Show BANNER SERIAL FICTION she painted ai anted her er face A we ft 07 ay d DORNFORD YATES 0 yat WK sod so d v chartee CHAPTER XI KI continued 23 As the door closed lord ferdinand spoke again will will be go to london with you I 1 shook my head hell take me to Ims brusk this evening spend the night there and be baek back tomorrow sit at noon 1 I see iee he sald said no more but bui I 1 saw him pick up up a 9 pencil encil as though to write then he seemed to remember my presence and laid the pencil down winter reentered re entered the rooms room As he be gave thi the case into my I 1 hand band 1 I shall want you again I 1 said so wait within call very good sir As he left the chamber I 1 held a paper up the statement I 1 said A copy of the first ot of the statements your brother made the second does not concern you because it only deals with the secre secret t of brief the than man half rose from ids his chair but 1 I bade him sit still then I 1 stepped to his side and laid the a paper before him for him to read I 1 ard am glad to record that in the next three minutes that blackheart black heart beart ed parricide p paid aid a part of his debt As he read I 1 saw him writhing and the tild sweat tell fell down from his forehead to blur the ink it was a frightful indictment twice while he read he be dropped his head bead to the table and aid cried aloud and when be had dorli done he fairly burst into tears and laid his head bead down on hi his sarri arm and sobbed like a child I 1 drenthe drew the state statement meni from under his sprawling arm irm then I 1 picked kicked up a pen and wrote when I 1 had done I 1 called winter fetch mr parish I 1 said lord ferdinand started up lifting si a visage that made even winter blench parish her graces page what has hea he A to witness your signature I 1 shall witness ft it and so will my man but parish I 1 is a independent and no no I 1 never consented to t 0 any such thing i As you please said I 1 and folded the statement up turn out the car winter awant I 1 want to be it at gabble within the hour very good sir air sale said winter winter and turned no no not that cried the other and savaged his thumb parish or gabble said 1 L its tor for you to choose after a a frightful struggle Tot To witness rny my signature only cover the stati statement ment up yes very ivery well I 1 turned again to winter fetch mr parish I 1 sald said whilst we waited he got to his feet and went to a glass and general ly did aid what he could to pull himself into sore some ships shape andl and I 1 looked out the window with folded arms five minutes liter later the thing was over and done the damning endorsement indorsement indor Is lying before mai me now I 1 1 I have 4 read ead this statement through from bi beginning ginnIng to end and I 1 hereby confess that all that it says is true FERDINAND ELBERT VIRGIL for 22 years supposed to be count of brief signed of his ii own free will on the twenty second july I 1 1936 in the presence of us richard exon samuel parish george winter wintie As winter laid down his pen thatis all 1 I said thank you T parish filc inclined lined his head and turned parish D the door you caw can take my dispatch case winter and d pack my things we leave for innsbruck Inns bruck together at f four mi I 1 very goods good sir air said winter obediently I 1 blotted lie the piti precioUs loas ind indorse ment and folded the statement up then I 1 put it into my pocket ind and faced the man I 1 had bluffed youve done y your ou apart rp i part art 1 I said and I 1 shall domine do mine As oni one who Is listening intently he kept his eyes upon mine and greeted every phrase with a nod of his bis head bead 1 I will recommend 0 that you be allowed to disappear to go to change your name and never come back As ive told 1 you I 1 dont think do IV if a hand went up P to his hb mouth the punishment d t matter Ws its a jm estion on 0 of f righting a wrong and gestl at 1 Is why I 1 think insist 1 tat it the cas case must emust proceed but I 1 shall know on friday and on sun day I 1 shall be back As I 1 opened the door I 1 looked back mackto to see see his outstretched hand band whip back to his side As though I 1 had noticed nothing I 1 let left the room I 1 have no doubt at all that before the door had bid closed he be had bad picked the timetable up As I 1 took my way to the tower I 1 lold my plans plan I 1 had to leave brief at iou four no quest question lai of at that tor for though we ff 1 had the asme won it was highly desirable that the count should take the departure which he had bad planned if he red fled to avoid arrest as at present he be intended to do he would indeed disappear for good and all and would never more be heard beard of because he could not take such a risk but if he ha bad dreason reason to think that he had bad been bluffed though now we could force his hand he be would stand upon the order of his going and would certainly be a nuisance tor as long as he be happened to live and so the plainclothes plain clothes man must leave for london at four and there I 1 stood still in my tracks for all of a sudden I 1 saw that here was my chance to do what sooner or later I 1 had to do that is to say to walk out of my ladys life As I 1 saw it I 1 think I 1 aged tor for while my whole being revolted from your life was in danger yet what could I 1 do except trust in richard exon She turned upon 1 me did you liquidate him or did your bet ter judgment impel you to spare his life Ma madam madain darn said 1 he neis Is dead well ane done said old har harry well done doie but bui you drop shirts about when alady lets you out ot of her I 1 bedroom at hall half pat past three elizabeth started and clapped a hand to her mouth madam I 1 said 1 I seely see youve oui re received a note yes said the duchess 1 I did and ill make you a present of this 1 I dismissed its ito contents at once as being untrue but when I 1 heard that elizabeths maid was gone well I 1 knew there was something behind them and hoped for the best and now what