CHAPTER VI
DOWNING STREET
Westerham whipped round on his heel towards Melun.
"What is that?" he asked sharply.
Melun shrugged his shoulders.
From Melun Westerham turned to the negro, whose teeth were bared in awide grin.
"What is that?" Westerham demanded of him.
But the negro took his cue from Melun and merely shrugged his shoulders.
Then there came the scream again, louder and more terror-stricken thanbefore. Westerham did not hesitate.
Before the negro had time to utter any protest he had snatched thelantern from his hand and was racing up the stairs.
Again came the scream, and Westerham blundered up the second flight,the negro and Melun hard upon his heels.
On the second landing there was no longer any doubt as to where thecries came from. Westerham dashed at the door, only to find it locked.In a second he had his shoulder against the crazy panel, and the doorwent in with a crash, disclosing a frowsy little sitting-room somewhatin disorder. All about was spread signs of a meal. Two girls--Westerhamjudged them to be young East End Jewesses--were huddled in a corner,while a man, whom Westerham at once recognised as a sailor, stoodswaying drunkenly over them.
He had his hand at the man's collar in a moment, and swung him heavilybackwards.
The negro, his face quivering with passion, blocked the doorway, knifein hand.
It was Westerham's turn to use firearms now, and he covered the manwith as certain and as deadly an aim as that which had extorted theconfession of Captain Melun on the _Gigantic_.
The girls ceased to scream, but clung together, crying and looking atWesterham in an appealing way with eyes blurred with tears.
Melun thrust the negro aside and brushed into the room.
"You fool!" he said to Westerham, shortly, "this is enough to bring thewhole crowd about your ears."
Westerham laughed. He had known what in Western parlance is called a"rough house" before, and was prepared for all emergencies. As usual,too, when he found himself in an emergency, he was cool and smiling tothe point of insolence.
"You forget," he said to Melun, "that there is a window in this room,and beyond the window is the street. You forget, too, that one good manis worth all that crowd you seem so much afraid of. I am going to takethese girls away."
The drunken sailor, who had by this time half-recovered his senses, saton the floor, blinking at Westerham and cursing steadily.
Melun took one quick look at Westerham's unpleasantly bright and steadygaze, and again shrugged his shoulders. But this time the shrugindicated assent.
"Very well," he said.
Westerham again turned to the negro. "Drop that knife," he ordered.
"Not me!" said the negro.
"Drop it!" said Westerham again.
And the man dropped it.
He turned to the shivering girls. "Come along," he said, "let's get outof this while there is time."
Rising unsteadily to their feet, and still clinging together, the girlsmoved towards the door.
"Follow me down closely," said Westerham, and then he thrust the nozzleof his six-shooter against the negro's breast.
"Right about," he said, "and down the stairs before me."
Melun he ignored altogether, and the captain brought up the rear. Inthis wise they went down the stairs.
The hubbub, however, had attracted the attention of the men below, andtwo or three of them were now gathered together in the darkness of thepassage, swearing angrily.
Westerham, who had taken the lantern from the negro, swung it aloft.
"Permit me to show you a light," he cried.
They blinked as the lantern dazzled their eyes, but they did not blinkso much that they failed to catch the glint of the weapon Westerhamcarried.
"You dog, Melun!" cried one of them, "is this your friend that is tohelp us all? If he goes on at this rate he will land us all in gaol."
Melun, however, by this time saw who was the better man, and felt thatat the present pinch he was wise to stand by Westerham.
So he cursed the men roundly and ordered them back, asking them, withpleasant oaths, how long it was since they had ceased to have faith inhim.
To this altercation Westerham paid no heed. He contented himself thatat his direction the negro opened the door. The girls he told to waitfor him outside.
On the threshold he turned about and faced the angry men.
"The sooner you people come to recognise," he said, "that while I amhere I shall do things in my own way so much the better for you. I amnot in the habit of being interfered with by scum such as yourselves."
He purposely gave the negro a push, which sent him rolling back intothe passage; then he went out and drew the door after him with a slam.
Once in the street, Melun broke into a torrent of rebuke. Westerham wasof no mind to listen to him and cut him short. Turning to the girls, hesaid:
"Walk whichever way you have to go, and I will follow and see that youare not molested."
The girls would have hung round him to thank him, but he ordered themto walk on quickly, and then taking Melun's arm in the grip of hishand, he followed them till they had gained the main road.
There he did not even take the trouble to nod the girls good-bye, butbundled Melun into a tram running westward.
