THE WRATH TO COME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18942, 13 February 1925, Page 5

THE WRATH TO COME.

BY E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEHM. Author of "The Hilhnan." "Tha Moving Finger," " The Tempting of Tavomake," " The Missing Delora," " The Wicked Marqueaa," Etc.. Etc. (Copyright.) CHAPTER IX. As a yachtsman, Mr. Cornelius Blunn did not shine sartorial ly. As a guest and conversationalist at Grant's improvised cruise on the following day he was easily the most popular man on board. Susan watched him pacing the deck with a look almost of affection in her face. "Princess," sho confided to Gertrude, "I think your friend, Mr. Blunn, is the most amusing man I've ever met." "He is one of those persons who never grow up," Gertrude declared. "A picnic like this 33 the joy of his life. He was simply delighted when I gave him Mr. Slattery's message. The strange part of it is that he can scarcely cross the gangway of a steamer without being violently ill. Yet a cruise like this he revels in." She turned to Grant: "Mr. Slattery, I adore your yacht. You hadn't anything like this in the old days, had you." " Perhaps it was as well," Susan murmured. , Gertrude smiled across at her rival. She was beginning to feel a little sorry for the charming young English girl to whom her coming was likely to prove so disastrous. " Well, the yacht has arrived, and other things," she remarked. " It is never too late in this world, so long as one has the will. Grant, I want to go to the Dutch East Indies." " I'd better tell him to put in at Naples and coal, then," he suggested. "You will kindly remember," Susan observed, " that you have the Prime Minister of the greatest Empire in the world on board, who will be required at Nice at a quarter to eleven to-morrow morning to preside over the little tea-party there." " Such a quarrelsome little tea party, too, isn't it?" Gertrude sighed. " Quarrelsome, is it?" Grant repeated. "How do you know that?" "The air is full of rumours," she answered carelessly. Yesterday, for instance, everybody was saying that that poor dear Baron Naga had committed suicide because America was to be invited once more to come into the pact." " I thought it was because he found he had one funnel too many on his latest cruiser," Bobby Lancaster remarked, "Idiot!" his sister exclaimed. "That's the business of the Limitation of Armaments Congress, not the Pact." " Naga, as a matter of fact, represented his country on both boards," Lymane pointed out. " Too much for one man. I know that he dreaded that journey to Washington every year." The stewards appeared with tea. Lord Yeovil and Cornelius Blunn joined the little group. The latter removed his hat. dragged his chair out to where he could get the full benefit of the sunlight and the breeze, and smiled on everyone. " Mr. Slattery," he said, "yon are the most fortunate man in the world. You own the most perfect yacht I have ever seen; you have no cares; von have the friends who make' a man happy. It is a wonderful existence." " Rather a lazy one, I am afraid," Grant admitted. " If you have no need to work, why do it?" Blunn insisted. " If you spend your tijme working for others, you meet with nothing but ingratitude. I grudge the time I have to give to the management of my own affairs, but I am always grateful that I was never tempted to dabble in nolitics. In five years' time I shall be free from all cares. When that time comes, I shall lie like a lizard in the sun. I will never write a letter and seldom read a newspaper." " I thought that all Germans were politicians by instinct, from their cradles upwards," Lord Yeovil remarked. " Not in these days." Blunn replied, helping himself to his third cake. " My father, of course, was a rabid politician, but he lived in terrible times. A prosperous Germany is so much to the good, of course, but her sons naturally lack the inspiration of what used to be known as patriotism. The fact of it is," he went on, " that industrially Germany has come in for a great heritage. If she had been as prosperous in 1914 a.s she is to-day, that wicked old Kaiser of ours might have rattled his sabre for ever, and no one would have listened. No leader living could induce the German of "to-dav to exchange the loom for the sword. There isn't a nation which rejoices so thoroughly in the pact. There is only one thing needed," he continued, " which my friends, the politicians, tell me would end the last hopes of the militarists, and that is the Pact of Nations, over which my honoured friend here, Lord Yeovil, so ablv presides, should induce the United States of America to join them and abandon for ever her present aloofness. I do not understand myself the means bv which this could be done or the etiquette necessary, but