power.
Only three days before she had read a paragraph in "M.A.P." regardinghis enormous wealth and his far-reaching power and influence. Thewriter said that Samuel Statham was a man who seldom smiled, and whoseown secretary scarcely knew him, so aloof did he hold himself from theworld. And it was added that he, possessor of millions, preferred hotbaked potatoes on a winter's night to the finest dishes which a Frenchchef could contrive.
He was a man of simplest tastes, yet strangely erratic in his movements;a man whose foresight in business matters was little short ofmiraculous, and whose very touch seemed to turn dross to gold. He haddeclined half-a-dozen invitations to meet royalty at royalty's expresswish, and when offered a peerage by the Prime Minister before the lateGovernment went out of office he had respectfully declined the preferredhonour. Sam Statham sneered at society, and turned a cold shoulder toit--a fact which caused society to be all the more eager to know him.
Marion recollected every word of this as she sat in wonder at the actualmotive of her visit. Her eyes wandered around the fine room with itsbeautiful pictures, its priceless pieces of statuary, and its greatChinese vases that were loot from the Summer Palace at Pekin. The airof wealth and luxury impressed her, while even the arrangement of theelectric lights, placed out of sight behind the book-cases and reflectedinto the centre of the apartment, was so cunningly devised that theillumination was bright without being glaring.
"And so you have a lover in secret--eh?" he laughed, leaning back andregarding her with half-closed eyes. "Like every other girl, you dreamof marriage and happiness--a shadowy dream, I can assure you. Happinessis as tangible as the moonbeams, and love as fleeting as the sunset.But you are young, and will disbelieve me. I don't ask you to heed me,indeed, for I am old and world-weary and soured of life. I only urgeupon you to pause, and think deeply, very deeply and earnestly, beforeyou plight your troth to any man. Most men are unworthy, and all menare liars."
Had he brought her there at that unusual hour to deliver a discourseupon the perils of affection?
She sat listening to him without uttering a word. But she thought ofMax--her Max, who loved her so dearly and so well--and she laughedwithin herself at the old man's well-meant warnings.
His words were those of a man whose happiness had been wrecked by somewoman, vain and worthless.
Why had he insisted that she should visit him in secret? To her, hismotive was a complete enigma, rendered the more complicated by hisvigorous denunciation of affection, and all that appertained to it.
CHAPTER THIRTY.
THE SPIDER'S PARLOUR.
"What you have told me, Miss Rolfe, concerning your brother'sengagement, interests me greatly," the old fellow said at last. "He isentirely in my confidence, and a most valuable assistant, therefore I,naturally, am very anxious that he should not make an unhappy marriage."
"I--I hope that you will not say that I have told you," exclaimed thegirl quickly. "I know I ought not to--"
"Whatever is said between us in this room, Miss Rolfe, is said instrictest confidence," the millionaire declared. "I have a good manysecrets in my keeping, you know. Therefore rest assured that whateveryou tell me goes no further."
"You are against his marriage," she suggested, looking him boldly in theface.
"I have not said so. I am only seeking information abort the lady--MaudPetrovitch, I think you said was her name?"
"Whatever I can tell you is only in her favour. She was a dear--a verydear friend of mine."
"Ah! then you have quarrelled--eh?" he said, looking at her sharply.
"You said she was your friend--you used the past tense."
"I know."
"Why?"
"Because,"--and she grew confused--"well, because something hashappened."
"To interrupt pure friendship?"
She did not reply. He had craftily led up the conversation to Maud, andwas, as he had openly told her, seeking information. He watched theflush upon her cheeks, and the nervous manner in which she picked at herskirt.
"And yet, though you are friends no longer, you are in favour of yourbrother's marriage with the lady? That appears strange. I suppose heloves her. Every man loves at his age, and lives to regret it atforty," he added with that touch of biting sarcasm that was neverabsolutely absent from his remarks.
"Yes; Charlie does love her. I'm convinced of that. And her devotionto him has always been very marked, from the first time they wereintroduced at Aix-les-Bains. She has told me how deep is her affectionfor him."
"At Aix-les-Bains," Statham exclaimed in surprise: "I thought DoctorPetrovitch lived in London?"
"And so he did--until recently."
"Where is he now? I would much like to meet him again."
"I do not know. He left London suddenly with his daughter."
"Your brother would know, of course."
"No. He also is unaware of their present whereabouts," she answeredquickly, adding: "Recollect your promise not to mention the matter tohim."
"When I make a promise, Miss Rolfe, I keep it," was his grave response."Only forgive me for saying so, but you appear to be a little evasiveregarding the Doctor's daughter."
"Evasive?" she echoed. "I don't understand you, Mr Statham."
"Well, you are trying to mislead me," he answered, knitting his browsand looking her straight in the face. "And let me say that when you tryto mislead Sam Statham you have a difficult task."
She started at his sudden change of manner, and again became confused.
"Now," he said, bending forward to her from his chair, "let usunderstand each other at the outset. You were the most intimate friendof this girl Maud who, with her father, suddenly disappeared fromLondon. The facts of their disappearance are already known to me, I mayas well tell you that much. They vanished, and took their householdgoods with them. Perhaps they were afraid of anarchists or politicalenemies, or perhaps the Doctor is wanted by the police. Who knows? Itwas a mystery, and as such remains, is not that so?"
She nodded. This knowledge of his astounded her. She had believed thatthe disappearance was only known to the two or three persons who hadbeen the Petrovitchs' personal friends. She little dreamed of the manyspies in the pay of the great financier, men and women who reported tohim any political move at home or abroad which might influence themarkets. The world had often believed that Sam Statham was omnipresent.They knew nothing of his agents, or of their secret visits.
"Now, Miss Rolfe, let us advance one step further," the old man said,still keeping his keen gaze upon hers. "If you will kindly carry yourmind back to the day of their disappearance, you will remember that youaccompanied the Doctor's daughter to a concert at Queen's Hall."
"How do you know that?" she cried, starting up from her chair.
"How I know it is immaterial," he said firmly. "Kindly re-seatyourself."
"I will not," she declared boldly. "You are cross-examining me asthough I were a criminal. This is outrageous!"
"I politely request you to sit down, Miss Rolfe," he said, never movinga muscle.
Her beautiful face was flushed with resentment and anger, as, standingerect before him, she faced him in open defiance.
"I see no further point in this interview," was her cool reply. "I willgo."
"I think it would be wiser for you to remain," he responded in a low,determined voice; "wiser for you to answer my questions."
"I have already answered them."
"I wish to know something further," he said, stirring again in hischair, and waving his hand with a repeated request that she would bere-seated.
"I have nothing to conceal," was her reply, attempting to smile. "Whyshould I?"
"Why, indeed," he said, "I may as well tell you that I have reasons--very strong business reasons--for elucidating this mystery concerningDoctor Petrovitch. To me it involves a question of many thousands ofpounds. I have considerable interests out in Servia, as your brothermay have explained to you. I must find the D
octor, and the reason Ihave asked you here to-night is to invoke your aid in assisting me to doso. Can I be more explicit?"
He looked in her face, but a shrewd observer would have known by thewavering smile at the corners of his mouth that he was not speaking theexact truth. There was some trick or motive underlying it all.
Though she did not detect this, she was still undecided. Anger wasaroused within her by his commanding manner. His attitude had changedso suddenly that she had been taken thoroughly aback.
"I am afraid, Mr Statham, that I cannot render you any assistance indiscovering the whereabouts of the