by Grant Allen
V
THE EPISODE OF THE DRAWN GAME
The twelfth of August saw us, as usual, at Seldon Castle,Ross-shire. It is part of Charles's restless, roving temperamentthat, on the morning of the eleventh, wet or fine, he must set outfrom London, whether the House is sitting or not, in defiance ofthe most urgent three-line whips; and at dawn on the twelfth he mustbe at work on his moors, shooting down the young birds with mightand main, at the earliest possible legal moment.
He goes on like Saul, slaying his thousands, or, like David, histens of thousands, with all the guns in the house to help him, tillthe keepers warn him he has killed as many grouse as they considerdesirable; and then, having done his duty, as he thinks, in thisrespect, he retires precipitately with flying colours to Brighton,Nice, Monte Carlo, or elsewhere. He must be always "on the trek";when he is buried, I believe he will not be able to rest quiet inhis grave: his ghost will walk the world to terrify old ladies.
"At Seldon, at least," he said to me, with a sigh, as he steppedinto his Pullman, "I shall be safe from that impostor!"
And indeed, as soon as he had begun to tire a little of countingup his hundreds of brace per diem, he found a trifling piece offinancial work cut ready to his hand, which amply distracted hismind for the moment from Colonel Clay, his accomplices, and hisvillainies.
Sir Charles, I ought to say, had secured during that summer a veryadvantageous option in a part of Africa on the Transvaal frontier,rumoured to be auriferous. Now, whether it was auriferous or notbefore, the mere fact that Charles had secured some claim on itnaturally made it so; for no man had ever the genuine Midas-touchto a greater degree than Charles Vandrift: whatever he handles turnsat once to gold, if not to diamonds. Therefore, as soon as mybrother-in-law had obtained this option from the native vendor (amost respected chief, by name Montsioa), and promoted a companyof his own to develop it, his great rival in that region, LordCraig-Ellachie (formerly Sir David Alexander Granton), immediatelysecured a similar option of an adjacent track, the larger part ofwhich had pretty much the same geological conditions as that coveredby Sir Charles's right of pre-emption.
We were not wholly disappointed, as it turned out, in the result.A month or two later, while we were still at Seldon, we receiveda long and encouraging letter from our prospectors on the spot,who had been hunting over the ground in search of gold-reefs. Theyreported that they had found a good auriferous vein in a corner ofthe tract, approachable by adit-levels; but, unfortunately, only afew yards of the lode lay within the limits of Sir Charles's area.The remainder ran on at once into what was locally known asCraig-Ellachie's section.
However, our prospectors had been canny, they said; though youngMr. Granton was prospecting at the same time, in the self-sameridge, not very far from them, his miners had failed to discoverthe auriferous quartz; so our men had held their tongues about it,wisely leaving it for Charles to govern himself accordingly.
"Can you dispute the boundary?" I asked.
"Impossible," Charles answered. "You see, the limit is a meridianof longitude. There's no getting over that. Can't pretend to denyit. No buying over the sun! No bribing the instruments! Besides,we drew the line ourselves. We've only one way out of it, Sey.Amalgamate! Amalgamate!"
Charles is a marvellous man! The very voice in which he murmuredthat blessed word "Amalgamate!" was in itself a poem.
"Capital!" I answered. "Say nothing about it, and join forces withCraig-Ellachie."
Charles closed one eye pensively.
That very same evening came a telegram in cipher from our chiefengineer on the territory of the option: "Young Granton has somehowgiven us the slip and gone home. We suspect he knows all. But wehave not divulged the secret to anybody."
"Seymour," my brother-in-law said impressively, "there is no time tobe lost. I must write this evening to Sir David--I mean to My Lord.Do you happen to know where he is stopping at present?"
"The Morning Post announced two or three days ago that he was atGlen-Ellachie," I answered.
"Then I'll ask him to come over and thrash the matter out with me,"my brother-in-law went on. "A very rich reef, they say. I must havemy finger in it!"
We adjourned into the study, where Sir Charles drafted, I mustadmit, a most judicious letter to the rival capitalist. He pointedout that the mineral resources of the country were probably great,but as yet uncertain. That the expense of crushing and milling mightbe almost prohibitive. That access to fuel was costly, and itsconveyance difficult. That water was scarce, and commanded by oursection. That two rival companies, if they happened to hit upon ore,might cut one another's throats by erecting two sets of furnaces orpumping plants, and bringing two separate streams to the spot,where one would answer. In short--to employ the golden word--thatamalgamation might prove better in the end than competition; andthat he advised, at least, a conference on the subject.
