youknow so well that nobody in Blankfield, except yourselves, ever crossesour threshold."
The happy Jack, the husband of a few short hours, was quite unperturbed.He smiled back at her confidently.
"Somebody come to the wrong house, I should say. Why, you have gonequite pale! What a nervous little thing it is!" He whispered the lastsentence in a lover-like tone.
Murchison felt every nerve in his body tingling. Jack was in a state ofignorance. The brother and sister, he was sure, were filled with vagueand undefined alarms. He, alone out of the four sitting in thatcharming little drawing-room awaiting the announcement of dinner, wassure of what was going to happen.
He stole a look across at Pomfret with the happy, fatuous smile of thesuccessful lover on his face. Poor devil! In another couple of minuteshe would be terribly disillusioned.
There was a heavy trampling of feet across the hall. The visitors,whoever they were, had pushed past the trim and ladylike parlourmaid.
The drawing-room door was flung open, and the two big men, Davidson andhis colleague, advanced towards Burton who was standing in the middle ofthe room.
The detective spoke in a clear, ringing voice. "It's all up, MrBurton, I won't trouble to recount your various aliases. I've a warranthere to arrest you on a charge of forgery. You've gone free for sometime, but one of your old pals has peached upon you. Hard luck for you,otherwise you might have been playing still, perhaps for ever, this nicelittle `stunt' at Blankfield. I suppose you will come quietly?"
For a few seconds George Burton indulged in some horrible imprecations.In the same breath he protested his absolute innocence, and denouncedthe "pal" who had betrayed him. Mr Davidson cut him short, as hefastened the handcuffs on his wrist.
"Stow it, old man! Be a sport. It's a fair cop, isn't it? You knewthe risk you ran when you went into this business."
Mr Burton subsided. "Yes, it's a fair cop," he growled. "I don'tblame you, you are only doing your duty. I've no grudge against you.But by Heaven, when I come out, I'll do for that swine who has given meaway, if I have to swing for it."
Pomfret had risen from his seat on the chesterfield at the dramaticentrance of the two strangers. Norah had risen also. In the fewseconds that elapsed between their entrance and the clapping of thehandcuffs on Burton, she stretched out appealing arms to him, and criedout in a voice of despair:
"Stand by me, Jack, stand by me. I knew nothing of this. It is asgreat a surprise to me as to you. Oh, my poor brother! He has donethis for love of me."
Murchison heard the impassioned tones, the despairing appeal. Theywould have melted a heart of stone. What effect would they have uponthe unsuspicious Jack?
Pomfret withdrew himself, almost coldly, from the proffered embrace. Ina few seconds, as it seemed to Hugh, he had grown from a boy to a man.
He turned to the detective, and Hugh was delighted at the sudden dignitythat seemed to have come to him.
"You seem to know a great deal about this man whom you have handcuffed,and who admits you are only doing your duty. Do you know anything abouthis sister, Miss Burton?"
Mr Davidson glanced significantly at Murchison. They had arranged alittle conversation between themselves, but Jack's frankness hadrendered this unnecessary.
"What I know of the young lady, sir, I am sorry to tell you, is not toher credit. She has been associated with this man for some years. Shestarted with him in Paris some time ago, when he was a card-sharper, andrunning a gambling-saloon. But to be fair, she is not in this businesswith him, and I have nothing against her."
"Are they what they represent themselves to be, brother and sister?"Pomfret's voice was very quiet, but there was in it a suppressed note ofagony. How he had loved this girl, and a few hours ago he had claspedher in his arms as his wife!
The keen eyes of the detective softened as he looked at Jack, who washiding the most intense agitation under an apparently stoical demeanour.
"I have no accurate information on that point, sir, but I should verymuch doubt the fact of their relationship."
While this brief conversation was taking place between Pomfret andDavidson, Norah was still standing with arms outstretched.
