Show BANNER SERIAL SER AL FICTION N She Ber race racel A- A l 01 o eve CM cd rd OTh Y A Tm O Dornford YoU Yel CHAPTER CUAl ER VI VI Continued 19 12 13 I was six steps short of the landing land ing which gave cave to the upper door when Percy spoke again again to to bring brine my heart into my mouth 4 Oh and bring my pistol damn you Its It's next to the torch The man was beyond the curtains masking the upper door t v Herrick and I stopped dead An Instant later the curtains were I dashed apart and a transient glim grim j B mer of light revealed our enemy v Then Then- i Who said it was shut he screeched Its open wide They've done it on you you poisonous fools Wheres Where's Elgar Get hold of Elgar and tell him to watch the drive With that he thrust into the tow tow- tower er ere He could of course see nothing but his foot at once encountered the heavy length of carpet which we had laid on the steps What's this he be mut mut- I heard him pass on to the car car- carpet carpet carpet pet but what further movement he made I could not tell for the pile was tremendously thick and dead dead- deadened deadened ened all sound With Herrick one step below me I crouched there straining my ears ars We were just clear of the carpet standing upon the stone Then Virgil spoke again and again and made me jump like a foaL God in heaven he yelled Why dont don't you bring that torch The man was three steps above me and me-and and coming down I dared not try to hit him I him I could not see but quick as a flash I seized the end of the carpet and jerked it downstairs towards me meI J I J with all my might I His feet whipped from beneath him with a foul but forgivable oath Percy Virgil fell violently on to his back As he did so still hold hold- holding holding ing inc the carpet I flung myself full fuU p upon on him enveloping him in its toils tolls toils Moved by some brilliant in- in instinct Instinct instinct Herrick fought ought his way past us and seizing the head of the car- car carI het et flung this over and down Remembering Percy's orders to toI I Elgar I hurled myself up to the borway and on to the landing beyond be- be beon r yond on one on one breathed Herrick Which way The mighty landing was empty but as we bolted across a man came ame full tilt up the staircase the head of which was six siX feet from Elizabeths Elizabeth's door So dim was the light and he was making such haste that though we must almost have met I think he would have let us go by but I dared not take the risk and hit bit him very reluctantly full on the jaw As he crumpled and fell feU down down- downstairs downstairs stairs Elizabeths Elizabeth's door was opened and Herrick and I passed in Thirty seconds later the four of ofus ofus ofus us left leU the castle by way of the staircase turret by which two nights before we had hoped to come in The drive was clear If Elgar had had his orders he had not yet had time to carry them out We darted across the gravel slipped down the steps to the garden and hastened Elizabeth leading to where the walk began bega that th t led to the belvedere Twenty minutes later Winter still breathing goodwill was lead lead- leading leading ing inc us down to where he had berthed the car If our narrow escape had shocked us the drive to Raven R lve l ministered to our minds Arrived there Herrick found a note addressed to him Sir I 1 am told that you are returning to Raven tonight A man of the name of fax ax Bracher was found by Salzburg yesterday afternoon lie He corresponds to your our description of the man of that Christian name Your Identification of him is desired and I 1 beg you will visit Salzburg without delay dclay When found be had been dead for some lome pours hours shot through the back Your obedient servant f f Sergeant Serg aDt of Police PoUce I confess that from this time time 1 n on a medieval vigilance ruled ruled rulea whatsoever eJer we did Herrick visited Salzburg against his will and a d viewed vie ed the corpse of the man we we e had bad known as Max No evidence had been discovered discovered- against ag Virgil Vircil or anyone else Even the bullet was useless for It had spread irreparably The same day da Thursday Elizabeth resting at Ra Ra- Raven Raven ven laid her plans I sat by her ber side in the meadows and listened listened- and watched the woods The Duchess of Whelp was at Tra Tra- Tracery Tracery cery 35 miles mUes from Innsbruck and 00 DO from rom where we lay Iny Tales out of number were told of the state she had kept of the the things she Ibe had said eald and done of the efforts had bad been made to obtain an invitation lion tion to enter her house If U. the half hail V were true It is clear that th t for years years before the War the tho Chateau of Tracery sheltered a second Court I And now though she shut herself up her writ still ran and though the fountain of honor no longer played its peaceful pool was as re- re r fleeting as never ver before the vivid