CHAPTER LV
A SHOCK FOR THE PRINCESS
It was not a pleasant task, but it had to be done. Fortunately it waspossible to do everything discreetly and in order, for the vaults werelarge, and there was not the slightest chance that any of the householdwould come near.
The bodies were laid out there and the key turned upon them. Geoffreylooked at his companions and inquired what was to be done next.
"Inform the head of the house and send for the police", Tchigorsky said;"so far as I can see, it will be impossible to keep the matter a secret.Nor are we to blame. Those men came here for no good purpose, and wetook steps to prevent them from entering the house.
"Unfortunately, we forgot there would be an exceptionally high tideto-day, and consequently they have paid the penalty of their folly. Butwe can't bury these two fellows as we did the others."
"Hadn't we better search them?" Ralph suggested. "They came in responseto the note sent them by their mistress. The note was opened and read.One of them is sure to have the letter on his person."
"Then let the police find it," Tchigorsky said promptly. "It will be thelink in the evidence that we require. When you and I come to tell ourstory, Ralph, and the police find that letter, the net around PrincessZara will be complete. I have only to produce that diary and the case isfinished."
Ralph nodded approval. Five minutes later and the head of the house,seated over a book in the library, was exceedingly astonished to seeRalph and Geoffrey, followed by Tchigorsky, enter the room.
He swept a keen glance over their faces; he saw at once they had news ofgrave import for him.
"I do not understand," he said. "Dr. Tchigorsky, I am amazed. I wasunder the impression that you were dead and buried."
"Other people shared the same opinion, sir," Tchigorsky said coolly."The great misfortune of another man was my golden opportunity. It wasnecessary for certain people to regard me as dead--your enemiesparticularly. But perhaps I had better explain."
"It would be as well," Ravenspur murmured.
Tchigorsky proceeded to clear the mystery of Voski's death. He had totell the whole story, beginning at Lassa and going on to the end.Ravenspur listened with the air of a man who dreams. To a man used allhis life to the quiet life of an English shire it seemed impossible tobelieve that such things could be. And why should these people persecutehim; why should they come here? What did those men mean by drowningthemselves in the vaults?
"They came here at the instigation of Mrs. May," Tchigorsky said.
"But I don't see how that lady comes to be in it at all."
"You will in a minute," said Tchigorsky grimly. "You will when I tellyou that Mrs. May and Princess Zara are one and the same person."Ravenspur gasped. The bare idea of having such a woman under his rooffilled him with horror. Even yet he could not understand his danger.
"But why does she come?" he demanded. "For revenge on you two?"
"Oh, no. My being here was a mere coincidence. Of course, the princesswould have removed me sooner or later. Ralph, strange to say, she doesnot recognize at all, possibly because he has disguised himself withsuch simple cleverness. Princess Zara came here to destroy yourfamily."
"In the name of Heaven, why?"
"Partly for revenge, partly for money. I told you all about her husband,who was an English officer. I told you why she had married him. When shediscovered the papers she wanted, then she killed him and returned toher own people, giving out that she and her husband had perished upcountry in a fearful cholera epidemic. She wanted money. Why not killoff her husband's family one by one so that finally the estates shouldcome to her? Mr. Ravenspur, surely you have guessed who was the Englishofficer Princess Zara married?"
Ravenspur staggered back as before a heavy blow. The illuminating flashalmost stunned him. He fell gasping into a chair.
"My son, Jasper," he said hoarsely. "That fiend is his widow."
"And Marion's mother," Ralph croaked.
Geoffrey was almost as much astonished as his grandfather. He wonderedwhy he had not seen all this before. Once explained, the problem wasridiculously simple. Ravenspur covered his face with his hands.
"Marion must not know," he said. "It would kill her."
"She knows already," Tchigorsky said. "That woman has great influenceover her child. And the idea was for the child to get everything. Theothers were to be killed off until she was the only one left. With thislarge fortune at command Zara meant to be another Queen of Sheba. Andshe would have succeeded, too."
