The Mystery Road

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 239, 9 October 1928, Page 20

The Mystery Road

IL v ; ,-nr-f ■■j Njk E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.

The young Englishmen, CHRISTOPHER BENT and GERALD DOMBEY (or Lord Downe, eldest son of the Earl of Hinterleys), motoring to Monte Carlo, were delayed by a burst tyre, and while the chauffeur repaired the damage, strolled along the road to look at the countryside. There they encountered Myrtile, a lovely little peasant girl, in evident distress. Pressed to confide in the two young men she explained that her mother had been the village schoolmistress. She married for the second time a bad man, and died, and Myrtile had been forced to live with the stepfather and care for the three email half-brothers ana sisters. .That evening her stepfather had announced his approaching marriage to the Widow Dumay, and told Myrtile that she was to be betrothed to Leschamps, the innkeeper. "He is fat and old and he drinks," cried Myrtile, "and I would rather die than have him come near me. Take me with you as far as you are going—somewhere where I can hide." "Agreed!" said Gerald impulsively. "We will start you off on the great adventure. It seems to me there can be nothing worse for you than what you leave behind." So Myrtile, who had never been beyond her village, was carried off to Monte Carlo by the two young men, who constituted themselves her joint guardians for the time being, and promised to find her work. Through the kind offices of the housekeeper at their hotel they found rooms for her nearby, and there began for the girl a wonderful time. Christopher Bent was by far the most steady and responsible guardian of the two, but it was Gerald with his careless charm of manner, who won her heart, and in her eyes he could do no wrong. LADY MARY DOMBEY, Gerald's sister, when consulted, about Myrtile, was disapproving, but eventually promised to help them find work for her in England. Meanwhile Gerald, in a burst of enthusiasm at the girl's beauty, took her to a famous dressmaker, and bought her an outfit that showed her natural grace and charm to prefection. Gerald's thoughts, however, were soon elsewhere. In the Casino he caught sight of a beautiful girl, who, in company with a. very haughty great lady, was arousing general curiosity and admiration. '

CHAPTER V. Aunt and Niece. Christopher watched the approach of. the two women with an interest casual at first, but real enough as they drew nearer. The younger of the two walked slightly in advance. She was of rather over the medium height, and her carriage, though she was not in the least assertive, was full of the simple dignity of one who has been accustomed to command respect. She was slim, yet the outlines of her figure were so soft as to become almost voluptuous. She wore a dress of perfectly plain black lace, against which the skin of her neck and shoulders seemed of almost alabaster whiteness. Her only ornament vras a long double-string of pearls of 'Unusual size. Her hair, glossy and absolutely jet-black, was brushed from her forehead and around her ears, so that it seemed almost like a sheath. Her complexion was absolutely pallid, her lips a natural scarlet. Her eyes were of a deep shade of brown, inclined to be half closed, as though they had been pencilled by an artist, and yet left a conviction of entire naturalness. Such details as remained of her toilette were unique yet simple. The woman who followed her possessed also an air of distinction, but Bhe was middle-aged, with grey hair and somewhat unwieldy figure. She carried herself with an air of deference towards her companion. "Well?*' Gerald whispered, excitedly.

"She is rery beautiful and very unusual," Christopher admitted. "Have you no idea who she is?" - "If I ljad. found anyone who knew who they were I should have been introduced before now," was the blunt reply. "Freddie Carruthers has gone down to ask the superintendent." The two women subsided on to a couch. The elder one gave an order, to a waiter, the j:ounger one glanced indifferently arouiid. Her eyes rested for a moment upon Gerald. There was nothing personal in their regard—her manner was, indeed, if anything, austere—but Christopher was conscious of a sudden indrawn' almost a "sob; Which escaped from his companion's lips. "I wish Carruthers would come," the latter muttered, impatiently. "I didn't exaggerate, did.l, Chris?" "No," the latter admitted,. I can't say that you did. She is very wonderful and very interesting. It is quite your day for adventures." . 5 > * Gerald laughed scornfully. \ . not comparing our little protegee from the hills with—with her, are you?" he demanded. "Each has her charm," Christopher replied. • Gerald leaned back in his chair and laughed long and; heartily. "Our little wild rose," he said, "is like a i thousand others—a pretty face, a fascinating age, confiding manners. In twenty-four hours she would have taught you all that she could know of love and life. She is as much a yokel intellectually as this girl is a mystery. Are there any queens or royal princesses wandering about the world nowadays, Chris? I swear that she looks as though she had stepped down from a throne. Thank heaven, here comes Carruthers!" A young man who had been staring in at the doorway recognised Gerald and came across to them. "No, you old thing," he confided, leaning down. "They are registered here as Madame and Mademoiselle de Poniere —aunt and niece. The old buffer downstairs, however, admitted that he believed that to be an assumed name." "Couldn't you bribe him, or something?" Gerald asked, eagerly. "Old Johnny fairly cornered me," Car- , ruthers explained. "The two ladies, he told me, had declared their desire to 1 'remain incognito. It was not, therefore, j the business of a gentleman to be < inquisitive. Whereupon I came away 1 with by tail between my legs. All the 1 same, I don't believe he has the least ] idea who they are." I

