"It is you who have persuaded him. Why have you done this, when you
know full well that half an hour at roulette will bring back upon him
the mania for play, the fatal recklessness that must be his ruin and
mine? This is surely not the action of a friend."
"Ah! forgive me," he exclaimed, quickly. "I had no idea that my
suggestion to drive you both over there to-morrow would displease you.
"I'll make an excuse to him, and we will not go," he added,
deferentially.
She was not a little surprised that he should thus alter his plans in
conformity to her wish, nevertheless his decision satisfied her. She
knew that her father had but little money, and certainly he had none to
risk. Little did she dream that the cost of her rich, perfectly-fitting
dresses, which had been so admired of late upon the Promenade and in the
Casino, had been defrayed by her whilom friend, and that every sou her
father was spending came also from his pocket. She was in ignorance of
the strange, inviolable secret which existed between the two men; that
secret, the price of which was her own self.
Too much of life had she seen to be dazzled by the gay, brilliant set of
which she had found herself a centre, nevertheless, time after time she
reflected, when alone, that she was neglecting George sadly; she had an
instinctive fear that her letters to him were devoid of any warmth of
affection, yet somehow she could not prevent it. Being thrown so much
into Zertho's society he frequently asked her advice, and she thus
unconsciously became interested in the success of his fetes.
She and her father spent the day at the Villa, as usual, and after
dinner drove down to the Place Massena to witness one of the great
annual events of Nice, the arrival of King Carnival Long before they
drove down, the town was already agog, for Carnival is in the blood of
the Southerners. The illuminations were unanimously voted worthy of
Nice. From their stands on the balcony of the Casino they could see
that from end to end the broad Avenue de la Gare was ablaze with red and
white lights, festoons of small lamps being connected at intervals with
large red stars of hanging lamps. The Place Massena was lighted up with
gas-jets in white, blue, and green globes, forming arabesques; the
Casino was encircled with lines of gas-jets, and the facade of the
immense tribune opposite a brilliant blaze of colour.
Liane stood up and surveyed the scene. The immense square was thronged,
the crowd being kept back by infantry. After some waiting the sounds of
noisy music, the blasts of many horns, and the dancing lights of
hundreds of torches at last heralded the approach of the Monarch of
Mirth. Mounted gendarmes opened the way; then came the trumpeters of
the 6th Chasseurs, followed by the heralds of Nice in costumes
embroidered with the arms of the town. The colours of the Carnival were
red and rose, and the shops around were gay with dominoes of those hues.
Madame Carnival was the first gigantic figure to appear amid the glare
of the great braziers of crimson fire. Seated on what might be termed a
gilt throne, and wearing a white frilled cap, a silk shawl, and clean
apron, she looked altogether very smart, gracefully wielding a fan, and
occasionally winking her enormous eyes. In front of the car was her
six-months-old baby, held by two giant hands, while in the rear, in a
big basket, was the remainder of her family, a turbulent crowd of
youngsters in fancy garb. Following another regiment of musicians and
torch-bearers came the lord and master, King Carnival, represented as a
peasant in his best white hat with tricolour rosette, astride a
turkey-cock, which ever and anon moved its head and spread its tail.
Among the other cars which followed was one representing a cafe-concert;
a chimpanzee which moved its head and swallowed smaller monkeys; a car
of animated fans; and "a charmer and her fools" represented by a beauty
who sat upon a throne, and by pulling a string set dancing her crowd of
foppish admirers. The _groupes a pied_, too, were amusing and numerous,
one entitled "Dragging the Devil by the Tail," representing Satan with a
tail of enormous length, at which all who were hard up were pulling
vigorously. There were polkas of Hammers, Bakers, Felt hats, and
walking alarum clocks, as well as a varying and amusing panorama of
single maskers. Among these latter were represented a wine-dealer, who
had closed his shop in order "to baptise his wines;" Cupid bandaging a
lover's eyes; Love stopping a fair cyclist and asking whether he had
been forgotten; "Hurrah!" who had shouted so much that his mouth had
become an enormous size, and a drunkard stopping at a fountain believing
the drinking-cup to be a telephone transmitter!
Fully two hours the procession occupied in passing and re-passing, and
of the gay party who had met the Prince at his invitation, Liane was
perhaps the most vivacious. With a sable cape about her shoulders she
sat next him, with her father on her left, laughing and criticising the
groups, the spirit of Carnival having already entered her Southern
blood, as it had that of the merry, light-hearted Nicois themselves.
At last she drove home with her father and the Prince, while the monarch
of cap and bells was placed in the handsome pavilion erected for him,
there to preside over the corsos, vegliones, and the battles of flowers
and confetti which for twelve days, until his immolation on Mardi-Gras,
would render Nice a town gone mad with frolic.
The Promenade was bright as day beneath the full moon, the feathery
palms waved lazily in the breeze, and the dark waves broke with musical
monotony upon the pebbly beach. They had alighted at the gate of the
pension where the Captain had taken up his quarters, when the Prince
suggested to Liane that they should go for a stroll, as it was still
early. To this she assented, and the Captain went indoors and sat
alone, silent and wondering, while they crossed the deserted esplanade
together and walked in the moonlight by the shore.
"So you have enjoyed yourself to-night, _ma petite_?" Zertho said,
after they had been chatting some time.
"Immensely," she answered. "Carnival is not fresh to me, but it is
always amusing. Every Nicois enjoys it so thoroughly. I love these
gay, happy, contented people who are still Italian although French.
They are so different from the English."
"You hated them once, I remember," he observed, with a smile, pausing to
light a cigarette.
"Ah! that was in the evil days. One's enjoyment is always gauged by
one's pocket."
"Then according to that theory I ought to have a larger measure of this
world's pleasures than the majority of people--eh?"
"You have."
"Ah, no, Liane," he sighed, becoming suddenly grave. "True, I have
wealth, a house in Brussels, an estate in Luxembourg, a yacht in yonder
port, and a villa here upon this promenade, yet there is one thing I
lack to render my happiness complete."
"What's that?" she asked, rather surprised at the unusual tone of
sadness in his voice. Her smiling lips suddenly quivered with a
momentary dread--a dread of something she could not quite define.
He had paused at one of the seats at the end of the plage, and with a
alight courteous wave of the hand invited her to sit. Slowly she did as
she was bid, and awaited his reply.
"I have not yet found any woman to sufficiently care for me," he
answered at last, in a quiet impressive tone.
"You will surely have no difficulty," she said with a strange ring in
her voice. She had not suspected that he possessed a grain of
sentiment, for long ago she had noticed that he was entirely
unimpressionable where the charms of women were concerned.
His manner suddenly changed. He sank into the seat beside her,
saying,--
"There is something, Liane, I want to say to you I've said it so often
to myself that I feel as if you must know it." She sat quite still. He
had grasped her small hand in his, and she let him keep it, questioning
his face with a bewildered gaze. "You must know--you must have
guessed--"
She turned pale, but outwardly quelled the panic that sent the blood to
her heart. "I must tell you the truth now--I love you."
With a sudden movement she freed her hand and drew away from him.
"Me!" she gasped. Whatever potential complicity had lurked in her
heart, his words brought her only immeasurable dismay.