It found its way into the newspapers, and while the press of two countries breathed defiance, Hora laughed in his sleeve, cynically declaring that no farce is equal to the farce of civilisation, since nations are as ready to fly at each other's throats as any street curs. And while the newspapers snarled and patriots in beer houses and at street corners sang national anthems, Hora watched the prices of securities, and when the crisis reached its acutest stage, he bought in his bear and found himself possessed of what to the majority of men would have been a sufficient provision against the future.
But Guy's successful action had done more than lead to the swift accumulation of a fortune. Hora had not for a moment anticipated the long arm of coincidence would be stretched to such purpose as to make the father the bearer of the despatches which the son had stolen. It was the crowning stone in the carefully built arch which was to bear the superstructure of his revenge.
Hora felt almost superstitiously inclined regarding the coincidence. He did not learn of the identity of the messenger until Guy's return from Lynn, and, as soon as it was made known to him, he saw how the fact could be made to serve his purpose. Naturally he said nothing of that ulterior purpose to either Guy or to Myra. He was merely full of praises for his pupil. He declared himself to be so satisfied that he expressed his intention of making the young man master of his own actions for the future. "You have enabled me to provide for myself, Guy," he said. "It is now my turn to provide for you, so that if at any time you desire to retire from your profession you will be at liberty to do so."
Guy had ridiculed the suggestion, but Hora had insisted. "Who knows what may happen in the future," he said. "It will be well for you to have money at your own disposal. You may quarrel with me. To-day sons always quarrel with their fathers. Sometimes they rob them, and if fathers were wise they would always see that their sons are spared the necessity."
Guy laughed. He felt that he was not of the commonplace world of sons who robbed their fathers, but he gave way to Hora's whim. He instructed a broker on his own account, though the operation was not in his own name. Hora had suggested that it would be just as well if for the occasion Guy borrowed another surname. So the letter of introduction he forwarded to Hora's broker introduced "my young friend Guy Marven, upon whose information I am acting, and who, wishing to speculate on his own account, I am prepared to guarantee up to £10,000." Accordingly it was as Guy Marven that he signed in due course the transfer notes of stock which came to hand, and it was with the name of Guy Marven that he endorsed the cheque which he paid into his own banking account as the result of the speculation.
He had wondered that Hora should have selected the name of Marven and had even suggested the inadvisability of making use of it since Jones, Brown, or Robinson would have been equally useful if the necessity existed to use another than his own. To him it seemed that the use of the name Marven might excite remark. "Exactly why I wish you to use it," Hora had answered. "If anyone who was aware that Marven carried those despatches should hear that a Marven had been speculating for the fall, it would not be remarkable if they should arrive at the conclusion that he had looked inside his case himself."
"That seems rather rough on Captain Marven," remarked Guy. It seemed a mean deed, and Hora had not trained him to take delight in mean deeds.
"Isn't he my enemy, and therefore yours? You have no reason, I suppose, for treating him with more consideration than all the rest of the world?" demanded Hora.
Guy did not answer. He was tempted to reply with a direct "no," but he had never yet lied to Hora. Yet he could not bring himself to confide to the Commandatore the reason why he would have extended consideration to Captain Marven. He had no wish to hear the Commandatore's biting cynicisms applied personally to Meriel. The idea seemed sacrilegious. He was relieved to find that Hora made no comment on this silence. But the Commandatore had not failed to observe it, and remembering at the same time how Guy had nearly let slip the opportunity for securing the Greuze in the seductive companionship of these same "pleasant people," he realised that the time had come for him to discover what the attraction was. Of course he guessed. The miniature set in the snuff-box which Guy had expressed a desire to retain had not escaped his notice.
"The inevitable feminine," he said sneeringly to himself. But he knew that the inevitable feminine has always to be reckoned with where a young man is concerned, and generally where an old man is concerned also. It behooved him to know something of this new factor, which might materially affect his plans. But Guy must have no suspicion that he was under observation. Hora's mind jumped to an expedient whereby his object would be secured without subjecting himself to inconvenience. He determined to make the suggestion which had occurred to him forthwith.