She smiled again, and beckoned him to a smaller settee, out of earshot of both the gaming table and the big sofa round which she had been holding her little court of changing men ever since Roger had arrived. As they sat down she said quite simply: "You wish to make your suit with me?"
"Nay, Madame," he replied frankly. "Were I to be longer in Naples I would be greatly tempted to haunt your doorstep until you either gave in or drove me from it; but tonight I come to plead the suit of another."
He caught her glance of surprise, but went on quickly: "I have reason to believe that Don Diego de Sidonia y Ulloa is quite mad about you, yet you are so stony-hearted as to treat him with disdain."
Instantly she stiffened, and asked: "Is he, then, a friend of yours?"
"Hardly that, Madame. No more than an acquaintance; yet I am vastly concerned that you should regard his suit with greater kindness."
"Why should I?" she replied, with a hard note in her voice. "I am no ordinary courtesan, to jump into bed at any man's bidding. Time was when I had to oblige certain of our best patrons, but thank God 'tis no longer so. At a price I am still willing to consider giving myself to a man from whom I shall derive little pleasure, providing he be reasonably personable. Don Diego fails to raise a flicker in me, and so far he has come up to only half the price I ask. Why should I put myself out to oblige that stiff-necked Spaniard?"
"Madame, I have a genuine appreciation of your feelings," Roger murmured tactfully. "As you have guessed, I am unfortunately by no means rich myself. Otherwise I would offer to make up the price you demand. As it is I can only cast myself on your good nature. I beg you, as the greatest possible favour to myself, to accept the sum he offers, and give him an assignation for tomorrow night."
She gave him a cynical little smile, then began to laugh. "I see it now. You are in love with that equally stiff-necked black-browed wife of his, and want me to take care of him so that the coast is clear for you to get into his house."
Roger grinned at her. "Madame, it would ill become me to admit it; but if you choose to think that the reason for my request, I should be hard put to it to prove you wrong."
Sara Goudar shook her head. "Nay, Monsieur. You have afforded me much amusement, but I am no philanthropist. The Spaniard can well afford to pay, so if he wants me let him disgorge his ducats. As for yourself, love is the best of locksmiths and time brings opportunity. If you have an urge to enjoy his wife, good fortune to you."
"Alas, you have named my trouble," Roger said sadly. "I am debarred the benefits with which time so often rewards her patient votaries. I am under orders to leave Naples within thirty hours, and 'tis tomorrow night or never."
Again she shook her head, now a little impatiently. " 'Tis my time and your own that you are wasting, Monsieur, in this profitless conversation. I see no reason whatever why I should incommode myself to further the amours of people who are of no account to me."
Roger now feared that he was bowling against an impregnable wicket, but he pulled his last trick. Taking her hand he suddenly changed from French to English; and, gambling on the fact that as far as he knew she had not been in Ireland since her childhood, he said with the best imitation of an Irish brogue that he could muster:
"Ach, come now! Ye'll do it fer the sake of ould Ireland?"
Her blue eyes lit up again as she stared at him in surprise. "Are ye tellin' me you're Irish then?"
"Bejabbers, I am! Now wasn't I born no more than five miles from Limerick town?"
"Ach, well now, to be sure." She clasped his hand and put her other upon it. " 'Tis all the difference in the wide world that's makin'. An' how could I bring meself to refuse such a broth of a bhoy ? It's an ould hack I am if the truth be known, for all that the blessed Saints have preserved me looks. What's a night in a lifetime to such as meself? Sure an' I'll give that tailor's dummy of a Spaniard an assignation just as yourself is wishin'. Though I'd leifer 'twas you than he that had designs on this bit of a woman that I am."
So Roger and Sara parted the best of friends, and with a firm understanding that she should send a billet-doux to Don Diego saying that she had relented, and was prepared to receive him at midnight the following night.
Roger slept at the Palazzo Sessa. In the morning he made his adieux to Mrs. Cadogan and the Junoesque Emma, thanked them for the hospitality that they had afforded him, and said he hoped that the future might bring him some opportunity of being of service to them. Then he rode out to Caserta.
Queen Caroline received him a little before midday. They had another long talk about the difficulties of Madame Marie Antoinette, then the Queen gave him her letter, told him that he would always be welcome at the Court of Naples, and bade him god-speed.
Afterwards General Acton gave him another letter. It was addressed to the Tenente Umberto Godolfo, of the sloop Aspide. The Prime Minister said that it contained instructions for the sloop to put to sea at the earliest possible moment and convey Roger to Marseilles, or the nearest French port to which contrary winds might bring her. He added that he had selected Lieutenant Godolfo for this task because he spoke French well, and so could readily be made aware of the wishes of his passenger.
Roger thanked the General, took leave of him, then said good-bye to Sir William Hamilton with real affection and regret. By half-past two he was back in Naples. Having stabled Sir William's horse, he had a quick meal, then took a carozza down to the harbour, where enquiries at the Castello dell’Ovo soon enabled him to run Lieutenant Godolfo to earth.
The Tenente proved to be a tall, dark young man of about the same age as Roger. On reading the Prime Minister's order he said that he was delighted with his mission, and would be most happy to serve the Chevalier Brook to the best of his ability.
Roger then asked him how long it would take to prepare the sloop for sea.
"We have first to water and provision her," replied the Tenente; "that will take some six hours; but I will hasten matters all I can to meet the wishes of the distinguished passenger that the Aspide is to have the honour of carrying."
Having seen a crew of Corsican fishermen do a similar job in two hours, on the felucca that had brought him from Marseilles, Roger was not impressed; but, in view of all he had heard of the Royal Neapolitan Navy's shortcomings, he was not surprised, and he would not have minded if the Tenente had required double the time. So he said:
"That is excellent, Tenente mio. But I beg you, do not work yourself or your men too harshly, as the lady is unlikely to come aboard before midnight. In fact I doubt if she will have completed her packing by then, so I may have to kick my heels for her till one or two in the morning."
"The lady ?" exclaimed the young officer, giving him a puzzled look.
"Yes," Roger replied with a frown. "A lady, her maid and page are making the voyage with us."
The Tenente glanced again at General Acton's letter. "His Excellency the Prime Minister says nothing about a lady here."
"Does he not!" Roger shrugged. "Ah well! Excellentissimo Acton is a busier man than you or I, Tenente, and has little time for making his letters longer than they need be. No doubt he thought it unnecessary to mention the matter, and considered it quite sufficient to order you to place yourself at my disposal."
"Indeed, Monsieur le Chevalier," the Tenente agreed eagerly. "I feel sure you must be right. You have only to tell me your wishes. The lady will not be as comfortable as I would like on board my little ship; but I will make the best possible preparations for her reception."