as a representative German citizen, my hand of comradeship is ready at any moment." ' " I wonder," Lord Yeovil speculated, "whether you reallv do sneak as a representative German citizen." " Believe me, I do," was the earnest reply. " What the German of to-day wants is his beer, his wine, his music, and his womankind. He wants to spend his spare time with his children and to be able to buy his little home earlv in life. I know how it is with my nation. We want to live out our days comfortably and pleasantly. Wo are natural human beings. I have eaten too many cakes. I shall walk for a, little time or I shall have no appetite for this wonderful dinner which our gracious host has promised us. Princess, will you do mo the honour ?" "I am not a great walker, Mr. Blunn, but for ten minutes X will be your companion." " That ten minutes," he rejoined, " will be the crown of my day." They all looked after him a little curiously. Lord Yeovil was interested. " I am delighted. Grant," he said to Slattery, " that you have given mo an opportunity, through your friend the Princess von Diss, of meeting Mr. Blunn. I find him an intriguing personality." " For a multi-millionaire he seems to be a very simple creature," Rose Lancaster observed. " ' Multi' is inadequate," Grant interposed. " He is reputed to be worth anything from forty to sixty million pounds. It is hard to see how* anyone could have handled such wealth and have remained so inqenuous." " Do you distrust him?" Susan asked. Grant hesitated. He was watching Gertrude and Blunn as they walked together —Gertrude, superbly beautiful, walking with the perfect graco of her long limhs and exquisite poise; Blunn striding along cheerfully by her side, a figure, by contrast. almost of absurdity. " You remember what our own Am bassador said many years ago," replied Grant—" ' Trust everybody but a German and trust a German when he is dead.' " " Nevertheless, Grant," Lord Yeovil confessed, " I have a leaning towards Mr Blunn. I am sorry he is not a politician I would rather have him seated at the Conference table than our friend, Lulrecht. What about a rubber of bridge ? We can play on deck." Blunn stonepd short in his nrnmenade. "Bridge?" he repeated, with a broad smile. "Did I hear someone say anything about bridge ?" "Mr. Blunn is a fanatic," Gertrude declared. " Grant, you will have to come and entertain me, unless you are very anxious to plav." He rose and gave an Order to the steward whom he had summoned. « J toII show you tbo chartroom," he suggested. " There are plenty to play without me." Thev strolled off together. Susan sat watching them with interlaced fingers. Suddenly she became aware that Blunn's eyes were upon her. "Ladv Susan and I against any two," he proposed jovially. " Take me out if I double ' no trumps,' with your best suit,

partner. Discard from weakness; Always support me when you can, and we'll win all the money there is on the yacht. Between ourselves. I. have a yacht almost as large as this lying up in Kiel Harbour even now. I daren't use her because of the Socialists." "Socialists!" Lord Yeovil repeated. "One never hears of them nodays." • " They've all come to Germany," Blunn confided. "They are like mice—they always go for the ripening cheese. They are just a slur upon our too great prosperity, One ' 110 trump,' partner. I knew • it. Jon have brought me luck. I am going to hold every card in the pack," CHAPTER X. Gertrude's interest in the intricacies of nautical science, abated as soon as she , found herself alone with her host in the chart room. " I'm feeling gracious this afternoon. It was really very sweet of you to arrange this party and to let me bring Cornelius. Blunn. He was most anxious to meet Lord Yeovil." '. WolU 'er why ? Ho appears to hate politics, and most serious matters." " Fo does, but he loves men," she explained. "He has more friends than any man I ever met, and the number of his women acquaintances is scandalous." " I should never have believed that ho was the Cornelius Blunn one reads so much about—-the great capitalist, the huge speculator, the man who controls the brains of so many great enterprises." " Mostly newspaper talk," she observed carelessly. ''He holds the majority of the shares in a great many of these companies 'by inheritance, but he takes 110 active part in their management. I wonder what Lord Yeovil thought of his suggestion that America ought to bo asked again to join the Pact of Nations." "I have no idea what Lord Yeovil's own views on the matte? may be." Grant confessed. "We seldom talk politics. How does a man like your friend, Blunn, fet on with politicians of the type of 'rince Lutrecht ? " " Lutrecht is a born statesman. Ho comes from a stock of diplomatists. He would never have the broad views of Cornelius