The Diva's Ruby

ty as great religious festivals, and that musical people spoke of the Bayreuth season in a curiously reverent manner. He would have been much surprised if any one had told him t

n which no 'real music' ever did. Extraordinary natures, like his, are often endowed with unnoticed gifts and tastes quite unlike those of most people. No one knew anything about the young men who whistled Wagner; the 'Lost Legion' hides many secrets, and the two were not popular with the rest, though they knew their business and did their work fairly well. One of them was afterwards said to have been killed in a shooting affray and the other had disappeared about the sam

d not be any difficulty about such a simple matter, nor about obtaining the sort of rooms he was accustomed to, in the sort of hotel he expected to find where so many rich people went every other year. Any one who has been to the holy place o

Van Torp, 'this

s,

ued the millionaire, thinking aloud, 'but I call

all it downright robbery. T

good business too. But I'd like to buy the whole thing

. Beg pardon, sir, but do you t

ully. 'Stemp, suppose you get me out some things and then take a loo

. Stemp, impassive and correct under all circumstances, unstrapped a valise, laid

g else,' answered Mr

l I come b

re isn't half an hour's wash

by softly whistling as much of the 'Good Friday' music as he remembered, little dreaming what it was, or that his performance was followed with nervous and almost

her side of the closed door, in a strong Ger

wered his razor, and turned a mask of soap

he inquired in a

he voice. 'I tell you, I know it is E sharp in that place

ave again. 'Are you a lunatic?' he asked, pausing

n, I tell you!

n Torp, working carefully on his u

t you are a barbarian

n't hurt,' answe

he got away from his upper lip with the razor, he unconsciously began to whistle again, and he must h

inquired in a tone of dry

reamed the wr

ar him dancing wi

t like it. See? I've paid for this room and I'm goin

no! You shall not! There are rules! We are not in London, sir, we are

t's a funny sort of a ru

the other, and Mr. Van Torp hea

in the way of making himself presentable, and just as he left the

,' said the excellent man, as Mr. Van To

neighbour, who was talking excitedly in volub

thought Mr. Van Torp, wi

ed for Madame da Cordova. She was at home, for it was an off-day; he sent in his card, and was presently led to her sitting

r pen had fallen across the paper. On the round table in the middle of the small bare room there stood a plain whit

friend had never exerted even the slightest feminine influence on his being; he would have carried her in his arms, if need had been, as he had carried the Tartar girl, and not a thrill of his nerves nor one faster beat of his heart would have disturbed his placidity; she knew it, as women know such thin

ble. After he had first met her he had pursued her with such pertinacity and such utter ignorance of women's ways that he had frightened her, and she had frankly

friendly smile were like a taste of heaven just then, he pressed her f

to receive me, Miss D

see me,' Margaret answered. 'Come and sit

nt kinds of things brought me. I heard you were here from Lady Maud, and I thought perhaps I might have an opportunity for a little talk. And then-oh, I don't know. I've s

laughed

e it,' she said. 'Ha

et,' answered Mr. Van Tor

how in the world do you expect to get one now? Don't you know

en I suppose I shall have to get a ticket from a

s here, and there are no tickets to be h

n. I'm not afraid

week ago you might possibly have picked up one in Munich, given up by some one at the l

n, one pitcher and one towel, and I've brought my valet with me. I've concluded to let him sleep while I'm at the opera, and h

ghed, for he

ittle bit,' she said. 'It's not re

of the last man who occupied that room. I don't know, but I don't like the idea of having a mad German pianist for a neighbour. He may get in while I'm asleep and think I'm the piano, and hammer the life out of me, the way they do. I've see

he had never seen hi

and you made a mistake, and nervous musicians really suffer if one does that. But it must have been something rather complicated, to

here they came from, for I never asked, but they're not like other tunes, that's certain, and I li

garet said. 'I study all my parts by w

no idea that

you let me hear the tune that irritated your

you,' he added, quite naturally. 'If you'll excuse me, I'll just go and stand

the off-days, thought him much nicer than he had f

ike,' she said, 'but

istle, very softly and perfectly in tune. Many a street-boy could do as well, no doubt, and Mrs. Rushmore would have called it a vulgar accomplishment, bu

far as it was possible to convey an idea of such music by such means. Margaret had studied it before coming to Bayreuth, in order to understand it better; she

e floated out with her unconscious breath, in such perfect octaves with his high whistling that at first he did not understand; but when he did, the rough hard man shivered suddenly and steadied hims

