CHAPTER IV
A TERRIBLE AWAKENING
For some time after his guests had retired, Hugh Mainwaring remainedoutside, walking up and down in the starlight, apparently absorbedin thought. When at length he passed into the house, he met hissecretary coming out for a solitary smoke.
"Come to my library, Mr. Scott, before you retire for the night,"said Mr. Mainwaring.
"At once, sir, if you wish," the secretary replied.
"No, there is no hurry; any time within an hour," and he passedup-stairs.
Half an hour later Harry Scott passed down the corridor towards thelibrary, but paused on hearing an angry voice within, which he atonce recognized as Mrs. LaGrange's.
"Where would you be to-night?" she cried, "where would you have beenall these years, if I had but exposed your dishonesty and duplicity?You defrauded your only brother during his lifetime; you havepersistently ignored your son, your own flesh and blood; and now youwould rob him, not only of his father's name, but of his father'sfortune,--cast him off with a mere pittance,--and put this strangerin the place which is rightfully his, and wish that you had beengiven such a son as he! You are in my power, and you know it onlytoo well; and I will make you and your high-born, purse-proud familyrue this day's work."
Hugh Mainwaring's reply to this tirade was inaudible, and Scott,feeling that he already had heard too much, withdrew, and continuedwalking up and down the halls until the library door opened and Mrs.LaGrange came out. She swept past him in a towering rage, seemingscarcely aware of his presence until, as he passed down the corridorand entered the library, he was suddenly conscious that she hadturned and was watching him.
He found Mr. Mainwaring looking pale and fatigued.
"I will detain you but a moment, Mr. Scott," he said, speakingwearily; "I have a few instructions I would like you to carry outearly in the morning; and I also want to say that I wish you toconsider yourself as one of my guests to-morrow, and join with usin the festivities of the occasion."
Scott thanked his employer courteously, though there might have beendetected a shade of reserve in his manner, and, after receivingbrief directions for the following day, withdrew.
He went to his room, but not to sleep. His mind was too full ofthe events of the day just passed, as well as of the expected eventsof the morrow. His thoughts reverted to his discovery of theafternoon, and, taking the shabby document from his pocket, he readand re-read it carefully, his features betraying deep emotion. Whatshould be done with it? Should he let his employer know at once ofthe proof which he now held against him? Or should he hold it for afew days and await developments?
It was nearly three o'clock when he was aroused from his abstractionby a slight sound, as of stealthy footsteps in the rear of the house.He listened intently for a moment, but hearing nothing further anddiscovering the lateness of the hour, he hastily extinguished thelight and, too exhausted and weary to undress, threw himself as hewas upon a couch and was soon sleeping heavily.
The sun was shining brightly into his room, when Harry Scott wasawakened the next morning by a woman's scream, followed by cries andsobs and a confused sound of running to and fro. Almost before hecould collect his thoughts, he heard steps approaching his room,and, rising, hastily exchanged the smoking-jacket in which he hadslept for a coat. He had barely time to make the change when therewas a loud knock, and some one called his name in quick, sharp tones.
Opening the door, he saw Mr. Whitney standing before him, while inthe background servants were running in different directions,wringing their bands and moaning and crying hysterically.
"Mr. Scott," said the attorney, in tones trembling with excitement,"come to the tower-room at once. Mr. Mainwaring has been murdered!"
"Mr. Mainwaring murdered!" he exclaimed, reeling for an instant asif from a blow. "Great heavens! it cannot be possible!"
"It is terrible, but a fact, nevertheless," replied Mr. Whitney;"he was murdered last night in his private rooms."
"How and when was it discovered?" Scott inquired, his mind stilldazed by the wild torrent of thought surging through his brain ashe recalled the events of the previous night.
"Hardy, his valet, was the first to discover it this morning. Wehave telephoned for his physician and for the coroner; they will beout on the next train from the city."
Harry Scott shuddered as he entered the familiar room where he hadtaken leave of his employer but comparatively few hours before.Even amid the confusion, he noted that in the outer room everythingappeared the same as when he last saw it, but the portieres at thefarther side, pushed widely open, revealed a ghastly sight.
