8. _Lady Alicia's Emeralds_
Many Englishmen, if you speak to them of me, indulge themselves in adetraction that I hope they will not mind my saying is rarely gracedby the delicacy of innuendo with which some of my own countrymenattempt to diminish whatever merit I may possess. Mr. Spenser Hale, ofScotland Yard, whose lack of imagination I have so often endeavouredto amend, alas! without perceptible success, was good enough to say,after I had begun these reminiscences, which he read with affectedscorn, that I was wise in setting down my successes, because the lifeof Methuselah himself would not be long enough to chronicle myfailures, and the man to whom this was said replied that it was onlymy artfulness, a word of which these people are very fond; that Iintended to use my successes as bait, issue a small pamphlet filledwith them, and then record my failures in a thousand volumes, afterthe plan of a Chinese encyclopaedia, selling these to the public onthe instalment plan.
Ah, well; it is not for me to pass comment on such observations. Everyprofession is marred by its little jealousies, and why should thecoterie of detection be exempt? I hope I may never follow an exampleso deleterious, and thus be tempted to express my contempt for thestupidity with which, as all persons know, the official detectivesystem of England is imbued. I have had my failures, of course. Did Iever pretend to be otherwise than human? But what has been the causeof these failures? They have arisen through the conservatism of theEnglish. When there is a mystery to be solved, the average Englishmanalmost invariably places it in the hands of the regular police. Whenthese good people are utterly baffled; when their big boots havecrushed out all evidences that the grounds may have had to offer to adiscerning mind; when their clumsy hands have obliterated the clueswhich are everywhere around them, I am at last called in, and if Ifail, they say:--
'What could you expect; he is a Frenchman.'
This was exactly what happened in the case of Lady Alicia's emeralds.For two months the regular police were not only befogged, but theyblatantly sounded the alarm to every thief in Europe. All thepawnbrokers' shops of Great Britain were ransacked, as if a robber ofso valuable a collection would be foolish enough to take it to apawnbroker. Of course, the police say that they thought the thiefwould dismantle the cluster, and sell the gems separately. As to thisnecklace of emeralds, possessing as it does an historical value whichis probably in excess of its intrinsic worth, what more natural thanthat the holder of it should open negotiations with its rightfulowner, and thus make more money by quietly restoring it than by itsdismemberment and sale piecemeal? But such a fuss was kicked up, sucha furore created, that it is no wonder the receiver of the goods laylow, and said nothing. In vain were all ports giving access to theContinent watched; in vain were the police of France, Belgium, andHolland warned to look out for this treasure. Two valuable months werelost, and then the Marquis of Blair sent for me! I maintain that thecase was hopeless from the moment I took it up.
It may be asked why the Marquis of Blair allowed the regular police toblunder along for two precious months, but anyone who is acquaintedwith that nobleman will not wonder that he clung so long to a forlornhope. Very few members of the House of Peers are richer than LordBlair, and still fewer more penurious. He maintained that, as he paidhis taxes, he was entitled to protection from theft; that it was theduty of the Government to restore the gems, and if this provedimpossible, to make compensation for them. This theory is notacceptable in the English Courts, and while Scotland Yard did all itcould during those two months, what but failure was to be expectedfrom its limited mental equipment?
When I arrived at the Manor of Blair, as his lordship's very ugly andsomewhat modern mansion house is termed, I was instantly admitted tohis presence. I had been summoned from London by a letter in hislordship's own hand, on which the postage was not paid. It was late inthe afternoon when I arrived, and our first conference was what mightbe termed futile. It was take up entirely with haggling about terms,the marquis endeavouring to beat down the price of my services to asum so insignificant that it would barely have paid my expenses fromLondon to Blair and back. Such bargaining is intensely distasteful tome. When the marquis found all his offers declined with a politenesswhich left no opening for anger on his part, he endeavoured to induceme to take up the case on a commission contingent upon my recovery ofthe gems, and as I had declined this for the twentieth time, darknesshad come on, and the gong rang for dinner. I dined alone in the _sallea manger_, which appeared to be set apart for those calling at themansion on business, and the meagreness of the fare, together with theindifferent nature of the claret, strengthened my determination toreturn to London as early as possible next morning.
When the repast was finished, the dignified servingman said gravely tome,--
'The Lady Alicia asks if you will be good enough to give her a fewmoments in the drawing-room, sir.'
