The Councillors of Falconhoe

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 74, 27 March 1923, Page 12

The Councillors of Falconhoe

By FRED M. WHITE.

CIIAVTEK IV. Full lIIK NIGHT OXIA. .Telii-urse oamo jauntily into tlie -mull dining-room with its quaint carved walls covered with figures of the chase and archers in fighting garb, ami the line ~ld carpet on the solid floor. A litter of dessert lav scattered over the circular lalile. and the candles in the big silver' ;.ranches made subdued rings of light. "Awfully sorry and all that sort of thing. Fa'irbounie. -, he said smilingly. "Kact is I had some slight matter of business ill this neighbourhood, and when I had finished I -.vent to Joeelyn'a place and dined there, intending to push on as far as Weymoutll before camping for the nipht. Had trouble with the car just outside your village, so pushed my man into the local inn and came here with my suitcase cadging a lied for the nijjht." I'airbourne professed himself to be delighted, as indeed he was. lie knew Jelieorsc intimately and all about the fine work he had done through the medium of the Foreign Office throughout the war. As a one-time under-seerutary to that department, Fairbourne had done his own bit there from the breaking out of hostilities until alter the armistice. He welcomed Jelieorsc with open arms. •'Delighted, my dear fellow." he cried. "We can see to all that presently. Sit down an.l help us to finish the* port— you may never have another chance. Lombaso. you know, of course." The young Spaniard gave Jelicorse a friendly grin. "Rather," he grinned. •There was a time, and not very long ago. when .lelicorse and myself were in a little venture Lombaso broke off and grinned again, but more sheepishly this time, as he oatiglit the warning; gleam in Jelicorse's eye. The warning glance took in Barrad'os, who sat there without taking the faintest notice of the new-comer with his glass, which he had filled more than once, in front of him. "But surely you know Barrados?" Fairbourne exclaimed. '"Certainly I do," Jelieorse smiled. ''On the contrary, it seems it is he who has forgotten mc." "I beg your pardon," Barrados said, forced at length to speak. "But the last time we met was not exactly a friendly encounter." "You are right there," Jelicorse laughed. "But surely you have forgotten that long ago. In those days we were enemies. Dashed funny thing, war, isn't it? Here I was, not so many years ago. playing golf with Count Barrados on the south-east coast —Deal and Sandwich and Princes. Then, all at once I am invited to- cut the throat of the man who was my partner in some corking good foursomes. However, it is all over now."

"Are you quite sure of that?"' Barra dos asked thickly.

"Oh, surely, yes. You were very fond of the south-east coast just before the war, count. Yon had many friends in that neighbourhood whose houses you stayed in. Would you mind my saying that 1 didn't think you were, quite fair in so doing? I mean in the circumstances that followed so quickly after■wards."

"All is fair in love and war," Count Barrados replied.

"Ah, there is an admission, ,, Jelicorse smiled. "As an old diplomat, I am dplighted with it. All fair in love—and war. Precisely. We can talk it over in a friendly way now, but yon have just told us, in as many words, that previous to hostilities you were engaged near one of our vital arteries in, shall we say picking, up information. And why?" "Well, why?" Barrados demanded. "My dear sir, 3-ou have just told us. All's fair in war. You said so. And yet you would have denied that Germany brought about the trouble. All the time you and your fellow aristocrats knew exactly what was going to happen. But I don't want to labour the point, especially in another man's house. But there it is."

"Ahj you are too clever for me,' , Barrados said with something like a sneer. "But don't you be quite sure that the trouble is over yet. 1 hope our host will excuse mc retorting, but II r. Jelicorse has touched mc on rather a tender spot. My dear sir, you don't suppose that a country like German} - is going to take this lying down for ever. Why, if I had two hundred thousand pounds—but I haven"t and the odds are that such a sum will never come my way again. I am practically bankrupt. Yoii ail know what happened to jny property and to my estates when the revolution broke out. Everything confiscated, and only a partially looted castle left to inc. T am an extinct volcano."

"It seems to be the common lot." Jelicorse remarked. "We are all in the same boat. But. my dear sir. you don't maen to suggest that you could start a fresh European war with two hundred thousand pounds? It sounds like a story/

"Yes, but I could make it a fact.' Barrados cried. "You are a clever lot in your Foreign Office, but you don't know everything. Kven the Councillors of Falconhoe were ignorant of some things. And, by the way, how ie th.c partnership going?" "Oh, so you know all about it?" Jelicorse asked.

'There are few things in international politics that I don't" know all about. , ' Barrados said boastfully. 'I have heard of your Devonshire retreat and the romantic spot where you, together with Colonel En derby and Farncombe, plot all sorti of things. International detectives you call yourselves, don't you? Branch offices all over Europe. Family scandals hushed up, and revolutions suppressed at a moment's notice." "Kh. what's that?"' Fairbourne asked. "Oh, it's perfectly true," Jelkorse said good-humouredly. "When our grateful country has no further use for our services, said grateful country tola us su, in a letter of poignant regret; but none the les 3 detiuitely for that. So we had to go and fend for ourselves as best we could. Old school-fellows and college chums, you know. Broke to the world. What with income tax and local taxation, we couldn't muster a thousand's year between us. So we let our plates off, and started a sort of eeientihe monastery a t Fakonhoe Manor, ivliich, as you know, is close to Lvnton. And unless I am greatly mistaken, we «re going to make history. However. I am talking secret? out of school. Shall wo join tho ladies?"