Upon the floor, about half-way between the desk and safe, his headresting in a small pool of blood, lay Hugh Mainwaring. He wasinclined slightly towards his right side, his arm partially extended,and on the floor, near his right hand, lay a revolver, while an uglywound just above the right eye and near the temple showed where theweapon had done its deadly work. The closely cut hair about thetemple was singed and his face was blackened, showing that the fatalshot had been fired at close range. There were no indications,however, of a struggle of any kind; the great revolving-chair,usually standing in front of the desk, had been pushed aside, buteverything else was in its accustomed place, and the desk was closedand locked.
Ralph Mainwaring was already kneeling beside the body; Mr. Thorntonand young Mainwaring, who had entered immediately after Scott andthe attorney, stood speechless with horror. With what conflictingemotions the young secretary gazed upon the lifeless form of hisemployer, fortunately for him at that moment, no one knew; as hismind cleared, he began to realize that his position was likely toprove a difficult and dangerous one, and that he must act withextreme caution.
The silence was first broken by Mr. Thornton, who exclaimed,--
"Terrible! Terrible! What do you think, Mainwaring? is this murderor suicide?"
"Time alone will tell," replied Mr. Mainwaring in a low tone; "but Iam inclined to think it is murder."
"Murder without a doubt!" added Mr. Whitney.
"But who could have done such a deed?" groaned Mr. Thornton.
Hugh Mainwaring was attired, as when Scott had last seen him, in arich dressing-gown; but as the secretary knelt beside the silentform and touched the left hand lying partially hidden in its folds,he gave a slight start, and, quickly passing his hand within thedressing-gown, announced in a low tone,--
"His diamond ring and his watch are both gone!"
"Robbery!" exclaimed young Mainwaring; "that must have been theobject of the murderer!" While his father, glancing towards thesafe, remarked,--
"We must ascertain whether anything else is missing."
"We will make a thorough examination of the room after the coroner'sarrival," said Mr. Whitney, "but, for the present, everything mustremain as it is."
"Should we not send for a detective at once?" Mr. Thornton inquired.
"I have already telephoned for one upon my own responsibility,"replied the attorney.
"When were you last in these rooms, Mr. Scott?" asked RalphMainwaring of the secretary, who had risen to his feet and was makinga careful survey of the room.
"About twelve o'clock last night, sir," was his reply; then noting alook of surprise on the faces about him, he added,--
"I came at Mr. Mainwaring's request, as he wished to give directionsregarding some work to be done this morning."
"He was alone at that time?"
"Yes, sir."
"How did he appear?" inquired Mr. Thornton.
"The same as usual, except that he seemed very weary."
"Was he in this room?" asked Mr. Mainwaring.
"No, sir; he was seated in the library."
The sound of voices in the corridor attracted Mr. Mainwaring'sattention, and he turned quickly to his son,--
"Hugh, I hear your mother's voice; go and meet her. The ladies mustnot be allowed to come in here."
Mr. Thornton turned to accompany young Mainwaring. Near
the door hemet his daughter and Miss Carleton, while a little farther down thecorridor were Isabel Mainwaring and her mother. With terror-strickenfaces they gathered about him, unable to believe the terrible reportwhich they had learned from the servants. As best he could, heanswered their numerous inquiries, and, having escorted them toanother part of the house, left them in charge of young Mainwaring,while he returned to the library.
Meanwhile, the news of the murder had spread with lightning-likerapidity, and already crowds of people, drawn by that strangefascination which always exists for a certain class in scenes ofthis kind, were gathering on the grounds outside the house, formingin little groups, conversing with the servants, or gazing upwardwith awe-stricken glances at the closely-drawn shutters of the roomin the tower. The invisible barriers which so long had excludedthe public from Fair Oaks had been swept away by the hand of death,and rich and poor, capitalist and laborer, alike wanderedunrestrained up and down the oak-lined avenue.
At the door of the library, Mr. Thornton found Ralph Mainwaring andthe attorney conversing together in low tones.
"Yes," Mr. Mainwaring was saying, "as you say, it is undoubtedlymurder; but I confess I am at a loss to understand the motive forsuch a deed, unless it were robbery; and you do not seem to givethat idea much credence?"
Mr. Whitney shook his head decidedly. "Unless we find very strongevidence in that direction, I cannot believe that this is any caseof common robbery."
