CHAPTER XXIII
MARION EXPLAINS
A brilliant sunshine poured into the terrace room where the Ravenspursusually breakfasted. An innovation in the way of French windows led onto a tessellated pavement bordered with flowers on either side andending in the terrace overlooking the sea.
A fresh breeze came from the ocean; the thunder of the surf was subduedto a drone. In the flowers a number of bees were busy, bees whose hiveswere placed against the side of the house. They were Vera's bees andthere were two hives of them. Vera attended to them herself; they knewher and she was wont to declare that in no circumstances would they doher any harm. That was why, as Geoffrey dryly put it, she never gotstung more than once a week.
"I believe one has been arguing with you now," Geoffrey laughed.
He was standing in the window as he spoke. He and Vera were the firsttwo down. The girl was on the pavement gravely contemplating the palm ofher right hand.
"No, indeed," she said. "And, anyway, it was my own fault."
"Irish," Geoffrey cried. "That makes the second since Monday. Let mesee."
He took the little pink palm in his own brown hands.
"I can't see the spot," he said. "Does it hurt much?"
"A mere pin prick, dear. I suppose you can get innoculated against thatsort of thing. I mean that you can be stung and stung until it has noeffect at all."
"Even by bees that know you and never do you any harm," Geoffreylaughed. "But I dare say you are right. Five years ago when we had thatplague of wasps Stenmore, the keeper, and myself destroyed over ahundred wasps' nests in one season. I must have been stung nearly athousand times. After the first score I never noticed it; was not so badas the touch of a nettle."
"What! Has Vera been arguing with the bees again?"
The question came fresh and clear from behind the hives. Marion stoodthere, making a fair picture indeed in her white cotton dress. There wasno shade of trouble in her eyes. She met Geoffrey's glance squarely.
Her hand rested on his shoulder with a palpably tender squeeze.
It was the only kind of allusion she made to last night's doings. Shemight not have had a single care or sorrow in the world. She seemed totake almost a childlike interest in the bees, the simple interest of onewho has yet to be awakened to the knowledge of a conscience. Geoffreyhad never admired Marion more than he did at this moment.
"Marion is afraid of my bees," Vera said.
Marion drew away shuddering from one of the velvety brown insects.
"I admit it," she said. "They get on one's clothes and sting for puremischief. And I am a sight after a bee has been operating upon me. If Ihad my own way, there would be a fire here some day and then there wouldbe no more bees."
They trooped into breakfast, disputing the point cheerfully. It wasimpossible to be downcast on so perfect a morning. Even the elders haddiscarded their gloom. Ralph Ravenspur mildly astonished everybody byrelating an Eastern experience _apropos_ of bees.
"But they were not like these," he concluded. "They were big black beesand their honey is poisonous. It is gathered from noxious swamp flowersand, of course, is only intended for their own food. Even thosebees----"
The speaker paused, as if conscious that he was talking too much. Heproceeded with his breakfast slowly.
"Go on," said Marion. "I am interested."
"I was going to say," Ralph remarked in his croaking voice, "that eventhose bees know how to protect themselves."
It was a lame conclusion and Marion said so. Geoffrey glanced at hisuncle. As plainly as possible he read on the latter's face a desire tochange the conversation.
It was sufficiently easy to turn the talk into another channel, andduring the rest of the meal not another word came from Ralph Ravenspur.Once more he was watching, watching for something with his sightlesseyes.
And Geoffrey was watching Marion most of the time. She was gentle andgay and sweet as ever, as if strong emotions and herself had always beenstrangers. It seemed hard to recall the stirring events of the nightbefore and believe that this was the same girl. How wonderfully she boreup for the sake of others; how bravely she crushed her almostoverwhelming sorrow.
She stood chatting on the pavement after breakfast. She was prattlinggayly to Geoffrey, as the other gradually vanished on some mission oranother. Then her face suddenly changed; her grasp on Geoffrey's arm wasalmost convulsive.
"Now then," she whispered. "Let us get it over."
Geoffrey strolled by her side along the terrace. They came at length toa spot where they could not be seen from the house. Marion turned almostdefiantly.
"Now I am going to speak," she whispered.
"Not if it gives you any pain," said Geoffrey.
"My dear Geoffrey, you don't want to hear my explanation!"
