CHAPTER VII
A LITTLE ROYAL
"Harry Scorr, private secretary of Hugh Mainwaring," announced thecoroner, when Mr. Whitney had resumed his chair.
As the young secretary walked deliberately through the crowded room,there were few who failed to remark his erect, athletic form, hissplendid bearing, and especially the striking beauty of his darkface, with its olive tint, clear-cut features, indicative of firmnessand strength, and large, piercing eyes, within whose depths, on thepresent occasion, there seemed to be, half hidden, half revealed,some smouldering fire. Instantly a half-dozen pencils weretransferring to paper his form and features.
"Say, what are you 'doing' him for?" whispered one reporter to hisneighbor. "He isn't anybody; only the old man's secretary."
"Can't help that," replied the other; "he's better looking than theEnglish chap, anyhow; and, in my opinion, the old fellow would haveshown better sense to have left him the 'stuff.'"
Meanwhile, young Scott, having answered a few preliminaryinterrogatories, turned slowly, facing Mrs. LaGrange, who waswatching him with an intensity of manner and expression as though shewould compel him to meet her gaze.
As his glance met hers, a look of inquiry flashed from her eyes tohis, accompanied by an expression persuasive, almost appealing. Butthe only reply was an ominous flash from the dark eyes, as, with agesture of proud disdain, he folded his arms and again faced hisinterlocutor, while, with eyes gleaming with revenge from undertheir heavily drooping lids and lips that curled from time to timein a smile of bitter malignity, she watched him, listening eagerlyfor his testimony, losing no word that he said.
The young secretary well understood the character of the enemy withwhom he had thus declared war, though he was as yet in ignorance ofthe weapons she would use against him, but the honeyed words of thelittle note crushed within his pocket had no power to swerve him foran instant from the course upon which he had determined.
After a few general questions, the coroner said,
"Please state when and what was the first intimation received by youof any unusual occurrence."
"I was awakened this morning by a woman's scream and heard sounds ofconfused running in different directions. A few moments later Mr.Whitney came to my room and informed me of what had occurred, and Ithen went with him to the private rooms of Mr. Mainwaring."
"You were associated with Mr. Mainwaring yesterday during the greaterpart of the day and evening, were you not?"
"I was during the day, but I did not see him after dinner until lateat night."
"Did you notice anything unusual in his appearance at any timeyesterday?"
"He appeared rather depressed for about an hour after luncheon,during the execution of the will."
"Did you know any cause for such depression?"
"I attributed it, in my own mind, to the conversation at luncheon,to which Mr. Whitney has referred."
"Regarding one Richard Hobson?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you know what, if any, relations existed between Mr. Mainwaringand this Hobson?"
The black plumes of Mrs. LaGrange's fan suddenly quivered, her cheekpaled, and her breath came and went quickly, but these were the onlysigns of agitation which she betrayed, as Scott replied,--
"I have no knowledge as to what relations existed between them oflate. I only know that Mr. Mainwaring had, years ago, some importantprivate business with this man."
"Will you state the nature of this business?"
"Without giving exact details," Scott replied, speaking deliberatelybut with no hesitation, though conscious of the surprise andindignation depicted on some of the faces about him, "this man wasemployed as an attorney by Mr. Mainwaring before the latter came tothis country, and has since, at various times, extorted money fromhim by threats of exposure regarding certain transactions."
The silence that followed this statement was of itself eloquent.The young secretary felt every eye fastened upon himself, and,though his own eyes were fixed on the coroner's face, he sawreflected even there the general expression of mingled astonishment,incredulity, and resentment. Unmoved, however, he awaited, coollyand impassively, the next words of the coroner.
"Mr. Scott," said Dr. Westlake, a touch of severity in his tone,"this is a serious assertion to make regarding a man so widely knownas Mr. Mainwaring, and so universally considered above reproach inhis business transactions."