I wrote it out fair for him, and Sir Charles, with the air of aCromwell, signed it.
"This is important, Sey," he said. "It had better be registered,for fear of falling into improper hands. Don't give it to Dobson;let Cesarine take it over to Fowlis in the dog-cart."
It is the drawback of Seldon that we are twelve miles from arailway station, though we look out on one of the loveliest firthsin Scotland.
Cesarine took it as directed--an invaluable servant, that girl!Meanwhile, we learned from the Morning Post next day that youngMr. Granton had stolen a march upon us. He had arrived from Africaby the same mail with our agent's letter, and had joined his fatherat once at Glen-Ellachie.
Two days later we received a most polite reply from the opposinginterest. It ran after this fashion:--
"CRAIG-ELLACHIE LODGE,
"GLEN-ELLACHIE, INVERNESS-SHIRE.
"DEAR SIR CHARLES VANDRIFT--Thanks for yours of the 20th. In reply,I can only say I fully reciprocate your amiable desire that nothingadverse to either of our companies should happen in South Africa.With regard to your suggestion that we should meet in person, todiscuss the basis of a possible amalgamation, I can only say myhouse is at present full of guests--as is doubtless your own--andI should therefore find it practically impossible to leaveGlen-Ellachie. Fortunately, however, my son David is now at homeon a brief holiday from Kimberley; and it will give him greatpleasure to come over and hear what you have to say in favour of anarrangement which certainly, on some grounds, seems to me desirablein the interests of both our concessions alike. He will arriveto-morrow afternoon at Seldon, and he is authorised, in everyrespect, to negotiate with full powers on behalf of myself and theother directors. With kindest regards to your wife and sons, Iremain, dear Sir Charles, yours faithfully,
"CRAIG-ELLACHIE."
"Cunning old fox!" Sir Charles exclaimed, with a sniff. "What's heup to now, I wonder? Seems almost as anxious to amalgamate as weourselves are, Sey." A sudden thought struck him. "Do you know,"he cried, looking up, "I really believe the same thing must havehappened to _both_ our exploring parties. _They_ must have found areef that goes under _our_ ground, and the wicked old rascal wantsto cheat us out of it!"
"As we want to cheat him," I ventured to interpose.
Charles looked at me fixedly. "Well, if so, we're both in luck,"he murmured, after a pause; "though _we_ can only get to know thewhereabouts of _their_ find by joining hands with them and showingthem ours. Still, it's good business either way. But I shall becautious--cautious."
"What a nuisance!" Amelia cried, when we told her of the incident."I suppose I shall have to put the man up for the night--a nasty,raw-boned, half-baked Scotchman, you may be certain."
On Wednesday afternoon, about three, young Granton arrived. He wasa pleasant-featured, red-haired, sandy-whiskered youth, not unlikehis father; but, strange to say, he dropped in to call, instead ofbringing his luggage.
"Why, you're not going back to Glen-Ellachie to-night, surely?"Charles exclaimed, in amazement. "Lady Vandrift will be _so_disappointed! Besides, this business can't be arranged betweentwo trains, do you think, Mr. Granton
?"
Young Granton smiled. He had an agreeable smile--canny, yet open.
"Oh no," he said frankly. "I didn't mean to go back. I've put up atthe inn. I have my wife with me, you know--and, I wasn't invited."
Amelia was of opinion, when we told her this episode, that DavidGranton wouldn't stop at Seldon because he was an Honourable.Isabel was of opinion he wouldn't stop because he had married anunpresentable young woman somewhere out in South Africa. Charles wasof opinion that, as representative of the hostile interest, he putup at the inn, because it might tie his hands in some way to be theguest of the chairman of the rival company. And _I_ was of opinionthat he had heard of the castle, and knew it well by report as thedullest country-house to stay at in Scotland.
However that may be, young Granton insisted on remaining at theCromarty Arms, though he told us his wife would be delighted toreceive a call from Lady Vandrift and Mrs. Wentworth. So we allreturned with him to bring the Honourable Mrs. Granton up to teaat the Castle.
