LOVE IN FETTERS

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 97, 30 May 1914, Page 4

LOVE IN FETTERS

By RICHARD MARSH

CHAPTER XXIII. SUSPICIONS. By the time Mme. de Constal strolled svway, nearly all her guests were assembled on the terrace. Mr Stacey said, the moment she had gone: "I don't want to insinuate a word, but-of all the. strange stories, that of licrs about Spragg is a little beyond me. It's funny that I should have heard what I did hear; considering that he told me only last night that he might be here for a week, and perhaps more.- That yarn of hers about a messenger coming in the middle of the sight makes it funnier still." "I hope," sighed Lady Chorlston, "that I've not been deceived in Mme. de Constal. I don't know if you noticed with what extraordinary persistence I seemed to lose last night —a persistence which requires explanation!" Her daughter glanced at Ronald. Mr Krauss spoke next. "I just came up in time to hear what she said about all this fine place being lers, as far as the eye can reach. . i happen to know that every foot of it is mortgaged up to the hilt, and that at this, very moment the mortgagees are threatening to foreclose." "Are you one of them. Mr Krauss?" came from a grey-haired mail, who seemed to have a knack of "keeping himself in 7 the background. Mr Krauss looked at him, rolling his tigar round between his lips, '' Suppose I am, Colonel Gardner, would you like to take my share off my hands at the price I paid for it?" "No, Mr Krauss, no; you spoke with men unfair of certainty that I merely wondered." " " Wondered what I knew of Mme. do Constal? We all know something about her, don't we? I fancy you know as much about her as anyone, only you're one of those retiring men, colonel, who leave others to do the talki»g- r '

Just then Mine, de Constal, eoming out of the house, waved her' handkerft- chief to them as if it .were' a signal, and * v called: t "Mr Dennett! May I speak to you—one moment, please f" Ronald hesitated, conscious of an al- - ; most singular reluctance to go to her. ti ' ' M me. de. Constal is calling to you,'' said Miss Chorlston; "don't you hear «;;, .her?" *£ "What is it?" asked Ronald. ?i • "'I can't speak'.to- you at that disstance',' replied his hostess. "I don't want to bawl. Will you come for just ' ona minute, please?" Ronald went, still reluctant. The others watched him, Mr Staeey indulging in comment as soon as his back was turned.

;-:.: "I wonder what that young gentley —_Jßian's position is at the Chateau '. ■ d'Ernan. Is he the lady's spy, or—

" Author of "A Master of' Deception," "Twin Sisters," etc. [COPYRIGHT. J

what is he? I'll swear his name wasn't Dennett the last time I saw him. He left Monte Carlo in a great hurry, without saying • good-bye to any of his friends, or even sending them a card, and no'one seemed to know where he'd gone to. It's a surprise to find him here as Robert Dennett." Ronald, having reached the lady, showed a disposition to hear what she had to say there. "I can't possibly sp«ak to you here, my dear boy. I don : t want all the world to hear. You must come into the house." When he hesitated, she added: '' I have something to say to you about Alice —something which I think you had better hear." Ronald might have his doubts about . the lady, but as he was anxious for tidings of Miss Hudson, he followed her into the 'house. As he did so, the greyhaired man, detaching himself from the group of his fellow-guests, began to move towards the chateau. Mr Stacey, in accordance with what seemed to be his habit, commented on him also. \ "That man's a puzzle to me. x He gave me to understand that Spragg was just a casual acquaintance, but I've seen things which make me wonder if they haven't been friends* from boyhood. ■-. Someone introduced him to me as Colonel Gardner, but 1 a big bug at Monte Carlo told me that if he got his coloneley from anywhere it was from the secret service department of the English police. I don't know, but the more I travel the more I wonder who anybody is. It isn't often that they describe themselves, but- Monte Carlo seems to be full of curiosities.' ' "It's not so full of curiosities as the Chateau d'Ernan." This was from Mr Krauss. They all looked at him. When Mr Denton entered the hall, he turned instinctively towards the oakpanelled room on the left, in which he had had several tete-a-tete interviews with his hostess. She laid her hand on his coat sleeve.

