CHAPTER XXXIII
THEY SEND FOR CLAIRE
I could only see the fellow's back, with hair hanging low over thecollar, but his voice was clear.
"Got here five minutes ago. The preacher is locked in the parlor."
"By God! Good! Now we can play out the game, eh, Captain? Or," turningabout suspiciously, and staring at the other, who sat with eyes shaded byone hand, "are you weakening as the time draws near?"
"Hell's fire! No! We gave her a choice, and she only laughed at it. I'llgo on now to spite the wench; only I think we should bring in the boyfirst, and prove to her that we've actually got him."
Fagin emptied the glass in his hand, giving utterance to an oath as hereplaced it on the table.
"Yer as chicken-hearted drunk as sober, Grant," he said coarsely. "Didyer hear the fool, Jones, an' after all I've told him?"
The bearded man nodded silently, his eyes shifting from one face to theother. Fagin grinned, and poured out another drink.
"Now listen again," he went on, half angrily. "That boy's worth money terus--a thousand pounds,--but it wouldn't do yer any good ter be mixed upin the affair, would it? What chance would yer have in this estate, orfer yer commission either, if Howe or Clinton got an inklin' of yer game?Good Lord, man! they'd hang yer instead of the other fellow. You'll haveter lie some as it is, I reckon, ter explain why yer left Sir Henry, an'came down here. Have yer got that fact inter yer brains?"
Grant glared at him wickedly, but remained silent across the table.
"Yer already in bad enough, without huntin' more trouble. Better leavethe boy alone. I thought, at first, we'd have ter use him, but I don'tnow. Let the girl believe he's deserted, and that yer in a position terhelp him. That will serve yer purpose better than the other scheme. Itmay awaken her gratitude, her sweet love!"
"Damn her love!"
"So it isn't love, eh, that makes yer so anxious. I thought as much. Whatis it, then--revenge?"
Grant held his breath a moment, his dull eyes on the faces of the twomen.
"Well, I might as well tell you," he snarled at last. "I loved her once,I guess; anyhow I wanted her badly enough. I want her now, but not injust the same way. I want to show her I'm the master. I want to give hera lesson, and that cub brother of hers. I'd have got them all, theColonel with them, if that damned Colonial spy hadn't stolen my coat. Ihad them, dead to rights, Fagin, and the papers to prove it. Now I don'tcare how it's done, so I get her. I thought she'd marry me to save theboy, but if she won't, why then, you carry out your plan--what is it?"
Fagin laughed, again emptying his glass.
"Easy enough. She's alone, except fer her father, and he can't get out ofbed. We've got Jenks here, an' the damned old coward will do whatever Itell him."
"But she despises me--"
"Oh, no! We'll make you a victim. That will leave things in proper shapebetween yer two. We'll play it off as a drunken lark--eh, Jones? My God!it won't be the first time we've done the trick either. Do you rememberthat love-sick couple over at Tom's River, Ned? Never laughed so much inmy life. This is a better one. Lord! but won't old Mortimer rave, an'mighty little good it will do him. Come, what do yer say, Grant? Are yergame?"
"Hell's fire--yes." He got to his feet, gripping the back of his chair."Bring--bring 'em in; this is a good place."
Fagin struck the table with his fist.
"Of course it is, drink ter the bride after the ceremony. Bill, bring inthe preacher."
It was growing daylight. I could perceive the glow of the sky out throughthe window, but the candles still sputtered on the table, casting grimlights and shadows on the faces of the three men. As Bill disappearedinto the parlor, I stole silently back to the library door. What could bedone was not entirely clear, but I proposed to defend Claire in every waypossible.
"Tom," I whispered briefly, "find the boys, and bring them in here,through that broken window. They are in the orchard to the right, andthere are no guards in front. Move lively, but be quiet."
"What is it, Major?" asked young Mortimer, eagerly.
"I can't explain now. I must get back where I can see and hear. But thereis going to be a fight. Hold the men ready here until I call. See thattheir weapons are in good order."
