SPRAGUE'S EXPLANATION
Meanwhile Purvis and Sprague sat in the golf club-house eating the chops
that the caretaker's wife had cooked for them. They had been very silent
during the early part of the meal, and seemed to be intent either on the
fare that was set before them, or on the moorland, which they could see
from the windows of the dining-room.
"I say, Purvis, what do you think of him?"
"Of whom?"
"You know. Don't you think he was laughing at us during the early part
of the game?"
"Why?"
"Why, just think. For the first few holes he played like a twenty-seven
handicap man, or even worse than that. Then suddenly--why, you saw for
yourself. I played a good game, and so did you; but where were we? He
might have been a first-class professional. What do you think he meant
by it?"
"Probably nothing. I should say he is one of those remarkable fellows
about whom one hears sometimes, but seldom sees, who can do almost
anything. Somehow, I don't know why, but I felt the moment I spoke to
him that he was a man with tremendous reserve power."
"Do you know who he reminds me of?"
"Yes."
"Yes, that's it. Of course he's utterly unlike what Leicester was, and
yet he makes one think of him. You remember what a fine golfer he was
and how deadly he was on the greens. If Leicester had lived, and had
come here, they would have found a lot in common with each other."
"If Leicester had lived, my dear fellow, I don't suppose we should ever
have come here."
"No, perhaps not. Still, this man reminds me of him. There is always the
feeling that he's keeping something back. Somehow, I don't know why, but
the fellow got on my nerves this morning. I was always seeing a double
meaning in everything he said. Why, do you know at one time I positively
feared him. I seemed to be playing for some fearful stake. I was
reminded of that picture where a man plays chess with the devil for his
soul. Then every now and then I fancied it was Leicester who was
speaking. Yes, I know it was not Leicester's voice, neither is he like
what Leicester was. His eyes are different, and of course his face is
different. Leicester's face was pale as death; it was thin, too, and
suggested the Greeks; this man, with his great black beard and dark
skin, is different from what Leicester was; and yet sometimes he was
like Leicester. Don't you remember that Oxford insolence of Leicester's
which used to madden some people, and how while saying the most
innocent-sounding things he was just laughing at them all the time?
That's what I felt about this fellow. He speaks English with a foreign
accent, and yet I felt sometimes as though he knew England well."
"Probably he does."
"He says he's only been in the country three months."
"You saw him go away with----"
"Yes, I saw him. That young fellow who was with her introduced him. By
the way, do you think she was near enough to know who we were?"
"I should think not. They moved away directly the stranger came up."
"We shall see her at the concert to-morrow night, I suppose. My word,
Purvis, I feel nervous."
"Give it up, Sprague--give it up, man. You asked her years ago, and she
refused you. What has happened since is not likely to endear you to
her."
"Rather I think it is. Do you know I have a feeling that she is thankful
to me now?"
"By the way, I should like you to challenge this Signor Ricordo to golf
to-morrow. I will get a match with some one in the morning, and then
during the afternoon we can play a foursome."
"I suppose one of us must ask him to play again; but do you know, I
don't like the fellow."
"On the other hand, I do," said Purvis. "I shall make up to him
to-night. He is one of those men who make you want to know them better.
I'll warrant he could tell us a curious history if he liked."
The next day Signor Ricordo and Sprague played their return match, but
the latter was not at his best. He complained that he had an attack of
indigestion, and that his nerves had gone wrong. As a consequence
Ricordo won easily.
"You play a remarkable game, signore; that is for one who has had so
little practice," he said.
"Ah, I am but a beginner, Mr. Sprague," he said quietly; "some time
perhaps I may play a good game."
"You never suffer from nerves, I suppose?"
"Yes, horribly."
"Then you have wonderful self-command."
"A man can will anything. There is no difficulty that will-power cannot
overcome. Golf, like life, is a game; to will to win, is to win."
"I willed to win; but lost."
"No, you made up your mind to try. I always go further. I willed to win,
if not one day, then the next."
