"The Dead Ingleby.”

Southern Cross, Volume 10, Issue 30, 25 October 1902, Page 13

" The Dead Ingleby .”

CHAPTER IX. The Grate op a Lover. ; little “Barbara Milburn, hurrying desperately along through the streets ; of Paris, with no definite idea in her own mind as to what she -was to do or where she was to seek shelter, and with the knowledge — from a glimpse she had given behind her—that Phiueas Sard was tracking her doggedly, was in a sorry plight indeed. She was practically without money, and in a strange city ; and sheftwaa [compelled to dependent, for'food and ? on* the bounty of ”a man whom she loathed and feared. The natuial feeling of so yonng a girl was, of course, to hide the mistake she had made in her own breast, and to endeavour to escape from its consequences as best she could, without appealing for help to others ; and her sole idea, at the moment that she ran out of the door of the Hotel of the Golden Hand, was to put as great a distance as possible between herself and the hateful figure of Phineas Sard. Presently, however, as she hurried along, she became aware that that figure had drawn nearer, and was stalking along at her side ; in horror, she clasped her hands over her face, and cried out to him to go away and to leave her alone. And then, to her utter astonishment, a familiar voice sounded in her ears —not at all the voice of Phineas. ‘ Don’t be alarmed, Miss Milburn ; there is nothing at all to be frightened about neither Phineas Sard nor anyone else shall harm you. The girl’s hands dropped away from Ijer face, and she looked round at Yamoria. Under ordinary circumstances she would have felt as desperately afraid of him as of his servant ; but at this moment any familiar face, other than that of Phineas, was welcome. She stopped and smiled and held out her hand to him ; and was altogether more pleased to see him than she had probably ever been before. ‘Mr Yamoria ! Ob, you can’t tell how glad I am to see you ! A moment ago I didn’t seem to have a friend in the world —and now ’ ‘ And now you have suddenly met the best friend you will ever find,’ broke in Yamoria, with a smile, ‘ I had called at the hotel to see you, and was only just in time to see you hurrying out. May I ask where you are going at such a desperate rate P’ Barbara looked at him in some confusion —looked, too, at the ridiculous figure of Phineas Sard, who stood a yard or two away, regarding her sulkily, and, at the same time, somewhat anxiously. She was puzzled for a moment what to say ; remembered her dislike of Yamoria and her distrust of him ; and wondered a little to how great an extent master and servant might be in league. IMore than that, there was the” natural generous feeling in the girl’s mind that she ought not to get Phineas into trouble if it could be avoided, now that she was no longer in his power. Therefore, she ansswered evasively. t ‘ q X was going for a walk, she said. Then, her own helplessness and desperate need coming full upon her, she looked at him appealingly, and added : ‘ Oh, Mr Yamoria—l ■want to get back to London —back to my guardian, I left him under a most mistaken notion and came here ; and I——— *

(COPYRIGHT.)

(By TOM GALLON.)

(Published by Special Arrangement.)

