best I had smoked. While he was his I another at him.[Pg 134] Decidedly he was a man, but—here was the stumbling-block—there was something, I cannot say what, about him that I did not like. It was not a face, from it. The were well placed; the mouth from what one see of it under his black was well moulded, with white, teeth; the nose was aquiline; and the large, firm, and square. Nevertheless, there was something about it that did not my fancy. Once I told myself it was a face, yet the that a of mine a moment later some way my mind upon that point.
"Lady Hatteras, I from Senor Anstruther, is with you," he said, after we had talked of other things.
"She is down-stairs at this moment," I answered. "We are a party of four—Miss Trevor (the of the Dean of Bedminster), the Duke of Glenbarth, my wife, and myself. I you will permit me the of you to them at an early date."
"I shall be most happy," he replied. "I am particularly of Venice, but, when all is said and done, one must have to it thoroughly."
I had been to that this was[Pg 135] his visit to the Queen of the Adriatic, but I did not upon the fact.
"One is to that Adam would have the Garden of Eden if it had not been for Eve," I remarked, with a smile.
"Poor Adam," he answered, "I have always him a much-abused man. Unlike ourselves, he was without experience; he had a upon him who his ruin, and his on the was not only physical but financial."
"How long do you in Venice?" I asked, after the little pause that his last speech.
"I know," he answered. "My movements are most erratic. I am that most of God's creatures, a on the of the earth. I have no relations and friends. I about as the takes me, in a place as long as it me, and then, like the Arab in the poem, take up my and move on as soon as the city I to be in at the time has its charm. I a pied-à-terre of four rooms in Cairo, I have the Khabyles in the desert, and with the Armenians in the mountains. To it up, I have the of the Wandering Jew, and the means of them."[Pg 136]
What it was I cannot say, but there was something in his speech that upon my feelings. Whether what he had said were true or not, I am not in a position to affirm, but the I was that he was talking for effect, and every one will know what that means.
"As you are such a globe-trotter," I said, "I there is a of the world that you have not visited?"
"I have had more than my of travelling," he answered. "I think I can safely say that, with the of South America, I have visited every of the globe."
"You have been in South America then?" I asked in some surprise.
"Never," he replied, and the by I had met of Anstruther's friends who were to be on their way to Venice. A minutes later, after having him an to dinner on the next evening, I him good-bye and left him. On my return my wife was to question me him, but as I did not of her a reply. There are some who, one feels, will prove friends from the outset; there are others who one from the with[Pg 137] a distrust. Not that I Martinos, I had not of him to do that; at the same time, however, I not say, as I have already observed, that I was in his favour.
The he my for that evening, and at half-past seven he his in the drawing-room. I him to my wife, and also to Miss Trevor when she joined us.
"My husband tells me that you are a great traveller," said Phyllis, after they had seated themselves. "He says you know the world as we know London."
"Your husband me too much honour," he answered modestly. "From what I have of you, you must know the world almost as well as I do. My friend, Anstruther, has told me a about you. Something with a South Sea island, and a named——"
He paused for a moment as if to the name.
"Nikola," I said; "you do not to have met him, I suppose?"
"To my knowledge, never," he answered. "It is a surname."
At that moment Glenbarth entered the room, and I the two men to each other.[Pg 138] For some of my own I was prepared to that the Duke would not take a to our new acquaintance, was I to be disappointed. Before dinner was over I see that he had a great in being to the stranger. Had Martinos not been our guest, I very much he would have been able to himself. And yet the Spaniard himself out in every way to please. His were paid to my wife, I do not that he Miss Trevor more than a dozen times the meal. Notwithstanding this fact, Glenbarth him with animosity, that Miss Trevor more than once looked at him with an of positive upon her face. She had not him in this before, and though she may have had her as to the of it, it was plain that she was from of his line of action. When the ladies withdrew, and the was being circulated, I to the two men into with each other. The attempt, however, was unsuccessful. More than once Glenbarth said which on rudeness, until I to angry with him. On one occasion, to look up from the cigar which I was cutting, I a look upon the Spaniard's that startled[Pg 139] me. It me one thing, and that was the that despite his behaviour, Martinos had not been to the man's of himself, and also that, should a time arrive when he would have a of doing Glenbarth a mischief, he would not be of the he him. Matters were not much when we to the drawing-room. Glenbarth, according to custom, seated himself Miss Trevor, and the Spaniard. I was more sorry for this than I say. It was the of a school-boy, not that of a man of the world; and the part of it was, that it was doing Glenbarth no of good in the of the person with he to best. The truth was the was from being himself. He was from an attack of a which has not yet the proper attention of Science—the of love. So was he by his passion, that he not any to look upon the object of his adoration. Later in the their climax, when my wife asked the Don to sing.
