He was filled with chagrin, disappointment, and despair, while the sight of Lila’s face and his desire for her spurred him on to renewed effort.
Now, as he made his way back to the Lamartine, he resolved on a stroke in the open. He would enlist the services of the Erring Knights, at the same time blinding them as to his own designs.
“They’re a bunch of fools, anyway,” he thought. “I think I’ll tackle the little Frenchman.”
Accordingly, when he reached the Lamartine he called Dumain aside.
“What do you want?” Dumain asked shortly.
“I want to talk to you about Knowlton,” said Sherman.
“What ees eet?”
“I’ve discovered something about him that I think you ought to know — something not exactly to his credit.”
Dumain stiffened.
“Knowlton ees my friend,” he observed meaningly. “Go slow, Sherman.”
“If that’s the way you feel about it I have nothing more to say,” said Sherman, turning to go. “Only I thought you were a friend of Miss Williams.”
Dumain looked up quickly.
“And so I am,” he declared. “But what is zee connection?”
“Only this: That no one who is a real friend of Miss Williams can possibly be a friend of John Knowlton.”
“And why?”
“Because... well, I don’t think he intends to marry her.”
“Mon Dieu!” Dumain gasped. “Has he been—”
“No — not yet. But he will be. And she likes him too well already. Have you noticed what she does with the roses he gives her? And do you know how her eyes follow him all over the lobby?”
“Well?”
“Well, you know what that means. It means that Knowlton can do just about what he likes with her. If not now, it’ll come soon. And he’ll ruin her. Do you know anything about Knowlton? Listen:
“His real name is Norton. One year ago he was cashier in a bank in a little town in Ohio. One morning they find the safe robbed — dynamited. They couldn’t prove Norton was implicated, but everybody knew he was. He beat it to New York. That explains where he got his coin. Now you have it. Should a guy like that be allowed to hang around Lila Williams?”
Dumain sighed.
“We are none of us pairfect,” he observed.
“Oh, the devil!” exclaimed Sherman, exasperated. “Perhaps not. I guess neither you nor me is going to publish our diaries. But that isn’t the point. To put it plainly, I happen to know that Miss Williams is in love with this Knowlton, and that he fully intends to take advantage of it. You know what that means.”
Dumain appeared to be lost in thought.
“But what can we do?” he said finally.
“The same as we’ve done to a dozen others.”
“But zis Knowlton — he is no coward.”
“There are six of us,” said Sherman meaningly.
Dumain rose from his chair with a gesture of decision.
“I speak to Dougherty and Driscoll,” he said as he turned to go.
Sherman watched him cross the lobby.
“The little idiot!” he muttered contemptuously. Then he turned his eyes toward Lila’s desk.
As he gazed at her his face burned with desire and his eyes glittered like the eyes of the serpent. Slowly they filled with evil exultation. Then, subduing this outward betrayal of his thoughts, he crossed to her desk, halted uncertainly, and finally reached for a telegram blank.
“You have decided to give me some of your patronage?” Lila smiled.
“Yes,” Sherman replied. “Only it won’t be in code.”
A tinge of color appeared in Lila’s cheeks, and a pang of jealousy that stung Sherman’s heart made him regret the observation. He placed the telegram blank on the top of the desk and after a minute’s thought wrote on it as follows:
In case you wish to find John Norton, try the Hotel Lamartine, New York.
Lila smiled as she read it.
“You newspaper men are so mysterious,” she observed. Then suddenly she turned slightly pale and glanced up quickly.
“She’s noticed the similarity in the names,” thought Sherman.
“Why?” he said aloud. “Is there anything so mysterious about that?”
“It sounds like a missing heir or a — an embezzler,” said Lila.
“I’m sorry I can’t enlighten you.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t expect you to. I suppose you’re full of important and terrible secrets.”
“Perhaps.” Sherman hesitated a moment, then added: “But there’s only one that I regard as important.”
Lila was silent.
“It is about you,” Sherman continued.
“About me?” Lila’s tone was incredulous.
“About you,” Sherman repeated. His tone was low and significant as he added, “and me.”
His meaning was too clear to admit of any pretense that it was not understood. For a moment Lila’s face was lowered, then she raised it and said firmly: “Mr. Sherman, I do not wish you to talk to me — like — that.”
“I can’t help it. You know it, anyway. I love you.” Sherman’s voice trembled with desire.
“Must I tell you that you annoy me?” she said, rising to her feet.
Sherman lost control of himself.
“You wouldn’t say that to Mr. John Knowlton,” he sneered. “And the time will come when you can’t say it to me. I want you. Look at me. Do I look like a man who wouldn’t take what he wants? You will — you must be mine.”
The unexpectedness of it caused Lila’s face to turn a fiery red. Then she as suddenly became pale. For a moment neither spoke. They had no words; for Sherman had no sooner spoken than he regretted the rashness of his premature avowal. Lila was the first to recover herself.
“Mr. Sherman,” she said calmly, “if you ever speak to me in this way again I shall tell Mr. Dougherty and Mr. Driscoll that you are annoying me. Now go.”
And Sherman went.
Chapter IV
Danger
Dumain pondered long over the information Sherman had given him concerning Knowlton before he decided to act on it.
The fact is that Dumain was strongly opposed to the revealing of a man’s past. He may have had a personal reason for this; but let us be charitable. Broadway is not the only place in the world where they act on the belief that a man’s past is his own and should not be held against him.
Besides, Sherman had admitted that Knowlton had merely been suspected. There had been no evidence; he had been allowed to go free. And Dumain was not inclined to strike a blow at an innocent man who suffered under the blasting stigma of an unproved accusation.
Still, there was Lila. She must be protected at any cost. And had not Dumain himself noticed her interest in Knowlton? What if she really loved him?
And what if Knowlton was the sort of man Sherman had declared him to be? Clearly it meant Lila’s ruin. For it is the belief of all Broadway cynics that any woman will do anything for the man she loves. So, early the next morning (that is, early for him), Dumain made his decision on the side of prudence.
He spoke first to Dougherty. The ex-prizefighter was greatly surprised.
“I like Knowlton,” he said, “and I believe you’re wrong to suspect him. But you know what I think of Miss Williams; and where she’s concerned we can’t leave any room for doubt. Knowlton must be informed that he is absolutely not wanted.”
“Zat ees zee way eet looks to me,” said Dumain.
He had met Dougherty on Broadway, and as they talked they strolled to the hotel and entered the lobby. The hotel clerk threw them a familiar nod. Miss Hughes sang out a cheery “Good morning,” and Lila smiled pleasantly as they passed her desk. Except for two or three strangers, probably commercial buyers, reading their morning newspapers, the place was empty.