Yamoria began to see in all this the very chance for which he had schemed. He chuckled to himself to think how beautifully Phineas Sard had played into his hands. Keeping a wary eye upon that gentleman, he began to reassure the girl in the quiet, persuasive fashion he t eould adopt so easily. ‘ My dear Miss Milburn, everything shall be put right for you ; I am here to do that. But we cannot talk in the street, yon know, and there are such a lot of things I want to speak about. Suppose we go back to your hotel and talk over matters quietly ?’ To this Barbara very readily assented. Yamoria offered her his arm and signed to Phineas to lead the way probably with the desire not to lose sight of that gentleman on the way. And in that order they returned to the hotel. In the most delicate manner imaginable Yamoria suggested that Barbara should retire to her room to remove her hat and cloak. He had ascertained, by a whispered word or two with the landlady, that the girl had a little private sitting-room for her own use; and he promised to attend Barbara there within a few minutes. The girl, with a greatly lightened heart, ran upstairs ; and Yamoria, with a sudden change of countenance, caught Phineas by the shoulder and twisted him into the door of one of the public rooms which happened to be empty. ‘I want a word with you,’ he said. ‘ As it happens, yon have, without meaning it, done me a very good turn —so I’ll be merciful. But I want to know what game is afoot here, and why and how you induced this young lady to come to Paris. Cut it as short as you can, because I’ve got to make up my mind, within the next few minutes, what to do, alike as regards yourself and her.’ Phineas Sard saw that the wisest course would be to make a clean breast of it. He began his recital sulkily enough, while Yamoria watched him intently and took in every word. ‘ I didn’t see w’y I shouldn’t ’ave a chance as well as anybody else,’ be began, whiningly ; ‘ so I follered ’er, w’en she went out the night old Ingleby died, and I persuaded ’er to do a bunk alqnger me.’ ‘You’re lying,’ broke in Yamoria, ‘ She’s a lady, and she never would have consented to take such a journey with a fellow of your stamp. You’d better tell me the truth. What inducement did you offer ?’ ‘ I’m a-tellin’ yer the truth,’ retorted Phineas. ‘1 told ’er I knew where Godfrey Ingrleby was. I told ’er she could persuade ’m to go back to ’is father.’ ‘ By, Jove ! you’re a smarter fellow than I thought, Phineas,’ said Yamoria, with a growing note of admiration in his voice. ‘ That was a devilish cute idea. I don’t think 1 should ever have thought of that myself. But go on ; I want to hear the rest.’ ‘ She said she wanted to ’elp ’im — wanted to make it up between ’m an’ ’is father. I said I knew where to find ’im, an’ I’d take ’er to ’im. She swallered it like milk. I said you’d gorn to find ’im, but I knew she’d stand a better chance of persuadin’ ’im to come back than anyone else. Then, w’en once we started, she was afraid to go back an’ afraid to go on.’ ‘ Phineas Sard, you’ve been speculating on your own account iu this

business,’ said Vamoria, nodding his head at the other man knowingly. ‘When I saw you just now, it looked very much to me as though the girl were running away from you. Shall I hazard a guess, friend Phineas, as to why you brought her to Paris F You’re an ambitious young man, Phineas Sard, and this was rather a bold scheme on your part. You knew this young lady was an heiress ; you thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get hold of her first, and the money afterwards—eh ?’

‘ Well, an’ suppose I did. I ain’t managed it—an’ it seems to me I’ve played into your ’ands a bit, an’ cleared the ground for you.’ Phineas was quite resentful when he thought of his lost opportunities. ‘ Exactly ; you have cleared the ground in a most admirable manner,’ said Vamoria, smiling genially at him. ‘lt was kind of you, too, to introduce my name in the matter. I rather wanted to get this young lady out of England ; and that’s a splendid idea of yours, to suggest that she should seek her old lover. By the way, I suppose she doesn’t know of the death of old Daniel Ingleby—does she ?’

4 No, she doesn’t, as far as I know,’ replied Phineas. ‘ She ran out of the ’ouse that night, just about the time the old ’un pegged out.’ ‘ Where did she go ?’ asked Yamoria.

‘To see young Ingleby—Dick, I think they call ’im,’ said Phineas. 4 1 saw ’im put ’er into the cab ; an’ after ’e ’ad gone I ran after it, an’ stopped ’er,’ 4 Young Ingleby—eh P I had no idea that she knew where he was, or anything about him. However, he’s not important, and he scarcely counts at all in this business. Now, understand me, Phineas —your only chance of making anything out of this business, is to back mo up in it, and to help me to carry it through. Understand me further,’ he added, fiercely —we’ll have none of your aspirings and fortune-huntings; leave that to your betters. Go and take off those ridiculous clothes, and get into your proper ones. You know me, Phineas, and it’s master and servant again for the future. When you’ve changed, come up to the room where Miss Milburn is and be prepared to swear yourself black in the face to any extent that I may want; that’s your part of the business, and the only part you thoroughly understand. Be off with you !’ Paul Yamoria waited discreetly for some minutes longer, and then* took his way upstairs. On reaching the door of the little sitting room, he saw Phineas hurrying frantically along towards the same door, and buttoning the last buttons of his waistcoat as he came; it was evident that he did not mean to be left out of the business if he could avoid it. Vamoria smiled to himself, as he saw this soberly-clad servant respectfully tapping at the door, and then opening it for his master to pass in. Being requested to enter by Barbara, they went in together, the master first, and the servant following.

