Greatheart

by Ethel M. Dell

  CHAPTER II

  THE LOOKER-ON

  Down on the skating-rink below the hotel, a crowd of people were makingmerry. The ice was in splendid condition. It sparkled in the sun like asheet of frosted glass, and over it the skaters glided with much mirthand laughter.

  Scott stood on the road above and watched them. There were a good manyaccomplished performers among them, and there were also severalbeginners. But all seemed alike infected with the gaiety of the place.There was not one face that did not wear a smile.

  It was an invigorating scene. From a slope of the white mountain-sidebeyond the rink the shouts and laughter of higers came through thecrystal air. A string of luges was shooting down the run, and even asScott caught sight of it the foremost came to grief, and a dozen peoplerolled ignominiously in the snow. He smiled involuntarily. He seemed tohave stepped into an atmosphere of irresponsible youth. The air was fullof the magic fluid. It stirred his pulses like a draught of champagne.

  Then his eyes returned to the rink, and almost immediately singled outthe best skater there. A man in a white sweater, dark, handsome,magnificently made, supremely sure of himself, darted with the swiftgrace of a swallow through the throng. His absolute confidence andsplendid physique made him conspicuous. He executed elaborate figureswith such perfect ease and certainty of movement that many turned to lookat him in astonished admiration.

  "Great Scott!" said a cracked voice at Scott's shoulder.

  He turned sharply, and met the frank regard of a rosy-faced schoolboy alittle shorter than himself.

  "Look at that bloomin' swell!" said the new-comer in tones of deepdisgust. "He seems to have sprouted in the night. I've no use for thesestar skaters myself. They're all so beastly sidey."

  He addressed Scott as an equal, and as an equal Scott made reply. "P'rapswhen you're a star skater yourself, you'll change your mind about 'em."

  The boy grinned. "Ah! P'raps! You're a new chum, aren't you?"

  "Very new," said Scott.

  "Can you skate?" asked the lad. "But of course you can. I suppose you'reanother dark horse. It's too bad, you know; just as Dinah and I arebeginning to fancy ourselves at it. We began right at the beginning too."

  "Consider yourself lucky!" said Scott rather briefly.

  "What do you mean?" The boy's eyes flashed over him intelligently, greeneyes humorously alert.

  Scott glanced downwards. "I mean my legs are not a pair, so I can't evenbegin."

  "Oh, bad luck, sir!" The equality vanished from the boy's voice. Hebecame suddenly almost deferential, and Scott realized that he was nolonger regarded as a comrade. "Still"--he hesitated--"you can luge, Isuppose?"

  "I don't quite see myself," said Scott, looking across once more to themerry group on the distant run.

  "Any idiot can do that," the boy protested, then turned suddenly a deepred. "Oh, lor, I didn't mean that! Hi, Dinah!" He turned to cover hisembarrassment and sent a deafening yell at the sun-bathed _facade_ of thehotel. "Are you never coming, you cuckoo? Half the morning's gonealready!"

  "Coming, Billy!" at once a clear gay voice made answer, and the merriestface that Scott had ever seen made a sudden appearance at an open window."Darling Billy, do keep your hair on for just two minutes longer! Yvonnehas been trying on my fancy dress, but she's nearly done."

  The neck and shoulders below the laughing face were bare and a bare armwaved in a propitiatory fashion ere it vanished.

  "Looks as if the fancy dress is a minus quantity," observed Billy to hiscompanion with a grin. "I didn't see any of it, did you?"

  Scott tried not to laugh. "Your sister?" he asked.

  Billy nodded affirmation. "She ain't a bad urchin," he observed, "assisters go. We're staying here along with the de Vignes. Ever met 'em?Lady Grace is a holy terror. Her husband is a horrible stuck-up bore ofan Anglo-Indian,--thinks himself everybody, and tells the most awfulhowlers. Rose--that's the daughter--is by way of being very beautiful.There she goes now; see? That golden-haired girl in red! She's another ofyour beastly star skaters. I'll bet she'll have that big bounder cuttingcapers with her before the day's out."

  "Think so?" said Scott.

  Billy nodded again. "I suppose he's a prince at least. My word, doesn'the fancy himself? Look at that now? Side--sheer side!"

