CHAPTER XIX

COURTLANDT TELLS A STORY

The Colonel and his guests at luncheon had listened to Courtlandt without

sound or movement beyond the occasional rasp of feet shifting under the

table. He had begun with the old familiar phrase--"I've got a story."

"Tell it," had been the instant request.

At the beginning the men had been leaning at various negligent

angles,--some with their elbows upon the table, some with their arms

thrown across the backs of their chairs. The partridge had been excellent,

the wine delicious, the tobacco irreproachable. Burma, the tinkle of bells

in the temples, the strange pictures in the bazaars, long journeys over

smooth and stormy seas; romance, moving and colorful, which began at

Rangoon, had zigzagged around the world, and ended in Berlin.

"And so," concluded the teller of the tale, "that is the story. This man

was perfectly innocent of any wrong, a victim of malice on the one hand

and of injustice on the other."

"Is that the end of the yarn?" asked the colonel.

"Who in life knows what the end of anything is? This is not a story out of

a book." Courtlandt accepted a fresh cigar from the box which Rao passed

to him, and dropped his dead weed into the ash-bowl.

"Has he given up?" asked Abbott, his voice strangely unfamiliar in his own

ears.

"A man can struggle just so long against odds, then he wins or becomes

broken. Women are not logical; generally they permit themselves to be

guided by impulse rather than by reason. This man I am telling you about

was proud; perhaps too proud. It is a shameful fact, but he ran away.

True, he wrote letter after letter, but all these were returned unopened.

Then he stopped."

"A woman would a good deal rather believe circumstantial evidence than

not. Humph!" The colonel primed his pipe and relighted it. "She couldn't

have been worth much."

"Worth much!" cried Abbott. "What do you imply by that?"

"No man will really give up a woman who is really worth while, that is, of

course, admitting that your man, Courtlandt, _is_ a man. Perhaps, though,

it was his fault. He was not persistent enough, maybe a bit spineless. The

fact that he gave up so quickly possibly convinced her that her

impressions were correct. Why, I'd have followed her day in and day out,

year after year; never would I have let up until I had proved to her that

she had been wrong."

"The colonel is right," Abbott approved, never taking his eyes off

Courtlandt, who was apparently absorbed in the contemplation of the bread

crumbs under his fingers.

"And more, by hook or crook, I'd have dragged in the other woman by the

hair and made her confess."

"I do not doubt it, Colonel," responded Courtlandt, with a dry laugh. "And

that would really have been the end of the story. The heroine of this

rambling tale would then have been absolutely certain of collusion between

the two."

"That is like a woman," the Barone agreed, and he knew something about

them. "And where is this man now?"

"Here," said Courtlandt, pushing back his chair and rising. "I am he." He

turned his back upon them and sought the garden.

Tableau!

"Dash me!" cried the colonel, who, being the least interested personally,

was first to recover his speech.

The Barone drew in his breath sharply. Then he looked at Abbott.

"I suspected it," replied Abbott to the mute question. Since the episode

of that morning his philosophical outlook had broadened. He had fought a

duel and had come out of it with flying colors. As long as he lived he was

certain that the petty affairs of the day were never again going to

disturb him.

"Let him be," was the colonel's suggestion, adding a gesture in the

direction of the casement door through which Courtlandt had gone. "He's as

big a man as Nora is a woman. If he has returned with the determination of

winning her, he will."

They did not see Courtlandt again. After a few minutes of restless

to-and-froing, he proceeded down to the landing, helped himself to the

colonel's motor-boat, and returned to Bellaggio. At the hotel he asked for

the duke, only to be told that the duke and madame had left that morning

for Paris. Courtlandt saw that he had permitted one great opportunity to

slip past. He gave up the battle. One more good look at her, and he would

go away. The odds had been too strong for him, and he knew that he was

broken.

When the motor-boat came back, Abbott and the Barone made use of it also.

They crossed in silence, heavy-hearted.

On landing Abbott said: "It is probable that I shall not see you again

this year. I am leaving to-morrow for Paris. It's a great world, isn't it,

where they toss us around like dice? Some throw sixes and others deuces.

And in this game you and I have lost two out of three."

"I shall return to Rome," replied the Barone. "My long leave of absence is

near its end."

"What in the world can have happened?" demanded Nora, showing the two

notes to Celeste. "Here's Donald going to Paris to-morrow and the Barone

to Rome. They will bid us good-by at tea. I don't understand. Donald was

to remain until we left for America, and the Barone's leave does not end

until October."

