CHAPTER XIV
The Princess was attempting a new and very complicated form ofpatience. Forrest was watching her. Their host was making an attempt toread the newspaper.
"In five minutes," the Princess declared, "I shall have achieved theimpossible. This time I am quite sure that I am going to do it."
A breathless silence followed her announcement. The Princess, lookingup in surprise, found that the eyes of her two companions were fixednot upon her but upon the door. She laid down her cards and turned herhead. It was Jeanne who stood there, her hair tossed and blown by thewind, her face ashen white.
"What is the matter, child?" the Princess demanded.
Jeanne came a little way into the room.
"There were two men," she faltered, "talking in the shrubbery close towhere I was sitting behind the hollyhocks. I could not understand allthat they said, but they are coming here. They were speaking of LordRonald."
"Go on," Forrest muttered, leaning forward with dilated eyes.
"They spoke as though something might have happened to him here," thegirl whispered. "Oh! it is too horrible, this! What do you think thatthey meant?"
She looked at the three people who confronted her. There was nothingreassuring in the faces of the two men. The Princess leaned back in herchair and laughed.
"My dear child," she said, "you have been asleep and dreamed thesefoolish things; or if not, these yokels to whom you have been listeningare mad. What harm do you suppose could come to Lord Ronald here?"
"I do not know," Jeanne said, speaking in a low tone, and with the fearstill in her dark eyes.
"I told you," the Princess continued, "that there was some sort of aquarrel. What of it? Lord Ronald simply chose to go away. Do yousuppose that there is any one here who would think of trying to hinderhim? Look at us three and ask yourself if it is likely. Look at MajorForrest here, for instance, who never loses his temper, and whose wholelife is a series of calculations. Or our host. Look at him," thePrincess continued, with a little wave of her hand. "He may havesecrets that we know nothing of, but if he is a desperate criminal, Imust say that he has kept the knowledge very well to himself. As forme, you know very well that I quarrel with no one. Le jeu ne vaut pasla peine."
Jeanne drew a little breath. Her face was less tragic. There was amoment's silence. Then Cecil de la Borne moved toward the fireplace. Hewas pale, but his manner was more composed. The Princess' speech, drawnout, and very slowly spoken, of deliberate intent, had achieved itspurpose. The first terror had passed away from all of them.
"I will ring the bell," Cecil said, "and find out who these trespassersare, wandering about my grounds at this hour of the night. Or shall weall go out and look for them ourselves?"
"As you will," Forrest answered. "Personally, I should think that MissJeanne has overheard some gossip amongst the servants, andmisunderstood it. However, this sort of thing is just as well put astop to."
A sudden peal rang through the house. The front-door bell, a hugeunwieldy affair, seldom used, because, save in the depths of winter,the door stood open, suddenly sent a deep resonant summons echoingthrough the house. The bareness and height of the hall, and the factthat the room in which they were was quite close to the front dooritself, perhaps accounted for the unusual volume of sound which seemedcreated by that one peal. It was more like an alarm bell, ringing outinto the silent night, than any ordinary summons. Coming in the midstof those tense few seconds, it had an effect upon the people who heardit which was almost indescribable. Cecil de la Borne was pale with thenervousness of the coward, but Forrest's terror was a real and actualthing, stamped in his white face, gleaming in his sunken eyes, as hestood behind the card-table with his head a little thrust forwardtoward the door, as though listening for what might come next. ThePrincess, if she was in any way discomposed, did not show it. She saterect in her chair, her head slightly thrown back, her eyebrows alittle contracted. It was as though she were asking who had dared tobreak in so rudely upon her pastime. Jeanne had sunk back into thewindow, and was sitting there, her hands clasped together.
Cecil de la Borne glanced at the clock.
"It is nearly eleven o'clock," he said. "The servants will have gone tobed. I must go and see who that is."
No one attempted to stop him. They heard his footsteps go echoing downthe silent hall. They heard the harsh clanking of the chain as he drewit back, and the opening of the heavy door. They all looked at oneanother in tense expectation. They heard Cecil's challenge, and theyheard muffled voices outside. Then there came the closing of the door,and the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. Forrest grasped the tablewith both hands, and his face was bloodless. The Princess leanedtowards him.