They were alone on the top of the car, and Melun endeavoured to speakagain, but Westerham told him roughly to be silent.
He said no word, indeed, until they were back in the hotel. The captainwas beyond protesting; he appeared dazed and cowed by the swiftnesswith which Westerham had wrested his authority from him and practicallyfought his way out of Limehouse.
In the little sitting-room, Westerham with great precision poured out acouple of whisky-and-sodas and handed Melun a cigar.
"You will not understand me the better by sulking or skulking," hesaid. "I would suggest to you that even if you are not one you hadbetter try to be a man."
Melun winced, and was about to reply angrily, when Westerham again cuthim short.
"Listen to me," he said sharply. "I realise that while I am associatedwith you for my own ends I shall have to close my eyes to a greatmany matters not exactly permitted by the law of this country. Thatcontingency, however, I was from the first prepared to face. There are,however, certain things which you had better at once understand I donot permit."
"You do not permit!" Melun almost yelled.
"That I do not permit," repeated Westerham, coldly. "And one of them issuch a scene as I have witnessed to-night."
His sea-green eyes were now blazing, and his mouth was shut like a trap.
"I have been introduced as your friend," he continued, "and thereforeI propose to visit Limehouse whensoever I choose."
"But you cannot," cried Melun.
"Oh, yes, my dear man, but I can, and, what is more, I mean to. Youhad better leave that to me. I already see that I am more qualified todeal with those ruffians down yonder than you are. I am not the leastalarmed by their blustering, however much you may be.
"And so," he went on, "I would have you understand clearly and withoutany mistake that I will have no women fetched into that den of iniquityon any pretext whatsoever. You understand me?"
Melun nodded feebly. He was completely crushed and beaten.
"Henceforward, too," Westerham continued, "I am going to adopt adifferent attitude towards you. Once, I confess, I had a few uneasyfeelings that, with what you are pleased to call your 'endlessresources,' you might do me some injury. A good many people disappearin London, and I fancied for a little while I might become one of thelost ones, but, heavens! it is amazing to think that I should ever havefelt the least disquiet. You and your precious friends are cowards,every one of you.
"However, we will leave that subject now and proceed to another whichis of more importance and interest to me."
Draining his whisky-and-soda, Westerham leaned back in his chair andsmoked thoughtfu
lly for a few minutes, keeping his gaze on the pale andcowering Melun.
Then he reached out for the newspaper, in which during the afternoonhe had read that the Prime Minister was to give a reception on themorrow. Folding it carefully so as to mark the place, Westerham laidthe paper down beside Melun and tapped the all-important paragraph witha quick, incisive finger.
"I would recall to your mind," he said to the captain, "that Iexplained to you on the _Gigantic_ that my sole object in returning toLondon was to make the acquaintance of the girl in the picture--thegirl you informed me was the Lady Kathleen Carfax. Now I find you, evenon this short acquaintance, such a braggart that I am inclined to doubteverything you say. So I am going to test your boast that you know LadyKathleen, and that you have the _entree_ to Lord Penshurst's house. Didyou lie to me on that matter or did you not?"
"I did not," said Melun, with some signs of returning spirit.
In his excitement he would indeed have leapt from his chair, butWesterham gave him a little push in the chest which sat him down again.
"Not so fast," he said, "you are here to listen to what I have to say.
"You tell me," he continued, after a slight pause, "that what you saidwas true. In that case I demand as part of our bargain that you shouldtake me to Lord Penshurst's to-morrow night."
Melun became livid. "I will never do it," he cried.
"You will not?" inquired Westerham with a little laugh. "Surely it waspart of our agreement that you should introduce me to all your friends.If you fail to keep that agreement, then I shall fail to keep mine; andI fancy that some of the authorities will be extremely interested inwhat I shall be able to tell them."
Melun looked helplessly and almost pleadingly at Westerham. "But whatyou ask now," he complained, "is quite impossible."
"Why?"
Melun mumbled, and Westerham's quick mind instinctively found the rightreason for the captain's distress. He debated whether he should mentionthe Hyde Park affair of the night before. Had Bagley told him? He wasdoubtful. And if Bagley had not told then the revelation might beawkward. He had no wish to drive Melun so hard that he would turn andbecome obstinately intractable.
Moreover, if he said anything then he would certainly never discoverfrom Melun what hold he had upon Lady Kathleen and her father. Itwould be better, he reflected, to smooth matters over and let eventstake their own course. In following his method, he felt assured theopportunity of fathoming the mystery must inevitably come to him.