"To-morrow?" Dim-eyed, Celeste returned the notes.

"Yes. You play the fourth _ballade_ and I'll sing from _Madame_. It will

be very lonesome without them." Nora gazed into the wall mirror and gave a

pat or two to her hair.

When the men arrived, it was impressed on Nora's mind that never had she

seen them so amiable toward each other. They were positively friendly. And

why not? The test of the morning had proved each of them to his own

individual satisfaction, and had done away with those stilted mannerisms

that generally make rivals ridiculous in all eyes save their own. The

revelation at luncheon had convinced them of the futility of things in

general and of woman in particular. They were, without being aware of the

fact, each a consolation to the other. The old adage that misery loves

company was never more nicely typified.

If Celeste expected Nora to exhibit any signs of distress over the

approaching departure, she was disappointed. In truth, Nora was secretly

pleased to be rid of these two suitors, much as she liked them. The Barone

had not yet proposed, and his sudden determination to return to Rome

eliminated this disagreeable possibility. She was glad Abbott was going

because she had hurt him without intention, and the sight of him was, in

spite of her innocence, a constant reproach. Presently she would have her

work, and there would be no time for loneliness.

The person who suffered keenest was Celeste. She was awake; the tender

little dream was gone; and bravely she accepted the fact. Never her agile

fingers stumbled, and she played remarkably well, from Beethoven, Chopin,

Grieg, Rubinstein, MacDowell. And Nora, perversely enough, sang from old

light opera.

When the two men departed, Celeste went to her room and Nora out upon the

terrace. It was after five. No one was about, so far as she could see. She

stood enchanted over the transformation that was affecting the mountains

and the lakes. How she loved the spot! How she would have liked to spend

the rest of her days here! And how beautiful all the world was to-day!

She gave a frightened little scream. A strong pair of arms had encircled

her. She started to cry out again, but the sound was muffled and blotted

out by the pressure of a man's lips upon her own. She struggled violently,

and suddenly was freed.

"If I were a man," she said, "you should die for that!"

"It was an opportunity not to be ignored," returned Courtlandt. "It is

true that I was a fool to run away as I did, but my return has convinced

me that I should have been as much a fool had I remained to tag you about,

begging for an interview. I wrote you letters. You returned them unopened.

You have condemned me without a hearing. So be it. You may consider that

kiss the farewell appearance so dear to the operatic heart," bitterly.

He addressed most of this to the back of her head, for she was already

walking toward the villa into which she disappeared with the proud air of

some queen of tragedy. She was a capital actress.

A heavy hand fell upon Courtlandt's shoulder. He was irresistibly drawn

right about face.

"Now, then, Mr. Courtlandt," said Harrigan, his eyes blue and cold as ice,

"perhaps you will explain?"

With rage and despair in his heart, Courtlandt flung off the hand and

answered: "I refuse!"

"Ah!" Harrigan stood off a few steps and ran his glance critically up and

down this man of whom he had thought to make a friend. "You're a husky

lad. There's one way out of this for you."

"So long as it does not necessitate any explanations," indifferently.

"In the bottom of one of Nora's trunks is a set of my old gloves. There

will not be any one up at the tennis-court this time of day. If you are

not a mean cuss, if you are not an ordinary low-down imitation of a man,

you'll meet me up there inside of five minutes. If you can stand up in

front of me for ten minutes, you need not make any explanations. On the

other hand, you'll hike out of here as fast as boats and trains can take

you. And never come back."

"I am nearly twenty years younger than you, Mr. Harrigan."

"Oh, don't let that worry you any," with a truculent laugh.

"Very well. You will find me there. After all, you are her father."

"You bet I am!"

Harrigan stole into his daughter's room and soundlessly bored into the

bottom of the trunk that contained the relics of past glory. As he pulled

them forth, a folded oblong strip of parchment came out with them and

fluttered to the floor; but he was too busily engaged to notice it, nor

would he have bothered if he had. The bottom of the trunk was littered

with old letters and programs and operatic scores. He wrapped the gloves

in a newspaper and got away without being seen. He was as happy as a boy

who had discovered an opening in the fence between him and the apple

orchard. He was rather astonished to see Courtlandt kneeling in the

clover-patch, hunting for a four-leaf clover. It was patent that the young

man was not troubled with nerves.

"Here!" he cried, bruskly, tossing over a pair of gloves. "If this method

of settling the dispute isn't satisfactory, I'll accept your

explanations."