She was a nice little thing, very shy and timid, but by no meansunpresentable, and an evident lady. She giggled at the end of everysentence; and she was endowed with a slight squint, which somehowseemed to point all her feeble sallies. She knew little outsideSouth Africa; but of that she talked prettily; and she won allour hearts, in spite of the cast in her eye, by her unaffectedsimplicity.
Next morning Charles and I had a regular debate with young Grantonabout the rival options. Our talk was of cyanide processes,reverberatories, pennyweights, water-jackets. But it dawned upon ussoon that, in spite of his red hair and his innocent manners, ourfriend, the Honourable David Granton, knew a thing or two. Graduallyand gracefully he let us see that Lord Craig-Ellachie had sent himfor the benefit of the company, but that _he_ had come for thebenefit of the Honourable David Granton.
"I'm a younger son, Sir Charles," he said; "and therefore I have tofeather my nest for myself. I know the ground. My father will beguided implicitly by what I advise in the matter. We are men of theworld. Now, let's be business-like. _You_ want to amalgamate. Youwouldn't do that, of course, if you didn't know of something to theadvantage of my father's company--say, a lode on our land--which youhope to secure for yourself by amalgamation. Very well; _I_ can makeor mar your project. If you choose to render it worth my while, I'llinduce my father and his directors to amalgamate. If you don't, Iwon't. That's the long and the short of it!"
Charles looked at him admiringly.
"Young man," he said, "you're deep, very deep--for your age. Is thiscandour--or deception? Do you mean what you say? Or do you know somereason why it suits your father's book to amalgamate as well as itsuits mine? And are you trying to keep it from me?" He fingered hischin. "If I only knew that," he went on, "I should know how to dealwith you."
Young Granton smiled again. "You're a financier, Sir Charles," heanswered. "I wonder, at your time of life, you should pause to askanother financier whether he's trying to fill his own pocket--or hisfather's. Whatever is my father's goes to his eldest son--and _I_ amhis youngest."
"You are right as to general principles," Sir Charles replied, quiteaffectionately. "Most sound and sensible. But how do I know youhaven't bargained already in the same way with your father? Youmay have settled with _him_, and be trying to diddle me."
The young man assumed a most candid air. "Look here," he said,leaning forward. "I offer you this chance. Take it or leave it. _Do_you wish to purchase my aid for this amalgamation by a moderatecommission on the net value of my father's option to yourself--whichI know approximately?"
"Say five per cent," I suggested, in a tentative voice, just tojustify my presence.
He looked me through and through. "_Ten_ is more usual," heanswered, in a peculiar tone and with a peculiar glance.
Great heavens, how I winced! I knew what his words meant. They werethe very words I had said myself to Colonel Clay, as the Count vonLebenstein, about the purchase-money of the schloss--and in the verysame accent. I saw through it all now. That beastly cheque! Thiswas Colonel Clay; and he was trying to buy up my silence andassistance by the threat of exposure!
My blood ran cold. I didn't know how to answer him. What happenedat the rest of that interview I really couldn't tell you. My brainreeled round. I heard just faint echoes of "fuel" and "reductionworks." What on earth was I to do? If I told Charles mysuspicion--for it was only a suspicion--the fellow might turn uponme and disclose the cheque, which would suffice to ruin me. If Ididn't, I ran a risk of being considered by Charles an accompliceand a confederate.
The interview was long. I hardly know how I struggled through it.At the end young Granton went off, well satisfied, if it was youngGranton; and Amelia invited him and his wife up to dinner at thecastle.
Whatever else they were, they were capital company. They stoppedfor three days more at the Cromarty Arms. And Charles debated anddiscussed incessantly. He couldn't quite make up his mind what todo in the affair; and _I_ certainly couldn't help him. I never wasplaced in such a fix in my life. I did my best to preserve a strictneutrality.
Young Granton, it turned out, was a most agreeable person; and so,in her way, was that timid, unpretending South African wife of his.She was naively surprised Amelia had never met her mamma at Durban.They both talked delightfully, and had lots of good stories--mostlywith points that told against the Craig-Ellachie people. Moreover,the Honourable David was a splendid swimmer. He went out in a boatwith us, and dived like a seal. He was burning to teach Charlesand myself to swim, when we told him we could neither of us take asingle stroke; he said it was an accomplishment incumbent upon everytrue Englishman. But Charles hates the water; while, as for myself,I detest every known form of muscular exercise.