ither of the two moved for some moments, b

he said, in

ver her eyes quickly, as if to dispel

what that music is?' she

e honestl

ing? You're not

nderstand. 'I shoul

itten-and you whistle marvellously, for it's anything but easy! Where in the world did you

the same,' Van

n the evenings, and how one was supposed to have been shot and t

fellows whose fathers were genuine lords, maybe, who had not brains enough to get into the army or the Church. There were cashiered Prussian officers, and Frenchmen who had most likely killed women out of jealousy, and Sicilian bandits, and br

of you as ridin

, because I was just a common co

strange life you have had! Tell m

and struck a little silver, and I sold that and got into nickel, and I made the Nickel Trust what it is,

garet was quite as much surp

ill be a cow-boy. Just now, I'm here to go to Parsifal, and since you say t

ghtfully. 'I wonder who those two men were,

Torp answered. 'If I'm right, he's made money-doing quite well, I should

g? Your stories grow mor

en, and now he has a beard like a French sapper. But the eyes and the nose and the voice and the accent are the same, and the age would about

bies. They are my

you'd like to see it. I believe it comes from Kralinsky's mine, to

end of

into one of the pockets of his w

andsome young woman from Tartary or somewhere, who has a few rubies

y and laid it in her own, which was so white that the gem shed a delicate pomegranate-coloured light on the skin all r

t Logotheti and the Tartar girl. She p

the pleasure I've had in seeing you like this, but you'll forget all ab

at she was. She looked into his eyes rather cautiously, remembering well how she had formerly seen something terrifyi

pt anything so valuable, now that I'm engaged to be married. Konstantin might not like it. But you're so kind; g

atre for your own. Perhaps the thing's glass, after all; I've not shown it to any jeweller. The girl made me take it, because I helped her in a sort of way. When I wanted to pay

it?' Margaret asked. 'If we are going to be fri

t happened,' said Van Torp

ll have it set as it is, uncut, and only polished, so that it will always be itself, just as you gave it to me. I shall thin

orp, after a moment's debate as to w

iled as she glanced at him. 'I must have been, I'm sure, for you used t

an Torp, whose mere smile had been known to t

a little, witho

ar girl,' she said, instead

at her feet; but perhaps she was even more pleased, or amused, than she thought she could be by any such success. The man was so very much stronger and rougher than any other man with whom she had ever been acquainte

handsome Tartar gi

's history, as far as he

ng set of stories as you are

,' he answered, 'and he can probabl

very pretty?'

great man, 'for people who like that kind of thing, I s

madonna

scribe her?

iger when it liked?' inquired the American in a tone of profound medita

she, 'I n

es Miss Barrack to a T. Yes, that's what I call her. She's put "Barak" on her business card, whatever that means in a Christian language; but when I found out it was a girl, I christened her

s a girl?' Margaret asked, a

idly prudish about everything which had the remotest connexion with sex. He wondered how he could convey to Margaret the information that w

of form, you see,

n't understand.' Marga

s actually blushing. 'I m

erely guessed it was a

he was going to faint, so I picked him up and carried him to a sofa, and-well

oman-'I'm sure I should! When you found ou

might think her quite fascinating. She has really extraordinary eyes, to begin with, those long fruity Easter

ake it very clear

a first-class dairy? Do you know the colour of Alderney cream when it's ready to be skimmed? Her complexion's just like that, and when she's ang

pretty. Tell me more. Has

retty mouth they make, with those rather broiled-salmon-coloured lips she has, and a little chin that points up, as if she could hold her own. She can, too. Her hair? Well, you see, she's cut it short, to be a boy, but it's as thick as a beaver's fur, I should say, and pretty b

g a raving beauty

Griggs, the novelist, were here, he'd find all the right

Margaret's face expressed anyth

I am, maybe. I'm a middle-sized man, I suppose. I used to be f

s tall for

's tone expressed an

s she ni

She held up that ruby to the light and I happened to look at her fingers. Small, well-shaped fingers, tapering

er right hand. 'But, of course, her

ve very small hands and feet-too small,

e well-shaped, but

ou say?' Her tone made a

oked into I met Logotheti. It was Pinney's, the jeweller's, I remember, for I bought a collar stud. We came away together and walked some time, and he told me the

repeated, and rising sudde

ay, too, he was examining his not very sensitive conscience to ascertain whether he had said anything not strictly true, but he easily satisf

w when the door opened and her English maid appea

t?' she as

'am,' answered Potts. 'He wants

d. 'You may just as well see him here without going al

,' he replied; 'but I think

y. See your man here while I go and speak to Mrs. Rushmore. Se

w moments. Then the impassive Stemp was ushere

r. Van Torp. 'Has

s out of the house, sir, and your luggage is in

urned us out,

t there must be some misunderstanding, for I'm

Quite sure. Go on

poke most uncivilly, and said I was driving him half crazy with my whistling. I said I hadn't whistled, and he said I had, and the landlord talked German at me, as it were, sir. I said again I hadn't whistled, and he said I had, the shabby gentle