"But to what other motive would you attribute it?" inquired Mr.Mainwaring.
"Until further facts have been developed which may throw light uponthe subject, I do not feel prepared to say what the motive mighthave been."
"You evidently have your suspicions," remarked Mr. Mainwaring, whileMr. Thornton inquired,--
"Had our cousin any enemies that you know of?"
Mr. Whitney turned a keen, penetrating glance upon Mr. Thornton foran instant, and the latter continued,--
"I thought it possible that in his business relations he might haveincurred the enmity of some one of whom you knew."
"No," the attorney answered, quickly, "I am not aware of anythingof that nature. Mr. Mainwaring made few intimate friends, but hewas universally respected by all who knew him. If he had anyenemies," he added, very slowly, "they were within his ownhousehold."
Ralph Mainwaring looked sharply at the attorney, butMr. Thornton exclaimed,--
"'Egad! sir, but you surely do not think this deed was committed byany one of the inmates of this house?"
"As I have already said," replied Mr. Whitney, "I am not preparedto state what I do think without further knowledge of the facts inthe case."
"Of course we understand that," rejoined Mr. Mainwaring; "but wedesire to have the benefit of your opinions and judgment regardingthis case so soon as you do feel justified in expressing them, and,since you are vastly more familiar with the circumstancessurrounding it than we, we wish to rely on your suggestions inthis matter."
The attorney bowed. "My advice for the present would be to takecare that no one leaves the premises, and that you also send forMrs. LaGrange; I wish to see her," he said briefly, and passedinto the library.
Ralph Mainwaring beckoned to the butler; who was standing at alittle distance, awaiting orders.
"Call the housekeeper at once, Mr. Whitney wishes to see her in thelibrary; and send Wilson to me, and also the coachman."
With a silent acknowledgment of the order the butler withdrew, anda moment later, John Wilson, a middle-aged man and a servant of RalphMainwaring's who had accompanied him from London, appeared, followedby Brown, the coachman at Fair Oaks.
Mr. Mainwaring first addressed the latter. "Brown, for the nexthour or so, I wish you to be stationed in the hall below. Keep backthe crowd as much as possible; when the coroner and physician arriveshow them up at once, but on no account allow any one else to comeup-stairs."
Then turning to his own serving-man, as Brown departed to the dutiesassigned him, Mr. Mainwaring continued,
"'For you, Wilson, I have a task which I cannot intrust to any oneelse, but which I know you will perform faithfully and discreetly;so far as you are able, keep a close watch upon every one withinthis house, without seeming to do so; pay close attention to allconversation which you hear, and if you hear or see anything unusual,or that seems to have any bearing on what has occurred, report tome at once. Above all, do not let any of the servants leave thepremises without they have my permission."
"Very well, sir," Wilson replied; as he moved away the butlerreappeared.
"The housekeeper has not yet left her room, sir," he said, addressingMr. Mainwaring. "I gave the message by the chambermaid, and shesent word that she had been prostrated by the terrible news thismorning, sir, but that she would see Mr. Whitney in a few moments."
As the man retreated, Mr. Thornton paused suddenly in his walk upand down the corridor,--
"'Pon my soul, Mainwaring! it strikes me--particularly since hearingthat will read yesterday--that there must have been something withreference to that woman--well--rather peculiar, don't you know."
"It strikes me," replied Mr. Mainwaring with marked emphasis, "thatthere may be something rather 'peculiar,' as you call it, in thatdirection at present, and I believe Mr. Whitney is of the sameopinion."
"How is that? You surely do not think it possible that in his mindshe is in any way associated with this murder--if it is a murder?"
"He evidently suspects some one in this house, and for the presentwe can draw our own inferences. Regarding those provisions in thewill to which you just now alluded, I can assure you I was not toowell pleased; but I knew it was useless to raise any objections orquestions; to my mind, however, they furnish a clue as to thepossible claimants against the estate, which we were discussingyesterday, and perhaps a clue to this latest development, also."
"By my soul! it looks like it; but surely she could have no validclaim."