However, we consented that he should row us on the Firth, and madean appointment one day with himself and his wife for four the nextevening.
That night Charles came to me with a very grave face in my ownbedroom. "Sey," he said, under his breath, "have you observed?Have you watched? Have you any suspicions?"
I trembled violently. I felt all was up. "Suspicions of whom?"I asked. "Not surely of Simpson?" (he was Sir Charles's valet).
My respected brother-in-law looked at me contemptuously.
"Sey," he said, "are you trying to take me in? No, _not_ of Simpson:of these two young folks. My own belief is--they're Colonel Clayand Madame Picardet."
"Impossible!" I cried.
He nodded. "I'm sure of it."
"How do you know?"
"Instinctively."
I seized his arm. "Charles," I said, imploring him, "do nothingrash. Remember how you exposed yourself to the ridicule of foolsover Dr. Polperro!"
"I've thought of that," he answered, "and I mean to ca' caller."(When in Scotland as laird of Seldon, Charles loves both to dressand to speak the part thoroughly.) "First thing to-morrow I shalltelegraph over to inquire at Glen-Ellachie; I shall find outwhether this is really young Granton or not; meanwhile, I shall keepmy eye close upon the fellow."
Early next morning, accordingly, a groom was dispatched with atelegram to Lord Craig-Ellachie. He was to ride over to Fowlis, sendit off at once, and wait for the answer. At the same time, as it wasprobable Lord Craig-Ellachie would have started for the moors beforethe telegram reached the Lodge, I did not myself expect to see thereply arrive much before seven or eight that evening. Meanwhile, asit was far from certain we had not the real David Granton to dealwith, it was necessary to be polite to our friendly rivals. Ourexperience in the Polperro incident had shown us both that too muchzeal may be more dangerous than too little. Nevertheless, taughtby previous misfortunes, we kept watching our man pretty close,determined that on this occasion, at least, he should neither do usnor yet escape us.
About four o'clock the red-haired young man and his pretty littlewife came up to call for us. She looked so charming and squintedso enchantingly, one could hardly believe she was not as simpleand innocent as she seemed to be. She tripped down to the Seldonboat-house, with Charles by her side, giggli
ng and squinting herbest, and then helped her husband to get the skiff ready. As she didso, Charles sidled up to me. "Sey," he whispered, "I'm an old hand,and I'm not readily taken in. I've been talking to that girl, andupon my soul I think she's all right. She's a charming little lady.We may be mistaken after all, of course, about young Granton. In anycase, it's well for the present to be courteous. A most importantoption! If it's really he, we must do nothing to annoy him or lethim see we suspect him."
I had noticed, indeed, that Mrs. Granton had made herself mostagreeable to Charles from the very beginning. And as to one thing hewas right. In her timid, shrinking way she was undeniably charming.That cast in her eye was all pure piquancy.
We rowed out on to the Firth, or, to be more strictly correct, thetwo Grantons rowed while Charles and I sat and leaned back in thestern on the luxurious cushions. They rowed fast and well. In a veryfew minutes they had rounded the point and got clear out of sightof the Cockneyfied towers and false battlements of Seldon.
Mrs. Granton pulled stroke. Even as she rowed she kept up a briskundercurrent of timid chaff with Sir Charles, giggling all thewhile, half forward, half shy, like a school-girl who flirts witha man old enough to be her grandfather.
Sir Charles was flattered. He is susceptible to the pleasures offemale attention, especially from the young, the simple, and theinnocent. The wiles of women of the world he knows too well; but apretty little ingenue can twist him round her finger. They rowed onand on, till they drew abreast of Seamew's island. It is a jaggedstack or skerry, well out to sea, very wild and precipitous on thelandward side, but shelving gently outward; perhaps an acre inextent, with steep gray cliffs, covered at that time with crimsonmasses of red valerian. Mrs. Granton rowed up close to it. "Oh, whatlovely flowers!" she cried, throwing her head back and gazing atthem. "I wish I could get some! Let's land here and pick them. SirCharles, you shall gather me a nice bunch for my sitting-room."
Charles rose to it innocently, like a trout to a fly.
"By all means, my dear child, I--I have a passion for flowers;"which was a flower of speech itself, but it served its purpose.
