Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo Read online

  CHAPTER II

  BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN

  The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and hiswife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance. He was tall,thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streakedwith grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head alittle thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, hewas still short-sighted. He had the air of a foreigner, although histone, when he spoke, was without accent. He held out his hand a littletentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

  "My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed. "This is a surprise, indeed! MonteCarlo is absolutely the last place in the world in which I should haveexpected to come across you. The Sporting Club, too! Well, well, well!"

  Hunterleys, standing easily with his hands behind his back, raised hiseyebrows. The two men were of curiously contrasting types. Hunterleys,slim and distinguished, had still the frame of an athlete,notwithstanding his colourless cheeks and the worn lines about his eyes.He was dressed with extreme simplicity. His deep-set eyes and sensitivemouth were in marked contrast to the other's coarser mould of featuresand rather full lips. Yet there was about both men an air of strength,strength developed, perhaps, in a different manner, but still anappreciable quality.

  "They say that the whole world is here," Hunterleys remarked. "Why maynot I form a harmless unit of it?"

  "Why not, indeed?" Draconmeyer assented heartily. "The most serious ofus must have our frivolous moments. I hope that you will dine with usto-night? We shall be quite alone."

  Hunterleys shook his head.

  "Thank you," he said, "I have another engagement pending."

  Mr. Draconmeyer was filled with polite regrets, but he did not renew theinvitation.

  "When did you arrive?" he asked.

  "A few hours ago," Hunterleys replied.

  "By the Luxe? How strange! I went down to meet it."

  "I came from the other side."

  "Ah!"

  Mr. Draconmeyer's ejaculation was interrogative, Hunterleys hesitatedfor a moment. Then he continued with a little shrug of the shoulders.

  "I have been staying at San Remo and Bordighera."

  Mr. Draconmeyer was much interested.

  "So that is where you have been burying yourself," he remarked. "I sawfrom the papers that you had accepted a six months' pair. Surely,though, you don't find the Italian Riviera very amusing?"

  "I am abroad for a rest," Hunterleys replied.

  Mr. Draconmeyer smiled curiously.

  "A rest?" he repeated. "That rather belies your reputation, you know.They say that you are tireless, even when you are out of office."

  Hunterleys turned from the speaker towards his wife.

  "I have not tempted fortune myself yet," he observed. "I think that Ishall have a look into the baccarat room. Do you care to stroll thatway?"

  Lady Hunterleys rose at once to her feet. Mr. Draconmeyer, however,intervened. He laid his fingers upon Hunterleys' arm.

  "Sir Henry," he begged, "our meeting has been quite unexpected, but in asense it is opportune. Will you be good enough to give me five minutes'conversation?"

  "With pleasure," Hunterleys replied. "My time is quite at your disposal,if you have anything to say."

  Draconmeyer led the way out of the crowded room, along the passage andinto the little bar. They found a quiet corner and two easy-chairs.Draconmeyer gave an order to a waiter. For a few moments theirconversation was conventional.

  "I trust that you think your wife looking better for the change?"Draconmeyer began. "Her companionship is a source of great pleasure andrelief to my poor wife."

  "Does the conversation you wish to have with me refer to LadyHunterleys?" her husband asked quietly. "If so, I should like to say afew preliminary words which would, I hope, place the matter at oncebeyond the possibility of any misunderstanding."

  Draconmeyer moved a little uneasily in his place.

  "I have other things to say," he declared, "yet I would gladly hear whatis in your mind at the present moment. You do not, I fear, approve ofthis friendship between my wife and Lady Hunterleys."

  Hunterleys was uncompromising, almost curt.

  "I do not," he agreed. "It is probably no secret to you that my wife andI are temporarily estranged," he continued. "The chief reason for thatestrangement is that I forbade her your house or your acquaintance."

  Draconmeyer was a little taken back. Such extreme directness of speechwas difficult to deal with.

  "My dear Sir Henry," he protested, "you distress me. I do not understandyour attitude in this matter at all."

  "There is no necessity for you to understand it," Hunterleys retortedcoolly. "I claim the right to regulate my wife's visiting list. Shedenies that right."

  "Apart from the question of marital control," Mr. Draconmeyer persisted,"will you tell me why you consider my wife and myself unfit persons tofind a place amongst Lady Hunterleys' acquaintances?"

