such a marriage, he himself wouldreap considerable benefit. Though much older than Alice, Nardini was apleasant companion, and occupying as he did one of the highest positionsin the kingdom, it was but natural that she should be flattered by hisattentions. I, however, who had watched closely and heard certain factsfrom my father, knew well that the pleasant exterior only concealed acharacter that was cruel, dishonest, and utterly unscrupulous. Themotive of my father's friendship with Nardini was, I regret to admit it,no doubt a dishonest one, while he, on his part, with clever cunningintended eventually to make use of my father in certain blackmailingoperations which he contemplated. There was no limit to Nardini'singenuity or power. Rich and poor alike knew him to be cruel andheartless. He somehow learnt the truth regarding my father, and desiredto get me also into his power. There was no charge he could makeagainst me, therefore he resorted to a fiendish conspiracy which wascharacteristic of the man.
"Late one afternoon last April I was crossing the Piazza di Spagna inRome when I was stopped by two police agents who asked me to accompanythem to the Questura, where, to my speechless amazement, a cruel andwicked charge was made against me. I was accused of robbing acommercial traveller of Milan of a portfolio containing eighteenthousand francs! At first I laughed in the Commissary's face, but when,an hour later, the Italian, a man whom I had never before seen in mylife, was brought and identified me, I was stupefied. The charge wasinfamous. It was against my honour! The man, a loudly dressed personof Hebrew type, stated that on the previous evening he was in the CafeColonna and spoke to me. He afterwards invited me to dinner atBordoni's, in the Via Nazionale, and after we parted he found that hisportfolio had been stolen. A waiter at Bordoni's also identified me,and an agent of police also declared that I was known to them. Thewhole charge was false, and I stood speechless when I heard theirdisgraceful accusations. I had never been in either the Colonna or inBordoni's in all my life. Yet there was still something moreextraordinary to follow. The detectives went to our apartments, and,having searched, found the empty portfolio concealed at the bottom of adrawer in my room. I saw at once that it was the work of some secretenemy. Yet who had done it was, to me, a complete enigma.
"I at once wrote a line of appeal to His Excellency explaining that thepolice had made a terrible mistake. At first he regretted that he couldnot assist me, but after a second appeal he sent a line to the Questore,or chief of police, giving me my liberty until my trial, which is totake place at the assizes next November. I at once went to Nardini andasked him to speak the truth--namely, that on the evening in question Iwas at the Villa Verde at Tivoli, where I had gone on a message to himfrom my father and had found him there alone. But he refused to makethis statement, ostensibly because he did not wish the fact known thathe had received a lady visitor alone, but in reality because he himselfhad trumped up the whole of the infamous charge against me.
"To my chagrin, also, I found that Lieutenant Shacklock--asGordon-Wright was known in Rome--knew of the charge. He was an intimatefriend of my father's, but a man utterly without principle. I had tobeg him not to tell my father. For Nardini, who had so many creaturesin his pay, such an allegation was so very easy. As I afterwardsestablished, the portfolio was placed in my drawer by a man who enteredon pretence of examining the electric light. Nardini's object was tohold me in his power, to compel me to do his bidding, and assist incertain schemes he was contemplating before his fall. Surely it was thegravest charge that could have been made against a woman. It touched myhonour, and that is the reason why when he fled I followed post-hastehere to beg of him to say the word which must put an end to theproceedings pending against me. But, although I was successful intracing him here, alas! I was too late. He died without clearing myhonour, and on the third of November the charge against me will be heardby the Tribunal. How, now, can I hope to escape an unjustcondemnation?"
"Why didn't you make this explanation before?" I asked. "I might haveassisted you to clear yourself."
"How could I while Gordon-Wright lived? He was present in our apartmentwhen the police found the portfolio, and even though Nardini might havecaused the accusation to have been withdrawn he would have still been awitness against me."
"But you knew who and what he was?"
