FICTION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1247, 23 January 1896, Page 39

FICTION.

(NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.! LADY TURPIN.

BY HENRY HERMAN, Author of ‘Eagle Joe,’ ‘Scarlet Fortune/ Ac., &c., and part author of the play, ‘The Silver King/

(Ann Rig Ats Reserved.) CContinued.) CHAPTER VI. I AM GOING TO TOWN !’ Had poor Gerald Theveney but known it, there was no more necessity for his raising two thousand pounds than for his raising two hundred thousand in time for the following Friday, at any rate. In fact, the money he found Avas doomed to be flung into the same gulf into which so much had been thrown before Avithout result, without reward, simply to feed the sharks who surround him. The men Avho insisted that tAVo thousand pounds had to be found before Friday, or that the Avhole speculation would have to cease and determine, might just as easily have named twenty thousand pounds as the figure required. It was totally imaginary, and the fact that Gerald did not possess it for the purpose of handing it over to them, saved for him so much money. There was, however, another matter much more pressing than this scoundrelly ultimatum of his partners, and one which poor Gerald did not at all appreciate in all its full weight and threatening danger. He had about a fortnight previously, Avhen twelve hundred pounds had been required in an exactly similar way to the present one, handed to one of his thieving co-partners Avarrants for a large quantity of tea, belonging to the firm of Whattingham, Heath and Co., lying in the bonded warehouse in the docks, for the purpose of giA r ing it as security for money to be expended on the boasted electric light invention.

He had been assured that this Avas a merely formal matter, and that the Avarrants would be returned to him whenever he was called upon to produce them by his partners. The warrants were worth a great deal more than twelve hundred pounds, and had immediately been mortgadßd by the rascals for two thousand poiigs. GMcourse, Avhile these documents Avere not |i|equired he was safe. But fortune iniglfp bring it in his Avay that the tea miglft be sold at any moment, and then Gerald Avould stand before his partners Aveiglited by the accusation of having disposed of partnership property for his OAvn purposes, Avith the prison staring him in the face. Luckily for his peace of mind, lie Avas unaAvaie of the dire penalties to Avhich he was exposed, and troubled himself only about the danger Avliich Avas no danger at all. ...Gerald, after his intervieAv Avith his father, Avent up to his little room, Avhich was one of tlie brightest and most cheerful in the house, and had ahvays been a haven of rest to him from his boyish days forward. In that room he had planned the little tricks he played in boyish mirth upon his schoolboy friends aud upon his sister. A thousand pleasant memories Avere stored there. Each chair, each table, every nicknack brought Avith it the remembrance of something that had brightened life, and lightened the burden of the heart of a part of its pressing, grievous load. But the dull Aveight not to be shaken off. The threatening finger pointed as mercilessly as before to the morrow. The gulf seemed to gape at his feet as darkly and as grimly as it had done all the morning. Bony, eagle-clawed arms seemed to stretch towards him, and ravenously hoarse voices seemed to cry, ‘Give! Give! Give!’ as if there Avere no other sound in the world ; and through all the dull, irksome, miserable tAvilight of fear and doubt and danger not one gleam of hope, not one speck of light that could lead toAvards relief, towards mercy. The Avhole business Avas his own He had gone into it Avith his eyes deaf to those Avho Avarned him, to those Avho knew the dangers to Avhich he Avas exposing himself, but he had not heeded them, looking only at the re Avar d promised, by rogues Avho neA r er meant to keep their promise, and never could keep it. That he began to see now himself. His father, all his true friends, Avere telling him that these men Avere really rascals, and he began to believe it himself.

If that wore so there was an end to his hopes. His money was gone from him, and with it the belongings of others, which he might not be able to replace, and for which he might be called to account. What a swamp of terrors ! He sat in that room, thinking over his position and his misfortunes, until the sun sank down behind the tree-tops and disappeared at last in a glory of red light decking the heavens with gold and burnished copper and red bronze, and then again until all this faded away and the cold steely blue took its place in the soft twilight of a summer night.

