CHAPTER XVI
MUTUAL EXPLANATIONS
Thanking the captain for his courtesy, Miss Carleton returned toher accustomed seat on deck, and, since one is never more alonethan when surrounded by a crowd of utter strangers, she felt atliberty to pursue her own thoughts without interruption.
She could scarcely credit what her own ears had heard or her eyeshad seen. Harold Scott Mainwaring! What could it mean? Could itbe possible that the secretary, having familiarized himself withthe family history of the Mainwarings, was now masquerading underan assumed name for some object of his own? But she dismissedthis idea at once. She had assured him at Fair Oaks that shebelieved him incapable of anything false or dishonorable, and shewould abide by that belief until convinced otherwise. But if thiswere indeed his name, what had been his object in assuming the roleof Scott, the secretary? Which was genuine and which assumed? Whocould tell? As if in answer to her thoughts, she saw the subjectof them approaching. He was alone and looking in her direction,and on reading the recognition in her glance, his own face lightedwith a smile that banished the last shade of resentment andsuspicion from her mind, albeit there was a question in her eyeswhich prepared him in a measure for her first words. With a smileas bright as those with which she had been accustomed to greet himat Fair Oaks, she extended her band, saying, slowly,--
"Mr. Mainwaring, this is indeed a surprise!" She watched himclosely, but there was not the quiver of an eyelash, only a slow,inscrutable smile, as he replied,--
"Miss Carleton, I will add to that, and say that this is thepleasantest surprise of my life."
She blushed at the implied meaning of his words, and he added,--
"I have not seen you on deck until to-day."
"Not last Friday evening?" she inquired, archly. His smile deepened."I did not know that it was you at that time until after I hadstarted below. Did you recognize me?"
"I thought I recognized your voice; and I have often wished to thankyou for your kindness, but this is my first opportunity, as I havenot been out since until to-day."
"Please do not mention it. Had I dreamed who it was thus bravingthe storm, I would have offered my assistance earlier. I have notyet recovered from my surprise on discovering the identity of myfellow-passenger that evening."
"Indeed!" laughed Miss Carleton; "my presence here is very easilyexplained. It is simply the result of one of Mrs. Mainwaring'snumerous whims, as she suddenly decided upon an immediate return toEngland. I think, however, that the surprise was mutual."
"Accordingly, I suppose that mutual explanations should follow,"he answered, lightly. Then added, more seriously, "Miss Carleton,I am aware that there is much in my conduct that must seeminexplicable to you. In a few weeks everything will have beenmade clear, in the natural course of events; but, if you would beat all interested to hear, I would greatly prefer that you shouldhave a perfect understanding of the situation before the factsbecome generally known."
"I should greatly appreciate such a mark of confidence," she replied.
"If agreeable to you, Miss Carleton, let us pass around to the otherside; it is less crowded there. My friend and I have two chairs,and, as he has gone to his state-room to do some writing, we shallbe in no danger of interruption."
When comfortably seated, the young man said, "It is a strange storywhich I have to tell, but I will try not to tax your patience tooseverely. One week ago this afternoon, Miss Carleton, in passingthrough the hall at Fair Oaks, I accidentally overheard a portionof your conversation with Mr. Whitney, as you related to him thestory of the unfortunate love and death of my father, Harold ScottMainwaring."
Miss Carleton started violently, but said nothing, and, after aslight pause, the speaker continued,--
"My earliest recollections are of a home in Australia, withfoster-parents, whose name it is unnecessary to mention, but whosecare and love for me seem, as I now look back, to have equalled thatbestowed by natural parents upon their own child. Not until I hadreached the age of fifteen years did I ever hear of my own father.I then learned that he had given me, at birth, into the keepingof my foster-parents, with instructions that, unless he himselfshould call for me, I was not even to know of his existence untilwithin five or six years of my majority. I learned, further, thathis action in thus placing me in the hands of others had beensolely on account of deep trouble and sorrow, of which he wished meto know nothing until I had reached the years of manhood. Whengiving me into their keeping he had also given them a small packet,containing a sealed letter, which was to be read by me on mytwenty-first birthday, if he had not himself claimed me before thattime. I was told that, while I was too young to retain anyremembrance of him, he frequently visited me and manifested thegreatest devotion to his child, but as I grew older he remainedaway, writing occasionally to my foster-father.
