His services for France were ended also; and he was keenly interested in his own emotions as he touched the bell on the front door of the Phayre house. How would it feel to meet Juliet married—and married to a man with whom fate had queerly forced him into friendship?
The front door was a very elaborate door. It was mostly composed of old wrought3 iron so delicately carved as to be like iron lacework. Silas Phayre had imported it from an ancient palazzo in Florence and, characteristically, had it backed with modern plate glass. The inner side of this crystal screen was curtained with creamy silk tissue, thus forming a sort of mirror for any one waiting to enter. Manners gazed vaguely5 at his reflection behind the pattern of wrought iron, and his sense of humour noted6 that thwarted7 love had not made of him a haggard wreck8. Fighting in France had browned and hardened him. He was lean, but far from frail9. The dark tan on his face caused his yellowish hair to seem straw-coloured in contrast, and his eyes boyishly blue. This, and the khaki uniform he still wore, gave him an air of being younger than he was—twenty-eight: and the man and his image were exchanging an amused grin when a new reflection appeared in the glass. Mechanically Manners turned, and found himself face to face with a woman. She had paused at the foot of the marble steps, and hesitated, as if the sight of someone on the threshold had upset her calculations. But at this instant the door was thrown open—not by one of the imported English footmen whom Manners knew of old, but by an elderly Japanese. The yellow face gave Jack10 a shock, but he realized that British and American youths had been better employed than as footmen since he himself had gone to France.
The Japanese looked past the officer in khaki to the lady, whom he appeared to recognize and even to be expecting. This look settled matters for her. She decided11 to keep to her original plan. With a slight inclination12 of the head to Manners, she stepped briskly into the vestibule. Behind her, she left a faint trail of alluring13 fragrance14. Even Jack Manners, who disliked artificial perfumes, breathed it in with pleasure. He had never smelled anything quite like it before; but he thought of an eastern garden in moonlight, and the thrill of that picture mingled15 with another thrill. He had recognized the woman. He had seen her before, but only on the stage, and now she was veiled with one of those patterned veils almost as concealing16 for an ordinary woman as a mask. But this was not an ordinary woman. It was Pavoya, the Polish dancer; the "divine Pavoya," the "diabolic Pavoya," according to the point of view. Even lacking the green glint of slanted17 eyes, the fiery18 glow of close-banded hair through the veil, that figure in the plain black dress would have been unmistakable. Portrait painters, photographers, post-impressionists, and caricaturists had rendered it familiar, in all lands, to those who had not seen the dancer herself. Manners could hardly believe in the truth of his swift impression. It was almost incredible that she should come as a guest to this house. Could she have made friends with Juliet? Juliet's cousin wondered.
The thing that happened next was still more strange. The slim siren in black did not wait to be ushered19 in by the servant. She flitted from vestibule to hall beyond, then vanished as if she knew where to go and was in haste to get there. The Japanese did not turn his head to look after her, but gave his attention to the man on the doorstep.
"I'm Captain Manners," said Jack. "I've come to see my cousin, the Duchess. I suppose she is at home?" He supposed this, not only because Juliet knew that he was due on the Britannia, and had cabled her desire to see him at once, but also because Mademoiselle Pavoya must have gone in by appointment. Even before the servant answered, however, he read in the troubled dark face that something had gone wrong.
"Please to walk in, sir," said the Japanese, in stiff, correct English. "I have a note for you from Her Grace the Duchess. She was unfortunately obliged to go out; but I think she hopes to be back early. If you will kindly20 walk into the Persian room, sir, I will give you the letter."
Well did Jack remember the Persian room! It had been Silas Phayre's great fad21 and favourite, and during his life had been used as a smoking room. Jack half expected to find Lyda Pavoya there, perhaps reading another note from Juliet; but the wonderful room, with its rare tiles and priceless rugs and exquisite22 old tapestries23, was unoccupied. The servant placed an envelope on an antique tray of Persian enamel24, and presented it with a bow. Then he went out unobtrusively, leaving Manners to study with some interest the seal Juliet had used.