On a sudden an idea flashed across his mind—that he would run to town and have it out with the rascals. The principal among them, a solicitor named Horsham, was the one to whom the two thousand pounds were to be paid on the following morning. He would not waste a minute. He would run to town by the next train, and catch Horsham at his club, and compel him to give him precise and detailed information. He would insist upon having all vouchers placed before him before he spent another cent, and have the thing explained to him that night. To save time he put on his evening dress, and looking at his little time-table, found that he had barely time to catch the train to. town if he hurried. It was

already dark betAveen the trees and in the bbri-idors Avheii he rushed down the stairs.

Wright, the did butleiq met him in the hall-.

* Are yoii going away before dinner; Mr Gerald ?’ he asked;

‘YeSj Wright/ replied Gerald; ‘Tell dad that I am going to town tb fiieet a gentleman about the matter Atdiicii lid knows, and that it is of great .importance that I should see him to-night/ With this he rushed away across the lawn, valise iii hand; and disappeared upon the Open toad. Wright, like the good seiwant. that lie was, took no further notice of his young master’s hurried departure, although he vividty remembered it afterwards: Endalie, in the meantime, had left her companion to his miisings, and had joined Mary and Winnie in Winnie’s rooms. There was no end of occupation there: Winnie’s maid had brought up tea, and the, in itself, delightful occupation of taking tea was rendered all the more pleasant by the discussion of the A r arious intricacies and mysteries of female attire. The colour or position of a ribbon, the adjustment of a piece of lace, the presence or absence ot a little frilling, were matters that had grown to high importance, and no affair of State could have assumed proportions of such interest as the cut of a bodice. Endalie listened to all the tittle-tattle Avith unhearing ears. All she heard Avas the clip, clip, clip of the gardener’s shears among the ivy outside, and the dull* small thud of the branches as they fell to the ground. From Avhere she sat, facing the AvindoAAg she had a full view of the man, Avho could not help seeing her; if he but looked straight in her direction, though he was hidden from both Mary and Winnie by the projection of the AvindoAV and of the AVardrobe.

There Avas one light, gilt chait standing directly in Mayes’ Avay, if he entered by the Avindow, and, in fact, the chair avrs bound to fall doAvn if he opened the AvindoAv. Endalie took it and carelessly moved it nearly to the opposite side, Avhere she sat doAvn on it herself, and then pretending to look, Avith the eye of experience, at a tea-goAvn, threw' that over it, Avhen she had completed her inspection.. Mayes at last descended the ladder, but left it standing against the Avail. Endalie could see him, on the other side of the rhododendrons, pretending to busy himself there, picking up leaves and cleaning up the borders. Her heart commenced to beat in expectation, and she began to ask herself, ‘ Why does he leave the place ?’ remembering the next moment that it might appear suspicious if he stayed on the balcony so late, and were seen there by any of the people about the house. In a \ r ery short space of time it would be dark. Winnie Avould go doAvnstairs, and there Avould be nobody near the place or on the balcony. Then Mayes could do his Avork without hindrance from anybody.

A bell sounded, and Winnie exclaimed—

‘ That is the bell to dress for dinner! Noav, Endalie, you run aAvay, and I’ll come to you the moment I am done/ There Avas nothing left but to go, and yet it avrs essential, before everything else, that Endalie should open the fastenings of the window, for Mayes to be able to enter after Winnie bad shut them. It was ;v race, with that jewel case as a prize. Endalie fleAv to her room and flung off her things Avith the rapidity of one accustomed to like proceedings. Her dinner dress avrs simple black silk, and her shining curly hair lent itself to a delightful arrangement that required but a feAv hands turns. The dress Avas donned and her Avhole pretty person most satisfactorily attired in an incredibly short space of time, and Avhen Endalie apjieared before the astonished Winnie, the latter exclaimed—- ‘ Why you arc a little Avitch ! lloav did you manage it ? I have ray hair to do yet, and lots of other things.’

