The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mark Of Cain, by Andrew Lang

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Title: The Mark Of Cain

Author: Andrew Lang

Release Date: June 12, 2007 [EBook #21821]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MARK OF CAIN ***

Produced by David Widger

THE MARK OF CAIN

By Andrew Lang

1886

THE MARK OF CAIN.

CHAPTER I.--A Tale of Two Clubs.

"Such arts the gods who dwell on high
Have given to the Greek."--_Lays of Ancient Rome._

In the Strangers' Room of the Olympic Club the air was thick with
tobacco-smoke, and, despite the bitter cold outside, the temperature
was uncomfortably high. Dinner was over, and the guests, broken up into
little groups, were chattering noisily. No one had yet given any sign of
departing: no one had offered a welcome apology for the need of catching
an evening train.

Perhaps the civilized custom which permits women to dine in the presence
of the greedier sex is the proudest conquest of Culture. Were it not
for the excuse of "joining the ladies," dinner-parties (Like the
congregations in Heaven, as described in the hymn) would "ne'er break
up," and suppers (like Sabbaths, on the same authority) would never end.

"Hang it all, will the fellows _never_ go?"

So thought Maitland, of St. Gatien's, the founder of the feast. The
inhospitable reflections which we have recorded had all been passing
through his brain as he rather moodily watched the twenty guests he had
been feeding--one can hardly say entertaining. It was a "duty dinner" he
had been giving--almost everything Maitland did was done from a sense of
duty--yet he scarcely appeared to be reaping the reward of an approving
conscience. His acquaintances, laughing and gossipping round the
half-empty wine-glasses, the olives, the scattered fruit, and "the ashes
of the weeds of their delight," gave themselves no concern about the
weary host. Even at his own party, as in life generally, Maitland felt
like an outsider. He wakened from his reverie as a strong hand was laid
lightly on his shoulder.

"Well, Maitland," said a man sitting down beside him, "what have _you_
been doing this long time?"