"For God's sake, Nigel," she whispered in his ear, "pull yourselftogether! One look into your face is enough to give the whole showaway. Even Jeanne there is watching you."
The man made an effort. Even as the footsteps drew near he dashed somebrandy into a tumbler and drank it off. Cecil de la Borne entered,followed by the man who had been Andrew's guest and another, a smalldark person with glasses, and a professional air. Cecil, who had been alittle in front, turned round to usher them in.
"I cannot keep you out of my house, gentlemen, I suppose," he said,"although I consider that your intrusion at such an hour is entirelyunwarrantable. I regret that I have no other room in which I canreceive you. What you have to say to me, you can say here before myfriends. If I remember rightly," he added, "your name is Berners, andyou are lodging in this neighbourhood."
The man who had called himself Berners bowed to the Princess and Jeannebefore replying. His manner was grave, but not in any way threatening.His companion stood behind him and remained silent.
"I have called myself Berners," he said, "because it is more convenientat times to do so. I am Richard Berners, Duke of Westerham. A recentguest of yours--Lord Ronald--is my younger brother."
The silence which reigned in the room might almost have been felt. TheDuke, looking from one to the other, grew graver.
"I suppose," he continued, "I ought to apologize for coming here solate at night, but my solicitor has only just arrived from London, andreported to me the result of some inquiries he has been making. Ronaldis my favourite brother, although I have not seen much of him lately. Itrust, therefore," he continued, still speaking to Cecil de la Borne,"that you will pardon my intrusion when I explain that from the momentof quitting your house my brother seems to have completely disappeared.I have come to ask you if you can give me any information as to thecircumstances of his leaving, and whether he told you his destination."
Cecil de la Borne was white to the lips, but he was on the point ofanswering when the Princess intervened. She leaned forward toward thenewcomer, and her face expressed the most genuine concern.
"My dear Duke," she said, "this is very extraordinary news that youbring. Lord Ronald left here for London. Do you mean to say that he hasnever arrived there?"
The Duke turned towards his companion.
"My solicitor here, Mr. Hensellman," he said, "has made the mostcareful inquiries, and has even gone so far as to employ detectives. Mybrother has certainly not returned to London. We have also wired toevery country house where a visit from him would have been aprobability, without result. Under those circumstances, and otherswhich I need not perhaps enlarge upon, I must confess to feeling someanxiety as to what has become of him."
"Naturally," the Princess answered at once. "And yet," she continued,"it is only a few days ago since he left here. Your brother, Duke, whoseemed to me a most delightful young man, was also distinctly peculiar,and I do not think that the fact of your not being able to hear of himat his accustomed haunts for two or three days is in any way a matterwhich need cause you any anxiety."
The Duke bowed.
"Madam," he said, "I regret having to differ from you. I beg that youwill not permit anything which I say to reflect upon yourself or uponMr. De la Borne, whose honour, I am sure, is above question. But youhave amon
gst you a person whom I am assured is a very bad companionindeed for boys of my brother's age. I refer to you, sir," he added,addressing Forrest.
Forrest bowed ironically.
"I am exceedingly obliged to you, sir," he said, "for your amiableopinion, although why you should go out of your way to volunteer ithere, I cannot imagine."
"I do so, sir," the Duke answered, "because during the last two orthree days cheques for a considerable amount have been honoured at mybrother's bank, bearing your endorsement. I may add, sir, that I camedown here to see my brother. I wished to explain to him that you werenot a person with whom it was advisable for him to play cards."
Forrest took a quick step forward.
"Sir," he exclaimed, "you are a liar!"
The Duke bowed.
"I do not quote my own opinion," he said. "I speak from the result ofthe most careful investigations. Your reputation you cannot deny. Evenat your own clubs men shrug their shoulders when your name ismentioned. I will give you the benefit of any doubt you wish. I willsimply say that you are a person who is suspected in any assembly wheregentlemen meet together, and that being so, as my brother hasdisappeared from this house after several nights spent in playing cardswith you, I am here to learn from you, and from you, sir," he added,turning to Cecil de la Borne, "some further information as to themanner of my brother's departure, or to remain here until I haveacquired that information for myself."