So when he spoke next to Melun it was a little less curtly. "You willhardly deny," he said, "that your presence in Lord Penshurst's housemust be unwelcome. Do you hesitate to take me there because you thinkthat in so doing I might possibly be tarred with the same brush asyourself?"
"What do you mean?" asked Melun, savagely, and there crept into hiseyes an embarrassed, even a hunted look.
"I meant nothing at all except that, in spite of everything, you mustmake it convenient to have me included among the guests."
Melun appeared to think deeply for a few moments and then noddedacquiescence. "Very well," he said grumpily, and closed the matter forthat night.
On the following evening Melun arrived at the Walter's Hotel sleek andsmiling. His face was as smooth as his shirt-front, and his manner aspleasant as the cut of his coat.
Westerham met him in the hall and nodded to him with an almost friendlysmile. Presently they drove down to Downing Street.
When Lady Kathleen had entered into possession of No. 10 as hostess shehad turned the rather dowdy old house upside down, and decorators andupholsterers had done all they could to make the old-fashioned buildingpleasant and graceful.
It was now about half-past ten, and the crush was very great. The PrimeMinister, handsome and white-bearded, stood apart with Lady Kathleen toreceive the guests.
As Melun pressed forward his gaze darted in all directions as though inthe endeavour to find the eyes of friends or at least acquaintances.And many men nodded to him and many women smiled on him.
Though he had been away from England so long, all Westerham's knowledgeof great social events came back to him, and he followed Melun easilyand unembarrassed by the scores of eyes which looked at him withquestioning and admiration.
For his immense height alone attracted attention, while wherever hisstrange, bright, sea-green glance fell there was left behind a littlerecollection which would never be quite effaced.
As he skilfully edged his way nearer to the Prime Minister, Westerhamsuffered a little pang of remorse. It occurred to him that he wastaking Lady Kathleen at a somewhat unfair advantage. He had even halfa mind to draw back, fearing lest his unlooked-for appearance mightcause her an embarrassment which might become obvious to all beholders,but he reflected that a girl who had displayed such courage and suchcoolness was more than likely to be equal to the occasion. None theless, he endeavoured, so far as he could, to soften the shock of theirmeeting, and to this end he looked over the heads and shoulders of thetightly-packed people before him, seeking Lady Kathleen's eyes.
Suddenly her wandering glance met his fixed one, and for a secondWesterham's heart softened within him as he saw her pupils momentarilyshrink and then dilate as though with terror. But the contraction anddilation of her pupils were so swift that no one but an expectantobserver would have noted the change. Her face paled a little and thenflushed, and Westerham, from the long-continued habit of studyingpeople's emotions, realised with distress that it was the flush of fearrather than the flush of confusion.
By this time Melun had won his way to the Prime Minister's hand, andWesterham followed him closely. Lord Penshurst lifted his shrewd oldeyes to Westerham's face with a long, searching gaze. And over his facethere swept a sudden change of expression. As Melun had whispered hisname the old man's face had taken a hard and almost dogged look, butinstantly it softened, and he looked at Westerham long with somethingakin to wondering pity in his eyes.
Westerham smiled back frankly, laughing a little to himself at thechange in the Prime Minister's expression. He was quick to see thatLord Penshurst had evidently regarded him at first as an enemy, asa man to be avoided, as a man introduced by Melun for some sinistermotive. Then suddenly, from the very honesty and openness ofWesterham's face, the Premier had changed about to the opinion thathe was Melun's dupe--that he was a new pigeon fit for the captain'splucking. For Westerham by this time had not a shadow of a doubt thatLord Penshurst was only too intimately acquainted with the extent ofMelun's evil doings.
With Lady Kathleen, however, things were otherwise. Westerham had notedthat to the other man she had merely bowed, but to him she held out herhand, and for a second grasped his warmly.
The all-observant Prime Minister glanced sidewise at his daughter, andhis mobile face changed again in its expression to one of astonishment.Westerham saw the dry old lips tighten in the white beard, and wassomewhat taken aback. He guessed, and guessed rightly enough, that LadyKathleen had not told him of her effort to save her father's honour.
So great was the crush that Westerham had no time to say any word toLady Kathleen--at least not then. But as he moved away he was consciousthat the dark, shining eyes followed him with a little look of appeal.