‘ Ah—now we can talk comfortably.’ said Yatnona, rubbing his bands and smiling at Barbara, ‘ I thought it best, Miss Milburn, that Phineas Sard should be present at our interview ; because as a matter of fact, he is a confidential servant of mine, and has been, in reality—although he did not acknowledge it before —carrying out my inatractions. It occurred to me that it would be a surer way of getting bold of our most obstinate friend Godfrey Ingleby, if you used your persuasive powers upon him ; so I took a bold course, and instructed Phineas to bring you to Paris, I suppose it is scarcely necessary for me to add, that I hope his conduct has been in every way what you could desire ?’

Barbara Milburn. glancing 1 for a moment at the cringing figure of Phineaa Sard, saw what she taonght was a look of appeal in his eyes ; her tender heart was moved, and she determined that she would say nothing concerning the protestations he had

made to Her, or the annoyances to which she had been subjected to at his hands. So she looked at Yamoria, and merely said : ‘ I have nothing of which to complain, Mr—except that your servant appeared to be somewhat doubtful concerning your instructions, I have been most anxious to find Mr Godfrey Ingleby ; yet we have wasted two days in Paris, and I ’ ‘The fault was mine,’ said Yamoria hurriedly. ‘As a matter of fact, I have been hunting for Godfrey myself—travelling night and day in search of him ’ ‘ And you have found him ?’ ‘ I have fbund him,’ he replied, without looking at her. ‘ But I regret to say that the dear fellow is as obstinate as ever, and I can do nothing with him. One is always sorry to acknowledge a failure, but I must acknowledge one here. Godfrey Ingleby will not go to his father.’ ‘ Oh, won’t you let me see him—won’t you take me to him ?’ cried Barbara pleadingly. ‘ I know that I can persuade him, if anyone on earth can ; and I want so much to put this matter straight between him and his father. It is right—it is just. They have only to meet, for everything to be well between them.’ ‘That’s exactly ray feeling in the matter, said Yamoria; ‘and that must be my excuse for bringing you, in this uncerimonious fashion, to Paris. Old Mr Ingleby may yet decide ’ ‘ Have you heard about him, Mr Yamoria P Do you know if he is better —or what has happened P’ ‘ I have been in constant communication with him,’ said Yamoria, slowly. ‘He is, I rejoice to say, somewhat better; and is waiting, in order to give Godfrey one last chance. If we can persuade him to go to England —I should say, if you can persuade him—all will be well, and no injustice will be done.’ It was at this moment, just as the girl was about to speak again, in her eager desire that no time should be lost, that Yamoria raised his hand, as though to command silence, and said, turning to Phineas Sard : ‘ Phineas—l thought I heard someone at the door. See who’s there, will you ?’ ‘ Phineas Sard went to the door, opened it, and disappeared. The moment he got outside, in the semidarkness ot the corridor, a hand closed over his mouth, and a voice he knew spoke in his ear. ‘ He’s in there I know he is.’ The voice was that of Rhoda Brierly, and it sounded harsh and strained Phineas knew, without looking at her, that she was in deadly earnest, and meant mischief. ‘ Who’s the girl with him ?’ Even in the moment before he answered the question, Phineas Sard had time to realise that here was a very valuable ally, who would probably be only too glad to assist him in those ambitious schemes which had apparently failed for the moment. He knew the relationship which had existed between Yamoria and Rhoda ; he knew, too, something of the power of a jealous woman’s anger. It occurred to him at once that Rhoda might prove a very potent means of separatingJPaul Yamoria and Barbara Milburn.