They rowed us round to the far side, where is the easiestlanding-place. It struck me as odd at the moment that they seemedto know it. Then young Granton jumped lightly ashore; Mrs. Grantonskipped after him. I confess it made me feel rather ashamed to seehow clumsily Charles and I followed them, treading gingerly on thethwarts for fear of upsetting the boat, while the artless youngthing just flew over the gunwale. So like White Heather! However,we got ashore at last in safety, and began to climb the rocks aswell as we were able in search of the valerian.
Judge of our astonishment when next moment those two young peoplebounded back into the boat, pushed off with a peal of merrylaughter, and left us there staring at them!
They rowed away, about twenty yards, into deep water. Then the manturned, and waved his hand at us gracefully. "Good-bye!" he said,"good-bye! Hope you'll pick a nice bunch! We're off to London!"
"Off!" Charles exclaimed, turning pale. "Off! What do you mean?You don't surely mean to say you're going to leave us here?"
The young man raised his cap with perfect politeness, while Mrs.Granton smiled, nodded, and kissed her pretty hand to us. "Yes,"he answered; "for the present. We retire from the game. The factof it is, it's a trifle too thin: this is a coup manque."
"A _what_?" Charles exclaimed, perspiring visibly.
"A coup manque," the young man replied, with a compassionate smile."A failure, don't you know; a bad shot; a fiasco. I learn frommy scouts that you sent a telegram by special messenger to LordCraig-Ellachie this morning. That shows you suspect me. Now, it is aprinciple of my system never to go on for one move with a game whenI find myself suspected. The slightest symptom of distrust, and--Iback out immediately. My plans can only be worked to satisfactionwhen there is perfect confidence on the part of my patient. It isa well-known rule of the medical profession. I _never_ try to bleeda man who struggles. So now we're off. Ta-ta! Good luck to you!"
He was not much more than twenty yards away, and could talk to usquite easily. But the water was deep; the islet rose sheer from I'msure I don't know how many fathoms of sea; and we could neither ofus swim. Charles stretched out his arms imploringly. "For Heaven'ssake," he cried, "don't tell me you really mean to leave us here."
He looked so comical in his distress and terror that Mrs.Granton--Madame Picardet--whatever I am to call her--laughedmelodiously in her prettiest way at the sight of him. "Dear SirCharles," she called out, "pray don't be afraid! It's only ashort and temporary imprisonment. We will send men to take you off.Dear David and I only need just time enough to get well ashore andmake--oh!--a few slight alterations in our personal appearance."And she indicated with her hand, laughing, dear David's red wig andfalse sandy whiskers, as we felt convinced they must be now. Shelooked at them and tittered. Her manner at this moment was anythingbut shy. In fact, I will venture to say, it was that of a bold andbrazen-faced hoyden.
"Then you _are_ Colonel Clay!" Sir Charles cried, mopping his browwith his handkerchief.
"If you choose to call me so," the young man answered politely. "I'msure it's most kind of you to supply me with a commission in HerMajesty's service. However, time presses, and we want to push off.Don't alarm yourselves unnecessarily. I will send a boat to take youaway from this rock at the earliest possible moment consistent withmy personal safety and my dear companion's." He laid his hand on hisheart and struck a sentimental attitude. "I have received too manyunwilling kindnesses at your hands, Sir Charles," he continued,"not to feel how wrong it would be of me to inconvenience you fornothing. Rest assured that you shall be rescued by midnight atlatest. Fortunately, the weather just at present is warm, and I seeno chance of rain; so you will suffer, if at all, from nothing worsethan the pangs of temporary hunger."
Mrs. Granton, no longer squinting--'twas a mere trick she hadassumed--rose up in the boat and stretched out a rug to us. "Catch!"she cried, in a merry voice, and flung it at us, doubled. It fellat our feet; she was a capital thrower.
"Now, you dear Sir Charles," she went on, "take that to keep youwarm! You know I am really quite fond of you. You're not half abad old boy when one takes you the right way. You have a human sideto you. Why, I often wear that sweetly pretty brooch you gave meat Nice, when I was Madame Picardet! And I'm sure your goodness tome at Lucerne, when I was the little curate's wife, is a thing toremember. We're so glad to have seen you in your lovely Scotchhome you were always so proud of! _Don't_ be frightened, please. Wewouldn't hurt you for worlds. We _are_ so sorry we have to take thisinhospitable means of evading you. But dear David--I _must_ callhim dear David still--instinctively felt that you were beginning tosuspect us; and he can't bear mistrust. He _is_ so sensitive! Themoment people mistrust him, he _must_ break off with them at once.This was the only way to get you both off our hands while we makethe needful little arrangements to depart; and we've been driven toavail ourselves of it. However, I will give you my word of honour,as a lady, you shall be fetched away to-night. If dear David doesn'tdo it, why, I'll do it myself." And she blew another kiss to us.
