by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XLIV.
TOO MUCH FOR DOVE.
Mrs. Dredge's remarks had by no means been lost on Noel. When he leftMiss Egerton's house he consulted his watch, and found that he hadstill an hour to spare before he need try to catch his train. Hethought for a moment or two, recalled certain expressions on Daisy'sface, certain words which dropped from her lips, and, above all, alook which had filled her pretty eyes on the one and only occasionwhen they had met Dove together.
Noel began to feel more and more certain that this man, to whom he hadtaken a great dislike, had something to say to all the child's misery.Noel knew, however, that suspicion in such a case would be of littleavail--he must have certainty, and certainty could only be his bycautious and wary movements.
Again he consulted his watch, and now he determined on a bold course.He remembered that the girls had once told him that Dove was a painterby trade, but that he seldom or never had anything to do. Noel wasextremely fastidious, and, if possible, almost over-refined in thearrangements of his own home. He made his little plan with a sigh, buthe would have done more than this for the sake of pretty little Daisy.
Walking quickly, he soon found himself at the Doves' address in EdenStreet. His knock at the hall door was answered by Tommy Dove, whoassured him that both his father and mother were having high tea withshrimps and watercresses in the back parlor.
Noel said he wanted to see Dove on business, and Tommy, remarking thatthe back parlor was as good a place as any other for this purpose,ushered the visitor in direct.
"I believe you are a painter," said Noel--"I have chambers atWestminster, and want to have my balcony and front windows painted.I've heard of you through the Miss Mainwarings, and as I'm in a hurryto get the job completed at once, I have called round to know if youare disengaged."
"Of course you are, Dove," said his wife.
"Softly, my only love," replied her husband. "Sir, be pleased to takea seat. I shall be glad to do my best for you, and any recommendationfrom the young ladies you mention is most gratifying to me. Sweetyoung ladies they was, and ever will be--and my wife and me, wemourns unceasing for their departure."
"Speak for yourself, Dove," said the wife--"we are doing better withour present attics than we ever did with our late attics. Sir, you'llexcuse me, but truthful I ever will be at all costs."
"Can you paint my windows or not?" said Noel, rising to his feet, andspeaking with some asperity. "If you are too busy to undertake thework pray say so, and let me seek some one else, for my time isprecious."
"Of course he'll do it, sir," said Mrs. Dove. "Say yes to thegentleman, Dove, and thank him, and have done with it."
"Well, sir, I am very busy," said Dove. "I haven't a moment to call myown for weeks to come, but all the same, I wouldn't disoblige the lateattics for a good deal, so I'll just put off the Cooks, who are wildto get their house-cleaning through, and Mr. Martin, who keeps thebacon and 'am shop, must wait. Yes, sir, I wait your pleasure, sir--Ican come."
"To-morrow morning, then, early," said Noel, "this is my address. Askfor my servant when you arrive, and he will show you what you are todo, and will also give you directions as to the colored paint I wishused. I must hurry off now, for I'm going down to the country on somevery sad business. You will be sorry to hear, Mr. Dove, that MissDaisy Mainwaring has lost a considerable sum of money, and the poorlittle child is in such trouble about it that she has run away. Ofcourse, I don't believe for a moment that she has really lost themoney--of course it was stolen from her. Well, good-bye, I'm going toseek her, and to try to catch the thief. Be sure you arrive at myhouse in good time in the morning, Dove."
"Yes, sir, very sorry to hear your bad news," said Dove, in aself-possessed voice, but Arthur saw that his color had changed, andhe wanted no stronger clue to confirm his suspicions. When he got intothe street he not only consulted his watch, but a time-table. A latertrain than he had intended to travel by would take it to Roseburyearly in the morning. He would go by this train. Now he jumped into ahansom and drove to his chambers. His servant came to him, to whom hegave hasty directions.
"You're to buy the paint yourself, Lawson; see that it is properlymixed, and the right shade. Move the plants from the balcony early inthe morning--the man will arrive in good time, and listen, Lawson, Idon't want him to be too closely watched."
"What do you mean by that, sir?" said Lawson.
"Only that you need not stay in the room all the time--come in andout, of course--but don't imagine the man to be a thief until he isproved such."
"Well, sir, your commands must be obeyed, of course, but you have manyarticles of virtue and elegance about."
"Never mind that, Lawson--do as I tell you."
When his servant left the room Noel took a five-pound note out of hispocket, and enclosing it in an open envelope laid it carelessly on thechimney-piece. There was no writing on the envelope, and the notemight well have been slipped into it by mistake. Noel also slipped aring of some value from his finger, and dropped it into a little tray,which contained odds and ends of different descriptions.
"Now I've laid my trap," he said to himself. "My poor little Daisy, Ihope I may ensnare your ogre to his destruction."