"I sure that you do sing," she said in that way which often affect.
"I try sometimes to my friends," said he, and us to him he[Pg 140] retired to his own rooms, to presently return with a large Spanish guitar. Having taken a seat near the window, and when he had his over the in a chords, he to sing. He was the of a rich baritone, which he used with excellent effect. My wife was delighted, and asked him to sing again. Miss Trevor also her delight, and my wife's proposal. This was too much for Glenbarth. Muttering something about a he left the room. My wife and I glances, but Martinos and Miss Trevor did not appear to notice his absence. This time he sang a Spanish fishing-song, but I did not pay much attention to it. A little later the Don, having thanked us for our hospitality, took his departure, and when Miss Trevor had said good-night to us, and had retired to her own room, my wife and I were left alone together.
"What have the Duke like that?" she said.
"He is in love, my dear, and also jealous," I answered. "I and trust, however, that he is not going to repeat this performance."
"If he he will any he has of Gertrude's love," she replied. "He[Pg 141] will also place us in a position."
"Let this be a lesson to you, my dear, to play with fire again," I replied. "You two people together, and wonder that there should be an explosion."
"Well, I'm very angry with him. I don't know what the Don Josè must have thought."
"Probably he nothing about it," I replied. "You mustn't be too angry with Glenbarth, however. Leave him to me, and I'll talk to him. To-morrow, I promise you, he'll be sorry for himself. If I know anything of women, Gertrude will make him wish he had differently."
"I don't think she will about the matter. She has too much sense."
"Very well; we shall see."
I then her go to bed, promising myself to up for Glenbarth, who, I discovered, had gone out. It was nearly midnight when he returned. I noticed that every of ill-humour had from his face, and that he was himself once more.
"My dear Dick," he said, "I don't know how to for my and of to-night. I am more of myself than I can say. I like a child."[Pg 142]
Because he to be in a mood I was not going to let him off the I that I ought to give him.
"A of you are, upon my word," I said, the paper I had been reading as I spoke. "I've a very good mind to tell you what I think of you."
"It would be only your time," he returned. "For you can't think as of me as I do of myself. I can't what me do it."
"Can't you?" I said. "Well, I can, and as you are to catch it in one particular to-morrow, I fancy, on reflection, that I can to you. The man had done you no harm; he not only did not with you, but he was not upon your——"
"Don't speak of him," said the fellow, up at once. "If I think of him I shall angry again. I can't the look of the beggar."
"Steady, my friend, steady," I returned. "You mustn't call other people's friends by that name."
"He is not your friend," said Glenbarth excitedly. "You've him until to-night, and you've me since I was about so high."[Pg 143]
"I to you only 'so high' this evening," I said. "It's a good thing for you that the wife has gone to bed, or I you would have something that would have your ears tingle. After the manner of women, she has come to the that she would like you to Miss Trevor."
"God her!" he said fervently. "I that she was my friend."
"In that case you would have a friend's privilege, had you been here to-night she retired, and have a dressing-down that is for her husband. I live in that you may it to-morrow."
"Bosh!" he answered. "And now, if you have me, I think I will go to bed. I've had of myself for one day."
With that we hands, and each other good-night. At his door he stopped me.
"Do you think she will me?" he asked, as as would a boy who had been sugar-plums.
"My wife," I answered. "Yes, I think it is very that she will."
"No, no; how you are; I mean——" Here he his in the direction of the room by Miss Trevor.
"You'll have to out that for yourself," I[Pg 144] replied, and then on to my dressing-room.
