CHAPTER XIII
EVELYN ENTERS THE FRAY
Only a woman can fathom another woman's mind. A man tries to thinklogically; a woman throws logic to the winds, and reads her opponent'stactics by intuition. Though Warden was not wholly devoid of suspicionof Rosamund's disinterestedness when he penned the plain statementwhich Evelyn now skimmed through by the light of the Las Palmas moon,he little dreamed that he was framing a damning indictment of one whoclaimed to be his friend. But Evelyn extracted from every line thehidden truth. A gentlewoman to her finger-tips, her loathing of Mrs.Laing's despicable tactics was so overpowering for a while that shecould only vent her scorn and contempt by little gasps and sobs ofindignation.
Her lover's account of events at Ostend and in London was transparentlyhonest. She saw now that by some clever and unscrupulous device hisletters and telegrams had been withheld. The burking of her ownletters, sent with unfailing regularity until outraged pride bade hercease, was equally clear. But how had their common enemy achieved theseresults? Why did Mrs. Laing flush and look guilty when Lord Fairholmerecognized Warden's name half an hour ago? Well, she would ask thegenial little nobleman for an explanation. He would be candid, she wassure; perhaps he might help to illumine some of the dark places of thelast four months.
Peter Evans, watching her eyes as they devoured page after page, winkedsolemnly at Chris, but held his peace until the letter was restored toits envelope. Then he felt that his innings had come.
"Well, miss," he remarked quietly, "does that round off everything inship-shape style?"
For answer, she put both hands on his shoulders, and looked into hisweather-beaten face.
"Peter," she said, "I can never repay you for what you have done.Captain Warden tells me he had faith in you, and indeed you havejustified his confidence. But how did you and Chris manage to travelall this long way to find me? What has it cost you? I have not muchmoney at my command here----"
"Money, miss? Did the Cap'n say nothink about it?"
"No."
"Just like 'im. There never _was_ a more free-handed gent than 'im.Funny thing, ain't it, that the wrong people are bloomin' millionaires.I s'pose that's w'y they 'ave it--coss they stick to it. Lord love aduck, ther's bin no trouble about _money_! He did some tricks at theCasino----"
"Yes, yes, he has told me that."
"Well, w'en 'e gives me that there packidge, 'e forks out fifty quid,an' says, 'Peter, if you want more, go to my bank.' But fifty goldensuvrins is a small fortin to a sailorman--I've known the time it 'udkeep me an' my missus an' Chris for a year--an' I wasn't flingin' itabout for bookin' clerks an' pursers to pick up, neether. We 'ad to diga bit out o' the bank w'en this trip showed up, but afore that Chrisan' me worked our passidge to Scotland, an' Hamburg, an' as far southas Bordeaux."
"You went to Scotland? Why?"
"Afore the Cap'n left Lunnon 'e 'ad a telegram from the coas-tguard tosay the _San Sowsy_ headed sou'east by east from Lochmerig, an' themain't the sailin' directions for the Shetlands, or they wasn't w'enI was at sea. It seemed to me some old salt thereabouts might help abit--fishermen keep a pretty close eye on passin' craft, miss--so offwe goes. I shipped as extra hand on the _Inverkeld_, bound from Londonto Aberdeen, an' Chris was stooard in the engineers' mess. Sure enough,I lights on a Montrose herrin'-boat as 'ad seen the yacht bearin' awayin the line for Hamburg, I follered, on a tramp from Newcastle, but Iwas a week late. You see, my orders was 'into her own 'ands, Peter.'"
"Oh, you are a dear!"
"Well, mebbe. I've bin called most things in me time, miss. But it'sspinnin' a tremenjous long yarn to go over all the ground. Wot I wantto ax you now is this--wot stopped Cap'n Warden from gettin' yourletters?"
"Ah, Peter! a wicked woman, I am afraid."