‘ Then I Avill be your maid/ replied Endalie, ‘ and help you.’ Endalie proved exceedingly adept in the duties she had undertaken to perform for Winnie, and the latter expressed herself extremely satisfied Avith the result as, a Igav minutes afterwards, she stood before the mirror and threw a critical glance over hei’self.

‘We still lmA'e nearly a quarter of an hour,’ said Winnie. ‘ Let us go into your room and have a chat. In this room, it seems to me that one cannot talk of anything except dresses and laces and shnAvls, and 1 am getting tired of them.’ With that she locked the door of her AVardrobe.

Endalie had satisfied herself, while the panel was still open, that the jewel, case was there. Then Winnie closed the fastenings of the two windows, whilst Endalie rose and for a moment pretended to look out into the night through the one farthest from her own room, turning the handle of one of the fastenings, whilst Winnie searched on her key-ring for the key of her door. It was all child’s play, and she went through it as if performing some commonplace action of e/eryday life. Her handkerchief remained in her hand, and the hand remained on the bolt, veiling its displaced position, until Winnie called to her—

‘ Let us go, dear.’ And when Winnie had locked the door of her room the fastening of that window, though apparently securely closed, was open to anybody who chose to enter. It became a matter of the utmost importance, then, that none of the servants should walk upon the balconies. Whilst the young ladies were in their rooms nobody would dare walk outside their windows. And Endalie determined to keep Winnie by her side until the robbery was actually committed.

She sat herself down in a little armchair in. her own room, where she could keep a view of the window, and she took great care to place Winnie on the sofa in the farthest end of the chamber. She was one of the most cold-blooded and unexeitabit of young ladies, but her heart beat a trifle

faster as she heard a wary a ild Stealthy step on the balcony, then a loav sound as of the turning of a door. Then nothing for the space of a feAv moments. She kept up d Spirited cdfiVersation with her friend until she' again heat'd the low swishing Avhich told her that Mayes had left the room; and then creaking sounds like those Of a riiaji descending a ladder. Then, all was still again, and she knew that Mayes had succeeded.

She had passed through the ordeal unmoved. Her heart avrs but A T ery sliglitly disturbed, and the Colour of her cheeks had remained the same. Then, on a sudden, ihti dinner gong sounded, and she continued her conversation as unaffectedly as before. And the burglar, or at any rate, thd burglar’s confederate, and the girl avlio bad been robbed, Avalked down the stairs together arm in arm. OH AFTER Vr.r, ‘ MY JEAVELS ARE GONE.’ Mayes did not keep his stolen treasure long. He flew Avith it across the short space Avhich separated him from the outside Avail, and finding there a little doorway, stepped out Avith it into the night. A man Al'as waiting there. It Avas Mike Roan, splendidly aisgliised as a seafaring man of the upper class, iu blue serge jacket and trousers, petty officer’s cap, dark hair and beard; and carrying a brown sailcloth travelling bag. Mayes did no more than thrust the jewel case into his hands, and then returned to the grounds. His cottage Avas but a few paces away, and when he entered it he breathed a heavy sigh, saying to himself—

‘Thank goodness, that’s over! Whatever happens, I’m out of the mess.’ Mike Roan vvalked doAvn the by-road, first of all leisurely, and then with more speed. When he avrs clear of the house aud grounds and the next feAv residences adjoining, he quickened his pace and ran. ‘ I’m catching my train/ lie said to himself, * if anybody wants to know, and nobody av' ill Avant to knoAv/

He quickly reached Windsor and Windsor Station. There lie found Mr Gerald Theveney Avalking moodily up and down the platform, Avaiting for the same train by Avliich he intended to go, and which then stood ready to depart.

‘ What a lark!’ said Mike to himself. ‘ They’ll be suspecting liim, and it’s long odds that they’ll folloAv him before they follow me/

The third-class compartment into Avliich he jumped avrs quite empty, and there Avere but few passengers altogether up to town.

The train avrs an express, and made only three or four stoppages. Long before it reached Clapham Junction, the seafaring man with the broAvn sailcloth bag avrs gone, and a young gentleman of the clerk type, Avith reddish hair and reddish whiskers, carrying an ordinary black leather travelling bag, had taken his place. Nobody could possibly have recognised any connection betAveen the two. The change aatis complete doAvn to the boots.