"Valid or not," replied Ralph Mainwaring, "there must have been apowerful claim of some kind. When a man of Hugh Mainwaring'stype leaves a handsome annuity to his housekeeper, and an interestin his business worth fifty or seventy-five thousand to her son,it may be considered pretty strong evidence that--"
At a warning glance from Mr. Thornton, Ralph Mainwaring pausedabruptly and, turning, saw Mrs. LaGrange coming noiselessly downthe corridor. She was dressed with even more than usual care,with quantities of rich lace fastened loosely about her shapelyneck and falling in profusion over her beautifully moulded wristsand hands. Her dark, handsome features bore no trace of recentprostration, but betrayed, instead, signs of intense excitement.She bowed silently and passed onward, entering the library soquietly that the attorney, absorbed in thought, was unaware of herpresence until she stood before him. He started slightly, and foran instant neither spoke. Each was silently gauging the power ofthe other.
For some time, Mrs. LaGrange had been conscious that Mr. Whitneywas one of the few whose penetration could not be blinded by herblandishments. In addition, the fact that he was the privatesolicitor and legal adviser of Hugh Mainwaring did not tend toinspire her with confidence regarding his attitude towards herself.Nevertheless, he was an eminent attorney and this was a criticalmoment; if she could gain his favor and his services in her behalf,it would be a brilliant stroke of policy. Her plans were well laid,and she was prepared to assume whatever role was necessary, so soonas his words or manner should give her the desired cue.
For this, she did not have long to wait; one searching glance, andshe had read in the piercing scrutiny and cold scorn of his keenblue eye that, so far from winning favor from him, he would proveher most bitter opponent, and as quickly she determined upon herfuture course of action.
Mr. Whitney, on the other hand, though a frequent visitor at FairOaks, and familiar with the fascinating manner with which, when shechose, Mrs. LaGrange entertained the guests of Hugh Mainwaring, wasnow forced to acknowledge to himself that never had he seen thishandsome woman so beautiful as at
the present moment. The eyeslooking into his with such depth of meaning,--the expression, theattitude,--all were utterly unlike anything which he had ever seen;but his face grew only the more stern, for the thought then andthere occurred to him that perhaps here was the solution of themysterious power which this woman had wielded over the man whoselifeless form was now lying in their presence.
He observed that the luminous eyes grew suddenly cold, while herhead assumed its usual haughty poise; the brief spell was over, andeach understood the other.
After a few general directions, Mr. Whitney remarked, "This day'sevents will be far different from what we had anticipated."
"Yes," she replied, with a mocking smile, "in that it brings to theguests of this house, instead of future expectations, the immediaterealization of their wishes!"
"It is not to be conceived for one moment that any of them take thatview of what has occurred," he replied, in a tone of displeasure.
"Possibly not," she rejoined, "although the prospective long lifeof their host seemed to greatly detract, at least in the case of oneof their number, from their enjoyment of the occasion which they hadcome to celebrate."
"To whom do you refer?" he inquired.
"It is unnecessary to give names," she answered, coldly; "but hadthe Mainwarings of London known the facts which I know, they wouldnever have crossed the water to take part in the farce which wasenacted here yesterday. There are Mainwarings with better rightand title to this estate than they, as they will soon learn."
Neither by look nor gesture did she manifest the least consciousnessof, or concern for, the inanimate form visible in the adjoining room.With sudden directness, and ignoring the implied threat in her lastwords, Mr. Whitney asked,--
"Mrs. LaGrange, at what hour did you last see Hugh Mainwaring?"
She was about to reply, when Scott entered from the tower-room. Hehad heard her last remark, and his dark, piercing eyes were fixedupon her face in keen scrutiny. She was quick to note the fact andhesitated an instant, while a change, inexplicable to the attorney,passed over her face,--surprise, a shade almost of fear, andhaughty defiance were visible in quick succession; then, turningagain towards Mr. Whitney, she answered, indifferently,--
"It was quite late last night; I do not recollect the hour."
As the attorney was about to speak, Mr. Thornton appeared at thedoor of the library.
"Beg pardon, Mr. Whitney, but I believe the coroner and others havearrived; as you know the gentlemen, will you kindly meet them?"
"Certainly. Mr. Scott, you will please remain here," and theattorney hastened out into the corridor.
Again Mrs. LaGrange and the secretary faced each other in silence,each apparently trying to read the other's thoughts and probe thedepth of the other's knowledge; then, as the gentlemen were heardapproaching, she withdrew, leaving him alone.
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