by J. J. Bell
CHAPTER XVIII
"So that's my story up to date," said Alan, and took out his pipe.
"And a very pretty story it is," returned Teddy, "if only there didn'tneed to be a sequel, old man. Of course, you can't possibly let thematter drop. I wouldn't myself."
The two friends were seated in the study of Grey House. The Novembertwilight was failing. Teddy had arrived early in the day, and since thenthey had spent few silent moments together.
At the outset Teddy had forgotten all his troubles in the joy of theresumed intercourse, but before long even the tale of Alan's adventureshad not served to keep them in abeyance--especially the thoughts ofDoris. Teddy would never forget that interview when he had confessed tothe losing of the Green Box. It had been a stunning blow to the girl whohad considered only the disaster it entailed for her father. For Teddyshe had had no reproaches, only gentleness. "You must have had a verywretched night," she said kindly. "Now we can only wait and see whathappens. You must not worry too much."
"If I were sure Bullard had it, I'd go this minute and offer every pennyI have," Teddy desperately declared.
"I cannot imagine Mr. Bullard wanting the box for what it might be worthin money," she said; "I'm afraid he may use it in some way againstfather--and poor father was almost happy last night.--Oh, Teddy, I didn'tmean to hurt you, you've done your best." He had turned away becausethere were tears in his eyes.
"Has Mr. Lancaster told you," he asked presently, "whether money wouldbreak the power of Bullard over him?"
After a little while her reply came in a whisper: "Yes; but it's animpossible sum--twenty-five thousand pounds." Teddy let out a groan, andjust then Mrs. Lancaster had intervened.
"Yes," Alan was saying, "I'm going to make a big effort to findMr. Flitch."
"He isn't by any chance a smallish dark man with a queer nose?"
"He's a huge, ruddy man--but what made you ask, Teddy?"
"I'll come to that when I'm telling you my little story of how I tried toshadow Bullard."
"Shadow Bullard! Good Heavens!--you!"
"Something to do in my spare time," said Teddy with a feeble smile.
The host eyed him in the firelight. "You don't feel like telling it justat once, do you?" he enquired kindly. He had been thinking his friend waslooking none too fit.
"Oh, I don't mind, Alan, if you care to have it now."
"I admit curiosity. Is there anything to prevent your telling it in Caw'spresence? Be quite candid--"
"Caw is welcome to it."
"Thanks," Alan rang the bell. "Caw and I have a good many gaps inour knowledge, and it's just possible that you may be able to fillsome for us."
"I've found out next to nothing definite except that Bullard is a rankliar; but I'm determined to go on with the shadowing--"
Caw appeared, and was about to remove the tea-tray.
"Never mind that just now," said Alan. "Give us lights, sit down, andlisten to what Mr. France has to say.... Go ahead, Teddy. We'll keepquiet till you've finished."
Teddy's, as we should have expected, was not a very long story. At itsconclusion Alan turned to the servant.
"Well, Caw?"
"Am I to speak, sir? Very good. Then I will only say two things. Firstly,I was a very great fool to be taken in by Mr. Bullard's wire from Paris:I ought to have considered the chance of his having an assistant overthere. Secondly, the man with the nose, sir, is Edwin Marvel, an uncommonbad egg, if I may say so, known to my master in the old days; and I aminclined to think that Mr. Bullard employed him to pinch--beg pardon,obtain--the Green Box, though I do not believe for a moment that Mr.Bullard trusted him far with it."
"You are convinced then that Bullard has the box now?" said Alan.
"If I hadn't been convinced before--which I was, Mr. Alan--Mr. France'sremarks would have satisfied me. If I may ask, Mr. France, what do youthink about it yourself?"
Poor Teddy! He would fain have abandoned concealment there and then, butall he sadly permitted himself to say was: "If Bullard hasn't got it, whohas?" In the same breath he asked: "But why was the confounded thing notkept in a safe place?"