At Vauxhall the young gentleman alighted, Avithout Avaiting to go to Waterloo, where, as lie argued rather grimly, the guard might have had some recollection of the seafaring man. lie took a cab and had himself driven to one of the little hotels facing Victoria station. There he called for a frugal supper, and asked for a room to dress himself for the evening. He made a great pretence of having to shave, and changed his dress again to one of faultless evening attire, and appeared in the dining-room doAvnstairs clean-shaven. He did not stay there long. He took a district train to Hammersmith, carrying his bag Avith him. At Hammersmith he alighted, and taking a tram, Avent as far as Turnham Green Avith it. Thence he Avalked across Acton Gi’een and Gunnersbury Park to the Well House, and arrived there Avith his booty shortly before midnight, perfectly satisfied that not a soul had been following him from the little hotel at Victoria, at the least.

It would have puzzled anybody Avho pursued the dark-bearded sailor on the route from Windsor to town and thenceforAvard to recognise in Mike Roan, as be arrived at the Well House, the person he avus tracking. The Avork of disguise had been done to perfection, and the different beards and clothes fitted as if they had grown on the man.

At the Book’s Nest dinner was nearly over when the upper housemaid, who in the execution of her duties had obtained the key of Miss Winnie’s room, came into the dining-room, and asked for permission to see her young mistress. The request being granted, she told Winnie that on going upstairs to her room she had found the window fastening undone and the window opened, and feeling disturbed in her mind by this occurrence, she had come to give information, and to ask Winnie to come upstairs and see that everything was right. Winnie went to her room with the maid, and presently returned with pale face and eyes red with tears. She stood behind her father’s chair, and bending over him, said with sobs —

' Don’t make any fuss, papa, but my jewels are gone.’ The old gentleman jumped up in dismay. ‘What?’ he said. ‘What do you say ? your jewels gone ?’ • ‘Yes, papa,’ was the reply. ‘They are gone, case and all. They were in my wardrobe when I left my room. The wardrobe has been opened. The jewels, case and ali, are gone.’ The old gentleman bit his lips in a desperate endeavour to keep calm. The picture of Gerald and the memory of the words he had spoken were present to his mind.

‘ Keep calm, my child,’ he said. ‘ I will go upstairs with you and examine into this. Do not say anything more about it just now.’ With that he rose.

' Pray excuse my daughter and myself for a moment/ he said, f and don’t let our absence" interfere with your enjoyment. We will return ill a very short space of time.’

The ladies and gentlemen looked at one another in astonishment, and, asking the servants who had remained in the room, elicited the information that somebody had made away with Miss Winnie’s jew r els, which, they all asserted, were worth many thousands of pounds. The servants had quickly made up their minds that this was the work of an expert burglar. The trap had been so carefully laid and the criminal had escaped without leaving a trace of any kind behind him. Only the previous evening, they all said, a similar robbery had occurred at Lord Benchief’s, near Bichnioitd,- where Lady Blanche Ayot’s jewels had been carried off while the family were in the ballroom, and where the burglar also had escaped without leaving any clue. It was a regular epidemic of burglaries. No less than ten, at least, had taken place within the last two months, and the author of hot one of them had been discovered. Miss W innie’s had been taken out of an oak wardrobe, secured by a superior lock, and the wardrobe had been locked again, proving that the thief, whoever he was, had a duplicate key. Sir Peter, in the meantime, had ascended to Winnie's re? 113 - J? ot his daughter to Gxplalil to him the ygrious devices resorted to for baffling theft alia burglary, and Witmie was cerfcaiti in her own m/ 113 that she had done all that was necessary—“ locked the wardrobe, fastened the windows, locked her own door.

