THE WRATH TO COME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18949, 21 February 1925, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE WRATH TO COME.

BY E. PHILLIPS OFPENHEIM.

Author of "The Hillman," " Tho Moving Firmer," " The Tempting of Tavernake," "The Missing Delora.' 1 "The Wicked MarrjiK'Hw," Etc., Etc. (Copyright.) CHAPTER XX. The dinner given by Cornelius Blunn was the most.-talked-of function of a very brilliant Riviera season. Despite the slight formality of the opening stages, owing to the presence, of the Scandinavian monarch, the keynote was set and maintained by Blunn himself brilliant hght-heartedness. Gertrude sat on his right, jealously watched from across the table by her husband. Grant with curious disregard for precedence was seated at her other side. On Blunn's left was a lady of royal birth, whose exploits had been the talk of Europe. The monarch sat on her left. Lord Yeovil, persuaded to be present with great difficulty, at the last moment, was in the vicinity, with the Princess Lutreeht for a neighbour. Several of the Monte Carlo notables in addition to the originally-invited guests were present. The gastronomic haunts of Europe had been sought for delicacies. Wines were served which had become little more than a memory. The greatest violinist and the most popular humorist in Paris was there. The only person who seldom smiled was Gertrude. She had already been accepted as the reigning beauty of the season, but her appearance had created a positive sensation. The, violet of her eyes was distracting. Susan, at the. first sight of her, had been conscious of a sinking of the heart. It seemed impossible that any man could look at her without desire. Grant himself was moved by the beauty, which, for this one evening, seemed to have taken to itself a demand for something which perhaps no one else but he could realise. Once, or twice at a whispered word from her, he had felt his pulses leap, had felt some touch of the old folly of which lie had deemed himself purged. " Are you quite at your best, to-night, (Irani, or is it mv fancy?" "It I urn in ahe rejoined, '' it is because you surpass your best." " You really think that J am looking well to-night Yon see. 1 never know where I am between tie* two extreme,. (Mlilie declared that. T was a vision of debghf. Otto snarled out something about the Montiuartre." "Every day 1 am learning to dislike vour husband more," Grant declared.

I ''Vim ui;iy hate liim ii you want tn," j mii- replied. "I shall not. quarrel with | y< hi." | "I c.-iri'l, r-t ain I Ihr man who scowls a I ibis ife's beauty because il attracts : admiration and doesn't himself endeavour to • itl'er her 1 'is In una go. ! "<)i I■ >is t Inu-i.uilt!ll v I lei in,mi." she pro ! iHinnri'd. ''Si>l ne Englishmen arc the same. • they say. Thev buy their wile with their ; name, or innnev, or .simulated affection, ! and when thev have her it is finished." ('ornelnis filtirm leaned forward with ; uplifted glass. "He|'<nv I forget it Hon > oyage. Mr. Slat tory," lie .said. "M ay your t rip across tin- Atlantic, provide you with as much j amusement as o:ir recent ciui-e. And may its result he as satisfactory." j (Irani, bowed pleasantly and drank. | "1 shall miss you all,'' lie aeknowj lodged. smiling. "1 think that you might have spared rite toe .shook of hearing of your departure Horn Cornelius,' 1 said Gertrude. "I only made up my mind twelve hours ago. I can't imagine how lie knew." ; "1 should have been the first to he told. "Voii probably would. Next to Ihe «?ovils. of course." I "Lord Yeovil or Lady Susan':" i " They are equally my friends," i "Arc you m Jove with Lady Susan, (Irani He was a little startled. "J happen to he 7)1 years old." he reminded her. "Lady Susan is 19." "Tile older a man gets the more he leans toward the Kindergarten. .Answer ' my quest ion.'' "I have no time to Vie in love with any one just at present," ho said. "I have work to do." " You men and your work. " she exclaimed bitterly. "You drag it around with you like a closet of refuge, into which you can step whenever you are hard pressed. When do you sail. Grant ?" "To-morrow or Thursday." "Are you going straight, to New York V "I may stay at Gibraltar to coal." She turned a little toward him. Her little question barely reached his ears: "Are you taking me with you ?" "I can't do that, Gertrude." he said firmly, "neither would you come. And it isn't a fair question to ask me when you arc. looking more adorable than you ever looked in your life." "Isn't it terrible this gift of frankness I have developed. Why won't yon fake me, Grant? Are you afraid of Otto? And duels have gone out.." "I thought your beloved young prince was trying to'bring them in again. "They say so," she admitted. "That, is because he. got them' reinstated when lie was at the university, and, among his young friends he is president, of what they call their 'Court of Honour.' .But T do not think you would he afraid to fight with any man, Grant, for anything you cared for."

