Скорбь сатаны / The sorrows of Satan. Уровень 4

When they write about you (as they will do – I’ll take care of that) let your publisher advertise �First and Second Large Editions’ of the new novel by Geoffrey Tempest, are bought, one hundred thousand copies having been sold in a week!”

I laughed.

“It is a plan of action of many modern publishers,” I said. “But I don’t like it. I’ll win my fame legitimately if I can.”

“You can’t!” declared Lucio with a serene smile. “It’s impossible. You are too rich. That is not legitimate in literature.

”

I went over to my table, rolled up my corrected proofs and directed them to the printers.

The door opened and closed – Lucio was gone. I remained alone. We had now been together for nearly a month, and I was no closer to the secret of his actual nature than I had been at first. Yet I admired him more than ever.

8

Rimanez and I went to the theater. We had entered the Earl of Elton’s box between the first and second acts of the play, and the Earl himself, an unimpressive, bald-headed, red-faced old gentleman, with fuzzy white whiskers, had risen to welcome us.

His daughter had not moved. A minute or two later when he addressed her sharply, saying “Sibyl! Prince Rimanez and his friend, Mr. Geoffrey Tempest,” she turned her head and honoured us both with the chill glance. Her exquisite beauty smote me dumb and foolish. Lucio spoke to her, and I listened.

“At last, Lady Sibyl,” he said, bending towards her deferentially.

“At last I have the honour of meeting you. I have seen you often, as one sees a star, – at a distance.”

She smiled, – a smile so slight and cold that it scarcely lifted the corners of her lovely lips.

“I do not think I have ever seen you,” she replied. “But my father speak of you constantly. So his friends are always mine.”

He bowed.

“To merely speak to Lady Sibyl Elton is sufficient to make the man happy,” he said. “To be her friend is to discover the lost paradise.

”

She flushed. Rimanez turned to me, and placed a chair just behind hers.

“Will you sit here Geoffrey?” he suggested. “I want to have a business chat with Lord Elton.”

She smiled encouragingly as I approached her.

“You are a great friend of Prince Rimanez?” she asked softly, as I sat down.

“Yes, we are very intimate,” I replied. “He is a delightful companion.”

The curtain rose and the play was resumed.