THE WRATH TO COME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18946, 18 February 1925, Page 5

THE WRATH TO COME.

BY !•'. PHILLIPS OPPF.NHEDL Author of "The Hill man," "The Moving | Finger," "The Tempting of Taverrtake," j " The Missing Delora,'' " The Wicked • Marquess," Etc.. Etc. | (Copyright.) CHAPTER XV. A sailor on night duty hurried forward. Grant gave a brief order and a gang plank was lowered. He met Gertrude at the further end and gently led her on one "Gertrude," he told her firmly, "it is impossible for you to come on board at this hour of the night. Tell me what has happened." . She clung to him, white and determined. " Grant," she said. "He took me away from you once. If you like you can take me back again." " My dear Gertrude!" he exclaimed. " I know everything that is in your mind. I don't care. If lam worth having, take me. Otto has brought it upon himself. _ I dislike him more than any hmuan being upon earth." Ho was leading her back towards the waiting voiture. "Gertrude, this is not a possibility.' "Why not?" she demanded. "You're your own master. You could steam away to-morrow morning before anyone was about. You told mo only the other day that you were always ready for an emergency." " True," he agreed. " But not this emergency." " He has insulted me," she declared, " and he's insufferable. No self-respect-ing woman ought to marry a German. She becomes a worse chattel than the plaything of a Mohammedan." " I am terribly sorry," Grant assured her. " but what you are contemplating would only make matters worse. Your husband is a Roman Catholic. He would never divorce you." " You don't want me," she muttered. " Perhaps I don't want you in the spirit in which you have come. You simply want to revenge yourself upon your husband, and you offer me the chance i of revenging myself, t-00. It isn t quite a big enough feeling, Gertrude. The satisfaction of it wouldn't last for the rest of our lives." " Since when have yon learned to preach?" she scoffed. " A man doesn't need to preach _to hesitate about taking another man's wife. This is just an impulse of yours." She tried to drag, him back toward the gangway. " Let me come on the yacht. _ I mean it. I don't care even if he won t divorce me." " You're not coming on. Not to-night, at any rate." " Have you anyone else there 1 ? " You know very well that I have not, he answered indignantly. " Adventures of that sort do not appeal to me." " Very well," she said. " You won t let me yield to one impulse. You can't prevent my yielding to another. I have a disclosure to make. I came to Monte Carlo to spy on you,." " I knew that qaite well," he replied. " Knew it? How could you?" " Because the newspaper you showed me with my name on, bore the yellow pencil marks of your Secret Service." " I haven't made much of you. I've learnt more from Arthur Lymane. But I've found out a few things and my people are content with what seem to be trifles. You won't let me give myself away. I'll give them away. They know that Lord Yeovil is going to propose an invitation to America to join the pact. They'll pretend to acquiesce. In reality they're going to vote against it." " Three of them, perhaps," Grant interposed quickly. " Which one have they induced to be the fourth ?" " That is what I am going to tell you," she said. " Baron Funderstrom." " The Scandinavian!" Grant exclaimed. "It has cost them fifty thousand pounds," she continued, " but they have his promise, Four votes and the motion is lost. Those four are arranged for. Now do you believe that I am in earnest when I tell you that I hate my husband ? Do you still forbid me to come on the yacht ?" " Yes," he answered. He was standing with his hand upon the rail of the gang-plank. She came close to him. Her eyes were filled with tears. " Let me come, Grant," she begged. " I will be content just to be cared for as you used to care for me. I won't complain. Let me come, please.'' His arm barred the way. "Gertrude," he said, "this may hurt, but it's best. I care for someone else. I couldn't have you on the yacht. It wouldn't be honest." "Someone else!" she muttered. "Well, whv not?" She was looking down at the waters of the harbour. He caught her by the arm. " Do you think that they will have missed you yet ?" "I don't think so," she answered dully. " They were all talking in Blunn's rooms. . . . Someone else, Grant! Why didn't you tell me?" " We were both playing a game," he declared. " You were trying to learn my secrets. I was trying to learn yours." "Who is she?" "That doesn't matter, does it? I'm not in the least sure of her or about her, but I had to tell