"That is the adventure!"
"You would turn me over to the authorities?"
"No, but I would sell my parole for a mess of woodcock, Harry." She laid a hand upon my arm. "I can't tell you how much I want a little supper at Luigi's, Harry. I like the Chianti there. Between us we could afford thirty cents a bottle, could we not? Now, if I gave my parole--and of course, every one would be here at the boat just the same--But of course, I did not expect you would."
"Why did you not?"
"Because it is an adventure, because it will take something of real courage, I fancy, to meet a risk like that!"
"There would be some risk for us all," said I truly.
"There you go, balancing and not deciding. You are no pirate."
"What will you give me if I go, Helena?" said I.
"Nothing beyond thanking you. One thing, you must not think that I would trick or trap you."
"Many a criminal has been trapped by a woman whom he loves," said I slowly. "But you would not do that if I had your word, even though you hated me. And you do hate me very much, do you not?"
"Yes, very much. But if you took me by New Orleans without a supper at Luigi's, I should hate you even more."
"Jean--Jean Lafitte," I called out in a low tone of voice.
"Aye, aye, Sir!" he saluted, as he came to the place where we stood, like some seasoned sailorman, regardless of youthful hours of sleep.
"I am going up-town with the captive maiden. Do you stand here on watch. We shall be gone about three hours."
"Hully gee!" ejaculated Jean Lafitte, but at once he saluted again.
"'Tis well, Black Bart," said he.
"Tell Captain Peterson to let no one come on board this boat under any pretense; nor must any one leave it until I get back. If any one asks for me, say I'm up-town."
"Isn't Aunt Lucinda going, too?" demanded Helena.
"She certainly is not!"
"Is it--is it quite correct for me to go alone with you?"
"That is your part of the adventure, Helena," said I calmly. An instant later I had led her across the dingy warehouse dock, over dusty streets, to a crooked street-car line over which I could hear approaching one of the infrequent cars.
CHAPTER XXV
IN WHICH WE MEET THE OTHER MAN, ALSO ANOTHER WOMAN
Luigi's place, as all men know, is situated upon a small, crooked and very dirty street, yet none the less, it is an abode of contentment for those who know good living. When Helena and I entered the door I felt as one again at home. Here were the sanded floors, the old water-bottles, the large chandelier with its cut glasses in the middle of the room, the small tables with their coarse clean linen. The same old French waiters stood here and there about, each with impeccable apron and very peccable shoes, as is the wont of all waiters. But the waiters at Luigi's are more than waiters; they are friends, and they never forget a face. Therefore, as always, I had no occasion for surprise when Jean, my waiter these many years at Luigi's, stepped forward as though it had been but last week and not three years ago when he had seen me. He called me by name, greeted me again to his city, and gently aided Helena with her wraps and gloves.
"And M'sieu can not long remain away from us, forever?" said he.
"It has been three years, Jean," said I, "more is the pity. But now, I can remain three hours--will that serve? At the end of that time we must away."
Jean was human, yet discreet. He knew that when last he saw me I was a single man. Now he had doubts. He stood hovering about, a question on his tongue, smitten of admiration much as had been my dog, Partial, at his first sight of Helena. At last he made excuse to step close behind my chair under pretense of finding my napkin.
"_Enfin, M'sieu?_" said he, smiling.
"_Pas encore_, Jean!" I replied.
I saw a slow flush on Helena's cheek, but she gave no other sign that she had overheard. So I began forthwith making much ado about ordering our supper, which as usual really was much a matter of Jean's taste.
"We have to-night in the ice-boxes, M'sieu," said that artist, "some cock oysters which are dreams. Moreover, I have laid aside two canvasbacks, the best I ever saw--it was in the hope that some really good friend of mine would come in. Behold, I am happy--I must have been expecting you. Believe me, we have never had better birds than these. They are excellent."
"Perhaps the oysters, Jean," said I, "very small and dark. I presume possibly a very small _fillet_ of trout this evening, and the sauce--you still can make it, Jean? Such _entrees_ as you like, of course. But, since Mademoiselle--" and here I smiled--"and I, also, are very hungry this evening, we wish a woodcock after the canvasback, if you do not mind. Perhaps it is not too much?"
"_Mais non!_" replied Jean. "You are of those who know well that to eat too much is not to dine well. But I shall bring you two oysters, _mariniere_--a sauce my own wife invented. And yes, some small bird, _beccasine_, broiled lightly--perhaps you will enjoy it after the canvasback, although I assure you those are excellent indeed. We have few sweets here, as M'sieu knows, but cheese, if you like, and of course coffee; and always we have the red wine which I remember M'sieu liked so much."
"It is with you, Jean," said I. And Helena, turning, smiled upon him swiftly, in such fashion that he scarce touched the floor at all as he walked out for his radishes and olives.
"Isn't it nice?" said Helena. "Isn't it like the old times? I always loved this old town. It seems so homelike."
"Please do not use that word, Helena," said I. "I wish to be entirely happy to-night, in the belief that some time I shall know what home is."
"Do you think Jean knew me also?" she demanded. "Certainly, I have been here also before."
"No one who has ever seen you, Helena, ever forgets you. But Jean is, of course, discreet."
"Suppose he knew that I was here to-night against my free will, and only under parole?"
"Jean is wise; he knows such things ought not to be, even if they are.
And he understood me when I said, 'not yet.'"
"Yes," said she; "quite right. _Pas encore!_"
Jean returned, and as a special favor to an old patron asked us politely if we would enjoy a look through the kitchen and the ice-boxes. As usual, we accepted this invitation, and passed back through the green swing doors, following our guide along the row of charcoal fires, through a dingy room decorated with shining coppers and bits of glass and silver. These ice-boxes were such as to offer continual delight to any epicure, what with their rows of fat clean fishes and crabs and oysters, the birds nicely plucked, all the dainties which this rich market of the South could afford, from papabotte to terrapin. Helena herself selected two woodcock and approved the judgment of Jean in canvasback. Presently she turned to me, a flush of embarrassment upon her face.
"Harry," she said, "I don't like to say anything, but you know--you've been telling me you were so poor. Now, a girl doesn't want to make it difficult----"
"Mademoiselle," said I, bowing, "I am quite able to foot the bill to-night. I had just sold some hay before I started from home."
"Well, I'm awfully hungry," she admitted; "besides, it's such a lark."
"Yes," said I; and presently, as we reached our table again, I showed her the afternoon papers, which as yet she had not seen. She read through the account of our escapade, her lips compressed; but presently she folded the paper and laid it down without comment.
"At any minute, you see," said I, "I may be apprehended and our little supper brought to an end. That is why I hastened with the order. I do not wish to hurry you in any way, however, and we shall use the full three hours. Although, of course, you see that the bird of time indeed is on the wing to-night, as well as those other birds on the broilers."
She only looked at me steadily and made no comment. "Once suspected here," said I, "all is over for me, and you are free again. It would be entirely easy for you to make some sign or movement which I, perhaps, could not detect. Perhaps, at any moment, some one may enter who knows you--as I've said, no one can look at you and forget you, Helena. But please let none of this affect your appetite. Our little supper is our little adventure. I hope you will enjoy both, my dear."