I followed the man to the drawing-room, and found the young ladyseated at the piano, on which she was strumming idly andabsentmindedly, but with a touch, nevertheless, that indicatedadvanced excellence in the art of music. She was not dressed as onewho had just risen from the dining table, but was somewhat grimly andcommonly attired, looking more like a cottager's daughter than amember of the great country family. Her head was small, and crownedwith a mass of jet black hair. My first impression on entering thelarge, rather dimly lighted room was unfavourable, but that vanishedinstantly under the charm of a manner so graceful and vivacious, thatin a moment I seemed to be standing in a brilliant Parisian _salon_rather than in the sombre drawing-room of an English country house.Every poise of her dainty head; every gesture of those small, perfecthands; every modulated tone of the voice, whether sparkling withlaughter or caressing in confidential speech, reminded me of the_grandes dames_ of my own land. It was strange to find this perfecthuman flower amidst the gloomy ugliness of a huge square house builtin the time of the Georges; but I remembered now that the Blairs arethe English equivalent of the de Bellairs of France, from which familysprang the fascinating Marquise de Bellairs, who adorned the Court ofLouis XIV. Here, advancing towards me, was the very reincarnation ofthe lovely marquise, who gave lustre to this dull world nearly threehundred years ago. Ah, after all, what are the English but a conqueredrace! I often forget this, and I trust I never remind them of it, butit enables one to forgive them much. A vivid twentieth-centurymarquise was Lady Alicia, in all except attire. What a dream some ofour Parisian dress artists could have made of her, and here she wasimmured in this dull English house in the high-necked costume of alabourer's wife. 'Welcome, Monsieur Valmont,' she cried, in French ofalmost faultless intonation. 'I am so glad you have arrived,' and shegreeted me as if I were an old friend of the family. There was nothingof condescension in her manner; no display of her own affability,while at the same time teaching me my place, and the difference in ourstations of life. I can stand the rudeness of the nobility, but Idetest their condescension. No; Lady Alicia was a true de Bellairs,and in my confusion, bending over her slender hand, I said:--
'Madame la Marquise, it is a privilege to extend to you my mostrespectful salutations.'
She laughed at this quietly, with the melting laugh of thenightingale.
'Monsieur, you mistake my title. Although my uncle is a marquis, I ambut Lady Alicia.'
'Your pardon, my lady. For the moment I was back in that scintillatingCourt which surrounded Louis le Grand.'
'How flatteringly you introduce yourself, monsieur. In the galleryupstairs there is a painting of the Marquise de Bellairs, and when Ishow it to your tomorrow, you will then understand how charmingly youhave pleased a vain woman by your reference to that beautiful lady.But I must not talk in this frivolous strain, monsieur. There isserious business to be considered, and I assure you I looked forwardto your coming, monsieur, with the eagerness of Sister Anne in thetower of Bluebeard.'
I fear my expression as I bowed to her must have betrayed mygratification at hearing these words, so confidentially uttered bylips so sweet, while the glance of her lovely eyes was even m
oreeloquent than her words. Instantly I felt ashamed of my chafferingover terms with her uncle; instantly I forgot my resolution to departon the morrow; instantly I resolved to be of what assistance I couldto this dainty lady. Alas! the heart of Valmont is today asunprotected against the artillery of inspiring eyes as ever it was inhis extreme youth.
'This house,' she continued vivaciously, 'has been practically in astate of siege for two months. I could take none of my usual walks inthe gardens, on the lawns, or through the park, without some clumsypoliceman in uniform crashing his way through the bushes, or somedetective in plain clothes accosting me and questioning me under thepretence that he was a stranger who had lost his way. The lack of allsubtlety in our police is something deplorable. I am sure the realcriminal might have passed through their hands a dozen timesunmolested, while our poor innocent servants, and the strangers withinour gates, were made to feel that the stern eye of the law was uponthem night and day.'
The face of the young lady was an entrancing picture of animatedindignation as she gave utterance to this truism which her countrymenare so slow to appreciate. I experienced a glow of satisfaction.
'Yes,' she went on, 'they sent down from London an army of stupid men,who have kept our household in a state of abject terror for eight longweeks, and where are the emeralds?'
As she suddenly asked this question, in the most Parisian of accents,with a little outward spreading of the hand, a flash of the eye, and atoss of the head, the united effect was something indescribablethrough the limitations of the language I am compelled to use.
'Well, monsieur, your arrival has put to flight this tiresome brigade,if, indeed, the word flight is not too airy a term to use towards acompany so elephantine, and I assure you a sigh of relief has gone upfrom the whole household with the exception of my uncle. I said to himat dinner tonight: "If Monsieur Valmont had been induced to take aninterest in the case at first, the jewels would have been in mypossession long before tonight."'
'Ah, my lady,' I protested, 'I fear you overrate my poor ability. Itis quite true that if I had been called in on the night of therobbery, my chances of success would have been infinitely greater thanthey are now.'