Charles was half beside himself, divided between alternate terrorand anger. "Oh, we shall die here!" he exclaimed. "Nobody'd everdream of coming to this rock to search for me."
"What a pity you didn't let me teach you to swim!" Colonel Clayinterposed. "It is a noble exercise, and very useful indeed in suchspecial emergencies! Well, ta-ta! I'm off! You nearly scored onethis time; but, by putting you here for the moment, and keeping youtill we're gone, I venture to say I've redressed the board, and Ithink we may count it a drawn game, mayn't we? The match stands atthree, love--with some thousands in pocket?"
"You're a murderer, sir!" Charles shrieked out. "We shall starve ordie here!"
Colonel Clay on his side was all sweet reasonableness. "Now, my dearsir," he expostulated, one hand held palm outward, "_Do_ you thinkit probable I would kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, withso little compu
nction? No, no, Sir Charles Vandrift; I know too wellhow much you are worth to me. I return you on my income-tax paperas five thousand a year, clear profit of my profession. Suppose youwere to die! I might be compelled to find some new and far lesslucrative source of plunder. Your heirs, executors, or assigneesmight not suit my purpose. The fact of it is, sir, your temperamentand mine are exactly adapted one to the other. _I_ understand _you_;and _you_ do not understand _me_--which is often the basis of thefirmest friendships. I can catch you just where you are trying tocatch other people. Your very smartness assists me; for I admit you_are_ smart. As a regular financier, I allow, I couldn't hold acandle to you. But in my humbler walk of life I know just how toutilise you. I lead you on, where you think you are going to gain someadvantage over others; and by dexterously playing upon your love ofa good bargain, your innate desire to best somebody else--I succeedin besting you. There, sir, you have the philosophy of our mutualrelations."
He bowed and raised his cap. Charles looked at him and cowered. Yes,genius as he is, he positively cowered. "And do you mean to say,"he burst out, "you intend to go on so bleeding me?"
The Colonel smiled a bland smile. "Sir Charles Vandrift," heanswered, "I called you just now the goose that lays the goldeneggs. You may have thought the metaphor a rude one. But you _are_a goose, you know, in certain relations. Smartest man on the StockExchange, I readily admit; easiest fool to bamboozle in theopen country that ever I met with. You fail in one thing--theperspicacity of simplicity. For that reason, among others, I havechosen to fasten upon you. Regard me, my dear sir, as a microbe ofmillionaires, a parasite upon capitalists. You know the old rhyme:
Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And these again have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum!
Well, that's just how I view myself. _You_ are a capitalist and amillionaire. In _your_ large way you prey upon society. YOU deal inCorners, Options, Concessions, Syndicates. You drain the worlddry of its blood and its money. You possess, like the mosquito, abeautiful instrument of suction--Founders' Shares--with which youabsorb the surplus wealth of the community. In _my_ smaller way,again, _I_ relieve you in turn of a portion of the plunder. I am aRobin Hood of my age; and, looking upon _you_ as an exceptionally badform of millionaire--as well as an exceptionally easy form of pigeonfor a man of my type and talents to pluck--I have, so to speak,taken up my abode upon you."
Charles looked at him and groaned.
The young man continued, in a tone of gentle badinage. "I love theplot-interest of the game," he said, "and so does dear Jessie here.We both of us adore it. As long as I find such good pickings uponyou, I certainly am not going to turn away from so valuable acarcass, in order to batten myself, at considerable trouble, uponminor capitalists, out of whom it is difficult to extract a fewhundreds. It may have puzzled you to guess why I fix upon you sopersistently. Now you know, and understand. When a fluke finds asheep that suits him, that fluke lives upon him. You are my host: Iam your parasite. This coup has failed. But don't flatter yourselffor a moment it will be the last one."
"Why do you insult me by telling me all this?" Sir Charles cried,writhing.
