"Dear me! I trust it is nothing really serious," he said. "Of course, you will advise her, and, by the way, if my solicitor, Withers, who'll be here to-morrow, can do anything, you know, call him in. I hope she'll be able to see me later. It could not be a NEAR relation who died, I fancy; she has no brothers or sisters, Iunderstand."
"A cousin, I think; an old friend," said the consul hastily. He heard Lord Beverdale say a few words to his companions, saw with a tinge of remorse a cloud settle upon Lord Algernon's fresh face, as he appealed in a whisper to old Lady Mesthyn, who leaned forward from the carriage, and said, "If the dear child thought I could be of any service, I should only be too glad to stay with her.""I knew she would appreciate Lady Mesthyn's sympathy," said the ingenious consul quickly, "but I really think the question is more a business one--and"--"Ah, yes," said the old lady, shaking her head, "it's dreadful, of course, but we must all think of THAT!"As the carriage drove away, the consul hurried back a little viciously to his fair countrywoman. "There!" he said, "I have done it! If I have managed to convey either the idea that you are a penniless orphan, or that I have official information that you are suspected of a dynamite conspiracy, don't blame me! And now," he said, "as I have excused myself on the ground that I must devote myself to this dreadful business of yours, perhaps you'll tell me WHAT it really is.""Not a word more," said Miss Desborough; "except," she added,--checking her smile with a weary gesture,--"except that I want to leave this dreadful place at once! There! don't ask me any more!"There could be no doubt of the girl's sincerity. Nor was it the extravagant caprice of a petted idol. What had happened? He might have believed in a lovers' quarrel, but he knew that she and Lord Algernon could have had no private interview that evening. He must perforce accept her silence, yet he could not help saying:--"You seemed to like the place so much last night. I say, you haven't seen the Priory ghost, have you?""The Priory ghost," she said quickly. "What's that?""The old monk who passes through the cloisters with the sacred oil, the bell, and the smell of incense whenever any one is to die here.
By Jove! it would have been a good story to tell instead of this cock-and-bull one about your property. And there WAS a death here to-day. You'd have added the sibyl's gifts to your other charms.""Tell me about that old man," she said, looking past him out of the window. "I was at his cottage this morning. But, no! first let us go out. You can take me for a walk, if you like. You see I am all ready, and I'm just stifling here."They descended to the terrace together. "Where would you like to go?" he asked.
"To the village. I may want to telegraph, you know."They turned into the avenue, but Miss Desborough stopped.
"Is there not a shorter cut across the fields," she asked, "over there?""There is," said the consul.
They both turned into the footpath which led to the farm and stile.
After a pause she said, "Did you ever talk with that poor old man?""No."
"Then you don't know if he really was crazy, as they think.""No. But they may have thought an old man's forgetfulness of present things and his habit of communing with the past was insanity. For all that he was a plucky, independent old fellow, with a grim purpose that was certainly rational.""I suppose in his independence he would not have taken favors from these people, or anybody?""I should think not."
"Don't you think it was just horrid--their leaving him alone in the rain, when he might have been only in a fit?""The doctor says he died suddenly of heart disease," said the consul. "It might have happened at any moment and without warning.""Ah, that was the coroner's verdict, then," said Miss Desborough quickly.
"The coroner did not think it necessary to have any inquest after Lord Beverdale's statement. It wouldn't have been very joyous for the Priory party. And I dare say he thought it might not be very cheerful for YOU.""How very kind!" said the young girl, with a quick laugh. "But do you know that it's about the only thing human, original, and striking that has happened in this place since I've been here! And so unexpected, considering how comfortably everything is ordered here beforehand.""Yet you seemed to like that kind of thing very well, last evening,"said the consul mischievously.
"That was last night," retorted Miss Desborough; "and you know the line, 'Colors seen by candlelight do not look the same by day.'
But I'm going to be very consistent to-day, for I intend to go over to that poor man's cottage again, and see if I can be of any service. Will you go with me?""Certainly," said the consul, mystified by his companion's extraordinary conduct, yet apparent coolness of purpose, and hoping for some further explanation. Was she only an inexperienced flirt who had found herself on the point of a serious entanglement she had not contemplated? Yet even then he knew she was clever enough to extricate herself in some other way than this abrupt and brutal tearing through the meshes. Or was it possible that she really had any intelligence affecting her property? He reflected that he knew very little of the Desboroughs, but on the other hand he knew that Beverdale knew them much better, and was a prudent man. He had no right to demand her confidence as a reward for his secrecy; he must wait her pleasure. Perhaps she would still explain; women seldom could resist the triumph of telling the secret that puzzled others.
