CHAPTER VI
AND HOLDS A RECEPTION AFTER ALL
Christina took the card from him, and seemed to put him to one side.Almost inaudibly she said, "I will go down."
Before Herrick could prevent her, a voice from just outside the doorreplied, "Don't trouble yourself, Miss Hope. May I come in?" Ten Euyck,hat in hand, appeared in the doorway.
He looked from one to the other, noting Christina's tear-stained face,with a civil, sour smile. "I am sorry if I intrude. I had no idea Mr.Herrick was to be my host. The truth is, Miss Hope, I followed you andhave been waiting for you, in the hope of making peace--where it wasonce my unhappy fortune to make war."
Christina said, "You followed me!"
"But I shouldn't have yielded to that impulse so far as to--well, breakinto Mr. Herrick's apartment, if I had not become, in the meanwhile,simply the messenger of--a higher power." Ten Euyck tried to say thelast phrase like a jest, but it stuck in his throat. He moved out of thedoorway, and there stepped past him into the room the man whom Herrickhad seen at the Pilgrims'. "Miss Hope, Mr. Herrick," Ten Euyck said,"Mr. Kane; our District Attorney."
Kane nodded quickly to each of them. "Miss Hope," he said, "I don'toften play postman; but when I met our friend Ten Euyck outside and hetold me you were here, the opportunity was too good to lose." He took aletter out of his pocket, watching her with shrewd and smiling eyes."We've been tampering with your mail. Allow me."
Christina took the letter wonderingly, but at its heading her facecontemptuously brightened. "I can hardly see," she said, passing it toHerrick. "Read it, will you?--He would have to know anyhow," she saidsweetly to the two officials. "We are just engaged to be married. Youmust congratulate us."
Herrick, never very eloquent, was stricken dumb. "Sit down, won't you?"was as much as he could ask his guests. The letter ran--
"The Arm of Justice suggests to Miss Christina Hope that she exert herwell-known powers of fascination to persuade the Ingham family intopaying the Arm of Justice its ten thousand dollars. Miss Hope need notwork for nothing, nor even in order to avert an accusation against whichshe doubtless feels secure. But the Arm of Justice has in its possessiona secret which Miss Hope would give much to know. She may learn whatthat secret is, and how it may be negotiated if she will hang this whiteribbon out of the window wherever she may be dining on Monday. She willreceive a communication at once."
"Exactly!" said Kane, as though in triumph. "For such swells as the Armsof Justice it's about dinner-time now. Would you oblige me, Miss Hope,by tying the ribbon out of the window? Show yourself as clearly aspossible. All the lights, please."
As Christina stepped to the window, he added, "I'm trusting they didn'trecognize us as we came in. It's pretty dark."
They waited. The three men were strung to a high degree of expectation.
"But it's all so silly!" Christina said. The call of the telephoneshrilled through the room.
"Miss Hope?" Herrick asked. "Yes, she's here."
Then they heard Christina answering, "Yes, yes, it's Miss Hope. I hear.I understand. I'll be there." She hung up the receiver and turned round."The Park. To-morrow. At ten in the morning. The bench under thesquirrel's house at the top of the hill beyond the Hundred-and-tenthStreet entrance. And be sure to come alone." She sat down, staring atKane.
He said, "Excuse me!" and went to the 'phone. "Boy! Did that party askfor Miss Hope in the first place? All right. That's queer. They askedfor Mr. Herrick's apartment."
"They knew I was living here? Why, I only moved in this morning."
"And they must know I'm going on the road to-morrow; the eleven-thirtytrain!"
"Exactly. They're well informed." Kane had been passing up and down; nowhe stopped in front of Christina and again he seemed to measure her withhis keen eyes. "Well!" he said; "are you game for it?"
Christina sprang up and stood before him, glowing.
"You'll keep this appointment?"
"Surely! And alone!"
"Not by a long shot! Your mother and Mr. Ingham have feared exactly somesuch escapade; that's why you've had to be shadowed all this while andnot advised of the activities of the police. There will be plenty ofplain clothes men, well planted. But not you, Mr. Herrick, whom theywould know. If you attempt to smuggle yourself in, we'll have to put youin irons. Well, Miss Hope?"
"My mother," said Christina, rising, and faintly smiling, "deserves tohave her hair turn as white as I'm sure it has by this time." She heldout her hand. "You gave me a great fright," she said. "Did you know it?I thought you had all come to execute me. Don't! I'm not worth it!"
The admiration which no man could withhold from her for very longcolored Kane's studying face and warmed his handshake. "I can count onyour not losing your head, I think. You'll be there?"
"I'll be there.--But have these people really any secret? Are theyreally going to tell me something?"
"Well, my dear young lady, we'll know that to-morrow."