CHAPTER XL
Therefore there was nothing to be done. Perhaps after the lapse of yearsMark might be told the strange sequel to the story. Sir Charles might bevisited from time to time in the place where he would choose to hidehimself. It would be by no means an enviable fate for a man who hadlived and enjoyed the world as Sir Charles had done, but he must lie onthe bed that he had made.
"It shall be exactly as you say," Beatrice said. "One moment and I willbe with you again. I have some friends, downstairs, who will wonder atmy long absence. I will go and make some excuse for you. Perhaps you hadbetter come to the foot of the stairs."
At the foot of the stairs leading to the great hall, Mark stood waiting.At the sight of him Sir Charles drew back, muttering something by nomeans complimentary to the young man, under his breath.
"I stay in the bedroom till he has gone," he said, as he stepped back.
Beatrice hoped that her face did not betray signs of very muchagitation. All the same, she rather wondered why Mark looked at her sovery fixedly. Perhaps it was an uneasy conscience that was troubling thegirl. Mark's first words startled her.
"So you have been the first to find it out?" he said.
"Find out what?" Beatrice stammered. "I--I don't understand what youmean."
"My dear girl, why try to blind me to the truth? Field told meBerrington actually _knows_ that your father was concealed at 100,Audley Place. And I know all about that disgraceful City business,because my father told me all about it. Sir Charles has come back, hewas with you just now; he is going to make his way to the Continent."
Beatrice had no reply for the moment; her face was red with shame.
"Forgive me," she whispered at length. "You have guessed everything. Isuppose it was your quick instinct that told you my companion was myfather. But, my dearest Mark, cannot you see that he must fly? He hasthe money from Sartoris----"
"Who gave it him on purpose," Mark said eagerly. "Who bought a valuablething for a mere song, thus putting a fortune in his pocket, and gettingSir Charles out of the way for good and all, at the same time. Mydearest child, whatever your father may think or say, those ruby mineconcessions are of fabulous value. My father has gone into the mattercarefully, and he is prepared to back his opinion by large sums ofmoney. My father is never wrong in these things. There is a fortune herefor Sir Charles and also for Miss Decie. Let your father come out andsay that he has been the victim of swindlers who had resolved to get hisproperty from him. Let him call on my father, who to-morrow will givehim a cheque for ten times the amount required to get him out of all histroubles. I can guarantee that."
"You mean to say that your father is actually prepared----"
"Certainly he is--on condition that Sir Charles and he are equalpartners. I'll go and get my father to come round here now. Only I'llsee Sir Charles first."
Beatrice would have dissuaded him, but he would take no refusal. Heburst into the bedroom of the discomfited baronet and asked him toremove his disguise. Sir Charles was too weak to do more thanremonstrate in a gentlemanly way, but his troubled face grew clear asMark proceeded with the argument. The sanguine side of the baronet'snature came up again.
"Really, my dear boy, this is exceedingly kind of you," he said. "Factis, I had not the least idea that I was being treated in a reallyscandalous manner. I regarded Sartoris as a thoroughly good fellow whowas going out of his way to do me a service. And if your father saysthat those mines are valuable, I am prepared to believe him, for thereis no shrewder judge in the City. As Sartoris is dead, that deed that Isigned falls to the ground."
"It would fall to the ground in any case," Mark said, "seeing that itwas obtained by fraud. Now be so good as to dress yourself properly, andI will take a cab and go and fetch my father. The whole business can besettled on the spot."
Mark went off, Beatrice saying that she must go back to Mary Grey.
She hung lovingly on the arm of Mark as they crossed the corridor. Thelight was low there and nobody was about.
"I hope you are going to forgive me, dear," she said. "I came very nearto paying a heavy penalty for not trusting in you, Mark. But everythingis going my way now."
"Our way," Mark protested. "I don't care whether anybody is looking ornot, I am going to kiss you, dearest. You have always belonged to me andto nobody else. I cannot possibly regard you in the light of StephenRichford's widow. If I were you, I would not say anything to the othersuntil after I have settled matters between your father and mine. LetMary Grey have a good night's rest, and pack her off to bed as soon aspossible."
Mary was safely in bed and asleep before Mark came back. Berringtonstayed long enough for Beatrice to tell him exactly what had happened.The melancholy shade that Beatrice had seen so long on Berrington's facehad vanished altogether.
