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THE SPHINX WITHOUT A SECRET









ONE afternoon I was sitting outside the Cafe de la Paix; watching

the splendour and shabbiness of Parisian life; and wondering over

my vermouth at the strange panorama of pride and poverty that was

passing before me; when I heard some one call my name。  I turned

round; and saw Lord Murchison。  We had not met since we had been at

college together; nearly ten years before; so I was delighted to

come across him again; and we shook hands warmly。  At Oxford we had

been great friends。  I had liked him immensely; he was so handsome;

so high…spirited; and so honourable。  We used to say of him that he

would be the best of fellows; if he did not always speak the truth;

but I think we really admired him all the more for his frankness。

I found him a good deal changed。  He looked anxious and puzzled;

and seemed to be in doubt about something。  I felt it could not be

modern scepticism; for Murchison was the stoutest of Tories; and

believed in the Pentateuch as firmly as he believed in the House of

Peers; so I concluded that it was a woman; and asked him if he was

married yet。



'I don't understand women well enough;' he answered。



'My dear Gerald;' I said; 'women are meant to be loved; not to be

understood。'



'I cannot love where I cannot trust;' he replied。



'I believe you have a mystery in your life; Gerald;' I exclaimed;

'tell me about it。'



'Let us go for a drive;' he answered; 'it is too crowded here。  No;

not a yellow carriage; any other colour … there; that dark green

one will do'; and in a few moments we were trotting down the

boulevard in the direction of the Madeleine。



'Where shall we go to?' I said。



'Oh; anywhere you like!' he answered … 'to the restaurant in the

Bois; we will dine there; and you shall tell me all about

yourself。'



'I want to hear about you first;' I said。  'Tell me your mystery。'



He took from his pocket a little silver…clasped morocco case; and

handed it to me。  I opened it。  Inside there was the photograph of

a woman。  She was tall and slight; and strangely picturesque with

her large vague eyes and loosened hair。  She looked like a

CLAIRVOYANTE; and was wrapped in rich furs。



'What do you think of that face?' he said; 'is it truthful?'



I examined it carefully。  It seemed to me the face of some one who

had a secret; but whether that secret was good or evil I could not

say。  Its beauty was a beauty moulded out of many mysteries … the

beauty; in fact; which is psychological; not plastic … and the

faint smile that just played across the lips was far too subtle to

be really sweet。



'Well;' he cried impatiently; 'what do you say?'



'She is the Gioconda in sables;' I answered。  'Let me know all

about her。'