For reply Courtlandt stood up and stripped to his undershirt. He drew on

the gloves and laced them with the aid of his teeth. Then he kneaded them

carefully. The two men eyed each other a little more respectfully than

they had ever done before.

"This single court is about as near as we can make it. The man who steps

outside is whipped."

"I agree," said Courtlandt.

"No rounds with rests; until one or the other is outside. Clean breaks.

That's about all. Now, put up your dukes and take a man's licking. I

thought you were your father's son, but I guess you are like the rest of

'em, hunters of women."

Courtlandt laughed and stepped to the middle of the court. Harrigan did

not waste any time. He sent in a straight jab to the jaw, but Courtlandt

blocked it neatly and countered with a hard one on Harrigan's ear, which

began to swell.

"Fine!" growled Harrigan. "You know something about the game. It won't be

as if I was walloping a baby." He sent a left to the body, but the right

failed to reach his man.

For some time Harrigan jabbed and swung and upper-cut; often he reached

his opponent's body, but never his face. It worried him a little to find

that he could not stir Courtlandt more than two or three feet. Courtlandt

never followed up any advantage, thus making Harrigan force the fighting,

which was rather to his liking. But presently it began to enter his mind

convincingly that apart from the initial blow, the younger man was working

wholly on the defensive. As if he were afraid he might hurt him! This

served to make the old fellow furious. He bored in right and left, left

and right, and Courtlandt gave way, step by step until he was so close to

the line that he could see it from the corner of his eye. This glance,

swift as it was, came near to being his undoing. Harrigan caught him with

a terrible right on the jaw. It was a glancing blow, otherwise the fight

would have ended then and there. Instantly he lurched forward and clenched

before the other could add the finishing touch.

The two pushed about, Harrigan fiercely striving to break the younger

man's hold. He was beginning to breathe hard besides. A little longer, and

his blows would lack the proper steam. Finally Courtlandt broke away of

his own accord. His head buzzed a little, but aside from that he had

recovered. Harrigan pursued his tactics and rushed. But this time there

was an offensive return. Courtlandt became the aggressor. There was no

withstanding him. And Harrigan fairly saw the end; but with that

indomitable pluck which had made him famous in the annals of the ring, he

kept banging away. The swift cruel jabs here and there upon his body began

to tell. Oh, for a minute's rest and a piece of lemon on his parched

tongue! Suddenly Courtlandt rushed him tigerishly, landing a jab which

closed Harrigan's right eye. Courtlandt dropped his hands, and stepped

back. His glance traveled suggestively to Harrigan's feet. He was outside

the "ropes."

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Harrigan, for losing my temper."

"What's the odds? I lost mine. You win." Harrigan was a true sportsman. He

had no excuses to offer. He had dug the pit of humiliation with his own

hands. He recognized this as one of two facts. The other was, that had

Courtlandt extended himself, the battle would have lasted about one

minute. It was gall and wormwood, but there you were.

"And now, you ask for explanations. Ask your daughter to make them."

Courtlandt pulled off the gloves and got into his clothes. "You may add,

sir, that I shall never trouble her again with my unwelcome attentions. I

leave for Milan in the morning." Courtlandt left the field of victory

without further comment.

"Well, what do you think of that?" mused Harrigan, as he stooped over to

gather up the gloves. "Any one would say that he was the injured party.

I'm in wrong on this deal somewhere. I'll ask Miss Nora a question or

two."

It was not so easy returning. He ran into his wife. He tried to dodge her,

but without success.

"James, where did you get that black eye?" tragically.

"It's a daisy, ain't it, Molly?" pushing past her into Nora's room and

closing the door after him.

"Father!"

"That you, Nora?" blinking.

"Father, if you have been fighting with _him_, I'll never forgive you."

"Forget it, Nora. I wasn't fighting. I only thought I was."

He raised the lid of the trunk and cast in the gloves haphazard. And then

he saw the paper which had fallen out. He picked it up and squinted at it,

for he could not see very well. Nora was leaving the room in a temper.

"Going, Nora?"

"I am. And I advise you to have your dinner in your room."

Alone, he turned on the light. It never occurred to him that he might be

prying into some of Nora's private correspondence. He unfolded the

parchment and held it under the light. For a long time he stared at the

writing, which was in English, at the date, at the names. Then he quietly

refolded it and put it away for future use, immediate future use.

"This is a great world," he murmured, rubbing his ear tenderly.