The Slave of Silence

by Fred M. White

  CHAPTER X

  Beatrice had not long to wait. Only a few minutes elapsed before thedoor flew open and Richford came out so gently that Beatrice had barelytime to step into a friendly doorway. Her senses were quick and alertnow in the face of this unknown danger, and the girl did not fail tonote the pale face and agitated features of the man who had sogrievously harmed her. Evidently Richford had been drinking no more, butcertainly he had had some great shock, the effects of which had notpassed away. He muttered something as he passed Beatrice, and looked athis watch. Directly he had disappeared down the corridor, Beatricestepped into her room.

  The Countess was standing by the dressing-table picking up the odds andends there in a careless kind of way, but evidently in an attitude ofdeep attention. Beatrice's feeling of alarm became somewhat less as shesaw that the case of diamonds on the dressing-table had not beentouched. If anything like a robbery had been contemplated she was intime to prevent it. Just for the moment it occurred to Beatrice todemand coldly the reason for the intrusion, but she thought the betterof that. Clearly there was some conspiracy on foot here, and it would bebad policy to suggest that she suspected anything. So Beatrice forced alittle smile on her lips as she crossed the room.

  "I shall have to give you in charge as being a suspicious character,"she said. "I shall begin to believe that your dressmaker only existed inyour imagination."

  The Countess gave a little scream, and her face paled somewhat under herrouge. But she recovered herself with marvellous quickness. Her lips hadceased to tremble, she smiled gaily.

  "I am fairly caught," she said. "There is nothing for it but to pleadguilty and throw myself on the mercy of the court. You see, I have nottaken the diamonds, though I have looked at them."

  It was all so admirably and coolly said, that it might have deceivedanybody who did not know quite so much as Beatrice. But she had made upher mind that no suspicion of the truth should come out. Quitecarelessly she opened the lid of the jewel cases so that she might seefor herself that she was not the victim of this magnificent adventuress.

  But the gems were there right enough. Their marvellous rays seemed tofill the room with livid fire. Beatrice glanced at her companion; thelatter had caught her underlip fiercely between her teeth, her handswere clenched. And Beatrice knew that but for the intervention of thatstranger in the drawing-room and the sudden flight of the General, shewould never have seen those diamonds again. And yet Stephen Richford hadbeen in the same room with this brilliant adventuress! Beatrice wouldhave given a great deal to see to the bottom of the mystery.

  "Oh, it is indeed a narrow escape that you have had," the Countess said."I was not feeling very well, so I sent my maid to ask you to come to myroom. She said you had already gone, so I took the liberty of cominghere. Is not that so?"

  "Then we had perhaps better stay and talk here," Beatrice suggested."Adeline, will you take this case down to the office and ask the managerto place it with my other valuables in the safe? Be very careful,because they are diamonds."

  Adeline, who had just come in, took the case in her hand. The Countesshad turned her back, but Beatrice caught sight of her face in the chevalglass. It was livid with fury, and all wrinkled up with greed andbaffled cupidity. The girl was afraid to trust her voice for a moment.She knew now that unless she had taken this course, the diamonds wouldnot have been hers much longer. A woman who could look like that wascapable of anything. Some cunning plan, perhaps some plan that tookviolence within its grasp, would have been carried out before theevening was over. So alarmed was Beatrice that she followed Adeline tothe door. She wanted to see the jewels safe and regain her lostself-possession at the same time. It seemed to be a critical moment.

  "If you will excuse me," she said, "I had forgotten to give my maidanother message."

  The Countess nodded and smiled gaily. She was master of herself oncemore. Beatrice stepped out of the room and followed Adeline at a safedistance to the end of the stairs. So far as she knew to the contrary aconfederate might be lingering about waiting for a signal. Surelyenough, General Gastang was loitering in the hall smoking a cigarette.But he seemed to be powerless now, for he made no sign, and with a sighof relief Beatrice saw Adeline emerge presently from the office minusthe cases which she had previously carried.

  "Now, I fancy I have finished my business for the evening," Beatricesaid. "I have been thinking over the very kind offer you made to me alittle time ago. You can hardly understand how anybody as lonely asmyself appreciates such kindness as yours."

  The Countess raised her hands as if to ward off the gratitude. They wereslim hands with many rings upon them, as Beatrice did not fail tonotice.

  And on the finger of the left hand something was hanging that lookedlike a wisp of silk thread.

  "Excuse me," Beatrice said, "you have something attached to one of yourrings. Let me remove it for you. That is all right. It seems verystrange, but----"

  Beatrice checked herself suddenly and walked rapidly across the room.She had made what in the light of recent events was a startlingdiscovery. At first she had imagined that the long silken fluff wasattached to one of the rings, but this her quick eyes had proved to be amistake. On one of the slim fingers of the Countess was a thick smear ofwax.

  Beatrice could see a little of it sticking to the palm of the hand now.She understood what this meant. That neat little woman was by no meansthe sort of person to dabble habitually in tricks of that kind, andBeatrice suddenly recollected that wax was used for taking impressionsof locks and keys and the like. But surely there could be nothing worthall that trouble in this room, she thought. Nor would anything of thatkind have been necessary to get possession of the jewels. Besides, ifany waxen impression of anything had been taken, Stephen Richford wouldhave done it. Just for a moment it occurred to Beatrice that it would bea good idea to change her room, but she dismissed the impulse ascowardly, and besides, the manager had advised her that he had notanother room at his disposal in the hotel.