presence now nearly nearl eighty years old 1 t 11 t 1 1 t i 9 7 t. t a w rl r t t I 1 shall shaU go there tomorrow said my lady And you if U you please will drive me there me-there there and back At least well we'll be breaking a record No ones one's gone uninvited to Tracery for or certainly fifty fly years With all aU my heart said I. I But wont won't you take Winter too I mean it'll look more important than If Lf you just roll up with me at the wheeL Elizabeth seemed to reflect At length length- Perhaps youre you're right she mur mur- murmured murmured murmured pulling the grass I wish I knew what to expect I know that she visited Brief very shortly before I was born and my grand grandfather father knew her well but my my-my my my uncle has never seen her ber since Mother was killed I sat up at that Are you sure that he saw her before Elizabeth started and a hand went up to her head Good heavens she breathed Exactly said I. I I Ill lay hes he's never set eyes on the Duchess of water roof roof water showed where the gut cut gutters cutters gutters were choked This I found peculiar for rumor had it ft the Duchess of Whelp was rich But I think the truth was this that that when she had closed her herCourt herCourt herCourt Court she had determined to let its residence go co What was the setting to her when the Jewel was gone Nearly an hour had gone cone by when the door was opened again and the major-domo major appeared and began to descend the steps Expecting some message I rose and went to meet him and then I saw that he was an Englishman As I approached he stood still Sir he said with a bow Her ner Grace desires to see you If If you please I will show you the way to her private rooms His announcement took me aback as well it might but though the summons shook me my heart leaped up for it meant that Old Harrys Interest had been aroused And that was everything To my surprise three footmen a cy y 1 I Itt tt 4 Ji 1 1 II I h 1 h 1 No Evidence Dad Had Been Discovered I Whelp Your father saw her her and and knew her but the younger son the son the bad hat was hat was not at Brief when she came He cant can't deny her visit because he knows it took place It was a great occasion Brief was delighted to honor so rare a guest And so your uncle is bound to pre pre- pretend pretend pretend tend he was there But he wasn't wasn't- because he isn't the man he pre pre- pretends pretends tends to be and all he knows of her visit is what hes he's picked up from the staff right said Elizabeth slowly still pulling the grass What a fool you must think me for or not having seen it ft myself How can you I cried Ive known the truth for a year and you for Cor less than a week At eleven o'clock the next day I stood with my hat in my hands at athe atthe atthe the he foot of Tracery's steps Eliza Eliza- Elizabeth Elizabeth Elizabeth beth stood at their head some some ten feet up We were waiting for the thedoor thedoor thedoor door to be opened in some sus sus- pense A liveried keeper had stopped us while we were yet in fn inthe inthe the drive and had been hardly per per- persuaded persuaded persuaded to let us proceed At last the door was opened and anda a man all in black with knee- knee breeches inclined his head bead His manner was ceremonious and very polite but left leU in my mind no doubt that he did not mean to ad ad- admit admit mit The Lady Elizabeth Virgil or anyone else When he had finished speaking I 1 saw my lady nod Then she held out the little packet she had in her hand land A salver appeared from no no- nowhere nowhere nowhere where r I II rI I do not know what she said as she laid the packet down but after a little I saw the man bow and turn and Elizabeth cross cro s. s the threshold Into the hall hail hallAt At least she was in fn but as the thedoor thedoor thedoor door wasp was hut and I turned to the car I confess I felt far from sure that she was to be received And AndU if U she was not what then The packet contained no less than the I kings king's great ring with which she was hoping to gain the access she sheso sheI sheso so much desired U If the Duchess of Whelp was scrupulous well and I good but If If- i. i she was not Elizabeth would be dismissed dismissed and and the ring was gone And Old Harry might well be hostile hos to a n girl that made bold to remind her that the bearings which Tracery flaunted were rightly hers tiers 1 I sat down on on-a on a step of the Rolls and lighted a cigarette while Win Winter Winter Winter ter stood like a statue beside his charge determined I think to show that he could c maintain the pace which the major-domo major had set The house was imposing but butrim grim rim and plainly had bad not Been cared for for several years Mas- Mas built of stone wind and weather W weather ather could co ld do it but bui little harm but rust was corrupting the bare bar bu to r. r t the lower ow r windows and an al 1 I J JI m 1 I tl Y KF r 4 v I d stood