CHAPTER XXIII
Philippa and Helen met in the drawing-room, a few minutes beforeeight that evening. Philippa was wearing a new black dress, a model ofsimplicity to the untutored eye, but full of that undefinable appeal tothe mysterious which even the greatest artist frequently fails to createout of any form of colour. Some fancy had induced her to strip off herjewels at the last moment, and she wore no ornaments save a band ofblack velvet around her neck. Helen looked at her curiously.
"Is this a fresh scheme for conquest, Philippa?" she asked, as theystood together by the log fire.
Philippa unexpectedly flushed.
"I don't know what I was thinking about, really," she confessed. "Isthat the exact time, I wonder?"
"Two minutes to eight," Helen replied.
"Mr. Lessingham is always so punctual," Philippa murmured. "I wonder ifCaptain Griffiths would dare!"
"We've done our best to warn him," Helen reminded her friend. "The manis simply pig-headed."
"I can't help feeling that he's right," Philippa declared, "when heargues that they couldn't really prove anything against him."
"Does that matter," Helen asked anxiously, "so long as he is an enemy,living under a false name here?"
"You don't think they'd--they'd--"
"Shoot him?" Helen whispered, lowering her voice. "They couldn't dothat! They couldn't do that!"
The clock began to chime. Suddenly Philippa, who had been listening,gave a little exclamation of relief.
"I hear his voice!" she exclaimed. "Thank goodness!"
Helen's relief was almost as great as her companion's. A moment laterMills ushered in their guest. He was still wearing his bandage, but hiscolour had returned. He seemed, in fact, almost gay.
"Nothing has happened, then?" Philippa demanded anxiously, as soon asthe door was closed.
"Nothing at all," he assured them. "Our friend Griffiths is terriblyafraid of making a mistake."
"So afraid that he wouldn't come and dine. Never mind, you'll have totake care of us both," she added, as Mills announced dinner.
"I'll do my best," he promised, offering his arm.
If the sword of Damocles were indeed suspended over their heads, itseemed only to heighten the merriment of their little repast. Philippahad ordered champagne, and the warmth of the pleasant dining room, themany appurtenances of luxury by which they were surrounded, the glow ofthe wine, and the perfume of the hothouse flowers upon the table, seemedin delicious contrast to the fury of the storm outside. They all threeappeared completely successful in a strenuous effort to dismiss alldisconcerting subjects from their minds. Lessingham talked chiefly ofthe East. He had travelled in Russia, Persia, Afghanistan, and India,and he had the unusual but striking gift of painting little wordpictures of some of the scenes of his wanderings. It was half-past ninebefore they rose from the table, and Lessingham accompanied them intothe library. With the advent of coffee, they were for the first timereally alone. Lessingham sat by Philippa's side, and Helen reclined in alow chair close at hand.
"I think," he said, "that I can venture now to tell you some news."
Helen put down her work. Philippa looked at him in silence, and her eyesseemed to dilate.
"I have hesitated to say anything about it," Lessingham went on,"because there is so much uncertainty about these things, but I believethat it is now finally arranged. I think that within the next week orten days--perhaps a little before, perhaps a little later--your brotherRichard will be set at liberty."
"Dick? Dick coming home?" Philippa cried, springing up from herreclining position.
"Dick?" Helen faltered, her work lying unheeded in her lap. "Mr.Lessingham, do you mean it? Is it possible?"
"It is not only possible," Lessingham assured them, "but I believe thatit will come to pass. I have had to exercise a little duplicity, butI fancy that it has been successful. I have insisted that without helpfrom an influential person in Dreymarsh, I cannot bring my labours hereto a satisfactory conclusion, and I have named as the price of thathelp, Richard's absolute and immediate freedom. I heard only thismorning that there would be no difficulty."
Helen snatched up her work and groped her way towards the door.
"I will come back in a few minutes," she promised, her voice a littlebroken.
Lessingham, who had opened the door for her, returned to his place.There were no tears in Philippa's brilliant eyes, but there was a faintpatch of colour in her cheeks, and her lips were not quite steady. Shecaught at his hands.
"Oh, my dear, dear friend!" she said. "If only that little nightmarepart of you did not exist. If only you could be just what you seem, andone could feel that you were there in our lives for always! I feel thatI want to talk to you so much, to you and not the sham you. What shall Icall you?"
"Bertram, please," he whispered.
"Then Bertram, dear," she went on, "for my sake, because you have reallybecome dear to me, because my heart aches at the thought of your danger,and because--see how honest I am--I am a little afraid of myself--willyou go away? The thought of your danger is like a nightmare to me. Itall seems so absurd and unreasonable--I mean that the danger which Ifear should be hanging over you. But I think that there is just a littlesomething back of your brain of which you have never spoken, which itwas your duty to keep to yourself, and it is just that something whichbrings the danger."
"I am not afraid for myself, Philippa," he told her. "I took a falsestep in life when I came here. What it was that attracted me I do notknow. I think it was the thought of that wild ride amongst theclouds, and the starlight. It seemed such a wonderful beginning to anyenterprise. And, Philippa, for one part of my adventure, the part whichconcerns you, it was a gorgeous prelude, and for the other--well, itjust does not count because I have no fear. I have faith in my fortune,do you know that? I believe that I shall leave this place unharmed, butI believe that if I leave it without you, I shall go back to the worsthell in which a man could ever..."
