The Place of Honeymoons - Page 113/123

"That is like a woman," the Barone agreed, and he knew something about

them. "And where is this man now?"

"Here," said Courtlandt, pushing back his chair and rising. "I am he." He

turned his back upon them and sought the garden.

Tableau!

"Dash me!" cried the colonel, who, being the least interested personally,

was first to recover his speech.

The Barone drew in his breath sharply. Then he looked at Abbott.

"I suspected it," replied Abbott to the mute question. Since the episode

of that morning his philosophical outlook had broadened. He had fought a

duel and had come out of it with flying colors. As long as he lived he was

certain that the petty affairs of the day were never again going to

disturb him.

"Let him be," was the colonel's suggestion, adding a gesture in the

direction of the casement door through which Courtlandt had gone. "He's as

big a man as Nora is a woman. If he has returned with the determination of

winning her, he will."

They did not see Courtlandt again. After a few minutes of restless

to-and-froing, he proceeded down to the landing, helped himself to the

colonel's motor-boat, and returned to Bellaggio. At the hotel he asked for

the duke, only to be told that the duke and madame had left that morning

for Paris. Courtlandt saw that he had permitted one great opportunity to

slip past. He gave up the battle. One more good look at her, and he would

go away. The odds had been too strong for him, and he knew that he was

broken.

When the motor-boat came back, Abbott and the Barone made use of it also.

They crossed in silence, heavy-hearted.

On landing Abbott said: "It is probable that I shall not see you again

this year. I am leaving to-morrow for Paris. It's a great world, isn't it,

where they toss us around like dice? Some throw sixes and others deuces.

And in this game you and I have lost two out of three."

"I shall return to Rome," replied the Barone. "My long leave of absence is

near its end."

"What in the world can have happened?" demanded Nora, showing the two

notes to Celeste. "Here's Donald going to Paris to-morrow and the Barone

to Rome. They will bid us good-by at tea. I don't understand. Donald was

to remain until we left for America, and the Barone's leave does not end

until October."

"To-morrow?" Dim-eyed, Celeste returned the notes.

"Yes. You play the fourth ballade and I'll sing from Madame. It will

be very lonesome without them." Nora gazed into the wall mirror and gave a

pat or two to her hair.

When the men arrived, it was impressed on Nora's mind that never had she

seen them so amiable toward each other. They were positively friendly. And

why not? The test of the morning had proved each of them to his own

individual satisfaction, and had done away with those stilted mannerisms

that generally make rivals ridiculous in all eyes save their own. The

revelation at luncheon had convinced them of the futility of things in

general and of woman in particular. They were, without being aware of the

fact, each a consolation to the other. The old adage that misery loves

company was never more nicely typified.