He had no difficulty in entering Mme. de Chateau-Morny’s hotel, and when he reached the head of the stairway Madame herself greeted him with a cry of mingled surprise and delight, and laughed to scorn his apology for coming uninvited to her party. He escaped from her presently, and, entering the ballroom, stood looking round through his eye-glass. His very height at once attracted attention; several persons hailed him, demanding to know whence he had sprung, and more than half the young ladies in the room determined to dance with him before the night was done.
Miss Marling, at the moment of the Marquis’s entry, was going down the dance with a slim young gentleman dressed in the very latest mode. She caught sight of her cousin, gave an unmaidenly shriek, and seizing her partner by the hand, left the dance without ceremony, and rushed to greet him.
“Vidal!” she exclaimed, and gave him both her hands.
Half the young ladies in the room regarded her enviously. “Don’t be a hoyden, Ju,” said his lordship, raising first one hand and then the other to his lips. “God defend me, is it you, Bertrand?”
“It is her cousin, the wicked Marquis,” whispered a brunette to a languishing blonde.
“How she is fortunate!” sighed the blonde, gazing soulfully at Vidal.
The modish young gentleman swept a deep bow, flourishing a handkerchief strongly scented with amber. He had a mobile and somewhat mischievous countenance, and was known to every anxious parent as a desperate flirt. “Cher Dominique, it is even I, thy so unworthy cousin. What villainy has brought you here?”
“Damn your impudence,” said his lordship cheerfully. “And what’s the meaning of all this, Bertrand?” He let fall his glass, and took the lively Vicomte’s ear between finger and thumb.
“English, you understand,” murmured a dowager to her vis d-vis. “They are all quite sans gêne, I have heard.”
“My earrings? But it is de règle, my dear! Oh, but the very, very latest mode!” the Vicomte answered. “Let go, barbarian!”
Juliana tugged at his lordship’s sleeve. “Vidal, it is amazingly pleasant to see you again, but what in the world are you doing here? Never will you tell .me my uncle has sent you to—to be a dragon because of my dearest Frederick!”
“Lord, no!” replied Vidal. “Where is your dearest Frederick? Not here tonight?”
“No, but he is in Paris. Oh, Vidal, where can we talk? I have so much to tell you!”
The Vicomte broke in on this and said in English: “Vidal, I am with pistols quite incompetent, but you who are so much in the habit of it, will you not shoot me this abominable Frederick?”
Juliana gave a little crow of laughter, but told the Vicomte she would not permit him to talk in such a fashion.
“But he must be slain, my adored one! It is well seen that he must be slain. Anyone who aspires to steal you from me must be slain. Behold Vidal, the very man to do it!”
“Do it yourself, puppy,” said his lordship. “Pink him with that pretty sword of yours. Juliana would love to have a duel fought in her honour.”
“It is an idea,” agreed the Vicomte. “Decidedly it is an
idea. But I must ask myself, can I do it? Is he perhaps a master of sword-play? That gives to think! I cannot fight for the hand of the peerless Juliana unless I am sure I win. You perceive how ridiculous that would make me to appear.”
“It won’t make you more ridiculous than those earrings,” said his lordship. “I wish you would go away; I want to talk to Juliana.”
“You inspire me with jealousy the most profound. Do I find you at the Hôtel Avon? I shall see you perhaps tomorrow, then.”
“Come and dine with me,” Vidal said, “but no earrings, mind!”
The Vicomte laughed, waved an airy good-bye, and went off in search of further amusement.
“Ju, I want your help,” the Marquis said quickly. “Where can we be undisturbed?”
Her eyes sparkled. “My dearest Vidal, what can you have done now? Tell me at once, dreadful creature. Of course, I’ll help you! I know of a little room where we shall be quite alone.”
The Marquis followed her to where a curtain hung over an archway, and held it back for her to pass through.
“Juliana, you minx, were you ever at a ball without finding a little room where you could be quite alone?”
“No, never,” answered Miss Marling with simple pride. She seated herself on a couch, and patted the place beside her invitingly. “Now tell me!”
He sat down, and began to play with her fan. “Do you recall the blonde piece you once saw me with at Vauxhall Gardens?”
She thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, she had blue eyes and looked stupid.”
“She was stupid. I’ve run off with her sister instead of her, and the devil’s in it, I must marry the girl.”
“What?” shrieked Miss Marling.
“If you screech again, Ju, I’ll strangle you,” said his lordship. “This is serious. The girl’s not like the one you saw. She’s a lady. You know her.”
“I don’t contradicted Miss Marling positively. “Mamma would never let me know the sort of female who would run off with you, Dominic.”
“Don’t keep interrupting!” commanded Vidal. “I meant to bring the other sister to Paris, since I had to leave England—”
“Merciful heavens, what have you done that you had to leave England?” cried Miss Marling.
“Shot a man in a duel. But that’s not important. The fair sister was to have come with me, but this one got wind of it and took her place to save her.”
“I expect she wanted you herself,” said the sceptical Miss Marling.
“She don’t want me; she’s too strait-laced. I didn’t discover the cheat till Newhaven was reached. The girl thought to make me believe Sophia had planned the trick. I did believe it.” He frowned down at the fan he still held. “You know what I’m like when I lose my cursed temper, Ju?” Miss Marling shuddered dramatically. “Well, I did lose it. I forced the girl to come aboard the Albatross, and brought her over to France. At Dieppe, I discovered the mistake I’d made. She was no Sophia, but a lady, and virtuous to boot.”