the glimpses of the moon-第31部分

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well；　that　proved　how　much　he　cared　for　her；　how　necessary　to

his　happiness　she　had　become。　　The　sense　of　power　was　undeniably

pleasant；　pleasanter　still　was　the　feeling　that　someone　really

needed　her；　that　the　happiness　of　the　man　at　her　side　depended

on　her　yes　or　no。　　She　abandoned　herself　to　the　feeling；

forgetting　the　abysmal　interval　of　his　caress；　or　at　least

saying　to　herself　that　in　time　she　would　forget　it；　that　really

there　was　nothing　to　make　a　fuss　about　in　being　kissed　by　anyone

she　liked　as　much　as　Streff　。。。。



She　had　guessed　at　once　why　he　was　taking　her　to　see　the

Reynoldses。　　Fashionable　and　artistic　Paris　had　recently

discovered　English　eighteenth　century　art。　　The　principal

collections　of　England　had　yielded　up　their　best　examples　of　the

great　portrait　painter's　work；　and　the　private　view　at　the　Petit

Palais　was　to　be　the　social　event　of　the　afternoon。　　Everybody

Strefford's　everybody　and　Susy'swas　sure　to　be　there；　and

these；　as　she　knew；　were　the　occasions　that　revived　Strefford's

intermittent　interest　in　art。　　He　really　liked　picture　shows　as

much　as　the　races；　if　one　could　be　sure　of　seeing　as　many　people

there。　　With　Nick　how　different　it　would　have　been！　　Nick　hated

openings　and　varnishing　days；　and　worldly　aesthetics　in　general；

he　would　have　waited　till　the　tide　of　fashion　had　ebbed；　and

slipped　off　with　Susy　to　see　the　pictures　some　morning　when　they

were　sure　to　have　the　place　to　themselves。



But　Susy　divined　that　there　was　another　reason　for　Strefford's

suggestion。　　She　had　never　yet　shown　herself　with　him　publicly；

among　their　own　group　of　people：　　now　he　had　determined　that　she

should　do　so；　and　she　knew　why。　　She　had　humbled　his　pride；　he

had　understood；　and　forgiven　her。　　But　she　still　continued　to

treat　him　as　she　had　always　treated　the　Strefford　of　old；

Charlie　Strefford；　dear　old　negligible　impecunious　Streff；　and

he　wanted　to　show　her；　ever　so　casually　and　adroitly；　that　the

man　who　had　asked　her　to　marry　him　was　no　longer　Strefford；　but

Lord　Altringham。



At　the　very　threshold；　his　Ambassador's　greeting　marked　the

difference：　　it　was　followed；　wherever　they　turned；　by

ejaculations　of　welcome　from　the　rulers　of　the　world　they　moved

in。　　Everybody　rich　enough　or　titled　enough；　or　clever　enough　or

stupid　enough；　to　have　forced　a　way　into　the　social　citadel；　was

there；　waving　and　flag…flying　from　the　battlements；　and　to　all

of　them　Lord　Altringham　had　become　a　marked　figure。　　During

their　slow　progress　through　the　dense　mass　of　important　people

who　made　the　approach　to　the　pictures　so　well　worth　fighting

for；　he　never　left　Susy's　side；　or　failed　to　make　her　feel

herself　a　part　of　his　triumphal　advance。　　She　heard　her　name

mentioned：　　〃Lansinga　Mrs。　Lansingan　American　。。。　Susy

Lansing？　　Yes；　of　course　。。。。　　You　remember　her？　　At　Newport；　At

St。　Moritz？　　Exactly。。。。　　Divorced　already？　　They　say　so　。。。

Susy　darling！　　I'd　no　idea　you　were　here　。。。　and　Lord

Altringham！　　You've　forgotten　me；　I　know；　Lord　Altringham　。。。。

Yes；　last　year；　in　Cairo　。。。　or　at　Newport　。。。　or　in　Scotland

。。。　Susy；　dearest；　when　will　you　bring　Lord　Altringham　to　dine？

Any　night　that　you　and　he　are　free　I'll　arrange　to　be　。。。。〃



〃You　and　he〃：　　they　were　〃you　and　he〃　already！



〃Ah；　there's　one　of　themof　my　great…grandmothers；〃　Strefford

