IN WIG AND GOWN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 761, 1 October 1886, Page 8

IN WIG AND GOWN.

(The World )

Lady Hayward was expected every minute at Hayward Castle, and the great entrancedoors stood wide open, spite of the cold. There were three or four men servants standing in the hall, while the old grayheaded butler took up his position on the steps. Lord Hayward came and stood by him a few seconds at a time, and listened for the wheels and then went back and fidgeted about the hall, whistling to himself. Evidently he was very uneasy about something or other. Nobody supposed for a moment that that something or other was connected with Lady 7 Hayward ; she had never given him a moment’s uneasiness. She was the most precise and perfect of women, always in the right and fully aware of the fact ; and Lord Hayward, who was a very good fellow, accustomed to regard himself as not over burdened with brains, was very anxious to talk to her about something that worried him.

The house-party was a large one ; in fact, the Castle was full. But everybody was upstairs, the first dressing-bell having rung. If Lady Hayward was much longer, there would be no time to speak to her before dinner. Why, queried Lord Hayward crossly, were the downtrains on that confounded line always late ? Lady Hayward had been to London to see her lawyers about some urgent business, and, leaving Lord Hayward to entertain the guests during her short absence, had gone aloue, or rather, with her maid. She had stayed the night in town, in order to bring with her a new dress for a ball which vpas to be given at the Castle the following evening. At last the carriage dashed up to the door, driven very fast, for the coachman knew it was late. The first person who emerged from it was an exceedingly quiet-looking, well-dressed young woman the maid, evidently. She quickly disappeared, and was followed by Lady Hayward, who instantly seized her husband’s arm and began to scold him, no matter about what—probably because the train was late. She scolded in the most ladylike way ; her voice was clear and slightly shrill; she herself was like a pretty doll, just out of ahandbox; always perfectly neat and in order, and quite aware of her own good looks ; in manners and morals absolute perfection, and quite aware of that too.

‘ I want to speak to you,’ said Lord Hayward, ‘ before you dress ; there’s just time.’

Ho followed her up to her dressing-room, where tea was waiting on a little table by the fire. Lady Hayward’s maid had just put an easy wrapper temptingly ready, and was busy getting out a dinner-dress for her mistress.

* I will ring for you in a few minutes, Taylor,’ said Lady Hayward ; and the perfectly trained servant vanished at once. ‘ I wonder whether it’s that girl, after all !’ exclaimed Lord Hayward; ‘ yet it seems impossible.’ ‘ Don’t talk enigmas,’ said Lady Hayward imperiously, ‘ there isn’t time. What is the matter?’ She was pouring out her tea as she spoke, and now began to sip it. ‘More things have disappeared,’ said Lord Hayward, in a low voice, ‘ and this time it’s worse. The old Duchess has lost a big diamond ring, and your sister’s diamond necklace is gone.’ Lady Hayward put down her tea. ‘Vernon, this is awful,’ she said. • What are we to do? Who can it be ? It’s absurd to talk about Taylor ; she was with me in town.’

‘ Ah, but we can’t tell exactly what time the things were taken ; she may have got rid of them in London. It was when you took her to town with you last that your diamond brooch went.’

‘So it was,’ said Lady Hayward. ‘ But that makes no difference. The brooch was taken while we were away. Besides, the thing is absurd. Taylor is above suspicion, I know the girl so well. Why, Vernon, she went with me all through France and Italy, when I joined you in Rome ; we were always together, and I used to talk to her a great deal. She is a very superior girl. No ; it would be most unjust to suspect Taylor.’ ‘ Well, there's no one else,’ said Lord Hayward dejectedly, * except poor little Rose Mannering.’

‘ Poor little Rose Mannering,’ was the governess who took charge of their one little girl. ‘ Absurd !’ said Lady Hayward, And so it was, on the face of it. They knew Rose Manneriug’s family well; she was a lady, and little more than a child.

A silence followed, during which both looked into the fire for inspiration. All the servants in the house were born of families who had been for generations on the estate The idea of suspecting any of them was too

painful. Taylor was the only exception,, and she had been with Lady Hayward two years.

‘I begin to believe,’said Lady Hayward, ‘ that it is one of our guests.’ * Good heavens, Kate, what an idea 1’

* Can you suggest anything else ?’ ‘ No, I can’t. There’s some infernal deviltry at work, but beat my brains how I will, I can’t see where it comes from.’

‘I tell you what we must do, Vernon, 5 said Lady Hayward decisively. *We must be very careful, not frighten any one, and keep our own counsel. Ride over to the town early to - morrow morning, and telegraph to Scotland Yard for a detective to come down disguised to the ball. There will be so many people, the servants won’t havetime to notice him. He must stop on as a visitor till he finds out something.’ ‘ That will do !’ exclaimed Lord Hayward. ‘ Now go,’ said Lady Hayward, ringing thebell for Taylor ; ‘ I must dress at once.’

As he went out he met the maid in thedoorway, and gave her a more curious look than usual. The result was only to give up his idea as preposterous. She had a very gentle, good face ; her soft brown hair,, brushed smoothly over her ears, gave it an almost Puritanic look. Lady Hayward had made something of a friend of her, and the girl had never presumed in the least upon it, but had always retained her subdued,"sweet manner.

