“She will be here to-night, and you can tell her. The news will have the pleasanter savour coming direct from you.”
She knew how to fire me, and I would have given half my fortune to have known what lay behind the meaning glance of her eyes, which started thoughts I would not silence, and yet dared not indulge.
As I sat there, half bewildered, I saw a tall, fair, truculent-looking man forcing his way arrogantly among the people and coming in our direction, while he looked about him on all sides in search of someone.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“A man to fear, Count—the worst enemy we have, Duke Sergius. A man whose eyes we have always to blind.”
At that moment he caught sight of my companion and he hurried his pace, a heavy frown darkening his sensual, insolent features.
“I have had much trouble in finding you, mademoiselle. I might almost have thought you were trying to avoid me. The waltz we were to dance together has commenced.”
Mademoiselle Broumoff smiled ingenuously at him and said:
“I scarcely thought you were in earnest when you put my name on your programme. You do not generally honour me by remembering it.”
“I have something particular to ask you,” he replied, with such selfish insolence that I could have kicked him. He caught something of this expression in my face as he looked casually at me, and his glance deepened into a steady stare as he tried to frown me down. But I returned his look with one in which I tried to convey some of the dislike and contempt I felt at his attitude, and, perceiving it, mademoiselle rose hastily, put herself between us, and drew his attention by placing her hand on his arm and saying, as she bowed to me: