CHAPTER XXXV
MRS. MAY IS PLEASED
Geoffrey was fain to confess that he couldn't quite follow. He turned toRalph, who once more had recovered his old expression--an expressiontinged with profound regret. From the hall below came the tones ofRupert Ravenspur demanding to know what it was all about.
"Go and tell your grandfather," Ralph said quietly. "Everybody who comesnear us is fated, it seems. Poor Tchigorsky is no more. He was amysterious man, and wonderfully reticent as to his past life, but he wasthe most interesting man I ever met. But I shall never hear anythingmore about Tibet."
"He was a very old friend of yours?" Marion asked.
"Not so very old," Ralph replied. "And I should hardly call him afriend. We were mutually interested in certain scientific matters. Butas to the marvelous side of things he told me nothing."
Speaking by the letter this was perfectly true. Tchigorsky had toldRalph nothing, for the simple reason that they had learned and sufferedtogether.
"Then why did he come here?" Marion demanded.
"To try to solve the mystery. He declared that Orientalism was at thebottom of it. But we shall never know now. Tchigorsky is no more, andsuch knowledge as he may have possessed has gone down to the sea withhim."
Marion turned away with a sigh. Slight as their acquaintance had been,she had been drawn to Tchigorsky, she said. Strange that whoever triedto help the house of Ravenspur should come under the ban.
"But Tchigorsky was drowned," said Ralph.
"No, indeed," Marion replied. "Oh, I know there are no signs of violenceon the body. I know how dangerous the broken balustrade is; but I havemy opinions all the same."
"You are wrong in this case," Ralph said, as he walked away.
Presently other people began to arrive. For the first time for manyyears Ravenspur was invaded by strangers--a policeman or two, a fussilypolite inspector, a journalist with a colleague, pushing everywhere.They would have interviewed Rupert Ravenspur, but the cold glitter ofhis eye awed even them.
The police let Ralph alone, but Geoffrey was subjected to severequestioning. On the whole he came out of the ordeal better than Ralphhad anticipated.
"You managed that very well," he said.
"I feel horribly mean and guilty. All these prevarications--"
"Call them lies, if you like," Ralph put in coolly. "It doesn't matter.Think of the good cause. If ever the end may justify the means it ishere. You are deceiving only our enemies; you are injuring nobody. Andyou are giving Tchigorsky a heaven-sent opportunity."
"I doubt it, uncle. Clever as Tchigorsky is, well as he may disguisehimself, he will fail. Did not Princess Zaza pick you both out atLassa?"
"That was not quite the same thing. Remember she knew beforehand that wewere going to make the attempt to reach the holy city. She allowed us togo so far because she is naturally a cruel woman. Moreover, all the timeher spies had been dogging our footsteps.
"Before nightfall she will firmly believe Tchigorsky to be dead, whichis a great point in his favor. She does not know that her other twomiscreants have met with a deserved fate. Tchigorsky will go to her,passing as one of them, and will tell her a wonderful tale as to how heand his ally compassed Voski's death. He will tell how that deathentailed the death of his companion."
"It is a fearfully dangerous position."
"Oh, it is. But Tchigorsky will not mind that. He loves danger for itsown sake. And he will be able to act the character to the life. Hespeaks the language perfectly; he is up to all the rites and ceremonies.Tchigorsky will not fail."
The inquest was appointed for the afternoon. It was not likely to lastlong, and the verdict in the minds of most people was a foregoneconclusion. Tchigorsky had walked out into the darkness, he had stumbledover the cliffs, and there was an end of the matter.
Meanwhile the police seemed to have taken possession of the house. Andall the time Tchigorsky was seated in a comfortable lounge in Ralph'sroom, smoking cigarettes and making plans for the future.
Geoffrey had gone out after luncheon. He would not be wanted for a fullhour and resented the vulgar curiosity of these strangers. Already someof the jury had arrived, and were critically examining the brokenbalustrades with an owl-like wisdom which, in other circumstances, wouldhave been amusing.
Geoffrey walked along up the slope toward Jessop's farm. He met a smallgoverness cart drawn by a donkey coming down the hill. In it was Mrs.May driving slowly along. She pulled up as she saw Geoffrey and held outher hand. Her face was very clear and bright to-day.