"D'ye 'ear, Chris?" and Peter turned solemnly to his son. "Wot did Itell yer? You see, miss," he went on, "I looked in at the Lodge, an'med friends with a servant or two, an' it kem out that Mrs. Laingcollared a telegram addressed to you. 'Was it himportant?' sez onechap. 'Reel himportant,' sez I, 'it was from 'er young man.' Begpardon, miss, but that's the way we talks among ourselves. 'Oo is he?'sez the other fellow. 'Captain Warden,' sez I. 'Not Captain ArthurWarden, of Ostend?' sez 'e. 'The very man,' sez I. 'Dash my eyes,' sez'e, 'that's queer. Mrs. Laing wanted a letter out of the box one dayw'en I was goin' to the post, an' that's the very name as was on it.Wot's 'is little game? Is 'e a-playin' up to both of 'em?' 'Young man,'sez I, 'you don't know 'im. 'E's the straightest gentleman as everwore shoe-leather.' I axed 'im w'en the incident occurred, as they sayin the noospapers, an' 'e tole me it was just arter Mrs. Laing kem toLochmerig. In fact, 'e wouldn't ha' known 'oo she was if she 'adn't binstandin' in the 'all talkin' to--to--wot's 'is name, Chris?"
"Lord Fairholme?" broke in Evelyn.
"No, miss, that wasn't it--not in the same street."
"Billy Thring?"
"Tally! I've got it all logged up in my cabin. I wasn't sartin I'd seeyou to-night, or I'd ha' brought the book. That's 'im--Billy Thring--itsounds familiar like, if he's a swell, but that's wot they called 'imat Lochmerig."
"Peter, you are a wonder. You have found out the one thing I wanted toknow."
"Excuse me, miss, but you're a bit of a wonder yourself. If that wasthe on'y missin' link, w'y didn't you write to me, care o' the Pilots'Office, Cardiff? I could ha' put you straight within a week. Any ship'sskipper would ha' guessed my address, if you tole 'im about the _Nancy_an' gev 'im my name."
"I fear I am very much to blame," said Evelyn contritely. "But youhardly realize yet how I have been victimized. Now I must go. It isvery late. Where are you staying?"
"Chris an' me will turn in with our engineer friend on board the _Cid_.At least that's wot I call the old tub, but these Spanish jokers makeit into _Thith_. Did y' ever 'ear anythink funnier'n that?"
She laughed blithely, arranged an early hour to meet the two at themole next day, and sped back to the hotel. She wanted to read thatthrice-precious letter again. Seen in the moonlight, it seemed to befantastic, unreal. The words danced before her eyes. Her brain had onlyhalf grasped its extraordinary meanings.
Peter, you are a wonder _Page_ 238]
In the privacy of her own room she should go through it slowly,weighing its bewildering revelations, taking to her very heart theoutspoken, manly sentences that assured her of Warden's devotion, andplanning with new zest the means whereby she might circumvent herenemies and his. Warden had been deceived even more grossly than sheherself. His faithful record of Rosamund's malicious innuendoes duringthe dinner at the Savoy Hotel gave ample proof of that. It was quitetrue she had talked with Figuero in the garden at Lochmerig. The mannaturally interested her; his manner of speech was quaint, and he toldher strange things about the country in which the whole of her lover'sactive career might be passed. Was that a crime? And how shameful thatany woman should write such a wicked untruth as to say that she hadgossiped to Thring and others about the men of Oku! Of course, Mrs.Laing had obtained her information from the stolen letter. Evelynremembered perfectly well the unfortunate postscript in which shealluded to the negroes and the calabash. She meant only to soften theharshness of her comments on Rosamund and the two foreigners, but itwas obvious now that she could have written nothing more harmful toWarden's mission.
And then, with a sudden horror that made her white to the lips, sherealized what it meant--that Warden had never received her letter, thatRosamund had adroitly availed herself of the details it contained, andthat her lover had gone to Africa with a lurking doubt in his heart ofthe one woman in the world whom he trusted. Did he think her really thebase creature she was depicted? Oh, it was intolerable! She would neverforgive Mrs. Laing--no, never! Her rival had stooped to a meanness thatcould not be borne--she must be punished, with a vengeance at onceswift and merciless.
All this was very un-Christian, and wholly unlike the delightfully shyyet lovable girl to whom Warden lost his heart during the midsummermadness of Cowes and
Plymouth, but Evelyn was stirred to the depths ofa passionate nature; not for the first time in Las Palmas, she criedherself to sleep.
She awoke in a better frame of mind, though still determined to bringMrs. Laing to her knees at the first opportunity. Keeping the trystwith Peter, she took him fully into her confidence. He was able tosupply many minor items of information that fitted the pieces of thepuzzle more accurately together. He did not know what had become ofWarden, but Evelyn made no scruple of telling him the facts within herknowledge.
