"What is it?" asked Mr. Dinwiddie, as Clavering entered his bedroom
fifteen minutes later. "This is an early call. Thought you didn't get
up till noon."
"Went to bed early last night for a change. I've come to ask a favor.
I'll smoke, if you don't mind."
He took a chair beside the bed, where Mr. Dinwiddie, in skull cap and
decorous pyjamas, leaned against high pillows, happily digesting his
breakfast, with the newspapers beside him. Clavering smoked for a few
moments in silence, while his host watched him keenly. He had never
seen his young friend in quite this mood. There was a curious deadly
stillness about him.
"What is it, Lee?" he asked when curiosity finally got the better of
him. "Nothing wrong between you and Mary, I hope? Of course you know
it's all over town that you're engaged to her. Don't mind my saying
this, do you? And you know you can trust me. Nothing like an old
gossip for keeping a confidence sacred."
"Well, I am. But she chooses not to announce it and that is her right.
And here is where you can help me. I want you to open your camp in the
Adirondacks and give Mary a house party. I suppose Larsing and his
wife are still there?"
"Yes, but it's too early----"
"Spring is early this year. The ice must have gone out. And the house
is always comfortable; we've often had fires there when people were
having sunstroke in New York. I want you to get busy, so that we can
leave tomorrow morning----"
"Tomorrow morning? You young dynamo. It can't be done."
"It can. I'll call up the people I want in a few minutes--from here.
You can telephone to the camp. Provisions can go tonight. I'll see to
that also----"
"But can you get away yourself?"
"I'd get away if I had to resign, but I shan't. I shall break away for
two months later anyhow. We have planned to marry in Austria in about
a month from now."
"Then why in thunder do you want to run off to the woods with her now?
I never heard of anything so unreasonable. She has friends here who'd
like to see her until the last minute, you selfish young beggar----"
"It's the most reasonable thing I ever did. Don't insist upon an
explanation, Din. Just accept my word that it's a vital matter to me."
"Ah! But I know!" Mr. Dinwiddie's eyes glittered. "Hohenhauer is
here. That's the milk in the cocoanut."