  "No man is bound to give the reason for his dislikes," Hunterleysreplied. "Of your wife I know nothing. Nobody does. I have everysympathy with her unfortunate condition, and that is all. You personallyI dislike. I dislike my wife to be seen with you, I dislike having hername associated with yours in any manner whatsoever. I dislike sittingwith you here myself. I only hope that the five minutes' conversationwhich you have asked for will not be exceeded."

  Mr. Draconmeyer had the air of a benevolent person who is deeply pained.

  "Sir Henry," he sighed, "it is not possible for me to disregard suchplain speaking. Forgive me if I am a little taken aback by it. You areknown to be a very skilful diplomatist and you have many weapons in yourarmoury. One scarcely expected, however--one's breath is a little takenaway by such candour."

  "I am not aware," Hunterleys said calmly, "that the question ofdiplomacy need come in when one's only idea is to regulate the personalacquaintances of oneself and one's wife."

  Mr. Draconmeyer sat quite still for a moment, stroking his black beard.His eyes were fixed upon the carpet. He seemed to be struggling with aproblem.

  "You have taken the ground from beneath my feet," he declared. "Youropinion of me is such that I hesitate to proceed at all in the matterwhich I desired to discuss with you."

  "That," Hunterleys replied, "is entirely for you to decide. I amperfectly willing to listen to anything you have to say--all the moreready because now there can be no possibility of any misunderstandingbetween us."

  "Very well," Mr. Draconmeyer assented, "I will proceed. After all, I amnot sure that the personal element enters into what I was about to say.I was going to propose not exactly an alliance--that, of course, wouldnot be possible--but I was certainly going to suggest that you and Imight be of some service to one another."

  "In what way?"

  "I call myself an Englishman," Mr. Draconmeyer went on. "I have madelarge sums of money in England, I have grown to love England and Englishways. Yet I came, as you know, from Berlin. The position which I hold inyour city is still the position of president of the greatest German bankin the world. It is German finance which I have directed, and withGerman money I have made my fortune. To be frank with you, however,after these many years in London I have grown to feel myself very muchof an Englishman."

  Hunterleys was sitting perfectly still. His face was rigid butexpressionless. He was listening intently.

  "On the other hand," Mr. Draconmeyer proceeded slowly, "I wish to bewholly frank with you. At heart I must remain always a German. Theinterests of my country must always be paramount. But listen. In Germanythere are, as you know, two parties, and year by year they are drawingfurther apart. I will not allude to factions. I will speak broadly.There is the war party and there is the peace party. I belong to thepeace party. I belong to it as a German, and I belong to it as a devotedfriend of England, and if the threatened conflict between the two shouldcome, I should take my stand as a peace-loving German-cum-Englishmanagainst the war party even of my own country."
r />   Hunterleys still made no sign. Yet for one who knew him it was easy torealise that he was listening and thinking with absorbed interest.

  "So far," Draconmeyer pointed out, "I have laid my cards on the table. Ihave told you the solemn truth. I regret that it did not occur to me todo so many months ago in London. Now to proceed. I ask you to emulate myfrankness, and in return I will give you information which should enableus to work hand in hand for the peace which we both desire."

  "You ask me," Hunterleys said thoughtfully, "to be perfectly frank withyou. In what respect? What is it that you wish from me?"

  "Not political information," Mr. Draconmeyer declared, his eyes blinkingbehind his glasses. "For that I certainly should not come to you. I onlywish to ask you a question, and I must ask it so that we may meet on acommon ground of confidence. Are you here in Monte Carlo to look afteryour wife, or in search of change of air and scene? Is that your honestmotive for being here? Or is there any other reason in the world whichhas prompted you to come to Monte Carlo during this particular month--Imight almost say this particular week?"

  Hunterleys' attitude was that of a man who holds in his hand a puzzleand is doubtful where to commence in his efforts to solve it.

  "Are you not a little mysterious this afternoon, Mr. Draconmeyer?" heasked coldly. "Or are you trying to incite a supposititious curiosity? Ireally cannot see the drift of your question."

  "Answer it," Mr. Draconmeyer insisted.

  Hunterleys took a cigarette from his case, tapped it upon the table andlit it in leisurely fashion.

  "If you have any idea," he said, "that I came here to confront my wife,or to interfere in any way with her movements, let me assure you thatyou are mistaken. I had no idea that Lady Hunterleys was in Monte Carlo.I am here because I have a six months' holiday, and a holiday for theaverage Englishman between January and April generally means, as youmust be aware, the Riviera. I have tried Bordighera and San Remo. I havefound them, as I no doubt shall find this place, wearisome. In the end Isuppose I shall drift back to London."