She recked little of Government secrets and the byways of Imperialpolitics. The ex-pilot and his sturdy offspring were now the onlywitnesses of her good faith. Perhaps they might meet Warden in Englandbefore he was able to communicate with her. In that event, she wantedPeter to be in a position to do for her lover what he had done for her,and disabuse Warden's mind of the cloud of lies by which it had beendarkened.
Father and son were returning at once by the out-going mail steamer.She pressed Peter to accept what little money she could spare, but hewould not take a penny.
"No, miss," he said, with emphatic head-shaking. "There's some shotleft in the locker yet, an' me an' the Cap'n will 'ave a reckonin'w'en he comes 'ome. If I'm short of a pound or two afore I get the_Nancy_ in commission this spring, I'll ax that gentleman at the bankfor it. P'raps you'll write 'im a line, an' say I've kep' me contract."
She had to be content with that. Were it practicable, she would havegone back to England in the same steamer. Here, in Las Palmas, shefelt so utterly unbefriended. Though thousands of miles nearer Africathan in England, she seemed to be more thousands of miles removed fromthe chance of receiving a letter or a cablegram. True, she possesseda very useful acquaintance in the commander of the _Valiant_, but shecould hardly expect one of His Majesty's cruisers to fly to and fro inthe East Atlantic in order to keep her conversant with developmentsin Nigeria. Peter, however, undertook to call at the Colonial Office,while she would cable him her address after the lapse of a fortnight.Then, if there was any news of Warden, he would communicate with her.
At luncheon she had her first meeting with Mrs. Laing since the arrivalof that epoch-marking letter. A special menu was ordered, and the tablewas gay with flowers, for the Baumgartners dearly loved a lord, andwere resolved to make the most of their friendly relations with theEarl of Fairholme.
Mr. Baumgartner looked worried and preoccupied. The coming of the mailwhich meant so much to Evelyn perhaps had its importance for him also.At any rate, he left the entertainment of his guests largely to hiswife, until a sharp clash of wits rudely dispelled his reverie.
Beryl Baumgartner was the unconscious agent that brought about anunforeseen crisis. Her restless eyes speedily caught the glint ofdiamonds on Evelyn's left hand, and she cried ecstatically:
"Oh, Evelyn, what a lovely ring! Where did you get it?"
Each woman at the table was on the _qui vive_ instantly. In a placelike Las Palmas the mere mention of a diamond ring in connection witha young and pretty girl suggests that one more infatuated male hasvoluntarily removed his name from the list of eligibles.
Evelyn, having stilled the volcano that raged over night, might haveallowed the opportunity to pass if she had not happened to catch themocking smile on Rosamund's face when the nature of the ring becameself-evident. That steeled her intent.
"It is my engagement ring," she said quietly.
"What?" shrieked Beryl, to whom this was news indeed. "Who is he?"
"You do not know him, dear, but his name is Captain Warden. He is atpresent in West Africa, somewhere near the Benu? River."
"And did he send it to you?"
"Yes. I received it only last night. It would have reached me fourmonths ago, had not Mrs. Laing stolen one of my letters--perhaps othersas well--and that naturally led to some confusion."
There was a moment of stupefied silence at the table. Everybody seemedto be stricken dumb. Rosamund, crimson with anger, could only mutter:
"What insolence!"
"It is an unpleasant thing to say, but it is true," said Evelyn,discussing her rival's transgression in the most matter-of-fact tone,though she was conscious of a queer tingling at the roots of her hair,and she hardly recognized the sound of her own voice.
Baumgartner felt it imperative to stop what threatened to develop intoa scandal.
"Miss Dane, you are making a serious charge against a lady of thehighest repute," he said, in his best chairman-of-the-company style.
"I mean it, every word," cried Evelyn, a trifle more vehemently. "LordFairholme, am I speaking the truth or not?" she demanded, suddenlywheeling round on the inoffensive peer.
"Really--er--really----" he spluttered, for once too bewildered to grin.
"Please tell Mr. Baumgartner what happened in the hall at Lochmerigwhen Mrs. Laing asked the postman to give her a letter addressed toCaptain Arthur Warden, at Ostend. You were present. It was my lettershe obtained. Perhaps she has it yet if her boxes were searched."
Here was no timid girl striving vainly to bolster up a falseaccusation, but a fiery young goddess impeaching an erring mortal. Theatmosphere was electrical; Beryl Baumgartner said afterwards that shefelt pins and needles attacking her at all points!