The Colonel waved his hand. It was small and white. "Because I _love_the game," he answered, with a relish; "and also, because the moreprepared you are beforehand, the greater credit and amusement isthere in besting you. Well, now, ta-ta once more! I am wastingvaluable time. I might be cheating somebody. I must be off atonce.... Take care of yourself, Wentworth. But I know you _will_.You always do. Ten per cent _is_ more usual!"
He rowed away and left us. As the boat began to disappear round thecorner of the island, White Heather--so she looked--stood up in thestern and shouted aloud through her pretty hands to us. "By-bye,dear Sir Charles!" she cried. "Do wrap the rug around you! I'llsend the men to fetch you as soon as ever I possibly can. And thankyou so much for those lovely flowers!"
The boat rounded the crags. We were alone on the island. Charlesflung himself on the bare rock in a wild access of despondency.He is accustomed to luxury, and cannot get on without his paddedcushions. As for myself, I climbed with some difficulty to the topof the cliff, landward, and tried to make signals of distress withmy handkerchief to some passer-by on the mainland. All in vain.Charles had dismissed the crofters on the estate; and, as theshooting-party that day was in an opposite direction, not a soulwas near to whom we could call for succour.
I climbed down again to Charles. The evening came on slowly. Criesof sea-birds rang weird upon the water. Puffins and cormorantscircled round our heads in the gray of twilight. Charles suggestedthat they might even swoop down upon us and bite us. They did not,however, but their flapping wings added none the less a painfultouch of eeriness to our hunger and solitude. Charles was horriblydepressed. For myself, I will confess I felt so much relieved atthe fact that Colonel Clay had not openly betrayed me in the matterof the commission, as to be comparatively comfortable.
We crouched on the hard crag. About eleven o'clock we heard humanvoices. "Boat ahoy!" I shouted. An answering shout aroused us toaction. We rushed down to the landing-place and cooee'd for the men,to show them where we were. They came up at once in Sir Charles'sown boat. They were fishermen from Niggarey, on the shore of theFirth opposite.
A lady and gentleman had sent them, they said, to return the boatand call for us on the island; their description corresponded tothe two supposed Grantons. They rowed us home almost in silence toSeldon. It was half-past twelve by the gatehouse clock when wereached the castle. Men had been sent along the coast each way toseek us. Amelia had gone to bed, much alarmed for our safety. Isabelwas sitting up. It was too late, of course, to do much that night inthe way of apprehending the miscreants, though Charles insisted upondispatching a groom, with a telegram for the police at Inverness,to Fowlis.
Nothing came of it all. A message awaited us from LordCraig-Ellachie, to be sure, saying that his son had not leftGlen-Ellachie Lodge; while research the next day and later showedthat our correspondent had never even received our letter. An emptyenvelope alone had arrived at the house, and the postal authoritieshad been engaged meanwhile, with their usual lightning speed, in"investigating the matter." Cesarine had posted the letter herselfat Fowlis, and brought back the receipt; so the only conclusion wecould draw was this--Colonel Clay must be in league with somebodyat the post-office. As for Lord Craig-Ellachie's reply, that was asimple forgery; though, oddly enough, it was written onGlen-Ellachie paper.
However, by the time Charles had eaten a couple of grouse, anddrunk a bottle of his excellent Rudesheimer, his spirits and valourrevived exceedingly. Doubtless he inherits from his Boer ancestry atendency towards courage of the Batavian description. He was incapital feather.
"After all, Sey," he said, leaning back in his chair, "this timewe score one. He has _not_ done us brown; we have at least detectedhim. To detect him in time is half-way to catching him. Only theremoteness of our position at Seldon Castle saved him from capture.Next set-to, I feel sure, we will not merely spot him, we will alsonab him. I only wish he would try on such a rig in London."
But the oddest part of it all was this, that from the moment thosetwo people landed at Niggarey, and told the fishermen there weresome gentlemen stranded on the Seamew's island, all trace of themvanished. At no station along the line could we gain any news ofthem. Their maid had left the inn the same morning with theirluggage, and we tracked her to Inverness; but there the trailstopped short, no spoor lay farther. It was a most singular andinsoluble mystery.
Charles lived in hopes of catching his man in London.
But for my part, I felt there was a show of reason in one lasttaunt which the rascal flung back at us as the boat receded: "SirCharles Vandrift, we are a pair of rogues. The law protects _you_.It persecutes _me_. That's all the difference."