"It isn't entirely a question oi caring. Grant declared. "There is one contemptible role 1 never intend to play—that of the man who takes away another man s wife. I have never poached. I don't understand the morality of it exactly, but it happens to be how I feel. ' "Circumstances alter cases. What do you thing of Otto persuading me to .run away with him the <i'ay before \vo were to be married, by telling me something which I afterwards found to lie. an utter falsehood, about you when you were in Berlin ?" "That was a contemptible action, he acknowledged, "but "Yes, I know," she confessed drearily. "I was just as much to blame. How I have suffered for it!'' "Your husband," he warned her, with lowered voice, "seldom takes his eyes from us. Blunn, too. watches. We must speak of other things.'' "It is always like that.'' she muttered under her breath. "Eyes seem to follow hie everywhere. Ears are listening. 1 jibis like that in Berlin. Everybody seems to have espionage on the brain." Blunn rose to his feel. His action was so unexpected that they all stared at him. He had the trick of smiling at a score of people so that each one thought the smile specially intended for him, "My dew friends," he began "this is merely the expression of a quaint desire which has just come into my mind, there is present one whom I think will be acknowledged the most far-seeing diplomatist, the most beneficent statesman of this generation. I am referring to Lord \ covil." Everyone smiled. The words, from any ordinary point of view, were curiously out of place. Spoken just as Blunn spoke them, they seemed natural. "1 will tell you what Lord \eovil has done," he went on. "He has braved possible opposition, and opposition to the chairman of the Pact of Nations can only mean one thing, where the personal dignity of that functionary is concerned. He has pointed out to all of us the''weak link in the chain of our hope for eternal peace. I mean the standing out oi your great country, sir," he added, bowing to •Slatterv, " the United States of America, from the Pact of Nations. Some ,of us have felt that by her repeated refusals she did not deserve any further invitations. Some of us have selfishly felt, that we. ourselves, are in a better position for her being outside of it. Lord Yeovil swept aside all these pettinesses. He saw the truth and made, us see it. Wo ratified that invitation. I H>k you to drink the health of Lord Yeovil with mo. There is no other statesman living today who could have done this great thing. I am a proud man that lie sits at this table. I ask you to forgive the impulse which has prompted me to make this public apologia. For I was one of those who hesitated. That, is finished. I am a man convinced. I do homage to a greater

brain. My dear friends don't say 'Ladies and Gentlemen' let. us drink to Lord Y eovil." Lord Yeovil, whose face was as still as the lace of a, graven image, raised his glass. He took the only means possible of showing his opinion of his host's action. He remained seated. "My iriends." he sank "any reply of mine to our host's kindly words would give undue .significance to ills friendly out pourings, and would invest a fev, remarks, spoken at a private dinner, with a semiofficial .significance. 1 think that what we have all done together is a great and good thing. I should have liked evci v representative win. was present at Nice t-o have thought the same. Those three anonymous dissentients, whose views were recorded against me. still rankle, just a little. However, the thing is accomplished. I thank you. Mr. lilunu, for your appreciation, and 1 thank you more especially still for the most wonderful entertainment at which 1 have ever been privileged to assist. there is one thing, however, which, at the present moment, seems of more vital importance to me and, i am sure, to all of us, than anv unexpected and unofficial discussion of a political matter. We should all be made supremely happy if Mademoiselle Lebrun would sing to us once more." There was: a gleam of admiration for a moment in Blunn's eyes. He was just the man to appreciate tile aptness which had miitimised as tar as possible the importance of his pronouncement. He dispatched an emissary at once for the famous soprano. "When Mad onioiselle has sung. ' he announced, "His Majesty has asked permission to retire to the llooius." Mademoiselle Lebrun sang and afterwards there was a little movement of departure. "Will you please escort me up to the club?" Gertrude whispered to her neighbour. "With pleasure." Grant assented. There were other influences at. work, however, Hlunn turned to her. good humouredly, with the air of one making a pleasing announcement. "His Majesty asks for the pleasure of conducting you to the Booms, Princess." "If you will do me that honour," the King murmured, bowing. "1 shall bring you bad luck," Gertrude sa id. "You will give me. even in that event. what, counts, perhaps, for more very charming company," was the gallant, rejoinder. CHAPTEB XXI. Susan came tip to (irant, about half-an-hour later. She had left Bobby Lancaster and his sister seated on a divan. "Aren't yon flattered, Grant?" she exclaimed. " You've been labelled dangerous. Kings have been summoned to tho help of the terrified husband. Look,