explained；　giving　a　last　push　that　drew　him　and　Susy　to　the

front　rank；　before　a　tall　isolated　portrait　which；　by　sheer

majesty　of　presentment；　sat　in　its　great　carved　golden　frame　as

on　a　throne　above　the　other　pictures。



Susy　read　on　the　scroll　beneath　it：　　〃The　Hon'ble　Diana　Lefanu；

fifteenth　Countess　of　Altringham〃and　heard　Strefford　say：　　〃Do

you　remember？　　It　hangs　where　you　noticed　the　empty　space　above

the　mantel…piece；　in　the　Vandyke　room。　　They　say　Reynolds

stipulated　that　it　should　be　put　with　the　Vandykes。〃



She　had　never　before　heard　him　speak　of　his　possessions；　whether

ancestral　or　merely　material；　in　just　that　full　and　satisfied

tone　of　voice：　　the　rich　man's　voice。　　She　saw　that　he　was

already　feeling　the　influence　of　his　surroundings；　that　he　was

glad　the　portrait　of　a　Countess　of　Altringham　should　occupy　the

central　place　in　the　principal　room　of　the　exhibition；　that　the

crowd　about　it　should　be　denser　there　than　before　any　of　the

other　pictures；　and　that　he　should　be　standing　there　with　Susy；

letting　her　feel；　and　letting　all　the　people　about　them　guess；

that　the　day　she　chose　she　could　wear　the　same　name　as　his

pictured　ancestress。



On　the　way　back　to　her　hotel；　Strefford　made　no　farther　allusion

to　their　future；　they　chatted　like　old　comrades　in　their

respective　corners　of　the　taxi。　　But　as　the　carriage　stopped　at

her　door　he　said：　　〃I　must　go　back　to　England　the　day　after　to…

morrow；　worse　luck！　　Why　not　dine　with　me　to…night　at　the

Nouveau　Luxe？　　I've　got　to　have　the　Ambassador　and　Lady　Ascot；

with　their　youngest　girl　and　my　old　Dunes　aunt；　the　Dowager

Duchess；　who's　over　here　hiding　from　her　creditors；　but　I'll　try

to　get　two　or　three　amusing　men　to　leaven　the　lump。　　We　might　go

on　to　a　boite　afterward；　if　you're　bored。　　Unless　the　dancing

amuses　you　more　。。。。〃



She　understood　that　he　had　decided　to　hasten　his　departure

rather　than　linger　on　in　uncertainty；　she　also　remembered　having

heard　the　Ascots'　youngest　daughter；　Lady　Joan　Senechal；　spoken

of　as　one　of　the　prettiest　girls　of　the　season；　and　she　recalled

the　almost　exaggerated　warmth　of　the　Ambassador's　greeting　at

the　private　view。



〃Of　course　I'll　come；　Streff　dear！〃　she　cried；　with　an　effort　at

gaiety　that　sounded　successful　to　her　own　strained　ears；　and

reflected　itself　in　the　sudden　lighting　up　of　his　face。



She　waved　a　good…bye　from　the　step；　saying　to　herself；　as　she

looked　after　him：　　〃He'll　drive　me　home　to…night；　and　I　shall

say　'yes'；　and　then　he'll　kiss　me　again。　But　the　next　time　it

won't　be　nearly　as　disagreeable。〃



She　turned　into　the　hotel；　glanced　automatically　at　the　empty

pigeon…hole　for　letters　under　her　key…hook；　and　mounted　the

stairs　following　the　same　train　of　images。　　〃Yes；　I　shall　say

'yes'　to…night；〃　she　repeated　firmly；　her　hand　on　the　door　of

her　room。　　〃That　is；　unless；　they've　brought　up　a　letter　。。。。〃

She　never　re…entered　the　hotel　without　imagining　that　the　letter

she　had　not　found　below　had　already　been　brought　up。



Opening　the　door；　she　turned　on　the　light　and　sprang　to　the

table　on　which　her　correspondence　sometimes　awaited　her。



There　was　no　letter；　but　the　morning　papers；　still　unread；　lay

at　hand；　and　glancing　listlessly　down　the　column　which

chronicles　the　doings　of　society；　she　read：



〃After　an　extended　cruise　in　the　AEgean　and　the　Black　Sea　on

their　steam…yacht　Ibis；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Mortimer　Hicks　and　their