You didn't

k you

you put them out they didn't

I had no troub

eads b

d not likely to hurt himself, and the shabby gentleman went down on top of him quite comforta

idn't come upstairs again a

e, so I offered to pay any fine there was for having been hasty, and we settled for two sovereigns, which I thought dear, sir, and I'd have gone to the police station rather than pay it, only I knew you'd need my services in this heathen t

f, before you came in, and the lunatic in the next ro

. Thank y

ult if we have to sle

aking, and Margaret heard the la

hed. I could not help hearing what you said abo

t turned us out of the one room we had

to Stemp's great but well-concealed astonishment. 'I kno

Mr. Van Torp, sur

d contradiction. 'If nothing else can be had y

' said Mr. Van Torp. 'Bring our things to this h

s,

nce, and his master tu

uch inconvenience,' he said, and his to

sm

mine be driven from pillar to post for a lo

ry, very k

t,' she said with a light laugh that thrilled him with d

ave to turn into a small woolly lamb if

a small, woolly lamb at onc

certainly,' replied the

f it makes any difference to her, and she has confessed that she would rather not go again, for it tires h

in surprise while she m

ll, and his lips were set tightly together. Margaret gazed at him in surprise while she

words out. 'I'm so grateful that I can't spea

ched his cheeks, and all at once he was very pale. But not a muscle of his face moved, not a line was drawn; only his sand

world held for him, and she had thought it was nonsense, rather vulgarly and clumsily

ary man altogether, as many people did, and that she was indeed the only woman in the whole world who coul

been in her own likes and dislikes, except where her art was concerned. But even as to that, she had passed through

n Torp recovered himself; his features relaxed, his hands

awkwardly. 'I feel things a good deal some

ether, and not far from the door

ateful, even for small th

moments of silence. As for her, she was struggling against a generous impulse, because she was afraid that he might misunderstand her i

id at last, without looking at him. 'She was right and I was quite

ooking at her with a sort of hunger in his eyes

n't see how I ever could. I could tell you why, but I won't, because y

d Margaret, she

and her eyes were turned to the floor

ger of the hotel,' she sai

Please

ain, and Mr. Van Torp was left to his

s and poppies without consciously seeing them when he was aware of the imposing presence

vely, inclining her head. 'I am Mrs. Rushmore.

e American, bowing low. 'I've often heard Miss Donne s

vity, and as she established herself on the

of the bearable. He had known the late Mr. Rushmore in business; Mr. Rushmore had been a 'pillar' of various things, including honesty, society, and the church he went to, and he had always bored Mr. Van Torp extremely. The

n the proper tone of mournfully retrospective admiratio

have said Amen in church, in the right plac

e to hear, for she was Margaret's friend, and he wished to make a good impression. He was therefore not prep

ieur Logotheti, I believe

e at the mention of his rival, and at once also putting

u known many Gre

rs. Rushmore, but I can't say I've

oreigner is very valuable. You are, I understand, an old friend of Miss Donne's, though I have not had the pleasure of meeting you before, and you have probably heard that she has made up he

illionaire with caution, but s

s. Rushmore sadly.

was inclined to answer that, in fact, he was thinki

Greeks, Mrs. Rushmor

I may say so, has of late triumphantly established his claim to respect.' Mr. Van Torp bowed and waved his hand in acknowledgmen

Mrs. Ru

piness in store for her I would save

ed how she would ac

he said ve

answered Mr

e looked at him as if she expected that he would doubt her determination to drag Logotheti to the matrimonial altar and m

ly, though we hardly kno

dy, with a grand national air. 'I should not

ince I had the pleasure of knowing Miss D

surprised beyond measur

e, in my position, I can't give you an unbiasse

s. Rushmore, 'I

Van Torp tried to make some runnin

est friend, you would look favourably o

she could only answer by an energetic nod and a look which meant

ught the director to his senses, and you are to have the rooms