The Princess rose to her feet and laid her hand upon Forrest'sshoulder. The veins were standing out upon his forehead, and his facewas black with anger. He seemed to be in the act of springing upon theman who made these charges against him.
"Nigel," she said, "please let me talk to the Duke. Remember that,after all, from his own point of view, what he is saying is not sooutrageous as it seems to us. Cecil, please don't interfere," she addedturning towards him. "Duke," she continued, speaking firmly, and withmuch of the amiability gone from her tone, "you are playing the modernDon Quixote to an extent which is unpardonable, even taking intoaccount your anxiety concerning your brother. Lord Ronald was a guesthere of Mr. De la Borne's, and to the best of my knowledge he lostlittle more than he won all the time he was here. In any case, on MajorForrest's behalf, and as an old friend, I deny that there was anyquestion whatever as to the fairness of any games that were played.Your brother received a telegram, and asked to be allowed the use ofthe car to take him to Lynn Station early on the following morning. Hepromised to return within a week."
"You have heard from him since he left?" the Duke asked quickly.
"We have not," the Princess answered. "Only yesterday morning Iremarked that it was slightly discourteous. Your brother left here onexcellent terms with us all. You can interview, if you will, any memberof the household. You can make your inquiries at the station from whichhe departed. Your appearance here at such an untimely hour, and yourbarely veiled accusations, remind me of the fable of the bull in thechina shop. If you think that we have locked your brother up here, praysearch the house. If you think," she added, with curling lip, "that wehave murdered him, pray bring down an army of detectives, invest theplace, and pursue your investigations in whatever direction you like.But before you leave, I should advise you, if you wish to preserve yourreputation as a person of breeding, to apologize to Mr. De la Borne foryour extraordinary behaviour here to-night, and the extraordinarythings at which you have hinted."
The Duke smiled pleasantly.
"Madam," he said, "I came here to-night not knowing that you wereamongst the difficulties which I should have to deal with. I wish tospeak to Mr. De la Borne. You will permit me?"
The Princess shrugged her shoulders and turned away.
"I have ventured to speak for both of them," she remarked, "for thesake of peace, because I am a woman and can keep my temper, and theyare men who might have resented your impertinence."
The Duke remained as though he had not heard her speech. He laid hishand upon Cecil's shoulder.
"De la Borne," he said, "you and I are scarcely strangers, although wehave never met. There have been friendships in our families for manyyears. Don't be afraid to speak out if anything has gone a little wronghere and you are ashamed of it. I want to be your friend, as you knowvery well. Tell me, now. Can't you help me to find Ronald. Haven't youany idea where he is?"
"None at all," Cecil answered.
"Tell me this, then," the Duke said, his clear brown eyes fixedsteadily upon Cecil's miserable white face. "Were there any unusualcircumstances at all connected with his leaving here?"
"None whatever," Cecil answered, with an uneasy little laugh, "exceptthat I had to get up to see him off, and it was a beastly cold morning."
The lawyer, who had been standing silent all this time, drew the Dukefor a moment on one side.
"I should recommend, sir," he whispered, "that we went away. If theyknow anything they do not mean to tell, and the less we let them knowas to whether we are satisfied or not, the better."
The Duke nodded, and turned once more to Cecil.
"I am forced to accept your word, Mr. De la Borne," he said, "and whenmy brother confirms your story I shall make a special visit here tooffer you my apologies. Madam," he added, bowing to the Princess, "Iregret to have disturbed your interesting occupation."
Forrest he completely ignored, turning his back upon him almostimmediately. Cecil went out with them into the hall. In a moment thegreat front door was opened and closed. Cecil came back into the room,and the perspiration stood out in great beads upon his forehead. Nowthat the Duke had departed, something seemed to have fallen from theirfaces. They looked at one another as the ghosts of their real selvesmight have looked. Forrest stumbled toward the sideboard. Cecil wasalready there.
"The brandy!" he muttered. "Quick!"