第26章 VILLA RUBEIN(24)

"Oh! Uncle! He's insulted, threatened! And I love his little finger more than all the, world!"Her passionate voice trembled, her eyes were shining.

Mr.Treffry's profound discomfort found vent in the gruff words: "Sit down!""I'll never speak to Father again! Oh! Uncle! I love him!"Quiet in the extremity of his disturbance, Mr.Treffry leaned forward in his chair, rested his big hands on its arms, and stared at her.

Chris! Here was a woman he did not know! His lips moved under the heavy droop of his moustache.The girl's face had suddenly grown white.She sank down on her knees, and laid her cheek against his hand.He felt it wet; and a lump rose in his throat.Drawing his hand away, he stared at it, and wiped it with his sleeve.

"Don't cry!" he said.

She seized it again and clung to it; that clutch seemed to fill him with sudden rage.

"What's the matter? How the devil can I do anything if you don't tell me?"She looked up at him.The distress of the last days, the passion and fear of the last hour, the tide of that new life of the spirit and the flesh, stirring within her, flowed out in a stream of words.

When she had finished, there was so dead a silence that the fluttering of a moth round the lamp could be heard plainly.

Mr.Treffry raised himself, crossed the room, and touched the bell.

"Tell the groom," he said to Dominique, "to put the horses to, and have 'em round at once; bring my old boots; we drive all night...."His bent figure looked huge, body and legs outlined by light, head and shoulders towering into shadow."He shall have a run for his money!" he said.His eyes stared down sombrely at his niece."It's more than he deserves!--it's more than you deserve, Chris.Sit down there and write to him; tell him to put himself entirely in my hands." He turned his back on her, and went into his bedroom.

Christian rose, and sat down at the writing-table.A whisper startled her.It came from Dominique, who was holding out a pair of boots.

"M'mselle Chris, what is this?--to run about all night?" But Christian did not answer.

"M'mselle Chris, are you ill?" Then seeing her face, he slipped away again.

She finished her letter and went out to the carriage.Mr.Treffry was seated under the hood.

"Shan't want you," he called out to the groom, "Get up, Dominique."Christian thrust her letter into his hand."Give him that," she said, clinging to his arm with sudden terror."Oh! Uncle! do take care!""Chris, if I do this for you--" They looked wistfully at one another.Then, shaking his head, Mr.Treffry gathered up the reins.

"Don't fret, my dear, don't fret! Whoa, mare!"The carriage with a jerk plunged forward into darkness, curved with a crunch of wheels, and vanished, swinging between the black treepillars at the entrance....

Christian stood, straining to catch the failing sound of the hoofs.

Down the passage came a flutter of white garments; soft limbs were twined about her, some ends of hair fell on her face.

"What is it, Chris? Where have you been? Where is Uncle Nic going?

Tell me!"

Christian tore herself away."I don't know," she cried, "I know nothing!"Greta stroked her face."Poor Chris!" she murmured.Her bare feet gleamed, her hair shone gold against her nightdress."Come to bed, poor Chris!"Christian laughed."You little white moth! Feel how hot I am!

You'll burn your wings!"

Harz had lain down, fully dressed.He was no longer angry, but felt that he would rather die than yield.Presently he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"M'sieu!"

It was the voice of Dominique, whose face, illumined by a match, wore an expression of ironical disgust.

"My master," he said, "makes you his compliments; he says there is no time to waste.You are to please come and drive with him!""Your master is very kind.Tell him I'm in bed.""Ah, M'sieu," said Dominique, grimacing, "I must not go back with such an answer.If you would not come, I was to give you this."Harz broke the seal and read Christian's letter.

"I will come," he said.

A clock was striking as they went out through the gate.From within the dark cave of the phaeton hood Mr.Treffry said gruffly: "Come along, sir!"Harz flung his knapsack in, and followed.

His companion's figure swayed, the whiplash slid softly along the flank of the off horse, and, as the carriage rattled forward, Mr.

Treffry called out, as if by afterthought: "Hallo, Dominique!"Dominque's voice, shaken and ironical, answered from behind: "M'

v'la, M'sieu!"

In the long street of silent houses, men sitting in the lighted cafes turned with glasses at their lips to stare after the carriage.The narrow river of the sky spread suddenly to a vast, limpid ocean tremulous with stars.They had turned into the road for Italy.

Mr.Treffry took a pull at his horses."Whoa, mare! Dogged does it!"and the near horse, throwing up her head, whinnied; a fleck of foam drifted into Harz's face.

The painter had come on impulse; because Christian had told him to, not of his own free will.He was angry with himself, wounded in self-esteem, for having allowed any one to render him this service.

The smooth swift movement through velvet blackness splashed on either hand with the flying lamp-light; the strong sweet air blowing in his face-air that had kissed the tops of mountains and stolen their spirit; the snort and snuffle of the horses, and crisp rattling of their hoofs--all this soon roused in him another feeling.He looked at Mr.Treffry's profile, with its tufted chin; at the grey road adventuring in darkness; at the purple mass of mountains piled above it.All seemed utterly unreal.

As if suddenly aware that he had a neighbour, Mr.Treffry turned his head."We shall do better than this presently," he said, "bit of a slope coming.Haven't had 'em out for three days.Whoa-mare!

Steady!"

"Why are you taking this trouble for me?" asked Harz.

"I'm an old chap, Mr.Harz, and an old chap may do a stupid thing once in a while!""You are very good," said Harz, "but I want no favours."Mr.Treffry stared at him.