CHAPTER XLVI
NEARING THE END
It was some time before any one spoke. Geoffrey was turning the wholematter over in his mind. He was still puzzled.
"I don't understand it," he said. "Of course, I follow all you say, andI see the nature of the plot intended to end us all at one fell swoop.But why do you want to have that woman under the roof?"
"Because so long as she is under the roof she is comparativelyharmless," Tchigorsky explained. "The princess is hot and vengeful andpassionate, but she has her vein of caution and will take no unnecessaryrisks. She will be bewildered and will not know whether she had beensuspected or not. The more cordial to her you are the more suspiciousshe will be. Of course, she will make up some plausible tale to accountfor her intrusion, and, of course, you must pretend to believe it. Itwill be impossible to move her for a day or two, and here I come in."
"In what way?" Geoffrey asked.
"In the way of having a free hand," Tchigorsky said, with a smile. "Theprincess will be cut off from her allies, and I shall be able to ransackher private papers for one thing."
Geoffrey nodded. He began to see the force of Tchigorsky's cleverscheme. And then the cold solitude of the house struck him. For a momenthe had forgotten all about the family still on the beach and the agonythey were suffering on his account.
"I suppose you can do no more to-night?" he asked.
"I am not so sure of that," Tchigorsky said dryly. "Meanwhile I cansafely rest for an hour or so. I am going to lie hidden in Ralph'sbedroom for the present and smoke his tobacco. Do you want anything?"
"I should like to relieve the minds of my friends," said Geoffrey.
"That of course," Tchigorsky responded. "Go at once. You were picked upby a passing boat--or yacht--that landed you at Manby. You walked backand when you got home to change your clothes you found the placedeserted. Don't say anything as to Mrs. May. Your Uncle Ralph will havethat story to tell when you return. You are not to know anything aboutMrs. May."
"All right," Geoffrey said cheerfully. "Now I'll be off."
He made his way down the cliffs unseen. There were lanterns flittingabout the shore; he could see the flash of Marion's white dress and Veraby her side. He came gently alongside them.
"Vera," he said. "What is all this about?"
Vera turned and gave a cry. She was acting her part as well as possible,and the cry seemed genuine. But the tears in her eyes were tears ofthankfulness that the sufferings of those dear to her were ended. Sheclung to her lover; her lips pressed his.
Marion stood there white and still as a statue. The girl seemed to befrozen. Geoffrey's touch thawed her into life again.
"Geoffrey!" she screamed, "Geoffrey! Thank God, thank God! Never againwill I----"
With another scream that rang high and clear, the girl fell unconsciousat his feet. He raised her up tenderly as the others came rushingforward. There was a babel of confused cries, hoarse cheers, and yellsof delight. The villagers were running wild along the sands. Scores ofmen pressed eagerly round to shake Geoffrey's hand.
"I was picked up by a yacht," he said. "Of course I know there was foulplay. I know all about the broken mast and the sawn oars. You may restassured I will take more care another time. And I was----"
Geoffrey was going to say that he had been warned, but he checkedhimself in time. His progress toward home was more or less a royal one.It touched him to see how glad people were. He had not imagined apopularity like this.
Vera clung fondly to his arm; Rupert Ravenspur walked proudly on theother side. Not once had the old man showed the slightest sign ofbreaking down, but he came perilously near to it at the present time.Marion held to him trembling. She felt it almost impossible to dragherself along.
"You are quaking from head to foot," said Ravenspur.
"I am," Marion admitted. "And at the risk of increasing your displeasureI should say you are very little better, dear grandfather. I fear theshock of seeing Geoffrey after all this fearful suspense has been toomuch for you."
Ravenspur admitted the fact. He was glad to find himself at home again,glad to be rid of the rocking, cheering crowd outside, and glad to seeGeoffrey opposite him. Marion, pale as death, had dropped into a chair.
"I am going to give you all some wine," said Geoffrey. "You need it.Please do not let us discuss my adventure any more. Let us drop thesubject."
Ralph glided in, feeling his way into the room. He congratulatedGeoffrey as coolly as he would have done in the most tritecircumstances. He was acting his part in his own wooden, stupid way.
"I also have had my adventures," he croaked.
"I hope the castle is all right," Ravenspur observed.
"The same idea occurred to me," Ralph went on. "One so afflicted asmyself could not be of much service on the beach, so I came back to thecastle. It occurred to me as possible that our enemy would takeadvantage of the place being deserted. So I passed the time wanderingabout the corridors.
"A little time ago I heard a violent commotion and screaming outsideGeoffrey's room. I got to the spot as soon as possible, but when Iarrived the noise had ceased. Then I stumbled over the body of a woman."
"Woman?" Ravenspur cried. "Impossible!"
"Not in the least," Ralph said coolly. "I picked her up, she wasunconscious. My medical knowledge, picked up in all parts of the world,told me that the woman was suffering from some physical shock. That shewas not in any danger her steady pulse showed. I placed her on the bedin the blue room."
"And there she is now?" Marion exclaimed.
"So far as I know," Ralph replied. "What she was doing here I haven'tthe slightest idea."
"And you don't know who she is?" Mrs. Gordon asked.
"How should I? I am blind. I should say that the woman was up to no goodhere; but I dare say it is possible that she has some decent excuse. Onthe other hand, she might be one of our deadly foes. Anyway, there sheis, and there she is likely to be for some time to come."
Marion rose to her feet.
"Uncle Ralph," she said, "I feel that I could shake you. Have you nofeeling?"
"We can't all have your tender heart," Ralph said meekly.
Marion ignored the compliment. She took up the decanter and poured out aglass of wine.
"I am going upstairs at once," she said. "Enemy or no enemy, the poorcreature cannot be neglected. You need not come, Vera."
Vera, too, had risen to her feet. She was not going to be put aside.
"But I am coming," she said. "I will not allow you to go up those stairsalone. And Geoffrey shall accompany us."
Marion said no more. She seemed strangely anxious and restless.
Geoffrey followed with a lamp in his hands. Mrs. May lay quietly there,breathing regularly and apparently in a deep sleep.
Marion bent over the bed. As she did so she gasped and the color lefther face. She fell away with a cry like fear.
"Oh," she shuddered. "Oh, it is Mrs. May!"
Vera bent over the bed. She unfastened the dress at the throat.
"What does it matter?" she said. "I know you don't like the woman, butshe is suffering. Marion, where are your tender feelings?"
Marion said nothing. But she came directly to Vera's side. And Geoffreyglancing at Marion's rigid white face wondered what it all meant.