was the young woman's answer. "But of latethe young mistress's mind seems constantly filled with morbid thoughts.She's always talking of her death--and only a few days ago she actuallygave me some of her trinkets, saying that she would never require themagain."
"That's strange," I said, sighing, for I, alas! knew the reason. "Youmust try and prevent her giving way to such thoughts. Go to herboudoir, and tell her that after dinner I desire to see her. I'll comeup here later and see you--at nine o'clock."
"Very well, sir," was the maid's reply, and then I descended to the longmeal, where the chatter was gay, and the serving of the most ceremoniouscharacter.
The brilliant women on either side of me interested me not a jot. Myonly thought was for my absent well-beloved.
After dinner I eagerly sought Weston, who said--"No, sir. She has notrung."
"Then take me to her," I said, "I wish to see her at once."
"But--"
"I will take the responsibility upon myself," I said. "Go and announceme."
Reluctantly the maid went along the corridor and tapped at the door.There was no response. I stood behind her as she tapped twice, thenopened the door. But the room was empty. The candles were burning uponthe writing-table, and in the room was a smell of burnt paper, while inthe grate lay a quantity of tinder. She had been destroying someletters or papers. Weston was aghast to find that her mistress wasabsent.
I went to the grate and saw that every particle of paper had beenconsumed.
The maid went along to my love's room, but emerged quickly, saying--
"I think her ladyship must have gone out. Her cape and motor-cap havegone."
In an instant it was evident that having destroyed her private papersshe had slipped out into the park unseen.
I rushed downstairs, and finding Keene in the smoking-room took himquickly out into the hall, and told him of my grave apprehensions,whereupon he was in an instant on the alert.
"She surely cannot have carried out her threat!" he gasped. "We musttry to find her at once. Not an instant must be lost! The burning ofher papers is sufficient proof of the fatal step she contemplated.Come, let's go in search at once."
And breathlessly, fearing the worst, we took our caps and hurried outinto the chill windy night.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.
REVEALS SOME SECRETS.
For some time we rushed hither and thither in breathless anxiety,convinced that having burned all her letters, her intentions were thoseof self-destruction.
Some untoward event had evidently occurred of which we knew nothing, andshe had been forced to the last extremity. We had explored all mylove's favourite walks, but in that gusty storm that swept across thepark we could hear nothing. It was not exactly dark, but the moon wasovercast by heavy rain-clouds, and passing through that portion of thegrounds known as "the wilderness," a wild tangle of rhododendrons andlaurels, with big old trees from which the leaves fell in showers uponus, we at length approached the lake, a large sheet of water in thecentre of the wild uncultivated spot, where the moorhen nestedundisturbed and the lordly heron roosted high above. The spot waslonely and unfrequented--the place, no doubt, she would select if shereally intended to take her own life.
We both approached it, fearing the worst. The shrill cries of thenight-birds sounded above the moaning of the wind, while before us laythe broad sheet of water grey and mysterious in the clouded moon.
We had walked some distance along its edge, when Keene suddenly grippedmy arm, and whispered--
"Look!--look ahead! can't you see her?--with a man!"
I strained my eyes, and there, sure enough, wearing a dark cloak, shestood erect, statuesque, with the pale light falling upon her whiteface, while the man had apparently gripped her arm and dragged her fromthe water's edge.
Next moment I was beside the pair, and to my dismay recognised that hercompanion was the fellow Logan, whom I had last seen entering that darkunlit house outside Milan.
"What's the meaning of this?" I cried in quick anger. "Release thatlady, and tell me why I find you here with her."
"I am here to save her," was his calm reply. "I have already preventedher taking a fatal step, and if you will accompany me to the Hall Ithink you will find that, instead of proving myself her enemy, I shallshow her that I am her friend. You think evil of me, I know--both ofyou. But an innocent woman's life shall not be sacrificed. I came herefrom London to-night, in order to meet another lady, the Countess ofStanchester, but by good fortune I met Lady Lolita, and she has told methe truth."
"Of what?" inquired Keene.
"Of what I will reveal on our return to the Hall," was the man's answer."You know much that you have not told, but to save her ladyship here, Iwill now make the whole thing plain."
"But why have you not spoken before? You had plenty of opportunity,"Keene remarked.
"Because something that Lady Lolita has just told me makes it plain howcleverly her enemies succeeded in closing my lips. Come, it is cold.Her ladyship is shivering."
"Come with me, Lolita," I said, and linking my arm in hers led her backalong the path through the wilderness and across her Saints' Garden tothe Hall.
The four of us were silent, all too occupied with own our thoughts todiscuss the matter with each other. The sudden determination of the manLogan showed me that he meant at last to tell all that he knew.
"Lolita," I whispered into her ear, just as we were about to enter thehouse, "whatever caused you to contemplate such a terrible stepto-night?"
A shudder ran through her as she answered--
"Because--because of the letter Marigold sent to me by Weston. She toldme that to-night, because I refused to give you up, she would tellGeorge the truth!"
The man Logan overheard her answer, and urged her to remain patient.
"Take us at once to Lady Stanchester, Mr Woodhouse," he urged, as wewent in by a side entrance to avoid any guests who might be playingbridge in the large hall.
Thereupon I rang for Slater, and told him to make inquiries where herladyship was, and to take us straight to her.
Ten minutes later the old butler returned saying--
"Her ladyship is with the Earl in the blue boudoir, sir." And eyeingLogan with some surprise, he added, "Will you step this way?"
We followed him upstairs, along a corridor on the first floor, until heopened a door, and bowing said--
"Mr Woodhouse desires to see you urgently, m'lady."
Next second the four of us were in the small elegantly furnished roomupholstered in pale blue damask and gold, where the Earl and his wifewere in consultation.
"You!" he cried in fury, when his eyes fell upon Lolita. "Leave thisplace at once, woman! Marigold has just told me everything--that it wasyou who killed your lover in the park--that it was you who--"
"Excuse me, my lord," interrupted Logan, coming forward, whereupon atsight of him the Countess fell back with a loud cry of dismay--a deathlypallor overspreading her countenance.
Her hand went to her throat convulsively and she gasped as though shewere being strangled. Then, next instant, her teeth were set hard, hernails were clenched into the palms, her shoulders were elevated, and shestood rigid as a statue, and yet magnificent in her dinner-gown of palepink and shimmering silver.
She tried to face Lolita, the woman whom she had hounded to her death,but her gaze wavered, and I saw that her effort to regain herself-composure was an utterly vain one. She trembled visibly from headto foot, while the expression in her eyes was sufficient to show theterror now consuming her.
The Earl noticing the change in her, and how she shrank from us, lookedfrom Keene to the stranger, and asked--
"Well, sir? I have not the pleasure of knowing you. Who are you?"
"My name is Alfred Logan, architect by profession and--well, adventurerby inclination," he replied. "I presume from your words that your wifehas denounced your sister, Lady Lolita, as the murderess of young HughWingfield in your park, and has also laid cer
tain other charges againstthat lady? Fortunately, however, I am in a position to reveal to youthe other side of the question, and reveal facts which I believe youwill find both startling and remarkable."
"Tell me?" exclaimed George hoarsely. "I suppose you intend toretaliate by making charges against my wife--eh?"
"Yes!" cried the unhappy woman, clinging to her husband. "That man ismy worst enemy, George--save me from him--save me if you love me!"
"Your husband has no power to save you, madam," exclaimed Logan in acold distinct voice, while we all stood rooted to the spot. "It is myduty, knowing the truth as I do, to tell it, and to leave your husbandto form his own conclusions. To-night, knowing that Lady Lolita, drivento