When the Devil Drives

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 204, 27 August 1909, Page 6

When the Devil Drives

« By FLOHEHCE WABDEN. (Author of "A Beggar on Horseback," "Eove and Lordship," "The House on the Marsh," Etc, Etc. CHAPTER XVlll.—Continued. Anxiety and jealousy combining to keep her in Grey's neighbourhood, she was finishing her letter with a strongly worded request that Mr. Gurnard would come without delay, when the Earl came into the room, and, as if guessing what her letter was about, asked her to whom she was writing. "To the lawyers Grey -wants to see," said she, as she rose with, her letter stamped in her hand. " Why need you worry your head about him and his lawyers? Let him attend to his own affairs himself when he is about again." " There's no time to waste. It concerns more people than Grey. We think that we have got a valuable clue for the police." The Earl shrugged his shoulders. " I'm sorry the fellow has turned up again," said he, " -with his cock-and-bull stories, to distress and worry you. Grey is a humbug, Claudine. I'm sorry to have to say so of my nephew, and of the man who is now my heir. But he is a worthless fellow, extravagant, greedy and dissipated, fond of the worst society, and yet giving himself ail the airs of a decent fellow, anxious to do the right thing, and too proud to ask for money for his needs." Claudine was surprised at his vehemence. " I don't thick he is to be reproached for the society he's been in lately," she said, "since he first frequented it without any idea of the character of the people, and then to find out the connection ha suspected between them and what was done at Christmas. And as for extravagance—ls he extravagant?" " Very." " Is it indiscreet of mc to osk how?" "It is rather. But I'll tell you. He spends on wine, jewellery, hotel bills, clothes, horses-" Claudine stared. " Are you sure ?" she asked quickly. The Earl smiled grimly. " As sure as any man can be who has had to pay the bills." An exclamation of amazement broke from her lips. " It's impossible," she cried. "I don't believe it." Lord Kilworth looked at her in cold surprise. " You surely don't doubt my word ?" " No, no, of course not. But there's some mistake. He's told mc everything; he's been quite frank and open with mc. Lord Kilworth, don't believe what they tell you about him. The stories are somework of this gang." He was irritated by her feminine stupidity. " It's of no use to argue with you," he said, " unless you will listen to what 1 say- I tell you I have had the bills, and more than that, I have received from him ample apologies for his extravagance" Claudine looked in hopeless bewilderment at the fire. Was the Earl's mind affected by the loss of his son? There was a. long silence, and the Earl walked up and down the room, frowning and severe of countenance. Claudine rang the bell. He scowled at her. "I'm going to have my letter posted." she explained humbly. "You don't object, I hope?" "Oh, would it be of much use for mc to object?" said he drily. "You seem to have taken possession of my house, and to order my servants and invite guests without so much as consulting mc." A light appeared in Claudine's beautiful grey eyes. "Yes," she said. "I have dared to do just what you yourself would have wished mc to do, I'm sure, though you would not utter the words yourself. You would not send your own nephew out ofr your house when he was not fit to leave it, nor would you deny him the right to try to prove his innocence of the crimes and follies you accuse him of." "I accuse him of nothing. When he is able to talk to you, ask him to deny what I have told, you." Claudine bowed her head without answering. At that moment a footman entered the room, and she gave him her letter to post, wondering whether the Earl would make any further protest against her sending it. He made none, however, and the subject of poor Grey and his delinquences was dropped. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, Grey's condition giving indeed a little cause for anxiety as night approached and he became restless, but no other change taking place in the j course of affairs. | In the night Claudine took her turn ! by the sick bed and had the satisfaction | of seeing the patient fall into a natural | sleep towards morning. j Next day, when she had had some j rest, Claudine was informed that Mr | Gurnard had arrived and wished to see I her. Outwardly calm, but inwardly in a state of high excitement, the girl went downstairs, and found in the drawingroom a formal-looking gentleman who could not have followed any other occupation than that of law. With the notes she had taken at Grey's dictation in her hand, Claudine told Mr Gurnard the story of the young man's acquaintance with the Scarcliffes and their associates, not omitting any detail concerning the death of °Lord Deveridge, the strange circumstance of the discovery of the letter-case and lock of hair in Grey's portmanteau, and the behaviour of the housemaid and groom. It was impossible for her to "tell, as she related her story, what the lawyer thought of it. He sat like a rock, "listening, sometimes glancing at her'face with a momentary appearance of curiosity, but giving no other sign of interest. Nevertheless the cruel criticism he passed upon the whole narrative when ended showed that he had given the whole of his best professional attention to each word. "Very extraordinary," he began. "But very hard to accept as the story of a wholly innocent man, Miss Way-re. If he felt so sure that the boy-thief he saw carrying off a sackful of booty was the woman he knew as Miss Scarcliffe, how was it he didn't give information about her to the police at once?" "He had no chance." said Claudine. "Remember Be had no suspicion it was she. He took the supposed lad for a brother of whom she had spoken, when he saw him carrying off the sack. It wasn't till he saw her in his own sit-ting-room, and even then not till he had found out for himself that her hair was not really growing on her head, that he was sure about it." "And why didn't he give information, then!" L " — -.

