so. Did you lose much?Had you any suspicions they were rooking you?"
"On my first visit, a suspicion that they might do so crossed my mind.But nothing of the sort was attempted. I should say that, up to thepresent, my friend and I stand a bit to the good. Evidently, that wasnot their object."
"Clearly," assented the shrewd detective, "they had a deeper game thanthat on. They wanted to catch this young friend of yours for a husband,and failing that, to entrap him, so that they could blackmail him on thethreat of a breach of promise case."
"It looks as if that was their object."
"Now, Captain Murchison, may I ask you if your friend is a man likely tofall into the trap? I saw him in the High Street this afternoon withyou: and if I may say so without offence, he doesn't give me theimpression of a very strong or self-reliant person."
Hugh shook his head. "I fear he is very weak, very impulsive, veryemotional, a ready prey for a designing woman."
"Have you any idea how far the thing has gone?"
To this question Hugh could only reply in the negative. His one hopewas that the foolish boy had seen her so often that there was nonecessity to write incriminating letters.
"Well, Captain Murchison, my object in asking you to grant me aninterview was two-fold. In the first place, I wanted to know if therehad been any card-sharping. Then, as I am aware you go to the house, Iwished to tell you that I and my friend are going to take him to-night.It might happen that you would be going there, and of course, you willnot want to be on the stage when we play our little comedy."
"We have promised to go to dinner to-night. She asked us both when wemet her this afternoon."
"And of course now, you will not go. I will take him beforedinner-time, so you need not send round any excuses."
Poor Hugh felt very miserable. What he especially shirked was having totell this sordid narrative to Pomfret. He expressed to the detectivehis shrinking from the unwelcome task.
"I quite understand, sir, but it's got to be done," replied thedetective, firmly. For a few seconds after he had spoken, he seemed tobe thinking deeply. Then he came out with a startling proposition.
"Look here, Captain Murchison, something has just occurred to me. I amnot sure whether you will think it a good plan. Just now I thought itwould be better for you not to be there. But if this young gentleman isso gone on the girl, it might make a deeper impression on him, bringhome to him more strongly the sense of her unworthiness, if he wereactually present at the scene. And it would spare you any painfulexplanations, beforehand. Afterwards you can tell him or not, as youplease, about our interview here."
Hugh made a gesture of disgust. "You propose that we should carry outour original intention of dining there and of sitting at the table of acriminal? I don't think I could bring myself to it."
If Mr Davidson did not quite agree with the young man's scruples, hewas open-minded enough to see the matter from Hugh's point of view.
"I quite understand, sir. But I think I can manage it all right. Yousay they dine at eight. Get there with your friend a quarter of an hourbefore. I will be there with my friend at five minutes to, before thedinner is served. You then won't have to sit at his table, you see."
Hugh was still hesitating. Mr Davidson proceeded to clinch hisargument.
"You see, sir, it will be so much better for Mr Pomfret to see with hisown eyes and hear with his own ears. When he has seen us clap thedarbies on Burton, and listened to what I can tell him about the girl--you can just give me a lead there, if you don't mind--I think he will becured of his calf-love on the spot. As far as he is concerned, we wantto make a swift and sudden cure, to kill his affection at once."
Yes, on the whole, after a little further reflection Murchison wasdisposed to fall in with this new suggestion. Pomfret, however deep hisinfatuation, could not resist the evidence of his own senses. He wouldbe much more strongly impressed than by a mere bald narration of thefacts as conveyed to his friend by the detective.
So it was settled. Hugh would bring Pomfret to Rosemount at twentyminutes or a quarter to eight. At five minutes to, Davidson and hiscolleague would present themselves to execute their painful errand.
"Just a word before I go," said the young man as he turned towards thedoor. "Is the man's name really Burton, or only an alias?"
"That is his real name. Of course he has had aliases. His family, Iunderstand, are respectable people of the lower middle-class. He wasthe black sheep, born with crooked and criminal instincts."
"And the girl, is she really his sister?"
"On that point, I have no positive information," replied Davidson. "Shehas passed as such ever since the Paris days. But I should very muchdoubt it. I am informed that they are very unlike in manners andappearance, that he is a rough sort of fellow, while she would passanywhere for a lady."
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Hugh went back to the barracks, more than rejoiced at the fact that thedetective seemed to have appeared on the scene in the very nick of time.If marriage was contemplated as the result of this clandestine wooing,what a terrible tragedy would be averted from the unlucky Pomfret!
CHAPTER SEVEN.
It was twenty minutes to eight as the two young men rang at the doorbell of Rosemount. Pomfret was always a slow dresser. It was only byextraordinary efforts that Hugh had got him off in time.
Brother and sister were awaiting them in the pretty drawing-room, litwith softly shaded lamps. Miss Burton rose to meet them, she extended ahand to each, in her pretty graceful way, as if she looked upon themboth as her dearest friends, and would make no difference between themin her greeting.
But Hugh was very wide-awake, after his meeting with the detective, andhe did notice that the left hand which she extended to Pomfret lingereda little longer in his responsive clasp than did the right which she hadgiven to him.
Yes, it was obvious that their acquaintance had gone far. There waseven, he fancied, an intelligent sympathy in their mutual glances.Pomfret was the lover, Hugh Murchison was simply the friend.
Mr Burton welcomed them heartily. "Just like old times," he cried inhis rough, breezy fashion. "I've been like a fish out of water duringNorah's absence. It was just like her to organise a little party,simply us four, to celebrate her return."
It struck Hugh that his conviviality was just a trifle forced, that heseemed "jumpy" and nervous. Had he by chance spotted those twostrangers in the High Street, and wondered what manner of men they were?
Pomfret settled himself on the chesterfield beside Norah, in spite ofher rather obvious signals to preserve a more discreet attitude.Ignorant of what was going to happen a few minutes hence, her greatobject was to conceal the fact that Jack should take the position of anacknowledged lover.
In her secret heart, she was very apprehensive of Murchison. She knewhe was suspicious of her, and he had a sort of elder brother affectionfor Pomfret. She was not by any means sure as to the lengths to whichthis fraternal feeling might lead him. It might even inspire him toevoke the assistance of the Pomfret family, and then the security of herpresent position might be menaced.
The secret marriage was, after all, in the nature of a gamble. Ifthings turned out as she expected, if the old aunt died in reasonabletime, the odds were in her favour. She could twist Jack round herlittle finger. But nobody knew better than this astute young woman ofthe world that there is many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip.Something that she had not calculated, not foreseen, might happen at anymoment, and her house of cards might tumble to the ground. Heradventurous life had taught her never to be too sure of momentaryprosperity.
She was a little bit nervous and "jumpy," like her brother, to-night.Her smile was a little forced, her high spirits rather assumed. Thewedding-ring, the marriage certificate hidden from sight, were greatassets. And yet, was it all just a little too good to be quite true?
Murchison talked with the brother, desultory sor
t of talk, hardlyconscious of what he was saying. His ears were straining for the soundof that electric-bell which would herald the arrival of Davidson and hiscolleague.
And it came very quickly. There was a loud, imperative peal. Burtonstarted from his seat, and forgot his assumed good manners.
"Who the devil is that?" he cried fiercely. "Do they want to knock thehouse down?" It was the vulgar exclamation of a very vulgar man.
Miss Burton was more mistress of herself, but Hugh observed that hercheek went a shade paler. Well, it was only natural. These two hadbeen living in fear of the law for more years than they cared toremember. And they had thought they were safely in harbour. Poorfools!
She turned to Pomfret, and forced a wan smile. "It is really quitealarming, Mr Pomfret, visitors at this time of the evening. And