| Show Lv BANNER SERIAL FICTION She o aHer Her race Face I i i Il A 6 ad DORNfORD YATES i O 0 Dornford Yalta Yale irIc CHAPTER VI VI ContInued Continued 1 13 13 I f I I Herricks mother said Elizabeth gently was my mothers mother's greatest friend i Youre not staying with his c mother snapped Old Harry By consenting to do as you did you youe e ware wre playing straight Into the hands bands of father and son Supposing you'd been discovered Brief would I have seen his chance and have flat fiat flattened you out Hed He'd have trumpet trumpeted ed the scandal played the outraged father and ordered his erring daugh daughter daughter ter ter out of his sight Never darken my doors again And you would have had bad to go your go-your your cousin would t p have seen to that Father fooled police fooled Austria fooled And F j i ring or no ring I couldn't have h F helped you at all I used to be able to drop a soul shaking soul shaking hint but Ive I've Iver Iver r never mastered the art of raising the dead Of There was a little silence only disturbed by the sleeveless fret of a abee bee on a window windowpane I A length length- I You must blame me madam I said That Elizabeth should stay t at Raven was my idea f Are Arc you proud of it Richard Ex Ex- Exon Exon on No Im I'm not said I. I Im great greatly ly ashamed c. c Good said Old Harry In fu future fur ture stick to your last Take ac ac- action tion tion-that's tion that's your forte But never r reflect From what I hear you have instinct instinct-a instinct a a precious faculty r Well be content with that that and and drown your ideas ideas at birth And now take a seat seat She touched a ar r chair by her side As I did her bidding she turned to Elizabeth What were you going to tell me about your mothers mother's jewels j Elizabeth recited the facts When she had done Old Harry i wrinkled her brows Im not surprised that your cousin cousin cousin in found you de trop trope That hes he's drawn and sold the gems there can be no doubt And that by forgery Now the English are a tolerant lot h They'll overlook treason and fight w for fo or a murderers murderer's life while a theft in England Is nearly always worth while But they've al al- always ways loathed forgery probably forgery probably be be- because because cause they feel that it isn't playing the game Witness your poor fa father i ther ther Now Cousin Percy has committed that loathsome crime S But yours is the only voice that can send him down Without you he cant can't be arrested much less ar ar- ar With you he is doomed is-doomed doomed And so you had to go She glanced at a clock 1 Lunch she said will be served in a quarter of an hour For you two in the Medici room After that you may sit on the terrace un until un- un until til I send I must think this matter over I dont don't want to let you down but I cant can't make bricks without straw We could not talk freely at table for never less than three men were constantly In the tho room The meal was royally served and the dishes set before us were fit for a king All the appointments were flawless and ruled by the major-domo major the footmen moved and waited as though their duty had been tirelessly rehearsed At these things I shall always wonder for Elizabeth told me later that months had passed since the Duchess had left her room while no guest had been entertained for nearly two years Indeed I can only submit that they showed forth Old Harrys Harry's dominion as nothing else could have done The palace was out of commission its mistress was out of sight and yet at a nod from her the machinery sprang to life to move with all the precision of practiced vigilance Coffee was served upon the t e ter ter- terrace terrace race above an Italian garden run I Ito I to seed And there we were left to ourselves ourselves and and the lizards that stared over the molder molder- molderIng moldering ing stone She deserves her fame said Elizabeth I know no more than you ou what line she's going to take but whatever she does I haven't wasted my time because I have seen een and talked with Harriet the Great Here let me say that that surname sur- sur surname name oame does docs her justice as can no periods A few men and women women- have borne it since Time was young If It she had had as fair fields I have no doubt that she would have borne borne it it too I I wish said I she v was as not confined to her bed She isn't said Elizabeth swift swift- swiftly ly Jy She stays there because she likes it She told me so She said k she Khe had crowded so much into fifty fUty 7 r years that she never had time to digest the brilliant burden they held neld And now she is doing that She goes leisurely through her dl di diaries aries considering in detail the play which because she was leading she f never saw And she never gets up I f Never She says that the mental her perfectly fit and J 1 A the more she rests her body the clearer her brain becomes I felt rather dazed There