"I'm awfully sorry, Miss Dane, but I gave very little attention to theincident," said Fairholme, partly recovering himself.
"But you remembered Captain Warden's name last night? Was it not atLochmerig that you heard it, and from Mrs. Laing?"
"Well--yes, but, you know, Mrs. Laing might have written to him."
"She did, after obtaining the address from my letter and reading what Iwrote."
Then she turned on Rosamund with magnificent disdain.
"Shall I give you a copy of your letter? Captain Warden has sent it tome."
Sheer fury enabled Rosamund to regain her self-control.
"Your foolish attack on me is disproved out of your own mouth," shesaid, striving desperately to speak with her accustomed nonchalance."Captain Warden has not written to you since I saw him in London. Heis in Africa, it is true, but he has never been heard of after goingashore at Rabat fully three months ago. How can you pretend thatyou received a letter from him last night? My authority is an UnderSecretary of State. Pray, who is yours?"
Under other conditions, Evelyn might have been warned by the imperiouscommand to "hold her tongue" that Baumgartner telegraphed to his wifewhen that good lady was minded to interfere. But no considerationwould stop her now. The memory of all she had suffered through themachinations of one evilly disposed woman upset her calm judgment.In other respects, she acted with a restraint that was worthy of afirst-rate actress; people at the next table might have thought she wasdiscussing the weather. Taking Warden's letter from her pocket, shehanded it to Lord Fairholme.
"I cited you as a witness," she said. "Will you now act as a judge?Read that, and tell my friends which of us two is speaking truly."
Despite his self-supposed shortcomings, Fairholme was a gentleman.Instinctively he believed Evelyn, but he shrank from the duty sheentrusted to him.
"Oh, I say," he bleated, "hasn't this thing gone a bit too far already?Is it worth all the beastly fuss? There may be a mistake somewhere,you know. I'm sure, Miss Dane, nobody doubts your statement where thislucky chap Warden is concerned, an', on the other hand, don't you know,Mrs. Laing may have a perfectly fair explanation of the other business.So let it go at that, eh, what?"
"May I act as arbitrator?" said Baumgartner. "If I glance through yourletter, Miss Dane, I may discover a means of settlement."
Something in his tone, some hint of a crafty purpose behind thesmooth-spoken words, beat through the haze of wrath and grief thatclouded Evelyn's mind. She could trust Fairholme with her lover'sletter, but not Baumgartner. To reveal to him what Warden had saidabout Mrs. Laing's extraordinarily accurate knowledge of proceedingsin the Solent and affairs in Nigeria would be tantamount to betrayingher lover's faith.
With splendid calmness she took the letter from the
table and replacedit in her pocket.
"No, thank you, Mr. Baumgartner," she said, "if Lord Fairholme declinesto help me, nobody else can take his place. I appealed to him becausehe is aware that Mrs. Laing induced your groom to unlock the post-boxand hand her my letter. The proof of my words lies here. It is for himto say whether or not he is satisfied he saw Mrs. Laing commit a theft."
Fairholme shook his head. He was not lacking in pluck, and hisartificial humor was only the veneer of an honest nature, but hesurprised a look in Rosamund's eyes that startled him. She was palenow, ashen pale. She uttered no word, but continued to glower at Evelynwith a suppressed malevolence that was more threatening than the mererage of a detected trickster.
His lordship evidently thought it high time Baumgartner or his wifeexercised their authority.
"Don't you think this matter has gone quite far enough?" he asked,glancing from one to the other, and avoiding the eyes of either Evelynor Mrs. Laing.
"Yes," said Baumgartner, speaking with a pomposity that contrastedsharply with his prompt offer to supplant Fairholme as judge. "Thisabsurd dispute about a purely private affair must end at once. I andmy family are going to Europe by the next mail steamer----"
"Isadore!" gasped his wife.
"Father, you can't mean it!" cried Beryl, who, at the lowestcalculation, had made arrangements for a good three weeks' furtherfrivolity at Las Palmas.
"Unfortunately, I am quite in earnest."
The financier looked it. Despite his magisterial air, his puffy facewas drawn and haggard, and he had the aspect of a man who needed restand sleep.
