IV
They had their tea, two white-clad stewards serving them. The cardinaltook a second cup and then rose and went to the side. He crumbled abiscuit along the rail.
"I have often wondered," he said, "if my pigeons come for me or for mycrumbs. Nora Blake used to say that her poor were as glad to see herwithout a basket as with one. But she was a saint. She saw things moreclearly than it is given to us to see them."
The women looked at each other, in silence.
"No," said the cardinal, after an interval, "they do not come; they areas satisfied with Pietro's crumbs as with mine. Love is not a matter ofthe stomach;" and he brushed the crumbs overboard. "Perhaps the fisheswill get them," he added, "and they will not know whence they came.Anonymous charity," he continued, coming back to his chair, "is thebest. It curbs the pride of the giver and preserves the pride of therecipient. Open giving is becoming a trade. It is an American invention.Very rich men in that country offer so much for an object--a college--ahospital--a library--if some one else will give so much. The offer isprinted in the newspapers of the land and its originator reapsmuch--what is the word I wish?--acclaim? no; kudos? no;--ah, yes,advertisement; that is the word. Thank God that charity does not thusmasquerade in Italy. There are men here, in poor old Venice, who givehalf their goods to feed the poor. Are their names published? No. Thenewspapers reason thus--'Here is a gentleman; let us treat him as one,'We have no professional philanthropists in Italy. After all," he added,"mere giving is the lowest form of charity. If all the wealth of theworld were divided the world would be debauched. Binding up wounds,pouring in oil and wine, bringing the wronged man to an inn, giving himyour companionship, your sympathy, so that he shows his heart to you andlets you heal its bruises--that is your true charity."
"That's what I'm telling Nora," exclaimed Miss O'Kelly; "she's foreverdrawing checks. There was my nephew, Nora's cousin, Phelim. He gave awayall he had. He gave it to the piquet players in the Kildare Club. 'AuntMolly,' he said to me, 'piquet has cost me fifteen thousand pounds, andI am just beginning to learn the game. Now that I know it a bit, no onewill play with me. Your bread cast on the waters may come back, but it'sten to one it comes back mouldy, from the voyage.' Phelim is the flowerof the family, your imminence. He is six foot three. He was out twicebefore he was two-and-twenty. The first time was with Liftennant Doyleof the Enniskillens. 'Twas about a slip of a girl that they bothfancied. The Liftennant fired at the word and missed. 'Try your secondbarrel,' called Phelim, 'I'm still within bounds' (that'spigeon-shootin' talk, your imminence). The Liftennant laughed and thetwo went off to the club, arm in arm, and they stayed there two days.There's waiters in the club yet, that remembers it. The next time Phelimwas out, 'twas with a little attorney-man from Cork, named Crawford.There was no girl this time; 'twas more serious; 'twas about a horsePhelim had sold, and the little attorney-man had served a writ, andPhelim went down to Cork and pulled the little man's nose. Whin the wordwas given the attorney-man fired and nicked Phelim's ear. Phelim raisedhis pistol, slow as married life, and covered the little man. 'Take offyour hat!' called Phelim. The little man obeyed, white as paper, andshakin' like a leaf. 'Was the horse sound?' called Phelim. 'He was,'said the little man 'Was he six years old?' called Phelim. 'At least,'said the little man. 'None of your quibbles,' called Phelim. 'He wassix, to a minute,' said the little man, looking into the pistol, 'Was hechape at the price?' asked Phelim. 'He was a gift,' said the attorney'Gentlemen,' says Phelim, 'you have heard this dyin' confession--we willnow seal it,' and he sent a bullet through the attorney-man's hat. I hadit all from Dr. Clancey, who was out with them. They sent Phelim toParliament after that, but he took the Chiltern Hundreds and came home.He said his duties interfered with the snipe-shootin'. You'd likePhelim, your imminence."
"I am sure I should," said the cardinal.
"He's in love with Nora," said Miss O'Kelly.
"Ah," said the cardinal, "I spoke too quickly."
Meanwhile the shadows began to creep across the deck. The cardinal rosefrom his chair.
"At what hour do you dine?" he asked.
"I made the hour early when I heard you order your barca for nine," saidLady Nora; "I said half-past seven."
"Then," said the cardinal, "I should excuse you, but I do itreluctantly. I am keeping you from your toilet."
Miss O'Kelly laughed. "Your imminence," she said, "when a woman reachesmy age it takes her some time to dress. I told you I was two-and-twenty.It will take my maid nearly an hour to make me look it," and, with acourtesy, she went below.
Lady Nora stayed behind. "Your eminence," she said, "the evening will befine; shall we dine on deck?"
"That will be charming," said the cardinal.
"Whenever you wish to go to your room," said Lady Nora, "you have but topress this button, and the head steward will come." She still loitered."I think it very likely," she said, hesitating, "that the Earl ofVauxhall will drop in; he often does. I should have mentioned it before,but I was so delighted at your staying that I forgot all about him."
"My dear lady," said the cardinal, "to supplant the Earl of Vauxhall inyour thoughts is great honor."
She looked at him quickly, blushed, cast down her eyes, and began,nervously, to play with a gold boat-whistle that hung at her belt. Whenshe had exhausted the possibilities of the whistle she looked up again,and the cardinal saw that there were tears upon her cheeks. When sheknew that he had seen them she disregarded them, and threw up her head,proudly.
"Yes," she said, "I think of him far too often; so often that it makesme angry, it makes me ashamed. He is an earl; he is tall and straightand beautiful and clean, and--he loves me--I know it," she exclaimed,her face illumined; "but why," she went on, "should I give myself to himon these accounts? Why should he not earn me? Why does he compel me toso one-sided a bargain? I, too, am tall and straight and clean, and notill-favored, and, in addition, I have that curse of unmarried women--Ihave money. Why does he not _do_ something to even up the transaction?Why does he not write a page that some one will read? Why does he notwrite a song that some one will sing? Why does he not do something thatwill make the world call me his wife, instead of calling him my husband?The other day, when he and love were tugging at me, I told him I wouldmarry him if he brought me the turquoise cup. It was an idle thing tosay, but what I say I stand by. I shall never marry him unless he bringsit to me. You know us Irish women. We have our hearts to contend with,but we keep our word. I set my lord a trivial task. If he really wantsme he will accomplish it. I am not dear at the price."
"With true love," said the cardinal, "I do not think there is anyquestion of price. It is an absolute surrender, without terms. I saythis guardedly, for I am no expert as to this thing called human love. Irecognize that it is the power that moves the world, but, for more thanfifty years, I have tried to forget the world."
"Yes," cried Lady Nora, "and, but for a cruel mistake, you would havemarried my grandmother."
"Yes," said the cardinal, "but for a cruel mistake."
"The mistake was hers," exclaimed Lady Nora.
The cardinal threw up his hands. "It was a mistake," he said, "and itwas buried fifty years ago. Why dig it up?"
"Forgive me," said Lady Nora, and she started toward the hatch.
"My child," said the cardinal, "you say that you will not marry hislordship unless he brings you the cup. Do you hope that he will bringit?"
She looked at him a moment, the red and white roses warring in hercheeks. "Yes," she said, "I hope it, for I love him," and she put herhands to her face and ran below.
"If the earl is the man I take him to be," said the cardinal to himself,"I fear that I am about to shut my eyes to a felony," and he pressed theelectric button at his side. The head steward appeared so quickly thathe overheard the cardinal say--"I certainly should have done it, at hisage."
The Turquoise Cup, and, the Desert Page 4