Thankful that the tête-â-tête had been interrupted, I held out my hand for the letter. Marianne gave it to me. I glanced at the name written below the lines which only half filled the first page of theatre paper, and found it strange to me. But, even if I had not been ready to snatch at the chance of ridding myself immediately of Godensky, the few words above the unfamiliar name would have made me say as I did say, “Bring the young lady in at once.”
“I come to you from Mr. Dundas, on business which he told me was of the greatest and most pressing importance.
“DIANA FORREST.”
That was the whole contents of the note; but a dozen sheets closely filled with arguments could not have moved me more.
CHAPTER XVIII
MAXINE MEETS DIANA
Godensky was obliged to take his leave, which he did abruptly, but to all appearance with a good grace; and when he was gone Marianne ushered in a girl—a tall, beautiful girl in a grey tailor dress built by an artist.
For such time as it might have taken us to count twelve, we looked at each other; and as we looked, a little clock on the mantel softly chimed the quarter hour. In fifteen minutes I should be due upon the stage.
The girl was very lovely. Yes, lovely was the right word for her—lovely and lovable. She was like a fresh rose, with the morning dew of youth on its petals—a rose that had budded and was beginning to bloom in a fair garden, far out of reach of ugly weeds. I envied her, for I felt how different her sweet, girl’s life had been from my stormy if sometimes brilliant career.
“Mr. Dundas sent you to me?” I asked. “When did you see him? Surely not—since—”
“This afternoon,” she answered quietly, in a pretty, un-English sounding voice, with a soft little drawl of the South in it. “I went to see him. They gave us five minutes. A warder was there; but speaking quickly in Spanish, just a few words, he—Mr. Dundas—managed to tell me a thing he wished me to do. He said it meant more than his life, so I did it; for we have been friends, and just now he’s helpless. The warder was angry, and stopped our conversation at once, though the five minutes weren’t ended. But I understood. Mr. Dundas said there wasn’t a moment to lose.”