"Not at that time. I only knew that he was a great friend of myfather's and lived at the Grand Hotel. But in looking through myfather's private letters I have learned the ghastly truth--that he andHimes who were such constant visitors to our flat, both in Rome,Leghorn, or in fact anywhere where we took up our abode, were expertthieves working under my father's directions. True, I held both of themin dislike, but I never dreamed that living apart, Shacklock at theGrand and Himes at the Quirinale, they were in such active accord."
"Then this charge against you will be made in Rome in November?" Sammysaid, addressing her for the first time.
"Yes," she sighed despairingly. "I shall be condemned in my absence,for how can I now hope to prove that I am innocent--that I was not evenin Rome on that evening?"
"Nardini was a blackguard!" Sammy cried. "If I had known that I'd haverung the truth out of him before he died--by Jove, I would! A man whoplots against a woman's honour like that is the worst cad conceivable."
"Ah, yes!" cried the unhappy girl. "It is that--it is my honour that isat stake. The man alleges that he found me alone in a common cafe--and--and--"
She burst into tears.
I had listened to Lucie's extraordinary statement like a man in a dream.
Ella tried to comfort her, but with very little avail. She had utterlybroken down.
"I am surely the most unhappy of girls!" she sobbed. "They have killedmy poor father, and now they will take from me my honour as a woman!"Then, after a pause, she added:--
"You remember what I told you regarding the woman Hardwick? Nardiniknew of that scandal long ago in Pisa, when you accidentally met Ina'smarried sister travelling, and were forced into the Divorce Court by herhusband to give evidence against her. As Minister of Justice, he knewwell all the secrets of hushed-up scandals, and often turned them to hisown profit."
"Miss Miller," Sammy exclaimed, in a soft tone now full of sympathy forthe poor suffering girl, "you mentioned just now the unfortunate deathof my friend Manuel Carrera, in Paris. You recollect that I--"
"Manuel Carrera!" cried Ella, suddenly releasing Lucie and facing Sammy."Was he your friend? Then let me also tell you the truth! Hear myconfession, Godfrey, and then you shall judge me!"
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
UNITES TWO HEARTS.
The revelations amazed me. I held my breath and faced her. There was aterrible eloquence in the silence of that room.
"Listen," exclaimed my well-beloved, her pale, desperate, but beautifulcountenance turned full towards me. "Listen, and I'll tell youeverything, just as it occurred.
"About three years ago, very soon after I parted from you on thatmemorable night in Bayswater, my father and I were staying at the HotelContinental in Paris, and received a call from Mr Miller and Lucie. Iwas of course delighted to see my old schoolfellow again, but only oncewas your name mentioned--with regret--for I was already engaged to marryMr Blumenthal. Mr Miller asked us down to his house at Enghien, andwe went several times, generally finding there a young Chilian, ManuelCarrera, for a great affection had sprung up between Lucie and him. Theyoung fellow chanced to be staying at the same hotel as ourselves inParis, and sometimes we returned by the same train together. At MrMiller's we also met Himes, in whom I must say I was much mistaken. Ibelieved him to be an American gentleman, but I now know that he waswhat is known as a `sharp.' One night my father and I dined at theVilla du Lac, Carrera being also invited. He left rather early, forsome reason or other, and when we went an hour or so later Lucie askedme to deliver to him a secret message which she had forgotten--a requestthat he would meet her at the Gare du Nord at eleven o'clock nextmorning, as she was going shopping and would be alone.
"On arrival at
the hotel just after midnight, I saw my father into hisroom, and then slipped along to the farther end of the corridor andtapped at the young man's door. There was no reply. Again I tapped,but without response. Then, intending to leave a note for him, I turnedthe handle and entered. Judge my horror when I saw him standing beforethe mirror in a frenzy of despair with a revolver in his hand. I dashedin, for I saw his intention was to commit suicide. I grasped his wristand tried to wrench the weapon from his grasp. For several moments westruggled desperately, but, alas! he was the stronger, and with animprecation he placed the barrel of the weapon in his mouth and fired.Ah! it was awful!
"I twisted the revolver from his hand, but, alas! too late. He fell tothe floor in a