THE WILL AND THE WAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14235, 4 December 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE WILL AND THE WAY.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ABBANGEMENT.

( BY BERNARD CAPES, , Author of "The Secret in the HL"." "A Bogue's Tragedy," "The Green Par-> rots," "A Castle In Spain," " A . Jay of Italy." "The V • Lake of Wine." " . . ■ Etc.. Etc. [COPYHIGHT.] . ' .. . . ' ' : CHAPTER XXI. • -i ■ »*» •? '■:•:■/-' THE WAT. ' .-"" "No, ma'am" said ; Sergeant Roper. "It's no 'case} in my opinion. We'd better hold to our own, . which is clear enough, and' not f go confusing the indictment with a superJ noomary count,; which might end us, ■> like I the ? dog, with getting ■, neither the . j'int. nor the shadow for our pains." •.',-*.■• ; He spoke, fondling his beard, after pro- i | found thought, to':, Miss Pringle, ■ who, flut-j tering between ; the extremes of agitation and gratification, presided by courtesy, at ! a* meeting "'■ of conspirators hastily summoned ' to her lodgings. ) The lady sat at one side of her sitting-room table; Le Strang and ' the sergeant faced her across it ' at the J other. They. were met to discuss ways and. I means towards the swift exposure of .. a scoundrel, and, in the course of the debate, made her, as ; representing 'the speaker's chair, the formal medium for their arguments. The position, greatly flattered her, while it left her uncommitted; for in addressing her they really spoke to one another. But there was ,a( subtle j: design behind Le Strang's euphemisms, the ?■ crafty rogue, which the poor woman; never so much as guessed at. ;■ V :; * : " No case, Miss Pringle," said. Le Strang, in his deep voice—-sbe?i regularly thrilled when lie addressed her. , "Very well. >: Then one of the most inhuman attempts -at murder ever perpetrated must be erased from the indictment. So.be it." , "Inhuman, ma'am," said the sergeant; " if you like, and if a fact. But there's not a *.. tittle of evidence ; in i law to „ prove« it. What's the case?u Mr. Redding was once connected, legally, with an affair of condemned stuff; Mr. Redding makes some lobster cutlets > somepne suspects him t of reducing poisoned tinned-stuff into a single one of those lobster cutlets. Where's the connection? He brought with him ' a fresh lobster, and took care ! the servant should know it. If he brought anything else, trust him for having destroyed - its evidences in good time. No one was hurt; nothing remains to analyse; you can't go and convict on suspicion alone. I don't Bay lie's innocent, and I don't say he's guilty. The moral odds may be against him, or maybe no more than the mad jealousy of a woman. What I do say is that, in my opinion, it's no case, and that nothing will be served by us trying to use it to double-lock the darbies on his wrists." :, i " I assure you, sir," said ,Miss Pringle, palpitating, " that I for one should only too glad to believe Mr. Redding incapable of such an atrocity;•though,; if called upon to contribste a testimonial to character,; his repugnance to . say i grace beforo dinner, and much less after, ■ it' would be my bounden duty to asseverate. For , r indeed 'I have never once "known him \ to ; call a blessing, though' so strangely superstitious; that he would not even pass a magpie without , taking off his hat to him. • But, then, as my dearest Miss Bella used to remark, an agnostic is capable of anything, though certainly} if he wanted to poison his wife, why couldn't'; he , do < it quietly at home?" '•; I ."•Obvious enough," said Le Strang, grim- \ ly. " Because he wasn't in the, habit of , paying , her ' those delicate attentions, v and any sudden change in'his methods might I have \ excited suspicion; ' because he wanted an independent witness} his victim and tool, to testify to his loving kindness; because, at, Miss Vanborough's flat, situation:and j circumstance lent themselves most readily to the attempt." {■:', ' * i , .' ', He glanced at , the officer, shrugged his shoulders, and continued: . *. 'i "But Sergeant Roper talks with authority, Miss Pringle, and his view of the matter is tlie view I expected. I should have liked to make assurance doubly sureto have had two barrels to my shot-gun; but we must make the one" do. Now, as to the means—and there, by your leave, we will advance, for the sake "of convenience, a postulate. Say the case, as one of . attempted murder, is 'unprovable, we will assume it, nevertheless, to be a case. Granting it to be within the bounds of possibility that the attempt was actually, made," we must proceed as if we had to consider the consequences of the attempt. : x< Are you with me n . so far, sergeant?" " -*','-,'•> I'. i'*' "Yen, sir," said Sergeantsßoper, guardedly: and added, "speaking to the ladv.": : "Very well," said Le Strang. "Then what is Mr. Luke Redding's likely attitude , this morning towards the affair of last night? Hoes he, in the first place, suppose that his pretty.' purpose was suspected, by the one most keenly interested: in j its " frustration?" •.,■/:'.'■■■■■' '•(",/..-;.* A' ; }*}7%"'Vr; j ',", You've seen the main witness, sfr. % and I haven't. are her conclusions!'' .'

