Show BANNER SERIAL FICTION She Painted Her Bel race Pace A 4 t tov o YATES C Yale nIce CHAPTER VII VII Continued Continued 15 15 Then Winter appeared In the doorway door door- way way and and Brenda wide-eyed wide behind him bim with one of her hands to her throat hurt said L Mr Herricks Herrick's pistol went vent off Where did you put it it Brenda I mean when you made the bed On the chest of drawers sir sir pointing I see said I I. I And what time Um did you make the bed At six o'clock sir As a rule ruIe I make it at nine but as you were out to dinner I made it before And then I visited my cousins at Monein and spent the evening with them Well that's all right said I. I You go back to bed Let your father and mother believe that we fired by mistake I will do that said Brenda but please pleas may I know the truth Its ts t's simple enough said L As soon as you'd left for Monein somebody somebody some some- body entered this house and came up to this room They took Mr Herricks Herrick's pistol which you had laid over there and put it into his bed B Before they put it in they tiley put down the safety And they laid it with its mouth to the pillow that pillow that ruck shows that on firing the fue pistol pistol pis- pis tol tal kicked kicked and and shifted towards the foot Now they've very light triggers triggers these these things Mr Herrick touched it off by sitting on the edge of the bed But if hed he'd got into his bed in the ordinary way and had touched it oil ofT with his foot as foot as somebody meant him to do After Aler so full a day and in view of what was vas as to come we were thankful thank thank- ful to have a week-end week with nothing nothing noth noth- ing to do for all that I must confess confess con can fess that had I not been sure that the Duchess would be annoyed I t would have driven to Tracery every every ev ev- ery cry day not day not to assure myself that my lady was safe for of at that fuat 1 I could have no doubt but because I Iwas Iwas Iwas was mad to see her and hear her call caB me by name Instead I sat in inthe inthe inthe the meadows and play played d with the dream which the Duchess of Whelp in her wisdom had taken away which the Countess of Brief In tn her sweetness had given me back And because I was foolish I wrote her hera a little note which all the world might have read which I posted myself at Gabble on Saturday after arter noon Here I should say that out of evil came good the attempt upon Herrick's Herricks Herricks Herrick's Herricks Herrick's Her Her- ricks rick's life had cleared the air We had thought it likely that some such attempt would be made and while we were not uneasy our senses did constant duty against some sur sur- sur- sur prise But now the attempt had been made and the danger was past for for Virgil would know that whether er he won or lost his hii throw throve could not be hidden or made out an accident accident accident acci acci- dent and so would be sure to give Raven n a very wide berth On Sunday the police came to toRa Ra Raven ven and we reconstructed for them what had been so nearly a crime As they were leaving leavIng- Sirs said the sergeant one day he will go too far and will pull up the sluice e which will let all our evidence go And then he will be overwhelmed To arrest him now nowr r would be futile He bears a very big name and his word would be betaken betaken betaken taken before yours in hi the absence of definite proof I 1 entirely agree said Herrick In fact I was in two minds whether er or no to report this latest af af- af- af fair You see we were frightfully tired Dining outs out's all very well but when the house youre you're dining ats at's 90 miles miles' off Ninety miles cried the ser ser- geant Well how far Is Tracery said Herrick If you go by Goschen Gosch- Gosch en en Tracery Herrick surveyed the sergeant in some surprise Tracery he said We dined with the Duchess of Whelp The sergeant appeared to have lost the power of speech At length length- I lord I II I- I beg your pardon my f I am not a lord said Herrick The other waved his Ws statement away I I 1 I had no Idea he stammered stam stam- If I had known that known that first day He broke off there and put a hand to his head I If Her Grace were to learn that one of her friends had been subjected to to- to Her Grace said H Kernels swiftly swift swift- ly would also learn how highly the friend in question thought of the po po- po- po lice The sergeant flushed with delight Your lordship is very good Not at all said Herrick Not at all And now dont don't you rush this business We both agreed just now that the time wasn't ripe And if I am content to wait well wait well Im I'm pretty closely concerned In fact v m I 1 leave eave it like this this that that before yot you take any action you'll let me know The sergeant pave enve his assurance with all his might and after further further fur fur- I ther civilities took his leave As we turned to the house house- Of such said Herrick quietly Is the kingdom of earth On Monday a note came by hand from Brief The Count of Brief BrIel presents his compliments to Mr John Herrick and begs to express the hope that he and Mr Richard Exon will make it convenient to become his guests tomorrow at six o'clock to meet the Duchess of Whelp and to remain at Brief