MR. PERCY SHAKES HIMSELF.
It was noontide at Oakley, and a December sun was shining coldly in at
the window of Mrs. Cora Arthur's dressing-room. Within that cozy room,
however, all was warmth and brightness. A cheerful fire was blazing
and crackling in the grate. Sitting before the fire, wrapped in a
becoming dressing-gown of white cashmere, was Cora herself, looking a
trifle annoyed, but remarkably well withal. Wonderfully well,
considering how very ill she had been.
Lounging near her, his feet lazily outstretched toward the fire, was
Lucian Davlin.
"What did you write to Percy?" he inquired, consulting his watch.
"Just what you told me; that I had something of importance to
communicate, and desired him to call to-day at two," replied Cora.
"But--aren't you looking a little too well for a lady who has been so
desperately ill? It won't do to arouse his suspicions, you know."
Cora crossed to her dressing-case, went carefully over her face with a
puff-ball, and did some very artistic tracing in India ink under and
over each eye. Then she turned toward him triumphantly. "There!" she
exclaimed, "now I shall draw the curtains," suiting the action to the
word, "and then, when I lie on this couch, my face will be entirely in
the shadow, while from the further window there will come enough light
to enable him to recognize you."
At this moment a rap was heard at the door. Cora threw herself upon
the invalid's couch, and lay back among the pillows. When she had
settled herself to her satisfaction, Mr. Davlin opened the door,
admitting Celine Leroque.
"Monsieur Percy is below, madame," said the girl, glancing sharply at
the form in the darkened corner.
"Come and draw these coverings over me, Celine, and then go and bring
him up," replied Cora.
Then she glanced at Lucian, who said, carelessly: "Well, my dear, I
will go down to the library."
Celine adjusted the wraps and pillows and then went out, closely
followed by Lucian. She was not aware that Mr. Percy was expected, the
message having been sent by Henry. And she was not a little anxious to
know the nature of the interview that was about to be held.
Mr. Percy, conducted to Cora's door by Celine, entered the room with
his usual lazy grace, and approached the recumbent figure in the
darkened corner, saying, in a tone of hypocritical solicitude:
"Madame, I trust you are not overtaxing your strength in thus kindly
granting me an interview."
He knew so well how to assume the manner best calculated to throw her
off her guard and into a rage.
But Cora, understanding his tactics, and her own failing, was prepared
for him. In tones as smooth as his own she answered:
"You are very good, and I find my strength returning quite rapidly. In
fact," and here a double meaning was apparent, as she intended it
should be, "I think I shall soon be _stronger_ than before my
illness."
There was silence for a moment. Evidently Mr. Percy was not inclined
to help her to put into words whatever she had in her mind.
"I sent for you," she continued, "because I have something to say
before you meet with a person who, as you are likely to remain one of
this pleasant family, you must of necessity, and for policy's sake,
meet with the outward forms of politeness." Here she paused as if from
exhaustion, and he, lifting his fine eyebrows slightly, kept silence
still.
Cora, beginning to find her part irksome, hurried to its conclusion.
"You have heard, no doubt, of the presence of my brother in this
house. I sent for you that you might meet him, and I desired my maid
to show you to this room first, that I might venture a word of warning
and advice. My brother is not the stranger that you evidently imagine
him. Beyond the fact that you and I were once married, that I of my
own will forsook you, and the reason, or part of the reason for so
doing, he knows little of our affairs. For my sake he will make no use
of that knowledge. But I think it best that you understand each other.
Will you please ring that bell?"
He obeyed her, looking much mystified and somewhat apprehensive.
Celine appeared promptly, and disappeared again in answer to Cora's
command:
"Show my brother here, Celine."
When the door opened, he turned slowly and met the cool gaze
of--Lucian Davlin!
That personage approached the invalid, saying: "You sent for me to
introduce me to this gentleman, I suppose, Cora?"
Mr. Percy arose slowly, and the two confronted each other, while Cora
nodded her head, as if unable to answer his words.
As Percy advanced the light from the one window that had been left
unshrouded fell full upon the two men, who gazed upon each other with
the utmost _sang froid_. Two handsomer scoundrels never stood at bay.
And while the dark face expressed haughty insolence, the blonde
features looked as if, after all, the occasion called for nothing more
fatiguing than a stare of indolent surprise.
Cora's voice broke the silence: "Mr. Davlin is my brother, Mr. Percy.
Please stop staring at each other, gentlemen, and come to some sort of
an understanding."
"Really, this is a most agreeable surprise," drawled Percy, looking
from one to the other with perfect coolness.
[Illustration: "Mr. Percy arose slowly, and the two confronted each
other."--page 306.]
"And quite dramatic in effect," sneered Davlin, flinging himself
into a chair. "Sit down, Percy; one may as well be comfortable. How's
the fair spinster to-day?"
Percy waved away the question, and resumed his seat and his languid
attitude, saying: "Upon my word this _is_ quite dramatic."
Davlin laughed, airily. "Even so. I hope the fact that this lady is my
sister will explain some things to you more satisfactorily than they
have hitherto been explained. And if so, we had better let bygones
drop."
Percy turned his eyes away from the speaker, and let them rest upon
the face of Cora. Again ignoring the remark addressed to him, he said,
slowly: "I don't see any very strong family resemblance."
"I don't suppose you ever will," retorted Davlin, coolly.
"And I don't precisely see the object of this interview," Percy
continued.
Davlin made a gesture of impatience, and said, sharply: "Hang it all,
man, the object is soon got at! It's a simple question and answer."
Percy brushed an imaginary particle of dust off his sleeve with the
greatest care, and then lifted his eyes and said, interrogatively:
"Well?"
"Will you have war or peace?"
"That depends."
"Upon what?"
"The terms."
"Well!"
"Well?"
"What do you want?"
Percy examined his finger nails, attentively, as if looking for his
next idea there. "To be let alone," he said, at last.
Davlin laughed. "And to let alone?"
"Of course."
"Then we won't waste words. Rely upon us to help, rather than hinder
you. There's no use bringing up old scores. If you vote for an
alliance of forces, very good."
Percy nodded, and then rising, said: "Well, if that is all, I will
take my leave. No doubt quiet is best for Mrs. Arthur," bowing
ironically. "By-the-by," meaningly, "when you find yourself in the
village, Davlin, it might not be amiss to show yourself at the inn."
"Quite right," said Davlin, gravely. "Possibly I may look in upon you
to-morrow."
Mr. Percy nodded; made a graceful gesture of adieu to Cora, who
murmured inaudibly in reply; and the two men quitted her presence.
In a few moments Davlin returned to Cora, smiling and serene. "I told
you we could easily manage him," he said. "He won't trouble himself to
go to war, save in his own defence. You did the invalid beautifully,
Co., and I feel quite satisfied with the present state of things."
But Mr. Percy had not looked and listened for nothing. He went
straight to his room, and shutting himself in, began to think
diligently. Finally he summed up his case on his fingers as follows:
"First, are they brother and sister? I don't believe it. Second,
taking it for granted they are not, what is their game? If the old man
dies, and if I can ferret out the mystery, for I believe there is one,
_who knows but that two fortunes may come into my hands_? I must watch
them, and to do that, Ellen must go back to Oakley, and they must
invite me to be their guest!"
Mr. Percy arose and shook himself, mentally and physically
But alas for Celine! She had heard almost every word of the interview,
through the key-hole of a door leading into an adjoining room, and it
had told her nothing, save that there was to be peace between the two
men, and that there had been, perhaps, war.