第14章
“Yet，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“youare，Iunderstand，intheCabinet。“
Mr。Brottglancedforamomentaround。ThePrimeMinisterwassomewhereinthewintergardens。
“That，“hedeclared，“isanaccident。IhappenedtobetheonlymanavailablewhocoulddotheworkwhenLordKilbrookedied。I
amtellingyouonlywhatisanopensecret。ButIamafraidIamboringyou。Shallwejointheothers？“
“Notunlessyouyourselfareanxiousto，“Mr。Sabinbegged。“Itisscarcelyfairtodetainyoutalkingtoanoldmanwhentherearesomanycharmingwomenhere。ButIshouldbesorryforyoutothinkmehideboundinmyprejudices。YoumustrememberthattheRevolutiondecimatedmyfamily。Itwasalongtimeago，butthehorrorofitisstillalivething。“
“Yetitwasthenaturaloutcome，“Mr。Brottsaid，“ofthethingswhichwentbefore。Suchhideousmisgovernmentasgenerationsofyourcountrymenhadsufferedwaslogicallyboundtobringitsownreprisal。“
“Thereistruthinwhatyousay，“Mr。Sabinadmitted。HedidnotwanttotalkabouttheFrenchRevolution。
“YouareastrangerinLondon，areyounot？“Mr。Brottasked。
“Ifeelmyselfone，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Ihavebeenawayforafewyears，andIdonotthinkthatthereisacityintheworldwheresocialchangesaresorapid。IshouldperhapsexceptthecitiesofthecountryfromwhichIhavecome。ButthenAmericaisauniverseofitself。“
ForaninstantMr。Brottgavesignsofthemanunderneath。Theairofpoliteinteresthadlefthisface。Heglancedswiftlyandkeenlyathiscompanion。Mr。Sabin’sexpressionwasimmutable。Itwashewhoscored，forhemarkedthechange，whilstMr。Brottcouldnotbesurewhetherhehadnoticeditornot。
“YouhavebeenlivinginAmerica，then？“
“Forseveralyears-yes。“
“Itisacountry，“Mr。Brottsaid，“whichIamparticularlyanxioustovisit。Iseemychances，however，growfewerandfewerastheyearsgoby。“
“Foronelikeyourself，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“whoseinstinctsandsympathiesarewhollywiththedemocracy，afewmonthsinAmericawouldbeverywellspent。“
“Andyou，“Mr。Brottremarked，“howdidyougetonwiththepeople？“
Mr。Sabintracedapatternwithhisstickuponthemarblefloor。
“Ilivedinthecountry，“hesaid，“Iplayedgolfandreadandrested。“
“WereyouanywherenearNewYork？“Mr。Brottasked。
“Afewhours’journeyonly，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Myhomewasinaverypicturesquepart，nearLenox。“
Mr。Brottleanedalittleforward。
“Youperhapsknowthenaladywhospentsometimeinthatneighbourhood-aMrs。JamesPeterson。Herhusbandwas，Ibelieve，theAmericanconsulinVienna。
Mr。Sabinsmiledveryfaintly。Hisfacebetrayednomorethananaturalandpoliteinterest。Therewasnothingtoindicatethefactthathisheartwasbeatingliketheheartofayoungman，thatthebloodwasrushinghotthroughhisveins。
“Yes，“hesaid，“Iknowherverywell。IssheinLondon？“
Mr。Brotthesitated。Heseemedalittleuncertainhowtocontinue。
“Totellyouthetruth，“hesaid，“Ibelievethatshehasreasonsfordesiringherpresentwhereaboutstoremainunknown。Ishouldperhapsnothavementionedhernameatall。Itwas，Ifancy，indiscreetofme。ThecoincidenceofhearingyoumentionthenameoftheplacewhereIbelievesheresidedsurprisedmyquestion。
Withyourpermissionwewillabandonthesubject。“
“Youdisappointme，“Mr。Sabinsaidquietly。“Itwouldhavegivenmemuchpleasuretohaveresumedmyacquaintancewiththeladyinquestion。“
“Youwill，withoutdoubt，haveanopportunity，“Mr。Brottsaid，glancingathiswatchandsuddenlyrising。“Dearme，howthetimegoes。“
Herosetohisfeet。Mr。Sabinalsorose。
“MustIunderstand，“hesaidinalowtone，“thatyouarenotatlibertytogivemeMrs。Peterson’saddress？“