'Not now;' he said; 'after dinner;' and began to talk of other

things。



When the waiter brought us our coffee and cigarettes I reminded

Gerald of his promise。  He rose from his seat; walked two or three

times up and down the room; and; sinking into an armchair; told me

the following story:…



'One evening;' he said; 'I was walking down Bond Street about five

o'clock。  There was a terrific crush of carriages; and the traffic

was almost stopped。  Close to the pavement was standing a little

yellow brougham; which; for some reason or other; attracted my

attention。  As I passed by there looked out from it the face I

showed you this afternoon。  It fascinated me immediately。  All that

night I kept thinking of it; and all the next day。  I wandered up

and down that wretched Row; peering into every carriage; and

waiting for the yellow brougham; but I could not find MA BELLE

INCONNUE; and at last I began to think she was merely a dream。

About a week afterwards I was dining with Madame de Rastail。

Dinner was for eight o'clock; but at half…past eight we were still

waiting in the drawing…room。  Finally the servant threw open the

door; and announced Lady Alroy。  It was the woman I had been

looking for。  She came in very slowly; looking like a moonbeam in

grey lace; and; to my intense delight; I was asked to take her in

to dinner。  After we had sat down; I remarked quite innocently; 〃I

think I caught sight of you in Bond Street some time ago; Lady

Alroy。〃  She grew very pale; and said to me in a low voice; 〃Pray

do not talk so loud; you may be overheard。〃  I felt miserable at

having made such a bad beginning; and plunged recklessly into the

subject of the French plays。  She spoke very little; always in the

same low musical voice; and seemed as if she was afraid of some one

listening。  I fell passionately; stupidly in love; and the

indefinable atmosphere of mystery that surrounded her excited my

most ardent curiosity。  When she was going away; which she did very

soon after dinner; I asked her if I might call and see her。  She

hesitated for a moment; glanced round to see if any one was near

us; and then said; 〃Yes; to…morrow at a quarter to five。〃  I begged

Madame de Rastail to tell me about her; but all that I could learn

was that she was a widow with a beautiful house in Park Lane; and

as some scientific bore began a dissertation on widows; as

exemplifying the survival of the matrimonially fittest; I left and

went home。



'The next day I arrived at Park Lane punctual to the moment; but

was told by the butler that Lady Alroy had just gone out。  I went

down to the club quite unhappy and very much puzzled; and after

long consideration wrote her a letter; asking if I might be allowed

to try my chance some other afternoon。  I had no answer for several

days; but at last I got a little note saying she would be at home

on Sunday at four and with this extraordinary postscript:  〃Please

do not write to me here again; I will explain when I see you。〃  On

Sunday she received me; and was perfectly charming; but when I was

going away she begged of me; if I ever had occasion to write to her

again; to address my letter to 〃Mrs。 Knox; care of Whittaker's

Library; Green Street。〃  〃There are reasons;〃 she said; 〃why I

cannot receive letters in my own house。〃



'All through the season I saw a great deal of her; and the

atmosphere of mystery never left her。  Sometimes I thought that she

was in the power of some man; but she looked so unapproachable;

that I could not believe it。  It was really very difficult for me

to come to any conclusion; for she was like one of those strange

crystals that one sees in museums; which are at one moment clear;

and at another clouded。  At last I determined to ask her to be my

wife:  I was sick and tired of the incessant secrecy that she

imposed on all my visits; and on the few letters I sent her。  I

wrote to her at the library to ask her if she could see me the

following Monday at six。  She answered yes; and I was in the

seventh heaven of delight。  I was infatuated with her:  in spite of

the mystery; I thought then … in consequence of it; I see now。  No;

it was the woman herself I loved。  The mystery troubled me;

maddened me。  Why did chance put me in its track?'



'You discovered it; then?' I cried。



'I fear so;' he answered。  'You can judge for yourself。'



'When Monday came round I went to lunch with my uncle; and about

four o'clock found myself in the Marylebone Road。  My uncle; you

know; lives in Regent's Park。  I wanted to get to Piccadilly; and

took a short cut through a lot of shabby little streets。  Suddenly

I saw in front of me Lady Alroy; deeply veiled and walking very

fast。  On coming to the last house in the street; she went up the

steps; took out a latch…key; and let herself in。  〃Here is the

mystery;〃 I said to myself; and I hurried on and examined the

house。  It seemed a sort of place for letting lodgings。  On the

doorstep lay her handkerchief; which she had dropped。  I picked it

up and put it in my pocket。  Then I began to consider what I should

do。  I came to the conclusion that I had no right to spy on her;

and I drove down to the club。  At six I called to see her。  She was

lying on a sofa; in a tea…gown of silver tissue looped up by some

strange moonstones that she always wore。  She was looking quite

lovely。  〃I am so glad to see you;〃 she said; 〃I have not been out

all day。〃  I stared at her in amazement; and pulling the

handkerchief out of my pocket; handed it to her。  〃You dropped this

in Cumnor Street this afternoon; Lady Alroy;〃  I said very calmly。

She looked at me in terror but made no attempt to take the

handkerchief。  〃What were you doing there?〃 I asked。  〃What right

have you to question me?〃 she answered。  〃The right of a man who

loves you;〃 I replied; 〃I came here to ask you to be my wife。〃  She

hid her face in her hands; and burst into floods of tears。  〃You

must tell me;〃 I continued。  She stood up; and; looking me straight

in the face; said; 〃Lord Murchison; there is nothing to tell you。〃

… 〃You went to meet some one;〃 I cried; 〃this is your mystery。〃

She gre

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