"I am aware of that fact, sir," replied Scott, calmly, "but referenceto the private letter-files of Mr. Mainwaring will prove the truthof my assertion. I made this statement simply because the time andplace demanded it. You were endeavoring to ascertain the cause ofMr. Mainwaring's perturbation on learning yesterday of the arrivalof Hobson. I have given what I consider the clue."
"How recently had this man Hobson extorted money from Mr. Mainwaring,and in what amount?"
"The last money sent him was about three years ago, a sum of fivethousand dollars. Hobson wrote a most insolent letter ofacknowledgment, stating that, as this money would set him on hisfeet for a time, he would not write again immediately, but assuringMr. Mainwaring that he would never be able to elude him, as thewriter would keep posted regarding his whereabouts, and might, sometime in the future, call upon him in person."
"Can you describe this man's appearance?"
"I cannot, having never met him."
"Will you describe the stranger who is reported to have called inthe afternoon."
"He was tall, quite pale, with dark hair and moustache. He wasdressed in a tweed suit, somewhat travel-worn, and wore darkglasses."
"Did he state his errand?"
"Only that he wished to see Mr. Mainwaring on business of specialimportance. He at first seemed rather insistent, but, on learningthat Mr. Mainwaring was out and that he would receive no businesscalls for a day or two, he readily consented to defer his interviewuntil later."
"Did he leave his name or address?"
"His card bore the name of J. Henry Carruthers, of London. He gavehis present address as the Arlington House."
"You noticed nothing unusual in his appearance?"
"The only thing that struck me as rather peculiar was that Mr.Carruthers seemed well informed regarding events expected to takeplace here, while his name was wholly unfamiliar to Mr. Mainwaring."
At this point a pencilled note was handed by the coroner to Mr.Whitney, who immediately summoned George Hardy and hastilydespatched him on some errand.
"Mr. Scott," resumed the coroner, "were you in Mr. Mainwaring'sprivate library at any time during last evening?"
"I was not. I spent the entire evening in my own room."
"When did you again see Mr. Mainwaring?"
"Not until after eleven o'clock. I had come down for a smoke inthe grounds outside and met Mr. Mainwaring in the lower hall onthe way to his rooms. He asked me to come to his library beforeretiring, as he wished to give some final directions for the nextday. About half an hour later I went to the library door, buthearing loud and angry talk within, I waited in the hall somefifteen or twenty minutes until I knew Mr. Mainwaring was alone.I then entered, received his instructions, and went directly tomy room for the night."
"Were you able to recognize the voices or hear any of theconversation?"
"I was. I recognized the voice of the housekeeper, Mrs. LaGrange;but feeling that I was hearing what was not intended for me, Iwalked back into the main hall and remained there until Mrs.LaGrange came out."
"You saw her leave the library?"
"Yes, sir; I passed her in the corridor."
"She saw you, of course?"
"She seemed scarcely conscious of my presence until we had passed;she then turned and watched me as I entered the library."
"What was the nature of the conversation which you heard?"
"I only heard what Mrs. LaGrange said. She evidently was veryangry with Mr. Mainwaring."
"Can you repeat her words as you heard them?"
"Not entirely. She acc
used Mr. Mainwaring of dishonesty, sayingthat he had defrauded his only brother, and had ignored and robbedhis own son to put a stranger in his place. The last words I heardwere, 'You are in my power, and you know it only too well; and Iwill make you and your high-born, purse-proud family rue this day'swork.'"
Harry Scott, with the proof of his employer's crimes in hispossession, repeated these words with an indifference andimpassiveness that seemed unnatural, while the smouldering fire inhis eyes gleamed fitfully, as though he knew some secret of whichthe others little dreamed.
But, if spoken indifferently, the words were not received withindifference. The reporters bent to their task with renewed ardor,since it promised developments so rich and racy. Ralph Mainwaring'sface was dark with suppressed wrath; Mr. Thornton seemed hardlyable to restrain himself; while the attorney grew pale withexcitement and anger. Mrs. LaGrange alone remained unmoved, as muchso as the witness himself, her eyes half closed and a cynical smileplaying about her lips as she listened to the repetition of her ownwords.