They drifted oft" into one of the small drawing rouiiis presently and there the ladies Peveilsey welcomed .Tclieorr-e warmly. They were frankly delighted li> hear that he was spending the night there, and when that matter had been jutisfactorily arranged, the small housepart v broke, up into groups, but not before Jelieor-e had taken the Duke of l.omhaso aside and given him a few "Look here, my young friend,' h° ..aid. -You will have to be careful. 1 na-n't particularly pleased to find Harrados here, and indeed I don't know how that truculent rascal managed to find hi- way into a liouxp line this."

"I am afraid I am responsible for that." Unubaso explained. "lie is a bit of a sweep, but he is a relation of mine, and rather a near relation too. 1 suppose he is related to half the great families of Kurope. You see lie happened to be in this neighbourhood, «nU 1 couldn't help doing the civil."

"Yets, but what is he doing here?" Jelicorse asked. "lie is up to some mischief. 1 am certain. A man who abused British hospitality as he did in the early part of 1014 is capa.ble of anything. Now. look here, Lombaso, your country was neutral during the war. and so far as your king knew to the contrary, ynu personally, were playing the part of a looker-on. But we know that you were one of us, and we know what line work you did in the Argentine where you were supposed to be looking after Home kind of property there. You and 1 had some pretty exciting adventures together, and may have again." "Ah, those were times." the young Duke grinned. "But do you mean to say there are big things doing againS" ".Most assuredly there are. There is danger ahead for the whole civilised world. .lust imagine (iermany and Russia putting up an alliance. No. lam not going to say another word, except this--Barrndos knows all about it. He is one of tile prime movers in the business, though he is an aristocrat, and profest-es to despise the present German Government. He hopes, when the time comes, to sweep that aside and replace it with the Prussian heel. Now, don't forget what 1 have told you, and don't let Barrado-s know that you suspect him. For the moment, that is all. - '

Lombaso moved off and joined tlie girls at the piano. There they etood chattering for some little time, until the billiard room was mentioned, so that a little time afterwards. Jelicorse found himself alone with the two jjirls.

"At last," Lady Peggy cried. "Xow, Hilary, tell tie all about it. We are dying" to hear, at least I am. Oh. can't you give us something to do at once., , "But why this breathless hurry?" Jelicorse asked.

' "Just listen to -the innocence of him," I.ady Joan cried. "Anyone would think that he was a child. Can't you see what is goinjjr on under your nooe? Can't you understand that Lombaso ha? come down on matrimony bent 'J I don't really liilieve he is any more in love with Peggy tiian she is with him. but as it will be more or less of a State alliance, nothing will be allowed to interfere with it. And this poor dear sister of mine doesn't know whether she is standing on her head or her heels. Jf slu- could only get away for two or three months, the evil day would be postponed. And you promised us."

"My dear girls, of course I did, and I am not going to disappoint you. Things are beginning to move already. When I told the Duke to-night that my being here was entirely an accident to my car, [ was using a —well—terminological inexactitude. I can't tell you why I had to adopt that strategy, because the point isn't worth discussing. But within the next two or three weeks you will both be far enough away from the Castle. Now, my dear Joan. I wish you would jro into the billiardroom and leave mc to have .\ little talk with Peggy. She will tell you all about it afterwards."

Lady Joan turned away obrdientlv. and closed the door of the small drawingroom behind her.

"Xow then," Jelicorse §aid eagerly. •'The curtain is going up, and the drama is about to begin. The same old drama, of intrigue and mystery and adventure. Here are we, fighting for our country us we fought not very long ago, and here is the villain of the piece under the same; roof as the two aristocratic heroines, who are taking their part in his Undoing. 1 mean you and .loan. L«"t us say that lie lias in his possession at the present, moment some papers which it is necessary for us to see." "You don't mean to say he has" Peggy said breathlessly. •Indeed I do. my fair confederate." .1, licorse laughed. '"And f have got to sec them. lam the chief conspirator. understand. Now. what you have got to iio is this. I don't in the least know which room I am sleeping in to-night. and so far as 1 can gather no arrangements have been made. 'Now, 1 want you to so contrive that my bedroom is in the same corridor as that of Barrados. Now that ought to be an easy one for you.'' "Indeed it is," Lady Pejjfty murmured. "I will go and see to it at once. It is not the sort of thing 1 generally interfere in, but if this means that you are going to carry out your promise to Joan and myself, then you can count upon mo implicitly. You must get mc away from here, Hilary, you must get mc away before Lombaso has spoken. It's very dreadful, hut of course 1 shall have to say yes, and the longer 1 can postpone it" trie lx-tter. Stay here until 1 come hack. I won'.t be more than i minute or two." Jelieorse put there smoking his cigarette and turning things over in h\? mind until Lady Peggy enme back. '■ft is all arranged." sue whispered. "'The count's bedroom is next to yours, and there is a balcony running all along that wing. I have even been in the count's bedroom and broken the lock of his window. So there! Vive la guerre!" (To be continued daily.)