'Monsieur,' she cried, clasping her hands over her knees, and leaningtowards me, hypnotising me with those starry eyes, 'Monsieur, I amperfectly confident that before a week is past you will restore thenecklace, if such restoration be possible. I have said so from thefirst. Now, am I right in my conjecture, monsieur, that you come herealone; that you bring with you no train of followers and assistants?'
'That is as you have stated it, my lady.'
'I was sure of it. It is to be a contest of trained mentality inopposition to our two months' experience of brute force.'
Never before had I felt such ambition to succeed, and a determinationnot to disappoint took full possession of me. Appreciation is a neededstimulant, and here it was offered to me in its most intoxicatingform. Ah, Valmont, Valmont, will you never grow old! I am sure thatat this moment, if I had been eighty, the same thrill of enthusiasmwould have tingled to my fingers' ends. Leave the Manor of Blair inthe morning? Not for the Bank of France!
'Has my uncle acquainted you with particulars of the robbery?'
'No, madame, we were talking of other things.'
The lady leaned back in her low chair, partially closed her eyes, andbreathed a deep sigh.
'I can well imagine the subject of your conversation,' she said atlast. 'The Marquis of Blair was endeavouring to impose usurer's termsupon you, while you, nobly scorning such mercenary considerations, hadperhaps resolved to leave us at the earliest opportunity.'
'I assure you, my lady, that if any such conclusion had been arrivedat on my part, it vanished the moment I was privileged to set foot inthis drawing-room.'
'It is kind of you to say that, monsieur, but you must not allow yourconversation with my uncle to prejudice you against him. He is an oldman now, and, of course, has his fancies. You would think himmercenary, perhaps, and so he is; but then so, too, am I. Oh, yes, Iam, monsieur, frightfully mercenary. To be mercenary, I believe, meansto be fond of money. No one is fonder of money than I, except,perhaps, my uncle; but you see, monsieur, we occupy the two extremes.He is fond of money to hoard it; I am fond of money to spend it. I amfond of money for the things it will buy. I should like to scatterlargesse as did my fair ancestress in France. I should love a manorhouse in the country, and a mansion in Mayfair. I could wish to makeeveryone around me happy if the expenditure of money would do it.'
'That is a form of money-love, Lady Alicia, which will find amultitude of admirers.'
The girl shook her head and laughed merrily.
'I should so dislike to forfeit your esteem, Monsieur Valmont, andtherefore I shall not reveal the depth of my cupidity. You will learnthat probably from my uncle, and then you will understand my extremeanxiety for the recovery of these jewels.'
'Are they very valuable?'
'Oh, yes; the necklace consists of twenty stones, no one of whichweighs less than an ounce. Altogether, I believe, they amount to twothousand four hundred or two thousand five hundred carats, and theirintrinsic value is twenty pounds a carat at least. So you see thatmeans nearly fifty thousand pounds, yet even this sum is trivialcompared with what it involves. There is something like a million atstake, together with my coveted manor house in the country, and myequally coveted mansion in Mayfair. All this is within my grasp if Ican but recover the emeralds.'
The girl blushed prettily as she noticed how intently I regarded herwhile she evolved this tantalising mystery. I thought there was atrace of embarrassment in her laugh when she cried:--
'Oh, what will you think of me when you understand the situation?Pray, pray do not judge me harshly. I assure you the position I aim atwill be used for the good of others as well as for my own pleasure. Ifmy uncle does not make a confidant of you, I must take my courage inboth hands, and give you all the particulars, but not tonight. Ofcourse, if one is to unravel such a snarl as that in which we findourselves, he must be made aware of every particular, must he not?'
'Certainly, my lady.'
'Very well, Monsieur Valmont, I shall supply any deficiencies thatoccur in my uncle's conversation with you. There is one point on whichI should like to warn you. Both my uncle and the police have made uptheir minds that a certain young man is the culprit. The police foundseveral clues which apparently led in his direction, but they wereunable to find enough to justify his arrest. At first I could havesworn he had nothing whatever to do with the matter, but lately I amnot so sure. All I ask of you until we secure another opportunity ofconsulting together is to preserve an open mind. Please do not allowmy uncle to prejudice you against him.'
'What is the name of this young man?'
'He is the Honourable John Haddon.'
'The Honourable! Is he a person who could do so dishonourable anaction?'
The young lady shook her head.
'I am almost sure he would not, and yet one never can tell. I think atthe present moment there are one or two noble lords in prison, buttheir crimes have not been mere vulgar housebreaking.'
'Am I to infer, Lady Alicia, that you are in possession of certainfacts unknown either to your uncle or the police?'
'Yes.'