"Did Mr. Mainwaring make no reply?" inquired the coroner.
"He did, but it was inaudible to me."
"You went into the library as soon as he was alone?"
"I did."
"At what hour was this?"
"A few minutes past twelve."
"Was that the last time you saw Mr. Mainwaring living?"
"It was."
"Can you state whether any one was in his rooms after you left?"
"I cannot."
"Mr. Scott, by your own statement, you must have been in Mr.Mainwaring's library within an hour preceding his death;consequently, I would like you to give every detail of thatinterview."
"I am perfectly willing, sir, but there are few to give. Theinterview occupied possibly ten minutes. Mr. Mainwaring appearedvery weary, and, after giving directions regarding any personalmail or telegrams which might be received, stated that he wishedme to consider myself his guest on the following day and join inthe festivities of the occasion. I thanked him, and, wishing himgood-night, withdrew."
"In which room were you?"
"We were both in the library. When I first entered, Mr. Mainwaringwas walking back and forth, his hands folded behind him, as wasusually his habit when thinking deeply, but he immediately seatedhimself and gave me my instructions. The tower-room was dimlylighted and the curtains were drawn quite closely together at theentrance."
"Did you hear any unusual sound after reaching your room?"
"Not at that time. I was aroused about three o'clock this morningby what I thought was a stealthy step in the grounds in the rear ofthe house, but I listened for a moment and heard nothing more."
"That will do for the present, Mr. Scott. You will probably berecalled later," said the coroner, watching the secretary rathercuriously. Then he added, in a different tone,--
"The next witness is Mrs. LaGrange."
There was a perceptible stir throughout the crowd as, with amovement of inimitable grace, Mrs. LaGrange stepped forward, dartinga swift glance of such venomous hatred towards Scott, as he againseated himself beside Miss Carleton, that the latter, with a woman'squick intuition, instantly grasped the situation and watched theproceedings with new interest and closer attention. As Mrs. LaGrangetook her place and began answering the questions addressed to her,the eager listeners pressed still more closely in their efforts tocatch every word, feeling instinctively that some startlingdevelopments would be forthcoming; but no one was prepared for theshock that followed when, in response to the request to state herfull name, the reply came, in clear tones, with unequivocaldistinctness,--
"Eleanor Houghton Mainwaring."
For an instant an almost painful silence ensued, until Dr. Westlakesaid,--
"Will you state your relation to the deceased?"
"I was the lawfully wedded, but unacknowledged, wife of HughMainwaring," was the calm reply.
"Please state when and where your marriage took place," said thecoroner, watching the witness narrowly.
"We were married privately in London, about three months before Mr.Mainwaring came to this country."
"How long ago was that?"
"A little more than twenty-three years."
"You say that you were privately married, and that in all theseyears Mr. Mainwaring never acknowledged you as his wife?"
"Yes. I was at that time a widow, and, owing to certain unpleasantcircumstances attending the last months of my former husband's life,Mr. Mainwaring insisted that our marriage be strictly private. Iacceded to his wishes, and we were married as quietly as possible.At the end of three months he deserted me, and for four years I didnot even know where he had gone. During that time, however, Ilearned that my husband, who had been fearful of soiling his proudname by having it publicly joined with mine, was, in the sight ofthe law, a common criminal. I finally traced him to America, andfive years after he deserted me I had the pleasure of confrontinghim with the facts which I had obtained. With passionateprotestations of renewed love and fair promises of an honorablemarried life, he sought to purchase my silence, and, fool that Iwas! I yielded. He claimed that he could not at once acknowledgeme as his wife, because he was already known as an unmarried man,but in the near future we would repeat the marriage ceremony and Ishould be the honored mistress of his heart and home. I believedhim and waited. Meantime, our child was born, and then a new rolehad to be adopted. Had he not known that he was in my power, Iwould then have been thrust out homeless with my babe, but he darednot do that. Instead, I was brought to Fair Oaks dressed in widow'sgarb, as a distant relative of his who was to be his housekeeper.So, for my son's sake, hoping he would some day receive his rights,I have lived a double life, regarded as a servant where I shouldhave been mistress, and holding that poor position only because itwas within my power to put the master of the house in a felon'scell!"
