Montegut La Branche paused in the front hall at the foot of the stairs.
"It is late" he said; "no doubt Mademoiselle wishes to retire."
"I would like to offer a word of explanation," Norvin ventured, but
Vittoria interposed, quietly:
"Mr. La Branche is right--explanations are unnecessary." Bowing
graciously to them both, she mounted the stairs into the gloom above,
followed by the old Creole's polite voice:
"A pleasant sleep, Mademoiselle, and happy dreams." Leading the way
into the library, he placed the lamp upon a table, then, turning to his
unbidden guest, inquired, coldly, "Well?"
His black eyes were flashing underneath his gray brows, and he
presented a fierce aspect despite his gown, which resembled a Mother
Hubbard, and his slippers, which flapped as he walked.
"I must apologize for my intrusion," said Norvin. "I wish you to
understand how it came about."
"In view of your attentions to my wife's cousin, it was unfortunate
that you should have selected this time, this place, for
your--er--adventure."
"Exactly! I'm wondering how to spare Miss Warren any annoyance."
"I fear that will be impossible. She must know the truth."
"She must not know; she must not guess."
"M'sieu!" exclaimed the old man. "My wife and I can take no part in
your intrigues. Myra Nell is too well bred to show resentment at your
conduct, no matter what may be her feelings."
Norvin flushed with exasperation, then suddenly felt ashamed of
himself. Surely he could trust this chivalrous old soul with a part of
the truth. Once his scruples were satisfied, the man's very sense of
honor would prevent him from even thinking of what did not concern him.
"I think you will understand better," he said, "when you have heard me
through. I can't tell you everything, for I am not at liberty to do so.
But you know, perhaps, that I am connected with the Committee of
Justice."
"I do."
"You don't know the full extent of the task with which I am charged,
however."
"Perhaps not."
"Its gravity may be understood when you know that I have been marked
for the same fate as Chief Donnelly."
The old man started.
"My labors have taken me into many quarters. I seek information through
many channels. It was upon this business, in a way, that I came to see
Miss Fabrizi."
"I do not follow you."
"She is a Sicilian. She knows much which would be of value to the
Committee and to me. It was necessary for me to see her alone and
secretly. If the truth were known it would mean her--life, perhaps."
The Creole's bearing altered instantly.
"Say no more. I believe you to be a man of honor, and I apologize for
my suspicions."
"May I trust you to respect this confidence?"
"It is sealed."
"But this doesn't entirely relieve the situation. I can't explain to
Madame La Branche or to Miss Myra Nell even as much as I've explained
to you."
"Some day will you relieve me from my promise of secrecy?" queried the
old man, with an eager, bird-like glance from his bright eyes.
"Assuredly. As soon as we have won our fight against the Mafia."
"Then I will lie for you, and confess later. I have never lied to my
wife, M'sieu--except upon rare occasions," Mr. La Branche chuckled
merrily. "And even then only about trifles. So, the result? Absolute
trust; supreme confidence on her part. A happy state for man and wife,
is it not? Ha! I am a very good liar, an adept, as you shall see, for I
am not calloused by practice and therefore liable to forgetfulness.
With me a lie is always fresh in my mind; it is a matter of absorbing
interest, hence I do not forget myself. Heaven knows the excitement of
nursing an innocent deceit and of seeing it grow and flower under my
care will be most welcome, for the monotony of this abominable
confinement--But I must inquire, do you play piquet?"
"I am rather good at it," Norvin confessed, whereat Papa La Branche
seemed about to embrace him.
"You are sent from heaven!" he declared. "You deliver me from darkness.
Thirty-seven games of Napoleon to-day! Think of it! I was dealing the
thirty-eighth when you came. But piquet! Ah, that is a game, even
though my angel wife abominates it. We have still five days of this
hideous imprisonment, so let us agree to an hour before lunch, an hour
before dinner, then--um-,--perhaps two hours in the evening at a few
cents a game, eh? You agree, my friend?" The little man peered up
timidly. "Perhaps--but no, I dare say you are sleepy, and it _is_ late."
"I should enjoy a game or two right now," Norvin falsified. "But first,
don't you think we'd better rehearse our explanation of my presence?"