during Her Graces Grace's pleas pleas- ure Herrick read this Ulis aloud and fingered fingered fingered fin fin- his chin Ice for two he said shortly I 1 suppose it could have been ruder but the blood you wring out of a astone astone astone stone Is usually thin And when we roll up at four hell he'll go blue in inthe inthe inthe the face As for Percy the Good he must be half halt out of his mind mind mind-a a victim victim victim vic vic- tim raised from the dead and two witnesses coming to stay Lets Let's send him a wire signed Max Bracher asking to be met at the station at past half three You know this play has its points It may be melodrama melodrama melodrama melo melo- drama but you must admit that the situation is pregnant pregnant-If if nothing more Ill be glad when its it's over said I. I Hes wicked enough In cold blood but hes he's going to be red-hot red with ith his back to the wall CHAPTER VIII How good of you to come ome early Herrick and I looked round round from from one of the ilie magnificent which hung on the hall of Brief Briel Percy Elbert Virgil was standing six paces away For that said Herrick slowly the warmth of our invitation must be our excuse Virgil raised his eyebrows and fook took out a cigarette My uncle will see you later Till then you must put up with me Well manage somehow said Herrick I dont don't remember you here In 1912 The The other frowned Allow me to warn you he said not to refer to that visit when my uncle is here As you probably know in 1914 his father and wife were both killed and andl his only brother broth broth- er my father met with a hideous fate And these three terrible blows all fell within 24 hours F From om that day to this he has never so much as mentioned what went before For him the past is buried buried in in holy ground I Is it indeed said Herrick Id no idea And I dont don't think his daughter daugh daugh- ter has She never said said said- His daughter When did you yOU meet her The queries flamed That Herrick had drawn first blood was as clear as day At Tracery said Herrick calm calm- ly We dined there on Friday night Virgil stood still as death Then as though released from some spell he turned to a table beside beside beside be be- side him struck a match and lighted light lIght- ed a cigarette Well well he said laid lightly And how are you proposing to get me down m The sudden Impudent question hit me be between the eyes but Herrick replied as coolly as as- as asIf if a child had come up and asked him the time Well we rather thought of leaving leaving leaving leav leav- ing that operation to you Virgil laughed I dont don't know that I blame you he said and took his seat on the arm of a mighty chair Its rotten to be laughed out of court Have they found Max yet They found him on Tuesday said Herrick Well that ought to help you said Virgil comfortably I think it will said Bald Herrick before were we're through Virgil fingered his chin Where were you he said on Wednesday at past half nine Elsewhere said Herrick short short- ly Where were you on Friday at past half-past six That said Virgil Is easy Never mind lets let's look at your rooms He got t to his feet Did you bring a servant of sorts Or Orare Orare Orare are you working alone I 1 dont don't think hed he'd suit you said Herrick if that's what you mean Is that meant to be rude said Virgil Intensely said Herrick Virgil sucked In in his breath Then Then- As your host I 1 I- I What makes you think said Herrick that you are our host The others other's eyes burned in his head Then with a manifest effort effort- Come he said thickly Ill take you a way that you know And so he did At the foot of each staircase turret turret turret tur tur- ret there were two doors one of which gave to the fue terrace and one oneto oneto to the house A moment later therefore therefore there there- fore we followed ved him into the ilie turf tur tur- tur- tur f 1 I ret which gave to Elizabeths Elizabeth's suite climbed the stair and passed through her lovely rooms And then we had entered the tower tower tow tow- er and were climbing up to the bedroom I 1 knew so welL Winter was busy unpacking As we came In he turned with a shirt in his hands Now Winter of course was prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared for some such encounter as DS this but Virgil was not and the sudden improvised meeting with the valet whom he had oppressed who must he knew be itching to tofake take fake revenge hit our unpleasant companion extremely hard Indeed for one or two moments his self self- possession was gone and he seemed the prey of some nightmare too grim to be true As a man who comes full on a snake he started violently back And then in hi a n flash he was round and searching my face and Herrick's Herricks Herricks Herrick's Herricks Herrick's Her Her- ricks rick's with bolting eyes We regarded him coolly enough I said he wouldn't suit you said Herrick complacently For Foran an Instant I thought that the fellow would launch an attack As Asa a n beast about to spring he dropped to a crouch and actually lifted his lip Then he had himself himsel In hand and had turned about As he crossed to the window wIndow- Im not at all certain he said that Brief Briel is going to suit him I addressed myself to Winter Did you hear henr that remark I