The Game and the Candle Part 37

Evidently Theodora knew Adrian, for she answered his smile with trustful friendliness while acknowledging the introduction.

"Monsieur le Baron, I am charmed," she said in her pretty, hesitating French. "This is my cousin, John Leslie Allard, whom I have not seen for many years. We grew up together; and in the pleasure of meeting him again--"

"Thank you, mademoiselle," interposed Adrian. "Let me complete the aid to your halting memory, Dalmorov, and recall in Monsieur Allard my loyal friend of three years' trial, the gentleman who bears the scar and the decorations gained in defense of my life and my cousin's. Several months ago you first hinted at this attack on him. Knowing you very well, I obtained the necessary details from him under a pretext, and myself wrote to Madame Leslie suggesting that she bring mademoiselle here for the coronation. A week ago they arrived at the Hotel Anglais, where I had the pleasure of visiting them one evening." He looked at Allard in cool amus.e.m.e.nt, but it was something very far from amus.e.m.e.nt that rose in the gray eyes in answer to the memories of that evening. "We explained a few details to one another; since then they have been the guests of the Grand d.u.c.h.ess, who promised me secrecy."

"I did not even tell you, Feodor," murmured Iria plaintively.

"Feodor will forgive you," a.s.sured Adrian. "Baron Dalmorov, you have our permission to retire from the capital at once; you are not suited for court life. Unfortunately you have broken no laws. I wish most sincerely that it were in my power to find some excuse for punishing you as I should enjoy; I have no doubt at least one exists. But you may go, and in future avoid the same city with me. That is all; I have waited a long while for to-day."

Stanief turned to Allard, then expressively regarded the man who moved almost gropingly toward the door.

"Shall I give the excuse?" the glance asked.

And Allard's impulsive gesture answered.

"Has he not enough?" flashed the mute return.

The door closed gently.

CHAPTER XX

CLOSED

Beyond, the marble arches, the brilliancy, the color and movement of the vast ball-room; here, the perfumed dusk of the conservatory's mimic garden, lighted by tiny jeweled lamps hung among the flowers. And over both atmospheres the dreamlike enchantment of the strange national music that Adrian loved. Sighing, Allard leaned forward, his eyes delighting in contemplation of the girl opposite.

"To see you like this! Theodora, I have so sorrowfully pictured you as changed, as grieved and saddened out of the brightness I so longed to keep for you. And you are the same, always the same, dear."

She smiled, half-tenderly, half in indulgent mockery.

"But I am not the same, nor are you, John. I am twenty-five instead of nineteen, and much wiser than Theo Leslie used to be. While you--his excellency Monsieur Allard of the imperial household, is somewhat older and much more dignified, and a trifle more interesting. When I see you moving through this court with so much ease, in all your gorgeousness so naturally worn,"--she made a laughing gesture to the gemmed orders--"I think--I think perhaps it is well we have both grown."

The truth of the judgment held him, and sent a startled hope.

"If we have grown nearer, Theo?"

"I have tried to say--that. Can you guess how mamma and I have followed you through scattered newspaper articles and items of European news? How we rejoiced and cried together when you saved the Emperor from death and were yourself wounded, when your name was everywhere? You wrote so seldom, and never to me."

"I thought you must hate me for leaving Robert; I never forgot that."

Her vivid face grew serious, her eyes fell to the fan in her lap.

"I could never have felt so, whatever you had done. John, the last morning he spoke to us, Robert said that for us you had made a sacrifice we could not even conceive. He told us that we must never question you nor seek to know, but that you were above all blame. Perhaps I had already guessed you were not happy, remembering the night before you went away."

"There was never one like Robert," he said, grat.i.tude a pain. "Theodora, I never wondered that you loved him."

She stirred, the faint, familiar sweetness of sandalwood and rose was shaken from her laces by the movement; wide and very soft were the eyes she lifted to his.

"I did not love him, as you meant. John, John, you were wrong."

The conservatory wavered before his gaze; he rose impetuously and she with him.

"Wrong? Then--"

"You, John. Oh, could you not tell a girl's playmate from her lover?

Robert read the truth; and I believe he was glad. John--"

Slowly, almost fearfully, he drew her to his arms.

"Wrong! Oh, Theo, it has all been wrong, and the fault mine! That out of it all should come to-day, my dear, my dear."

Presently she slipped from him, starrily radiant, leaving her hands in his as she looked up.

"Do you know how I found courage to tell you this, John?"

"You knew I loved you all my life."

"But it was so very long, so very long; you might have forgotten or changed. No, it was because the night he came to our hotel, the Emperor told me that you cared for me still. 'That is why I brought you here, mademoiselle,' he said. 'What he gives once, he gives for ever, this Allard of ours.' And so I ventured."

Allard looked out across the flower-draped arches to the ball-room beyond. Stately, self-contained, Stanief was moving down the floor between the parting throngs of guests, the gently glad Iria at his side.

From his seat Adrian leaned forward to watch them, his keen, dark young face softened to a great content.

"When we do wrong, sometimes we are allowed to make our payment, if we try," he said dreamily. "But how can we pay our debt of unearned happiness, Theodora?"

Smiling, she drew nearer.

"You have the man's justice, John; now learn the woman's art of graciousness. Unquestioningly let us accept our gifts."

He turned to her, flushing, and took her hands.

"It is that! Thank you, Theo. The account is closed; the rest--commences."

THE END