"Not that way this time. I want to introduce you to my own particular den. It is a compliment I pay you, because it is only old friends, and those in whom I have the greatest confidence who are ever allowed to enter there."

He was disposed to tell her that he desired neither to be regarded as anold friend, nor to receive her confidence, but he refrained. She opened a door at the end of the hall, of whose existence he had been ignorant, and held it for him to enter, smiling as she did so. "Be quick, please. This is the way to my own private quarters. I don't want anyone to come into the hall and find it out."

He had a feeling that if he once passed that door he might find himself in a very uncomfortable position, but such an idea, with all those strangers about, seemed absurd. Accepting her invitation, ho went through the door.

The motion he was through she closed it behind him. He had a notion that as she did so someone entered the hall from the grounds. The same notion seemed to occur to her. She exclaimed', as if unconsciously uttering her thoughts aloud: — "I wonder if he saw?"

Although he doubted if the question had been addressed to him, he answered

"What does it matter if he did? Does that door mask something which you would rather he did not see?"

As she glanced at him, she smiled, this time, as it seemed to him, with difficulty. It was a second or two before she answered. She was. either listening to what was taking place on the other side of that door, or thinking what to say. "Mr Dennett, what curious things you say. It really is too droll; I cannot think how you get • such curious notions in your head. As if there was ever anything I should wish to hide. Now I'll take you to my own particular den. I think that, as you English say, you'll find it comfy." She took him through what seemed to him to be an endless series of passages, doors opening out of them on both sides at frequent intervals. "That den of yours sems to be a long way off. This is an amazingly large house of yours —all this part of it is quite strange to me." "Don't you know that this is one of the largest* houses in Franee, and one of the most famous —if only beeause of the extraordinary things which have happened here? They began to build it at the end of the fifteenth eentnry. The Chateau d'Ernan, if it were to tell all the strange things it had seen, what a story it would crimes which have been committed within its walls! " All at once a sound struck Denton's ears. He paused. «' What was that ?" he asked. *' It seemed, to come from the other side of that door."

"My dear Mr Denton, what is what?"

"I thought I heard someone—crying, or doing something, as if in pain. What's on the other side of that doorf" "That door leads to the servants' quarters. Here's my den. Let me make you welcome, to its mysteries.'' She held open a door, on the other side of which was a very fine, spacious apartment. He entered, she closed the door. They were in the room with the painted ceiling, to which we have already been introduced. He looked about him with curious eyes. "This is a magnificent apartment; it might be a room in a palace.". "You might regard it as a room in a palace, since I believe at least one King of France has been its occupant. The suite to which it belongs is the crowning glory of the which is perhaps one reason why I use it as my own. Now, Mr Dennett, I have something which I wish to say to you. It begins with a question. Are you, or are you not, going to marry Alice?"

In the immense room there were several tables, of different sorts, shapes, and sizes. The young man stood by one fashioned out of massive black oak. Scroll work ran round the edges. It was covered with an amazing sort of litter. He leaned against the edge, considering his hostess a minute or two before he answered. "Where is Miss Hudson?"

"If your answer is what it ought to be, almost before you know it she will be in your arms."

"I don't know if you realise, Mine.

de Constal, what a dangerous game this is you are playing.'' "My good young man! What do you mean ?''

She raised her eyebrows in, as it were, a note of exclamation.

''Every ereature In your house suspects you; not one of your guests has a good word to say for you. I have only to place them in possession of certain facts with which you know I am acquainted, and your position will become a very unpleasant one indeed." "Is the young man stark mad? You leave my position alone. It is your position which is likely to become unpleasant if you are not very careful." "What has become of Mr Spragg?" His hostess started, staring at him as if bewildered.

''What do you mean? What is it you are asking me?" "Your story about the message he received in the middle of the night, leaving because of it, was only a lie, but one which failed to carry the least conviction. I know better."

"You know better? What do you mean? What do yiu know?" '' Mme. de Constal, I am going to give myself up for the murder of Edward Osborne."

'' You are going to give yourself up—to whom?"

