across the room, poured out some brandy from the tantalus, andcompelled the old man to swallow it. This, after a few moments, revivedhim. The faithful servant, however, stood by in wonderment. He seemedpuzzled as to what had occurred.
But the fragments of the torn cheque scattered upon the carpet showeddefiance on the part of the visitor whom he had just shown out into thenight.
Levi stooped as far as his rheumatism would allow, and slowly, veryslowly, gathered up the torn pieces of paper and placed them in thebasket, his eyes the whole time upon his master.
Straightening himself again, he spoke, making inquiry as to what hadoccurred. But his master, with a wave of his hand, commanded hissilence. Then, sinking back in his chair, he remained, staring straightbefore him like a man in a dream. He seemed peering into the future--and he saw only exposure and ruin!
Hands and teeth were clenched, for he realised that he had taken a falsestep. He had misjudged his own power and influence. He had believedthat a good and truthful woman could be purchased, as he might purchaseany other thing or chattel.
She had cast his gold into his face. She had insulted him, for she hadspoken a truth which he could not deny. Indeed, that slim, pale-facedgirl, scarce more than a child, held over him power supreme--power forlife, or for death.
The scene within that room was a strange one.
Old Levi, standing statuesque at his master's side, uttered some words.But the millionaire was silent. He only raised his grey head and satstaring at the great painting opposite--staring like a man peering intothe grim unknown.
The door that divided the watchers from the watched prevented the wordsfrom being overheard. The thickness of its glass prevented the truthbeing known to the two men standing breathless behind it. Had it beenordinary glass they would no doubt have overheard the conversationbetween the old man and his fair visitor.
The anger of both men had been aroused by Statham's attitude towards thegirl. Even Charlie, faithful and devoted as he had been to themillionaire, had now become fiercely antagonistic, for he had seen bythe old man's countenance that some terrible revenge was intended uponthe girl he loved so dearly.
Levi bent and placed his hand tenderly upon his master's shoulder.
But Statham shook him off, and, straightening himself, staggered to hisfeet and paced the room in a frenzy of despair.
Charlie recollected his agitation after the unexpected discovery of JeanAdam lounging outside the park railings. This repetition of hisapprehension showed him to be in terror of exposure and denunciation.
Maud, so slim, sweet-faced, and innocent, had defied him. She held him,the man whose power in every European capital was recognised and feared,in the hollow of her hand.
Why? Ay, to that question there was no answer. They had witnessed thescene, but they had caught no sound of one single word.
At last Levi succeeded in calming his master. He mixed him anotherbrandy and soda and handed it to him. The old man seized it withunsteady hand, and tossed it off at a single gulp.
Then he walked slowly from the room, followed by Levi.
An instant later the old servant turned the switch, and the room, andwith it the neglected conservatory, were plunged in darkness.
The two intruders listened. Voices sounded, and then died away. Amoment later they heard a thud, and knew that the old man had passedbeyond the white-enamelled door and had closed it behind him.
For another few minutes they remained in silence, then Max whispered:
"What shall we do?"
"We must get out of here," answered his friend promptly. "We're caughtlike a rat in a trap. To open either of the doors leading into thehouse is impossible. We must try and make our exit by the back," and,groping his way, he moved to the door, which opened on to a small, pavedbackyard.
But it had been secured. Levi, indeed, kept it always locked, and thekey was not there.
"To break this open will create a noise, and arouse somebody," Maxremarked.
"Well, we must get out at all hazards. We can't stay here till morningand court discovery," Rolfe argued. "If we only had a little light wemight see what we're doing. By Jove! You've got a pocket-lamp, Max.Where is it?"
"Is it safe yet to show a light?" Barclay asked dubiously. "It may beseen from outside, you know!"
"It can't. There's a blank wall opposite."
"But will not the reflection be seen by Levi from below?" asked Max.
Rolfe saw that, after all, there was some danger of detection, andadmitted it.
"Then let's wait a bit," his companion whispered. "By patience we maybe able to escape without detection. Don't let us act indiscreetly."
So the pair, leaning against one of the stands of dead flowers, waitedin silence, their ears strained to catch every sound. The momentsseemed hours, until at last, all being quiet, Max, at his friend'ssuggestion pressed the electric button of the little hand-lamp andshowed a light upon the door.
It was half of glass, with strong lock and double bolts. To escapemeant to break away a hole large enough for a man's body to pass. Maxsuggested that they might find the key hanging somewhere upon a nail, asconservatory keys are often kept, in that manner. But though theysearched the whole place, treading lightly as they went, they wereunable to discover it.
"Levi keeps it upon his bunch, I expect," Charlie remarked. "I've neverseen this door open in my life."
"That's why the flowers are all dead, perhaps," Max remarked grimly witha low laugh.
"Flowers! Old Sam declared that they were no use to him, therefore heforbade Levi to give them any water, and they all died. The old manisn't fond of flowers. Says they're only useful at weddings andfunerals."
"There won't be many at his obsequies!" laughed Max beneath his breath,as he made another examination of the door.
Both agreed that to open it was impossible, while to break out the glasswas far too risky a proceeding, for some of it must fall upon the pavingoutside.
Rain had begun to fall, pattering heavily upon the glass roof above; andas they were both searching about blindly for some other mode of egressMax suddenly exclaimed:
"Why, look here!" and pointed to a portion of the glass side of theconservatory which had opened outwardly upon a hinge, but which had beensecurely screwed up.
"Excellent!" cried Charlie, realising that an exit lay there, and,quickly drawing from his pocket a serviceable-looking screwdriver, setto work upon the screws.
They were long, and hard to withdraw, but ten minutes later all six ofthem were taken out, and, pushing back the movable frame upon itshinges, they found themselves outside in the narrow backyard.
Once free, Max turned his face upwards to the dark windows of the firstfloor of the mysterious mansion, saying: "We must get up there, Charlie,somehow or other. I'm not going from this place until I've learnt itssecret."
"No," responded his friend. "Neither am I."
CHAPTER FORTY NINE.
WHAT LAY BEHIND THE DOOR.
Above the dome-shaped roof of the conservatory was a row of four longdark windows, and still above them two further storeys. On the secondstorey in the centre of the house was a high window covered with wirenetwork, evidently a staircase window of stained glass.
The whole place was in darkness, as were the houses on either side,while at rear of them rose a blank wall, the back of one of the housesin Park Street. The only light showing was in the basement--a faintglimmer behind the green holland blinds, which showed the presence ofLevi in the lower regions.
"He sleeps in the front," remarked Charlie. "I expect, however, hekeeps this on all night."
"Where does old Sam sleep?"
"That I don't know. We'll have to discover."
The windows above the conservatory were their objective, but to ascendthere was full of peril, for, even though they could climb up, one falsestep and they would come crashing through the glass roof. This wouldmean both serious personal injury as well as instant discovery.
/> In the whispered consultation that followed, both recognised the danger,but both were equally determined to risk it. They had plenty of time.The night was still young, therefore there was no need for haste.
They made careful examination as far as they could in the very faintlight. Max was afraid to flash his electric lamp too often lest theattention of any neighbour might be attracted and an alarm of "burglars"given. Neither knew whether a servant might not be looking out upon thenight. The house they desired to enter had earned a reputation as ahouse of mystery, therefore it was more than likely that some watchfuleye of a curious neighbour, master or servant, was kept upon the rear ofthe premises.
At last, Max, who was the more athletic and nimble of the two, decidedthat the only way by which to reach the roof of the conservatory was bythe spouting at the side. The