When Miss Black went to her cabin, Coleman strolled into the smoking room. Every man there covertly or openly surveyed him. He dropped lazily into a chair at a table where the wine merchant, the Chicago railway king and the New York millionaire were playing cards. They made a noble pretense of not being aware of him. On the oil cloth top of the table the cards were snapped down, turn by turn.
Finally the wine merchant, without lifting his head to-address a particular person, said: " New conquest."Hailing a steward Coleman asked for a brandy and soda.
The millionaire said: " He's a sly cuss, anyhow." The railway man grinned. After an elaborate silence the wine merchant asked: " Know Miss Black long, Rufus?" Coleman looked scornfully at his friends. " What's wrong with you there, fellows, anyhow?" The Chicago man answered airily. " Oh, nothin'. Nothin', whatever."At dinner in the crowded salon, Coleman was aware that more than one passenger glanced first at Nora Black and then at him, as if connecting them in some train of thought, moved to it by the narrow horizon of shipboard and by a sense of the mystery that surrounds the lives of the beauties of the stage.
Near the captain's right hand sat the glowing and splendid Nora, exhibiting under the gaze of the persistent eyes of many meanings, a practiced and profound composure that to the populace was terrfying dignity.
Strolling toward the smoking room after dinner, Coleman met the New York millionaire, who seemed agitated. He took Coleman fraternally by the arm. " Say, old man, introduce me, won't you ? I'm crazy to know her.""Do you mean Miss Black?" asked Coleman.
" Why, I don't know that I have a right. Of course, you know, she hasn't been meeting anybody aboard. I'll ask her, though-certainly."
" Thanks, old man, thanks. I'd be tickled to death. Come along and have a drink. When will you ask her? "" Why, I don't know when I'll see her. To-morrow, I suppose-"They had not been long in the smoking room, however, when the deck steward came with a card to Coleman. Upon it was written: "Come for' a stroll?" Everybody, saw Coleman read this card and then look up and whisper to the deck steward.
The deck steward bent his head and whispered discreetly in reply. There was an abrupt pause in the hum of conversation.
The interest was acute.
Coleman leaned carelessly back in his chair, puffing at his cigar. He mingled calmly in a discussion of the comparative merits of certain trans-Atlantic lines. After a time he threw away his cigar and arose. Men nodded. "Didn't I tell you?" His studiously languid exit was made dramatic by the eagle-eyed attention of the smoking room.
On deck he found Nora pacing to and fro. "You didn't hurry yourself," she said, as he joined her. The lights of Queenstown were twinkling. A warm wind, wet with the moisture of rain-stricken sod, was coming from the land.
"Why," said Coleman, "we've got all these duffers very much excited.""Well what do you care? " asked hte girl. "You don't, care do you?""No, I don't care. Only it's rather absurd to be watched all the time." He said this precisely as if he abhorred being watched in this case.
"Oh by the way," he added. Then he paused for a moment. "Aw--a friend of mine--not a bad fellow--he asked me for an introduction. Of course, Itold him I'd ask you."
She made a contemptuous gesture. "Oh, another Willie.
Tell him no. Tell him to go home to his family. Tell him to run away.""He isn't a bad fellow. He--" said Coleman diffidently, "he would probably be at the theatre every night in a box.""yes, and get drunk and throw a wine bottle on the stage instead of a bouquet. No," she declared positively, "I won't see him."Coleman did not seem to be oppressed by this ultimatum.
"Oh, all right. I promised him--that was all.""Besides, are you in a great hurry to get rid of me?""Rid of you? Nonsense."
They walked in the shadow. "How long are you going to be in London, Rufus?" asked Nora softly.
"Who? I? Oh, I'm going right off to Greece. First train. There's going to be a war, you know.""A war? Why, who is going to fight? The Greeks and the--the--the what?""The Turks. I'm going right over there.""Why, that's dreadful, Rufus," said the girl, mournfull and shocked. "You might get hurt or something."Presently she asked: "And aren't you going to be in London any time at all?""Oh," he answered, puffing out his lips, "I may stop in Londom for three or four days on my way home. I'm not sure of it.""And when will that be?"
"Oh, I can't tell. It may be in three or four months, or it may be a year from now. When the war stops."There was a long silence as the walked up and down the swaying deck.