"You will accompany us, of course, Miss Dane," he went on, speakingslowly, as though he were groping for the best way out of a difficulty."Your quarrel with Mrs. Laing can be much more easily adjusted inEngland than here. I hope, therefore, we shall be spared furtherbickering during our brief stay in the Canaries."
"But, father dear," put in his daughter, "you said we were going homeon the yacht, and calling at Gibraltar and Algiers."
"I have changed my plans," he retorted curtly, and that was all hewould say on the subject.
Evelyn left the table at the earliest moment. When too late, sheregretted the impulse that led her to declare open war against Mrs.Laing. But it was done now. Those words "theft" and "steal" wereirrevocable. She had retreated to a nook in the garden where a denseclump of tropical trees and shrubs gave shelter from the sun, andwas trying to discover if she had imperilled the success of Warden'smission by any unguarded phrase, when Lord Fairholme came to her.
"May I sit down here a few minutes?" he asked. "I want to try tounderstand things."
"I should be sorry to test your lordship's capacity so greatly,"she said. She had not yet forgiven him for not taking her part. Shewas young; her world was tumbling about her ears; she believed thateverybody ought to stand aghast at Rosamund's wickedness.
"Oh, come now, that's a bit severe, isn't it?" grinned Fairholme. "Youdon't make allowances for the ruffled feelin's of a poor fellow who hasjust had his image battered----"
"Will you please tell me what you are talking about?"
"Eh--beg pardon, I meant idol shattered. Silly mistake, eh, what?"
Evelyn's lips relaxed in a smile. There was no resisting "Billy" when(in his own phrase) he was goin' strong.
"I fear you all thought me very rude," she said, with a pathetic littlegesture of helplessness. "But what was I to do?--listen in silence tofresh insults?"
"I think you did the only possible thing."
"Then why did you refuse to bear out my statement?"
"There were reasons. May I see that letter now?"
"Have you come of your own accord?" she asked.
Evelyn fighting for the man she loved was a very different girl fromthe proud, disdainful Evelyn who, twenty-four hours earlier, wouldhave endured almost any infliction rather than flout her adversary ina public dining-room. She credited Rosamund with the adoption of anypetty device to gain her ends, and felt that Fairholme was just the manto be used as a stalking-horse.
"No," he said, "or rather, yes--and no. I am anxious to know the truth,but Baumgartner suggested that I ought to accept your offer of readingthe evidence. Don't you see, he has to consider the future a bit."
"In what way?"
"Well, if Mrs. Laing stole a letter in his house, she--it's a jollyhard thing to say--but she must be warned off."
Baumgartner as a guardian of morals was a new conception. Evelynfelt that a more powerful foe than Rosamund was in the field. Herunimportant romance had suddenly widened out into the world-domainof politics. She must decide quickly and decide right. In that vitalmoment she realized that her postscript to the Lochmerig letter mighthave consequences far beyond their effect on Warden's fortunes and herown.
"Lord Fairholme," she said, turning so that she could watch theslightest change in the expression of his face, "does Mr. Baumgartnerstrike you as a man who would go out of his way to interfere in adispute between two women?"
"Not unless there was money in it," said Fairholme cheerfully.
"Then why is he showing such interest now in a matter which hedeliberately closed at luncheon?"
"I gave you his explanation. Even Baumgartner likes to associate withpeople of good character."
"No, that is not the reason. Mr. Baumgartner is engaged at this momentin a plot against British dominion in West Africa. You see thatcruiser in the harbor? Well, she is here to watch the _Sans Souci_.You yourself heard to-day that our party is going to Europe by themail steamer. Why, when the _Sans Souci_ is at our disposal? I willtell you. The British authorities believe that the yacht will help,or further in some way, a native rising in Southern Nigeria. Now, theletter in my possession, read by any one who could extract its innermeaning, would yield a valuable clue to the amount of information atthe disposal of the home government. If you, without knowing this,answered Mr. Baumgartner's questions as to its contents, you would bedoing the gravest injury to Great Britain."
"By gad!" exclaimed Fairholme.
"You can easily assure yourself that I am not exaggerating the facts.Here is the letter. Read it, and remember what I have told you."
Fairholme pursed his lips and bent his brows in deep mental effort. Heheld the letter in his hand unopened during this unusual and seeminglypainful process. Then he gave it back to Evelyn.