"A good idea. You came to see me upon business. I telephoned, and you
came like a good friend, then--let me see, I was so overjoyed to see a
new face that I rushed forth to greet you, and behold! that scorpion,
that loathsome reptile outside pronounced you infected. He forced you
to enter, even against my protestations. It was all my fault. I am
desolated with regrets. Eh? How is that? You see nature designed me for
a rogue."
"Excellent! But what is our important business?"
"True. Since I retired from active affairs I have no business. That is
awkward, is it not? May I ask in what line you are engaged?"
"I am a cotton factor."
"Then I shall open an account with you. I shall give you money to
invest. Come, there need be no deceit about that; I shall write you a
check at once."
"That's hardly necessary, so long as we understand each other."
But Mr. La Branche insisted, saying:
"One lie is all that I dare undertake. I have told two at the same
time, but invariably they clashed and disaster resulted. There! I trust
you to make use of the money as you think best. But enough! What do
women know of business? It is a mysterious word to them. Now--piquet!"
He dragged Norvin to a seat at a table, then trotted away in search of
cards, his slippers clap-clapping at every step as if in gleeful
applause. "Shall we cut for deal, M'sieu? Ah!" He sighed gratefully as
he won, and began to shuffle. "With four hours of piquet every day, and
a lie upon my conscience, I feel that I shall be happy in spite of this
execrable smallpox."
Myra Nell's emotions may be imagined when, on the following morning,
she learned who had broken through the cordon while she slept.
"Lordy! Lordy!" she exclaimed, with round eyes. "He said he'd do it;
but I didn't think he really would."
She had flounced into Vittoria's room to gossip while she combed her
hair.
"Mr. La Branche says it's all his fault, and he's terribly grieved,"
Miss Fabrizi told her. "Now, now! Your eyes are fairly popping out."
"Wouldn't your eyes pop out if the handsomest, the richest, the bravest
man in New Orleans deliberately took his life in his hands to see you
and be near you?"
"But he says it was important business which brought him." Vittoria
smiled guiltily.
"Tell that to your granny! You don't know men as I do. Have you really
seen him? I'm not _dreaming_?"
"I have seen him, with these very eyes, and if you were not such a lazy
little pig you'd have seen him, too. Shall you take your breakfast in
your room, as usual?" Vittoria's eyes twinkled.
"Don't tease me!" Miss Warren exclaimed, with a furious blush. "I--I
love to tease other people, but I can't stand it myself. Breakfast in
my room, indeed! But of course I shall treat him with freezing
politeness."
"Why should you pretend to be offended?"
"Don't you understand? This is bound to cause gossip. Why, the idea of
Norvin Blake, the handsomest, the richest--"
"Yes, yes."
"The idea of his getting himself quarantined in the same house with
_me_, and our being here together for days--maybe for _months!_ Why, it
will create the loveliest scandal. I'll never dare hold up my head
again in public, _never_. You see how it must make me feel. I'm
compromised." Myra Nell undertook to show horror in her features, but
burst into a gale of laughter.
"Do you care for him very much?"
"I'm crazy about him! Why, dearie, after _this_--we're--we're almost
married! Now watch me show him how deeply I'm offended."
But when she appeared in the dining-room, late as usual, her frigidity
was not especially marked. On the contrary, her face rippled into one
smile after another, and seizing Blake by both hands, she danced around
him, singing:
"You did it! You did it! You did it! Hurrah for a jolly life in the
pest-house!"
Madame La Branche was inclined to be shocked at this behavior, but
inasmuch as Papa Montegut was beaming angelically upon the two young
people, she allowed herself to be mollified.
"I couldn't believe Vittoria," Myra Nell told Norvin. "Don't you know
the danger you run?"
Mr. La Branche exclaimed: "I am desolated at the consequences of my
selfishness! I did not sleep a wink. I can never atone."
"Quite right," his wife agreed. "You must have been mad, Montegut. It
was criminal of you to rush forth and embrace him in that manner."
"But, delight of my soul, the news he bore! The joy of seeing him! It
unmanned me." The Creole waved his hands wildly, as if at a loss for
words.
"Oh, you fibber! Norvin told me he'd never met you," said Myra Nell.
"Eh! Impossible! We are associates in business; business of a most
important--But what does that term signify to you, my precious
ladybird? Nothing! Enough, then, to say that he saved me from disaster.
Naturally I was overjoyed and forgot myself."