"And you always do?"
"Yes, I always do."
Sprague laughed uneasily.
"Do you mean to say that you have gained everything that you have set
your mind upon?" he asked curiously.
"Not yet, but I shall. Some games are long, they take time. But there is
always a to-morrow to the man who wills."
"Is that a part of your Eastern philosophy?"
"If you will. Eastern or Western, it does not matter--human nature is
always the same."
"But human nature has its limitations. Life is not very long, after
all."
"I do not know your English literature well, Signore Sprague; but I have
read your Browning. He had the greatest brain of the nineteenth century,
I think. His mixture of Eastern blood may account for it. He said 'Leave
"now" to dogs and apes, man has for ever.' That is always true. There is
no death, or if there is, man always rises again."
"Then you believe that what a man fails to do in this life, he will do
in another?"
"Always. There is one thing a man never loses--memory. It may leave him
for a time; but it always returns. Do you know Italian, signore?"
"No."
"My name is Ricordo. It means remembrance. It is not only a name, it is
an expression of an eternal truth. Nothing is forgotten, nothing. Even
those whom we call dead remember."
"Ah, you are beyond me," laughed Sprague uneasily. "I am no philosopher.
Still, I shall remember what you say about 'willing.' When next we play
I shall will to win."
"So shall I."
"What will happen then?"
"Victory for the strongest will."
The two men separated, Sprague with an uneasy feeling in his heart, and
Ricordo with a strange smile upon his face.
That evening the concert was held in the village hall, during which
Signor Ricordo manifested but little enthusiasm. Indeed, during most of
the time he sat with his eyes closed, and once or twice he seemed to
suppress a yawn with difficulty, as though he were bored. When Olive
sang, however, all was different. He watched her face closely, and
listened with almost painful attention. He seemed pleased when the
audience applauded, and more than once he uttered a low "bravo"; but
there was no marked enthusiasm in his appreciation. Indeed, it was
difficult to tell what he thought of her performance as a whole.
When the concert was over, he was introduced to John Castlemaine. This
was the first time he had met him. Mr. Castlemaine had been away to
London for several days, and had only returned the day before. Olive
had spoken to him concerning Ricordo on her return from the golf links,
and he was prepared to be interested in the man from the East.
"This must be a great change from your Eastern life, Signor Ricordo," he
said.
"Yes, and no," replied Ricordo; "but it has been very interesting."
"Are you staying long?"
"In Vale Linden? Only a few days, I expect. In England? Yes, for some
months, I think. Probably until your summer is over. It would be hard to
spend another winter in England. I came just after your Christmas, and I
spent three months in London. I had affairs there."
"Ah, you are a man of business, then?"
"We all have business, haven't we? I am a partner in the Tripoli,
Fezzan, Mourzouck Company."
John Castlemaine's eyes flashed with satisfaction. The stranger was no
wandering, nameless adventurer. The Tripoli, Fezzan, Mourzouck Company
was the great trading power of the East, doing not only great business
in England, but throughout the world.
"I am not here as a representative of my firm, Signor Castlemaine," said
Ricordo, "but I know the English customs." He took a small case from his
pocket, and presented a card to him, and also papers which revealed the
imprimatur of the company. Mr. Castlemaine also saw that the stamp of
the firm was upon his letter-case.
"I feel honoured in welcoming you to our neighbourhood," said John
Castlemaine. "Years ago I did business with you. I little thought then
that I should meet with a partner in your famous firm under such
circumstances."
"The world is small," said Ricordo quietly. "For the last year I have
taken but little active part in affairs; and I have come to England
because of personal matters."
"And I am delighted to see you, signore--delighted. More than that, I
cannot consent for you to leave Vale Linden soon. I hope you will come
up to my house, Signor Ricordo. I am now a man of leisure, and shall
look forward to seeing much of you. Olive, do you know that the great
company of which Signor Ricordo is a partner is well known to me? It is
very fortunate you met him yesterday. Yes, signore, I can take no
refusal. I must insist on your coming up to Vale Linden to-night, for a
smoke and a chat."