‘ I can’t stop,’ he whispered ; ‘ but I’m on your side, and I’ll ’elp yer. What do you want ?’ ‘ Who’s the girl ?’ she whispered

again. ‘ A gel ’e’s mighty fond of,’ replied Phineas, with a chuckle. ‘ Don’t you put your spoke in yet ; we’ll work this together. I’ll leave the door open a bit, an’ you can ’ear for yourself.’ These hurried whispers had taken but a second or two. Phineas glided back into the room, and left the door an inch or two open.

‘ Well —what was it ?’ asked Yamoria, impatiently. ‘ Someone ’ad come to the wrong door,’ replied Phineas, innocently. * I was just about to explain to Mies Milburn,’ went on Vamoria, * that Godfrey Ingleby is in Italy.

I was about to propose that we should start at once to find him. I know the route well ; I can save much valuable time. You need not trouble about your guardian, Miss Milburn. Our good friend Dr Wyles is with him, and you may be sure he will receive every attention. Think —only think for a moment how grateful the dear old man will be to you when you bring his son back to him ! Could anyone render Mr Ingleby a greater service than that ?’ ‘Ah •- how good you are !’ she cried, gratefully. ‘ When can we start —and where is this place ?’ ‘ We can start this very day ; I do not intend to lose a minute. The place is called Trassena ; it is inin the north of Italy,’ he added, vaguely. (‘ The place my father mentioned this morning,’ said Rhoda to herself, as she listened outside the door.) ‘ And you will go with me ?’ asked Barbara eagerly.

‘ That was what I was about to suggest,’ said Yamoria. ‘lf you will permit me, I will take you to this place ; and I have no doubt I can ease the journey for you in many ways. We will start this evening.’ (‘ And I will start this evening, too, Paul Brierly,’ whispered Rhoda to herself, as she glided away down the corridor. ‘ What lucky fate is this that has brought me to this place long after he has finished inquiring for me, and has brought I hat rascally man-servant to my aid ?’) Late that evening the three strange travellers started for the South, two of them knowing so well what the journey meant, and the other innocently hoping that her errand was, after all, to have a happy ending, and that she was to do that tardy justice to Godfrey Ingleby, by bringing him back to meet his father. But it is probable that Mr Paul Yamoria would have taken the journey with very different feelings had he known that Rhoda ttavelled in the same train, within a few yards of him ; keeping well out of sight, and yet watching bis every movement whenever they changed, or whenever, at stopping-places, he paced about the platform for exercise. Still dogged by that figure that was to mean so much and to play so big a part in the coming drama among the hills, the three journeyed on, and came to the point at which they left the railway and took a carriage, to drive them to the inn known as ‘ The Bunch of Grapes,’ on the road to Trassena.

At that point Vatnoria would have paused, at least for rest and refreshment ; but Barbara would stop for nothing. Every mile she had traversed had seemed to bring her nearer to the man she had wronged—the man to whom restitution must be made. She would not pause until she had seen him. So, leaving the carriage, Yamoria trod again the familiar path which led to the very heait of his kingdom—preceded as he went by flying messengers, who bore the news of the coming of the great man and his captive. Captive she did not know she was at that time. Her eagerness to meet Godfrey had swallowed up every other thought. This man Yamoria knew where Godfrey was, and she trusted to his guidance absolutely. She scarcely felt any alarm at the wildness of the place they traversed ; before her was the figure of Godfrey Ingleby—and she had come to bring him home.