you, hadn't I?" When they reached the voiture, she looked longingly back at the yacht, " It would have been such wonderful freedom," she sighed. " You used to care, Grant. I thought you cared a great deal." He handed her into the carriage and tucked the rug around her. The hand which he touched was cold. " The Hotel do Paris," he told the roan. She leaned back without another word. As she turned the corner she waved her hand. CHAPTER XVI. The spray came flashing back like drops of crystal sunlight from the bows of the "Grey Lady" as she rose and dipped, ploughing her way southwards in the teeth of a stiff breeze. Susan, holding fast to the rail, tossed her head back to let the wind sweep through her hair. " It's wonderful, Grant," she exclaimed. "This is the best day we've ever had on the ' Grey Lady.' The wind's getting up." " It's freshening a little," Grant admitted. " Thank heavens, you're all good sailors." " Upon me, when sailing," Cornelius Bltinn declared, " the sea has a pernicious and devastating effect. It gives mo appetite, it gives me thirst. Yet no sooner do I set my foot upon an ocean steamer than 1 am incapacitated." "It is a long time between afternoon tea and cocktails," observed Grant, "We must introduce Baron Funderstrom to my famous Scotch whisky. Let's go into the srnokeroom. They've got the fiddles on the table." Baron Funderstrom, a tall, gloomy man, grey-haired, grey-bearded, grev-visaged, of neutral outlook and tired manners accepted the invitation. He drank two whiskies and sodas quite patiently. " It is good whisky," he pronounced. "Wonderful!" Blunn agreed. " Not, so potent our own," Baron Funderstrom remarked. " Ono could drink much without discomfort." Grant refilled their glasses. " Wonderful!" Blunn repeated. " Mr. Slattery, you are the, best, host in the world. Do we dine on board to-night or are we to be landed ?" " You dine on board most certainly," Grant announced, "if this wind continues we may not be able to land you until quite late in the evening. However, my larder and my cellar will be equal to demands." " So far as one can judge," the Scandinavian observed, " they are capable of anything. A yacht like this is the acme of luxury. Mr. Slattery, you will not forget that we have to leave for Nice at nine o'clock to-morrow morning." " That's all right. The wind always goes down with the twilight." " When shall we change our course?" Cornelius Blunn inquired. " Presently. It's pleasant or to make a straight run out." >

Prince von Diss swaggered mlo smoke room. i '■ ■ " Mr. Slattery," he said, .in a ImuJ and important tone, "'I have been talking to your navigator. Isn't it alrncsl time wo altered our course? We have been /jut of sight of land for an hour and inoie.' " I expect Captain Mail in knows what he's about." Grant observed coolly. ' Come and try this whisky, Prince ; or would you prefer a brandy and soda?" " I never drink spiiits. Wine, if you have any." " I have some Clicquot—a very excellent year." " I will drink some Clicquot," Prince von Diss decided. They all sat down again while the Steward produced an ice-pail. Blunn seemed to forget that they had been drinking whisky and soda. Grant slipped away. He reached the deck and sat down by Gertrudge's side. " Realty," she observed, with her eyes fixed upon the horizon, " we might almost be taking that sea voyage." "A marvellously favourable wind." " Are they all right?" she whispered. _ " Perfectly contented so far. They've begnn on champagne now after whisky and soda. I'm hoping that they may feel like a nap before dinner." " Champagne," she murmured. "That's Otto, I'm sure. He never drinks anything else. I don't think, though," she went, on, "that you'll ever get him to drnk enough to make him sleepy, When do you think the trouble will come ?" " Not until after dinner," Grant assured her. " I shall set the course a little differently before then. As soon as it is necessary to get steam up, I shall be sent for down to the engine-room." " Really, life might have been very amusing," she sighed, " if only—" " It will be amusing enough presently," he interrupted. " Your husband is ready to make trouble at the slightest provocation." Cornelius Blunn cam o , out of the smoking room and walked towards them. fl® stood watching their course. Then ho looked at the sun. " You'll have a long beat back," he remarked to Grant. " I shall steam back," the latter told him. " We're sailing now—for one thing because it is pleasanter, and the women enjoy it." " I'm not a nautical man," Blunn confessed, " but I presume it would be impossible to get back under canvas." "With this wind it would take us at least twenty-four hours," Grant acknowledged. " f don't think we should make it then. Nowadays every yacht of any size has auxiliary power of a sort." " You will not, forget that our friend, Baron Funderstrom, is a delegate," said Blunn. " That, means he must leave for Nice at nine o'clock to-morrow morning. " He'll be back before midnight." . " It is rather a pity Lord Yeovil was not, able to join us. We should have felt quite safe with him here." " He and Lymane are hard at it getting things ready for to-morrow," Grant explained. " What about a rubber of bridge before dinner ? 