For a moment there was a look almost like anxiety in the stranger's
eyes, but he spoke in his quiet, easy way.
"I feel greatly honoured," he said; "but we in the East have many--what
you call conventions. Before I enter into the delights of your house, I
must prove that I am what my card indicates."
"Oh, nonsense, nonsense," said John Castlemaine heartily. "No one could
carry such papers as you carry without----"
"Excuse me, Mr. Castlemaine, if I persist," said the stranger. "If not
to satisfy you, to satisfy myself." He drew a small piece of peculiar
parchment from his case, and handed it to John Castlemaine. "My people
always desire it, when we come into contact with the heads of great
houses," he added.
Mr. Castlemaine took the parchment almost reverently and read that Abdul
Ricordo was a responsible partner of the firm of Tripoli, Fezzan and
Mourzouck, and the document was signed by the firm.
"Of course I do not need this, signore," said John Castlemaine;
"nevertheless, I thank you for letting me see this. It shows me the
methods of your firm, and from that standpoint alone this document is
exceedingly interesting."
He turned again to his daughter.
"Will you not help me to persuade Signor Ricordo to walk up to the house
with us, Olive?" he said. "It is quite early yet, and, wonder of
wonders, we have no guests at present."
Ricordo turned to Olive, who expressed her delight at the thought of his
accompanying them.
"Then I can do no other than gratefully accept," said Ricordo; "but I am
afraid I am monopolising your company, Signor Castlemaine."
He turned aside as he spoke, and made room for Purvis and Sprague, who
had evidently been waiting for a chance to speak to them.
"I could not help making the most of the opportunity which you have
afforded," said Sprague. "I am afraid The Homestead was not meant for
such as Purvis and myself; but you will forgive me, won't you?"
There was marked restraint in John Castlemaine's welcome of the two men,
still he greeted them civilly. Perhaps he had partly forgotten the part
they took in the painful drama of years before. As for Olive, she was
evidently undecided what to do. She ended, however, by speaking civilly
to them both, but did not seem at all pleased that they should come and
speak to her.
"I see you know my late opponent on the golf links," said Sprague,
turning to Ricordo.
"We have met to-night for the first time," said Mr. Castlemaine, turning
towards the stranger, and as he turned he saw a look in his eyes that
made him feel uncomfortable. There was such a sinister expression on
Ricordo's face, that he wondered if he had done right in asking him, in
spite of his unquestionable credentials, to his house. For this reason
he was almost glad that Sprague and Purvis were there. He had known them
well years before, and although he had no pleasure in recalling the
past, he felt that he might seem churlish, and uncivil, if he did not
extend his invitation to them. Acting on the impulse of the moment,
therefore, a thing which was very rare with him, he asked them both to
walk up to the house.
"Signor Ricordo is coming up," he said; "you might as well join him if
you care, and then you can all walk back together."
"Delighted, I am sure," said Sprague; but Purvis pleaded a headache, and
declared that he would be such a dull companion that he would not
inflict his company upon them. The quartette started their walk, and
passed through the village almost without a word. Whether Ricordo was
pleased or annoyed because of Sprague's presence it was impossible to
say. He showed no sign either way. While they were in the village they
walked abreast, but after they had passed through the lodge gates,
Sprague and Olive walked side by side, while Ricordo and Mr. Castlemaine
came on behind. Sprague found himself strangely nervous when he realised
that he was alone with Olive. It was he who had sent the letter which
had been followed by such fatal results, and never since that time had
he and Olive Castlemaine spoken to each other.
"I am glad to have this opportunity of speaking to you alone, Miss
Castlemaine," he said.
Olive did not reply, but waited for him to continue. For years her heart
had been very bitter towards him, in spite of the fact that she believed
he had revealed to her the real character of the man she had promised to
marry. But then Sprague's part in the affair was not altogether
honourable. He had been a party to the discussion which led to the
wager, and although on his own account he had done his best to persuade
Leicester from pursuing the course he had adopted, she could not think
of him without a feeling of anger.