The next morning early Dove, well pleased with his job, and neverguessing that the smallest suspicions had attached themselves to him,arrived at Noel's rooms. He was a most idle man, and seldom cared forwork, but he was pleased at Noel's singling him out, and imagined thatnotwithstanding her running away, he owed this visit to little Daisy.
"She's a pert little thing," he said to himself, "and if she's so trueto me as all this, why I suppose I must leave her alone in the future.I made a nice little haul out of her the other day, and I've gotseveral of them sovereigns about me still; but lor, wasn't she in apiteous fright when I took that cheque away with me!"
Dove was highly pleased with the appearance of Noel's rooms. He couldsee no beauty in the simplicity of the girls' Palace Beautiful, butalthough he was quite incapable of judging of the value of thepictures and exquisite little statuettes which adorned the walls, hewas judge enough of the depth and richness of the Turkey rugs, and ofthe wealth which must have been expended over the very selectfurniture of Noel's sitting-room.
Lawson, wondering much at his master's directions but supposing thatDove must be a very special _protege_, received him with muchcordiality, gave him directions with regard to his work, and then lefthim alone. Dove painted and cleaned, and whistled as he worked; hefelt quite cheerful and virtuous, and began to consider that theposition of British workmen was not such a bad one after all. He feltmore and more pleased with Daisy Mainwaring for having put him in theway of such agreeable and profitable occupation, and more and moreresolved to leave her alone for the future.
"Maybe if I was to talk to the pretty little dear she'd find me a dealmore jobs of this yere sort," he said to himself. "A little lady sheis, and no mistake, and she keeps very genteel friends, as any one cansee with half an eye."
After Dove had worked for two or three hours he began to feel thirsty,for he was quite unaccustomed to any continuous labor. The sun wasshining brightly on the balcony, and he was also a little hot, and theinside of Noel's room looked deliciously cool and inviting. He hadjust seen Lawson walking down the street, too, so he was quite sure ofhaving the premises to himself. Slipping off his shoes he stepped intothe room and began to look about him with an appreciative air. Hehandled some of Noel's choicest books, and looked through a portfolioof rare engravings but neither books nor engravings were quite inDove's way, and after a time he strolled over to the mantel-piece, ashe said, to see how he looked reflected in the over-mantel glass.There were letters there directed to Noel. Dove would have dearlyliked to acquaint himself with their contents, but he was a slow anddeficient reader. Some cigars lay in a little cigar-case at one end.Dove, as a matter of course, and without weighing the question at all,slipped a couple into his pocket. After doing this he did not feelquite so virtuous, nor so like the proverbial B
ritish workman; hejingled some of Daisy's sovereigns in his pocket, and laughed whenthey made a pleasant sound. Still eagerly peering at all the articleson the mantel-piece his quick eyes presently detected amongst a heapof rubbish and odds and ends Noel's valuable signet-ring; it was ofheavy workmanship, and its gold alone made it worth money.
"Why, Isaacs the Jew would give me two pound ten, or perhaps threepounds for this," queried Dove. "It has plainly been forgotten here,and if the gent does miss it he'll lay the blame on that fine fellowLawson."
It took a very small parley with Dove's seared conscience to make himpocket the ring, and by the time Lawson returned to the house thefive-pound note had also been appropriated. Dove whistled morecheerily than ever over his work that afternoon, and in the evening hewent home quite unsuspecting any little trap which might have been setfor him.
He had scarcely gone before a boy arrived with a telegram directed toLawson, and with a reply pre-paid. Lawson read the following words:--
"Look on the mantel-piece in my sitting-room for a blank envelope,open, which contains a five-pound note--No. 11267. I also left my ringin the cigar tray. Wire reply if note and ring are safe.--ARTHURNOEL."
The address to reply to was added.
Poor Lawson spent an agonized ten minutes in searching over thecontents of the mantel-piece. In the end he had to fill in the replytelegram with the news that nowhere could the five-pound note nor thering be found.
A little over two hours passed, and again the worthy servant wasstartled by a telegraphic dispatch. This was what it contained:--
"Have reasons to believe that the painter Dove is the thief. Goinstantly to the nearest police-station, give them the number of thenote, and go with one of their staff to Dove's house. His address is,10, Eden Street, Junction Road, Holloway. The note and ring willprobably be found on his person. Get him apprehended if possible. Takeall necessary cabs.--ARTHUR NOEL."
Thus it came to pass that when that evening Dove sat down tranquillyto a luxurious supper of lobster salad, chops, and bottled stout, hewas unpleasantly interrupted. When two policemen, accompanied byLawson, came into his room, he was guilty of using very violentlanguage, and altogether conducted himself in a most excited manner;but, notwithstanding his resistance, and Mrs. Dove's hysterics, andsome terribly distressing chuckles, really sounding more like laughterthan tears, which were heard to issue from the lips of that naughtyboy, Tommy, a strict search of his person was instituted, and inconsequence he was that very night locked up in jail.
Oh, if only poor little Daisy, tossing on her hot and feverish pillow,could have known!