by Annie Haynes
Sir Anthony frowned as he noticed the girl’s freshness and innocence, the man’s coarseness, his marks of evil living.
“Chesterham,” he called out suddenly, “I hope it isn’t true you have given the Westerburys notice to leave the Home Farm, and that you are letting it to Hiram Lee.”
“Oh, yes.” Chesterham affected to laugh, though there was a gleam in his eye that betokened anything but amusement. “I may put Hiram Lee in to manage it. I think I shall until I see how things turn out. Hiram has come into some money from a distant relative lately; he has turned over a new leaf.”
“He has need,” Sir Anthony said significantly. “They are a bad lot, those Lees, Chesterham. I am sorry to hear they are favourites of yours.”
Chesterham darted a swift look at him, frowning the while. “I don’t know that they can be called exactly favourites of mine,” he said shortly, “but I don’t forget old friends. And I used to spend a good deal of my time here when I was a child, Sir Anthony, a fact that has probably escaped your memory.”
“No, I remember you well enough,” Sir Anthony contradicted. “But I don’t know where the Lees came in.”
“You wouldn’t,” Chesterham said gently, “but I had rather a bad time of it at Chesterham in those days. I was only a bit of a boy, you know,” he continued in his slow drawling tones, “and my grandmother was dead, so my grandfather turned me more or less over to the servants’ care. My happiest days were spent at the Lees’ cottage, playing with old Betty’s grandson, Ronald. Hiram, he was a stripling then, was very good to both of us, to me and the boy Ronald. Even if the Lees have managed to fall into disrepute with the good folk of the neighbourhood, I can’t quite forget them. You wouldn’t wish me to, would you, Peggy?” raising his voice as his fiancée sprang from her seat on the table and came towards them.
“Wouldn’t wish you to forget the Lees?” Peggy repeated doubtfully. “N—o, I suppose not. Not if they were really good to you, Lorrimer. But I don’t like them. That old Betty Lee always frightens me, I shouldn’t care to see much of her myself. She looks a dreadful old woman, I think. But don’t let us talk of her or any more of the Lees; I want some tennis, Stephen, and I will take you and Lorrimer, Anthony.”
“It is much too hot to play,” Sir Anthony grumbled.
But as usual Peggy had her way. She had the first service. As Stephen stood opposite to Chesterham, and the latter raised his arm to take the ball, Stephen for the first time caught sight of the Chesterham star just above the wrist. It was, as Lennox had said, almost identical with the mark which Crasster himself had seen in the very same place on the arm of the man who died in the flat.
CHAPTER XXIII
“Now you understand what you have to do, Germain.” Mr. Lennox’s tone was firm and decisive.
Opposite to him there stood Superintendent Germain, of the local constabulary; the third member of the little group was Mr. Lennox’s quondam friend, Mr. Barker.
Superintendent Germain evidently found himself in a quandary. “I think I understand, sir; but I can’t say I like the job, and if his lordship should take it amiss—”
“We will bear you guiltless,” Lennox finished. “But, if you carry out my instructions properly, there is no likelihood of your being blamed by anybody.”
“Well, I will do my best, sir,” the superintendent said unwillingly. “Though I can’t see what is meant by it.”
Lennox laughed. “I will tell you all about it in a day or two, superintendent. Now, you understand, Sir Anthony being away from home, you have come to Lord Chesterham as the nearest magistrate to apply for a warrant for the arrest of Peter Wilkins, on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences. Mr. Barker and myself have accompanied you to make our affidavits before him. The rest I will manage. Now, is that plain sailing?”
“Plain enough,” the superintendent grumbled. “I will do my best, sir.”
“And no man could do more,” Mr. Lennox finished cheerfully. “Now, superintendent, here is our dogcart, jump in.”
When at last they came in sight of Chesterham Hall, Lennox roused himself and glanced about from side to side with evident interest.
“Pretty place,” he said approvingly. “I don’t wonder Lord Chesterham prefers it to his castle in the Highlands. That will be the Home Farm we see over there, I suppose, Mr. Germain?”
The superintendent nodded. “His Lordship will soon find he has made a mistake in getting rid of decent tenants like the Westerburys and putting in those good-for-nothing Lees, I fancy.”
“Ay! It is a funny notion of his, that,” Lennox observed thoughtfully.
“When his lordship was here, a bit of a boy in his grandfather’s lifetime, he used to run in and out playing with the old woman’s grandson, Ronald, and it seems he has a good memory.”
“Ronald! Mr. Lennox repeated thoughtfully. “That isn’t the man that is going into the Home Farm, is it?”
The superintendent shook his head. “No, no! That is Ronald’s uncle, Hiram Lee. Old Mrs. Lee had one daughter; she was in service at the Hall, and she had one boy. The old Lord Chesterham was a very bad lot; it is said he knew something about young Ronald’s parentage. Be that as it may, young Ronald grew up a fine upstanding boy. I remember him well. When I was a lad we were at school together, but he ran away from home, Ronald did; he was mad on being a sailor, and the end of that was he was drowned on his first voyage. So there is only Hiram and the old lady left.
“I see.” Mr. Lennox was looking up at the Hall as they approached. It was a fine red brick mansion of the Queen Anne period; below it the grounds slanted down to the lake.
Lord Chesterham was at home, they were told, and, explaining their errand, the three men were shown into a small room on the ground floor, evidently used for the transaction of business.
Chesterham came to them without delay. “Well, superintendent, what can I do for you?” he inquired.
The superintendent explained. A warrant for the arrest of one Peter Wilkins was needed, and as Sir Anthony Carew was out they thought it best to come on to Chesterham Hall. Chesterham laughed.
“Well, they have put me on the bench, I know, but I am not very expert at my new duties yet. You will have to tell me what to do, superintendent; I have the forms here.”