were more things at Tracery than were were- dreamt of in my philosophy Her English I said is better than that of an English Judge Elizabeth nodded Her brains brain's like mercury When I came in Why you and not Brief Brie she said I gave her tho the statement statement state state- statement ment at once She read it through in silence Then Then I I beg your par par- pardon pardon don she said It seems you are arc Brief No need to ask why youre you're here but who opened your eyes I told her all aU you had done And heres here's a man she said Dont let him go I may mayor or may not help you but such a mans man's little finger is thicker than my old loins Before I had time to expose this ridiculous estimate the major-domo major was approaching to to give me the shock of my life By your ladyships ladyship's leave Her Grace will receive Mr Exon with with- without without without out delay Elizabeth smiled and nodded and generally bound to respond to her call I am not bound to make a fool of myself If she likes to wish for forthe forthe forthe the moon and md comes crying to me I have every right in the world to send her empty away Do you agree or dont don't you Not that I care a curse but I may as well know I agree with you madam said I. I The request must be reason able Very good What is her request Not to reach her the moon but to help her uproot a tree which ismore is ismore ismore more than twenty years old All AU Allright Allright right say I. I It certainly cumbers the earth and it ought to come down I Where are arc your tools She slapped the quilt with her palm Mr Kir Exon she has no tools And neither have I. I IFor I IFor For me to move in this matter ma would be to fail and for me to fall fail fallin in this matter would bring me into derision if it not contempt As I Imade Imade Imade made to protest she held up a sparkling hand I dont don't expect you to agree You'd cheerfully sell my soul to buy your pretty darling an tM T n 4 pdt if f urn 1 i t S al t t l a s si sr i r y f fi d- d dr r So Im I'm Going Treat to-Treat to Treat You as an Equal Equal the the Plays Play's the Thing Th g. g begging her to excuse me I got to tomy tomy tomy my feet Two minutes later I stood before Old Harry as a sheep before her is dumb The piercing eyes held mine as a magnet the steel Mr Exon I have formed of you youa a very pleasant opinion and I am usually right But I must request your our assurance upon one point That ThatIs Is that you are aware that you can can- cannot cannot cannot not possibly marry the Countess of Brief The bedroom went black about me and the blood surged into my face lace And I felt as though some some- something something thing had taken me by the throat Somehow I answered thickly I am well aware of that ma ma- dam Good said Old Harry agree agree- agreeably ably I thought as much but I simply had to be sure And now come here and sit down and Ill I'll do dohe dothe dothe the he talking until youve you've got your breath As I took my seat her herland herh land hand h d went on to my shoulder and tight Always remember remember- these things cannot be be helped I loved a commoner once and he loved me But there are arc some bars Richard Exon more rigid than those you loosed So we both of us did our duty duly He bowed and went and I married the Duke of Whelp And all things considered it turned out extremely well And you arc are the only person to whom I have ever told that that not not because no one else would believe me though that thatis I is a fact facU but because I have met no other person for whose sake I felt disposed to open an ancient wound I believe that I thanked her there but I cannot be sure I was like a aman aman aman man sunk in deep water whose senses are arc out of hand because his soul is possessed by a frantic in In- instinct Instinct to rise I had harbored no hopes of course But because I Iwas Iwas I Iwas was only human I had made me a adream adream dream to play with a pretty dream And now as one takes from froma a I. I child a toy that may do him harm the Duchess of Whelp had taken away my dream Old Harry was speaking again I 1 have no other questions Fate that great producer has cast you for one of the parts In this highly in intimate play and I am far too wise to question her choice Besides I think its it's a good one one to to date youve you've done very well So Im I'm going to treat you as an equal the equal the plays play's the thing Elizabeth as you know has in in- invoked invoked my help to dispossess her uncle of the birthright which he stole from her father some twenty- twenty one years ago Her request is a natural one for It Is her bounden duty to do her best to bring his parricide down But while I am amr amern r Y- Y s. s ern easy hour But what I say is true and though you will not admit it ft you know it as well as I. I.