'l'll order- a table." He strolled away. Blunn looked at Gertrudes thoughtfully. " Has anything about this cruise struck you as being in any way peculiar ?" he asked. " Why—no," she replied. "It all seems very pleasant." " I don't quite see why Slattery is standing such a long way out or why be was so particularly anxious to have Funderstrom as a guest. He is not attractive." . _ . " As a matter o! fact, it was 1 who suggested him," she admitted. _ " Ah, well, we shall soon know,' said Blunn. . '• - You're very mysterious." "I am ou the scent of a mystery. We shall see." , It was a significant fact to Cornelius Blunn that cocktails were introduced before the accustomed tini3 and pressed upon every one to the limits of hospitality. Grant, drank one every time they came round, and when they descended into toe saloon for dinner, there were magnums of charanagne upon the table. " At what time do you propose to get rid of us?" Gertrudge asked. "In time for a final flutter at the Casino, if you're keen about it," lie assured her. The service of dinner proceeded. ilis wine circulated, conversation soon became uproarious. Cornelius Blunn looked often out of the porthole, more than once he glanced at the clock. "What about the course, now. he asked his host once. "We are round by this time," Grant answered. " You'll hear the engines directly." Another half hour passed, however, and the engines remained silent.. Then one of the junior officers came in and whispered in Grant's ear. He, laid down h'm table napkin. "May I be excused for a minute?" ho begged." " A matter of etiquette. My engineer always has to consult me. A perfect bluff, of course." He was gone about ten minutes. When he came back it was Gertrudge who spoke.' "Anything wrong, Grant? We're not going to be shipwrecked are we?" " Not a chance of it," he assured her. "I wish there were. I'd show you what an Admirable Crichton I should make. There's a little trouble with one, of the pistons. We may not be able to get going for an hour or so." " Shall we have to sleep on board ?" Susan asked. "Not so Lad as that. Bad luck it's a head wind, or wo could beat in." Baron Funderstrom looked to sec if there was any more champagne in the nearest bottle. "No doubt, I trust, about my being landed in time to get to Nice to-morrow morninghe. inquired. "Not the slightest," Grant promised, making a sign to the. steward. "Now, gentlemen, we must just finish this champagne. Then I'm going to introduce you to my madeira. I bought it ou the island myself, and there is nothing else quite like it." They sat for the best part of an hour round the table. The women went out on deck, but Susan soon returned in glistening oilskins. '"Dark as pitch," she declared, "and little spits of rain all the, time." "We'll have a look round, Grant proposed. "We should have heard the engines before now. ' They trooped out on deck. One of the stewards was busy handing out oilskins and sou'-westers. They walked up and down for a moment or two. There were no lights in sight, and they seemed to be doing little more than drift. "I'll go and have a talk to f.aptam Martin," Grant suggested. "Perhaps I'd better look downstairs first,." "I'd like to come with you." said Cornelius Blunn. "Which way are quarters?" t . Grant led them along the oaii-pane.led passage and threw open the door of nis own little suite. Blunn, who was following close behind, suddenly pushed against him, so heavily that Grant slipped. The Prince, who had joined them on the stairs, slammed the door. Grant Telt tha cold pressure of a pistol againit his ioiohead. ~. ~, "If you utter a sound, _ blunn threatened, "as sure as I m a living man you'll be a dead one. Hold } up your hands, and back away there. _ Grant held up one hand and picked up a cigar with the other, , "I give you my word of honour that 1 am not armed. "Now what's it all" about ?" iiit "Will you give the ofder to start your engines?" Blunn demanded. "I'll see you dammed first," was the emphatic reply. (To be continued daily.)