old chum of mine;he has done me some very good turns. I was pleased to return thecompliment."
There was a brief pause, before Moreno spoke again. "I left MissClandon a little time ago. She is longing to see you. I suggested sheshould send round a note to you. She seemed a little fearful of whatyou might think of her hasty action. She begged me to come round andexplain matters. That is why I am here. Here is her address."
"Again a thousand thanks." Rossett looked at his watch."Unfortunately, I have to dine at the Embassy to-night, and there is nogetting out of that. We are the slaves of duty. I have only just timeto get back and dress. I will leave as soon after dinner as I decentlycan, and go round to her."
"Away with you, duty calls," said Moreno, rising briskly. "I will senda note round to her saying I have seen you, and that you will be thereto-night." It was late when Rossett, hurrying as fast as he could,entered the small drawing-room of the flat tenanted by the respectableGodwins. Isobel was alone; the worthy couple, with commendable tact,had absented themselves. Moreno had told them just as much as it waswell for them to know, and they were not very inquisitive people.
It was a very delightful meeting. They had been longing for each othersince they last parted. They exchanged their vows of love all overagain.
"And you are sure you are not angry with me, Guy?" asked Isobel, as theysat hand in hand on the rather hard sofa.
"Angry, my brave little darling. Why should I be? But I say, this isnot the sort of place for you, you know. Have you brought a maid withyou?"
"Yes, our old parlourmaid, Ethel. I don't suppose you remember her."
"Yes, I do. Well, you must go the Ritz, or one of the good hotels."
"Oh, please no, dearest. I have no chaperon, you see, and it might lookqueer. Besides, I don't want to meet a lot of people, and have toexplain things. I would much prefer to stay here _incognita_. DearMrs Godwin is quite a motherly old soul, and knows nothing of what isgoing on in the great world except what she learns from the newspapers.And I am not so far off, after all. You can come and see me sometimes."
"Every day, darling," cried Rossett. On reflection, he was inclined tothink that, under the very peculiar circumstances, Isobel's course ofaction was the right one. If she blossomed forth at a fashionablehotel, a great deal would have to be explained. In a censorious andconventional world, young women, however pure in heart, cannot afford tobe adventurous.
As they sat on the sofa, she told him at great length of her visit toTicehurst Park, and the Earl's consent to their engagement, of hisendeavour to get her to use her influence to lure Guy from his post, ofher refusal, in which she had been staunchly supported by her father.She had told him briefly of this at the funeral, but he had been sopressed for time that she had only supplied him with the barest details.
"The old dad, he was always great at a bargain, but this time you gotthe better of him, my darling."
Then he put his hand in his breast pocket, and drew forth a letter. "ByJove, I had very nearly forgotten--a letter received this morning fromthat dear old Aunt Henrietta. I won't read you all of it, there areyards, but I'll just run through a passage that concerns us."
This was the passage he read. "I hear a great deal from Mary, who asyou know is a most indefatigable correspondent, about your fiancee,Isobel Clandon. She describes her as a most sweet and lovable girl.There were always the two types in the Rossett family, the practicableand the romantic. You, Mary, and myself belong to the latter. Imarried for love, Mary would have done, and you are going to.
"I hear also your post is rather a dangerous one, and that they havetried to get you recalled, but that you will not hear of it. Well, Iadmire your spirit and sense of duty. Still, as soon as you can retirewith honour, do so.
"Now that your father has given his consent, there is nothing to waitfor. I shall make the way easy for you, as I have always tried to do.Bring your Isobel to see me at the first opportunity. I am longing tomake her acquaintance."
"What a darling!" cried Isobel enthusiastically. "Well, anyway, thereare three dear people in the present Rossett family, your Aunt, Mary,and yourself. And Lord Saxham is not so bad after all."
In her happiness she freely forgave the old gentleman his formerhostility, his attempt to drive a bargain with her.
"No, he's by no means so bad, when you get to know him, to piercethrough the crust as it were. He is a sort of cross between thepractical and romantic Rossetts," said Guy.
They talked for a long time about their future plans.
When Isobel laid her head upon her pillow that night, she was happierthan she had ever been since the day her dear old father died.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
A week had passed since the conversation between Valerie Delmonte andContraras had taken place. A great function was on at the Royal Palaceto-night. All the elite of Madrid would be there.
For this special occasion, the leading members of the Spanish sectionhad shifted from Fonterrabia to the capital--Zorrilta, Alvedero, VioletHargrave, Andres Moreno. Contraras and Valerie Delmonte had alreadytaken up their residence there. It was the night of the great _coup_,on the successful development of which depended the dawn of the new era.
Moreno had a busy day. Thanks to the noble-spirited action ofMademoiselle Delmonte, who had taken the entire execution of the _coup_upon herself, he was spared any active participation in it. VioletHargrave, who had been originally named as an assistant, was alsodispensed with.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, he was seated in the private room ofthe Head of the Spanish Secret Service. There was also present the Headof the Police. The three men talked together for a very considerabletime. Moreno was attired in his shabby workman's garb; he had on also afalse beard and moustache.
When the interview was terminated, Moreno rose; and turned to the Chiefof Police.
"You have thought it all out then? You know she will come with theDuchess del Pineda."
"She will be watched from the moment she enters the Palace to the momentshe leaves it," was the chief's confident reply.
"And you say that the Duchess is quite ignorant of her intentions?" Itwas the Chief of the Secret Service who spoke.
"I will swear to the innocence of the Duchess, also to that of the Duke.They are simply tools. They have been made use of by a superiorintelligence, by a man who has a strong hold over the Duke."
"I wish, Mr Moreno, you were able to take us a little more into yourconfidence. Would it not be possible to bag the whole lot to-night?"
The Chief of the Police rubbed his hands at the thought. "Ah, thatwould be a fine idea. And I suppose, Mr Moreno, you have it in yourpower to enable us to do so?"
"Gently, gentlemen, if you please. Don't be ungrateful. I am helpingyou somewhat to-night. And because I am doing this, you want to rushthings," answered the young journalist in his usual quiet way. "Now,look you, much as I desire to serve you, I have a very tender regard formy own skin."
"Naturally," cried the Secret Service man. And the Chief of Policeechoed him.
"The secret of this project to-night has been entrusted to a good manypeople," continued Moreno. "If it fails, as you promise me it willfail, two things will occur to the mind of the Chief--one that thebrotherhood has been betrayed by one in their counsels, the other thatyour spies noticed something suspicious in the behaviour of the woman,and that she was arrested on the strength of that suspicious behaviour."
The two men nodded their heads. They began to see the drift of hisobservations.
"I was at first designed to take part in this project, but the originalprogramme was altered. Had it been adhered to, I think I could haveenabled you to bag the whole lot, at any rate, most of them, and yetescaped scot free myself, of course with your co-operation."
"We dare not ask you to disclose your plan?" insinuated the SecretService man gently.
Moreno shook his head. "I think not. But if this _coup_ fails, therewill be another planned shortl
y. By that time my ideas will beperfected, and I trust I shall be able to do what you want, and escapewith a whole skin. Only one member of the brotherhood will be hereto-night. The others are scattered about. Suspicion would at once fallupon me if every one except myself were taken."
"We could work that out pretty easily, could we not?" queried the Chiefof Police eagerly.
"I think not," was Moreno's answer. "You would have got this lot out ofthe way, but there are a few members of the brotherhood left in London,and every man has a knife handy. I must show a clean sheet to those whoremain at large. Please trust me, and I will shortly do it in my ownway."
Moreno left after cordial hand-shaking. Both the Chiefs were men ofconsiderable astuteness, and great experience.