CHAPTER VIII
IN WHICH A SERIOUS CHARGE IS LAID AT THE CONSUL'S DOOR
Jack Carrington, Esquire, Gentleman, sat in his snug littlesitting-room, in one of the side streets of Mayfair, shortly beforeseven in the evening, feeling uncommonly blue. He was, without doubt, ina most unfortunate position. Born and bred a gentleman; educated to donothing, yet debarred by lack of family influence from the twoprofessions he might properly have entered, the army and the diplomaticcorps; with not quite enough money to support his position as abachelor, and no hopes of ever having any more, the outlook,matrimonially at least, was anything but encouraging, and there was alady--with whose existence this narrative has no concern--who, hadfortune smiled, might now be Mrs. Carrington: a possibility which hadbrought our quondam best man almost to the point of determining,according to those false standards which are happily fast passing awayfrom English society, to be no longer a _gentleman_, but to go intotrade.
Such, then, was his condition when the door-bell rang, and a momentlater a card was brought to him bearing the name of Lady Scarsdale. Helooked at it, scarcely believing his eyes. How came it that she shouldcall on him at an hour so strikingly unconventional? It was thereforewith no little bewilderment that he gave orders to have her shown in.
When her ladyship, whom he had never seen before, entered his parlour,he found himself face to face with a strikingly handsome woman of middleage, dressed in semi-mourning. She accepted his outstretched hand, heldit a second, and, taking the seat he offered, said, with just a glancein the direction of a demure little woman who followed her into theroom:
"Miss Wilkins."
Carrington bowed, and Miss Wilkins, maid or attendant, whichever shemight be, retired to the remote end of the room, and promptly immersedherself in the only volume within reach, a French novel which Jack feltsure she had never seen before, and would not be likely to peruse to anygreat extent.
"You will naturally be surprised at my presence here this evening," saidLady Scarsdale.
Her host bowed and smiled, to show that pleasure and gratification weremingled; indeed, until she further declared her position he hardly knewhow he ought to feel.
Her ladyship continued:
"My object in coming is unusual; it is, in short, to request your aidand assistance in a very extraordinary and delicate matter."
Jack bowed again, and his visitor proceeded:
"You will excuse me if I seem agitated"--she certainly did seem verymuch so, if red eyes and a quivering lip meant anything--"but I havescarcely recovered from the shock occasioned by the arrival of atelegram received this morning from a Mr. Allingford, at whose marriage,I think, you assisted."
"I was his best man."
"So I understand."
"Nothing wrong, I hope?"
"That you shall hear. Do you know my son, Mr. Scarsdale?"
"Only slightly."
"You may be aware that he was married yesterday." Jack nodded, and shecontinued: "To a Miss Vernon, an American. You know her, I believe?"
"Quite well," replied her host. "She is a most charming woman."
"Now this Mr. Allingford telegraphs me," resumed his visitor, "from myaunt Lady Melton's country seat, Melton Court, that he is staying therewith my son's wife, who was Miss Vernon."
"Staying there with Allingford! At Melton Court!" gasped Jack, to whomthis seemed the most improbable combination of circumstances. "Butwhere is her husband?"
"I regret to say," replied her ladyship, "that, as a result of the twocouples meeting each other at Basingstoke, they in some way becameseparated and carried off in different trains; so that mydaughter-in-law and Mr. Allingford are now at my aunt's country place,near Salisbury, while my son and Mrs. Allingford have gone off togethersomewhere on the South Coast, and no trace can be found of them."
"But how did it happen?"
"The whole affair seems to have been the result of some deplorableblunder or accident; but in any event it is most distressing, and I cameup at once to London, thinking you might be able to help me. But I seefrom your surprise that you have heard nothing from either party."
"Not a word. But I am quite at your service."
"Thanks. You may not know that, actuated by a spirit which I cannotadmire, my son's wife and your friend each insisted on arranging thedetails of their wedding trips, and keeping the matter a profoundsecret, so that neither Mrs. Allingford nor my son knew theirdestination."
"Yes, I have heard something of it; but I infer that you have nothonoured me by this visit without the hope that I may be able to aidyou. Pray tell me how I can be of service."