'Pardon me, but do these facts tend to incriminate the young man?'Again the young lady leaned back in her chair, and gazed past me, awrinkle of perplexity on her fair brow. Then she said very slowly:--
'You will understand, Monsieur Valmont, how loath I am to speakagainst one who was formerly a friend. If he had been content toremain a friend, I am sure this incident, which has caused us all suchworry and trouble, would never have happened. I do not wish to dwellon what my uncle will tell you was a very unpleasant episode, but theHonourable John Haddon is a poor man, and it is quite out of thequestion for one brought up as I have been to marry into poverty. Hewas very headstrong and reckless about the matter, and involved myuncle in a bitter quarrel while discussing it, much
to my chagrin anddisappointment. It is as necessary for him to marry wealth as it isfor me to make a good match, but he could not be brought to see that.Oh, he is not at all a sensible young man, and my former friendshipfor him has ceased. Yet I should dislike very much to take any actionthat might harm him, therefore I have spoken to no one but you aboutthe evidence that is in my hands, and this you must treat as entirelyconfidential, giving no hint to my uncle, who is already bitter enoughagainst Mr. Haddon.'
'Does this evidence convince you that he stole the necklace?'
'No; I do not believe that he actually stole it, but I am persuaded hewas an accessory after the fact--is that the legal term? Now, MonsieurValmont, we will say no more tonight. If I talk any longer about thiscrisis, I shall not sleep, and I wish, assured of your help, to attackthe situation with a very clear mind tomorrow.'
When I retired to my room, I found that I, too, could not sleep,although I needed a clear mind to face the problem of tomorrow. It isdifficult for me to describe accurately the effect this interview hadupon my mind, but to use a bodily simile, I may say that it seemed asif I had indulged too freely in a subtle champagne which appearedexceedingly excellent at first, but from which the exhilaration hadnow departed. No man could have been more completely under a spellthan I was when Lady Alicia's eyes first told me more than her lipsrevealed; but although I had challenged her right to the title'mercenary' when she applied it to herself, I could not but confessthat her nonchalant recital regarding the friend who desired to be alover jarred upon me. I found my sympathy extending itself to thatunknown young man, on whom it appeared the shadow of suspicion alreadyrested. I was confident that if he had actually taken the emeralds itwas not at all from motives of cupidity. Indeed that was practicallyshown by the fact that Scotland Yard found itself unable to trace thejewels, which at least they might have done if the necklace had beensold either as a whole or dismembered. Of course, an emerald weighingan ounce is by no means unusual. The Hope emerald, for example, weighssix ounces, and the gem owned by the Duke of Devonshire measures twoand a quarter inches through its greatest diameter. Nevertheless, sucha constellation as the Blair emeralds was not to be disposed of veryeasily, and I surmised no attempt had been made either to sell them orto raise money upon them. Now that I had removed myself from theglamour of her presence, I began to suspect that the young lady, afterall, although undoubtedly possessing the brilliancy of her jewels,retained also something of their hardness. There had been noexpression of sympathy for the discarded friend; it was too evident,recalling what had latterly passed between us, that the young woman'ssole desire, and a perfectly natural desire, was to recover hermissing treasure. There was something behind all this which I couldnot comprehend, and I resolved in the morning to question the Marquisof Blair as shrewdly as he cared to allow. Failing him, I shouldcross-question the niece in a somewhat dryer light than that which hadenshrouded me during this interesting evening. I care not who knowsit, but I have been befooled more than once by a woman, but Idetermined that in clear daylight I should resist the hypnotisinginfluence of those glorious eyes. _Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu_! how easy it isfor me to make good resolutions when I am far from temptation!
* * * * *
It was ten o'clock next morning when I was admitted to the study ofthe aged bachelor Marquis of Blair. His keen eyes looked through andthrough me as I seated myself before him.
'Well!' he said shortly.
'My lord,' I began deliberately, 'I know nothing more of the case thanwas furnished by the accounts I have read in the newspapers. Twomonths have elapsed since the robbery. Every day that passed made thedetection of the criminal more difficult. I do not wish to wasteeither my time or your money on a forlorn hope. If, therefore, youwill be good enough to place me in possession of all the facts knownto you, I shall tell you at once whether or not I can take up thecase.'
'Do you wish me to give you the name of the criminal?' asked hislordship.
'Is his name known to you?' I asked in return.
'Yes. John Haddon stole the necklace.'
'Did you give that name to the police?'
'Yes.'
'Why didn't they arrest him?'
'Because the evidence against him is so small, and the improbabilityof his having committed the crime is so great.'
'What is the evidence against him?'
His lordship spoke with the dry deliberation of an aged solicitor.
