The Devil Rides Out Read Online Free

is!’ muttered the Duke to himself, but Simon had left the other two with almost indecent haste in order to rejoin him, so he said with a smile: ‘I gather you are about to execute Deed Poll, my friend?’
    â€˜Eh!’ Simon exclaimed with a slight start.
    â€˜To change your name,’ De Richleau supplemented.
    â€˜Ner.’ He shook his head rapidly as he uttered the curious negative that he often used. It came of his saying ‘No’ without troubling to close the lips of his full mouth. ‘Ner–that’s only a sort of joke we have between us, a sort of initiation ceremony, I’m not a full member yet.’
    â€˜I see, then you have ceremonies in your Astronomical Society, how interesting!’
    As he spoke De Richleau, out of the corner of his eye, saw Mocata make a quick sign to Simon and then glance at the ormolu clock on the mantelpiece; so to save his host the awkwardness of having actually to request his departure, he exclaimed: ‘Dear me! Twenty past eleven, I had no idea it was so late. I must drag Rex away from that lovely lady after all, I fear.’
    â€˜Well, if you must go.’ Simon looked embarrassed and worried, but catching Mocata’s eye again, he promptly led the way over to his other unwelcome guest.
    Rex gave a happy grin as they came up. ‘This is marvellous Simon. I’ve been getting glimpses of this lady in different continents these two years past, and she seems to recall having seen me too. It’s just great that we should become acquainted at last through you.’ Then he smiled quickly at the girl: ‘May I present my friend De Richleau? Duke, this is Miss Tanith.’
    De Richleau bent over her long, almost transparent hand and raised it to his lips. ‘How unfortunate I am,’ he said with old-fashioned gallantry, ‘to be presented to you only in time to say good-bye, and perhaps gain your displeasure by taking your new friend with me as well.’
    â€˜But,’ she regarded him steadily out of large, clear, amber eyes. ‘Surely you do not depart before the ceremony?’
    â€˜I fear we must. We are not members of your, er, Circle you see, only old friends of Simon’s.’
    A strange look of annoyance and uncertainty crept into her glance, and the Duke guessed that she was searching her mind for any indiscretions she might have committed in her conversation with Rex. Then she shrugged lightly and, with a brief inclination of the head which dismissed themboth, turned coldly away.
    The Duke took Simon’s arm affectionately, as the three friends left the salon. ‘I wonder,’ he said persuasively, ‘if you could spare me just two minutes before we go–no more I promise you.’
    â€˜Rather, of course.’ Simon seemed now to have regained his old joviality. ‘I’ll never forgive myself for missing your dinner tonight—this wretched meeting—and I’ve seen nothing of you for weeks. Now Rex is over we must throw a party together.’
    â€˜We will, we will,’ De Richleau agreed heartily, ‘but listen; is not Mars in conjunction with Venus tonight?’
    â€˜Ner,’ Simon replied promptly. ‘With Saturn, that’s what they’ve all come to see.’
    â€˜Ah, Saturn! My Astronomy is so rusty, but I saw some mention of it in the paper yesterday, and at one time I was a keen student of the Stars. Would it be asking too much, my dear fellow, to have just one peep at it through your telescope? We should hardly delay your meeting for five minutes.’
    Simon’s hesitation was barely perceptible before he nodded his bird-like head with vigorous assent. ‘Um, that’s all right, they haven’t all arrived yet, let’s go up.’ Then, with his hands thrust deep in the trouser pockets of his exceedingly well-cut suit, he led them hurriedly through the hall and up three flights of stairs.’
    De Richleau followed