The baronet had gradually become paler and more agitated during his daughter’s explanation. Something unusual was disturbing his mind, for the loss, though great, was not of such paramount greatness as to unhinge his habitual calmness of mind. On a sudden he asked the butler, who was standing in the room, candle in hand—

‘ Wright,’ he said, ‘ when did Mr Ger did go away ?’ ‘Just before dinner/ answered the old servant. ‘ I remarked it, and he told me that he had to mCet a gentleman about the business with which yOit WST9 acquainted, and that he did not want to' lose time.’

‘ Did he go aw r ay carrying anything with him ?’ was the further question. ‘Nothing but liis valise/ answered the butler. ‘He rushed away in a great hurry.’

Sir Peter had turned nearly white while the old servant was speaking, and on a sudden he staggered forward, aud before they could catch him fell heavily to the ground, muttering—- ‘ Gerald did it! My own boy 1 My own boy !’ They could not understand either his mutterings or his meaning, but carried him to his own room, where he lay for hours after that, disturbed by the same hearttorturing thought that his only son had robbed his sister to escape from his own troubles.

Concealment was useless. The guests had to bo told the grim fact that while they were seated at dinner a burglar had invaded the house and stolen articles of great worth. The police had to be called in, and, above all, the physician had to be fetched from Windsor to look after Sir Peter.

Endalie showed great concern in the matter, and suggested that before anything was done all the gates and doors should bo locked and evei-y room in the house shoxdd be carefully searched. The thief might be still in the place, she said, hidden somewhere, or the jewels xxxight still be in the house, ready to be taken away tit an advantageous moment. Nobody seemed inclined to undertake the search except Christopher Churn, and lie inspired so little confidence that anything reasonable could possibly come from him, that nothing was done about the matter. Nevertheless, Endalie’s suggestion that every means of exit should be guarded and patrolled was speedily arranged for and carried into effect. Endalie knew well that as nearly two hours had elapsed since Mayes had got possession of the booty, Mike lioan would be far away in London somewhere with the jewels, and the suggestion coming from her could only strengthen her position. Mr Sanscrome undertook the task of riding into Windsor both to the police station and to the doctor, accompanied by one of the male servants.

Endalie sat up during 1 the next two hours and more awaiting his return and consoling her friend about the loss of which she herself was the cause. Sir Peter’s illness disquieted her considerably. She was distinctly heartless, and Winnie’s tears about her loss gave her not a pang, but she did not like to think that her misdeed had been the cause of further troubles to the baronet himself. The old gentleman had always been so good and kind to her that a pang shot through her when she heard that he was stricken down, and she would gladly have given up her gains by the exploit to have the weight taken from her shoulders cf his illness and possible death. The time seemed interminably long before Sanscrome returned with the police officer and the physician. The doctor made his way at once to his patient’s chamber, and returned to the guests and members of the family with a solemn face. The case was serious, he said. The utmost care would have to be taken to prevent all noise and excitement from reaching the patient, and a regime would have to be scrupulously followed out in which every movement and every function throughout the day was duly provided for. Sir Peter, he said, had suffered from an apoplectic shock, and the consequences might be very grave. While this medical examination was going on, the police officer from Windsor was taken by the servants over the ground included in the course of the burglary. He was not the officer firefly to be charged

with tfr'3 ease, but simply sent temporarily to represent the authorities. The man who would take charge of the case was Inspector Bender, from the Criminal Investigation department, who* had charge of all the numerous cases of burglary which had been committed during the course of the past few months, and which were still undiscovered. It seemed to be the reasoning of the police authorities that the man whe* had! tried to discover the authors of the many burglaries which had been committed andt who had not succeeded in finding any one of these in the space of a good many months was the most suitable person to take charge of this case, and upon this principle they acted. Mr Inspector Bender was to arrive the l first thing next morning, and the officer from Windsor was to stay at the Book’s Nest until he arrived. The inspector from Windsor asked a great many questions and walked over a good deal of ground, but never for a moment expressed an opinion or gave any instructions. When he had occupied about an hour and a half iu this way, he stated that he was going to bed, and advised all the rest of the household to imitate his example, which they promptly did, with the exception of Winnie and Endalie, who sat up by Sir Peter’s side, and never left him until the rosy morning dawned. (To be continued.)