登陆注册
20281100000047

第47章

ASHMEAD accompanied Mademoiselle Klosking to her apartment. It was lighted, and the cloth laid for supper under the chandelier, a snow-white Hamburg damask. Ashmead took the winnings out of his pocket, and proudly piled the gold and crumpled notes in one prodigious mass upon the linen, that shone like satin, and made the gold look doubly inviting. Then he drew back and gloated on it. The Klosking, too, stood and eyed the pile of wealth with amazement and a certain reverence. "Let me count it," said Ashmead. He did so, and it came to four thousand nine hundred and eighty-one pounds, English money. "And to think," said he, "if you had taken my advice you would not have a penny of this!""I'll take your advice now," said she. "I will never gamble again.""Well, take my advice, and lock up the swag before a creature sees it.

Homburg is full of thieves."

She complied, and took away the money in a napkin.

Ashmead called after her to know might he order supper.

"If you will be so kind."

Ashmead rejoiced at this unguarded permission, and ordered a supper that made Karl stare.

The Klosking returned in about half an hour, clad in a crisp _peignoir._Ashmead confronted her. "I have ordered a bottle of champagne," said he.

Her answer surprised him. "You have done well. We must now begin to prove the truth of the old proverb, 'Ce qui vient de la flute s'en va au tambour.'"At supper Mr. Ashmead was the chief drinker, and, by a natural consequence, the chief speaker: he held out brilliant prospects; he favored the Klosking with a discourse on advertising. No talent availed without it; large posters, pictures, window-cards, etc.; but as her talent was superlative, he must now endeavor to keep up with it by invention in his line--the puff circumstantial, the puff poetic, the puff anecdotal, the puff controversial, all tending to blow the fame of the Klosking in every eye, and ring it in every ear. "You take my advice,"said he, "and devote this money, every penny of it, to Publicity. Don't you touch a single shiner for anything that does not return a hundred per cent. Publicity does, when the article is prime.""You forget," said she, "this money does not all belong to me. Another can claim half; the gentleman with whom we are in partnership."Ashmead looked literally blue. "Nonsense!" said he, roughly. "He can only claim his fifty pounds.""Nay, my friend. I took two equal sums: one was his, one mine.""That has nothing to do with it. He told me to bet for him. I didn't; and I shall take him back his fifty pounds and say so. I know where to find him.""Where?"

"That is my business. Don't you go mad now, and break my heart.""Well, my friend, we will talk of it tomorrow morning. It certainly is not very clear; and perhaps, after I have prayed and slept, I may see more plainly what is right."Ashmead observed she was pale, and asked her, with concern, if she was ill.

"No, not ill," said she, "but worn out. My friend, I knew not at the time how great was my excitement; but now I am conscious that this afternoon Ihave lived a week. My very knees give way under me."Upon this admission, Ashmead hurried her to bed.

She slept soundly for some hours; but, having once awakened, she fell into a half-sleepless state, and was full of dreams and fancies. These preyed on her so, that she rose and dispatched a servant to Ashmead, with a line in pencil begging him to take an early breakfast with her, at nine o'clock.

As soon as ever he came she began upon the topic of last night. She had thought it over, and said, frankly, she was not without hopes the gentleman, if he was really a gentleman, might be contented with something less than half. But she really did not see how she could refuse him some share of her winnings, should he demand it. "Think of it," said she. "The poor man loses--four hundred pounds, I think you said. Then he says, 'Bet you for me,' and goes away, trusting to your honor. His luck changes in my hands. Is he to lose all when he loses, and win nothing when he wins, merely because I am so fortunate as to win much? However, we shall hear what _he_ says. You gave him your address.""I said I was at 'The Golden Star,' " growled Ashmead, in a tone that plainly showed he was vexed with himself for being so communicative.

"Then he will pay us a visit as soon as he hears: so I need give myself no further trouble.""Why should you? Wait till he comes," said crafty Ashmead.

Ina Klosking colored. She felt her friend was tempting her, and felt she was not quite beyond the power of temptation.

"What was he like?" said she, to turn the conversation.

"The handsomest young fellow I ever saw.""Young, of course?"

"Yes, quite a boy. At least, he looked a boy. To be sure, his talk was not like a boy's; very precocious, I should say.""What a pity, to begin gambling so young!""Oh, he is all right. If he loses every farthing of his own, he will marry money. Any woman would have him. You never saw such a curled darling.""Dark or fair?"

"Fair. Pink-and-white, like a girl; a hand like a lady.""Indeed. Fine eyes?"

"Splendid!"

"What color?"