My chief desire in calling on you, Mr. Carrington, was to learn if youhad had any news of my son or his wife; but, of course, on my journey totown I have been thinking of various expedients, and though I hesitateto ask so great a favour from one I hardly know, you could, I think, beof great assistance to me.
"With pleasure. Do you wish me to telegraph to Allingford, or go insearch of your son?"
"Neither. But I should be very grateful to you if you would go for me toMelton Court; I have not myself sufficient strength for the journeyto-night; it is already late and I have no one to send. But I feel thatmy daughter-in-law is in an anomalous and probably unpleasant position;so, as I knew you to be a friend of both parties, I thought that perhapsyou would be good enough to represent me, and see what could be donetowards the solution of this unfortunate problem. My son's best man leftfor the Continent immediately after the ceremony, or I would have goneto him instead."
"There is nothing I should like better than to serve you," replied Jack,"but, to speak frankly, I have not the honour of knowing Lady Melton."
"If you will permit me to use your desk, I will give you a line ofintroduction."
Carrington bowed his consent.
"Now," she said, giving him the note, "when can you leave?"
"At once," he replied, "by the first train."
"You will, of course, act as you think best," she continued. "I amstaying at the Berkeley for to-night, and if Mabel's husband has notrejoined her before you arrive, you had better bring her to me thereto-morrow. As you are going on my behalf you must, of course, let mebear all expenses of the trip."
On this ground her ladyship was firm in spite of Carrington'sprotestations, and they finally parted, with many expressions ofgratitude, on a mutual and highly satisfactory understanding.
As Jack employed a valet only on state occasions, he was, after ahurried dinner, deep in his preparations for immediate departure, when,about half-past eight, Mrs. Allingford's telegram from Winchesterarrived, which it is hardly necessary to say startled him considerably.The news that Scarsdale was under arrest for the crime of anotherperson, and the fact that it lay in his power to free him, seemed toprove without doubt that his first duty was to go to Winchester; but hehad promised Lady Scarsdale to go to Melton Court, and it was impossibleto do both that night. He was uncertain how to act, and what hisultimate decision would have been it is difficult to say, had not anoutside influence decided matters for him. Another caller was announced.
"I'm not at home. Can't see anybody," said Carrington.
"That's not true, young man, and you've got to see me," replied a voice,and, as the door opened, to his astonishment Aunt Eliza advanced intothe middle of the room, which was littered with his toilet articles.
"Why, Miss Cogbill!" he exclaimed, rising to greet her, "I thought youwere in Paris."
"So I should be if I hadn't been stopped at Calais by a telegram fromthat good-for-nothing Consul of yours."
"Allingford. Then you know where they are?"
"Yes, and of all the fools----!"
"I've also heard from Scarsdale and Mrs. Allingford."
"You have! Where are they?"
"Winchester."
"Winchester! What are they doing there?"
"He's been arrested."
"Arrested!"
"Yes. Sit down and I'll tell you about it." Which he proceeded to do,and als
o about Lady Scarsdale's visit.
"Just so," commented Aunt Eliza when he had finished. "Now what do youpropose doing next?"
"I suppose the proper thing would be to put the two couples incommunication with each other," suggested Jack.
"Well, I'm not so sure," she said. "You and I are the only ones who knowall the facts, and we must not act in a hurry. Now there's Allingfordand Mabel down at Melton Court. They'll keep till to-morrow, I guess. Itwould just spoil her night's rest to know that her husband was in jailat Winchester, and send her over to him by the first train to-morrowmorning, like as not, to weep on his neck and complicate the course ofjustice. Anyway, I don't think the two couples had better meet till weare present to soothe their ruffled feelings; for, after the mess thatthe Consul's brother has got them into, I dare say that, left tothemselves, the Scarsdales and Allingfords wouldn't be real cordial toeach other. But I see you are packing up. Now where are you going?"
"I was going down to Salisbury, at Lady Scarsdale's request."
"You're needed elsewhere. You go right down to Winchester this evening,so as you can be there when the court opens first thing to-morrowmorning, to identify my good-for-nothing nephew, liberate him, and sendhim and Mrs. Allingford over to Melton Court as soon as you can. I'll bethere before you to break the news to Mabel."
