THE WILL AND THE WAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14686, 20 November 1909, Page 2

THE WILL AND THE WAY.

■■BtfJBKRNAKD CAPES, ; Author of "Tho Secret in the Bill," "A Iloguo's Tragedy," "Tho Green Parrots," "A Castlo in Spain," "A Jay of Italy," "l'he Lako of Wine," Etc., Etc. - ' ~

[COPIRIGII'I.]

MICE,

tor ono moment, during his last-related interview with Ruby, Lidtb Redding had feajTOl that the girl had in actual fact put herself uito communication with Lo Strang. Tha,' fear laid, and tho possioility of ate vccurrciico barred, .'.a hfo thought, for ever, he gave himself no more Mncorn about tlie man.'" His experience, both private and professional,' argued against any further interference from that quarter. Empty threat* were tho common resource of tho disappointed cadger, and ho could afford, with a, full confidence, to laugh at these. ••The one- victim secured to him in her inseverable toils, his,position was simply, mnissailablo. .For tho rest, his business now lay in gradually, and with infinite finesse and subtlety, to removing, those toils, strand by strand, and replacing them by others less galling and more seductive, as to charm the eased sotil into reconciliation with it« bondage. jflc novor had a doubt as to his capacity for this task. An abnormal egotism is orio characteristic of lunacy; and what, after all, is a soul possessed by evil hut tho 6oul of a lunatic? It has lost its dual personality, -which is- tho safeguard of humapkind, Luko loved 'himself ';so entirely tliat even his own worst ■ n'fcts appeared to himself most lovably forgivable. Bo could not believe in others, regaining Jong adamant to tho charms which were so patent to Luke Bedding. jj It was in truth a very execrabjc- business about which he now went so srnoolhly. and sclf-tomplaccntly; and yet he' seemed', tojnjyfc ;no more conscience over it 1 than a. cat has in playing with a. mouse, His own' claws, his tcoth, his subtlety were the exquisitely engrossing things to him, and tho movements of his 'victiifl' ivcro lo be regarded in no other light -than as provocation to those" deadly graces-.to display themselves. He was so .sure.of , hiinscif that ho would not hurry the'denotniicnt; en absorbed in himself that he never-g-avo a- tlrotiglit to a'possible.'' dog'round' comer. More, his self-confidence making bin) ..vainglorious, he even essayed the. difljcult game of 'playing" wifli" .tW 'hTiee at'-'once, and thereby,' ilhisWiilhigv 1 -the' ancient provorb, invited bin-own bank--niptjCy. For the cat. was. never..yet stroked that could do that successfully;.

It'was on ouo of his periodic 1 to Long" Wyecombo that he beiija'ri to" "ex-' tend liis sphere of playfulness " thus perilously. After his custom, -lie .had come homo from bushicsH ■to •cTihii( t i ( ,'! hu'lV-: iiofc",' : utter his custom, to trial and humiliation to'life'■Hf•?'s^ravt11 Yot,li« v.as not so, shoct.sighte<t,>as. ito. .•irdusc l any iuispicioii- Ijy ! K' 'pi'emi\'tin l S' : -iii'i'- i bending. The apparent spontaneity --.of that, When it came, had been carefully approached by him.

I ; Mrs Redding was many years older than hor husband—a- sufficiency, but not many enough, to justify his constant insult to her _ discretion as lacking the parental quality which ought to characterise it. For lie' was wont to tell her that, sire was old enough to bo his mother, which was untrue; and silly enough to bo his wife, which was- incontrovertible. She was .bortuinly not wise, and had.the additional, disadvantages of being unattractive in appearance, and of having lost, through him, her moderate fortune; wherefore her raison d'etre had ceased to be apparent. And yet she persisted in existing, and very healthily on the whole. She was ono .of 'those, women who can survive the worst treatment, and on nest to nothing. Her appetite was always a negligible quantity; she lived at tho"vanishing point. ]3orn to strict maidenhood, her form reniaiued true to tho canons of that prejudice which her inclination?—her mistaken inclinations—had m a. rash moment repudiated. She was so spare that when she sat dowa her eyebrows sat up. No woman, on tho face of hor, to take or keep a voluptuary's fancy—and that was her fault; but it is hard to have lo reject romance/becauso there may be eclf-interest at tho bottom of it. And she had paid for her fault, and was still to pay, poor foolish vestal.