Lady Hayward scrutinised her, too, during, the process of dressing ; hut she shrank from the thoughts in her own mind. She had grown fond of her treasure of a maid, and felt ashamed of herself for her quickly suppressed suspicions. Early next morning the telegram was sent to Scotland Yard, by Lord Hay war), who. - rode over alone to send it, and waited for the answer. The reply seemed to please him, and he rode back in good spirits to a late breakfast. He even faced with moderate cheerfulness, Lady Hayward’s eldest sister, . who was in a frightful state about her necklace. This lady was one of his pet aversions ; she was not pretty or clever, like his wife, but she was more irreproachable, more moral, more perfect, and she was an old maid. Probably she was the only person inthe world of whom Lady Hayward was. afraid. Miss Collette was a severe censor im all things, and kept her eyeglass well fixed on her younger sister, who had an important position to fill before the world. At present Miss Collette was very angry because she did not know what was being done about thethefts ; and she held that she ought to have been one of the council. But Lady Hayward was obstinate ;she had found out before that the exemplary Cecilia could not hold her tongue.

This extreme discretion having been observed, the Scotland Yard detective arrived, as a visitor, and no one paid any particularattention to him. He was very quiet, and adopted the character of the man who doesnot dance, or talk, or do any thing ; and it answered admirably. A number of other men with superb shirt fronts hung about the doorways, and looked bored; Mr Hawk was admirably got up for the purpose, and had only to mingle with the others, and look asbored as they. Lady Hayward was delighted at his excellent effacement of himself, and kept her eye on him with great interest. She managed to speak to him very late, when the party was breaking up. He had discovered nothing so far—not even a * clue ’ —and she went to bed disappointed. Visitors at Hayward Castle breakfasted, of course, at anytime during the morningbut the family and household always assembled to morning prayers at a quarter to nine, and breakfast formally began directly afterwards. Mr Hawk had learned this, aud was in the breakfast-room earlv—the on-y guest present. No one else turned up but Lord and Lidy Hayward themselves, Rose Mannering, who always appeared with her charge at this time, and the servants. Even Miss Collette was too tired to come down, though no one was stricter, theoretically, on the subject of family prayers. How grateful was Lady Hayward, half an hour afterwards, that her sister had been lati that morning !

Tbe servants all came in, led by the butler and the stately housekeeper, and Lord Hayward read prayers. Mr Hawk sat very quietly in the shadow of a curtain. With all decorum the servan s filed out: again, and Mr Hawk did not move. Themoment the door closed on the last of them, he leaned over toward Lord Hayward. ‘My lord,’ he said, ‘ may the menservants watch the windows of this room outside for a few minutes ? Don’t ask me to* explain, there’s no time to lose.’

The old butler came in at that moment,, carrying a silver coffee-pot. Lord Hayward gave the order. ‘And tell them to keep their eyes open,’' added Mr Hawk. ‘ We’ve got to deal with* the lightest pair of heels in the kingdom.’ Lady Hayward listened aud looked, her heart in her mouth. What was coming n-xt?

‘Your ladyship,’ said Mr Hawk, ‘may I send for your maid ?’

Lord Hayward rang instantly. ‘ Why should you suspect her V protested. Lady Hayward. ‘ She is a most superiorgirl. She has travelled with me, and I know her well. .No suspicion must fall on her,, unless you have proofs.’ Mr Hawk rose and went anxiously to thedoor. The order had been given, but scarcely a moment had elapsed. . ‘Do you expect her to come in less than a. moment?’ asked Lady Hayward a littlecrossly. Just then Taylor appeared at the door - the butler was behind her. She came in and the door was shut, the butler remaining outside. At the first glance Lady Havward had seen a curious look on the girl’s face, one she had never seen there before. But immediately she was herself again, aud now she stood before Lord and Lady Hayward and the detective, perfectly quiet, without a* quiver on her face. ‘ John, 5 said Mr Hawk, ‘ this is really very wrong of you, it is an infamous trick to haveplayed. For two years you've been wanted and I knew you weren’t cut of the country - but I’d no idea you could be doing such a thing as this.’

While he spoke, Mr Hawk had approached laylor and put a pair of handeuffs on her. I here had been a little by - -play at first *

Taylor had scanned the windows, and instantly saw they were guarded. ‘ So the game’s up !’ she said sullenly. * Yes, my lady’s-maid, to the tune of fourteen years, 1 answered Mr Hawk. ‘"What does it mean?’ cried Lady Hayward ; ‘ I can t understand !’ Mr Hawk snatched the dainty little Parisian cap and the smooth brown wig from 'Taylor s head, and flung them on the floor. In an instant the gentle girl’s face became a man’s, smooth and malleable as wax. It was not nice to look at just now. The head was -covered with a dark, very, very short growth of hair. Lady Hayward uttered a shriek, and fell into her chair. ‘l’lltake him off,’said Mr Hawk, ‘lt’s too much for her ladyship.’ ‘Mr Hawk ! Mr Hawk !’ cried poor Lady Hayward, ‘put on his wig, and take him - away as a women ! 11l give you anything—anything, if you’ll do that !’ Mr Hawk seemed suddenly to understand. ‘Your ladyship may depend on me,’ lie said-solemnly ; and he put the wig and cap ■ on again with the greatest solemnity. ‘Vernon,’ exclaimed Lady Hayward i hysterically, the moment the door was shut, ‘ promise you’ll keep the secret—don’t tell rany one —don’t tell Cecilia. Vernon, are you a brute ? I believe you are laughing !’