'The robbery was committed on the night of October the fifth. All daythere had been a heavy rain, and the grounds were wet. For reasonsinto which I do not care to enter, John Haddon was familiar with thishouse, and with our grounds. He was well known to my servants, and,unfortunately, popular with them, for he is an openhanded spendthrift.The estate of his elder brother, Lord Steffenham, adjoins my own tothe west, and Lord Steffenham's house is three miles from where wesit. On the night of the fifth a ball was given in the mansion of LordSteffenham, to which, of course, my niece and myself were invited, andwhich invitation we accepted. I had no quarrel with the elder brother.It was known to John Haddon that my niece intended to wear hernecklace of emeralds. The robbery occurred at a time when most crimesof that nature are committed in country houses, namely, while we wereat dinner, an hour during which the servants are almost invariably inthe lower part of the house. In October the days are getting short.The night was exceptionally dark, for, although the rain had ceased,not a star was visible. The thief placed a ladder against the sill ofone of the upper windows, opened it, and came in. He must have beenperfectly familiar with the house, for there are evidences that hewent direct to the boudoir where the jewel case had been carelesslyleft on my niece's dressing table when she came down to dinner. It hadbeen taken from the strong room about an hour before. The box waslocked, but, of course, that made no difference. The thief wrenchedthe lid off, breaking the lock, stole the necklace, and escaped by theway he came.'
'Did he leave the window open, and the ladder in place?'
'Yes.'
'Doesn't that strike you as very extraordinary?'
'No. I do not assert that he is a professional burglar, who would takeall the precautions against the discovery that might have beenexpected from one of the craft. Indeed, the man's carelessness ingoing straight across the country to his brother's house, and leavingfootsteps in the soft earth, easily traceable almost to the veryboundary fence, shows he is incapable of any serious thought.'
'Is John Haddon rich?'
'He hasn't a penny.'
'Did you go to the ball that night?'
'Yes, I had promised to go.'
'Was John Haddon there?'
'Yes; but he appeared late. He should have been present at theopening, and his brother was seriously annoyed by his absence. When hedid come he acted in a wild and reckless manner, which gave the gueststhe impression that he had been drinking. Both my niece and myselfwere disgusted with his actions.'
'Do you think your niece suspects him?'
'She certainly did not at first, and was indignant when I told her,coming home from the ball, that her jewels were undoubtedly inSteffenham House, even though they were not round her neck, butlatterly I think her opinion has changed.'
'To go back a moment. Did any of your servants see him prowling aboutthe place?'
'They all say they didn't, but I myself saw him, just before dusk,coming across the fields towards this house, and next morning we foundthe same footprints both going and coming. It seems to me thecircumstantial evidence is rather strong.'
'It's a pity that no one but yourself saw him. What more evidence arethe authorities waiting for?'
'They are waiting until he attempts to dispose of the jewels.'
'You think, then, he has not done so up to date?'
'I think he will never do so.'
'Then why did he steal them?'
'To prevent the marriage of my niece with Jonas Carter, of Sheffield,to whom she is betrothed. They were to be married early in the NewYear.'
r /> 'My lord, you amaze me. If Mr. Carter and Lady Alicia are engaged, whyshould the theft of the jewels interfere with the ceremony?'
'Mr. Jonas Carter is a most estimable man, who, however, does not movein our sphere of life. He is connected with the steel or cutleryindustry, and is a person of great wealth, rising upwards of amillion, with a large estate in Derbyshire, and a house fronting HydePark, in London. He is a very strict business man, and both my nieceand myself agree that he is also an eligible man. I myself am ratherstrict in matters of business, and I must admit that Mr. Carter showeda very generous spirit in arranging the preliminaries of theengagement with me. When Alicia's father died he had run through allthe money he himself possessed or could borrow from his friends.Although a man of noble birth, I never liked him. He was married to myonly sister. The Blair emeralds, as perhaps you know, descend down thefemale line. They, therefore, came to my niece from her mother. Mypoor sister had long been disillusioned before death released her fromthe titled scamp she had married, and she very wisely placed theemeralds in my custody to be held in trust for her daughter. Theyconstitute my niece's only fortune, and would produce, if offered inLondon today, probably seventy-five or a hundred thousand pounds,although actually they are not worth so much. Mr. Jonas Carter veryamiably consented to receive my niece with a dowry of only fiftythousand pounds, and that money I offered to advance, if I was allowedto retain the jewels as security. This was arranged between Mr. Carterand myself.'
'But surely Mr. Carter does not refuse to carry out his engagementbecause the jewels have been stolen?'
'He does. Why should he not?'
'Then surely you will advance the fifty thousand necessary?'
'I will not. Why should I?'
'Well, it seems to me,' said I, with a slight laugh, 'the young manhas very definitely checkmated both of you.'
'He has, until I have laid him by the heels, which I am determined todo if he were the brother of twenty Lord Steffenhams.'
'Please answer one more question. Are you determined to put the youngman in prison, or would you be content with the return of the emeraldsintact?'