/'She believes, recalling incidents, thatyi in all ; likelihood he is uneasy." '■ ,1 ' :;•' "Grant that he ft then, air." "How will it influence- his actions? Will '] he keep away from ,1116 flat for a time, or will he—which seems to me the more probable— an early opportunity of revisit- ) ing it, m order ito .satisfy * himself as to'* how the land lies, and to allay, to the beat , i . of • his ingenuity, ■'. any : -- possible t suspicions? Remember that he knows nothing ic&iiMW scene which followed ' his departure ■ last •vj night." ; "And he mustn't know." ,' - ■' J, "Exactly; he mustn't know. He mustn't ~ return to learn of Miss Variborough's flight, '■' or of his wife's condition, until we are prepared to receive him." ' • Short notice, sir. He may be proposing to himself to go back there to-day." , ? "I suggest proposing it for him." ; "You do?" ~ " Unquestionably. ~ Every' hour minimises our chance. You can produce your wituc-js at any moment, I suppose?" ; "Where, sir?" > "At the flat, is my suggestion." .. " Half an hour will do it." " Good. And now for the bait." He just glanced at Miss Pringle, before continuing: 1 "I want you to bear in mind that Miss, | . Vanborough has never once had visual proof Eg of the document, with a simple assertion of Wji whose existence Redding has been able to j| coerce her into submission to his will." '; Sergeant Roper uttered an exclamation. "Is that so,, indeed'.'" he said. "You don't question its existence, Mr, Le Strang?" :;■... .■■■■,;,..■,. V ■>';',. ■:■%. !&'s& , "Not for a moment, sergeant. I gave. you once before my reasons for that belief. f| : It exists, I haven't the slightest doubt; (s !l only Miss Vanborough has never seen it. j She has taken that dog's word for its exist* :A ence. I propose that she shall take it no M ,longer." . The sergeant was beginning to see light. He nodded several times, with a-gratified-. ,expression. . — "To be sure, sir," he said, "to be sure. You intend to draw him-to kill two birds with one stone, proof of his crime'.being '■' proof of your profit.. What is the voung . lady's loss is your, gain, Mr. Le Strang.. It ' all dovetails, doesn't it? I suppose,'. by the : way, she sees it in • that light? "Absolutely." ...... . ; ... , *. < ( Cj "And is. prepared to invite him to com ; to the flat and show her the documents?" •i •'!'"To invite him, yes; but not v i to meet, him." "Oh! not to meet him?" " I suggest our being her proxies in the ' business."' •■'•' i "l see, I see." ■• ■ I; '<■!£ "Apart from everything else, her horror ■' over the place, since the affair of last night, "•' is so extreme that she' wifhes never to re- V turn there, never to'mit eyes on it a-ain."i; j]j| • "Oh, the poor dear!" interpolated j Miss 1 ! Pringle, with a little burst of emotion; "and she :so delighted , to come there, and live in perpetuity "in the metropolis, m& ; look out on the 'Minster in sun and wet. Oh, dear, dear!" ■ ...... ' •'"I am sure it is like you to say so," raid 'i Le Strang,: gravely; a'"and we , must all . l feel j very deeply, for Miss Vanborough .' in her unhappy position. \U If ever : there was a time when her friends were called upon to rally . about a poor soul in extremity, this lis the time for Miss Vanborough's friends to show the courage of their opinions on her behalf!" . He had taken, as he spoke, a paper from his pocket, and he now, m till' regarding ■ < Miss Pringle, opened and referred to it. "This, he said, "is a 'letter written, to Mr. Redding by Miss Vanborough from iny '\ dictation. Ido not think any, means illegitimate for ■'-. the ; trapping ' and destroying f ofJ g| such vermin; but, in case the scrapie should occur to anyone, 1. take this opportunity of,'',' avowing that I am solely. responsible for the nature of the lurewhich, indeed,.! had to > put' force upon Miss Vanborough to sanction—and that I not only accept,* but glory in any moral onus . which ; the sen titive might be inclined to attach to me on, its account. Here, + hen, is the letter I made Miss Van- . borough write, and you observe that her complete ignoring in it of ifyi business of i last, night will" be s«&cien^n].ijis^ito'|p 'lull whatever, suspicions ilr. Redding may have been inclined to ; entertain. t He will , believe, its purpose undetected, and he will' , ! walk into the trap undeterred by. any feeling of apprehension as to his wife's reception of him." . ~.;■:•;,;:., ';.,;,'.„ :..;X&s "One-moment, sir," saul the sergeant. "Supposing she, Mrs. R.. has already been and acquainted : him of ' the young lady's flight? • ■ ■ K .»».,' • .