Mr. Marx's Secret by E. Phillips Oppenheim

  CHAPTER XLIII. ABOUT TOWN.

  We passed up the heavily-carpeted steps into the central hall of thehotel. The Count stopped for a moment to inquire for letters at the chiefporter's bureau, and as we turned away we came face to face with LordLangerdale.

  He hesitated when he saw us together, but only for a moment. Then headvanced with a genial smile upon his well-cut, handsome face.

  "You're the very man I wanted to see, de Cartienne," he said. "I supposeyou know your young friend's name by this time? Will you introduce us?"

  The Count looked distinctly annoyed, but he complied at once.

  "Lord Langerdale," he said coldly, "this is Mr. Morton. Mr. Morton--LordLangerdale."

  Lord Langerdale held out his hand frankly and drew me a little on oneside, although not out of the Count's hearing.

  "Mr. Morton," he said pleasantly, "I am going to make a somewhatextraordinary request. My only excuse for it is a lady's will, and whenyou reach my age you will know that it is a thing by no means to belightly regarded. My wife has been very much impressed by what she termsa marvellous likeness between you and--and a very near relative of herswhom she had lost sight of for a long while. She is most anxious to makeyour acquaintance. May I have the honour of presenting you to her?"

  For a moment my head swam. The likeness of Lady Langerdale to my mother,and then this strange fancy on her part! What if they should be somethingmore than coincidences? The very thought was bewildering. But how couldit be? No; the thing was impossible. Still, the request was couched insuch terms that there could be but one answer.

  "I shall be extremely pleased!" I declared readily.

  "Then come into the drawing-room for a few minutes, will you?" LordLangerdale said. "Good-night, Eugene! No use asking you to join us, Iknow."

  Count de Cartienne turned on his heel with brow as black as thunder.

  "Good-night, Lord Langerdale!" he said stiffly; "Good-night, Mr. Morton!"

  "But I am coming with you, you know!" I exclaimed, surprised at hismanner. "Couldn't you wait for me five minutes?"

  "It is impossible!" he answered shortly; "we are late already! Mycarriage must have been waiting half an hour. I had no idea of the time."

  It was rather an embarrassing moment for me. The Count evidently expectedme to keep my engagement with him, and would be offended if I did not doso. On the other hand, Lord Langerdale was waiting to take me to hiswife, and, from the slight frown with which he was regarding deCartienne, I judged that he did not approve of his interference.

  Inclination prompted me strongly to throw my engagement with the Count tothe winds and to place myself under Lord Langerdale's guidance. But,after all, the sole purpose of my journey to London was to discover Mr.Marx, and if I neglected this opportunity I might lose sight of the onlyman who could help me in my search. Clearly, therefore, my duty was tofulfil my prior engagement.

  "If M. de Cartienne cannot wait," I said regretfully, "I am afraid, LordLangerdale, that the pleasure you offer me must be deferred. Would LadyLangerdale allow me to call at your rooms to-morrow?"

  Evidently he was displeased, for his manner changed at once.

  "I will leave a note for you with the hall porter," he said."Good-night."

  I turned away with the Count, who preserved a perfectly unmovedcountenance. Before we had taken half a dozen steps, however, he wasaccosted by a gentleman entering the hotel, and, turning round, he beggedme to excuse him for a moment.

  I strolled away by myself, waiting. Suddenly, I felt a light touch on myarm, and, looking round, I found Lord Langerdale by my side.

  "I just want to ask you a question, Mr. Morton, if you'll allow me," hesaid kindly. "Remember that I'm an old man--old enough to be yourfather--and a man of the world, and you are a very young one. You won'tmind a word of advice?"

  "Most certainly not!" I assured him heartily.

  "Well, then, Count de Cartienne is quite a new acquaintance of yours, ishe not?"

  "I never saw him before this evening," I admitted.

  "And you--pardon me, but you look very young, and a great deal too freshand healthy for a town man--you don't know much of London life, do you?"

  "Nothing at all," I answered. "This is my first visit to London, and Ionly arrived this afternoon."

  Lord Langerdale looked very serious.

  "Look here, Mr. Morton," he said earnestly, "I feel sure from your facethat I can trust you, and that what I am going to say you will considerin confidence. I should be the last one to say anything against Eugene deCartienne, for he received a terrible injury from one of my family, or,rather, my wife's family, and I fear that has exercised an evil influenceover his life. But, all the same, I cannot see you, a youngster,perfectly inexperienced, starting out to spend your first night in townwith him without feeling it my duty to tell you that I consider him oneof the most unfortunate and most dangerous companions whom you could havechosen. There! I hope you're not offended?"

  "How could I be?" I answered gratefully. "But I am not going out with himfrom choice, or for the sake of amusement. We are together simplybecause, as far as I know, he is the only man who can solve a mysterywhich I have come up to London to try to clear up."

  Lord Langerdale started, and his manner became almost agitated.

  "This is most extraordinary!" he declared. "Mr. Morton, you must--ah,here comes de Cartienne!" he broke off in a tone of deep annoyance."Breakfast with me to-morrow morning at ten--no, nine o'clock!" he added,in a lower key. "I have something most important to say to you."

  I nodded assent and the Count joined us.

  There was a faint flush on his pale cheeks and his eyes were flashingbrightly, as he looked at us standing close together. It might have beenthe result of his recent conversation, of course; but, coupled with hisfrowning brow and quick, suspicious glance, it looked a great deal morelike a sudden fit of anger at seeing us engaged in what appeared like aconfidential talk. But there was no trace of it in his tone when headdressed us.

  "Really, you two might be conspirators," he said lightly. "Well, Mr.Morton, have you changed your mind, or am I to have the honour of yourcompany this evening?"

  "I am ready to start when you are," I answered. "Good-night once more,Lord Langerdale."

  He shook my hand warmly, nodded to the Count, who returned the salutewith a stiff bow, and left us. We descended into the street, and a verysmall, neat brougham, drawn by a pair of dark, handsome bays, drew up atthe entrance. The coachman's livery was perfectly plain, save that hewore a cockade in his hat, and there was neither coat-of-arms nor crestupon the panel of the door. We stepped inside, and the Count held aspeaking-tube for a moment to his mouth while he consulted his watch.There was no footman.

  "Frivolity Theatre," he directed. And we drove off at a smart pace intothe Strand.

  We reached our destination in a few moments and had no difficulty inobtaining seats. It was all new to me, and I felt a little bewildered asI endeavoured to follow the performance. I soon had enough of that. Thepiece was a screaming farce, vulgar and stupid.

  "I don't think Mr. Marx is here," I whispered to de Cartienne.

  "I don't think he is," was the rejoinder. "I had a good look round forhim when we came in. Have you had enough of this performance? If so,we'll go. I think I know where we shall find Marx."

  "Then let us go at once," I urged.

  We passed out of the theatre into the street, The brougham was therewaiting for us.

  "Jump in!" said the Count, opening the door. "I'm going to tell thefellow where to drive to."

  I obeyed him, and waited for nearly a minute before he had given hisdirections and joined me. Then he took his seat by my side and we drovequickly off.

  "Why did you not use the speaking-tube?" I asked idly.

  He answered without looking at me.

  "It is rather an out-of-the-way place," he said slowly, "and I did notwish the man to make a mistake."