Out of the Primitive Part 56

"Mr. Blake! He has told me how resolute you are. You must not give up!

I'm certain Vievie likes you. If only mamma hadn't meddled! She's always messing things. It's just because she can't realize I'm in long frocks. If--if only she had seen how much grander it would be to make herself the mother-in-law of an earl, instead of a mere aunt-in-law!"

Blake's face darkened morosely. "That's the way things are--misdeal all around. Your mother is right. You've lost out; I've lost out. What's the use?"

"Surely you're not going to give up?" she demanded.

"I've never before been called a quitter; but--sooner I get out from between her and Jimmy, the better," he rejoined, and turning on his heel, he started toward the door by which Ashton had left.

"But, Mr. Blake," she urged, "wait. I wish to tell you--"

"No use," he broke in, without turning or stopping.

She was about to dart after him, when the door opened, and Ashton entered, carrying a bottle of champagne and a gla.s.s. He nodded familiarly to Blake and approached him with an air of easy good-fellowship.

Blake saw only the gla.s.s and the bottle. He glared at them, his face convulsed with fierce craving. Then he forced himself to avert his gaze. But as he started to turn aside, his jaw clenched and his eyes burned with a sudden desperate resolve. He stopped and waited, his face as hard as a granite mask. Dolores did not see his expression. She was eying Ashton, whom she sought to crush with her scorn.

"Ho!" she jeered. "So you're going to drown your sorrows in the flowing bowl. You ought to've remembered that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

To better show her contempt, she turned her back on him.

He instantly stepped forward beside Blake and began pouring out a gla.s.s of the champagne. He smiled suavely, but his eyes narrowed, and his full lower lip twisted askew.

"Look here, Blake," he began, "I know you're on the water-wagon; but you have it in for me for some reason, and I want to make it up with you. Take a gla.s.s of fizz with me."

Dolores whirled about and saw him with the gla.s.s of sparkling wine outreached to Blake, who was eying it with a peculiar oblique gaze.

"Lafayette Ashton!" she cried. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?--aren't you ashamed?"

Ashton shrugged cynically, and urged the wine on Blake. "Come on! One gla.s.s wouldn't hurt a fly. I've heard of your wonderful success with the Zariba Dam. I want to congratulate you."

"Congratulate--that's it!" replied Blake, in a harsh, strained voice.

"Best man wins. Loser gets out of the way. All right. I'll take the short-cut."

He reached out his bandaged right hand to take the gla.s.s. Dolores darted toward him, crying out shrilly in horrified protest: "Stop!

stop! Mr. Blake! Think what you're doing!"

"I know what I'm doing," he said taking the gla.s.s and facing her with a smile that brought tears of pity to her eyes. "Your mother is right.

I'm in your cousin's way. I'm going to get out of her way, and I'm going to do it in a fashion that'll rid her of me for keeps. h.e.l.l is nearer than Alaska."

"Wait! wait!" she cried, as he raised the gla.s.s to his lips. "For her sake, don't. Wait!"

"For her sake!" he rejoined, still with that heart-rending smile.

"Here's to her and to him--congratulations!"

He tossed down the wine at a swallow before she could clutch his upraised arm.

She turned upon Ashton, in a fury of scorn and anger. "You--you beast!"

"Why, what's the matter?" he protested, feigning innocence. "What's the harm in a gla.s.s of fizz?"

"You knew!" she cried, pressing upon him so fiercely that he gave back.

"You knew what it means for him to drink anything--a single drop! You scoundrel!"

"There, now, Miss Dolores!" soothed Blake, patting her on the shoulder.

"What's the use of telling him what he is? He knows it as well as we do. Anyhow, I didn't have to take the drink. I'm the only one to blame."

"Oh, Mr. Blake! how could you? How could you?" she cried.

"It was easy enough--doing it for her," he answered.

"For her! How can you say it?"

"Well, it's done now. Good-bye. I'm not likely to see you again soon.

It's a long trip from h.e.l.l to heaven," he explained with grim humor.

Great as was his fort.i.tude, she caught a glimpse of the anguish behind his mask. But his tone, as he swung Ashton around, repulsed her. "Come on, Mephistopheles. You've turned the trick. We've less than three hours before daylight. It's whiskey straight we're after."

CHAPTER XXIX

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

Not unnaturally Dolores failed to realize at once the utter ruin that Blake had brought upon himself by overthrowing the pillars of his temple. She was too intent upon her own tragedy. With Blake out of the way, Lord James would of course have no difficulty in winning Genevieve. There was now no hope for her.

She flung herself down in a chair, with a childlike wail. "Why did he do it? Oh! why did he do it? Oh, Jimmy! you'll never look at me now! If only I could _hurt_ mamma!"

She bent over, weeping with bitter grief and anger.

She was still sobbing and crying when, sometime later, Lord James slipped hastily in from the cardroom. He closed the door swiftly and hurried toward the table, his eyes widening with his attempt to see clearly in the half light of the library.

"Tom, old man!" he called eagerly. "I'm now free to see you home. We'll slip out the side entrance--" He stopped short, perceiving that the big chair was empty, and that the figure in the chair across was not a man's.

"Er--beg pardon!" he stammered. "I--er--expected to find my friend here. Believe me, I would not have intruded--"

"So you d--don't consider me a friend!" retorted Dolores, vainly striving to hide her grief under a scornful tone.

"Miss Gantry!" he exclaimed. "Is it you?"

"It's not Vievie, that's certain. The sooner you run along and mind your business, the better."

"Miss Dolores, I--I really can't see why you hold such a dislike to me.

I'll go immediately. I hadn't the remotest idea of intruding. You'll believe that? Only, y'know, I left Tom--Mr. Blake--in here. I came to go home with him. He was quite knocked-up. He should not have come to-night."

"You knew it!--you knew it, and left him in here alone!"

"Why, what do you mean, Miss Dolores? You alarm me! I left him asleep--fancied he'd not be disturbed in here--that an hour or so of sleep would freshen him up for the drive home."