"No, Miss Dane," he said emphatically. "I'm far too candid an ass tobe laden with state secrets. Now, if you wouldn't mind just pickin'out the bits that refer to Mrs. Laing, an' skippin' all the politicalpart, I'll be able to bounce old Baumgartner for all he's worth."
"But I cannot. It is the political part which proves that my letter wasstolen."
"Same thing! Change the names. Turn West Africa into Newmarket, an'call the Emperor Lord Rosebery."
"The Emperor," said Evelyn, surprised at Fairholme's chance shot.
"He's in it, I guess. He has his finger in every pie, an' some of 'emhave bin jolly hot. Now, go ahead. If it's at all awkward, leave me tofill in a bit about the Ditch Mile an' the Epsom gradients that willbamboozle Baumgartner."
Evelyn did her best. Fairholme was delighted with Warden's descriptionof the baccarat and roulette incidents, but his face lengthened whenhe heard Rosamund's allusions to himself. Once, Evelyn forgot hisstipulation, and spoke of the "men of Oku."
"Oku," broke in Fairholme, "where is that?"
"It is a savage native state in West Africa. That is the one name youmust not remember, Lord Fairholme."
He did not interrupt again till she had finished reading. Then shetold him how Peter Evans had brought her the ring and the letter; and,finding him sympathetic, she explained the extraordinary chance thatled to Warden's capture by a Mohammedan fanatic at Rabat.
"Funny thing!" he said, when she had made an end. "That chap Figuerojoined my steamer at Lisbon."
"He is not here?" cried Evelyn, genuinely startled, for she fearedFiguero.
"Yes, he is. I fancy he's on board the _Sans
Souci_. I didn't speak tohim; I have a notion that he didn't recognize me under my new name. Wealso picked up a number of German officers at the same port, but theyleft us at Funchal, where another ship took them on to the Cameroons.That is German West Africa, isn't it?"
"I believe so. My geographical knowledge of this part of the world isof the vaguest. It dates chiefly from last night."
"When the naval Johnny was showing you the map, I suppose?"
"But how do you know that?" she demanded, and another wave of surpriseflooded her face with color.
"Mrs. Laing and I watched you for quite a time--the watchin' wasinvoluntary on my part, but she wouldn't come away from the veranda,an' now I know why. You will observe, Miss Dane, that I have bin thegoat all through the proceedin's."
"I can hardly say that."
"No, you wouldn't. But it's true. The only bit of luck I've had is thatI am saved the painful necessity of bein' refused as a husband by Mrs.Laing. I came here to ask her to marry me."
"Oh, I am so sorry----" began Evelyn, but Fairholme's cackling laughchecked her.
"Why sorry? You've done me a good turn, twice over, an' if I can do youone, just ask. In the first place, she would probably have said 'No,'and in the second, where should I have been if she said 'Yes.' In thesoup, eh, what?"
Lord Fairholme seemed to pride himself on his narrow escape, and gaveEvelyn the credit of rescuing him. She protested that if she had knownhe was really bent on marrying Mrs. Laing she would neither haveattacked the latter in his presence nor called on him to bear out herstatements. But he refused to admit that she had conferred other than afavor on him, and repeated his desire to serve her if the opportunityoffered. It came quickly.
That night, when Evelyn was sound asleep, her room was entered andWarden's letter taken. It lay with the ring and some other trinkets ona dressing-table. The door was locked and bolted, but the window waswide open to admit the sea breeze, and, although the room was on thethird floor, and therefore some forty feet or more above the groundlevel, it was impossible that the thief could have entered it exceptthrough the window. That the letter alone was the objective was shownby the fact that the exceedingly valuable ring was left untouched.There was almost a hint of malicious humor in the discriminationexercised. An ordinary criminal, though bribed to procure a document ofgreat importance to some other person, would certainly have made awaywith any jewelry that was lying handy. In this instance, there seemedto be an unspoken warning to the girl that she was powerless in thetoils that surrounded her.
At first, she suspected Rosamund of complicity in this new theft,but when she asked herself who had most to gain from the perusal ofthe letter, suspicion pointed, not to Rosamund, who could guess itscontents with fair accuracy, but to Baumgartner and his associates,who were evidently more afraid of one man than of the armed might ofBritain.
In the height of her distress her employer came to her.
"We have decided to return by the Portuguese mail from Madeira," hesaid, "and in order to catch the next steamer we shall sail in the_Sans Souci_ to-night. Would it be convenient for you to go aboard theyacht this afternoon?"