“Iamnotatlibertyeven，“Mr。Brottanswered，withafrown，“tomentionhername。Itwillgivemegreatpleasure，Duke，tobettermyacquaintancewithyou。WillyoudinewithmeattheHouseofCommonsonenightnextweek？“
“Ishallbecharmed，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“MyaddressforthenextfewdaysisattheCarlton。IamstayingthereundermyfamilynameofSabin-Mr。Sabin。Itisafancyofmine-ithasbeeneversinceIbecameanalien-tousemytitleaslittleaspossible。“
Mr。Brottlookedforamomentpuzzled。
“Yourpseudonym，“heremarkedthoughtfully，“seemsveryfamiliartome。“
Mr。Sabinshruggedhisshoulders。
“Itisafamilyname，“heremarked，“butIflatteredmyselfthatitwasatleastuncommon。“
“Fancy，nodoubt，“Mr。Brottremarked，turningtomakehisadieuxtohishostess。
Mr。Sabinjoinedafreshgroupofidlersunderthepalms。Mr。
Brottlingeredoverhisfarewells。
“YourUNCLE，LadyCamperdown，“hesaid，“isdelightful。Ienjoymeetingnewtypes，andherepresentstomemostperfectlytheoldorderofFrencharistocracy。“
“Iamglad，“Helenesaid，“thatyoufoundhiminteresting。Ifeltsureyouwould。Infact，Iaskedhimespeciallytomeetyou。“
“Youarethemostthoughtfulofhostesses，“heassuredher。“Bythebye，yourUNCLEhasjusttoldmethenamebywhichheisknownatthehotel。Mr。Sabin！Sabin！Itrecallssomethingtomymind。
Icannotexactlyrememberwhat。“
Shesmileduponhim。PeoplegenerallyforgotthingswhenHelenesmiled。
“Itisanoddfancyofhistolikehistitlesolittle，“sheremarked。“Atheartnooneisprouderoftheirfamilyandantecedents。Ihaveheardhimsay，though，thatanexilehadbetterleavebehindhimevenhisname。“
“Sabin！“Mr。Brottrepeated。“Sabin！“
“Itisanoldfamilyname，“shemurmured。
Hisfacesuddenlycleared。Sheknewthathehadremembered。Buthetookhisleavewithnofurtherreferencetoit。
“Sabin！“herepeatedtohimselfwhenaloneinhiscarriage。“ThatwasthenameofthemanwhowassupposedtobesellingplanstotheGermanGovernment。PoorRenshawwasinaterriblestewaboutit。
Sabin！Anuncommonname。“
HehadorderedthecoachmantodrivetotheHouseofCommons。
Suddenlyhepulledthecheck-string。
“CallatDorsetHouse，“hedirected。
Mr。Sabinlingeredtillnearlythelastoftheguestshadgone。
ThenheledHeleneoncemoreintothewintergardens。
“MayIdetainyouforonemoment’sgossip？“heasked。“Iseeyourcarriageatthedoor。“
Shelaughed。
“Itisnothing，“shedeclared。“ImustdriveintheParkforanhour。Oneseesone’sfriends，anditiscoolandrefreshingaftertheseheatedrooms。Butatanytime。Talktomeaslongasyouwill，andthenIwilldropyouattheCarlton。“
“ItisofBrott！“heremarked。“Ah，Ithankyou，Iwillsmoke。
Yourhusband’stasteincigarettesisexcellent。“
“Perhapsmine！“shelaughed。
Mr。Sabinshruggedhisshoulders。
“IneithercaseIcongratulateyou。ThismanBrott。Heinterestsme。“
“Heinterestseveryone。Whynot？Heisagreatpersonality。“
“Politically，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thegaugeofhissuccessisofcoursethemeasureoftheman。Buthehimself-whatmannerofamanishe？“
Shetappedwithherfingersuponthelittletablebytheirside。
“Heisrich，“shesaid，“andanuncommonmixtureofthestudentandthemanofsociety。Herefusesmanymoreinvitationsthanheaccepts，heentertainsveryseldombutverymagnificently。Hehasneverbeenknowntopaymarkedattentionstoanywoman，eventhescandaloftheclubshaspassedhimby。WhatelsecanIsayabouthim，Iwonder？“shecontinuedreflectively。“Nothing，Ithink，exceptthis。Heisastrongman。Youknowthatthatcountsformuch。“
Mr。Sabinwassilent。Perhapshewasmeasuringhisstrengthinsomeimaginedencounterwiththisman。SomethinginhisfacealarmedHelene。Shesuddenlyleanedforwardandlookedathimmoreclosely。