The Devil Rides Out Manuscript

I 1.Chapter One

The Duke de Reichleau and Rex Van Ryn had gone into dinner at eight o’clock but coffee was not served till after ten.

An appetite in keeping with his mighty frame had enabled Van Ryn to do ample justice to each well chosen course and, as was his custom each time his young friend arrived from the States, the Duke had produced his finest wines for this, their reunion dinner at his flat.

“Twice in Vienna and twice in Buenos Aires eh ?” De Reichleau raised his grey eyebrows slightly “You will be certain to see her a second time in London also then” “Here’s hoping !” Van Ryn was slowly revolving some of the Duke’s wonderful old brandy in a bowl shaped glass. He tipped it quickly to his lips and sat it down with a nod of appreciation, then a wide smile spread over his square, ugly, attractive face. “Just why do you say that ? I’m crazy about her but I don’t know where she’s staying – I don’t even know her name. I only caught a glimpse of her again tonight when her automobile got jammed next mine in Piccadilly. How would I even set about finding her ?”

The lined face of the elder man creased into an answering smile. “You will not have to” he answered slowly quietly “Nothing in this world ever happens by chance Rex. There are strange laws of attraction and repulsion of which we know little, but which, unrecognised by the multitude, play an immense part in all our lives. If this woman has drawn your interest and held it, for intervals so many months apart you may be sure that fate is in it, your paths will converge again, and soon perhaps, for it seems that such things run in cycles.”

Rex Van Ryn shrugged his broad shoulders “I love to hear you spill your theories, but I’m no fatalist so I can’t believe it. I wish I could though – just this once. She’s marvellous – like no other woman you’ve ever seen. D’you know that angele look, that has with nothing christian in it that some of the old masters painters gave their women. The golden virgin to the outward ...

The Devil Rides Out Published version

Chapter 1 THE INCOMPLETE REUNION

The Duke de Richleau and Rex Van Ryn had gone into dinner at eight o’clock but coffee was not served till after ten.

An appetite in keeping with his mighty frame had enabled Van Ryn to do ample justice to each well- chosen course and, as was his custom each time the young American arrived in England, the Duke had produced his finest wines for this, their reunion dinner at his flat.

A casual observer might well have considered it a strange friendship, but despite their difference in age and race, appearance and tradition, a real devotion existed between the two.

Some few years earlier Rex’s foolhardiness had landed him in a Soviet prison, and the elderly French exile had put aside his peaceful existence as art connoisseur and dilettante to search for him in Russia. Together they had learned the dangerous secret of “The Forbidden Territory” and travelled many thousand verts pursued by the merciless agents of the Ogpu.

There had been others too in that strange adventure; young Richard Eaton, and the little Priness Marie Lou whom he had brought out of Russia as his bride; but as Rex accepted a long Hoyo de Monterrey from the cedar cabinet which the Duke’s man presented to him his thoughts were not of the Eatons, living now so happily with their little daughter Fleur in their lovely old country home near Kidderminster. He was thibking of that third companion whose subtle brain and shy, nervous courage had proved so great an aid when they were hunted like hares through the length and breadth of Russia, the frail narrow-shouldered English Jew – Simon Aron.

“What could possibly have kept Simon from being with them tonight” Rex was wondering. He had never failed before to make a third at these reunion dinners, and why had the Duke brushed aside his enquiries about him in such an offhand manner. There was something queer behind De Richleau’s reticence, and Rex had a feeling that for all his host’s easy charm and bland, witty conversation something had gone seriously wrong.