"In the last letter received from him, when I was about five yearsof age, he stated that he was going to Africa to make a fortune forhis son. Nothing further was heard from him until there came tidingsof his death at sea, in the manner which you recently related.
"Of all this I, of course, knew nothing until ten years later, butwhat was told me at that time made a deep impression upon me. Of mymother I could learn absolutely nothing; but for my father, of whomI had no personal knowledge, and concerning whom there seemed somuch that was mysterious, I felt a love and reverence almost akin toadoration, and I longed for the day to come when I could read theletter he had left for me and learn the whole secret of that sadlife.
"My twenty-first birthday arrived, and the mysterious little packetwas placed in my hands. It contained a few valuable keepsakes andmy father's letter, written out of the bitter anguish of a brokenheart. He told the story of his disinheritance, with which you arefamiliar; but the loss of the property he cared little for incomparison with the loss of his father's love; but even that was asnothing to the sorrow which followed swiftly and which broke hisheart. He stated that, because of this great sorrow, he had placedme in the hands of trusted friends that I should be banished fromthe false-hearted woman who had borne me and who believed me dead,as it was his wish that neither of us should ever know of theexistence of the other."
Harold Mainwaring paused for a moment, and Miss Carleton, who hadbeen listening with great interest, exclaimed,--
"And is it possible, Mr. Mainwaring, that, in all these years, youhave had no knowledge concerning your mother?"
"It is a fact, Miss Carleton, that I do not even know her name, orwhether or not she is living. I only hope and pray that I maynever knowingly meet her, for her heart and life must be--pardonthe expression--as false and as black as hell itself."
There was a look on his face which Miss Carleton had never seen.Gradually, however, his features softened, and he continued,--
"In accordance with my father's wish, expressed in the letter, thatI should complete my studies in England, I sailed for that countrywithin a few weeks of my twenty-first birthday; and while there Ilearned that part of my story which is of more especial interest toall parties concerned at the present time.
"I had been but a few months in England when I felt a great desireto visit, incognito, the old Mainwaring estate. Accordingly, underthe name by which you have known me, I arrived at the estate, onlyto learn that the home of my father's boyhood, and of the Mainwaringsfor several generations, had passed into the hands of strangers.My grandfather had died within two years of my father's marriage,and the younger son had sold the estate and gone to America.Incidentally, I was directed to an old servant of my grandfather's,who yet remained on the place and who could give me its wholehistory. That servant, Miss Carleton, was old James Wilson, thefather of John Wilson, Ralph Mainwaring's present valet."
"Ah!" ejaculated Miss Carleton, her face lighting with pleasure; "Ihave seen the trusty old fellow hundreds of times, you know. Indeed,he could give you the history of all the Mainwarings for the lastthree hundred years."
"He gave me one very important bit of hist
ory," Harold Mainwaringreplied, with a smile. "He told me that old Ralph Mainwaring, afterthe departure of his son for Australia, failed rapidly. He wasslowly but surely dying of a broken heart, and, though he nevermentioned the name of his elder son, it was evident that he regrettedhis own harshness and severity towards him.
"On the night before his death he suddenly gave orders for anattorney to be summoned, and was so insistent in his demand, that,when it was ascertained that his old solicitor, Alfred Barton, thefather of the present firm of Barton & Barton, had been called outof the city, a young lawyer, Richard Hobson by name, who had formerlybeen an articled clerk in Barton's office, was called in in hisstead. A little before the hour of midnight, in the presence of hisson, Hugh Mainwaring, Richard Hobson, the attorney, and AlexanderMcPherson, an old and trusted Scotch friend, Ralph Mainwaring causedto be drawn and executed a will, completely revoking and settingaside the process of law by which Harold Scott Mainwaring had beendisinherited, and restoring to him his full rights as the elder son,McPherson and the attorney signing the will as witnesses."
Miss Carleton's eyes dilated and her breath came and went swiftly,but she spoke no word save a single, quick exclamation.
"James Wilson, the servant, was also present, but in an obscurecorner, and his presence seems to have been unnoticed. The nextmorning, at five o'clock, Ralph Mainwaring passed away, happy inthe thought that he had at last made reparation for his injusticeto his elder son. Within two months the old Scotchman died, andRichard Hobson was then the sole surviving witness of the last willand testament of Ralph Maxwell Mainwaring.