"I do not know whether you were angry, or thankful to me, for writing
that letter," he said. "I never received any reply to it."
"There was nothing to which I could reply," she said.
"Perhaps not," replied Sprague, "and yet I have never known how you
regarded my action in the matter. That is why I am so thankful for this
opportunity of speaking to you."
"Pardon me," said Olive, "but would you mind letting the past be dead,
and forgotten? As you may imagine, it cannot be pleasant to me."
"I only wanted to know that you had forgiven me," said Sprague.
"Moreover, I wanted to tell you the truth. No one can be more ashamed
than I at the course events took. But I never dreamt that--that ever
your name would be mentioned. It was, as it were, forced upon me. As for
that letter--well, I felt I could do no other than write it. It would
have been cowardly, and base of me, not to tell you the truth."
"And what you told me was the truth--the whole truth?" asked Olive. She
spoke quickly and nervously, as though a great deal depended upon the
answer.
"As far as I know I told you exactly what happened--exactly. It seemed
to me you had a right to know, and that it would have been criminal on
my part if I had kept silent. That is what I wished to say."
"And now, having said it, will you never refer to it again."
"Just another word, please. You are not angry with me, that is, you do
not think badly of me because I told you?"
"I ought to be grateful to you for that part of your action in the
matter, and--I am."
She seemed to speak with an effort, but Sprague was evidently satisfied.
"You have chosen a beautiful place to live in, Miss Castlemaine," he
said; "and hundreds of people are grateful because of what you have
done. I hardly feel justified in benefiting by--shall I call it your
hospitality?--but I really wanted to see you again."
"Yes, it is a beautiful neighbourhood," said Olive; "and I hope you will
enjoy your stay here."
"Thank you, I am sure I shall," replied Sprague. He had got through the
painful part of his conversation--clumsily, it is true; but still it was
over, and now he felt a real pleasure in thinking that for the next few
days he would be living in close proximity to the woman whom he had once
asked to be his wife.
"What do you think of Signor Ricordo?" he went on. "Striking-looking
fellow, isn't he?"
"Yes," replied Olive.
"Do you know I've played golf with him twice, and I can't make him out.
Perhaps it is because of his Eastern mode of speech, but he always makes
me think of mysteries. When I saw him first he made me think of
vampires, and although that feeling has gone, I am not sure that I like
him."
"I should think he is a very remarkable man," said Olive evasively.
"He is mysterious, at all events," said Sprague. "How beautiful the park
looks in the moonlight!"
He stopped as he spoke, and looked across the park towards the moorlands
that were dimly visible in the light of the moon. As they stopped, Mr.
Castlemaine and Signor Ricordo came up.
"I am enjoying your wonderful scenery, Mr. Castlemaine," said Sprague.
"Yes, it is very fine. You can almost see the golf links from here."
"Ah, don't talk of them," said Sprague, with a laugh. "I thought I could
play a decent game, but Signor Ricordo has beaten me so badly to-day
that I feel humiliated. I thought I should find him an easy opponent,
too. He told me he was only a beginner."
"You may have better luck next time," said Mr. Castlemaine.
"If Signor Ricordo thinks I am worthy to be his opponent for another
game," responded Sprague.
"Oh yes," replied Ricordo, "our play is not played out yet. We will play
it to the bitter end."
He laughed quietly as he spoke, but Olive thought she detected something
sinister in it.
"I hope there will be nothing bitter in it," said Sprague. "For my own
part I think golf is the most friendly and sociable game in the world."
"Ah, but as I told you, I am an Eastern," said Ricordo; "and to us all
games are serious. But we will play it, signore, we will play the game
out."
"That's right," said Mr. Castlemaine; "meanwhile, here we are at the
house. Will you enter, gentlemen?"
Signor Ricordo and Sprague entered the house side by side.