"My poor little girl is going to have peace and happiness at last," hesaid, with a deep thrill in his voice. "We shall value it all the morebecause we have waited for it so long, so that the three years of ourprobation will not be altogether wasted. I expect there will be a gooddeal of talk about Carl Sartoris for a few days to come, but that neednot concern Mary, who has never been identified with that scoundrel, andwhose name is Grey, after all. In the course of a few days I am going totake Mary away and we shall be married very quietly. I am determined totry to get the roses back to her cheeks again."
"I hope you will be happy, as you deserve to be," Beatrice said withsome emotion. "But I shall be sorry to lose two such good, kind friends,and----"
"You are not going to lose us," Berrington said. "I am going to give upsoldiering altogether. I have only carried it on for the last few years,because I needed something to keep me from brooding over my troubles. Iam going to settle down on my property at last. Good-night."
Beatrice shook Berrington warmly by the hand, and he kissed her littlefingers. He had barely departed before Mark was back with a little wiryman with a keen face and a pair of grey eyes that seemed to see intoeverything.
"So this is Beatrice," he said, as he shook hands. "You must let me callyou that, my dear, because you are going to be my daughter, Mark tellsme. I am a plain man who has more or less lived for business all hislife, but begins to see lately that business is not everything. It doesnot make for happiness, for instance. When I was ill I began to seethat. But at any rate the result of my business can make others happy."
Beatrice blushed and smiled. She began to see that she was going to likeMark's father very much indeed. In quite a natural way she kissed him.The little grey man beamed with pleasure.
"Now that was real nice of you," he said. "Mark has a great deal moresense and discretion than I gave him credit for. He is making a name forhimself, too. But you can't live on that kind of thing, at least not atfirst, and I'm going to give Mark L5000 a year, on condition that hetakes a pretty little place in the country, where I can come and see youweek ends. My dear, I feel that we are going to be very good friendsindeed."
"I am quite certain of it," Beatrice said with tears in her eyes."Everybody is so good to me. I can't think why, but they are."
"You'll find out if you look at yourself in the glass," Mr. Ventmorelaughed. "There the secret lies. Not a bad compliment, eh, from a manwho never tried his hand at that kind of thing before? And now let me goand see that father of yours. Did I bring my cheque-book, Mark?"
Mark gaily answered his father that he did, and together the two went upthe stairs. When they came down at length, there was an expression onthe face of Mr. Ventmore that showed that he was by no means displeasedwith himself. Sir Charles was whistling an opera tune and was regardinga cigar with an air of critical attention.
"Everything is settled," he said. "Those City people will be paid offto-morrow, and I shall be free of them altogether. I shall never touchbusiness again, Beatrice; this has been a lesson to me. And if not arich man, I shall be very comfortably off. Whatever luxuries you mayneed in the future will not have to be schemed for. My dear girl, willyou order a chicken and some salad and a
pint of some good dry champagneto be brought here? I'm particularly ravenous with hunger. Wonderful howone's appetite comes back when you get your mind free from worry. And tothink of those concessions being of that value, after all. Ring thebell, please."
The next day was a good one for the evening papers. Sir Charles wasinterviewed till he was hot and angry and disposed to order histormentors out of the room. Scotland Yard had its own version of thecase, too, which was not quite in accordance with the real facts. But asBerrington said, the excitement soon cooled down, and the next sensationdrove the recollection of Sir Charles's wonderful experience out of thepublic mind. Sir Charles and his daughter went off to the country, soas to escape so much attention, and Berrington and Mary Grey went along.At the end of the week there was a wedding at the pretty church in thevillage, and Mary was happy at last. Mark and Beatrice would have towait for six months or so, because there was public opinion to bethought of, though as a matter of fact the thing was the most emptyform.
"I hope we shall be as happy as they are," Mark said as he and Beatricewatched the train slowly glide into the darkness. "They have earned it,too."
"I think we both have," Beatrice said. "But don't look backward,especially on a day like this. Let us go into the big wood, and pickdaffodils."
And in the train Berrington had gathered his wife to his heart andkissed her tenderly. He looked down into the soft eyes from which theshadow had gone for ever.
"And you are happy at last, darling?" he said; "though you are verysilent."
"Silent, yes," Mary said quietly. "Quiet, too. But thank God no longerthe Slave of Silence!"
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