"By my uncle's orders it was kept in a drawer in that table. One might bepardoned for fancying that the whole affair is a sort of game--and rathera silly one at that," Alan said, a trifle irritably. "But for Caw'sassurance to the contrary I'd refuse to believe that the box containedanything worth having. My uncle was not a fool, and yet--"
Caw, who could not endure hearing his late master's methods called inquestion, interrupted gently: "Pardon, sir, but possibly Mr. France mightcare to see where the box was kept."
"Show him, then."
The servant got up and went to the writing-table. "In this drawer,"he began, stooping, and drew it open.... "Good God, Mr. Alan, thebox is back!"
Alan jumped while Teddy sat down on the nearest seat.
Alan was first to speak. "What we want at once," said he, "is alocksmith."
"A locksmith, sir!" ejaculated Caw, his countenance expressing theliveliest horror.
"Of course! We must have the box opened, though we can hardly expect tofind anything in it at this time of day."
"But--but my master's wishes, Mr. Alan!"
Alan suppressed a strong word. "You mean that we ought not to open ituntil the clock stops?"
"Sir," said Caw, "if my master meant anything when he bade me throw thekey into the loch, I am sure he meant the box to remain closed untilthe time appointed for the ending of my service to him. Besides, hetold me--"
"But hang it all! he did not foresee an emergency like this!"
"I cannot say, sir. At any rate, it is not for me to question his wisdom.I am in your service, Mr. Alan, and proud of it, but I am also in his,until the clock stops--and so I beg of you very kindly, sir, not to putme in a position that might make me seem disrespectful to the wishes ofyourself or him." The little speech was delivered with such quiet dignityand withal in such frank appeal that Alan was touched.
"Upon my word, Caw," he said warmly, "you're the right sort! All thesame, it's a horribly annoying situation. I must think it over."Suddenly, with a laugh, he turned and shook his fist at the clock."Confound you! can't you get a big move on?"
"If I may say so," said the servant, "I sympathise with you, Mr. Alan,regarding that clock. The only reason, I think, for its being made to gofor a year was to allow time for your return. And now within a fortnightof its starting, here you are, sir, safe and sound!"
Teddy roused himself. "Is there any reason why it should not be stoppedbefore its time?" he enquired.
Caw's mouth opened. "My master's orders" was on his tongue. And yet, ashe had just said in other words, the object of the clock's existence, sofar as he knew it, had been already attained. "So far as he knewit!"--that was the clause that stuck.
"Well, Caw?" said Alan, "what were you going to say?"
Caw shook his head. "I haven't knowledge enough to answer either 'yes' or'no.' I have imagined, Mr. Alan, that that clock may be doing more thanjust telling the time. Sometimes, indeed, I think it--it _knows_something."
At that moment a bell rang in the distance. "Excuse me, sir," said Cawand went out.
"What's the man driving at?" said Alan with natural enough impatience.
"Well," his friend replied slowly, "doesn't it seem queer that the clockshould have been put there simply to proclaim when the year was up? Agrocer's calendar could have done that much--"
"By Jove!" Christopher's nephew strode across the room and stood staringat the timepiece. "Teddy," he said at last, "if it weren't for thatblighted Green Box, I'd be imagining all sorts of--"
Caw entered with a telegram on a tray. "For you, Mr. France," he said,presenting it. "The messenger waits."
Teddy read and went rather pale.
"Not bad news, old man?" Alan asked, coming over.
"Yes, it's bad--and yet it might have been worse. Read it. Don't go,Caw--or rather, ask the messenger to wait--"
"We'll ring for you, C
aw," said Alan.
The message in his hand ran on to a second sheet, and was as follows:
"Father has heard of Alan's return from B. The shock was too much, butthough weak he is very glad. But I fear for him. Tell Alan whatever youthink desirable. This is a last resort. Reply Queen's Road P.O.
"DORIS."
In Alan's heart an angry question flared up and went out. Why this appealto Teddy? Nay, enough that she needed help. Besides, she might not havefelt at liberty to address him direct. He looked up with a tenderexpression and met his friend's eye--good honest eyes that were bound tobetray a secret such as Teddy's.... It struck Alan then that his returnto home life might have consequences more momentous than he had dreamedof. With a slight flush on his tanned skin he went back to his chair bythe fire, and, motioning Teddy to one opposite, said:--
"Just do what Doris says, old man. Tell me whatever you think desirable,and no more. And before you begin, I'll remind you that in all our talkto-day I have never once uttered a word against Lancaster. The man hasbeen simply the victim, the tool, of Bullard. Caw thinks the same, and myuncle said as much just before he died. You and I know that he is novillain. And why delay sending an answer to this wire? There can be onlyone answer. You'll find forms on the table."