The two, husband and wife, sat facin" ono another across the dinner table in the dull.old room of the dull old house in the dull old High street. The meal was over, tho servants withdrawn, and the lawyer, one hand to bis hip, the other poisii'ig a glass, sipped at hLs wino reflectively. Now and again he would shoot a swift disliking glanco at tho thin, sallow face opposite. It was like .seeking for his 7nood tho- venom most apt to stimulate it; and presently ho began: "I have beon waiting for you to speak, Monica, but your confounded reticence is always, it seems., to remain unconquerable."

She answered to his words, like a poor, duHy, lean-flanked donkey, to the cudgel, .with, a. movement that could. hardly bo called a start, and a little lift of h«\ ih'ead, which, however, 100, heavy .to resist' its own weight of unhappincss, sahk'again almost immediately. The 'wooden inipas;sivity of .her face" might have expressed to him. had h'e had the soul to read it, that sort, of witless stoicism under inexpressible grievance which is wont, on deadly opportunity, to deliver itself in some sudden act- of blind and desperate hatred. J'ut, Kite all. tyrants, he was morally r.«qr-si;;litwj. .r. : .v ■ ~"Is;it not?" ho'siid, answering to that mute response. "One might have.thought that, in a mailer. ?o nearly concerning your husband's interests; you "might at least hayewaived your'prerogative':'of in-eoimrrunicntivenv-fs;. But the habit i.s ineradicable, I suppose. Well, lot <i pass. You have "had a letter from Miss Vanborough, have vou not?" ,"Vo«,'" ; " '' "■'" 'head,

" 'siio answered!' riot raising her

. " Aiid itnotso?" .■;.',',' Yes.".:," ...';:;:;'::•';:;.;■;".; ■;;;;,.• ,"!)(> you intend'.'to "accept;it?"-•■:-■• ""■'■She did'not reply. ' ■■.-•-.' ■■'{■ ■'

"I need not- point out to you," he'continued, clear and deliberate, " that the young lady is a most important client of mine, whoso goodwill it is of the first consequence to retain. She is placed at the moment in a- position of foiic rliflifor a youthful and inexperienced girl, having pa-rttd recently, for necessary reasons, with her; v chaperon-companioti, Mks For all her wealth, shs is. .virtually friendless. Il''would be a. kind act—a neighbourly ad—Jo go and give her the benefit of your society during this .remaining period of liar mourning." For one instant her eyes raised themselves to his, and were again dropped. "Yon made her write?" sire,said. *■ " There- is no. question of influence in the matter," he answered. "You may supppso that, in suggesting—no more—ail appeal..to you, my motive -was not an cntirely'-.disinlCTcsted one—not quite, nor quite' so much tho contrary as you mj.irtbeinclined'to suspect. But what then? If you have never troubled to realise the slate of our ; , finances, the need, the desperate need, j tcr .me of securing and 'humoiirini'f men an' interest *is this ought a't least to open your eyes. Bankruptcy is stalking me on the other side of tlra hedge, Monica.—that is the bare truth. It is just a question who gets in the shot."

Her expression did not alter by a line. "And the disinterested side?"-she raid. "Ah!" he answered, glancing keenly at her, " more genuine,- perhaps, than your grudging nature might admit. . I co'uTd have fot?aVtr'of 1 iorS ; livelftr,""more" fit, "more "congenial-for ■• the-task '•' ■

"But not ;o interested* in your interests," she. broke in—and shrank aghast at her own temerity. ■

" Or so determined to hold herself alcof from them, you might add," he continued coolly. '' ' ■

. "I dojiot bold myself aloof, Luke," sho whispered, trembling. ,

",'fhat is well,'" ho. said.'-.' "A little readier,; ;>v little earlier .response, you know, might always you .against this situation.'.T.VOiie'cannot! give ono'ti confidence'to a'afore.. .'Say that I am,'using you here, partly using you, for my own purposes. Aro -not youis one with them"? Llo you wish to see me go to tho wall?" ' , ,"I only.fail to see—forgive me," she muttered, " how—how one client can help you to stave off that disaster."

"In a thousand way 6," he answered, "if the client is, generous—and credulous."

