The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1910-04-07
CHAPTER vi.

LII
in: :;' ;::e.; ., va: an 4:
4 my mother Italian. But 1 have
\ lived in Europe nearly all my life.
There! You have more Of my history
than l intended telling you" The
music went dreamily.
IL knew 1t! Who but an American
woman would have the courage to do
what you are doing tonight? Who
but one of mine own countrywomen
would trust me so wholly and accept
me so frankly for what am-an
American gentleman"
"SOftly!' she warned. you will dig
pit for your vanity"
mo. am an American gentleman,
and am proud Of it, though this state
ment in your ears may have school
boy ring"
"a nobility in this country? 1mpos-
sible!''
"Not the kind you find in the Al
manach de Gotha. / speak Of the no.
bility of the heart and the mind He
was very much in earnest now.
"Indeedi" The music stoned. and
che turned. She regarded his earnest
ness with favor. He continued:
81 have travelled much. l have found
noblemen everywhere, in all chimes,
and also l have found beasts. oh,
confess that my country is not wholly
tree from the beast! But the beast
here is beast--shunned, discredited,
putcast. On the other side, if he be
mentioned in the Almanach, they give
him sashes and decorations. And they
credit us with being money mad! 1t
b not true"
But, if you are not money mad, why
these great fortunes?" obviously.
cat a certain age fortune in this
country doubles itself without any eff
fort on the part of the owner. Few Of
us marry for money, and when we do
we at least have the manhood to keep
The letter Of our bargain
Sand when you marryW she queried.
'Well, it is generally the woman we
love. Dowries are not considered.
There is no social law which forbids
dowerless girl to marry dowerless
man." laughing. but over there it is
always and eternally business con-
tract simply. You know that"
Eyes, a business contract" listlessly.
"But they talk Of nobility on the
,ther SIDE That is it; they talk, talk
Italy, France, Germany! Why, l had
rather be the son of an English farm
er than prince on the continent And
had rather be what l am than the
greatest nobleman in England"
go on. go on! like it. What do
you call it-jingoy' she laughed.
"Call it what you will. Look at the
men we produce. Three or four hun
ared years ago Europe gave us great
poets, great artists, great soldiers,
great churchmen and great rascals. 1
admire great rascal when he Is a
Napoleon. Talleyrand, Machiavelli.
But petty one! We have no art, no
music, no antiquity, but we have a
race of gentlemen. The old country is
not breeding them nowadays"
"SignOra, dinner is served" the maid
announced.
"Signora" thought Hillard.
"After you, Mr.. Hillard," she said.
He bowed and passed on before her,
but not till he had passed did he un-
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 it
He could not say.
That dinner Was he in New York
Was it not Bagdad, the bottle and the
genii? Had he ever, even in his most
romantic dreams, expected to turn a
page so charming, so enchanting or SO
dangerous to his peace of mind, q
game of magical hide and seek?
And she? A within, fantastic, un.
accountable whim-the whim of wo
man seeking forgetfulness, not count
Ing the cost nor caring, simply a
within.
On the little table was Tuscany
prass lamp of three wicks, fed by olive
bill. 1t was sufficient to light the ia.
pie, but the rest of the room was sunk
IN darkness. He half understood that
here was a definite purpose in this
semi-illumination. She had no wish
hat he should by chance recognize
anything familiar in this house.
MAY I ask you one question: he
lsked.
NO." promptly. There was some
hing in his eyes that made her grow
E73ry of a sudden. :,
'Then l shan't ask 1t. I shall moi
lsk you If you are married."
"And shall not say one way or the
pther."
She smiled, and he laughed quietly.
A running conversation; a fencing