"That will give your Grace something to think about all night," I said, as I took off my coat.
As it out, I was to be in the I had Miss Trevor's of Glenbarth on the morrow. At she did not him, but when I say that she the larger of her attention to myself, those of my readers who are married, and have had the same experience, will understand. My wife, on the other hand, was itself, and from her toward him appeared to be to and the of the previous evening. I to myself, but said nothing. He was not at the end of his yet.
All that day we saw nothing of Martinos. Whether he at home or we not say. On returning to the hotel to lunch, however, we a of roses in the drawing-room, with the Don's card to the handle.
"Oh, what flowers!" my wife in an ecstasy. "Look, Gertrude, are they not beautiful?"
Miss Trevor them; and in order, I suppose, that Glenbarth's punishment[Pg 145] might be the more complete, for a to wear herself. One was her, while I Glenbarth's over the top of the I was reading at the moment. My was touched by his face, and when he and my wife had left the room to prepare for lunch, I to put in a good word for him.
"Miss Gertrude," I said, "as an old friend I have a to ask of you. Do you think you can it?"
"You must tell me what it is," she said, with a upon her face. "I know from that you are not to be trusted."
"A of for a family man," I protested. "Lady Hatteras has been telling tales, I can see."
"Your wife would tell a of any one, particularly of you," she asserted. "But what would you ask of me?"
"Only a for happiness," I said with gravity. "I have on a to-day, and the has me since. Are you aware that there is a man in this hotel, opens like a to the sun when you upon him, and in the of your neglect?"
"How you are!"[Pg 146]
"Why am I absurd?"
"Because you talk in this fashion."
"Will you upon him again? He has a great these last two days."
"Really you are too ridiculous. I don't know what you mean."
"That is not the truth, Miss Trevor, and you know it."
"But what have I done wrong?"
"That with the rose just now, for instance, was cruel, to say the least of it."
"Really, Sir Richard, you do say such things. If I want a rose to wear surely I may have one. But I must not talking to you, it's five-and-twenty minutes past one. I must go and for lunch."
I open the door for her, and as she passed I said—
"You will do what I ask? Just to me?"
"I don't know what you mean, but I will think it over," she replied, and then to her room.
She must have done as she promised, for the rose was from her dress when she sat to lunch. Glenbarth noticed it, and from that moment his revived.
That my wife and I to meet the P. and O. mail-boat, in order to some[Pg 147] friends who were on their way to Egypt. As neither the Duke of Glenbarth Miss Trevor were with them they were from attendance. When we joined them it was plain that all of trouble had been removed, and in the Duke was in the seventh of happiness. Had I asked the man at that moment for his I he would have them to me. He would have done so more had he that it was to my agency that he the in his affairs. For some of her own Miss Trevor was also in the best of spirits. My wife was happy her turtle-doves were happy, and I upon them all with the of the God out of the machine.
All this time I had been as to the why we had not or anything of Nikola. Why I should have to do so I cannot say, but after the events of three ago, I had a that I should have him, or that he would have with me in some or another. We were to see him, however, very long.
We had to visit the Academy on our return from the mail-boat, where my wife was to her acquaintance[Pg 148] with the Titans. For my own part I am prepared to admit that my knowledge of the pictures is not to me to any from the of these Masters. Phyllis and Miss Trevor, however, managed to a of in them. When we left the gallery, we our way, according to custom, in the direction of the of Saint Mark. We had not very upon our walk, however, I to turn round, to discover, after us, no less a person than our new acquaintance, Don Josè Martinos. He to the ladies, hands with myself, and to the Duke.
"If you are in the direction of the piazza, will you permit me to you?" he asked, and that permission having been by my wife, we our walk. What Glenbarth of it I do not know, but as he had Miss Trevor to himself, I do not see that he had anything to complain of. On Florian's café, we took our seats, the Don himself next to my wife, and himself out to be agreeable. Once he Glenbarth, and I was to see the manner that the other him.
