The Mysterious Mr. Quin

The very faint bistre shadows under her eyes were most effective. Her mouth was neither crimson nor scarlet, but a subdued wine colour. She was dressed in a very daring creation of black and white and carried a parasol of the shade of pinky red which is most helpful to the complexion.

Franklin Rudge was looking happy and important.

"There goes a young fool," said Mr. Satterthwaite to himself. "But I suppose it's no business of mine and anyway he wouldn't listen to me. Well, well, I've bought experience myself in my time."

But he still felt rather worried, because there was a very attractive little American girl in the party, and he was sure that she would not like Franklin Rudge's friendship with the Countess at all.

He was just about to retrace his steps in the opposite direction when he caught sight of the girl in question coming up one of the paths towards him. She wore a well-cut tailor-made suit with a white muslin shirt waist, she had on good, sensible walking shoes, and carried a guide-book. There are some Americans who pass through Paris and emerge clothed as the Queen of Sheba, but Elizabeth Martin was not one of them. She was "doing Europe" in a stern, conscientious spirit. She had high ideas of culture and art and she was anxious to get as much as possible for her limited store of money.

It is doubtful if Mr. Satterthwaite thought of her as either cultured or artistic. To him she merely appeared very young.

"Good morning, Mr. Satterthwaite," said Elizabeth. "Have you seen Franklin--Mr. Rudge--anywhere about?" "I saw him just a few minutes ago." "With his friend the Countess, I suppose," said the girl sharply.

"Er--with the Countess, yes," admitted Mr. Satterthwaite.

"That Countess of his doesn't cut any ice with me--," said the girl in a rather high, shrill voice. "Franklin's just crazy about her. Why I can't think."

"She's got a very charming manner, I believe," said Mr. Satterthwaite cautiously. "Do you know her?" "Slightly."

"I'm right down worried about Franklin," said Miss Martin. "That boy's got a lot of sense as a rule. You'd never think he'd fall for this sort of siren stuff. And he won't hear a thing, he gets madder than a hornet if anyone tries to say a word to him. Tell me, anyway--is she a real Countess?"

"I shouldn't like to say," said Mr. Satterthwaite. "She may be."

"That's the real Ha Ha English manner," said Elizabeth with signs of displeasure. "All I can say is that in Sargon Springs--that's our home town, Mr. Satterthwaite--that Countess would look a mighty queer bird."

Mr. Satterthwaite thought it possible. He forebore to point out that they were not in Sargon Springs but in the principality of Monaco, where the Countess happened to synchronise with her environment a great deal better than Miss Martin did.

He made no answer and Elizabeth went on towards the Casino. Mr. Satterthwaite sat on a seat in the sun, and was presently joined by Franklin Rudge.

Rudge was full of enthusiasm.

"I'm enjoying myself," he announced with naive enthusiasm. "Yes, sir! This is what I call seeing life--rather a different kind of life from what we have in the States."

The elder man turned a thoughtful face to him.

"Life is lived very much the same everywhere," he said rather wearily. "It wears different clothes--that's all."

Franklin Rudge stared.

"I don't get you."

"No," said Mr. Satterthwaite. "That's because you've got a long way to travel yet. But I apologise. No elderly man should permit himself to get into the habit of preaching."

"Oh! That's all right," Rudge laughed, displaying the beautiful teeth of all his countrymen. "I don't say, mind you, that I'm not disappointed in the Casino. I thought the gambling would be different--something much more feverish. It seems just rather dull and sordid to me."

"Gambling is life and death to the gambler, but it has no great spectacular value," said Mr. Satterthwaite. "It is more exciting to read about than to see."

The young man nodded his agreement.

"You're by way of being rather a big bug socially, aren't you?" he asked with a diffident candour that made it impossible to take offence. "I mean, you know all the Duchesses and Earls and Countesses and things."

"A good many of them," said Mr. Satterthwaite. "And also the Jews and the Portuguese and the Greeks and the Argentines."

"Eh?" said Mr. Rudgc.

"I was just explaining," said Mr. Satterthwaite, "that I move in English society."

Franklin Rudge meditated for a moment or two.

"You know the Countess Czarnova, don't you?" he said at length.

"Slightly," said Mr. Satterthwaite, making the same answer he had made to Elizabeth.

"Now there's a woman whom it's been very interesting to meet. One's inclined to think that the aristocracy of Europe is played out and effete. That may be true of the men, but the women are different. Isn't it a pleasure to meet an exquisite creature like the Countess? Witty, charming, intelligent, generations of civilisation behind her, an aristocrat to her finger-tips!"