"Won't you send it, Alan?"
"I'll send one to Lancaster himself."
"Better not."
"Why?"
"Mrs. Lancaster is on Bullard's side."
"Ah!"
"Besides," Teddy continued, rather awkwardly, "I feel that you ought tohear what I have to say before you promise Lancaster--"
"I was merely going to ask him not to worry about anything."
"Exactly! But I had better tell you at once that in order to follow youradvice Lancaster would require to have twenty-five thousand pounds."
Alan gave a soft whistle. Then he laughed pleasantly. "You may tell Doristo tell him not to worry about anything. I'm owing him fifteen hundredand interest as it is."
"Alan!" cried Teddy, incredulous; "you don't really--"
"Oh, shut up! Put it any way you like, but don't keep Doris waiting.Listen! How will this do? 'Tell father with Alan's regards, no cause foranxiety in any direction, and he hopes to see you both almostimmediately. Guard this from B.' ... Anything else?"
"I--I'd like to mention that the box is here."
"The box! But what in creation does Doris know--"
"I'll be telling you in a minute," Teddy interrupted, looking hot andmiserable.
"All right. Go ahead."
Teddy added to the message: "Surprised to find box safe here." Then, withhis pencil dabbing the blotting-paper, he said: "Alan, if you don't mindmy suggesting it, I think she'd like a word from you--for herself." Hehad evidently forgotten that he had brought no "word" for Alan.
The latter did not reply at once. "You might put," he said slowly, hisgaze on the fire, "'Trust Alan,' or words to that effect--No, don't sayanything."
Teddy gave him a puzzled glance, sighed, and completed the message.
Alan rang the bell, remarking: "Caw will be interested to know that itwas Bullard who was here last night with his petards. Pretty clever chap,Bullard. But what on earth made him return the box?"
"I can tell you that also," said Teddy, as Caw came in for the telegram.
"Quick as you can, Caw," Alan said. "Mr. France has more to tell us."
The friends smoked in silence till the servant came back.
This time Teddy reserved nothing save Doris's promise to marry Bullard atthe end of a year. That, he felt, was for Doris herself to tell. Beyondan occasional exclamation his recital met with no interruption. When hehad made an end there was a long pause while Alan and Caw filled upmentally a few more of the gaps in their knowledge. The latter was sadlyupset by the revelation of the stones being paste.
"I wonder," said the former, "who the man was who opened the boxfor Bullard?"
"Lancaster, I fancy, will be able to tell you. Bullard seems to haverather a choice set of assistants. Doris described him as adreadful-looking man!"
"May I ask you a question, Mr. Alan?"
"Certainly--as many as you like."
The servant was gazing at the carpet. "When Mr. France informed us thatthe diamonds in the Green Box were false, why, sir, did your eyes jump tothe clock?" He rose without waiting for the answer. "And may I remindyou, gentlemen, that you are dining at Dr. Handyside's in twenty minutesfrom now?" He was going out when Alan recalled him.
"Have you the address of the chap who made the clock, Caw?"
"I have, sir."
"Then wire him now asking him to come here in the morning. And, by theway, Caw--" Alan hesitated.
"Sir?"
"You don't mind being left alone this evening?"
"No, sir. I hardly expect that anything will happen _this_ evening.Besides, it is evidently known now that you are at home. Also, whichI omitted to mention before, there is the bell wire to Dr.Handyside's study."
"Then that's all right," Alan said, not without relief, "and you'll havethat big dog by to-morrow or next day."
Caw bowed and went out.
"You didn't answer his question about the clock," remarked Teddy.
"Confound the clock!" Alan laughed and got up. "For a moment I had a madidea that--well, never mind for the present. We don't want to be latenext door."