Again there came forth the appealing, impassioned cry: "Jack, stand byme! Jack, stand by me!" She sank down on the sofa, and put her handsbefore her face. "Stay with me, wait till they have all gone, and Iwill explain everything. I have nothing to do with this."
But Pomfret stood like a man turned to stone. Then suddenly, Norah gavea little gurgling cry, and fainted. Pomfret made a step towards her,and halted. His great love for her had been killed. Perhaps at thismoment he hated her more than he had ever loved her.
The parlourmaid, with a white face, was peeping in the room. Davidsonbeckoned to her.
"My colleague will help you to take her up to her room. Look after her.She's as game as they make them, but to-night's been too much for her.She has been playing for big stakes, and she has lost."
The maid and Davidson's burly assistant lifted up the recumbent form.And when they had carried her out, Pomfret's self-control seemed to giveway. He suddenly clutched at his throat and turned to Hugh.
"Old man, I have had as much as I can stand. For Heaven's sake, take mefrom this accursed house."
Hugh put his arm under his to steady him. The boy's nerve had gone, hewas trembling like a man stricken with the ague. There was no cab ortaxi to be got in this outlying district. They had to walk back to thebarracks.
Hugh planted him in an easy-chair in his own quarters, and mixed him astiff peg. Even Dutch courage was better than nothing. Pomfret drankit in two big gulps. Then he pulled himself together.
"I have been an infernal fool, old man," he gasped, "an infernal fool."
Hugh spoke soothingly. "Of course you have. But the folly is over.You now know Norah Burton and her rascally brother for what they are, apair of criminals and adventurers."
"But you don't know all," groaned the unfortunate Jack. "Norah Burtonis my wife. I married her secretly the other day, by special licence,while I was up in London." Hugh leapt to his feet in astonishment. Hehad his own ideas of that visit to London, coupled with Norah's absence.But that Pomfret, weak and impressionable as he was, should have madesuch a fool of himself, was beyond the limits of his comprehension.
In a moment he pulled himself together. The poor lad was in a big messenough, it was no time to rub it in. "Tell me all about it, old chap,"he said quietly.
And Pomfret told him. He made it clear, perfect gentleman as he was,that Norah had been the least to blame in the matter, that thesuggestion had come from himself, that Norah had insisted uponconsulting her brother before yielding to his wishes.
Yes, of course, Hugh could understand all that. They had known just thekind of man they were dealing with. They had hooked and landed theirfish well. To a woman in her uncertain state, a husband with someprospects was better than her insecure position with a scoundrel likeGeorge Burton.
Hugh filled a big pipe full up with a very strong and potent tobacco.He thought better when he was smoking, and this was a situation thatdemanded a good deal of thought.
After a while he spoke. "Well, Jack, let us look facts in the face.What is done can't be undone. You have married this woman, and as longas she lives she is entitled to call herself Mrs Pomfret, and you willhave to keep her. There is no getting over that."
The unhappy Jack groaned. There was no getting over that. Thisattractive, charming young woman, sister or confederate, or whateverrelationship she stood in to this wretched criminal, was his legal wife,and, if she chose, she could make things very uncomfortable for him.
"Well, old man, you have made a hash of your life at the very beginningof it. As I say, that can't be undone. You've got to make the best ofit. I suppose you have entered into some financial arrangements withher."
"Seven hundred a year till I come into my aunt's money. After that, ofcourse, our marriage was to be acknow
ledged, and we would livetogether."
"I see," said Hugh, assuming a cheerfulness he did not quite feel."Well, I should not say she would try for more than her seven hundred ayear at present. When your aunt dies she will of course fight for a bitmore. I take it, after to-night's work, you will never want to livewith her, cajoling and attractive as she is."
Pomfret shuddered. "After what that fellow said, my love for her died.But, by Heaven, Hugh, I did love her while I believed in her."
"Of course, of course. Have you signed any document about that sevenhundred, by the way?"
"Not yet. My solicitor is sending me the document to-day, it will reachme to-morrow morning."
"It will make it a little easier to deal with her, then. Are you