at the door but the echoing hall hail within was that of a house whose owner has gone go e abroad Fur Fur- Furniture Furniture Furniture and pictures were shrouded and carpets rolled but the marble floor was spotless and there was no sign of dust We passed up a glorious staircase the carpet of which was gone cone by draped or hooded ho ded statues and sheet sheet- sheeted ed tapestry to enter a sunlit gal gal- gallery gallery lery down which three four in could have passed abreast At the gallery's farther end a woman woman servant ant was standing beside a door To her I was was delivered and at once she ushered me into a drawing drawing- room This was small and stiff stitT but though it showed no sign of having been lately used its furniture was not shrouded and a carpet covered the floor The woman who looked very sour addressed me in German and indicated a chair and when I had taken my seat she passed to an an- another another another other door As she opened this I saw that it gave to a passage some six feet teet long She closed the door behind her as though I thought she was happy to shut me out and andI I can only suppose that I looked as much out of my depth as indeed I 1 felt elL Within 30 seconds however the door was opened again and she beckoned to me to approach As AsI I did so so I saw that a second door was now open at the farther end of the passage I had observed Through this the woman pointed and stood back against the wall for me to go by I passed her and entered the room and the door behind me was shut I stood in fn a spacious bedroom splendidly furnished in the Italian style Gold leaf and velvet and beautifully ully painted wood lantern and plaque and mirror silver dusky crimson and mellowed green made up a stately harmony of love love- lovely lovely lovely ly things In their midst command command- commanding ing them all from rom its dais a great state bedstead stood with its head to the wall And sitting up in the bed was Her Grace the Duchess of Whelp The room was full of light and I saw her well A highly elaborate coiffure attired her head and a richly embroidered vesture swathed her from throat to wrist but once I had seen her face I had no eyes for anything else in that room That this was painted was nothing nothing mot motley ley could not diminish the light of her countenance Her cheeks were raddled her lashes were stiff and laden her lips were a scarlet blotch but the visage thus over over- overlaid overlaid laid was above these things It was handsome as an eagles eagle's is hand hand- handsome some with some with a cold majesty of fea fea- feature feature ture heedless of the sense of mi minority mi mi- minority which it imposed I bowed something bowed something awkwardly dimly aware of Elizabeth sitting be be- beside beside beside side the bed and smiling at me to tell teU me that all aU was well Old Harry inclined her head How do Mr Exon Come here If U you please I stepped to her side and she put out a hand which was blazing with three magnificent rings I took the fingers in mine and put them to my lips lipsI lipsI I am told youre you're a man of ac action ac- ac action tion she said and ond so it seems But youre you're not very quick off the mark She tapped the papers p pers that lay Iny on her delicate quilt This Ger- Ger Gering Gering Gering ing business Why did you wait so long For two reasons madam said I. I First for several months I was not myself I found life hard to han han- handle handle dle due and had no brains to spare for or anything else And then I shrank from rom interference with a state of af af- affairs af- af affairs fairs which bad had been est established estUs s lis ed so long f f. 4 And then you saw sa v Percy Vir Vir- Virgil Virgil gil Yes said I I. I Hes Hes he's he's hes not a nice-looking nice man I Hed look very well from a gal gal- gallows gallows lows observed the Duchess of Whelp She turned to Elizabeth What made you allow Mr Exon to carry you off That said Elizabeth is what I keep asking him Sex said Old Harry firmly You liked subjecting yourself to the strength of the male Its It's been done before The kicked and screamed for the look of the thing as a matter of hard fact they were tickled to death She She turned upon me And what do you mean Richard Exon by hiding this lady at Raven for rot over a week Her attack was so sudden that 1 J was taken aback Madam said I it seemed the best thing to do Did it Indeed said Old Harry Well Nell God preserve us all aU from your benevolence The Lady Eliza Eliza- Elizabeth Elizabeth beth Virgil for whom the cities of or Europe are being surreptitiously scoured sharing two young mens men's lodgings ten miles from her fathers father's house I And who's this Herrick per per- person p person r. r son I knew a Naseby once Hes one of the best said 1 I I. I And he be pulls far more than his weight As a matter of fact hes he's the present Lord Naseby's heir TO BE DE CONTINUED |