"He was on his w»y to see yon the very next morning. Thtt was only three or four days ago, renember —when he was arrested, as he supposed, and carried off to the house the gaig have at Stanmore.'' Mr. Gurnard sat bocs in his chair. "01 course I will h*ie the police put in possession of the Information you have fiven mc," he said, "but I wish I had een able to see Mr. Calverton. I could better have judged " He paused, and Claudne flushed. "You mean you would have decided as to his credibility I* "My dear madam, t« be frank with you, that is what I meant. It is rather odd, in the first place, that he should have come to us, instead of doing the natural thing and going to his uncle's lawyers." Claudine felt the teats coming to her eyes, and she wias scarlet |aa eke answered: "I had better tell you the truth. They think, as my uncle tHnka, the worst of Grey Calverton. Th«y are prejudiced against him." The lawyer raised Us eyebrows slightly. This devotion of the handsome young woman before him, to a good-looking but graceless young scamp, was touching in its way, but nevertheless ridiculous and regrettable. "I have heard something of Mr. Calverton," he said, rather drily. Claudine's eyes flashed fire. "Something to his discredit? Then it's something that isn't true!" she cried, passionately. "I'm sure I hope not." "If you've heard that he's extravagant, I know that he's, on the contrary, very careful, and that he spends nothing but the money he has earned." "Then he's very much maligned." "I know that." "There are worse things brought against this young gentleman than extravagance." "Yes. I've heard those things, too. But they're not true either." "Well, I'm very glad he has such a warm friend, and I hope sincerely, Miss Wayre, that my researches will prove to the utmost the justification of your faith in him. As soon as I get back to town I will go to Scotland Yard, and give information concerning the people at the house at Stanmore, and at the Hyde Park flat." "Thank you very much. And you will write and tell ine what you find out?" "At once." He went away, leaving Claudine perfectly satisfied that he would do his utmost for his client, but uneasily conscious at the same time he firmly believed he was acting for a consummate rogue. Persisting, however, in her own belief in Grey, Claudine pajsed the next few days quietly, hoping for news from Mr. Gurnard, and meanwhile watching with ever-increasing contentment the gradual subsidence of the dangerous symptoms •in Grey, until the morning came when he was pronounced well enough to go downstairs. That very day Clandine had received news from Mr. Gurnard, and she gave the letter <to Grey when he came into the morning-room. He was very white, very unlike his old self, as he kissed her and sat down near the fire, complaining of the cold. He laughed when he had read the letter. In it Mr. Gurnard said that every effort had been made by the police to find out whether' anything wrong was going on either at the flat or the house at Stanmore, but in vain. Everything appeared to be perfectly open and~above board in both places, and no suspicious movements on the part of the occupiers had as yet been noted, although watch was kept upon both places. Claudine and Grey both read through the lines of this letter a certain reluctance on the lawyer's part to believe anything of what he had been told about the gang and their proceedings. ■ "He evidently thinks," said Grey, looking across at Claudine with a rather dreary smile, "that I've made up a tale about these people, and that there's not one word of truth in it." "Yes," said she. "Well, let us hope the police will be able to undeceive him." She looked at him quickly. "Oh, yes, they will, they will. Why do you doubt? The truth must be found out. Perhaps," and she rose, crossed the room and knelt on a hassock .it his feet —"perhaps, Grey, the police know more than we think after all." But Grey looked doubtful. He was still dazed and dull after his illness, and not inclined to take a cheerful view of anything. They were sitting silerrt, botli occupied in gloomy thoughts, when the Earl came into the room. It was easy to see by the expression of his face that he had not come to congratulate his nephew on his recovery. Evidently he had not expected to sechim. "So you're down again," he said curt""ies. And I'm very much obliged to you for allowing mc to remain so long. I'm afraid I've given a great deal of trouble." The Earl looked at him fixedly. "You had to stay here while you were ill," he said shortly. "But now I hope that you will find it convenient to return to town." "Oh, Lord Kilworth! Surely you don't want him to travel yet!" burst out Claudine. "I will go at once," 6aid Grey, as he walked to the door. "Claudine, forgive mc for ever having doubted your love. You have put new heart Into mc, and saved mc from despair." He caught her to him, kissed her passionately, and, refusing to allow her to accompany him to the station, left the room. The Earl turned furiously to the young girl. "You are not tc encourage that fel'ow any more," cried he in a stern tone. "You are not to have anything more to do with him. He is a hypocrite and worse. Heaven forgive mc for having to say so of my own heir, but he is a disgrace to our name." "You will know better some day, - ' said Claudine quietly as she went out of the room and ran upstairs to put on her hat and cloak. (To be continued dally.)