"This was all the direct information I could obtain from Wilson,but from other sources I learned that Hugh Mainwaring was never thesame after his father's death. He grew stern and taciturn, andwould allow no mention of his brother's name, and within two yearshe had disposed of the estate and left England forever; while a fewyears later tidings were received of the death of Harold ScottMainwaring at sea. I also learned that about this time RichardHobson suddenly rose from the position of a penniless pettifoggerto that of an affluent attorney, though he was engaged inquestionable speculations far more than in the practice of law.
"I visited the chambers of Barton & Barton, and learned throughthem that everything had been adjusted in accordance with the termsof the will in their possession, which disinherited the elder son;but Hugh Mainwaring's action in disposing of the estate had excitedconsiderable comment.
"Having pledged them to secrecy, I disclosed my identity andrelated to them the story of the old servant. To my surprise, theywere inclined to give the story credence; and, acting upon theiradvice, I obtained all possible information regarding HughMainwaring, and, when my studies were completed, sailed for America,with the express determination to secure proof in verification ofthe facts which I had already gathered, and to establish my claimas the legal heir of the Mainwaring estate. I was not without meansto do this, as my father had accumulated considerable propertyduring the few years he lived in Australia, and my foster-parentsare people of wealth.
"You will understand now, Miss Carleton, why I took the position ofprivate secretary to Hugh Mainwaring. You will realize how eagerlyI studied the correspondence between him and Richard Hobson, fromwhich I learned that the latter was extorting large sums of moneyas the price of his silence regarding some fraudulent transaction,presumably the destruction of the will; and perhaps you can imaginemy feelings on discovering, one day, among Hugh Mainwaring's privatepapers, a memorandum to the effect that the will had never beendestroyed, but was still in existence and in his possession. Iknew that to make any demand upon him for the document would beworse than useless, as he would never admit my claim. I must findit for myself. I searched for that will as for hidden treasure, and,Miss Carleton, I found it!"
"Oh!" she exclaimed, unable to repress her emotion, "I am so glad!Do tell me how and when!"
"I found it on the last day of Hugh Mainwaring's life, within twohours after he had signed his own last will and testament."
"What a strange coincidence!"
"It was strange; and it was my discovery on that day which formedthe subject of my thoughts on the following night, the night of themurder, and which kept me pacing my room until three o'clock inthe morning."
"Did Mr. Mainwaring know of your discovery?"
"No; I had no opportunity to see him that evening until too late,even if I had chosen to broach the subject to him at that time."
"Might he not have discovered in some way that you had found thewill?"
"I think not. Why do you inquire?"
"It only occurred to me if it might not be possible that he hadreason to think his secret had at last been discovered, and, ratherthan face the consequences, committed suicide; but it seemsimprobable. But to think that you are the son of the one whom Ihave always considered the noblest of all the Mainwarings, and thatyou, and not Hugh, are the rightful heir to the old Mainwaringestate! I am more than glad, and Hugh will be glad also. He willnot begrudge you one shilling or have one unkind thought towardsyou, though I cannot say the same for his father."
"Hugh is a noble-hearted fellow," said Harold, warmly. "He haspromised me his friendship, and I believe he will stand by it."
He spoke briefly of his plans; of his business in London for a fewdays; and, when the will should have been probated in the Englishcourt, of his return to America to establish his claim there.
"Mr. Mainwaring," said Miss Carleton, after a pause, "I aminexpressibly glad to learn what you have told me, and you have mysincerest wishes for your immediate success. I appreciate, morethan I can tell, your confidence in permitting me to be the firstto know of your good fortune. May I be the first to congratulateyou?"
He took the proffered hand; but, looking into the beautiful eyessparkling with happiness, his own face grew serious, as he replied,--
"I thank you for your congratulations and your good wishes, MissCarleton, but I sometimes question whether my discovery, on thatparticular day, of the will--the last link in the chain ofevidence against Hugh Mainwaring--was a matter for congratulation."
"How is that?" she inquired, quickly.
"Do you not see that when all these facts become known, they may beused by my enemies to direct suspicion against me as the possiblemurderer of Hugh Mainwaring?"
"Who would think of such a thing?" she exclaimed, indignantly.
"Ralph Mainwaring will," was his prompt reply.
"He might try to incite the suspicions of others against you, but hewould know in his own heart that his insinuations were unfounded."