. Sho fixed her eyes on his face for the first time—held them there, as if fascinated; A little kindness to so starved and warped a nature would have made her his unquestioning instrument long ai.'O. "You vegetate here." he said softly, absorbing her gaze :, ito his own; "you brood and .magnify. A little freedom, a little enlargement of your sphere might fit you into becoming ,a companion to more than a pampered, empty-headed girl. Do you ever sing now, .Monica 3" " Never," she whispered, her eyes still fixed enthralled on him. "I have forgotten the way."

"That is a pity." he said, "because it was a pretty one."

" Luke!" sho said,

He smiled, without answering. "Luke, when am I to go!" "I did not say you were to go," he replied.

"Picas© to tell me."

"Well," he said, " if you are to decide by her anxiety to receive you—tomorrow."

CHAPTER XV.-FLOWERS ON A

GRAVE.

For a day or two, in the reaction following that night of poignant experiences, Lo Strang went about his business in a slate of moody and rather savage depression. He sorrowed over his little comrade, so untimely called away; he rebelled against his own emotional surrender to a passion which, humiliating in itself to one of his strongly independent character, had tho further disadvantage of hindering his hands in the unravelling of that problem he had est himself to solve; he felt that be bad been unfairly trapped by sentiment into a collusion'with the powers of evil.

It is a fact, if u rare fact, that men who have cherished their freedom inlo maturity will sometimes, when betrayed by circumstance into surrendering ' it, evade the astounding responsibility so incredibly undertaken*bv them, by severing their jugular' arteries.' Le- Strang, needless to say, was no while liver of that order; but ho found himself none the less distressed by many, and unreasoniii". qualms. _ There was still enough of the dreamer in him occasionally to demoralise tho worldly side-; and it wis the practical dfiiculfe of that duplicated existence which would sometimes frighten him vaguely in'the prospect. Independent, he felt that he could always have wrestled with the world on pretty equal terms of give and take; it was -quite a differentuiattcr with a woman clinging toliis coat sleeve. • \; A

Tho mood was perfectly natural—one inevitably consequent on such self-aban-donment as he had been betrayed into in a moment of extreme "exaltation,—and its ae natural corrective was a homoeopathic dos? of the poison which had maddened him. It- was administered in due course.

Poor Bobo wis -'sealed "into his bit of a pared—so small that Le Strang, himajlf

could','carry-it- to ■ tlie.- grave-.—and tiespatclicd on his long journey to (lie oth-cr side of the moon. The morning after L° Strung, awaking in his bed, found a little feather which had fluttered down lying on his hand; ami so he was sure, at-a'nvnte. that Bobo had been received safelv. because the feathers which came out of his own pillow were always duskv brown. with hardly a. streak of white'in them, whereas tin's one was all pure white and smelt of the moon.

Hut by then his mood had changed, and was very tender-once moie^almost.exultant in its consciousness of- a passion returned, never ...thenceforth to haunt him-, but with longings for its own- fruition. He bad had enough' of Benedick, the misogynist. It was the sweet aftermath of that tragic night, full of emotional softness for the little loss and tlie greater gain now realised. Tho day before had been dull, with a drizzling rain—no occasion for a delicately-nurtured igirl to dare unnecessarily the terrors of a sodden London cemetery. And yet she had been there—a slender pathetic figure—making no favour of it,..but withdrawn, in. company with the late chaperon-compamon, behind a 'iltle group of loafers that even the worst weather could not keep from congregating. . like wormy crows, on a patch of upturned soil. He had noticed the krot of llowjre in her hands—no funeral wreath, but a .bunch, such as a child might gather—and had felt his heart swelling to the pretty natural token while the priest droned out his melancholy pomp of words. These children—for what was she more?—these children,'the dead and the quick, - were both his "charge against tlie' hard dealings of the- world.' Ho had fittrrcndeied one trust to heaven; should he betray' the oilier in its greater need? The' sense of dear possession returned strong and sweet upon him. From that moment he longed for her to come to him.

Early in the morning he revisited the little grave. It had been heaped up, by then, looking no larger than a line molehill,.'and the (lowers lay at itsfopt. ,_He stooped;and. gathered one,'a-tingle\bios--601)1, and set- it in a told -ok- paper,'nhel' put the paper in his breast pocket. He was very grave, but smiling, over this piece of .sentimentality. " You won't grudge it me, Bobo," ho said; " but if you want it, send your messenger. • I am saying to our next meeting by deputy, little man. Do you say the same down there, if you love your, friend,".