"They can't* possibly escape for mora than a few days, in a place like this, without being recognised," Gerald declared. ; • t Carruthers stroked an incipient moustache. • v. ' •-* "One gets nasty knocks sometimes,' he observed. "There was a milliner and; her head mannequin who fairly knocked then all silly at Biarrita last season." "Don't he a blatant ass, Freddy!" Gerald exclaimed, contemptuously. "Mannequins can learn to strut, but-not to walk. That habit.of walking into .acrowded room as though you were the only person |in it isn't picked up in Boiid Btreet or the Rue de-la Paix. I " Gerald was suddenly on his feet. The younger of the two women, in turning companion, had swept . a small lace handkerchief, which she had

laid upon the table in front of them, p on to the floor. She made no effort ij herself to regain possession of it, but }§ glanced towards the waiter, v Gerald, H however, already- held it in his fingers. j| "I believe this is your handkerchief, {§ mademoiselle," he ventured. 1 She accepted it with a very slight i but. sufficiently gracious smile. j| -"I thank you viery- much, sir," she | said, speaking in English, with a Bug- | gestion of a foreign accent. g Some casual remark was already fr&m- | ing itself upon Gerald's lips, but it re- 1 mained unuttered. The girl turned and | resumed her conversation with her com- I panion. She had the air of not realising n that there was another person in - the § room. The young man, with a little bow, 1 returned to his place. He hid his fed- i ings perfectly, but his two companions 5 could guess at his discomfiture. if "It's no good, old chap," C&rruthers §1 assured him, confidentially. "They simply H aren't taking any. That Italian prince 1 with the swivel eye, whom all the g women are raving about, tried his best B to get into conversation. Managed to get s one of his pals to address him by name, g so that they knew who he was, but there §{ was nothing doing. Dicky Gordon tried H to get a word in edgeways at the roulette fl table, but it didn't come off. One of g the croupiers, whom he knew, went out y of his way to whisper to hini that the § ladies did not desire acquaintances." 3 Gerald sighed. a "I shall know her sooner or later," he If muttered, "but it's such a waste of b precious time." g The woman and "the girl rose ■pre- g sently to their feet and turned towards j the door. Gerald, for the first time in j his life, felt himself guilty of an imper- I j tinence. He watched them descend the \ stairs, watched a bowing servant' run I and fetch a waiting car. He even, from 5 his position at the top of the steps, [ leaned forward to hear if any word or : address was spoken. He was un- j rewarded. A footman opened the door | of the car, closed it, and mounted to I the side of the chauffeur. The car drove = rapidly away in the direction of Nice, j Gerald waited for the. porter to remount I the steps, and slipped a ten-franc note | in /his band. a "Do you know who those two ladies B were?" he asked.' | "They call themselves Madame And 1 I Mademoiselle de Poniere," the maw re- I plied, after a moment's hesitation.; § "Call themselves t" Gerald replied. I "What do you mean by that?" | j The man shrugged his shoulders. | "There are many who come here who § j do not desire their presence to be £ known, monsieur," he said, cautiously. §} j "Criminals, perhaps—or royalty!" S I Gerald ventured. §5 i

The man looked imperturbably § through the revolving doors. p "Many of all sorts, monsieur," he. as- {§ sen ted. "Monsieur will excuse." g He hastened off on, sojne excuse con- I nected with a waiting motor. Gerald f§ had no alternative but. to rejoin Gar- If ruthers and Christopher;* whom he found lj watching the play at one of the roulette |j tables. g "Any luck?" the former asked, 1 eagerly. B "Not an lota," Gerald confessed. v *T 1 tipped the man who saw them off, but £§ he either knew nothing or would not §| tell me. I shall have a plunge at bac- 1 carat," lie added. "I feel like, gambling 5 this evening." 31 "You won't forget that we promised g to go and see Myrtile early?" Christo- a pher reminded him.' •!£ §§ Gerald stared at .his friend. 1 Who the devil—Why, the j§ child from the violet farm, of course! if I'd forgotten all about her." lj