"Can you produce the certificate of this marriage?" inquired thecoroner, regarding the witness with a searching glance as shepaused in her recital.
"Unfortunately," she replied, in a tone ringing with scorn anddefiance, "I cannot produce our marriage certificate, as my husbandkept that in his possession, and frequently threatened to destroyit. If it is in existence, it will be found in his safe; but I canproduce a witness who was present at our marriage, and who himselfsigned the certificate."
"State the name of this witness."
"Richard Hobson, of London."
"You are then acquainted with this Hobson?" the coroner inquired,at the same time making an entry in the memorandum he held.
"Naturally, as he was at one time my husband's attorney."
"He called at Fair Oaks yesterday, did he not?"
"He did."
"Do you know whether he called more than once?"
"He came a second time, in the evening, accompanied by his clerk."
"Was his object at either time to secure an interview with Mr.Mainwaring?"
"He called to see me on private business."
"Had he any intention of meeting Mr. Mainwaring later?"
"I know nothing regarding his intentions."
"Mrs. LaGrange," said the coroner, after a pause, "you were in Mr.Mainwaring's library between the hours of eleven and twelve lastnight, were you not?"
Her face darkened with anger at his form of address. "I was inmy husband's library at that hour," she replied.
"How long were you there?"
"I cannot state exactly," she answered, indifferently; "perhapshalf an hour."
"Did Mr. Scott repeat correctly your words to Mr. Mainwaring?"
"I have no doubt that he did. His memory on the subject is muchbetter than mine."
"What was the meaning of your threat to Mr. Mainwaring, that youwould make him and his friends regret the day's proceedings?"
"He understood my meaning. He knew that I could set aside thewill, and could ruin him by exposing his duplicity and fraud."
"What reply did he make?"
"He answe
red me, as usual, with sneers; but I saw that he feltsomewhat apprehensive. I wished to give him a little time toreflect upon a proposition I had made, and I left the library,intending to return later; but," she added, slowly and significantly,"I was superseded by another visitor."
"Explain your meaning," said the coroner, briefly.
"My husband's private secretary entered the library directly afterI left. Some thirty minutes later I passed down the corridortowards the library, and was startled to hear Mr. Mainwaring, inloud and excited tones, denouncing some one as a liar and animpostor. The reply was low, in a voice trembling with rage, butI caught the words, 'You are a liar and a thief! If you had yourdeserts, you would be in a felon's cell to-night, or transportedto the wilds of Australia!' There was much more in the same tone,but so low I could not distinguish the words, and, thinking Mr.Mainwaring was likely to be occupied for some time, I immediatelyretired to my room."
"Was the voice of the second speaker familiar to you?" inquiredDr. Westlake, in the breathless silence that followed this statement.
A half smile, both cunning and cruel, played around the lips of thewitness, as she answered, with peculiar emphasis and with a ringof triumph in her tone,--
"The voice was somewhat disguised, but it was distinctly recognizableas that of Mr. Scott, the private secretary."
To Scott himself, these words came with stunning force, not so muchfor the accusation which they conveyed, as that her recital of thosewords spoken within the library seemed but the repetition of wordswhich had rung in his brain the preceding night, as, alone in hisroom, he had, in imagination, confronted his employer with the proofof his guilt which that afternoon's search had brought to light.His fancy had vividly portrayed the scene in which he would arraignHugh Mainwaring as a thief, and would himself, in turn, be denouncedas an impostor until he should have established his claims by theindubitable evidence now in his possession. Such a scene bad inreality been enacted,--those very words had been spoken,--and,for an instant, it seemed to Scott as though he had been,unconsciously, one of the actors.