'Of course I should prefer to put him in prison and get the emeraldstoo, but if there's no choice in the matter, I must content myselfwith the necklace.'
'Very well, my lord, I will undertake the case.'
This conference had detained us in the study till after eleven, andthen, as it was a clear, crisp December morning, I went out throughthe gardens into the park, that I might walk along the well-keptprivate road and meditate upon my course of action, or, rather, thinkover what had been said, because I could not map my route until I hadheard the secret which the Lady Alicia promised to impart. As atpresent instructed, it seemed to me the best way to go direct to theyoung man, show him as effectively as I could the danger in which hestood, and, if possible, persuade him to deliver up the necklace tome. As I strolled along under the grand old leafless trees, I suddenlyheard my name called impulsively two or three times, and turning roundsaw the Lady Alicia running toward me. Her cheeks were bright withNature's rouge, and her eyes sparkled more dazzlingly than any emeraldthat ever tempted man to wickedness.
'Oh, Monsieur Valmont, I have been waiting for you, and you escapedme. Have you seen my uncle?'
'Yes, I have been with him since ten o'clock.'
'Well?'
'Your ladyship, that is exactly the word with which he accosted me.'
'Ah, you see an additional likeness between my uncle and myself thismorning, then? Has he told you about Mr. Carter?'
'Yes.'
'So now you understand how important it is that I should regainpossession of my property?'
'Yes,' I said with a sigh; 'the house near Hyde Park and the greatestate in Derbyshire.'
She clapped her hands with glee, eyes and feet dancing in unison, asshe capered along gaily beside me; a sort of skippety-hop,skippety-hop, sideways, keeping pace with my more stately step, as ifshe were a little girl of six instead of a young woman of twenty.
'Not only that!' she cried, 'but one million pounds to spend! Oh,Monsieur Valmont, you know Paris, and yet you do not seem tocomprehend what that plethora of money means!'
'Well, madame, I have seen Paris, and I have seen a good deal of theworld, but I am not so certain you will secure the million to spend.'
'What!' she cried, stopping short, that little wrinkle which betokenedtemper appearing on her brow. 'Do you think we won't get the emeraldsthen?'
'Oh, I am sure we will get the emeralds. I, Valmont, pledge you myword. But if Mr. Jonas Carter before marriage calls a halt upon theceremony until your uncle places fifty thousand pounds upon the table,I confess I am very pessimistic about your obtaining control of themillion afterwards.'
All her vivacity instantaneously returned.
'Pooh!' she cried, dancing round in front of me, and standing theredirectly in my path, so that I came to a stand. 'Pooh!' she repeated,snapping her fingers, with an inimitable gesture of that lovely hand.'Monsieur Valmont, I am disappointed in you. You are not nearly sonice as you were last evening. It is very uncomplimentary in you tointimate that when once I am married to Mr. Jonas I shall not wheedlefrom him all the money I want. Do not rest your eyes on the ground;look at me and answer!'
I glanced up at her, and could not forbear laughing. The witchery ofthe wood was in that girl; yes, and a perceptible trace of the Gallicdevil flickered in those enchanting eyes of hers. I could not helpmyself.
'Ah, Madame la Marquise de Bellairs, how jauntily you would scatterdespair in that susceptible Court of Louis!'
'Ah, Monsieur Eugene de Valmont,' she cried, mimicking my tones, andimitating my manner with an exactitude that amazed me, 'you are oncemore my dear de Valmont of last night. I dreamed of you, I assure youI did, and now to find you in the morning, oh, so changed!' Sheclasped her little hands and inclined her head, while the sweet voicesank into a cadence of melancholy which seemed so genuine that themocking ripple of a laugh immediately following was almost a shock tome. Where had this creature of the dull English countryside learnt allsuch frou-frou of gesture and tone?
'Have you ever seen Sarah Bernhardt?' I asked.
Now the average English woman would have inquired the genesis of soinconsequent a question, but Lady Alicia followed the trend of mythought, and answered at once as if my query had been quiteexpected:--
'_Mais non_, monsieur. Sarah the Divine! Ah, she comes with my milliona year and the house of Hyde Park. No, the only inhabitant of my realworld whom I have yet seen is Monsieur Valmont, and he, alas! I findso changeable. But now, adieu frivolity, we must be serious,' and shewalked sedately by my side.
'Do you know where you are going, monsieur? You are going to church.Oh, do not look frightened, not to a service. I am decorating thechurch with holly, and you shall help me and get thorns in your poorfingers.'
The private road, which up to this time had passed through a forest,now reached a secluded glade in which stood a very small, butexquisite, church, evidently centuries older than the mansion we hadleft. Beyond it were gray stone ruins, which Lady Alicia pointed outto me as remnants of the original mansion that had been built in thereign of the second Henry. The church, it was thought, formed theprivate chapel to the hall, and it had been kept in repair by thevarious lords of the manor.