  Mr. Draconmeyer frowned.

  "You left London," he remarked tersely, "on December first. It is to-dayFebruary twentieth. Do you wish me to understand that you have been atBordighera and San Remo all that time?"

  "How did you know when I left London?" Hunterleys demanded.

  Mr. Draconmeyer pursed his lips.

  "I heard of your departure from London entirely by accident," he said."Your wife, for some reason or other, declined to discuss yourmovements. I imagine that she was acting in accordance with yourwishes."

  "I see," Hunterleys observed coolly. "And your present anxiety is toknow where I spent the intervening time, and why I am here in MonteCarlo? Frankly, Mr. Draconmeyer, I look upon this close interest in mymovements as an impertinence. My travels have been of no importance, butthey concern myself only. I have no confidence to offer respecting them.If I had, it would not be to you that I should unburden myself."

  "You suspect me, then? You doubt my integrity?"

  "Not at all," Hunterleys assured his questioner. "For anything I know tothe contrary, you are, outside the world of finance, one of the dullestand most harmless men existing. My own position is simply as I explainedit during the first few sentences we exchanged. I do not like you, Idetest my wife's name being associated with yours, and for that reason,the less I see of you the better I am pleased."

  Mr. Draconmeyer nodded thoughtfully. He was, to all appearance, studyingthe pattern of the carpet. For once in his life he was genuinelypuzzled. Was this man by his side merely a jealous husband, or had heany idea of the greater game which was being played around them? Had he,by any chance, arrived to take part in it? Was it wise, in any case, topursue the subject further? Yet if he abandoned it at this juncture, itmust be with a sense of failure, and failure was a thing to which he wasnot accustomed.

  "Your frankness," he admitted grimly, "is almost exhilarating. Ourpersonal relations being so clearly defined, I am inclined to go furthereven than I had intended. We cannot now possibly misunderstand oneanother. Supposing I were to tell you that your arrival in Monte Carlo,accidental though it may be, is in a sense opportune; that you may, in ashort time meet here one or two politicians, friends of mine, with whoman interchange of views might be agreeable? Supposing I were to offer myservices as an intermediary? You would like to bring about betterrelations with my country, would you not, Sir Henry? You are admittedlya statesman and an influential man in your Party. I am only a banker, itis true, but I have been taken into the confidence of those who directthe destinies of my country."

  Hunterleys' face reflected none of the other's earnestness. He seemed,indeed, a little bored, and he answered almost irritably.

  "I am much obliged to you," he said, "but Monte Carlo seems scarcely theplace to me for political discussions, added to which I have no officialposition. I could not receive or exchange confidences. While my Party isout of power, there is nothing left for us but to mark time. I dare sayyou mean well, Mr. Draconmeyer," he added, rising to his feet, "but I amhere to forget politics altogether, if I can. If you will excuse me, Ithink I will look in at the baccarat rooms."

  He was on the point of departure when through the open doorway whichcommunicated with the baccarat rooms beyond came a man of sufficientlyarresting personality, a man remarkably fat, with close-cropped greyhair which stuck up like bristles all over his head; a huge,clean-shaven face which seemed concentrated at that moment in onetremendous smile of overwhelming good-humour. He held by the hand alittle French girl, dark, small, looking almost like a marionette in herslim tailor-made costume. He recognised Draconmeyer with enthusiasm.

  "My friend Draconmeyer," he exclaimed, in stentorian tones, "baccarat isthe greatest game in the world. I have won--I, who know nothing aboutit, have won a hundred louis. It is amazing! There is no place like thisin the world. We are here to drink a bottle of wine together,mademoiselle and I, mademoiselle who was at once my instructress and mymascot. Afterwards we go to the jeweler's. Why not? A fair division ofthe spoils--fifty louis for myself, fifty louis for a bracelet formademoiselle. And then--"

  He broke off suddenly. His gesture was almost dramatic.

  "I am forgotten!" he cried, holding out his hand toHunterleys,--"forgotten already! Sir Henry, there are many who forget meas a humble Minister of my master, but there are few who forget mephysically. I am Selingman. We met in Berlin, six years ago. You camewith your great Foreign Secretary."

  "I remember you perfectly," Hunterleys assured him, as he submitted tothe newcomer's vigorous handshake. "We shall meet again, I trust."

  Selingman thrust his arm through Hunterleys' as though to prevent hisdeparture.