they've made the poor woman sit at a J table and play roulette, which she hates, I with His Majesty on one side, her husband behind her chair, and Blunn, like a patron saint, hovering around." Grunt, looked at the little phalanx. " Well," he admitted, " I'm half inclined to believe you're right. It seems to be a plot. Where's your father?" Gone home. He was very angry with Mr. Blunn." " It was clever," Grant, observed. "The audacity of it all is amazing. There were you and I and Gertrude, to say nothing of the Prince, who knew the whole secret, absolutely within a few yards of him—knew how he fought to get that gloomy Scandinavian back to Nice in time to vote. He just laughs at us and ignores it all. We're only one or two. It is the millions fie wants. It's magnificent!" " Since it's quite hopeless for you to get anywhere near the enchanting Princess, would you like to talk to me for a few minutes " We'll find that greedy corner in the bar," he assented, turning away with her, " where you eat up all the chocolate eclairs." " I wish I weren't, so fond of food," she sighed. " People won't believe that I have sentiment when they watch my Hppet ito," It was a great dinner," he acknowledged. " There were the wines—" " How long are you going to stay in the States ? " she interrupted. " Until you've grown up," he replied. Then I'm coming back to see what sort of a woman yon have become." You will'probably find me married to Bobby Lancaster. "He, proposed again to me to night, and i was touched. I don't see why one should wait for ever for a man who never asks one. " Meaning me '! " Meaning you." Grant felt that he had exchanged his thirty-one years I'ov her nineteen. She was 'smiling at him with all tho gentle savoir faire. of a woman of the world. " Aren't you by way of being .an extremist "' he inquired. " Even if one might hesitate, to ask you to leap into sedate middle age, it seems rather a pity for you to marry into the nursery, i " Bobby is twenty-four." ! " You amaze me," he confessed. '' But consider those twenty-four years. We will leave out the perambulator stages. Fifteen to nineteen at Eton—cricket and rackets. Twenty to twenty-four, a guardsman- rather more cricket, rather more rackets. It makes for youth." '■' Cricket is almost our religion," she remonstrated. " I asked the captain of llio Australians to marry me when I was fourteen. He gave rne his daughter's photograph. She was older than I was, and she squinted. It wasn't really a romance it. was cricket." " I Bobby any good? " he asked. "That's rather the pity of it," she admitted.

"Susan. S want: to tell you this. You're a delightful child, and I've often wished I that you were .just a few years older, he- | caiise, in addition to youth, you have a ■ brain, and you're one of the pluckiest, 1 girls I've ever had with me in a tight j corner. Don't- think I've forgotten it, I because 1 haven't." ! " liubhish : " she, laughed, i " And I'm going to say this to you," | turning toward her. so that she suddenly : saw that, lie was m earner-!, and became, very still indeed, " I've got :t half finished 1 job on my hands, and how it will turn | out 1 don't know. II will be a, matter ,of six months before I'm through. When ! I'm through I'm coming right back. And, ! Susan. I don't want, to say too much, but. i] don't think those hoys are quite what 1 you deserve in life, it's horrible to feel j a little t* hi old." " Idiot ! You re not, a bit too old. T wouldn't marry Hobby Lancaster if he vas ihe last man. " | '• I don't know how ] can trust you to j cross the Atlantic alone," she continued. | " How many of the crew of the Grey i 1 ,ady have you sacked ? " j "I've forgiven them all. You don't 1 think Hlunn is going to smuggle himself and a few desperate plotters on board, do vou ? Or put an infernal machine there to blow me sky high " 1 tell you frankly that 1 don't like letting you go alone. You, in your sedate middle age do need a little looking after—somebody with the common sense of you Ih. " Will you wish fiic a sale return? " he asked. " Yes." she answeied. "I hope you will, come back safe and soon." " If anything could make me a convert to your somewhat alarmist point- of view, Slaitery. Blunu's behaviour last night would do it." the former acknowledged. " 1 still don't, understand what was at the back of his mind." '• I can toll you," Grant said. " You'll find a, copy of that speech will appear broadcast throughout America. 'Cornelius Hlunn. the. great shipping magnate, entertains Prime Minister of Great Britain, to celebrate invitation to the United States to join the Pact of Nations.' That's the sort, of headline you'll see in every [taper which counts. Every word lie said will appear verbatim. It's wonderful propaganda, for Germany." " Ho stole a march on me, I'm afraid." " Never mind," Grant consoled him. " We've won the first- bout after all, and Hlunn knows it. For all his carefully laid scheme to prevent if. America is invited to join the Pact of Nations. Now we'll have to strip for the second bout. We shall have to light like hell to get- that invitation accepted. You don't follow our domestic politics, sir, I expect." " How can 1 ? " Lord Yeovil protested. " I've problems enough of our own to deal with all the time." (To be confirmed daily.)