Black Oxen Part 10

"And suppose she turned me down--which, no doubt, she would do. I'm not hunting for tragedy."

"I've an idea she won't. While you've been talking I've written out the whole story in my mind. For that matter, I began it last Monday night when I saw you two whispering together. I was in the box just above--if you noticed! And I watched her face. It was something more than politely interested."

"Oh, she looked the same when she was talking to Din and Osborne that night at dinner. She is merely a woman of the world who has had scores of men in love with her and is young enough to be interested in any young man who doesn't bore her. To say nothing of keeping her hand in... . But there is something else." He moved restlessly. "She seems to me to be compounded of strength, force, power. She emanates, exudes it. I'm afraid of being afraid of her. I prefer to be stronger than my wife."

"Don't flatter yourself. Women are always stronger than their husbands, unless they are the complete idiot or man-crazy. Neither type would appeal to you. The average woman--all the millions of her--has a moral force and strength of character and certain shrewd mental qualities, however unintellectual, that dominate a man every time. This woman has all that and more--a thousand times more. A mighty good thing if she would take you in hand. She'd be the making of you, for you'd learn things about men and women and life--and yourself--that you've never so much as guessed. And then you'd write a play that would set the town on fire. That's all you need. Even if she treated you badly the result would be the same. Life has been much too kind to you, Clavey, and your little disappointments have been so purely romantic that only your facile emotions have played about like amiable puppies on the roof of your pa.s.sions. It's time the lava began to boil and the lid blew off. Your creative tract would get a ploughing up and a fertilizing as a natural sequence. Your plays would no longer be mere models of architecture. I am not an amiable altruist. I don't long to see you happy. I'm rather inclined to hate this woman who will end by infatuating you, for of course that would be the last I'd ever see of you. But I'm an artist and I believe that art is really all that is worth living for. I want you to do great work, and I want you to be a really great figure in New York instead of a merely notable one."

"You've both taken the conceit out of me and bucked me up... . But I want you to meet her, and I don't know how to bring it about. I have an idea that your instinct would get somewhere near the truth."

"Suppose I give a party, and, a day or two before, you ask her casually if she would like to come--or put it to her in any way you think best.

n.o.body calls these days, but I have an idea she would. People of that type rarely renounce the formalities. Then, if I'm really clever, I'll make her think she'd like to see me again and she will be at home when I return her call. Do you think you could work it?"

"It's possible. I've roused her curiosity about our crowd and I'll plant a few more seeds. Yes, I think she'll come. When will you have it?"

"A week from Sat.u.r.day."

"Good. You're a brick, Gora. And don't imagine you'll ever get rid of me. If she is unique, so are you. This fireside will always be a magnet."

Miss Dwight merely smiled.

XVI

Clavering walked rapidly toward Mr. Dinwiddie's club. He was in no haste to be alone with himself, although he should have been at his desk an hour ago. But it was time Dinwiddie had some news for him.

The club was deserted as far as he was concerned and he went on to Mr.

Dinwiddie's rooms in Forty-eighth Street. There he found his friend in dressing-gown and slippers, one bandaged foot on a stool.

"Gout?" he asked with the callousness of youth. "Wondered why I hadn't heard from you."

"I've tried to get you no less than four times on the telephone."

"When I'm at work I leave orders downstairs to let my telephone alone, and I've been walking a lot."

"Well, sit down and smoke. Standing round makes me nervous. You look nervous yourself. Been working too hard?"

"Yes. Think of taking a run down to Florida."

"Perhaps I'll go with you. But I've something to tell you. That's the reason I called you up----"

"Well?"

"Don't snap my head off. Got a touch of dyspepsia?"

"No, I haven't. If you had to turn out a column a day you'd be nervous too."

"Well, take a vacation----"

"What have you found out?"

"It took me a week to get in touch with Harry Thornhill, but he finally consented to see me. He's lived buried among books for the last twenty years. His wife and two children were killed in a railway collision----"

"What the devil do I care about Harry Thornhill!"

"You're a selfish young beggar, but I would have cared as little at your age. Well--a cousin of his, Maynard Thornhill, did move to Virginia some thirty-five years ago, married, and had a family, then moved on to Paris and remained there until both he and his wife died.

Beyond that he could tell me nothing. They weren't on particularly cordial terms and he never looked the family up when he went over. Has Madame Zattiany ever said anything about brothers and sisters?"

"Not a word."

"Probably married and settled in Europe somewhere, or wiped out. You might ask her."

"I'll ask her no more questions."

"Been snubbing you?"

"On the contrary, she's been uncommonly decent. I got rather strung up the last time I was there and asked her so many leading questions that she'd have been justified in showing me out of the house."

"You impertinent young scamp. But manners have changed since my day.

What did she tell you?"

"Nothing. I'm as much in the dark as ever. What have you found out about Josef Zattiany?"

"Something, but not quite enough. I met an Austrian, Countess Loyos, at dinner the other night and asked her about the Zattianys. She said the family was a large one with many branches, but she had a vague idea that a Josef Zattiany was killed in the war. Whether he was married or not, she had no idea... ."

Clavering stood up suddenly and looked down on Mr. Dinwiddie, who was smiling less triumphantly than ruefully. "Well?" he asked sharply.

"Well?"

"I see you've caught it. It's rather odd, isn't it, that this Austrian lady, who has lived her life in Viennese Society, knows nothing apparently of any young and beautiful Countess Zattiany? I didn't give her a hint of the truth, for I certainly shall not be the one to loose the bloodhounds on this charming young woman, whoever she may be. Told her that I recalled having met a very young and handsome countess of that name in Europe before the war and wondered what had become of her... . But somebody else may let them loose any moment. A good many people are interested in her already."

"Well, they can't do anything to her. She's a right to call herself whatever she likes, and she asks no favors. But I'd like to hypnotize Judge Trent and get the truth out of him. He knows, d.a.m.n him!"

"He's laying up trouble for himself if he's pa.s.sing off an impostor--letting her get possession of Mary's money. I cannot understand Trent. He's a fool about women, but he's the soul of honor, and has one of the keenest legal minds in the state. That she has fooled him is unthinkable."

"He knows, and is in some way justified. Madame Zattiany _must_ have your friend's power of attorney. That's positive. And there is no doubt that Countess Zattiany--Mary Ogden--is in some sanitarium in Vienna, hopelessly ill. She let that out."

"Poor Mary! Is that true?"

"I'm afraid it is ... perhaps ... that _may_ be it... ."

"What are you talking about?"

"When she was mocking my curiosity she suggested that she might have been an actress and won the confidence of Countess Zattiany owing to the resemblance. It struck me as fantastic, but who knows? ...

Still, why should she use the name Zattiany even if your friend did give her the power of attorney ... unless ..." he recalled Gora's suggestion, "she is out for a lark."

"Lark? She hasn't tried to meet people. I can't see any point in your idea. Absurd. And that woman is no actress. She is _grande dame_ born and bred."