■. •I " Not: a f chance; in my opinion. ' If she : ; knows of it, the!odds are she'll believe + hat - ■ Miss Yanbomxigh has gone to'him. ?JRf-j£| member her conclusions." " , "That's true enough. Well, sir, if ym'll ■'■'..! read ' the 1 letter,. please?" \ ' With another glance at Miss Pringle, Le , Strang responded:— \* \ ' . y "Dear Redding, After our intei ,?w • of ? the night before ; last '%V. feel cotnpelkiS, in 'my own- unhappy interests, to write to/.! you "as follows : I had hoped that your knowledge of that• poor child's death would 'have ; served sto / mitigate \ the ■ insistence i of B your persecution ; but I was mistaken. You •■ i tell me that it has not affected in any way .! the nature'of your hold over me.' Ido not , ; understand.how that can be, if it restores ] ;] me to my original position as sole bench'- ,: ciary. }Is there!anything more behind that | you* have concealed ' : from jme £ Remember that ;■'< you have !(never ; : yet "i shown me ?s^s| ■ paper "in"your; possession. I must see it if B you want me to believe, otherwise, so great is my desperation, I shall" risk everything • in a full confession to a responsible person. Upon this I am finally resolved. • I shall be ■ at home this afternoon from three to live ■ ; o'clock. If you do rot call, bringing with you the evidence I Im-e a right to demand, I shall understand that I am justified" in discrediting its existence, -and in taking, what - steps I please-', to > protect myself j from your further molestation. Jt For .'precaution'* j sake, and in order to J ensure; an i answer, I. shall send this note -by Miss Pringle, *to whom I have wired a request to. call upon me,", j ? He ended, and looked up somewhat shamefacedly at. the startled figure opposite. Thej:b| poor woman, who had been listening and smiling in a rather ■ fearful \ approval, sat completely petrified over the denouement. At length she gasped out: . " Miss Pringle!j I! —to visit that dread- , ful man - ' ~

"The simplest thine," said Le « Strong. ' "You have only: to adapt yourself itotJh*§|| situation as stated, and to be ' blind, deaf, and ignorant as-to-every fact otherwise. 1 have taken the precaution to have this writ- > ten on a sheet of the Mansions' notepaper,,, which wo, were fortunate enough to find in ' a: blotting-book .of ■ yours,, and so -in every ; way the lure is complete." I .Miss Prinze* demurred decisively, protest;ed ' emphatically, wept copiously. She couldn't do it, she said— simply couldn't. She would * never ) keep her wits; '% let; ■ alone her courage. Why couldn't Sergeant Roper go, or Mr. Le Strang himself? ■'. . . "Why not send him a. lighted candle a* once, with an invitation to burn the thing!" ■ said Le Strang*I reproachfully. '}>"Think of the tremendous : issues which turn upon the diplomatic conduct of this mission, and of./ the rights and mercies you imperil by refusing it. And none more completely fit for the task than you yourself, Miss Pringlc,"';.;. with your natural discretion helping you itoi| compass the downfall of a villain, -and"to release a dear friend, and a comrade from his loathsome toils." , He cajoled, flatter reassured her, Sergeant Roper seconding. 1( ' Finally, the good creature dried her eyes 'and succumbed. ' " For be' it from me," ' she said, still gasp- ' ing hysterically, "to disoblige my dearest «ij Ruby *in such ; : a 'matter ■• of ',11 e: and ) death, and she so humble and consider ate it'; makes my heart bleed; to see her. , To hear- how \. she isobbedj> and shivered in lmy bed - last nightbegging J your excuses, gentlemenasking ma to sleep by her bocause she was , so cold, and to have her Catty, she'paid, . like a sword by her side, only I wasn't to cut her 'because she "was. wicked, ihe dear —it would have moved a heart of adamant; and* laughing and ! crying■ in a breath, anc teasing me about? my "assignation' with the young gentleman on the shock that I shall never forget to my dying day— and falling asleep;^ in my ; arms ati last, her cheek, wet with • tears. -■ I'm : sure, ended Miss Pringle in - a gush of emotion, _ I would go to the scaffold for her at any tun*,, , if -needful." sure I would too," said Lp -And I'm; sure I would too, said Le Stranc And'so, having gained bis point, he .set. ~ himself to instruct % the | good soul 1 minutejyffl as to her conduct and . policy, ; andj g#jMfegfl vas able to despatch her, quite tort'fcfejM resolute at laat, on her errand, js; s /,;iJ|aßH : ceo be continued d»Ujri. ; v IK .'■■■ ■ - '" ;■:■'•■'; -v.-' •••' ':'".- ' , • '7 •/ : 1. ' .Cij, A\ i.i