'Now hearken to the power of the poor, and learn how they may floutthe proud marquis,' cried Lady Alicia gleefully; 'the poorest man inEngland may walk along this private road on Sunday to the church, andthe proud marquis is powerless to prevent him. Of course, if the poorman prolongs his walk then is he in danger from the law of trespass.On weekdays, however, this is the most secluded spot on the estate,and I regret to say that my lordly uncle does not trouble it even onSundays. I fear we are a degenerate race, Monsieur Valmont, fordoubtless a fighting and deeply religious ancestor of mine built thischurch, and to think that when the useful masons cemented those stonestogether, Madame la Marquise de Bellairs or Lady Alicia were alikeunthou
ght of, and though three hundred years divide them this ancientchapel makes them seem, as one might say, contemporaries. Oh, MonsieurValmont, what is the use of worrying about emeralds or anything else?As I look at this beautiful old church, even the house of Hyde Parkappears as naught,' and to my amazement, the eyes that Lady Aliciaturned upon me were wet.
The front door was unlocked, and we walked into the church in silence.Around the pillars holly and ivy were twined. Great armfuls of theshrubs had been flung here and there along the walls in heaps, and astep-ladder stood in one of the aisles, showing that the decoration ofthe edifice was not yet complete. A subdued melancholy had settleddown on my erstwhile vivacious companion, the inevitable reaction socharacteristic of the artistic temperament, augmented doubtless by thesolemnity of the place, around whose walls in brass and marble weresculptured memorials of her ancient race.
'You promised,' I said at last, 'to tell me how you came to suspect--'
'Not here, not here,' she whispered; then rising from the pew in whichshe had seated herself, she said:--
'Let us go, I am in no mood for working this morning. I shall finishthe decoration in the afternoon.'
We came out into the cool and brilliant sunlight again, and as weturned homeward, her spirits immediately began to rise.
'I am anxious to know,' I persisted, 'why you came to suspect a manwhom at first you believed innocent.'
'I am not sure but I believe him innocent now, although I am forced tothe conclusion that he knows where the treasure is.'
'What forces you to that conclusion, my lady?'
'A letter I received from himself, in which he makes a proposal soextraordinary that I am almost disinclined to accede to it, eventhough it leads to the discovery of my necklace. However, I amdetermined to leave no means untried if I receive the support of myfriend, Monsieur Valmont.'
'My lady,' said I, with a bow, 'it is but yours to command, mine toobey. What were the contents of that letter?'
'Read it,' she replied, taking the folded sheet from her pocket, andhanding it to me.
She had been quite right in characterising the note as anextraordinary epistle. The Honourable John Haddon had the temerity topropose that she should go through a form of marriage with him in theold church we had just left. If she did that, he said, it wouldconsole him for the mad love he felt for her. The ceremony would haveno binding force upon her whatever, and she might bring whom shepleased to perform it. If she knew no one that she could trust, hewould invite an old college chum, and bring him to the church nextmorning at half-past seven o'clock. Even if an ordained clergymanperformed the ceremony, it would not be legal unless it took placebetween the hours of eight in the morning, and three in theafternoon. If she consented to this, the emeralds were hers once more.
'This is the proposal of a madman,' said I, as I handed back theletter.
'Well,' she replied, with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, 'he hasalways said he was madly in love with me, and I quite believe it. Pooryoung man, if this mummery were to console him for the rest of hislife, why should I not indulge him in it?'
'Lady Alicia, surely you would not countenance the profaning of thatlovely old edifice with a mock ceremonial? No man in his senses couldsuggest such a thing!'
Once more her eyes were twinkling with merriment.
'But the Honourable John Haddon, as I have told you, is not in hissenses.'
'Then why should you indulge him?'
'Why? How can you ask such a question? Because of the emeralds. It isonly a mad lark, after all, and no one need know of it. Oh, MonsieurValmont,' she cried pleadingly, clasping her hands, and yet it seemedto me with an undercurrent of laughter in her beseeching tones, 'willyou not enact for us the part of clergyman? I am sure if your facewere as serious as it is at this moment, the robes of a priest wouldbecome you.'
'Lady Alicia, you are incorrigible. I am somewhat of a man of theworld, yet I should not dare to counterfeit the sacred office, and Ihope you but jest. In fact, I am sure you do, my lady.'
She turned away from me with a very pretty pout.
'Monsieur Valmont, your knighthood is, after all, but surface deep.'Tis not mine to command, and yours to obey. Certainly I did but jest.John shall bring his own imitation clergyman with him.'
'Are you going to meet him tomorrow?'
'Certainly I am. I have promised. I must secure my necklace.'