It seemed superfluous25 that she should use any at all, as the scrawled26 address showed that the writer had been in haste; but the interesting thing was the seal itself. It was Claremanagh's own seal, which he kept for his private correspondence, and the ring with which he made it had been given by the Tsarina of the Pearls to his great-great-grandfather. Jack happened to know this, because the Duke had ordered a copy made for Louis Mayen, with which to seal the box containing the pledged pearls. Claremanagh had told Jack this story before leaving France, and had pointed27 out the ring, which he invariably wore. The design was an eye; and the motto underneath28 was, "Je te regard."
"Must have given the ring to Juliet," Manners thought, as he opened the envelope. He read:
DEAR OLD BOY:
Don't think me a beast to be out. I really couldn't help it. I was dragged into accepting for a tiresome29 lunch party, given by a tiresome female, in my honour: Emmy West's sister-in-law. Some story has been started that I was jealous of Emmy (among other women!) with Pat. Nonsense! But I knew, if I refused, what the creatures would say. Besides, I couldn't be sure just when you'd turn up. And above all, I wanted a chance to see you quite, quite alone. I've got lots of things to tell you, that I couldn't tell any one else. If you call while I'm away, as I expect, stop and see Pat, who is to lunch at home, as he's got a bad cold. Then say you must go, as you have an engagement. That will be true, because I now invite you to make an engagement with me. But if he insists on your visiting us, before you go home to Long Island, as he's sure to, do accept. You were horrid30 to answer my cable with a refusal, and say you had to go at once to your own place to decide on some silly old improvements you want to make. That's only an excuse, Jack, because you didn't quite see yourself staying in the house with Pat and me. But you are much too strong a man to mind a little thing like that. I don't believe you were ever in love with me, really. You just thought you were, that's all, from knowing me when I was a wee kid, and always being my bestest pal4 whom I could count on without fail.
Oh, Jack, I do count on you now, as I never did before. So you won't fail me for the first time in your life, will you? I suppose this is selfish of me, and "exactly like a woman" (as Uncle Henry used to say, whenever I wanted to do anything he didn't want me to do), but I can't help it. You'll see, when I tell you, why nobody else can be of any use to me in this trouble.
I have to write all this, though I hope to meet you so soon; because if I didn't, you might refuse Pat's most pressing invitation. And where should I be then? Don't think for an instant that I'm tired of Pat, and want a divorce or anything. It isn't that at all. I adore him as much as ever. That's where the trouble comes in! But we've had a row, and every day it will get worse. Why, even the seal ring, which I'm using for this letter, has become a bone of contention—among other things. This does need a seal, if ever a letter did, for it's dreadfully indiscreet and unwifely, I suppose.
Already I've eased my mind a little by pouring out my woes31 to you, as in old times. And now for that engagement with me, which I trust you to keep. I am supposed to go to an "At Home," which I'm not sure isn't given for me. All I am sure about is that I shan't be there. Instead, I'll be in the Palm Room of the Hotel Lorne (where no one we know ever goes for tea) at five o'clock. And I shall wait for you, so you'll have to come. Afterward32, if you haven't done it before, you can see to sending all your things to our house for a visit of at least a week. But we'll talk of that!
Ever your affectionate cousin,
JEWEL.
P. S. You see, I haven't forgotten your old name for me. No one except you ever called me his "Jewel."
When Manners had read this letter through, he sat with it for some moments in his hand. Then, suddenly, he roused himself to realize that it was not a document to flaunt33 in the open. He replaced it in the envelope, which he slipped into an inner pocket of his khaki coat. Had the Japanese told Claremanagh of his arrival, he wondered? Or had there been some secret understanding between the Duchess and her servant that Captain Manners should be left long enough in the Persian room to read and put out of sight her sealed letter? Claremanagh had his own confidential34 man, Nickson (known as "Old Nick"); why should not Juliet have hers? There was no reason. Yet Jack hated to think that the girl should be driven to a rather sordid35 expedient36, and somehow this thought dragged into his head another.
"By George!" he exploded aloud. Then he bit his lip. But the thought could not be pushed away. Since Juliet was out, to whom was the visit of Lyda Pavoya being made?
The Japanese seemed to be in the confidence of more than one person in this house!
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1
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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thwarted
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| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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tapestries
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| n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 ) | |
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24
enamel
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| n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质 | |
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superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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31
woes
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| 困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉 | |
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32
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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flaunt
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| vt.夸耀，夸饰 | |
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34
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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35
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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