  "You shall not run away!" he declared. "I introduce both of you--Mr.Draconmeyer, the great Anglo-German banker; Sir Henry Hunterleys, theEnglish politician--to Mademoiselle Estelle Nipon, of the Opera House.Now we all know one another. We shall be good friends. We will sharethat bottle of champagne."

  "One bottle between four!" mademoiselle laughed, poutingly. "And I amparched! I have taught monsieur baccarat. I am exhausted."

  "A magnum!" Selingman ordered in a voice of thunder, shaking his fist atthe startled waiter. "We seat ourselves here at the round table.Mademoiselle, we will drink champagne together until the eyes of all ofus sparkle as yours do. We will drink champagne until we do not believethat there is such a thing as losing at games or in life. We will drinkchampagne until we all four believe that we have been brought uptogether, that we are bosom friends of a lifetime. See, this is how wewill place ourselves. Mademoiselle, if the others make love to you, takeno notice. It is I who have put fifty louis in one pocket for thatbracelet. Do not trust Sir Henry there; he has a reputation."

  As usual, the overpowering Selingman had his way. Neither Draconmeyernor Hunterleys attempted to escape. They took their places at the table.They drank champagne and they listened to Selingman. All the time hetalked, save when mademoiselle interrupted him. Seated upon a chairw
hich seemed absurdly inadequate, his great stomach with its vastexpanse of white waistcoat in full view, his short legs doubled upbeneath him, he beamed upon them all with a smile which never failed.

  "It is a wonderful place," he declared, as he lifted his glass for thefifth time. "We will drink to it, this Monte Carlo. It is here that theycome from all quarters of the world--the ladies who charm away ourhearts," he added, bowing to mademoiselle, "the financiers whose wordcan shake the money-markets of the world, and the politicians whounbend, perhaps, just a little in the sunshine here, however cold andinflexible they may be under their own austere skies. For the last time,then--to Monte Carlo! To Monte Carlo, dear mademoiselle!--messieurs!"

  "For the last time, then--to Monte Carlo!"]

  They drank the toast and a few minutes later Hunterleys slipped away.The two men looked after him. The smile seemed gradually to leaveSelingman's lips, his face was large and impressive.

  "Run and fetch your cloak, dear," he said to the girl.

  She obeyed at once. Selingman leaned across the table towards hiscompanion.

  "What does Hunterleys do here?" he asked.

  Draconmeyer shook his head.

  "Who knows?" he answered. "Perhaps he has come to look after his wife.He has been to Bordighera and San Remo."

  "Is that all he told you of his movements?"

  "That is all," Draconmeyer admitted. "He was suspicious. I made noprogress."

  "Bordighera and San Remo!" Selingman muttered under his breath. "For aday, perhaps, or two."

  "What do you know about him?" Draconmeyer asked, his eyes suddenlybright beneath his spectacles. "I have been suspicious ever since I methim, an hour ago. He left England on December first."

  "It is true," Selingman assented. "He crossed to Paris, and--mark thecunning of it--he returned to England. That same night he travelled toGermany. We lost him in Vienna and found him again in Sofia. What doesit mean, I wonder? What does it mean?"

  "I have been talking to him for twenty minutes in here before you came,"Draconmeyer said. "I tried to gain his confidence. He told me nothing.He never even mentioned that journey of his."

  Selingman was sitting drumming upon the table with his broad fingertips.

  "Sofia!" he murmured. "And now--here! Draconmeyer, there is work beforeus. I know men, I tell you. I know Hunterleys. I watched him, I listenedto him in Berlin six years ago. He was with his master then but he hadnothing to learn from him. He is of the stuff diplomats are fashionedof. He has it in his blood. There is work before us, Draconmeyer."

  "If monsieur is ready!" mademoiselle interposed, a little petulantly,letting the tip of her boa play for a moment on his cheek.

  Selingman finished his wine and rose to his feet. Once more the smileencompassed his face. Of what account, after all, were the wanderings ofthis melancholy Englishman! There was mademoiselle's bracelet to bebought, and perhaps a few flowers. Selingman pulled down his waistcoatand accepted his grey Homburg hat from the vestiaire. He heldmademoiselle's fingers as they descended the stairs. He looked like aschool-boy of enormous proportions on his way to a feast.

  "We drank to Monte Carlo in champagne," he declared, as they turned onto the terrace and descended the stone steps, "but, dear Estelle, wedrink to it from our hearts with every breath we draw of this wonderfulair, every time our feet touch the buoyant ground. Believe me, littleone, the other things are of no account. The true philosophy of life andliving is here in Monte Carlo. You and I will solve it."