"But what action am I to take with regard to my stolen letter?" shedemanded. "You heard what I said to Mrs. Laing. That letter is myevidence against her."
"It may have blown out of your window. There is generally a strongbreeze just before dawn. At any rate, it is better lost. Such disputesare useless."
"But it was of the utmost importance in other ways."
"Young ladies' love-letters always are," he gurgled with forcedlaughter. "Still, if it really has gone, you can hardly propose toremain in Las Palmas on the off chance that it may be recovered."
She felt that she was trapped, but for what purpose it was hard toimagine. Lord Fairholme had told her already that Baumgartner was verymuch annoyed with him for failing to remember what Warden had written,and it was now beyond doubt that the _Sans Souci's_ voyage to Funchalwas a blind for some ulterior object.
In her dilemma, she thought of Mortimer. When Baumgartner went away,she hurried out of the hotel and drove straight to the harbor. A boatbrought her to the _Valiant_; the commander himself met her at thegangway, and escorted her to his cabin.
"Sorry I couldn't call last evening Miss Dane," he said, "but I wasdetained on board unexpectedly. Things are happening, I hear."
"Yes. Figuero is here, and we leave on the yacht for Funchal to-night."
He smiled.
"Is that the dodge?" he exclaimed. "Of course, I was posted in themovements of the Portuguese and his friends, but the trip to Madeira isclever. What has caused the change of programme?"
She told him, and he banged a clenched fist emphatically on a tablewhich a steward had just arranged for tea.
"For once, I can find it in my heart to wish you were a man," he cried."A steamer starts for Lagos within two hours, and it would be a finething if the Nigeria administration heard your story from your ownlips. Of course, I can write, but it is difficult to put on paper one'sguesses and surmises at the trickery that is going on."
The words were scarcely uttered ere a wild notion leaped into Evelyn'sbrain. Why should she not go to Lagos? She might be able to clearaway some of the doubts and misgivings that must have gathered aroundWarden's name. Above all else, if there was news of him, it wouldsurely reach the officials there long before it became known in England.
"If I were a man," she said tremulously, "would you pay my passage onthat ship?"
"Of course. You would be traveling on Government service."
"Then I shall go. Please arrange matters for me, and send some one totake me on board."
"Do you mean it?" he cried.
"Yes."
"By Jove, Miss Dane, you astonish me more each time I see you. But howabout the Baumgartners?"
"I shall simply write a note resigning my situation. It is a merequestion of doing that to-day or three weeks hence. But I shall nottell them why I am leaving their service so suddenly."
"Baumgartner will find out. Unless I am much mistaken, it will worryhim. Now, you are sure you intend to take this trip?"
"Quite certain."
"Very well. I shall give myself the pleasure of calling for you atthree o'clock."
Evelyn packed her boxes as speedily as possible. Counting her money,she found she had only twenty-five pounds. But there was that newtreasure, the ring. How better could she use it than in furthering theinterests of the man she loved? She wondered if Lord Fairholme wouldlend her fifty pounds on its security? A note brought him to her room,and she explained briefly that she meant to visit Lagos, and might needmore funds than she had at her command.
"Well, that beats the band," he said. "Mrs. Laing is going there too."
"Not on to-day's steamer?" she protested, for it seemed that an unkindfate was conspiring against her.
"Sure thing! Heard her tellin' Beryl an hour ago."
Though Evelyn wished heartily that her rival had chosen any otherroute of the many which lead from Las Palmas, her resolution remainedunaltered. But there was another thrill in store for her.
"Tell you what, Miss Dane," said Fairholme, "I don't think you ought totackle an expedition of this sort single-handed. You may want some oneto pull you out of a tight place--what price me as a puller-out? I'm apretty useless sort of chap in most things, but there is no reason whyI shouldn't try to do my country a good turn once in a way. Let me gowith you, and then you'll have no need to worry about coin."
"You are really very kind," she faltered, "but--but----"
"You are afraid of Mrs. Laing again," he grinned. "Don't worry yourselfabout her, dear girl. Not even Mrs. Grundy can growl at me for bein'your fellow-passenger. I'm mixed up in this business, an', by Jove,I mean to see it through. Look here, can't you adopt me as a sort ofelder brother, an' make it 'Billy' an' 'Evelyn,' an' that sort ofthing--eh, what?"