'You seem to place great confidence in the belief that he will produceit.'
'If he fails to do so, then I play Monsieur Valmont as my trump card.But, monsieur, although you quite rightly refuse to comply with myfirst request, you will surely not reject my second. Please meet metomorrow at the head of the avenue, promptly at a quarter-past seven,and escort me to the church.'
For a moment the negative trembled on my tongue's end, but she turnedthose enchanting eyes upon me, and I was undone.
'Very well,' I answered.
She seized both my hands, like a little girl overjoyed at a promisedexcursion.
'Oh, Monsieur Valmont, you are a darling! I feel as if I'd known youall my life. I am sure you will never regret having humoured me,' thenadded a moment later, 'if we get the emeralds.'
'Ah,' said I, '_if_ we get the emeralds.'
We were now within sight of the house, and she pointed out ourrendezvous for the following day, and with that I bade her good-bye.
It was shortly after seven o'clock next morning when I reached themeeting-place. The Lady Alicia was somewhat long in coming, but whenshe arrived her face was aglow with girlish delight at the solemnprank she was about to play.
'You have not changed your mind?' I asked, after the morning'sgreetings.
'Oh, no, Monsieur Valmont,' she replied, with a bright laugh. 'I amdetermined to recover those emeralds.'
'We must hurry, Lady Alicia, or we will be too late.'
'There is plenty of time,' she remarked calmly; and she proved to beright, because when we came in sight of the church, the clock pointedto the hour of half-past seven.
'Now,' she said 'I shall wait here until you steal up to the churchand look in through one of the windows that do not contain stainedglass. I should not for the world arrive before Mr. Haddon and hisfriend are there.'
I did as requested, and saw two young men standing together in thecentre aisle, one in the full robes of a clergyman, the other in hisordinary dress, whom I took to be the Honourable John Haddon. Hisprofile was toward me, and I must admit there was very little of themadman in his calm countenance. His was a well-cut face, clean shaven,and strikingly manly. In one of the pews was seated a woman--I learnedafterwards she was Lady Alicia's maid, who had been instructed to comeand go from the house by a footpath, while we had taken the longerroad. I returned and escorted Lady Alicia to the church, and there wasintroduced to Mr. Haddon and his friend, the made-up divine. Theceremony was at once performed, and, man of the world as I professedmyself to be, this enacting of private theatricals in a church gratedupon me. When the maid and I were asked to sign the book as witnesses,I said:--
'Surely this is carrying realism a little too far?'
Mr. Haddon smiled, and replied:--
'I am amazed to hear a Frenchman objecting to realism going to itsfull length, and speaking for myself, I should be delighted to see theautograph of the renowned Eugene Valmont,' and with that he profferedme the pen, whereupon I scrawled my signature. The maid had alreadysigned, and disappeared. The reputed clergyman bowed us out of thechurch, standing in the porch to see us walk up the avenue.
'Ed,' cried John Haddon, I'll be back within half an hour, and we'llattend to the clock. You won't mind waiting?'
'Not in the least, dear boy. God bless you both,' and the tremor inhis voice seemed to me carrying realism one step further still.
The Lady Alicia, with downcast head, hurried us on until we werewithin the gloom of the forest, and then, ignoring me, she turnedsuddenly to the young man, and placed her two hands on his shoulders.
'Oh, Jack, Jac
k!' she cried.
He kissed her twice on the lips.
'Jack, Monsieur Valmont insists on the emeralds.'
The young man laughed. Her ladyship stood fronting him with her backtowards me. Tenderly the young man unfastened something at the throatof that high-necked dress of hers, then there was a snap, and he drewout an amazing, dazzling, shimmering sheen of green, that seemed toturn the whole bleak December landscape verdant as with a touch ofspring. The girl hid her rosy face against him, and over her shoulder,with a smile, he handed me the celebrated Blair emeralds.
'There is the treasure, Valmont,' he cried, 'on condition that you donot molest the culprit.'
'Or the accessory after the fact,' gurgled Lady Alicia in smotheredtones, with a hand clasping together her high-necked dress at thethroat.
'We trust to your invention, Valmont, to deliver that necklace touncle with a detective story that will thrill him to his very heart.'
We heard the clock strike eight; then a second later smaller bellschimed a quarter-past, and another second after they tinkled thehalf-hour. 'Hallo!' cried Haddon, 'Ed has attended to the clockhimself. What a good fellow he is.'
'I looked at my watch; it was twenty-five minutes to nine.
'Was the ceremony genuine then?' I asked.
'Ah, Valmont,' said the young man, patting his wife affectionately onthe shoulder, 'nothing on earth can be more genuine than that ceremonywas.'
And the volatile Lady Alicia snuggled closer to him.