him.
"You cannot think that I am in ignorance of the plot, or that I amunaware that, owing to the deception you have practised upon me, BerylWynd is my wife."
"And what connexion have I with all this?" he demanded. "If Beryl Wyndis your wife, what is it to do with me, pray?"
"The marriage was effected by conspiracy," I answered. "She was yourvictim--just as I unfortunately was. The penalty for such conspiracy ispenal servitude."
"Well?" he inquired, smiling again. "And I take it that you suspect meof being implicated in the conspiracy? All I can reply is that you areentirely mistaken."
"I am not mistaken," I said hotly. "It was yourself who tempted me,holding the banknotes in your hand--"
"And if you consented, as you allege, you became equally implicated inthe conspiracy," he observed, interrupting me.
I had never before looked at the matter in such a light. His words weretrue. I had sold myself to the conspirators--had become an accessory,and was therefore just as liable to prosecution as they were!
"You attempted to suborn me to commit murder," I added.
"It's a lie," answered the Tempter flatly.
"But I can prove it," I asserted.
"How?"
"I have proof," I replied ambiguously, for I did not intend to show myhand.
"Then you are at liberty to use it for whatever purpose you like," heanswered defiantly. "But we were alone."
"Ah!" I exclaimed quickly. "Then you admit your identity?"
"I admit nothing."
"Until I can show proof positive, eh? Until I can bring those who willbear witness that, on the twenty-fourth of June, you were at number 94,Queen's-gate Gardens; that you sent for me; that on my arrival youtempted me to marry Beryl Wynd; that you accompanied me to the church ofSt Ann's, and that, having accepted the promise of payment, youafterwards attempted to induce me to take her life."
"Lies--all of it."
"We shall see. You tried to take my life. Revenge is now mine," Iadded in a hard, distinct voice.
It may have been only my fancy, yet I could not help noticing that theword revenge caused him to shrink, and regard me with some misgiving.
"How?" he inquired.
"No," I responded firmly; "we are enemies. That is sufficient. I havediscovered the whole plot, therefore rest assured that those whovictimised both Beryl and myself, and have made dastardly attempts uponour lives, shall not go unpunished."
I had altered my tactics, deeming it best to assume a deeper knowledgeof the affair than that which I really possessed. It was a delicatematter; this accusation must be dealt with diplomatically.
"My private opinion of you, sir, is that you are a confounded fool," hesaid.
"I may be," I responded. "But I intend that you, who enmeshed into yourplot a defenceless woman, and who abducted me aboard so cleverly, inorder to gain time, shall bear the exposure and punishment that youmerit."
He nodded slowly as though perfectly comprehending my meaning.
"Then I take it that Beryl is aware of your actual alliance with her?"he asked, his small eyes flashing at me.
But I made no satisfactory answer. I was wary of him, for I knew him tobe a clever miscreant. His tone betrayed an anxiety to know the exactextent of Beryl's knowledge.
"Beryl is my wife, and my interests are hers," I replied. "It issufficient that I am aware of the whole truth."
"You think so," he laughed with sarcasm. "Well, you are at liberty tohold your own opinion."
"The fact is," I said, "that you accepted Sir Henry's invitation here,never dreaming that you would come face to face with me. I am the lastperson in the world you desired to meet."
"The encounter has given me the utmost pleasure, I assure you," hereplied with a sneer.
"Just as it will not only to yourself but to a certain other."
"Who?"
"A person whom you know well--an intimate friend of yours."
"I don't follow you."
"It is a woman. Think of your female friends."
"What is her name?"
"La Gioia."
"La Gioia?" he gasped glaring at me.
His face was livid and his surprise apparent. I saw that he had neverdreamt that I knew of her existence.
"You see, I may be a confounded fool, as you have declared," I said."But I have not been idle during these past months. La Gioia's revengeis mine also."
He made no response. My words had, as I intended, produced anoverwhelming effect upon him. He saw, that if La Gioia's secret was outhe stood in deadliest peril. I had impressed him with an intimateknowledge of the whole affair.
It was at that moment he showed himself full of resourceful villainy.
"The vengeance of La Gioia will fall upon the woman who is your wife--not upon yourself."
"And through whom?" I cried. "Why, through yourself and youraccomplice, Tattersett, who betrayed Beryl into her hands. The mysteryof Whitton is to me no mystery, for I know the truth."
He glared at me as though I were some evil vision, and I knew that bythese words I was slowly thrusting home the truth.
"What have I to do with the affair at Whitton?" he cried. "I knownothing of it?"
"I may, perhaps, be enabled to prove differently," I said.
"Do you then allege that I am implicated in the Colonel's death?" heexclaimed furiously.
"I have my own opinion," I responded. "Remember that you once made adesperate and dastardly, attempt to kill me, fearing lest I shoulddenounce you as having tried to bribe me to commit murder."
His eyes glittered, and I saw that his anger was unbounded. We stoodthere in the calm sunset near the lakeside, and I could see that hewould rid himself of me, if such a course was possible. But I thoughtof Beryl. Ah! how I loved her. That she had fallen a victim of thecleverly contrived conspiracy incensed me, and I resolved to show thescoundrel no quarter.
"Well," he said at last, in a tone of defiance, "and after all thesewild allegations, what can you do? Surely you do not think that I fearany statement that you can make?"
"You may not fear any statement of mine, but I do not anticipate thatyou will invite La Gioia to reveal all she knows. The latter mightplace you in enforced confinement for a few years."
"La Gioia is at liberty to say whatever she likes," he answered. "Ifshe is actually a friend of Beryl's she will, no doubt, assist you; butat present she is her deadliest antagonist. Therefore, if you take myadvice, you'll just calm yourself and await another opportunity forrevenge at a latter date."
His cool words caused my blood to boil.
"You treat this affair as though it were a matter of little importance,sir!" I cried. "Let me tell you, however, that I have been yourvictim, and I intend to probe the matter to the bottom and ascertainyour motives."
"That you'll never do," he laughed.
"I tell you I will!" I cried. "I am Beryl's husband, and she is nolonger defenceless. You have to answer to me!"
"I have answered you by saying that in future you are at liberty to actas you think fit. I merely warn you that La Gioia is no more yourfriend than she is your wife's."
"You contrived to entrap me into marriage. Why? Answer me thatquestion," I demanded.
"I refuse. You have threatened me with all sorts of pains andpenalties, but I defy you!"
From his silver case he took a cigar, and, biting off the end, leisurelylit it. His countenance had changed. Again it was the same greysinister face that had so long haunted me in my dream--the face of theTempter.
"Have you finished?" he asked, with mock politeness.
"For the moment, yes," I answered. "But yours is an ill-adviseddefiance, as you will very soon see."
He burst forth into a peal of strained, unnatural laughter, whereat Iturned upon my heel and left him standing there a dark silhouette in thecrimson sunset. Blindly I walked on to the house, dressed mechanically,and descended late for dinner. But the Tempter was not in his place; hehad b
een called away to London, it was said, and had been compelled tocatch the 07:30 train from Corsham.
I glanced at my watch; it was already 07:35. I had blundered, and hadallowed him to slip through my fingers. I bit my lip in mad vexation.
Beryl's beautiful eyes were fixed upon me, and in her face I detecteddeep anxiety. She looked perfectly charming in a gown of pale pink_crepe-de-chine_. Had he sought her before departure, I wondered?
"It's an awful disappointment that he has had to leave," said thebaronet's wife. "I