  Still, she was on her guard now, and she made up her mind to slumberlightly to-night. After all the exciting events of the day, it was notlikely that she would sleep at all. And yet she felt very dull andheavy; she could think of nothing to say, so that the Countess rosepresently and proclaimed the fact that she was quite ready for bedherself.

  "I am selfish," she said. "I am keeping you up, for which I should beashamed of myself. Good-night, my dear, and pleasant dreams to you."

  The speaker flitted away with a smile and a kiss of her jewelledfingers. Beatrice drew a long sigh of relief to find herself alone oncemore.

  She locked the door carefully and commenced a thorough examination ofthe room. It was some time before her quick eyes gave her any clue tothe meaning of the wax on the Countess's hands. Then she found it atlast. There was another of the silken threads hanging on the lock of thedoor leading to the room where Sir Charles lay. On the official sealplaced there by the police officers was a tiny thread of silk. It wasnot attached to the seal in any way. It came away in Beatrice's handswhen she pulled it, as if it had been fixed there by gum. Beatrice knewbetter than that. On the silk was wax, as she discovered when her handtouched it. A piece of soft white wax had been pressed on the seal, andhad left strong traces behind.

  Now, what did this strange mystery mean? Beatrice asked herself. Why didanybody require an impression of that seal? What object could anyonehave in getting into the room where the dead man lay? The more Beatriceasked herself this question the more puzzled did she become. She thoughtit over till her head ached and her eyes grew heavy. So engrossed wasshe that she quite failed to notice several little impatient knocks atthe door. Then the girl came to herself with a start, and opened thedoor to admit her maid, as she expected.

  But it was not Adeline come back, but the Countess with a dazzling whitesilk wrap over her shoulders. She was profoundly apologetic, but whatwas she to do? Her maid had been taken ill and she had been commanded tobed by a doctor. The Countess was very sorry for Marie, but sh
e had alittle sympathy left for herself. It was impossible for her to unhookthe back of her dress. Would Beatrice be so kind as to do it for her?

  "Of course I will," Beatrice said. "It is awkward being without a maid.Let me shut the door."

  It was no great task that Beatrice had set herself, but it was notrendered any more easy because the Countess pranced about the room as ifunable to keep still. She held in her hand a smelling bottle with apowerful perfume that Beatrice had never smelt before. It was sweet yetpungent, and carried just a suggestion of a tonic perfume with it. Butthe task was accomplished at length.

  "I fancy that is all you require," Beatrice said. "What scent is thatyou are using?"

  "It is some new stuff from Paris," the Countess said carelessly. "It issupposed to be the most marvellous thing for headaches in the wideworld. Personally, I find it a little too strong. Do you likeperfumes?"

  "I am afraid they are a weakness of mine," Beatrice confessed. "It isvery silly, I know, but it is so."

  The Countess removed the glass stopper from the bottle.

  "Try it, if you like," she said. "Only you must not take too much of itat first."

  Beatrice placed the bottle to her nostrils. A delicious thrill passedthrough her veins. All sense of fatigue had gone; she felt conscious ofonly one thing, and that was the desire to lie down and sleep. In adreamy way she watched the Countess depart and close the door behindher; then she crossed over to the bed and lay on it just as she was--herthoughts seemed to be steeped in sunshine.

  When Beatrice awoke at length, it was broad daylight, and Adeline wasleaning over her. The girl's face was white and her lips unsteady.

  "I am glad you have come round, Miss," she said. "You wouldn't believethe trouble I have had to arouse you, and you such a light sleeper as arule. Don't you feel well?"

  "I never felt better in my life," Beatrice said. "I have slept for hoursand hours. But it is for me to ask if you don't feel well, Adeline. Yourface is so curiously white and your lips tremble. What is it? Hassomething happened? But that is quite out of the question. All thedreadful things came together yesterday. Tell me, what time is it,Adeline?"

  "It's a little past ten, Miss," Adeline said in a low voice that shook alittle. "On and off, I have been trying to wake you since eight o'clock.And there is a gentleman to see you in the sitting-room as soon as youhave time--two gentlemen, in fact."

  Beatrice asked no further questions, though she could see from Adeline'smanner that something out of the common had taken place. But Beatricefelt curiously strong and steady to-day. It seemed impossible that fatecould have anything worse in store than had already befallen her. With afirm step she went into the sitting-room where two men rose and bowedgravely. One she recognized as the inspector of police who had comeafter the tragedy yesterday, the other was Dr. Andrews.

  "You sent for me, gentlemen?" she said quietly. "It is a matter of theinquest, of course? Will you have to call me? I am afraid I can give youno information--my father never had anything the matter with him as faras I know. If you could spare me the pain----"

  Dr. Andrews nodded gravely; he seemed unable to speak for the moment.

  "It is not that," he said quietly. "If we spare you one pain we give youanother. Miss Darryll, I should say Mrs. Richford, a terrible thing hashappened, a strange, weird thing. As you know, the inquest was to havebeen to-day. Events have rendered that utterly impossible. Please bebrave."

  "You will not have to complain of me on that score," Beatrice whispered.

  "Then it is this. By some strange means, certain people entered SirCharles's room last night and carried him away. It is amazing, but thebody of Sir Charles has disappeared!"