"I am going to tell those people downstairs who I am, and what I am, and I'm going to ask them to enable me to place myself in communication with the poliee." She laughed oddly. "You are, are you? We shall see. You use brave words, my lad. What else do you propose to do?"

"You hold Miss Hudson as your soner; why, you only know, though I begin to have my suspicions.'' "You——" She moved towards him, almost as if she-would have struck him, and then checked herself. '' You begin to have your suspicions? What do you mean by you begin to have your suspicions? What are they?" "As they are only suspicions, and. may be baseless, I do not propose to tell you what they are. But having informed the "persons whom you are entertaining as your guests about myself, I intend to inform them of your treatment of Miss Hudson, and her position as your prisoner. I think very soon after that she will cease to be your prisoner, and I shall be in the hands of the police.' ' "Aren't you, as you English say, counting your chickens a little before they are hatched?" . She was regarding him with something in her eyes which made him conscious that he and she were about to measure swords, and which made him wish that they were in that oak-panel-led parlour instead of this particular den of hers.-

"You have been frank with me, I will be equally frank with you—perhaps even more frank. There's a parson on the premises; all the proper formalities have been attended to, all the necessary declarations made. You have both of you been resident in this house the statutory time. You are going to marry Aliee Hudson in half an hour, or perhaps less. After you have married her you will be at perfect liberty to hand yourself over to the police if you choose, and if you wish to make Miss Hudson the widow of a man who has been hanged for murder—in which case her punishment will probably be greater than yours. You will certainly be killing her as well as yourself. But all that is for your after consideration; you

are going to begin by making her your wife. Be so good as to answer the question which I put to you at the beginning. Are you going to do this of your own free win?"

CHAPTER XXIV. A REVEREND GENTLEMAN. His answer was to move rapidly towards the door by which they bad entered. For an instant her attitude suggested an intention to interpose herself —an intention, however, which was reconsidered. Resting her hand on the back of the chair which we onee 6aw occupied by M. Perret, she watched him with smiling eyes. He found, on trying the handle, that the door refused to yield. He tried it three or. four times. "It seems to be locked," he said, "Yet I don't see how that .can be, because I did not see you lock it." "Perhaps it locked itself; perhaps it is worked by a spring, which, when you push the door to, locks it. There are such doors, although you may not have heard of them."

"Does that mean that I am a prisoner?"

"My good young man, you have been a prisoner ever sinee the night on which you —robbed Inspector Jenner and left him to burn in the train. You will continue to be a prisoner until you; have done what I wish you to do. You have not answered my question. You have not said whether you will marry your lady love of your own free will, which means, I take it, that you won't. That makes no difference. You will marry her before you leave this room, whether you will or won't." She touched a bell which was within her reach. A door opened, and two persons entered. One was Aehille, the other was a person he had never seen before, —a big, burly man, whose face was ornamented with strips of sticking-plaster. Mme. de Constal went through the eeremony of introduction with a little air of formal grace, as if it were seriously meant. '' Mr Dennett, permit me to have the introducing you to M. Leon Perret. M. Perret —Mr Dennett. I fancy Mr Dennett, you may have heard M. Perret ; s name." His answer was not couehed in the courteous form which marked the lady's words. He moved a little forward, his fists clenched at his sides.

"You blackguard! So you still bear some of the marks she gave you. If I ever have the opportunity, I'll give you marks which you'll carry to your coward's grave!"

M. Perret returned Mr Dennett as good as he sent. "I am obliged to yon, Mr Dennett. Aren't you the individual who killed his friend, and then ran away to save his skin? It becomes such a one to strut like a bantam cock and speak of cowardice."

Bonald's reply was to rush across' the room and strike M. Perret. That gentleman, however, catching him by the wrist, gave it a sudden turn, and sent him blundering across the room till his progress was stayed by the table against which he had previously been leaning. "If it were worth my while," said M. Perret, "I'd strip the elothes off you and beat vou till you're black and blue."

'' M. Dennett,'' chorused Aehille,'' is a very brave gentleman with his tongue." He spoke with that peculiar suavity which almost hinted that his organs of speech had been oiled. (To be continued on Monday.)