第48章

LAVERICK IS CROSS-EXAMINED

One by one the young ladies of the chorus came out from the stage-door of the Universal, in most cases to be assisted into a waiting hansom or taxicab by an attendant cavalier. Laverick stood back in the shadows as much as possible, smiling now and then to himself at this, to him, somewhat novel way of spending the evening.

Zoe was among the last to appear. She came up to him with a delightful little gesture of pleasure, and took his arm as a matter of course as he led her across to the waiting cab.

"This sort of thing is making me feel absurdly young," he declared.

"Luigi's for supper, I suppose?"

"Supper!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Delightful! Two nights following, too! I did love last night.""We had better engage a table at Luigi's permanently," he remarked.

"If only you meant it!" she sighed.

He laughed at her, but he was thoughtful for a few minutes.

Afterwards, when they sat at a small round table in the somewhat Bohemian restaurant which was the fashionable rendezvous of the moment for ladies of the theatrical profession, he asked her a question.

"Tell me what you meant in your note," he begged. "You said that you had some information for me.

"I'm afraid it wasn't anything very much," she admitted. "I found out to-day that some one had been inquiring at the stage-door about me, and whether I was connected in any way with a Mr. Arthur Morrison, the stockbroker.""Do you know who it was?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"The man left no name at all. I tried to get the doorkeeper to tell me about him, but he's such a surly old fellow, and he's so used to that sort of thing, that he pretended he didn't remember anything.""It seems odd," he remarked thoughtfully, "that any one should have found you out. You were so seldom with Morrison. I dare say," he added, "it was just some one to whom your brother owes some small sum of money.""Very likely," she answered. "But I was going to tell you. He came again to-night while the performance was on, and sent a note round.

I have brought it for you to see."

The note - it was really little more than a message - was written on the back of a programme and enclosed in an envelope evidently borrowed from the box-office. It read as follows:

DEAR MISS LENEVEU, I believe that Mr. Arthur Morrison is a connection of yours, and Iam venturing to introduce myself to you as a friend of his. Could you spare me half-an-hour of your company after the performance of this evening? If you could honor me so much, you might perhaps allow me to give you some supper.

Sincerely, PHILIP E. MILES.

Laverick felt an absurd pang of jealousy as he handed back the programme.

"I should say," he declared, "that this was simply some young man who was trying to scrape an acquaintance with you because he was or had been a friend of Morrison's.""In that case," answered Zoe, "he is very soon forgotten."She tore the programme into two pieces, and Laverick was conscious of a ridiculous feeling of pleasure at her indifference.

"If you hear anything more about him," he said, "you might let me know. You are a brave young lady to dismiss your admirers so summarily.""Perhaps I am quite satisfied with one," laughing softly.

Laverick told himself that at his age he was behaving like an idiot, nevertheless his eyes across the table expressed his appreciation of her speech.

"Tell me something about yourself, Mr. Laverick," she begged.

"For instance?"

"First of all, then, how old are you?"

He made a grimace.

"Thirty-eight - thirty-nine my next birthday. Doesn't that seem grandfatherly to you?""You must not be absurd!" she exclaimed. "It is not even middle-aged. Now tell me - how do you spend your time generally?

Do you really mean that you go and play cards at your club most evenings?""I have a good many friends, and I dine out quite a great deal.""You have no sisters?""I have no relatives at all in London," he explained.

"It is to be a real cross-examination," she warned him.

"I am quite content," he answered. "Go ahead, but remember, though, that I am a very dull person.""You look so young for your years," she declared. "I wonder, have you ever been in love?"He laughed heartily.

"About a dozen times, I suppose. Why? Do I seem to you like a misanthrope?""I don't know," she admitted, hesitatingly. "You don't seem to me as though you cared to make friends very easily. I just felt Iwanted to ask you. Have you ever been engaged?""Never," he assured her.

"And when was the last time," she asked, "that you felt you cared a little for any one?""It dates from the day before yesterday," he declared, filling her glass.

She laughed at him.

"Of course, it is nonsense to talk to you like this!" she said.

"You are quite right to make fun of me."

"On the contrary," he insisted. "I am very much in earnest.""Very well, then," she answered, "if you are in earnest you shall be in love with me. You shall take me about, give me supper every night, send me some sweets and cigarettes to the theatre - oh, and there are heaps of things you ought to do if you really mean it!"she wound up.

"If those things mean being fond of you," he answered, "I'll prove it with pleasure. Sweets, cigarettes, suppers, taxicabs at the stage-door.""It all sounds very terrible," she sighed. "It's a horrid little life.""Yet I suppose you enjoy it?" he remarked tentatively.

"I hate it, but I must do something. I could not live on charity.

If I knew any other way I could make money, I would rather, but there is no other way. I tried once to give music lessons. I had a few pupils, but they never paid - they never do pay.

"I wish I could think of something," Laverick said thoughtfully.

"Of course, it is occupation you want. So far as regards the monetary part of it, I still owe your brother a great deal - "She shook her head, interrupting him with a quick little gesture.

"No, no!" she declared. "I have never complained about Arthur.