The Cardinal Moth

by Fred M. White

  *CHAPTER IX.*

  *A WORD TO THE WISE.*

  A soldier of fortune like Lopez was not easily elated by the smiles ofthe first goddess, but he felt on very good terms with himself as hestood there finishing his cigarette. Most of the people who passed himup the flight of marble steps were familiar to him, and Lopez amusedhimself by marking them off one by one. He was in an indolent mood now,but his glance grew brighter as a smartly-appointed motor-car drove upand a lady alighted.

  She had no covering to her marvellous dead-black hair, though her dresswas hidden by a long wrap. She was quite alone, her air was absolutelyself-possessed as she looked around her. As she came up the steps shebecame conscious of Lopez's presence.

  She smiled in a slow, languid way, and half held out her hand. "Onealways meets you in unexpected places," she said. "The last time wecame together the conditions were very different to these."

  "That is quite true, Isa," Lopez said gravely.

  "Mrs. Benstein, if you please," the woman said, with not the faintesttrace of annoyance in her tones. The smile was almost caressing. "Wehad better observe the proprieties. Do you remember the last time wemet, Paul Lopez?"

  Lopez bowed gravely. His mind had travelled back a long way. He hadnever forgotten the marvellous beauty of this woman; it seemed strangelyheightened by the dress and the diamonds.

  "You were not Mrs. Benstein then," he said.

  "No. My ambitions did not lie in that direction. I had no liking for afortune ready made. I always made up my mind to carve out one formyself. But since then I have learnt how hard it is for a woman to doso."

  The great, dark eyes grew thoughtful for a moment, then the womanlaughed.

  "We are all puppets of fate," she went on, "even the strongest of us. Iam a philosopher, or at least I imagine myself to be one, so it comes tothe same thing. I am tired of the contemplation of my splendour, so Iam going to make use of it. I shall go into society."

  "I am quite sure you will go anywhere you please," Lopez said.

  "Yes," the woman spoke as if it were a matter of course. "To-morrow Ibegin. The wife of Aaron Benstein, the money-lender. How they willsneer and mock at me!"

  "And how they will envy you from the bottom of their shallow hearts!"

  Mrs. Benstein laughed as she walked up the shallow steps.

  "That will give salt to the dish," she said. "I came here to-nightbecause I was tired of my own company. Let us sup together and talk ofold times."

  Lopez was desolated, but he had to decline. There was a girl waiting forhim here, a simple girl who was not used to this kind of thing. Itseemed dreadfully rude, but Mrs. Benstein would have to excuse him. Thewoman with the dark eyes smiled meaningly.

  "As you will," she said. "Then I will sup alone and study human natureuninterrupted. Good night."

  She passed on to the grand salon where the band was playing, andhundreds of soft-shaded lights played upon the banks of flowers and onthe jewels that glittered there; Cara had secured her favourite table,and was busy looking over the menu when Lopez came up.

  "I began to think that something had happened," the girl said. "Ifeared lest you had gambled all your money away."

  "So I did, as a matter of fact," Lopez said coolly, as he unfolded hisserviette. "I had to borrow ten pounds for the supper. But you neednot fear--the information I got was worth the price. Now let me seewhat there is to eat."

  "Tell me what you have discovered," Cara demanded imperiously.

  "That I shall not do, my child," Lopez replied. "Suffice it, that youhave the benefit of my labours. Besides, it all refers to a closedchapter in my life. I have found a way to put money in my purse, sothat you will ruffle it with the best of them at Pau."

  Cara smiled contentedly. She finished her meal presently, and then shehad time to study the other guests. It was always a fascination to herto try and read the history of other people. As a rule, her guesseswere fairly shrewd, and when she was wrong Lopez corrected her.

  "Who are those people at the third table?" she asked. "The man lookslike a gentleman; he might have been in the army. But there is acertain fierce swagger about him that tells a story. There is a man whois rather cold-shouldered at his clubs. His wife is pretty, butshallow, and not at all too straightforward. The boy with them isdreadful. Probably rich, though."

  Lopez smiled as he lay back in his chair.