Ravenspur shuddered. He was torn by conflicting emotions. Perhapstenderness and sympathy for Marion were uppermost. How much did sheknow? How much had she guessed? Was she entirely in the dark as to hermother's machinations, or had she come resolved to protect the relativesas much as possible?
Ravenspur poured out these questions one after another. Tchigorskycould or would say nothing to relieve the other's feelings on thesepoints.
"What you ask has nothing to do with the case," he said. "I have provedto you, I am prepared to prove in any court of law, how your family hasbeen destroyed and who is the author of the mischief.
"She is under your roof, where she is powerless to move. Her twoconfederates lie dead in the vaults yonder. I have already explained toyou how it came about that the princess is here and how her infernalapparatus failed. It now remains to call in the police."
"There will be a fearful scandal," Ravenspur groaned.
Tchigorsky glanced at him impatiently. The cosmopolitan knew a greatmany things that were sealed books to Ravenspur--in point of knowledgeit was as a child alongside a great master; but Tchigorsky knew nothingof family pride.
"Which will be forgotten in a week," he said emphatically. "And when thething is over you will be free again. You cannot realize what that meansas yet."
"No," Ravenspur said. "I cannot."
"Nevertheless, you can see for yourself that what I say is a fact,"Tchigorsky resumed. "And as a county magistrate and a deputy-lieutenantyou would hardly venture to suggest that we should bury those bodies andsay nothing to anybody about it?"
Ravenspur nodded approval. A few minutes later a groom was carrying anote to the police inspector at Alton. Ravenspur turned to Tchigorskywith a manner more genial than he usually assumed.
"I have forgotten to thank you," he said. "And you, Ralph, have savedthe house. If you can forget the past----" He said no more, but his handwent out. Ralph seemed to divine it and pressed it closely. There was noword uttered on either side. But they both understood and Ralph smiled.Geoffrey had never seen his uncle smile before. The expression of hisface was genial, almost handsome. His wooden look had utterlydisappeared and nobody ever saw it again. The transformation of RalphRavenspur was not the least wonderful incident of the whole mysteriousaffair.
The door opened and Vera came lightly into the room.
"What does all this mystery mean?" she asked. "Geoffrey, you are--Dr.Tchigorsky!"
The last words came with a scream that might have been heard all overthe house. Tchigorsky closed the door and proceeded rapidly to explain.But it was not the full explanation he had given to the others. Therewas time enough for that.
Vera was too bewildered to ask questions. At a sign from Geoffrey sheslipped from the room. Then she recollected that she had come downstairson an errand of mercy. She promised to get a cup of tea for the womanwhom she still knew as Mrs. May. She procured the tea from the drawingroom and, in a dazed kind of state made her way up the stairs again.
Mrs. May was sitting up in bed. There was a pink spot on either cheekand her dark eyes were blazing.
"I hope nothing is wrong," she said. "It might have been my fancy, butit seemed to me that I heard you call Tchigorsky's name at the top ofyour voice."
The suggestion was made with a fervent earnestness that the woman couldnot repress. But Vera did not notice it.
"I did," she said. "I walked into the library, hearing voices there, andin a chair Dr. Tchigorsky was seated. No wonder tha
t I cried out. It wasa fearful shock. And when he began to talk I could not believe theevidence of my senses."
"Then who was it that was buried?"
The woman asked the question mechanically. She knew perfectly well whatthe reply would be; she knew that she had been discovered at last, andthat the murder of Voski had been turned to good purpose by Tchigorsky.And she knew now who her new ally, Ben Heer, really was.
"Dr. Voski," Vera explained. "I have been hearing all about Lassa and acertain Princess Zara, who seems to be a dreadful wretch. But I fearthat I am exciting you. And you haven't drunk your tea."
The woman gulped down her tea and then fell back on her bed, closing hereyes. She wanted to be alone, to have time to think. Danger hadthreatened her before, but not living, palpitating peril like this. Veracrept away and the woman rose again, but she could not get from her bed.
Passionate, angry tears filled her eyes.
"That man has beaten me," she groaned. "It is finished for good and all.But their revenge will not be of long duration."