Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-12-18
CHAPTER VI.
INTO THE roo AGAIN.

lived In Europe nearly an my life
There, You have more OF my history
than ] intended telling you" The
music went dreamily.
81 knew g., Who but an American
woman would have the courage 10 do
what you are doing touigbt7 Who
but one OF mine own countrywomen
would trust me so wholly and accept
me so frankly for what I am-an
American gentleman
'Softlyr she warned you VIII dig
a pit for your vanity"
mo ] am an American gentleman
and am proud OF H. though this state.
ment 80 your ears may have a school
boy ring"
"a nobility IN this counry7 Impos
sibIer'
Not the Kind you end In the a.
manach de Gotha. ] speak OF the no
bility OF the beart and the mind" he
was very much in earnest now.
Indeed" The music stopped. and
she turned. She regarded his earnest
ness with favor Sic continued:
Il have Travelled much. have found
noblemen everywhere. in all climes.
and also ! have found beasts. oh.
confess that my country Is not wholly
free from the beast. But the beast
here is "a bcast-shu - . discrcdited.
OutcasL ON the otu,I side. n he be
mentioned 10 the Almauach. they give
him sashes and decorations. And they
credit us with being money madl X
Is not true"
But. II you are not money mad. why
these great fortunes" obviously.
AT a certain age a fortune IN this
country doubles itself without any ef-
fort on the part Of the owner Few OF
rs marry Tor money. and when we DO
We at least have the manhood 90 keep
the letter OF our bargain"
and when you marryY' she queried
We'll. IL Is generally the woman we
love. Dowrlcs are not considered.
There IS no social law which forbids
a dowerless girl 20 marry dowerless
man" laughing. But over there Il Is
always and eternaIly a business con
tract simply. You know that"
Yes. business contract" listlessly.
But they talk OF nobility on the
other side. That Is a.: they talk, talk
Italy. France. Germany why. I had
rather be the son OF an English farm
er than prince on the continent And
had rather Ice what / am than the
greatest nobleman IN England"
GO on. go on, like It. What DO
you call it-jingoT' she laughed
call Il what you. VIII Look at the
men we produce. Three or four hun
dred years ago Europe gave US great
poets, great artists. great soldiers.
great churchmen and great rascaIs. !
admire a great rascal when he IS a
Napoleon. Talleyrand, a Machiavelu
But a petty one. We have no art. no
music. no antiquity ut we have a
race OF gentlemen. 1HS old country is
not breeding them nowadays"
"Signora. dinner IS served" the maid
announced.
"Signoraw thought Hinard.
After You. MT Hnlard." she said.
Re bowed and passed on before her.
but not TIL be had passed did he IN
derstand the maneuver. To follow her
would have been nothing less than the
temptation TO pluck at the strings OF
her mask. Would he have touched Il?
He could not say.
That dinner, Was he in New York;
Was II not Bagdad. the bottle and the
romantic dreams. expected 10 turn
page so charming. so enchanting OF so
dangerous 10 his peace OF mind. a
game OF magical hide and seek!
And she? whim. a fantastic. IN
accountable whim-the within OF a wo-
man seeking forgetfulness. not count
ing the cost nor caring, simply a
within.
On the little table was a Tuscany
brass lamp Of three wicks. fed by olive
oil II was sufficient 10 light the ia
BILE, but the rest OF the room was sunk
In darkness. lie half understood that
there was definite purpose In this
semi-NluminatiOn. She had no wish
that he should by chance recognize
anything familiar In this house
May / ask you one question:" he
asked.
thing In his eyes that made her grow
war. Of a sudden.
Then ] shan't ask It. / shall not
ask you II you are married"
"And / shall not say one way or the
other"
She smiled. and be laughed quietly.
A running conversation: a fencing
match with words and phrases; time
after time she touched him. but with
ell his skill he could not break through
her guard.
"And that interesting dissertation on
the American gentleman?" she said
icily.
That's the trouble with posing as a
,moralist. One must live Up 70 the
precepts. Would you believe me If
tod you that az the age OF three and
thirty am still heart whole?"
she married ., trust you yil-not