"I have no fear of him," said Harold, with a smile; "I only mentionedit to show that I do not anticipate upon my return to America thatmy pathway will be strewn with roses."
He paused a moment, then added, "I had this in mind, Miss Carleton,when I asked you once whether your confidence in me were strongenough to stand a heavy strain, if necessary."
She blushed slightly at the reminder, and a look of quickcomprehension flashed across her face, as, for an instant, shedropped her eyes before his earnest gaze. When she again lookedup the luminous eyes met his own unwaveringly, as she replied, infirm, low tones,--
"I will believe in you and trust you to the fullest extent, whateverhappens."
"I thank you more than I can express," he answered, gravely; "for,believe me, Miss Carleton, I value your confidence and friendshipfar above any and every other."
"I did not suppose you needed any assurance of my friendship; though,after your sudden departure from Fair Oaks, I felt somewhat doubtfulwhether you cared for it."
He did not reply at once, and when he did, it was evident he wasrepressing some strong emotion. "I feel that there is an explanationdue you for my manner of leaving Fair Oaks. I am aware that it hadthe appearance of rudeness, but I can only say that it was fromnecessity and not from choice. There is something more which I hopesome day to tell you, Miss Carleton, but, until I can speak as Iwish to speak, it is best to remain silent
; meanwhile, I will trustto your friendship to pardon whatever in my conduct may seem abruptor inexplicable."
The conversation was terminated at this point by the appearance ofLieutenant Cohen, whom Harold Mainwaring introduced as an oldclassmate, and presently all three adjourned to the dining-saloon.
To Harold Mainwaring and Miss Carleton the remainder of the voyagepassed swiftly and pleasantly, and the friendship begun at Fair Oaksdeepened with each succeeding day. Though no word of love passedbetween them, and though Miss Carleton sometimes detected on thepart of her companion a studied avoidance of personal subjects, yet,while wondering slightly at his self-imposed silence, she oftenread in his dark eyes a language more eloquent than words, and wascontent to wait.
It was his desire that the other members of her party should stillremain in ignorance of his real identity; and, as the greater partof the voyage proved somewhat rough, he had little difficulty inpreserving his secret. Mr. Thornton and daughter soon made theirappearance and greeted the quondam secretary with unaffectedcordiality, but Mr. Thornton was too deeply engrossed in renewingacquaintance with one or two old friends to pay much attention tothe younger man, while Edith felt in duty bound to devote herselfto the entertainment of Mrs. Mainwaring and Isabel, a task whichMiss Carleton was not at all disposed to share. Not until the lastfew hours of the trip, when fair weather had become an establishedfact and land had been sighted, did Mrs. Mainwaring and her daughterappear on deck, and in the general excitement Harold Mainwaringescaped their observation.
The parting between himself and Miss Carleton was necessarily brief.She gave him her address, saying,--
"I would be delighted if you could consider yourself our guest whilein London, and I hope at least that I may see you often before yourreturn."
"I thank you, Miss Carleton," he replied. "If present circumstanceswould admit of it, nothing would give me greater pleasure than toaccept your invitation, but under existing conditions it is, ofcourse, impracticable. I cannot now say how long I will remain inLondon, but I wish to make my stay as brief as possible, and to thatend shall devote almost my entire time to business; but," he added,with a peculiar smile, "I shall not repeat the offence committed atFair Oaks. You may rest assured I shall not return to Americawithout seeing you, and I hope at that time to be able to speakmore definitely regarding my future."
There was that in his eyes as he spoke that suffused the fairEnglish face with lovely color and caused a tender, wistful smileto linger about the sweet mouth long after he had left her side.
He was one of the first to land, and Miss Carleton, watching fromthe deck, saw, almost as soon as he had reached the pier, afine-looking gentleman in the prime of life step quickly out from,the crowd, and, grasping him cordially by the hand, enter at onceinto earnest conversation. Harold Mainwaring turned towards thesteamer for a parting salute, and, as both gentlemen raised theirhats, she recognized in the new-comer, Alfred Barton, the juniormember of the firm of Barton & Barton. She watched them untilthey disappeared in the crowd, then, turning to rejoin hercompanions, she noted, standing at a little distance, the slender,dark-eyed individual whom she had observed on previous occasions,also watching the scene with a smile of quiet satisfaction, muchlike that which Mr. Merrick's face had worn at the beginning of theVoyage.