did sir said Winter quietly Repeat it to Mr Parish her Graces Grace's page Very good sir Virgil stood very still with his back to the room When at last he turned I saw he was very pale My uncle will receive you you he said in fn a quarter of an hour Then he passed to the doorway and left us alone Two things were now cle clear r and Herrick at once sat down and wrote the Duchess a note Madam Before we had been here ten minutes Virgil took care to warn me not to remind remind remind re re- re- re mind his uncle of anything which had happened before he became Count of Brief This I submit goes to show that Virgil Is aware of the truth The presence of Winter appeared to shock him so much that I am sure he regards him not only as a n personal enemy en emy but as a n witness to be used against him If and when he Is charged with the theft of the ie Jewels vels Yours to command J J. J H. H This note we gave to Winter to give to Parish at once Then we washed our hands and made our way back to the hall We were not sent for to go to the Count of Brief Brie In fact we did not see him until he passed through the hall on his way to receive receive receive re re- re- re the ilie Duchess whose car had entered the drive This I suppose by design design so so that Herrick should have no time to awaken such sleeping sleeping sleeping sleep sleep- ing dogs as the Count desired to let lie I shall never forget his appearance appearance appear appear- ance or how startling to me was his coming across the hall for except ex ex- cep cep that he was stouter and seemIngly seemingly seemingly seem seem- younger in years he might have been his poor brother come comeback comeback comeback back to I life e. e If lt he was ill at ease he never showed it but used us both cavalierly cavalier cavalier- ly as though to confirm the impression impression impression sion his letter conveyed Which is which he demanded and gave us no time to reply Oh this must be Herrick Tl The e Duchess mentioned your name nome If lt you want anything ask the steward he ha knows the rules of the house And now you'd better belter come with me She will expect to see you upon the steps With that for welcome he led the way Y to the courtyard as though he were la late tee teeA A little bevy of servants was standing beside the steps with steps with Bertram Bertram Ber Ber- tram the tile steward before them wand in hand hondo On the other side were standing Parish and Winter Whiter and two women waiting in black As I came out with with Herrick Herrick ParIsh Parish Parish Par Par- ish came forward at once to pay his respects I put out my hand for his Im looking forward I said to toa a talk with you As he took my handI bandI hand band I shall be honored sir whenever whenever whenever when when- ever you please I turned to see the Count staring staring- and Percy Virgil beside him poking his head Then the Count said something something something some some- thing in German at which the two of them laughed Herricks Herrick's voice rang out as the crack of a lash We know the Duchess Duchess' servants because we know Tracery Can you say as much you two His words might have been a Q aspelL spelL Everyone In the courtyard seemed suddenly turned to stone Bertram stood open-mouthed open with witha a hand way hall to his head and the others stared straight before them not seeming to breathe Only the Count and Virgil turned slowly as red as fire and at this full fla fla moment I 1 heard the crunch of gravel beneath the wheels o of a car Since this meant that the Duchess was come the tense situation was was less relieved than submerged and andall andall andall all eyes were turned to the archway which led to the drive A liveried groom appeared backing backing back back- ing ing Then a B long limousine turned slowly into the courtyard and moved to the foot of the steps steps and and there were Elizabeth smiling and the Duchess of Whelp leaning back with the air of a Lord Chief Justice up upon upon upon on his Bench The chauffeurs sat still uncovered uncovered uncovered ered while a footman opened the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and the Count stood bowing and waiting for the Duchess to put putout putout putout out a hand In silence Old Harry surveyed him Then she spoke clear and loud There is something different about you Were We're both of us older of course but its it's deeper than that The flesh is Esaus Esau's flesh but the spirit spira White to the lips the Count looked ready to swoon Its ts t's very str strange I should never have said you were Brief Somehow the man made answer In In twenty-four twenty years madam madam- No no no its it's not that The leopard leopard leop leop- ard grows old but he never changes his spots Never mind Heres Here's your daughter back She has escaped escaped- this time but I think you should warn all your servants within and without to expect another attempt well well any time lime now With that having set two balls rolling roIling before she had fairly arrived arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived Old Harry got to her feet and stepped out of the car and declining declining declining de de- clining the arm the ilie Count offered walked up to the head of the steps There she stopped and looked round TO BE DE CONTINUED |