The Last Woman Page 6

  CHAPTER VI

  A REMARKABLE MEETING

  When Jack Gardner returned to the dining-room after his interview withRadnor, he was vaguely troubled, notwithstanding the fact that he wasalso highly amused. There were elements associated with the thing hehad just done that might stir up unpleasant consequences. Hisinordinate love for a practical joke had led him into it willingly,and he had thought he saw in this affair the best and greatest joke hehad ever attempted to perpetrate. But he began to understand thatthere was a tragic element to it which he could not deny to himself;and, when he was in the act of resuming his chair beside Beatrice, hewas more than half-inclined, even then, to rush from the building inthe pursuit of Burke Radnor, and to withdraw the whole story that hehad given to the newspaper man.

  When, a few moments later, Radnor's card was brought to Duncan, thesense of impending disaster was stronger than ever upon Gardner, andhe watched the departure of the young millionaire with manymisgivings, not one of which he could have defined in words. But hewatched the doorway through which Duncan passed, and, during theinterval that ensued, he was very palpably disturbed and uneasy. Hehad recognized the card, although he had been unable to see the namethat was engraved upon it. He had not supposed that Radnor would soquickly pursue his investigation of the story, and it had not evenremotely occurred to the young copper-king, that the newspaper manwould dare to go so far as to seek an immediate interview with Duncan.Even had the man selected Beatrice, it would not have been quite sobad.

  Nobody knew Duncan better than did Jack Gardner, and he realized whata strong and stirring effect this fake-story, as made up betweenhimself and Beatrice, might have upon one who was such a stickler forcertain forms as he knew Duncan to be. His impulse was to follow hisfriend from the room, but he resisted it, although he did keep hisgaze spasmodically fixed upon the door by which Roderick must reenterthe dining-room.

  Gardner was the first of the party to discover him, when he didreturn, and was quick to see that something unusual had happenedduring the interval outside, which had been all too short to havebeen fruitful of any other result than violence of some sort. He saw,by the set expression of his friend's face and by the pallor upon it,that something had gone wrong, and he started to his feet and movedrapidly forward, so that he met Duncan half-way between the entranceand the table where Beatrice and Sally Gardner were now left alonetogether. He grasped his friend by the arm, and drew him aside, sayingrapidly, as he did so:

  "For God's sake, Dun, what has happened? Tell me quickly."

  Roderick Duncan looked down calmly, and without change of expressionupon Gardner, for he was considerably taller than his friend; and hesaid, slowly, in reply:

  "Without answering your question, Jack, I wish to ask you one. Was itBurke Radnor whom you were called out to meet, a little while ago, inthe reception-room?"

  Not thinking of the possible consequences of his response, Gardneradmitted, hastily, that it had been Radnor, and Duncan asked anotherquestion.

  "Did Radnor question you about a marriage-ceremony that is supposed tohave taken place between Beatrice Brunswick and myself, to-night?"

  "Well, you see--"

  "Answer me yes, or no, Jack, if you please."

  "Well, then, he did."

  "Have you any idea, Jack, where he obtained the nucleus for such astory?"

  Gardner hesitated, and Duncan from his greater height, bent forwardquickly, and with a strong grip, seized the young copper-king by theshoulder.

  "Jack Gardner," he demanded, "did you, at the instigation of Beatrice,concoct that story? Have I you to thank for it? You need not answer,Jack. I can read the reply in the expression of your face." Hewithdrew his hand from its detaining grasp upon his friend, and took ahalf-step backward; then, he added: "Jack, if we were anywhere elsethan in a public dining-room, I should resent what you have donebitterly--and by actions, not words. As it is, I demand that youinstantly seek, and find, Burke Radnor, and retract whatever you havesaid, or inferred, during your conversation with him. I warn you,Gardner, that if one single line appears in any of the papersto-morrow morning on this subject I'll find a way to resent it, whichwill make you regret, all your life, your nameless conduct ofto-night."

  Gardner turned decidedly pale, not because of any physical fear hefelt of Duncan, but in dread of the possible consequences of what hehad permitted himself to do.

  "Where is Radnor, now?" he exclaimed, quickly.

  "I left him half-conscious, on the floor of the reception-room,"replied Duncan, calmly. "I knocked him down."

  "Good God!" exclaimed Gardner; and he turned and rushed away withprecipitate haste.

  Duncan went on toward the table at which Beatrice and Sally wereseated, but as he approached it, a desire to hear the sound ofPatricia's voice possessed him, and he turned abruptly toward thatother table, occupied by Stephen Langdon, with his daughter and thelawyer.

  Devoting a careless nod to the two men, Duncan addressed his fiancee,speaking loudly enough so that her companions might hear.

  "Patricia," he said, "will you do me a very great favor? It is ofvital importance, otherwise I would not ask it."

  "Indeed?" she replied, raising her big, dark eyes to his. "Yourquestion and your manner as well imply something that is almosttragic, Roderick. What is it that you wish me to do?"

  "A very little thing, Patricia. Will you, for a moment, accompany meto the table where Beatrice and Sally Gardner are dining?"