Phineas Sard toiled along behind them, in no very enviable frame of mind. Phineas knew nothing of that darker and more remote side of his master’s life; but he scented tragedy in the air, and the dark and gloomy hills seemed to threaten him as he went up among them. He began to wish with all his heart that he had not made that bargain with Rhoda Brierly. It might go hard with him if she came to this place and Yam or i a discovered that Phineas had been instrumental in bringing her there. It was almost dark when they came out at last on the little plateau, on •which Godfrey Ingleby and Paul Yarn oria had come face to face so short

a time before. Still uob a sound anywhere about them—still not a sign of the man she sought. A curious feeling of fear came upon her; she faced round on Vamoria, who had stopped, and was looking at her. The teeth of Mr Phineas Sard were chattering audibly. ‘ What place is this ?’ she asked, almost in a whisper. Why have you brought me here ?’

‘ I have brought you here, sweet little Barbara, because this is the most appropriate place wherein we can meet. From to-night you begin a new life in a new way ; you leave behind your childish dreams, and forget a great.deal that has gone before.’ She looked at him in perplexity, glanced at the ghastly face of Phineas Sard, and her heart sank within her. ‘I don’t understand what you mean, Mr Vamoria,’ she said. ‘ I came here to find Godfrey Ingleby ; you had me brought to Paris with that purpose in your mind, you told me ’ ‘ Love tells gentle lies sometimes, and should be as gently forgiven,’ said Vamoria. ‘ Think, Barbara, am I the sort of man that would have taken the trouble to bring you across Europe, to meet an old lover of yours, in such a quixotic fashion as this ? In this wicked world of ours, my dear, self comes first always.’ ‘ Do you mean, then, that you have —have tricked me ?’

‘ That is one way of putting it/ said Vamoria, lightly. ‘ lam in hopes that you will give it an easier name in a little time. As for meeting Godfrey Ingleby—that is out of the question. Godfrey Ingleby is dead.’ She recoiled from him with a cry. and looked wildly .round about her. At the same moment, Phineas Sard, watching his opportunity, made adash for the path up which they had climbed ; saw a shadow standing in it, and slowly retreated back again. Then other shadows seemed to spring up out of the very rocks, and to line the place all round ; there was a glint of gun-barrels in the starlight. ‘ Perhaps you will better understand my meaning,’ went on Yamoria, ‘ if I tell you that you are ray prisoner—surely the sweetest prisoner,’ he added, bowing, ‘ that ever a

man held yet. This Godfrey Ingleby, whom you sought so diligently and so faithfully, was my prisoner also, a few days ago, in this very spot. He stood on the ground whereon your feat rest now.’

s Mr Yamoria, you are trying to frighten me,’ she said. ‘ln a moment or two I shall see Godfrey Ingleby stand before me, alive and well. I shall see '

‘ Can a man rise from the grave ?’ asked Yamoria. ‘ This old lover of yours fell into our hands ; he stood in my way; he was thrown over these rocks at night you stand above his grave. Your guardian died on the very night you left his house in London. You have come on a vain errand ; the men you would have brought together are both dead, and you can do nothing. To-night, as I tell you, you shall begin again : — you shall learn what love is, and what life means.’

He bad gone very near to her, while be said these last words, and while she stood staring at him in a dazed, hopeless fashion. Suddenly, as he stretched out his arms towards her, she reeled, and cried out, and fell ; he sprang forward and caught her.

■ ‘ Torches there !’ he cried quickly. ‘ Show the way, two of you, up the path to the hut; I don’t want to stumble in this darkness.’

The torches flared out on the nights lighting up the grim faces round about. Vamoria caught up his unconscious burden easily in his arms, and went slowly up the path, lighted by two men who walked in front. In the hut itself he gently laid the girl down, and stood for a few moments looking at her ; finally shrugged his shoulders helplessly, looked round the hub for a moment, and came away. Leaving directions for the two men to remain outside the hut, and not to enter it on any account, unless the girl called, he went down