"Bertram," she pleaded, "think of it all. Even if I cared enough--and Idon't--there is something unnatural about it. Doesn't it strike you ashorrible? My brother, my cousins, my father, are all fighting the men ofthe nation whose cause you have espoused! There is a horrible, eternalcloud of hatred which it will take generations to get rid of, if ever itdisappears. How can we two speak of love! What part of the world couldwe creep into where people would not shrink away from us? I may havelost a little of my heart to you, Bertram, I may miss you when you goaway, I may waste weary hours thinking, but that is all. Oh, you knowthat it must be all!"
"I do not," he answered stubbornly.
"Oh, you must be reasonable," she begged, with a little break in hervoice. "You know very well that I ought not to listen to you. I oughtnot to welcome you here. I ought to be strong and close my ears."
"But you will not do that!"
"No!" she faltered. "Please don't come any nearer. I--"
She broke off suddenly. The struggle in her face was ended, herexpression transformed. Her finger was held up as though to bid himlisten. With her other hand she clutched the back of the couch. Her eyeswere fixed upon the door. The little patch of wonderful colour fadedfrom her cheeks.
"Listen!" she cried, with a note of terror in her voice. "That was thefront door! Some one has come! Can't you hear them?"
Lessingham's hand stole suddenly to his pocket. She caught the glitterof something half withdrawn, and shrank back with a half-stifled moan.
"Not before you, dear," he promised. "Please do not be afraid. If thisis the end, leave me alone with Griffiths. I shall not hurt him. Ishall not forget. And if by any chance," he added, "this is to be ourfarewell, Philippa, you will remember that I love you as the flowers ofthe world love their sun. Courage!"
The door facing them was opened.
"Captain Griffiths," Mills announced.
Through the open door they caught a vision of two other soldiers andInspector Fisher. Griffiths came into the room alone, however, andwaited until the door wa
s closed before he spoke. He carried himselfas awkwardly as ever, but his long, lean face seemed to have takento itself a new expression. He had the air of a man indulging in somestrange pleasure.
"Lady Cranston," he said, "I am very sorry to intrude, but my visit hereis official."
"What is it?" she asked hoarsely.
"I have received confirmatory evidence in the matter of which I spoke toyou this afternoon," he went on. "I am sorry to disturb you at such anhour, but it is my duty to arrest this man on a charge of espionage."
Lessingham to all appearance remained unmoved.
"A most objectionable word," he remarked.
"A most villainous profession," Captain Griffiths retorted. "Thankheaven that in this country we are learning the art of dealing with itsdisciples."
"This is all a hideous mistake," Philippa declared feverishly. "I assureyou that Mr. Lessingham has visited my father's house, that he waswell-known to me years ago."
"As the Baron Maderstrom! What arguments he has used, Lady Cranston, toinduce you to accept him here under his new identity, I do not know, butthe facts are very clear."
"He seems quite convinced, doesn't he?" Lessingham remarked, turning toPhilippa. "And as I gather that a portion of the British Army, assistedby the local constabulary, is waiting for me outside, perhaps I hadbetter humour him."
"It would be as well, sir," Captain Griffiths assented grimly. "I amglad to find you in the humour for jesting."
Lessingham turned once more to Philippa. This time his tone was moreserious.
"Lady Cranston," he begged, "won't you please leave us?"
"No!" she answered hysterically. "I know why you want me to, and I won'tgo! You have done no harm, and nothing shall happen to you. I will notleave the room, and you shall not--"
His gesture of appeal coincided with the sob in her throat. She brokedown in her speech, and Captain Griffiths moved a step nearer.
"If you have any weapon in your possession, sir," he said, "you hadbetter hand it over to me."
"Well, do you know," Lessingham replied, "I scarcely see the necessity.One thing I will promise you," he added, with a sudden flash in hiseyes, "a single step nearer--a single step, mind--and you shall haveas much of my weapon as will keep you quiet for the rest of your life.Remember that so long as you are reasonable I do not threaten you. Helpme to persuade Lady Cranston to leave us."
Captain Griffiths was out of his depths. He was not a coward, but he hadno hankering after death, and there was death in Lessingham's threat andin the flash of his eyes. While he hesitated, there was a knock upon thedoor. Mills came silently in. He carried a telegram upon a salver.
"For you, sir," he announced, addressing Captain Griffiths. "An orderlyhas just brought it down."
Griffiths looked at the pink envelope and frowned. He tore it open,however, without a word. As he read, his long, upper teeth closedin upon his lip. So he stood there until two little drops of bloodappeared.
Then he turned to Mills.
"There is no answer," he said.
The man bowed and left the room. He walked slowly and he looked backfrom the doorway. It was scarcely possible for even so perfectly traineda servant to escape from the atmosphere of tragedy.
"Something tells me," Lessingham remarked coolly, as soon as the doorwas closed, "that that message concerns me."
The Commandant made no immediate reply. He straightened out the telegramand read it once more under the lamplight, as though to be sure therewas no possible mistake. Then he folded it up and placed it in hiswaistcoat pocket.
"The notion of your arrest, sir," he said to Lessingham harshly, "isapparently distasteful to some one at headquarters who has not digestedmy information. I am withdrawing my men for the present."
"You're not going to arrest him?" Philippa cried.
"I am not," Captain Griffiths answered. "But," he added, turning toLessingham, "this is only a respite. I have more evidence behind allthat I have offered. You are Baron Bertram Maderstrom, a German spy,living here in a prohibited area under a false name. That I know, andthat I shall prove to those who have interfered with me in the executionof my duty. This is not the end."
He left the room without even a word or a salute to Philippa. Lessinghamlooked after him for a moment, thoughtfully. Then he shrugged hisshoulders.
"I am quite sure that I do not like Captain Griffiths," he declared."There is no breeding about the fellow."