  The skater under discussion had just executed a most intricate figure notfar from them. Having accomplished it with that unerring and somewhatblatant confidence that so revolted Billy's schoolboy soul, hestraightened his tall figure, and darted in a straight line for the endof the rink above which they stood. His hands were in his pockets. Hisbearing was superb. He described a complete circle below them before hebrought himself to a stand. Then he lifted his dark arrogant face. Hewore a short clipped moustache which by no means hid the strength of awell-modelled though slightly sneering mouth. His eyes were somewhatdeeply set, and shone extraordinarily blue under straight black browsthat met. The man's whole expression was one of dominant self-assertion.He bore himself like a king.

  "Well, Stumpy," he said, "where's Isabel?"

  Scott's companion jumped, and beat a swift retreat. Scott smiled a littleas he made reply.

  "I have been up to see her. She will be out presently. Biddy had to giveher a sleeping-draught last night."

  "Damn!" said the other in a fierce undertone. "Did she call you first?"

  "No."

  "Then why the devil didn't she? I shall sack that woman. Isabel hasn't achance to get well with a mischievous old hag like that always with her."

  "I think Isabel would probably die without her," Stumpy responded in hisquiet voice which presented a vivid contrast to his brother's stormyutterance. "And Biddy would probably die too--if she consented to go,which I doubt."

  "Oh, damn Biddy! The sooner she dies the better. She's nothing but aperpetual nuisance. What is Isabel like this morning?"

  Scott hesitated, and his brother frowned.

  "That's enough. What else could any one expect? Look here, Scott! Thisthing has got to end. I shall take that sleeping-stuff away."

  "If you can get hold of it," put in Scott drily.

  "You must get hold of it. You have ample opportunity. It's all very wellto preach patience, but she has been taking slow poison for seven years.I am certain of it. It's ridiculous! It's monstrous! It's got to end." Hespoke with impatient finality, his blue eyes challenging remonstrance.

  Scott made none. Only after a moment he said, "If you take away one prop,old chap, you must provide another. A broken thing can't stand alone. Butneed we discuss it now? As I told you, she is coming out presently, andthis glorious air is bound to make a difference to her. It tastes likewine."

  It was at this point that the golden-haired girl in red suddenly glidedup and sat down on the bank a few yards away to adjust a skate.

  Sir Eustace turned his head, and a sparkle came into his eyes. He watchedher for a moment, then left his brother without further words.

  "Can I do that for you?" he asked.

  She lifted a flushed face. "Oh, how kind of you! But I have just managedit. How lovely the ice is this morning!"

  She rose with the words, balancing herself with a grace as finished ashis own, and threw him a dazzling smile of gratitude. Scott, from hispost of observation on the bank, decided that she certainly wasbeautiful. Her face was almost faultless. And yet it seemed to him thatthere was infinitely more of witchery in the face that had laughed fromthe window a few minutes before. Almost unconsciously he was waiting tosee the owner of that face emerge.

  He watched the inevitable exchange of commonplaces between his brotherand the beautiful Miss de Vigne whose graciousness plainly indicated herwillingness for a nearer acquaintance, and presently he saw them moveaway side by side.

  "What did I tell you?" said Billy's voice at his shoulder. "But you mighthave said that chap belonged to you. How was I to know?"

  "Oh, quite so," said Scott. "Pray don't apologize! He doesn't belong tome either. It is I who belong to him."

 
; Billy's green eyes twinkled appreciatively. "You're his brother, aren'tyou?"

  Scott looked at him. "Now how on earth did you know that?"

  He looked back with his frank, engaging grin. "Oh, there's the same hangabout you. I can't tell you what it is. Dinah would know directly. You'dbetter ask her."

  "I don't happen to have the pleasure of your sister's acquaintance,"observed Scott, with his quiet smile.

  "Oh, I'll soon introduce you if that's what you want," said Billy. "Comealong! There she is now, just crossing the road. By the way, I don'tthink you told me your name."

  "My name is Studley--Scott Studley, Stumpy to my friends," said Scott, inhis whimsical, rather weary fashion.

