Once more on the road, the driver urged on his horses, already tired.
The country was fast becoming rougher, and more wooded, and now and
then Paul caught sight of hills in the distance. As the afternoon wore
on he saw that they would be fortunate if night-fall did not overtake
them before they arrived at their destination. The road was full of
deep ruts--at some stages almost impassable--and when, just as
darkness was close upon them, they came upon a large and comfortable
appearing house--evidently the home of some great landed
proprietor--Paul told the driver to turn in.
The house showed little sign of any life about it until two great
wolf-hounds came bounding out and barked loudly at the travellers.
Then a servant appeared at the door, and bidding the dogs begone,
asked Paul to alight and enter, directing Baxter and the driver to the
court-yard in the rear.
The man-servant led Paul through a dark hall into a great
drawing-room. As he entered the room a woman laid down a book and
rose. She must in her time have been uncommonly beautiful, Paul
thought. She was beautiful even now, though her eyes were very tired
and her face when in repose was hard and set. Her hair would have at
once aroused suspicion that it was dyed, for it was lustrous and
brilliant as burnished copper. But the suspicion would have been
without justification, in the same way as would have been the notion
that the very pronounced colour on the woman's cheeks was artificial
too.
She seemed to hesitate a little, and just as Paul was about to crave
pardon for his unceremonious intrusion (the servant had merely opened
the door for him and he had entered unannounced) a man, dressed, like
Paul, in ordinary tweeds, stepped quickly out of the darkness into the
rays of the candelabra.
For a moment he gazed at Paul with curiosity without addressing him.
Paul saw a man with an olive face set with dark, almond-shaped eyes
beneath a pair of oblique and finely-pencilled brows; his nose was
aquiline and assertive, his mouth shrewd and mean and scarcely hidden
by a carefully-trained and very faintly-waxed moustache. He was
exceedingly tall and astonishingly spare in build.
"Ah, a traveller, I see," the Russian said at length in careful
English. "You are most welcome, I assure you, sir. We are delighted to
have your company. It is a pleasure which seldom comes to us in this
lonely spot. My name," he added, stretching out his hand to Paul, "is
Boris Ivanovitch, and this lady," turning to his companion, "is--my
sister."
Paul bowed to the red-haired woman.
"Aldringham is my name," he said, as he grasped the gentleman's
outstretched hand. He did not like the look in the heavy-lidded eyes
of his host, and some quick instinct prevented him from giving his own
name--so he fell back upon that of his mother's family.
And now a third occupant of the house entered--a tall young man of
the most unpleasant appearance.
"My cousin Michael," said Ivanovitch in an even voice, "Michael, this
is Mr. Aldringham, an English traveller."
The newcomer had very light blue eyes, closely set together, and a
large, red, hawk-like nose. His hands too were large and red, with
immense knuckles and brutal, short, stubbed nails. Paul took one of
the huge red hands with a barely repressed shudder. It was cold and
clammy and strong as a vise.
"If ever," thought the baronet to himself, "I have touched the hand of
a murderer, I have touched one now."
The tall young man sat down presently and carefully watched Paul with
his narrow, light blue eyes, which glinted and flashed all over Paul's
face. Boris Ivanovitch looked at him sidelong. The red-haired woman
alone gazed at him openly and frankly with eyes that were almost
honestly blue.
There was a little pause while conversation hung fire. There was
nothing for this curious collection of human beings to talk about
except the traveller himself, and on this subject their tongues had to
be silent as long as he remained.
Suddenly the door opened, and a portly man with a sallow, greasy face
came quickly in. He stood still, with his hand on the panel of the
door, and gave a short, quick gasp which caused Paul to look at him
sharply. That form struck Paul as strangely familiar.
The fat man closed the door behind him gently, and came into the
centre of the room.
"Mr. Aldringham," said Ivanovitch, "allow me to present Monsieur
Virot, who acts as manager of our estates."
The Frenchman's sallow and greasy countenance broke into a hideously
affable smile as Paul shook hands with him.
The pause which followed this introduction became so embarrassing that
the lady suggested that they go in to tea; and in a cheerful
dining-room Paul found himself looking curiously at the collection of
tea and coffee pots, _vodka_ decanters, bacon and eggs, and muffins
and cakes, which were spread promiscuously on the clean white
tablecloth.
The conversation turned on many things, but for the most part upon the
weather. Paul's host finished before the rest, and, pleading business,
begged to be excused, and left the room.
When the others of the odd little party had eaten and drunk their fill
of the heterogeneous meal they returned to the drawing-room and Paul
saw before him a most uncomfortable evening. "A strangely assorted
company," he thought, "to find here in this far-away spot." Clearly,
they were all people of the world, and yet there seemed a curious
restraint upon them. Paul guessed, somehow, that it was because of his
presence.
"I trust that you will pardon me, Mademoiselle," and he turned to the
lady--"but I have travelled all the way from Kieff to-day, and
to-morrow morning I must rise early to go on my way to the Vseslavitch
estate. I would prove but a dull companion at dinner, I am afraid. If
you will permit me, I think I had better go up to my room."
There was no dissent to Paul's suggestion. In fact, Cousin Michael
smiled slightly behind one of his great red hands as if in approval
of the idea.
So, to the evident relief of all, Paul said good-night. He was glad to
escape from his strange companions.