"Well, you see," he said, "I've promised her ladyship."
"Never mind that; your business is to fish these young people out oftheir troubles. I'll drive at once to Lady Scarsdale's hotel, and tellher of your change of plans, and go down myself by the first trainto-morrow morning to Salisbury."
"Then," he said, closing his valise with a snap, "I shall leave at oncefor Winchester."
"Good boy!" said Aunt Eliza. "It's too bad they spoiled you by makingyou a gentleman; you have a first-class head for business."
"It is just what I've been thinking myself," he said ruefully.
"Have you?" cried the old lady, her face lighting up with genuineinterest. "I'm glad to hear it. You just put this matter throughsuccessfully, and maybe it will be worth more to you than your expenses.Now I must be off, and so must you."
"Very well. I'll put up at the George," he said, as he helped her into ahansom.
"Right you are!" she cried, and signalled her driver to go on.
As Carrington found that he would not reach Winchester till late, hetelegraphed Mrs. Allingford that he would see her the next morning, andthat he had received news of the whereabouts of her husband andScarsdale's wife, who were all right and would join them on the morrow.
On his arrival he went straight to the hotel that Mrs. Allingford haddesignated in her telegram, to find that that lady had retired for thenight, leaving, however, a note for him which contained fullinstructions, and stated in addition that she had received his telegram,for which she was profoundly grateful, and that he must not hesitate towake her if, by so doing, he could cause her to rejoin her husband oneinstant sooner.
As it was by this time close upon midnight, Carrington decided to letmatters rest as they were till morning; especially as he had before heslept to hunt up his brother at the barracks, and so insure hisattendance at court the next day. This was easily arranged; but the twomen had much to talk over, and it was nearly daybreak when Jack set outto return to the hotel.
The shortest way back was by a cross cut through the mysterious darknessof the cathedral close, within which he heard the voices of two men inheated dispute, the tone of the one shrill with rage, while those of theother proclaimed that he had been drinking.
Carrington would have passed without noticing, so intent was he on hisown affairs, had not a name which one of them pronounced arrested hisattention and caused him to stop.
"You call Robert Allingford a thief!" came the thick tones of theintoxicated man.
"I say he stole it!" cried the shrill voice of the other.
"Call my brother a thief!" reiterated the first speaker. "He'sConsul--gentleman. Gentlemen don't steal elephants."
"I say he stole it! Right away that day! Didn't wait for me to redeemit."
"You dare to call my brother thief!" The voice grew menacing.
"Twenty pounds he gave me--only one hundred dollars--for an elephant. Isay he's a thief----!"
Here the shrill voice died away in a gulp, and there was a sound ofblows and scuffling.
Carrington forced his way through the hedge, crying:
"Hold on! What is this about?"
At the sound of his voice the owner of elephants exclaimed: "Thebobbies!" and, disengaging himself from the other, fled down the road;while his companion, who had started to follow him, was detained byJack, who recognised his captive as none other than Richard Allingford.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Oh," said Allingford, "it's Mr. Carrington. Delighted to see you, I'msure. Correcting that fellow. Says brother Robert stole elephant." Hisarrest had somewhat sobered him.
"Of course," said Carrington, "he didn't steal the elephant."
"Where is he?"
"Your brother?"
"Yes."
"At Melton Court, near Salisbury; but you must not go there."
"Yes, I will," replied Slippery Dick, waxing pugnacious, "Take theelephant fellow along, too--make him eat his words. Call my brother athief, will he?"
"You'll do nothing of the kind," said his captor. "You're wanted here bythe police."
"What!"
"Yes. For assault and battery, and disturbing the peace. They havearrested another man, a Mr. Scarsdale, by mistake in your place."
"I don't know anything about it. Never been here before to-night,"protested the unregenerate one.
"Well, you must come along with me and give yourself up, or----." ButCarrington never finished the sentence; for at that moment he struck theground very hard, and by the time he realised that Slippery Dick hadtripped him, that personage had disappeared into the darkness, thusjustifying his sobriquet.
Jack picked himself up and struggled through the hedge; but no one wasin sight, and the dull, distant sound of flying feet seemed to indicatethat the Consul's brother was seeking fresh fields and pastures new withuncommon celerity.