  Billy laughed. "You're a sport," he said. "When I know you a bit better,I shall remember that. Hi, Dinah! What a deuce of a time you've been.This is Mr. Studley, and he saw you at the window without anything on."

  "I'm sure he didn't! Billy, how dare you?" Dinah's brown face burned anindignant red; she looked at Scott with instant hostility.

  "Oh, please!" he protested mildly. "That's not quite fair on me."

  "Serves you right," declared Billy with malicious delight. "You played mea shabby trick, you know."

  Dinah's brow cleared. She smiled upon Scott. "Isn't he a horrid littlepig? How do you do? Isn't it a ripping day? It makes you want to climb,doesn't it? I wish I'd got an alpenstock."

  "Can't you get one anywhere?" asked Scott. "I thought they were always tobe had."

  "Yes, but they cost money," sighed Dinah. "And I haven't got any. Itdoesn't really matter though. There are lots of other things to do. Areyou keen on luging? I am."

  Her bright eyes smiled into his with the utmost friendliness, and he knewthat she would not commit Billy's mistake and ask him if he skated.

  Her smile was infectious. The charm of it lingered after it had passed.Her eyes were green like Billy's, only softer. They had a great deal ofsweetness in them, and a spice--just a spice of devilry as well. The restof the face would have been quite unremarkable, but the laughter-lovingmouth and pointed chin wholly redeemed it from the commonplace. She was alittle brown thing like a woodland creature, and her dainty air and quickways put Scott irresistibly in mind of a pert robin.

  In reply to her question he told her that he had arrived only the nightbefore. "And I am quite a tyro," he added. "I have been watching theluging on that slope, and thanking all the stars that control my destinythat I wasn't there."

  She laughed, showing a row of small white teeth. "Oh, you'd love it onceyou started. It's a heavenly sport if the run isn't bumpy. Isn't this aglorious atmosphere? It makes one feel so happy."

  She came and stood by his side to watch the skaters. Billy was seated onthe bank, impatiently changing his boots.

  "I'm not going to wait for you any longer, Dinah," he said. "I'm fed up."

  "Don't then!" she retorted. "I never asked you to."

  "What a lie!" said Billy, with all a brother's gallantry.

  She threw him a sister's look of scorn and deigned no rejoinder. But in amoment the incident was forgotten. "Oh, look there!" she suddenlyexclaimed. "Isn't that just like Rose de Vigne? She's always sure toappropriate the most handsome man within sight. I've been watching thatman from my window. He is a perfect Apollo, and skates divinely. And nowshe's got him!"

  Deep disgust was audible in her voice. Billy looked up with a sidewaysgrin. "You don't suppose he'd look at a sparrow like you, do you?" hesaid. "He prefers a swan, you bet."

  "Be quiet, Billy!" commanded Dinah, making an ineffectual dig at him withher foot. "I don't want him to look at me. I hate men. But it is too badthe way Rose always chooses the best. It's just the same with everything.And I long--oh, I do long sometimes--to cut her out!"

  "I should myself," said Scott unexpectedly. "But why don't you. I'm sureyou could."

  She threw him a whimsical smile. "I!" she said. "Why that's about aslikely as--" she stopped short in some confusion.

  He laughed a little. "You mean I might as soon hope to cut out Apollo?But the cases are not parallel, I assure you. Besides, Apollo happens tobe my brother, which makes a difference."

  "Oh, is he your brother? What a good thing you told me!" laughed Dinah."I might have said something rude about him in a minute."

  "Like me!" said Billy, stumbling to his feet. "I made a most horrificblunder, didn't I, Mr. Studley? I called him a bounder!"

  Dinah looked at him witheringly. "You would!" she said. "Well, I hope youapologized."

  Billy stuck out his tongue at her. "I didn't then!" he returned, andskated elegantly away on one leg.

  "Billy," remarked Dinah dispassionately, "is not really such a horridlittle beast as he seems."

  Scott smiled his courteous smile. "I had already gathered that," he said.

  Her green eyes darted him a swift look, as if to ascertain if he were inearnest. Then: "That was very nice of you," she said. "I wonder how youknew."

  He still smiled, but without much mirth. "A looker-on sees a good manythings, you know," he said.

  Dinah's eyes flashed understanding. She said no more.