- I Very well Now listen to me I am go- go goIng g ging going Ing to move in this matter cost what it may And this not because I am bound for nobody can be bound to bring themselves Into con con- contempt contempt tempt but because if it I do not do something Elizabeth Countess of Brief is going to lose her life After a pregnant pause the Duch Duchess ess went on In her cousins cousin's sight the remove removal al of Elizabeth was always to be desired Once he had forged her name her removal became expedient ent I ent-I I think that's clear clear- But in view of what has occurred in the thelast thelast thelast last seven days her removal is now essential to Percy Virgil's VirgUs health A week ago she could have sent him to prison for seven years to today t to- to today day she can send him to the gal gallows lows for the murder of Max Why Because she she and and nobody else else can can switch on that current which makes all aU evidence live Motive Prove the theft of the jewels and you prove the abduction prove the ab ab- abduction abduction ab- ab abduction and you prove the murder of Max The sweat was out on my face but still Old Harry laid on onDo onDo onDo Do you see now Richard Exon Have I chopped the scales from your eyes ey s Dont lose sight of two things- things first that any day now Virgil is going to turn into a desperate man and secondly that if you come into collision you must not expect him bun bunto to keep to the rules Oh and one thing more All AU that has passed so far is between you and me Elizabeth is to believe that I have come into this business be be- because because because cause I desire to honor my ances ances- ancestress ancestress' ancestress ancestress' tress tress' bond May I tell Herrick madam Old Harry wrinkled her nose Then Then- Yes she said He should be informed If It he resembled his uncle he wouldn't be one of the tho best Lord Naseby dislikes him I said Ca va sans dire To find favor favorin in fn Naseby's eyes you must be sanctimonious sanc sanc- sanctimonious sanctimonious and servile and reap where you have not sown He de de- demands demands de- de demands mands but never supplies and he still has family prayers But I un un- understand understand un- un understand hes he's failing Herrick gives him another three years The Duchess picked up a tablet and made a note Ill IU have that checked she said and laughed at the look on my face My agents are paid to find out what I want to know Some people when they retire devote themselves to the study of bygone days each to his taste of course but Ive I've al al- always always always ways preferred a live ass to a de de- decomposed decomposed de- de decomposed composed lion For me the crea crea- creation creation creation tion took place some sixty years back and while I respect the ages I that went before the present is the dunghill on which I shall shaU always scratch And now to business Elizabeth must stay here here no no I doubt about that You will return to Raven Haven to fetch her things Noth Noth- Nothing NothIng Nothing ing of hers must be left there and everyone living at Raven must for for- forget forget forget get her visit as though it had never been Very well Tonight I shall write to Brief She picked up a penciled sheet And this is what I Ishall Ishall shall shaU say sayI sayI sayI I have the pleasure to Inform you that the Lady Elizabeth EUZabeth Virgil Is now at Tracery happily none the worse wone I am loth to part with her I her I wish I had bad known her before before and and since her place is at Brief ch h sha- sha has pc d. d mo me m to restore her to you myself Tins This will wUl en en- tall taU a visit but the occasion warrants a breach of the rule I 1 have made and you may expect us on Tuesday at five I had Invited to stay at Tracery a Mr John Herrick whose uncle I 1 used to know He Is staying at Raven by Dever not far from you Since I cannot now receive him I 1 shall be obliged If he and his friend Mr Exon may be invited to Brief Brie for the length of my stay Now I think that will do very well You see sec Brief cant can't refuse to do doas doas doas as I ask and so we shall shaU all aU be together within the enemy's camp Brief will be ill at ot ease because he will have to pretend to be the brother I knew And Virgil wont won't be at his best not only for reasons we know but because to entertain Herrick will undoubtedly shorten his I life Ive set the stage stake Richard Exon and on Tuesday at five o'clock the curtain will rise But I cant can't give giveout giveout giveout I out any parts because I have none I to give The performance will be improvised but it shouldn't be dull And now you be oft off tr young man I I got to my feet See your darling first and send her to me How long longwill longwill longwill will it take you to get to Raven and back Madam I said I can do it in inless inless inless less than five hours I The Tho Duchess glanced a a clock which said it was a quarter past two Then do It in six she said and dine here at half hall past eight Bring Dring Mr Herrick with you 1 TO DC IE CONTINUED |
