Пользователь - WORLD'S END

He had hardly finished greeting them when a lady entered behind him. Had she heard the story of the boy who had had such an odd idea about helping his father's business? Or was it the special importance of the contracts which Robert Budd was bringing? Anyhow, here she came, and Zaharoff said: "The Duquesa de Villafranca," with a tone of quiet pride. The duquesa bowed but did not give her hand; she said, very kindly: "How do you do, Messieurs?" and seated herself at the tea table.

She had been only seventeen when she had met this munitions salesman, and they had been waiting twenty-seven years for her lunatic husband to die. She was a rather small and inconspicuous person, gracious, but even more reserved than her companion. His blue eyes were watching the visitors, and her dark eyes for the most part watched him. She had the olive complexion of a Spaniard, and wore a teagown of purple, with a double rope of pearls nearly to her waist. "You have had a dangerous journey, M. Budd," she remarked.

"Many men are facing danger these days, Madame," replied Robbie.

"Do you think that your country will help us to end this dreadful war?"

"I think so; and if we come in, we shall do our best."

"It will have to be done quickly," put in the munitions king; to which Robbie answered that large bodies took time to get in motion, but when they moved, it was with force.

They talked about the military situation. Zaharoff set forth the extreme importance to civilization of overcoming the German menace. He told about what he had done to set up Venizelos in Greece and bring that country in on the side of the Allies; he didn't say how much money he had spent, but that he had moved heaven and earth.

"Greece is my native land," he said. "Love of Greece has been the first passion of my life, and hatred of Turkish cruelty and fanaticism has been the second." As he talked about these matters his voice trembled a little, and Lanny thought, was all that playacting? If so, it was a remarkable performance. But Robbie told him afterward that it was genuine; the munitions king did really hate the Turks, and had spent millions buying newspapers and politicians, pulling wires against King Constantine and his German wife. Zaharoff had gone in for oil, and wanted Mesopotamia for his British companies. He used his money for things which the Allied governments wanted done, but which were too discreditable for them to do directly.

VII

Presently they were talking about President Wilson, who had said that Americans were "too proud to fight," and had been reelected with the slogan, "He kept us out of war." Robbie explained the Presbyterian temperament, which would find some high moral basis for whatever it decided to do, and would then do it under divine direction. Now this President was talking about "war for democracy," and Zaharoff asked if that was supposed to be a moral slogan.

Robbie replied: "The founders of our nation didn't believe in democracy, M. Zaharoff, but it is supposed to be good politics now." .

"Well, I should want to write the definition somewhat carefully." The old man smiled one of those strange smiles, in which his watchful eyes never took part.

"It is playing with fire," said the other, unsmiling. "We have seen in Russia what it may lead to, and not even Wilson wishes the war to end that way."

"God forbid!" exclaimed the munitions king; and no one could doubt the sincerity of that.

When you are having a lady of ancient lineage to pour tea for you, it is necessary to pay some attention to her. So presently Robbie remarked: "That is a lovely tea service you have, Duquesa."

"It is an heirloom of my family," replied Maria del Pilar Antonia Angela Patrocino Simon de Muguiro у Berute, Duquesa de Marqueni у Villafranca de los Caballeros.

"I had a gold one," put in the host. "But I have given it to the government, to help save the franc."

Was there just the trace of a frown on the gentle visage of the Spanish king's cousin? She had been laboring for a quarter of a century to make a gentleman out of a Levantine trader; and perhaps it cannot be done in one lifetime; perhaps in the midst of wars and revolutions one must excuse lapses from a much-burdened mind.

After they had had their tea, the old man remarked: "And now about that matter of business, Mr. Budd."

The hostess rose. "I am sure you gentlemen don't want an audience for your conference," she said; and added sweetly to Lanny: "Wouldn't you like to come and see my beautiful tulips?"

Of course Lanny went, and so lost his chance to observe the old trader in action. He was taken into a fine garden, and introduced to a pair of snow-white poodles, beautifully groomed and shaved to resemble lions. He learned about the tulips, which were just unfolding their beauties: the bizarres, which are yellow marked with purple and red; the bybldemen, which are white marked with violet or purple; also a new kind from Turkestan. The Dutch people had cultivated them for centuries, and once they had been the basis of a great financial boom.

"Do you really love flowers?" asked the duquesa; and Lanny told about Bienvenu, and the court full of daffodils and bougainvillaea where he did his reading. He was used to ladies with titles, and not awed by them. He suspected that one who had the munitions king for a companion didn't feel entirely safe or happy, so he was moved to be kind. He mentioned Mrs. Emily, and found that the duquesa knew her, and had aided her war work; so Lanny told what she was doing at Sept Chкnes, and added the story of M. Pinjon, the gigolo, which the duquesa found sympathique. She remarked that she would like to send a present to that poor man; since he played the flute, perhaps he might like to have a good one.

Time passed, and the two men of business did not appear. Lanny didn't want to be a nuisance to his hostess, who must have other things to do than to entertain a casually met youth. He told her he was used to getting along by himself, and she offered to take him to the library. He had seen many large rooms in fine homes, having walls lined with volumes de luxe which were rarely touched save to be dusted. The munitions king's were all behind glass, but on the table were magazines, and he said he would be happy with those. So the gentle lady excused herself. Lanny understood that she was far too rich to ask him to call again; and besides, maybe this was all just a matter of business, as Robbie had said!

VIII

At last the two emerged from their conference; both suave as ever - but you couldn't tell anything from that. The father and son strolled down the street, and Lanny said: "Well, what happened?"

Robbie answered, with one of his grins: "I thought he was going to cry, but he didn't quite."

"Why should he cry?" The boy knew that he was supposed to be naive, so that his father would have the fun of telling it.

"I hurt his feelings by suggesting that we should require observers in the Vickers plants, to check their production under our licenses."

"Is he going to let you?"

"He said it was a very serious matter to admit strangers to a munitions factory in wartime. I answered that they wouldn't be strangers very long; he would know how to become acquainted with them." Robbie began to laugh; he enjoyed nothing more than such a battle over property rights - especially when he held the good cards close to his chest. "They really need our patents," he said; "and, believe me, they won't get them without paying. Why should they?"

Lanny didn't know any reason, and said so.

"Well, the old devil thought he knew a number of them. He was horrified at the schedule of royalties I put before him; he said he had been given to understand that America wanted to help the Allies, not to bleed them to death, or drive them to bankruptcy. I said I hadn't heard of any bankruptcies among the hundred and eighty Vickers companies in England, or the two hundred and sixty of them abroad. He said they had cut their prices to the bone as a patriotic duty to the British and French governments. I told him it was generally understood that his companies were getting the full twenty percent profit allowed them by British law.