He was so certain of this that he turned his head about and found hisinstinct true; so he nodded back with a little friendly smile as thoughhe had known her for many years. It was a smile which seemed to say,"Very well, I will see you by-and-by."
Melun intercepted the smile and scowled, and almost immediately movedback in a further endeavour to gain Lady Kathleen's side.
Westerham wandered aimlessly to a doorway, and there, following theimmemorial privilege of bored young men at a dance or a crush, leantagainst the lintel and surveyed the scene before him with slightlytolerant amusement.
In half an hour or so the people had thinned a little; all the guestshad made their bows, and some of them had even taken their departure.
It was then that Westerham noticed Lady Kathleen and the Prime Minister
standing a little apart conversing earnestly in whispers, and at thesame time doing their best not to attract attention.
From the corner of his eye Westerham saw Lady Kathleen flush once ortwice and was conscious that the Prime Minister stabbed him two orthree times with his shrewd old eyes.
Then Melun sauntered up to them, and succeeded in detaching LadyKathleen from her father. They moved away together, and Westerhamwondered what ill-begotten scheme Melun was furthering now. For anotherten minutes, therefore, he hung idly in the doorway till he sawMelun come back alone and take the Prime Minister on one side. Theywere conversing rapidly, and Westerham could plainly see that LordPenshurst was by no means pleased. There was, indeed, on his face anexpression of cold rage such as Westerham had never seen on any man'sface before. Melun, too, appeared a trifle disconcerted, and this was ajoy to Westerham, for he was right in supposing that Melun had hoped tosee fear rather than anger in Lord Penshurst's face.
Westerham was, however, not so interested in this conversation as hewas in the finding of Lady Kathleen, so he moved across the room andthrough the doorway in search of the Premier's daughter.
The room beyond was crowded, and Westerham passed on to a third room inwhich there were fewer people. Still he could discern no signs of LadyKathleen.
But just ahead of him he saw the dark entrance to what apparently was alanding. He moved towards this, and found himself suddenly face to facewith her. She was sitting almost huddled up in a little chair at thefoot of the staircase.
As she saw him approach she lifted up both her hands as though tothrust him away, and her face from deadly white flushed to a brightcrimson.
"No, no!" she cried in a low tone, "let matters rest as they are.I shook hands with you just now, but I did not know that you hadcome--with that man."
"You think he is my friend?" asked Westerham, gently.
"How can I doubt it?" asked Lady Kathleen.
"Well," said Westerham, with a quiet little laugh, "I admit that heappears to be, but that is to suit my purpose and to gain my own ends."
"I thought so," she murmured.
"Yes, yes," replied Westerham, quickly, "but don't misunderstand me--myends may be selfish, but they are not criminal."
Lady Kathleen started violently.
Westerham glanced about him to see that they were unobserved; he foundthat they were quite alone.
"I must speak quickly," he said, "as I know it is impossible for you tostay here long, but please hear me out.
"That night," he nodded in the direction of the Park, "I knew nothing.I do not know very much now, except that I have discovered a connectinglink between Bagley and Melun. Why they persecute you and your father Ido not know; I wish I did, for I would then, perhaps, be able to helpyou. These men are knaves and cowards, and they are also fools. I donot want to boast, but one good man could easily defeat them. Why nottell me what troubles you?"
Lady Kathleen looked at him appealingly and doubtfully, then she roseto her feet.
"I must not. I do not know who you are, or even what your name is, andalthough you seem to be Melun's friend, I feel that I might trust you;but, oh! if you were persecuted as we are persecuted you would trust noman."
Westerham was about to persuade her further, but at this moment herfather came quickly through the doorway.
"Kathleen!" he cried.
The girl started up and caught her father's arm. The old man turnedquickly towards Westerham; his face was ablaze with passion.
"As for you, sir," he cried in a low voice, "leave my house, leave myhouse at once."
Westerham threw out a deprecating hand.
"If you will only hear me, Lord Penshurst."
"I have told that scoundrel Melun that I will have no further dealingwith him or any of his crew."
"But I--" urged Westerham.
"Be silent," cried the Prime Minister in a voice of suppressed fury."Do you think that you have not heaped sufficient dishonour on my headalready? But there is a point beyond which you shall not go. I will nothave my house and my daughter degraded in this way."
It took all Westerham's self-control to master himself now. It cut himlike a whip to feel himself regarded as of the same breed as Melun. Buthe saw it would be utterly useless and would only provoke a scene toargue with the bitter old man. So, making a formal little bow to LadyKathleen, he left them.