"You see, I have already adapted myself to circumstances," she said whenGeoffrey had asked politely and feelingly after the injured foot. "Thedonkey and I are old friends and Jessop got the cart for me. So I am allright. By the way, what is it I hear about your finding a body down onthe sands?"
"It is quite true," Geoffrey said gravely. "The body of Dr. Tchigorsky."
"Tchigorsky! Dr. Tchigorsky! Do you really mean that?"
The smooth, velvety voice had risen to a hoarse scream. Disappointment,joy, relief danced across the woman's gleaming eyes. For the moment sheseemed to forget that she had a companion.
"What a dreadful thing!" she said, catching her natural voice again."How did it happen?"
Geoffrey gave her the details without flinching.
"It was a bit of shock for us," he said, "but we are accustomed to them.Of course it will be brought in that the poor fellow met with anaccident, but there is not the slightest doubt that the poor fellow wasmurdered."
"Murdered! Why should you say that?"
"I don't know. Of course I have no evidence. But Tchigorsky chose tointerest himself in our affairs, and he has paid the penalty. That wasexactly what Marion said when she saw the body."
"So that poor child actually saw the corpse! How terrible!"
"Marion did not seem to mind. She is small and slender, but has courageand resolution."
Mrs. May nodded. She had received information that was a long way frombeing distasteful to her. She plied Geoffrey with questions as to whatTchigorsky had said and done, but Geoffrey evaded them all. Tchigorskyhad said nothing; he had hinted vaguely at what he was going to do.
"I knew him years ago," said Mrs. May.
"Oh, indeed!" Geoffrey replied. "He never mentioned that."
Mrs. May drew a long breath. Evidently she had nothing to fear. Herarch-enemy had gone to his account, leaving no mischief behind. Sooneror later the man would have had to be removed; now he had gone away,saving all the trouble. Really, it was very considerate of Tchigorsky.
"You might come to the inquest and say he was a friend of yours," saidGeoffrey.
Mrs. May looked at him sharply. Had she said too much or did he suspect?But Geoffrey's eyes were clear and innocent of meaning. Mrs. Mayshuddered. These kind of horrors made her ill, she said.
"Pray do not mention that fact," she implored. "It can do no good and itmay cause a great deal of harm."
Geoffrey disclaimed every intention of making mischief. Besides, as Mrs.May pointed out, there was his uncle Ralph. Geoffrey shrugged hisshoulders.
"It is a hard thing to say," he murmured, "but my poor uncle's testimonywould not carry much weight. That accident he had some years ago injuredhis brain. But he is harmless."
Mrs. May exchanged a few more or less banal remarks with her companionand drove on. She had got nothing out of Geoffrey, but he had baffledher and, what was more, had succeeded in lulling a set of livelysuspicious to sleep.
The inquest turned out as he had anticipated. The suggestion of foulplay was never raised. A surgeon testified to the fact that the deceasedmet his death by drowning, and that the injury to the face was doubtlesscaused by a fall on the rocks. Beyond that the condition of the body wasnormal.
Geoffrey's evidence was plain and to the point. He had little to say. Herepudiated the suggestion that the family enemy had had anything to dowith the thing. Dr. Tchigorsky was merely a passing visitor; he had metwith an accident, and there was a
n end of the matter. It was impossibleto say more than that.
Then, to the manifest disappointment of those who had come prepared tobe thrilled with sensational details, the inquest was over almost beforeit had begun. Directed by the coroner, the jury brought in a verdict of"Found Drowned, but how the deceased came by his death there was noevidence to show." Rupert Ravenspur rose from his seat and ordered theservants to clear the house.
"See that they are all out at once," he said. "Half an hour ago I foundtwo women--ladies, I suppose they call themselves--in the picturegallery with guide books in the hands. Really, there is no sense ofdecency nowadays."
The curious crowd were forced back and once more Ravenspur resumed itsnormal aspect.
"I will see to the burial," Ravenspur said. "The poor man seems to haveno friends. And I feel to a certain extent guilty. Geoffrey, you willsee that all proper arrangements are made for the funeral?"
Geoffrey bowed his head gravely.
"Yes, sir," he said. "I will see to that."