the path alone, back to where the majority of the men were assembled, He walked with bent bead, and took no notice of anyone. He appeared to be thinking deeply. Bat he stopped when Zatteli spoke to him, and appeared to give some orders in regard to the men, and to discuss certain plans with the fellow ; then he went on again, and down the path up which he had come before. The clear moon was rising, as he came down at last within sight of the road which wound along below him. He stopped then, and gazed intently at a figure which was advancing along it —a figure which seemed uncertain of its way, and gazed about, now in one direction, and now in another. ‘ I can’t see very well at this distance,’ muttered Vamoria to himself, ‘ but it’s either a priest or a woman, to judge by the long skirts. I don’t see what a priest would be doing here, at this time of night—or a woman either, for that matter. He began to move quickly down towards the road. As he made some little noise, in moving over the path, the figure below him stopped suddenly, and looked up, her face clearly showing in the moonlight. "Vamoria, with an exclamation of astonishment, stopped for a moment ; then went racing down the path like a madman. He stopped on the road itself, face to face with the figure, which appeared to have waited for him ; and thus, in that lonely place, and at night. Paul Vamoria and Rhoda Brierly came face to face. Por a moment or two, neither of them spoke ; then the man advanced threateningly towards the woman. The woman, for her part, stood perfectly still, looking calmly at him. ‘ What are you doing here ? What do you want ?’ asked Vamoria, in a voice little above a whisper. ‘Do you know that,l hunted for you in Paris ?’ ‘lf you did, it’s the first time you’ve ever taken the trouble to seek for me,’ said Rhoda, with a laugh. ‘ What did you want ?’ Even while she was speaking, a sudden thought had occurred to Vamoria. He had meant to carry the matter through blusteringly ; to demand that she should give back the papers she had stolen ; but it suddenly occurred to him that that might be a dangerous method of procedure. A paper was a thins: easily destroyed or hidden. It it was this woman’s desire to exercise whatever power she possessed over him, the paper was an easy weapon in her hands. More than that, he wanted not only to get hold of the will, but of the woman. She was decidedly dangerous while she wandered at large over Europe. ‘ My dear Rhoda, how unreasonable you are!’ he exclaimed, laughingly. ‘ I wanted to find you, of course ; I heard from your father that yon were in Paris, and I thought it possible we might meet there —might even forget perhaps, some of the old difficulties which have arisen between us.’ She advanced a step or two towards him, and looked eagerly into his face. She had no reason to trust him, or to believe anything he said ; but her love for him was stronger than ever, and it blinded her. 'lf I had only known that ’ she began. ‘ Ah, Rhoda, yon have always misjudged me, I’m afraid,’ said Vamoria. s Perhaps the fault has been mine, because I didn’t treat you well ; but there are such a lot of things we can put right —eh ?’ Her eyes filled with tears, and she came near to him, and laid her hands on his arm. ‘ Indeed —indeed T never blamed you,’ she whispered. ‘ I was yery young when you married me and I may have been fretful and impatient, and ■’ ‘ Say no more about it,’ he broke in. I am taking a little holiday among the hills here, just tor a day or two. I have telegraphed to your father, who went back to London, to join me here. Why, Rhoda, we shall be quite a little family party ” The sun had come into her life again ; she went with him joyfully up

the path into the hills. She had forgottten all her jealousies, all her privations and past sorrows. She was with the man she loved, and he was kind to her. They went on together, Vamoria forcing himself to speak gayly and easily to her, even while his mind was fiercely working to think how be could safely get that paper from her, and what he was to do with her afterwards.

Still laughing together, they came out at last on to that little plateau where the men were assembled. Zatteli caught his breath as he saw this second woman, and whispered to the man nearest him :

‘ There’ll be the devil to pay before many hours are past ! What does Vamoria want with two of them ? And this one must have dropped from the clouds 1’

Passing through them all, Vamoria and Rhoda went up the path to the hut, the woman filled with wonder, and with a growing fear. Thrusting open the door, Vamoria motioned to her to enter, and followed her himself. She stopped dead, as she came beside where the girl lay, and turned on him fiercely. ‘ Who is this ?’ she demanded.

‘ Your fellow-prisoner, my sweet Rhoda,’ he replied mockingly. ‘lt will be jour pleasing duty to attend on her, and to do her bidding. See that you guard her well!’ (To be Continued.)