"Now that he sees that he has nothing to[Pg 149] fear, he will not be so jealous," I said to myself, and it appeared as if this were likely to be the case. I was more by this than I say. As we should be some time in Venice, and the Don had with the same intention, and we were to be in the same hotel, it was of the to our that there should be no the two men. But of this for the present. There are other to be considered. In the place I must put on record a circumstance. In the light of after events it a significance, and he would be a man who would to say that he it.
It must be in mind, in order that the of what I am now about to may be understood, that Miss Trevor was seated me, that is to say, with her the Cathedral of St. Mark. She was in the best of spirits, and at the moment was in an with my wife on the of Ancient Art upon her bête noir, the Cockney tourist. Suddenly, without any reason, her pale, and she came to a stop in the middle of a sentence. Fortunately no one noticed it but my wife and myself, and as[Pg 150] she was herself again in a moment, we neither of us called attention to it. A moment later I across the square, and to my saw no less a person than Doctor Nikola us. Was it possible that Miss Trevor, in some manner, had aware of his to her, or was it only one of those that are so difficult to away? I did not know what to think then, nor, as a of fact, do I now.
Reaching our party, Nikola his to the ladies.
"I fear, Lady Hatteras," he said, "that I must have your for your husband so long away from you the other night. If so, I you will me."
"I will to do so," said my wife with a smile, "but you must be very how you again."
Then to Miss Trevor, he said, "I you will me your intercession, Miss Trevor?"
"I will do my best for you," she answered, with a that my wife and I look at her.
Then Nikola hands with Glenbarth, and at the Don.
"Permit me to you to Don Josè de[Pg 151] Martinos, Doctor Nikola," I said; "he has from Algiers."
The two men to each other.
"You are of travelling, I presume, Senor," said Nikola, his upon the Don.
"I have a of the world," the other answered. "I have the Midnight Sun at Cape North and the ice off the Horn."
"And have not it all barren," Nikola gravely.
From that moment the smoothly. Miss Trevor had herself, and I see that the Don was in Nikola. And on this particular occasion the himself to the to please. I will admit, however, that something not a passed over me as I his present with his manner when he had the Police Agent a nights before. Now he was a suave, pleasant-mannered man of the world, then he almost as an angel; now he modern literature, then I had him a being with the that it was possible for man to inflict. When it was time for us to return to our hotel, Nikola rose and us good-bye.[Pg 152]
"I you will permit me the of more of you while you are in Venice," said Nikola, the Don. "If you are an of the old of this city, and our friends will you, I shall be to you my own abode. It points of that many of the other lack, and, though it has to decay, I you will admit that the not from its interest."
"I shall to myself of the opportunity you are to offer me," the other replied, after which they to each other and parted.
"Your friend is an man," said the Don as we walked the steps. "I have met a more person. Does he in Venice?"
"Oh dear, no," I replied. "If one were asked to say where Nikola had his it would be almost necessary to say 'in the world.' I myself met him in London, in Egypt, then in Australia, and later on in the South Sea Islands. Now we are together again in Venice. I have good for that he is also familiar with China and Thibet. He himself to a knowledge of Africa and Central America."[Pg 153]
"To Central America?" said the Don quickly. "Pray what part of Central America he know?"
"That I am unable to say," I replied. "I have questioned him upon the subject."
From that moment the Don almost himself to my wife, and did not to Nikola again. We in the of the hotel. Next we saw him for a moments at the post-office, but at no other time the day. On the day he us on an to Chioggia, and with us afterwards. Though I that Glenbarth still him, his was so as to be noticeable. Towards the end of the a note was to me. One at the upon the was to me that it was from Nikola. It ran as follows—
"My dear Hatteras,
"Remembering your friend Don Martinos' to see my palace, I have to ask him if he will with me to-morrow at eight o'clock. If I can you and the Duke of Glenbarth to give me the of your society, I need say that you will be adding to my delight.
"Sincerely yours,
"Nikola."
[Pg 154]
"You have not of your yet," I said, the Don. "What do you say to the invitation?"
"I shall accept it only too willingly," he answered without delay. "Provided, of course, you will go too."
"Have you any to raise, Duke?" I asked, Glenbarth.
I see that he was not very to go, but under the he not very well refuse.
"I shall be very happy," he answered.
And for once in his life he said what he to be untrue.