  "You are correct," he said. "That is Colonel Fairford and his wife.They are the hero and heroine of that Lawton Lodge diamond scandal. Ofcourse nothing was ever proved, but we have our ideas. The Colonelsticks to his clubs, but he has had a bad time there, and nobody willplay cards with him. The young man comes from Australia. He is rich atpresent, but the Colonel will see that he does not long remain troubledwith superfluous cash."

  A gratified little smile played about the corners of Cara's mouth.

  "If the worst comes to the worst, I can call myself by a fancy name andturn palmist," she exclaimed. "We are very clever people, you and I.On the whole, the people here to-night are not particularly interesting.Who is the lady with the glorious diamonds?"

  Cara indicated Mrs. Benstein sitting all alone, self-possessed andlanguidly interested in all that was going on around her.

  "The recently-married wife of Aaron Benstein, the great financier,"Lopez explained. "The old man is more or less in his dotage, and theysay there is nothing that he will not do for his beautiful wife."

  "The diamonds are absolutely superb," Cara said.

  "Why should they not be? Benstein is supposed to have two-thirds of thejewels of society in his charge at one time or another. That is the wayin which your high dame raises the wind. Most of those stones are keptat Benstein's own house. Doubtless his wife knows all about them.Then, if she wishes to wear this or that precious gem, why shouldn'tshe?"

  Cara laughed merrily. Mrs. Benstein seemed to fascinate her.

  "It is no bad thing to be the wife of a big financier," she said."Those diamonds and emeralds together are absolutely superb. Who wasMrs. Benstein?"

  Lopez was understood to say that she was a brilliant mystery. Nobodyquite knew where she came from, and nobody cared. But she was rich andbeautiful and clever, and if she made up her mind to play the game ofsociety, nobody could stop her. All this Lopez explained as he sippedhis liqueur. Cara took Mrs. Benstein in steadily.

  "She would make a good enemy," she said. "Who is the vulgar woman who ishaving supper with that handsome man with the red beard?"

  "Oh, that is Lady Beachmore!" Lopez explained. "Beachmore is a man of agood family, he has a good name, and his career as a soldier was anhonourable one. There are phases of human nature that beat me entirely,Cara. A case like that makes me feel how little I know. Lady Beachmorewas on the variety stage, with nothing piquant about her but hervulgarity. She is plain, she is horribly made up, and yet Beachmoremarried her."

  "Is he a rich man?"

  "As things go, yes. He is one of the peers who has enough for his wantsand a little to spare, as the old song has it. Why did he marry her,Cara?"

  Cara admitted that the problem was beyond her. Lady Beachmore was vulgarenough, in all conscience; she talked loudly and she drank a great dealof champagne. She was extravagantly dressed, but she wore noornaments--which was unusual in a woman of her class.

  "She ought to be smothered in stones," Cara said.

  "Bridge," Lopez explained sententiously. "Lady Beachmore is one of themost reckless gamblers in society. Probably that is why she istolerated in good houses. Everybody knows what a gambler she is excepther husband. If I were to hazard a guess I should say that theBeachmore jewels are all in the possession of Aaron Benstein."

  Cara nodded. The salon was gradually getting empty. Lord Beachmoresaid something to his wife, who shook her head, and then he saunteredslowly from the room. Lady Beachmore looked across to the seat whereMrs. Benstein was reclining, and her coarse
face grew red with anger. Bysome kind of magnetic influence the eyes of the two women met, and theformer rose. She crossed over to Mrs. Benstein's table, a few low wordsfollowed before Mrs. Benstein rose also.

  Her eyes were flashing and her breast was heaving. She made a motiontowards the jewels in her hair, and then seemed to change her mind. Afew of the low, angry words reached Lopez's ears. A sardonic smile wason his lips.

  "A curious coincidence," he muttered. "She is actually wearing LadyBeachmore's diamonds! Well, the information should prove valuable. I'llgo and see Frobisher to-morrow. The mere hint of what can be doneshould be worth five hundred pounds."

  "What are you muttering about?" Cara asked impatiently. "Take me home,I'm tired of all this light and glitter. Sometimes I wish that I hadnever left the country. All the same, I would give a great deal to knowwhat those people are talking about."