about you I 1 under and there the maid godolphin came to in with my telegram Crawl eyt case car fixed for Ir friday he counts upon you I 1 forsyth my goodness I 1 said and ai W got to my feet elizabeth stifled a cry but the duchess sat perfectly stu still As for herrick 1 I must go to london I 1 said 1 I must leave for innsbruck Inns bruck at once at lea least as boonas soon as ive packed I 1 must catch the evening train elizabeth let out a cry my dear ive no choice six weeks ago the servant I 1 had before winter was charged with theft I 1 had bad always found him honest and I 1 said that id swear as much whenever he stood his bis trial and his case has bag been fixed for friday ab 91 9 1 4 1 X a A P f j IX and there I 1 stood still in MY tracks the plunge ten times as awful as 23 that into palfreys Pal freys yi well I 1 knew in nay my heart that I 1 must take it because such a chance would never occur again I 1 glanced at my watch the time was a quarter to ten once my decision was taken I 1 could have wished that the time was a quarter to tour four I 1 had already determined that no one must know what had happened till after the count had fled and now I 1 perceived that all that I 1 had to do was to leave a note for the duchess to be delivered as soon as my victim was gone I 1 entered my room to find winter suitcase suit case in hand leave the packing lor for the moment m ent I 1 said ill tell you when to begin I 1 want you to send off a wire I 1 sat down and wrote it dressed to myself turn out the rolls and t take ake this to 0 gabble at once and on the way back you might get rid of that sull suit old harry looked round and now 11 she sald grim ly enough luncheon was ov over er and coffee had peen been served in her suite for the first time for 15 hours elizabeth herrick and I 1 were alone with the duchess Duches 97 of whelp she was plainly out of 01 humor and I 1 had an uneasy feeling that she knew more than I 1 was prepared to tell she demanded and aid wh why daei my host keep his room if hes ill hes breaking breakie g a record for never before has indisposition denied me the courtesy due to my state she slapped the arm am of hir her chair the enemy has baa retired I 1 im not at all deceived for this is a fight to the death but I 1 I 1 want to 10 know what he Is doing dking and when and where re he be is wooing going to reappear cherches Cher chez la femme said herrick what of the maid old ha harry I 1 rry looked at my lady you beard heard what he said she declared why the devil dont you tellus tell us the truth elizabeth glanced at the door quite all right godolphin hin is standing outside and she knows know no english at all my lady took a deep breath I 1 last night an attempt was made to put me to death 1 my maid admitted my cousin into my suite guite richard elchard came to my helfand hel walked into a trap but by his hi wit and his courage he laved caved us both i that li Is I 1 why my Y cousin and elsa have disappeared herricks herrick face was 6 1 study but the ie duchess of whelp merely nodded and then picked up her cup and drank what coffee wi was left As 14 she lot get it down more like it she said 1 I mean that Is I 1 credible I 1 knew stand you had a note why you er act upon it madam said 1 I 1 I preferred to hope tor for the best the piercing gray eyes held mine did you indeed now I 1 should have gone to see the writer at once I 1 knew that parish had told her as much as he be knew madam forgive me with great respect ive a delicate hand to play how long shall you wait till tomorrow morning madam no longer than that craft is not my strong point and the effort I 1 had made that morning seemed to have tired my brain the then n again though success seemed certa certain in the count was still in his seat and I 1 was forever fearing that tha it something or other would happen to make him change the decision to which I 1 was suri sure ho he had bad come above all my own decision to disappear app ear bung hung like some loath loathsome som e monster upon my neck insisting upon my attention and gleefully indicating di the several lovely features ot of the paradise I 1 was to lose had I 1 been cross examined or iven even been asked to relate what had happened the night bea before ore I 1 should I 1 believe have lave burst out and disgraced myself for the present was so overwhelming wh elming and the future so very blesi bleak that to deal wl with th the past was like going goin ginto into training when you are condemned to death I 1 cant let him down but acan I 1 can be back on sunday I 1 turned to the duchess of whelp will you you excuse roe me madam I 1 must make certain arrangements I 1 shall ask you to see me again before I 1 leave you are excused richard exon I 1 bowed and went whilst winter packed I 1 wrote the best letter I 1 could madam by the time that you read this th lilet fet ter byl 1 am very near nearly sure that the count will have disappeared whether he has or has net you will know the best us use e to m make a ke birou of these documents document I 1 told him that he would be arrested unless he be made himself scarce and that virgil virga had disappeared under fear 0 of f being charged with the theft of elizabeths jewels elsa is I 1 wanted tor for fo forgery rge r when she knew that id found I 1 that g at 0 out ua she may have bays thought it better to find anew a new place I 1 think that JIM all im rather worried about the servant who saw me drop my shirt perhaps you could straighten that out tor for you can do what you will with the servant 0 of f brief of course im not coming back its it better so I 1 mean theres no more to be done and as a ii 1 can neither Il glaze her nor rope myself off oali it t be fair to her bar to make matters matter worse than I 1 have madam I 1 have so much to thank you fa tor r your obedient affectionate servant richard with this I 1 enclosed two documents one was the statement indorsed endorsed Indor sed by lord ferdinand and the other the abe death certificate of matthew gering TO BE CONTINUED |