"Not if it causes you the least pain or annoyance. I couldn't do it."
Marion laughed. But there was little of the music of mirth in her voice.
"Never be it said again that man is a curious creature," she said. "Youfind me down in the vaults of the castle at midnight mixed up withmurderers and worse; you compel me to disclose my identity and take meprisoner; you force me to plead for mercy and silence. And now youcalmly say you don't want to know anything about it! Geoffrey, are youindifferent to myself and my future that you speak like this?"
Geoffrey laid his hand on the speaker's arm tenderly.
"Marion," he said, "it is because I think so highly of you and trust youso implicitly that I am going to ask no questions. Can you be any theworse because you are bound by some tie to that woman yonder? Certainlynot. Rest assured that your secret is safe in my hands."
"But I must tell you certain things, Geoff. There is some one who comesto the castle, a friend of Uncle Ralph's, who is an enemy of this--ofMrs. May's. I don't know whether you know the man--his name isTchigorsky?"
No muscle of Geoffrey's face moved.
"I fancy I have heard the name," he said. "When does he come here?"
"I--I don't know. Secretly and at night, I expect. Oh, if I could onlytell you everything! But I cannot, I dare not. If this Mr. Tchigorskywould only go away! I fear that his presence here will eventuallyendanger Uncle Ralph's life. You may, perhaps, give him a hint to thateffect. Between Mrs. May and Tchigorsky there is a blood feud. It hasbeen imported from Tibet. I can't say any more."
"And you interfered to save the life of others?"
"Yes, yes. Some day you may know everything, but not yet. I amendangering my own safety, but I cannot sit down and see crime committedunder my very eyes. It is all a question of an ancient secret societyand a secret religion as old as the world. Tchigorsky has certainknowledge he has no right to possess. Don't press me, Geoff."
"My dear girl, I am not pressing you at all."
"No, no. You are very good, dear old boy. Only get Tchigorsky out ofthe way. It will be better for us all if you do."
Geoffrey murmured something to the effect that he would do his best. Atthe same time, he was profoundly mystified. All he could grasp was thatMarion was bound up with Mrs. May in ties of blood, the blood of ancientTibet.
"I'll do my best," he said, "though I fear that my best will be bad.Tell me, do you ever see this Mrs. May by any chance?"
"Oh! no, no! I couldn't do that. No, I can't see her."
Geoffrey began to talk about something else. When at length he andMarion parted she was sweet and smiling again, as if she hadn't a singletrouble in the world.
For a long time Geoffrey lounged over the balcony with a cigarette,trying to get to the bottom of the business. The more he thought overit, the more it puzzled him. And how could he broach the matter ofTchigorsky without betraying Marion?
Ralph Ravenspur was in his room smoking and gazing into space. AsGeoffrey entered he motioned him into a chair. He seemed to be expected.
"Well?" Ralph said. "You have something to say to me. You looksurprised, but I know more than you imagine. So Tchigorsky is in danger,eh? Well, he has been in danger eve
r since he and I took this blackbusiness on. We are all in danger for that matter. Marion does not knowwhat to do."
"Uncle, you know there is some tie between Marion and Mrs. May."
"Certainly I do. It is the crux of the situation. And Marion is to beour _dea ex machina_, the innocent goddess in the car to solve themystery. But I am not going to tell you what that relationship is."
"Marion hates and loathes the woman, and fears her."
"Fears her! That is a mild way of putting it. Never mind how, I knowwhat Marion was talking to you about on the terrace. Suffice it that Ido know. So last night's danger was not ours, but Tchigorsky's."
"So Marion said, uncle."
"Well, she was right. Tell her that Tchigorsky is profoundly impressedand that he is going away; in fact, has gone away. Tchigorsky is nevergoing to be seen at Ravenspur Castle any more. Are you, Tchigorsky?"
At the question the inner door opened and a figure stepped out. It wasone of the natives that Geoffrey had seen in the hollow of the cliffsthat eventful day. He could have sworn to the man anywhere--his stealthyglance, his shifty eye, his base humility.
"Tchigorsky has disappeared?" Ralph demanded.
The man bowed low, then he raised his head and, to Geoffrey's vastsurprise, gravely and solemnly winked at him.
"Never mind," he said. "How's this for a disguise, Master Geoffrey?"
It was Tchigorsky himself.