“Thank you — and yourself?” said Leshkin, without any trace of cordiality in his manner; “do you stay long in Moskawa?”
“Don’t know,” Simon replied, airily. “I rather like Moscow, I may stay for a month.” He was well aware that he had done nothing so far to which the authorities could object, and behind his passport lay all the power and prestige that gives every British subject such a sense of security in any part of the world. Moreover, passport or no passport, Mr. Simon Aron was not accustomed to being browbeaten. Between his rather narrow shoulders there lay a quiet but very determined courage, so, ignoring Leshkin, he turned with a smile to Valeria Petrovna and asked her to dine with him that night.
“But ’ow can I? You forget the theatre; but you shall call for me, and we will ’ave supper after. Leshkin,” she turned imperiously to the Kommissar, “do not be a bear; Mistake Aron is the guest of Russia — ’elp ’im with ’is furs, and show ’im out.”
Leshkin’s small eyes narrowed beneath his beetling brows, his great jaw came forward with an ugly curve — for the fraction of a second it looked as though he were going to seize the frail Simon in his big powerful hands.
Valeria Petrovna stood between them, her eyes never left Leshkin’s face. With a sharp movement she flicked the butt of her cigarette from the long slender holder. Suddenly the Kommissar relaxed, and with a little shrug of his giant shoulders obeyed.
VIII — The Price of Information
When Simon got back to the Metropole he asked his guide to get seats for that evening’s performance at the Moscow Arts Theatre, and on this occasion he and the Duke really made use of the tickets.
Both were lovers of the theatre, and enjoyed the finish and technique of the production; De Richleau was enraptured with Valeria Petrovna and her performance. In the first interval he turned to Simon with a sigh.
“Ah, my friend, why am I not twenty years younger? I envy you the friendship of this lovely lady.”
Simon laughed a little self-consciously. “Well, I shouldn’t care to have you as a rival, as it is!”