Then lie.turned and, leaving the cemetery, set his face once more to that which lie had to-do. • :

CHAPTER XVI.-NEWS FROM LONG

WYECOMBE.

Le Strang, .somewhat tired and dispirited, was sitting one evening alone in his room, reflecting on the weary procrastinations of Destiny and tho patience entailed upon anyone- who set himself to unravel its complicated - problems, when tile door opened and a- visitor was shown in. He uttered an exclamation, rose; ami greeted the burly figure of the newcomer with delight. " Sit down, Sergeant Roper," ho said. " Sit down. There's whisky and tobacco for you on the table. A pipe and a glass off duty are permissible, I suppose. Well, I'm rejoiced to eee you, and I hope you bring news at last."

The sergeant, obviously gratified by nis reception, doubled himself,, comfortably but deliberately, into .the chair offered him, filled h'is''pips. and tumbler, stopped' the former with a finger about twice the sze of an ordinary "man's thumb; lit it, with some gruntings for case, drew it well aglo.v, and, leaniii" back in his seat, looked about him. _" Dull quarters, these London cribs, sir," he said.

"I daresay," answered Le Strang; "and dull people living in them very often. But. you haven't come all the way from Loup .Wyecombe. to tell mo something, which ougut "to" be pretty obvious to'mo bv now." _ " Ah!" aid the sergeant. " You should livo in'the country, sir. Plenty of'excitement there."

" Why,' I believe it," answered the other, keen upon his visitor's face. "I shouldn't wonder if you have como to enliven me with some story of your country jinks."

Mr Roper smiled, looked about him for somewhere to spit, and, recollecting himself, coughed, as if that had bee°n his polite purpose in turning aside, and resumed lu's'puffing for some moments in silence. Presently be took the. pipe from his mouth, tapped its rim gently on the tray, looked into its bowl, sat up, replaced the stem between his teeth, and crossing his legs easily and at length before liira, said pleasantly: " Well, sir, 1 got thc'iotler." Lo Strang, brightening, uttered a minute sigh of relief. "It served its purpose. I hope," ho answered briefly, looking down. The sergeant just glanced at him. * "I'll come to that, Mr Le Strang."'he said. ." You'll excuse mv having insisted on the.original. A copy, such as you proposed, sir, would never have done." "Noj" replied the other, raising his eyes wilh a fine appearance of nonchalance, and balancing a paper knife between his first lingers. " I daresay you're right." "The woman knew the lady's hand, you see," said the sergeant, "and would have been suspicious of being got at otherwise." (i "I see, of cour.ie,"answered Le Strang. " It's : all ' right, I don't know what prompted me to the suggestion,, -unless-)

well, .on general principles it's best, to keep first evidence in one's own hands, isn't it?"

"Oh. it's in my hands all right!" said the sergeant. "in facl. I've got it here with.me, and, being done with, you can have it back if von like.''

."Very well,"'said Lc Strang. "J may as well pigeon-hole it." He rose as Hie other took a letter from ln's tunic breastpocket—the very autograph document, guaranteeing, under any circumstances, his pension to Mr Ambrose Sharp, which its recipient had .aglfed, of ,t certain young lady,, the patroness.- . As it passed between the two men 'their' eyes met for an instant. There wits positively a spot of colour on Le Strang's check. The sergeant, shrewd man. smiled. There was something more of the dove-cot than of the pigeon-hole, lie fancied, in this transaction, but he kept his thoughts to himself. "Am I to gather, from your readiness to part with this," said Lo Strang, taming away, as he "pouched'' the ineffable billet,, ".that.it has proved effective in iniiucing Simp's daughter to consent to trio bpcratioli-on her father?" '.' 'Tf'^:^ Sergeant Roper again removed his pipe from his lips, again looked into the bowl, blew its contents into a g10..w, and replaced it-'as before ' - ;' ; "Mr Le Strang, sir," said be, "you're really, upon my word, an extraordinary clever -.gentleman."- . '. "What!" exclaimed the other, somewhat startled. " You mean V