"I don't know. Lord bless you, a man does not examine another man's eyes, like you ladies. However, now I think of it, there was one curious thing I should know him by anywhere.""And what was that?"

"Well, you see, his hair was brown; but just above the forehead he had got one lock that was like your own--gold itself."While he said this, the Klosking's face underwent the most rapid and striking changes, and at last she sat looking at him wildly.

It was some time before he noticed her, and then he was quite alarmed at her strange expression. "What is the matter?" said he. "Are you ill?""No, no, no. Only a little--astonished. Such a thing as that is very rare.""That it is. I never saw a case before."

"Not one, in all your life?" asked she, eagerly.

"Well, no; not that I remember."

"Excuse me a minute," said Ina Klosking, and went hurriedly from the room.

同类推荐
  • 佛祖统纪说

    佛祖统纪说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 金华冲碧丹经秘旨传

    金华冲碧丹经秘旨传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 小儿痢门

    小儿痢门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 煮药漫抄

    煮药漫抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Story of Wellesley

    The Story of Wellesley

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 机器岛

    机器岛

    《机器岛》讲述了:美国资本家异想天开地用钢铁造了一座长七公里宽五公里的流动岛,作为他们的休养地。这座岛的两侧装有强大的推进机器,可以在大洋中漫游。岛的中央有一座电气化科学化城市,住在这个城市里的除了一些服务性的人员以外,都是吃年金的富翁,他们一开口就是“百万”,因此这座城也叫做“亿兆城”。
  • 哨位旁的那棵枇杷树

    哨位旁的那棵枇杷树

    本书收录蔡扶欣:热血化干城、邹自国:热血与忠诚、黄健:大山一样的情怀、戴照平:热血铸军魂、郑玲:用爱撑起半边天、钱队长治鼾记等。
  • 悍妻当道:嫡女逆袭败家夫

    悍妻当道:嫡女逆袭败家夫

    新郎缺席?她不气!漠视她,她无视!嫡女变悍妻,调教夫君有法子,“要是怕,或许不会的话,我理解。”激他,惹毛他。“看来,你很有法子?!”周亦昊脸色青红交接。“今晚,行了周公之礼,你不就晓得了!”她脸不红,气不喘,理直气壮反驳。斩桃花要快,对情敌要狠,拍飞不良苗头要准,嫡女当家,势不可挡!
  • 走出不幸就是幸福

    走出不幸就是幸福

    本书安排了大量小事例,旨在旁征博引,以帮助那些心灵不幸的朋友树立战胜不幸的信念和勇气,并从心理辅导这些“不幸”朋友如何去创造幸福快乐。
  • 总裁爹地:妈咪要出轨

    总裁爹地:妈咪要出轨

    她是白家的长女,母亲刚去世,父亲就娶了小三进门,白莲花妹妹和继母在她和父亲结婚的当晚给她下了药,买通了混混想要毁她清白,她从那些混混的手里逃走躲进了酒店的一个房间,却不想在那个房间里清白同样被别人玷污了。继母对父亲的挑唆,让父亲不顾父女之情把她赶出家门。天大地大,她的容身之处在哪儿?她在闺蜜的帮助下,到了巴黎,却没想到一个月后检查出了怀孕。怀孕了?她该要这个孩子吗?六年后,白晓凌带着两个奶娃娃回归她的祖国,Z市!当初什么的白莲花妹妹,继母都去死吧!攀亲戚?谁跟你亲?
  • 玄裳

    玄裳

    她,凤矜大陆至高无上的皇;她,南笺大陆玩世不恭的纨绔子弟。她的眼中只有至高无上的王座;而她的眼中只有年轻俊美的美男。一个是凤矜大陆人人敬仰的神;一个却是南笺大陆人人唾弃的人渣。当她变成了她,一切又会变成什么样呢......
  • 茶间

    茶间

    我想听听,你们的故事。亲情,友情,爱情。一朵花,一只猫,或者一栋房子。
  • 南宗顿教最上大乘摩诃般若波罗蜜经六祖惠能大师于韶州大梵寺施法

    南宗顿教最上大乘摩诃般若波罗蜜经六祖惠能大师于韶州大梵寺施法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 悟真直指

    悟真直指

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 九幽之重魂

    九幽之重魂

    三界混乱,生灵涂炭,千万年来,绵延不绝!古老传言:当日月合为一体,重归混沌,神之子与魔之子将进行终极一战结束千万年的纷乱!这里有无数修炼门派,这里有无数不朽皇朝,这里有仙、魔、人、妖、鬼,这里有天地至宝,仙根灵脉,绝世功法,隐世大秘,荒古禁地,更有着种种恩怨情仇……且听我一一道来!