daughter　are　established　at　the　Nouveau　Luxe　in　Rome。　　They　have

lately　had　the　honour　of　entertaining　at　dinner　the　Reigning

Prince　of　Teutoburger…Waldhain　and　his　mother　the　Princess

Dowager；　with　their　suite。　　Among　those　invited　to　meet　their

Serene　Highnesses　were　the　French　and　Spanish　Ambassadors；　the

Duchesse　de　Vichy；　Prince　and　Princess　Bagnidilucca；　Lady

Penelope　Pantiles〃　Susy's　eye　flew　impatiently　on　over　the

long　list　of　titles〃and　Mr。　Nicholas　Lansing　of　New　York；　who

has　been　cruising　with　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Hicks　on　the　Ibis　for　the

last　few　months。〃







XX



THE　Mortimer　Hickses　were　in　Rome；　not；　as　they　would　in　former

times　have　been；　in　one　of　the　antiquated　hostelries　of　the

Piazza　di　Spagna　or　the　Porta　del　Popolo；　where　of　old　they　had

so　gaily　defied　fever　and　nourished　themselves　on　local　colour；

but　spread　out；　with　all　the　ostentation　of　philistine

millionaires；　under　the　piano　nobile　ceilings　of　one　of　the

high…perched　〃Palaces；〃　where；　as　Mrs。　Hicks　shamelessly

declared；　they　could　〃rely　on　the　plumbing；〃　and　〃have　the

privilege　of　over…looking　the　Queen　Mother's　Gardens。〃



It　was　that　speech；　uttered　with　beaming　aplomb　at　a　dinner…

table　surrounded　by　the　cosmopolitan　nobility　of　the　Eternal

City；　that　had　suddenly　revealed　to　Lansing　the　profound　change

in　the　Hicks　point　of　view。



As　he　looked　back　over　the　four　months　since　he　had　so

unexpectedly　joined　the　Ibis　at　Genoa；　he　saw　that　the　change；

at　first　insidious　and　unperceived；　dated　from　the　ill…fated　day

when　the　Hickses　had　run　across　a　Reigning　Prince　on　his

travels。



Hitherto　they　had　been　proof　against　such　perils：　　both　Mr。　and

Mrs。　Hicks　had　often　declared　that　the　aristocracy　of　the

intellect　was　the　only　one　which　attracted　them。　　But　in　this

case　the　Prince　possessed　an　intellect；　in　addition　to　his　few

square　miles　of　territory；　and　to　one　of　the　most　beautiful

Field　Marshal's　uniforms　that　had　ever　encased　a　royal　warrior。

The　Prince　was　not　a　warrior；　however；　he　was　stooping；　pacific

and　spectacled；　and　his　possession　of　the　uniform　had　been

revealed　to　Mrs。　Hicks　only　by　the　gift　of　a　full…length

photograph　in　a　Bond　Street　frame；　with　Anastasius　written

slantingly　across　its　legs。　　The　Princeand　herein　lay　the

Hickses'　undoingthe　Prince　was　an　archaeologist：　　an　earnest

anxious　enquiring　and　scrupulous　archaeologist。　　Delicate　health

（so　his　suite　hinted）　banished　him　for　a　part　of　each　year　from

his　cold　and　foggy　principality；　and　in　the　company　of　his

mother；　the　active　and　enthusiastic　Dowager　Princess；　he

wandered　from　one　Mediterranean　shore　to　another；　now　assisting

at　the　exhumation　of　Ptolemaic　mummies；　now　at　the　excavation　of

Delphic　temples　or　of　North　African　basilicas。　　The　beginning　of

winter　usually　brought　the　Prince　and　his　mother　to　Rome　or

Nice；　unless　indeed　they　were　summoned　by　family　duties　to

Berlin；　Vienna　or　Madrid；　for　an　extended　connection　with　the

principal　royal　houses　of　Europe　compelled　them；　as　the　Princess

Mother　said；　to　be　always　burying　or　marrying　a　cousin。　　At

other　moments　they　were　seldom　s