"I mean, sir," said the sergeant ill a .low, impressive voice, as ho leaned forward, ...'.'..as that, Redding conies';»out« as pretty .it, .scoundrel; as it's, ever Been jny lot to-cross.'- ' '.'■ .i..-,;.. " — He.sank'back in his chair, .•haying-de-livered his bolt, and nodded "'lis- head once or twice at the figure standing:, attentive lefore him "... ■'. ,'.' '• "That's so," he 'said, "and the credit of the proof lies with you, sir." Le .Strang thust bis hands into ■ his tvousev pockets, and stood ' tehse-r-et, , sqjiari;-shoj.l,dcKd, waiting to hear, i 'tj*'Go'jon/Hie said-. " She's/Consented to* the''operation of-'trephining;; has she?" " She's consented sir—and, more, -it's been done." . . "Dune':" A " At his own cottage, sir, and success•fully,' by our police-surgeon, Mr Travers. Tho-pressure of the broken bone on ■the brain being removed, the man's recovered his reason." - J Lo String blew.out a long breath."That's good." he said .;" W( >lU'\ , "I couldn't let you-know before," said the sergeant; "and, anyhow, you'll agree aa tho end justifies the precaution. It's all exactly as you calculated." "It w.t.-i Redding.gave the blow " The sergeant nodded. " With a padded life-preserver. No doubt he intended to kill the man, and thought he'd succeeded. The result, when lie came to learn it, must havo shook him. But be lay on the poor thing never recovering his senses—and no more he would bit', for you." " And his object?" "Just as you .reasoned, sir. He had tried. to,bribe,the< to. collusion,.and, failing that, took the shorter way. • A nice lawyer, upon my word!" Le'Strang was.deep'in thought. " And "now,", he said, looking up suddenly. " What next!." r. Sergeant-. Roper laid his pipe softly on the lable,.;.'rose, and stepped up close to ■his bo:>, .with an.air of-infinite caution.

"Lie low, sir, if you please,", lie said; " lie low. Wo must wait until the patient's sufficiently recovered to lace him with Ins- evidence. In the meantime, all's kept quiet amongst us, and not a soul knows of the operation but mo and the doctor, and tho woman, whose silence I'llanswer for. The'thing,'you'll agree, is to trap'.him into delivering up what he's got in his keeping, if he's still got it, which vyou don't doubt, -.nor me neither.-... Once 'raise his s-uspicions tn'ere, and we're'dbrib.' He'll ■ destroy it." He parsed" ' Le Strait!; gazed at him intently. .. .-..-, ~■„>.-■ ~,. ~.„-., • .'■"'"' ion don't-forgct my condition, sergeant:?"'ho 6lT ;(i, '; > ■'."■' Mr Roper rubbed his chin, embarrassed. ... j.... |;f) " Why, I don't .want to, fir." he said, i "if .you'll show me the way." ',{• "Perhaps I can," said Le Strang. ;- -'' He went to a cupboabrd,' took a bro.vn handbag from a shelf, opened, it..' selected therefrom a paper or two, and handed them to the. other. '.'.' Read those," ho Raid. Sergeant Roper received the documents with eoins wonder. Perusing them, he looked up with a positive gasp. "Blessed Jonah!" he said. "Front Mr William Grenville himself! Well, this beats everything." • " You soo," said Le Strang, " if that other embodies what I suppose, and what I ones hinted to you " "It does, sir." " Very well, then, I lead first in this matter-yon understand that?—nnd von act on my instructions." "On your instructions, sir." •■ ''They don't include tho ruin of a scoundrel's helpless victim, but quite the coi,tMry-. J iiir.o th 2 contrary-vou com[irehend ?" ".So I should have gathered, sir." ' "Kor the rest, I have a scheme for making this dog disgorge; and that by your leave, we will now proceed to discuss. : The sergeant looked at him admiringly ■••■.■.'Upon.,my word, sir," he said,'"" a good detective was wasted in yon-;upon my word-he wae." . (To bo continued.) •-Sew.women can boast of such arnvent ancestry as the composer, Madame Mario Horno. Among her medieval forbears she lcekons the, standard-bearer to Louis IX oi Ijum. (St. Louis), who followed the saitvUv Icing to Paleetino in his c«te-.d-s Ilia Marquis des Angcs, Madame Homo's great-sTandfather, was tho Grand Boigneur •of the- French Revolution -ir<l was ono of tho last people who saw th'o iilfatod Louis XVI before his -execution Among hit treasured relics Madame Horns counts a brooch which once was M-.rio Antoinette's.