I caught the glint of his eye, but could wait no longer. Indeed I wasscarcely back, snuggled under the stairs, when Bill came forth, grippingthe collar of his prisoner's coat, and urging him down the hall. Icrouched lower, the morning light threatening to reveal my hiding place,yet with mind more at ease, now I knew the men were close at hand. Withinfive minutes the entire squad would be crowded into that room, eager fortrouble to begin. Probably Fagin did not have a half-dozen fellows in thehouse. If we could strike swiftly enough we might overpower them all,without creating alarm outside, where the main body lay. Somecarelessness had brought us good luck in having the front of the houseleft unguarded. These thoughts swept over me, and left me confident. Thetime had come when I was to serve her, to prove my own worthiness. I feltready and eager for the trial.
I caught a glimpse of Jenks's face, as Bill jerked him forward. The manwas gray with terror, his parchment-like skin seamed and contorted. Hewas a tall, loose-jointed creature, wearing a long black coat flappingabout his knees. The guard fairly held him up in the doorway, and bothFagin and Jones laughed at the pitiful sight, the former ending his roarwith an outburst of profanity.
"Go on back ter the front door, Bill," he ordered roughly. "Thisfellow'll never run away; his legs wouldn't carry him. Now, Mr.Preacher," glowering savagely at the poor devil across the bottle-strewntable, "do yer know who I am?"
Jenks endeavored to answer, from the convulsive movement of his throat,but made no sound. Fagin cursed again.
"If it wasn't such a waste of good liquor I'd pour some of this down yourgullet," he exclaimed, shaking a half-filled bottle in his fist. "Thenmaybe you could answer when I spoke to you. Now, see here, you cantingold hypocrite, I'm Red Fagin, an' I guess you know what that means. I'mpisen, an' I don't like your style. Now you're goin' to do just what Itell you, or the boys will have a hangin' bee down in the ravine. Speakup, an' tell me what you propose to do."
Jenks wet his dry lips with his tongue, clinging to the sides of the doorwith both hands.
"I--I am the Lord's servant," he managed to articulate, "and have takenno part in this unholy war."
"You're a cheerful liar, but don't try snivelling on me. You are too biga coward to go out yourself, but you're hand in glove with Farrell. Oh, Iknow you, sneaking saint; I've had my eyes on you a long while. Now it'sdo as I say, or hang; that's all, Jenks, an' I'm cussed if I care verymuch which you choose."
"What--what is it you wish of me?" his uncertain gaze wandering over thethree faces, but coming back to Fagin.
"You are to marry this officer here to a young lady."
"What--what young lady?"
"Mortimer's daughter--Claire is the name, isn't it, Grant? Yes, Claire;you know her, I reckon."
I could hear the unfortunate man breathe in the silence, but Fagin's eyesthreatened.
"Is--is she here?" he faltered helplessly. "Does she desire the--theceremony?"
"That doesn't happen to be any of your business," broke in Fagin bluntly."This is my affair, an' the fewer questions you ask the better. If wewant some fun, what the hell have you got to do with it, you snivellingspoil-sport! I haven't asked either of them about it. I just decided itwas time they got married. Stand up, man, and let go that door," he drewa derringer from his belt and flung it onto the table. "There's myauthority--that, an' fifty hell-hounds outside wondering why I don't lootthe house, an' be done. Do you want to be turned over to them? If youdon't, then speak up. Will you tie them, or not?"
Jenk's eyes wandered toward Jones, who stared blankly back at him, yellowfangs showing beneath his beard.
"Why--of course--yes," he faltered weakly. "I--suppose I must."
"Don't seem much chance to get out, does there, parson? Well, I reckon itwon't hurt your
conscience particularly. Bill! Where's Bill?"
"You sent him to guard the front door," explained Jones.
"That's right, I did. You'll do just as well. Go up stairs, an' bring thegirl down. She's with the old man, an' Culberson is guarding the door.Better not say what she's wanted for. Just tell her Captain Grant wishesto speak to her a moment."
Jones straightened up, and pushed past the preacher, the stairs creakingunder his weight as he went up over my head. Grant arose, and stoodlooking out the window into the glow of the sunshine, and Jenks droppedinto the nearest chair, still staring across the table at Fagin. For thefirst time I seemed to entirely grasp the situation. I got to my feet,yet dare not move so much as a step, for Fagin was facing the hallway. Itapparently would be better to wait until after the girl came down stairs,until those in the house were all together, before we struck. I wanted toknow what she would say, how she would act, when she understood what wasproposed. The time allowed me for decision was short, as it seemedscarcely a minute before I heard their footsteps above.
My Lady of Doubt Page 33