The general wonder and consternation with which he was now regardedby the crowd quickly recalled him, however, to the presentsituation, and awakened within him a sudden, fierce resentment,though he remained outwardly calm.
"At that time," continued the coroner, "were you of the opinionthat it was Mr. Scott whom you heard thus addressing Mr.Mainwaring?"
"Yes, I had every reason to believe it was he, and I have nowadditional reasons for the same belief."
"Are these additional reasons founded on your own personalknowledge, or on the information of others?"
"Upon information received from various members of the household."
"Did you see Mr. Scott leave the library?"
"I did not."
"Can you state about what time you heard this conversation?"
"I went immediately to my room, and there found that it lacked onlyten minutes of one."
"Did you hear any unusual sound afterwards?"
"I did not. I heard no one in the halls; and Mr. Mainwaring'sapartments were so remote from the general sleeping-rooms that nosound from there, unless very loud, could have reached the otheroccupants of the house."
Further questions failed to develop any evidence of importance, andthe witness was temporarily dismissed. Glancing at his watch, thecoroner remarked,
"It is nearly time to adjourn, but if Mr. Hardy has returned wewill first hear what he has to report."
As the valet again came forward, Dr. Westlake asked, "Were you ableto learn anything concerning the strangers who were here yesterday?"
"Not very much, sir," was the reply. "I went to the Arlington firstand inquired for Mr. J. Henry Carruthers, and they told me therewas no such person registered there; but they said a man answeringthat description, tall and wearing dark glasses, came into thehotel last evening and took dinner and sat for an hour or so in theoffice reading the evening papers. He went out some time betweenseven and eight o'clock, and they had seen nothing more of him."
"Was Richard Hobson at the Arlington?"
"No, sir; but I went to the Riverside, and found R. Hobsonregistered there. They said he came in in the forenoon and ordereda carriage for Fair Oaks. He came back to lunch, but kept his roomall the afternoon. He had a man with him in his room most of theafternoon, but he took no meals there. After dinner Hobson wentout, and nobody knew when he came back; but he was there tobreakfast, and took the first train to the city. I made someinquiries at the depot, and the agent said there was a tall man,in a gray ulster and with dark glasses, who took the 3.10 trainthis morning to the city, but he didn't notice him particularly.That was all I could learn."
As the hour was late, the inquest was then adjourned until teno'clock the next morning. Every one connected with the householdat Fair Oaks was expected to remain on the premises that night; and,dinner over, the gentlemen, including Mr. Whitney, locked themselveswithin the large library to discuss the inevitable contest thatwould arise over the estate and to devise how, with the leastpossible delay, to secure possession of the property.
Later in the evening Harry Scott came down from his room for abrief stroll through the grounds. A bitter smile crossed his faceas he noticed the brightly illumined library and heard the eager,excited tones within, remembering the dimly-lighted room above withits silent occupant, unloved, unmourned, unthought of, in markedcontrast to the preceding night, when Hugh Mainwaring lavished uponhis guests such royal entertainment and was the recipient of theircongratulations and their professions of esteem and regard.
As he paced slowly up and down the avenues, his thoughts were notof the present, but of the past and future. At the earliestopportunity that day he had returned to the city, ostensibly, toattend to some telegraphic despatches, but his main errand had beento consult with an eminent lawyer whom he knew by reputation, andin whom both Hugh Mainwaring and Mr. Whitney, in numerous legalcontests, had found a powerful and bitter opponent. To him Scotthad intrusted his own case, giving him the fullest details, andleaving in his possession for safe keeping the proofs which weresoon to play so important a part; and Mr. Sutherland, the attorneyretained by Scott, had been present at the inquest, apparentlyas a disinterested spectator, but, in reality, one of the mostintensely interested of them all.