Blunn." " This matter of America, for instance? " Grant hazarded. " How should I know anything about it?" she queried, a little impatiently, " and why do we waste time talking politics ? Have you nothing more interesting to say ? " " What would be the use? " She leaned toward him and took his hand boldly. "Can't * I make up, just a little, Grant?" '' Do you want to? " he demanded. " I think so." " And then go back —to Berlin ? " "Who knows?" she sighed. "You yourself have had proof that I am a creature of impulse. When I feel strongly enough I have no will." There was a knock at the door. A steward brought in a message scribbled on a piece of paper. Grant glanced at it. "We had better go down. The captain wants to consult me about the course. I have promised Lord Yeovil that he shall be back at ten o'clock. And I have an appointment myself later." "What sort "of an appointment?" she asked. " Nothing of any amount." They descended the steps, G.rant pausing to speak for a few moments with the captain. *' I'm tired of all these people," Gertrude declared abruptly. " Take me into your music-room and I'll play to you." He shook his head, Lymane was glowering at them from the rail, arid Rose Lancaster was sitting alone. "Alas!" he murmured. "You must remember that I am a host." " I shall flirt with Arthur Lymane." " You've done that already." " Nonsense, I've only trifled with him. He's a nice boy but conceited. Fancies himself a diplomatist. He is full of small reticences and bubbling over with ingenuous disclosures." " How did you discover that? " " There is nothing else he can talk about but politics." Susan cut out of the rubber and Rosa Lancaster took her place. Grant crossed over and sank into a chair by the former's side. " Any luck? " he inquired. '' Thirty francs, thanks to Mr. Blunn. He's a daring caller, but he plays tha cards wonderfully." " A most interesting character." " Father seems to like him. The only German he ever has liked." " And you ? " " I think I like him," she replied, after a moment's hesitation. " There are just odd moments when he gives me rather a quaint impression of insincerity. Grant, you're giving us a wonderful day." " It's very nice to get you all here. Ifc must be rather a relief to your father to be right away for a few hours. No messages or cables possible. Hullo! " He looked up at the masthead. There was a little crackling of blue fire there. " I'm afraid I spoke too soon. A wireless for somebody. I meant to have had it disconnected. The Marconi operator presented a message to Lord Yeovil. He tore it open, nodded, and waited till the young man had retired. Then after a moment's hesitation, lie glanced across toward Gertrude, who was leaning against the rail, with Lymane by her side. '' My news is official/' he said, '' but there is no secrecy about it. It will probably interest you, Princess." " Me! " Gertrude exclaimed. " It is a cable from Berlin," Lord Yeovil continued, " which Andrews has wirelessed to me—' Bavon Katina left this morning with cabled credentials, to take Naga's place here. I am informed that he is accompanied by Pri.ice Von Diss." " Otto! My husband!" Gertrude cried. Lord Yeovil assented- " Is your husband, by any chance, a Japanese scholar, Princess ? " he asked. "He understands Japanese," she replied. "He learnt it at Tokio years ago. He has been over there once or twice since on missions." "That probably explains the matter, Lord Yeovil pointed out. " Katina has the reputation of being a great diplomatist , but he has only just commenced , the* studv of European languages. The Prince is probably coming with him as interpreter." Gertrude's face was scarcely beautiful. She was looking across at Grant. Susan intercepted the glance, and laughed, " What a catastrophe!" she murmured. A steward handed round cocktails, Blunn looked at the beautiful glasses, with their slight frosting, and rose to his feet, as he accepted one. " You are the prince of hosts," he said, addressing Grant, " I drink to you fervently, sir. Three minutes ago I felt that slight uneasy sensation, that faint but insistent desire for alcoholic sustenance. Tha feeling comes, and within three minutes it is gratified." He drained his glass, " Have another," Grant invited, " there's a shakerful behind." " I will," Mr. Blunn assented, without hesitation. ''l like your cocktails, sii. I like the time and manner in which they are served. It is a very happy da v. I am going two ' no trumps. Gertrude raised her glass. " I suppose I must drink to the end of nly grass-widowhood." She looked across at Grant. He smiled inscrutably. . " You anticipate, he reminded her. < "The Prince cannot arrive until the morning after to-morrow." In that case, she decided, 1 shall drink to something else ..." (To be continued daily.)