  "Why, most certainly," she replied. "You give a very big reason for avery small thing, don't you? Of course, I will go to them." She lefther seat instantly, and crossed to the other table; Duncan followed,closely. Patricia accepted the chair that Jack Gardner had occupied,which Duncan drew out for her. Then, he resumed his own. As soon asthey were seated, the young millionaire, drawing his chair a bitcloser, said, addressing them, generally:

  "I have something to say which I wish each of you to hear. To-night, arumor has been started, somehow, that Miss Brunswick and I weremarried an hour or so ago, at the Church of the Transfiguration."Patricia gave a slight start, but he continued, unheedingly: "Acertain newspaper man, Radnor by name, has already sought to interviewme, and he went so far as to insist that he was positive in hisassertions as to such a ceremony having taken place. Of course,Beatrice and I both know it to be untrue, and I now make thisstatement in order to warn you all of what may possibly appear in themorning papers; that is all I have to say on the subject."

  Beatrice had flushed hotly at the beginning of his statement, and,while he continued, she turned deadly pale. Sally, who it will beremembered had not been taken into the confidence of the intriguers,laughed. Patricia was the only one who appeared to be unmoved by theannouncement, but she kept her eyes fixed upon the face of her friend,and she correctly interpreted the changing colors and expressions ofBeatrice Brunswick's face.

  Whatever might have been the consequences of Duncan's announcement andMiss Brunswick's emotions, her conscious blushes and subsequentpallor, it was interrupted by the sudden and swift return of Gardner,who exclaimed, excitedly:

  "Sally, I want you right away; and you, too, Beatrice. It's almost amatter of life and death. Never mind the supper--we can have one someother time. Duncan, you won't mind, will you, if I take them away?" Heleaned forward and added, in a whisper: "I am carrying out what youasked me to do, and I need their help." Then, straightening himself,he addressed Patricia: "You will excuse us all, won't you? Come,Sally; for heaven's sake, make haste! There isn't a moment of time tolose."

  Sally Gardner had never seen her husband in quite such a state ofexcitement, but as she was one of the kind that is always ready foranything in the shape of adventure, and scented one here, she lost notime in complying with his request. Beatrice's expression was first ofamusement; then, of comprehension. Almost before any of the partyfully realized what had happened, Jack Gardner and his companions weregone. Patricia and Roderick Duncan were alone at the table.

  She turned her expressive eyes towa
rd him and regarded him closely,but in silence, for a moment. Then, in a low tone, she inquired:

  "May I ask if you understand this amazing succession of incidents? Tome, it is entirely incomprehensible. If you can explain it, I wish youwould do so."

  "I am afraid, Patricia, that it cannot be explained--that is, anyfarther than I've already done so," he replied.

  "Who is responsible for this remarkable story you say the newspaperman asked you about?"

  Duncan hesitated. Then, he replied:

  "When Beatrice and I left the opera-house to-night, we entered ataxicab, and we did drive as far as the iron gateway that admits oneto the Church of the Transfiguration. We did not enter; in fact, wedid not leave the cab at all. It is possible, though hardly probable,that we were followed by some reporter."

  "But why did you drive to the Church of the Transfiguration, at all?"she asked him, with a smile upon her face that had something ofderision in it, for she plainly saw that Duncan was floundering badlyin his effort to explain. When he hesitated for a suitable reply, shecontinued: "Why, may I ask, did you leave the box at the opera-house,in such a surreptitious manner? It seems to me that the Church of theTransfiguration was an odd destination for you to have selected, whenyou did leave it, with Beatrice for a companion. Or was there apre-arrangement between you. Was it her suggestion, or was it yours,Roderick?"

  "It was mine," he replied; and he could not help smiling at therecollection of it, even though the present moment was filled withtragic possibilities.

  "It seems to amuse you," she told him.

  "It does--now."

  "Had you, for the moment, forgotten that you were under contract withme, for Monday morning?"

  Instead of replying at once, he leaned forward half-across the tabletoward her, and, fixing his gaze steadily upon her, said, with lowearnestness:

  "Patricia, for God's sake, let us cease all this fencing; let us putan end to this succession of misunderstandings. You know how I loveyou! You know--"

  "I know that this is a very badly chosen time and place for you tomake such declarations, or for me to listen to them. Will you comeback with me now to the other table, and join Mr. Melvin and myfather? People have begun to observe us. If these rumors bear anyfruits, such a course seems to me to be the best one to adopt, underthe circumstances."

  She arose without awaiting his reply, and he followed her.

  "Melvin," he said to the lawyer, as soon as he was seated at the othertable, "Miss Langdon will agree with me, I think, that it is quitenecessary I should accompany you to your home when we leave thisplace, in order to examine with you certain papers which you havedrawn, or are to draw, at her request. Have I your permission,Patricia?" he added.

  "I see no objection, if that is what you mean," Patricia replied;"although I think it would be better that we should all drive togetherto Mr. Melvin's house for the papers--"

  "I have them here, in my pocket," the lawyer interrupted her.

  "So much the better, then," Patricia continued, rapidly. "I think thebest arrangement, all circumstances considered, would be to gotogether to my father's house, so that all the interested parties maybe present at the interview."

  Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, this was agreed upon, and indue time the four were grouped in the library of the Langdon home,where Malcolm Melvin, with the notes he had made that afternoon beforehim, began in a monotonous voice to read the stipulations of thedocument upon which Patricia Langdon had decided that she could rely,to supply a soothing balm for her wounded pride. It was a strangegathering to assemble at two o'clock in the morning, but none of them,save possibly the lawyer, seemed cognizant of the curious aspect ofthe meeting.