The Girl Philippa. Chambers Robert William

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ "Why must I? I have never done anything wrong – "

      "Did you hear what I said? Do you want to see Jacques in Noumea?"

      "No," she said sullenly.

      "Then do what I tell you, or, by God, they'll ship him there and me too!"

      And he clasped his hands behind his back, peered sideways at her, shrugged, and went shuffling out of the enclosure.

      Groups at various tables were singing and shouting; the floor seethed with sweating dancers. On the edge of this vortex the girl Philippa, from her high chair, looked darkly across the tumult toward the table where Halkett sat.

      Something seemed to be happening there; she could see Wildresse gesticulating vigorously; she saw Warner making his way toward his friend, who was seated alone at a table, a lighted cigarette balanced between his fingers and one arm thrown carelessly around the back of the chair on which he sat.

      He was looking coolly but steadily at three men who occupied the table next to him; Wildresse now stood between the two tables, and his emphatic gesticulations were apparently directed toward these three men; but in the uproar, and although he also appeared to be shouting, what he was saying remained inaudible.

      Warner went over and seated himself beside Halkett; and now he could distinguish the harsh voice of the Patron raised in irritation:

      "No politics! I'll not suffer political disputes in my cabaret!" he bawled. "Quarrels arise from such controversies. I'll have no quarrels in my place. Now, Messieurs, un peu de complaisance!"

      One of the men he was exhorting leaned wide in his seat and looked insolently across at Halkett.

      "It was the Englishman's fault," he retorted threateningly. "I and my friends here had been speaking of the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand in Serajevo. We were conversing peaceably and privately among ourselves, when that Englishman laughed at us – "

      "You are mistaken," said Halkett quietly.

      "Did you not laugh?" cried the second of the men at the next table.

      "Yes, but not at what you were saying. I'm sorry if you thought so – "

      The man half rose in his chair, exclaiming:

      "Why shouldn't I think it natural for an Englishman to laugh at the murder of an Austrian arch-duke – "

      "Stop that discussion!" cried Wildresse, angrily jerking his heavy head from Halkett to the three men at the other table. "Let it rest where it is, I tell you! The English gentleman says he did not laugh at what you were saying. Nom de Dieu! Nobody well brought up laughs at murder!" And to Halkett and Warner: "Be amiable enough, gentlemen, to carry this misunderstanding no further. I've had sufficient trouble with the police in my time."

      Warner laid one hand lightly on Halkett's arm.

      "All right," he said to Wildresse; "no trouble shall originate with us." And, to Halkett, in a lowered voice: "Have you an idea that those men over there are trying to force a quarrel?"

      "Of course."

      "Have you ever seen them before?"

      "Not one of them."

      Warner's lips scarcely moved as he said:

      "Is it the matter of the envelope?"

      "I think so. And, Warner, I don't intend to drag you into any – "

      "Wait. Are you armed?"

      Halkett shook his head.

      "That's no good," he said. "I can't afford to do anything conspicuous. If I'm involved with the authorities I'm done for, and I might just as well be knocked on the head." After a moment he added: "I think perhaps you'd better say good-by to me now, Warner – "

      "Why?"

      "Because, if they manage to force a quarrel, I don't mean to have you involved – "

      "Do you really expect me to run away?" asked Warner, laughing.

      Halkett looked up at him with a faint smile:

      "I'm under very heavy obligations to you already – "

      "You are coming to Saïs with me."

      "Thanks so much, but – "

      "Come on, Halkett. I'm not going to leave you here."

      "My dear chap, I'll wriggle out somehow. I've done it before. After all, they may not mean mischief."

      Warner turned and looked across at the three men. Two were whispering together; the third, arms folded, was staring truculently at Halkett out of his light blue eyes.

      Warner turned his head and said quietly to Halkett:

      "I take two of them to be South Germans or Austrians. The other might be Alsatian. Do any of these possible nationalities worry you?"

      "Exactly," said Halkett coolly.

      "In other words, any trouble you may expect is likely to come from Germans?"

      "That's about it."

      Warner lighted a cigarette.

      "Shall we try a quiet getaway?" he asked.

      "No; I'll look out for myself. Clear out, Warner, there's a good fellow – "

      "Don't ask me to do a thing that you wouldn't do," retorted Warner sharply. "Come on; I'm going to drive you to Saïs."

      Halkett flushed.

      "I shan't forget how decent you've been," he said. They summoned the waiter, paid the reckoning, rose, and walked leisurely toward the door.

      At the caissière's desk they turned aside to say good-night to Philippa.

      The girl looked up from her accounts, pencil poised, gazing at Warner.

      "Au revoir, Philippa," he said, smilingly.

      The girl's serious features relaxed; she nodded to him gayly, turned, still smiling, to include Halkett. And instantly a swift change altered her face; she half rose from her chair, arm outstretched.

      "What is that man doing behind you!" she cried out – too late to avert what she saw coming. For the man close behind Halkett had dexterously passed a silk handkerchief across his throat from behind and had jerked him backward; and, like lightning, two other men appeared on either side of him, tore his coat wide, and thrust their hands into his breast pockets.

      Warner pivoted on his heel and swung hard on the man with the silk handkerchief, driving him head-on into the table behind, which fell with a crash of glassware. Halkett, off his balance, fell on top of the table, dragging with him one of the men whose hand had become entangled in his breast pocket.

      The people who had been seated at the table were hurled right and left among the neighboring tables; a howl of anger and protest burst from the crowd; there came a shout of "Cochon!" – a rush to see what had happened; people mounted on chairs, waiters arrived, running. Out of the mêlée Halkett wriggled and rose, coughing, his features still crimson from СКАЧАТЬ