He unlocked a drawer and drew them out. The superintendent leaned over and showed him how to fill up the vacant spaces, the other two men watching interestedly.
Mr. Lennox put his hand in his pocket and drew out a fountain pen.
“I brought this for the affidavits. I never can write except with my own pen,” he observed to Barker confidentially.
As he spoke he tried to take off the top, but apparently it stuck. He tried again, using force, and suddenly the whole thing split in his hand. The ink flew out, spattered his face, flowed out in a murky stream on the table, on the warrant, to which Lord Chesterham was just affixing his signature, on to his hands. He looked up with an expression of annoyance.
“I beg ten thousand pardons. I cannot say how sorry I am. If your lordship will allow me.” Lennox caught up a sheet of blotting-paper.
Lord Chesterham took it from him but it was too late to stay the mischief. Superintendent Germain turned for a new form; Chesterham crumpled the warrant up and threw it aside. He rubbed his fingers on the blotting-paper and then, rolling it into a ball, tossed it into the waste-paper basket.
“I am sorry, my lord,” Mr. Lennox went on apologizing profusely.
Lord Chesterham did not look particularly gracious. “I suppose you couldn’t help it,” he said shortly. “We shall have to have another form, superintendent.”
“I am afraid so, sir.”
While the superintendent and Lord Chesterham bent over the new form Mr. Lennox quietly walked round the table, and secured two balls of paper from the wastepaper-basket. He slipped them into his pocket with a satisfied smile, as he came back to affix his signature to the affidavit.
The rest of the business was soon over an
d they took their leave, Mr. Lennox’s quick eye moving round the hall as they were shown through.
“Very well done, Mr. Germain; very well done indeed,” he said genially as they drove off. “Couldn’t have been better.”
“I am glad you are satisfied, sir,” the superintendent replied quietly.
Mr. Lennox’s first proceeding on reaching his room at the Carew Arms was to take out the papers he had extracted from Lord Chesterham’s waste-paper-basket and spread them on the table. Then, with a look of grim satisfaction, he laid them in a drawer.
He locked it and was turning away when his eye was caught by a vision sailing up the garden path. Célestine, to wit, attired in all the glory of her holiday attire. With an exclamation of surprise the inspector went round to the door.
Seeing him, Célestine bridled coyly. “See you, Mr. Lennox this is not convenable!” she exclaimed as he went to meet her. “But I could not that you should hear my story from anyone else.”
“Your story!” the inspector repeated. “But what is it, mademoiselle? Come in, come in! You know I stand your friend whatever happens.”
Célestine looked down and did her best to blush. “But that is what I hoped, monsieur. But I will not come in. If monsieur has but the time to spare, there is the arbour where we talked the other day. If we sat there but for five minutes it is not possible that anybody could object. Is it not so, monsieur?”
“The most censorious minded couldn’t see any harm,” the inspector agreed cheerfully as he caught up his hat. “I hope you are not in trouble, mademoiselle.”
Célestine clasped her hands as she sank on the rustic seat. “The worst of trouble, monsieur, I have been insulted. That Sir Anthony.”
A curious expression compounded of mingled annoyance and amusement had crossed the inspector’s face as she began. It changed to one of interest now.
“Sir Anthony!” he repeated. “But surely he has not insulted you, mademoiselle.”
“But—yes,” Célestine confirmed, nodding her head. “Figure to yourself, monsieur, I am trying to find some old things of miladi’s that are mislaid. I think perhaps they are in the morning-room, and I go and search in the drawers there, and while I am looking Sir Anthony comes in. He says that I am poking, prying. Then when I denied it he says that I am dishonest, because I have with me one little brooch of brilliants of miladi’s, which she has lost for a long time, and which I have just found. He call me thief. He says he will send for the police, have my boxes searched. I lift up my head. ‘You can send for your police, Sir Anthony,’ I say to him, ‘and you can search my boxes, I leave them with you. But I myself, I go out of your house at once. I will not stay in it for one minute to be insulted, me.’”
“I admire your spirit, I am sure, mademoiselle,” the inspector responded, lowering himself to the chair beside her.
Notwithstanding his commendatory words, however, his countenance was both perturbed and perplexed as he glanced across at the maid.
“And now—” he prompted.
Célestine was too much absorbed in her own story to note the obvious embarrassment in his face. “Now, she said, “I stay with Mrs. Varnham. She have a farm on Milord Chesterham’s property, and I—I take my revenge. You understand?”
Lennox looked at her. “No,” he said bluntly, “I don’t know what you mean, mademoiselle. How can you revenge yourself?”
Célestine looked wise. “That is my business, monsieur. I shall have my revenge, and there are two or three people who will help me to get it, look you; I know one leetle secret of miladi’s, just one,” holding up her finger. “But it is enough to give me my revenge. There are those who would give me good English gold to know that secret—Miladi Palmer, she would pay me well, for she do not love miladi. And there is somebody else too, but I do not go to them, I wait now—I wait until Sir Anthony send for the police, until he have my boxes searched, and then—then I go up to Heron’s Carew once more, and I say ‘Ah! you think it one very fine thing, Sir Anthony, to set the police upon poor Célestine, do you not. How if I have a secret—I—that will put the police on to miladi, your wife?’ How would Sir Anthony look then?”
Undoubtedly Mr. Lennox was keenly interested now. “He would look pretty much of a fool, I should think, mademoiselle. But how would it be possible for you to put the police on miladi’s track. I can’t see?”
“Ah! But I see,” and Célestine nodded wisely. “And I do not speak without what you call the book. I have a proof of every word that I shall say to him.”
“Have you really?” Mr. Lennox leaned forward to look into her face. “And is it something that puts miladi in the power of the police. You must be very sure of your ground before you speak, you know, mademoiselle.”
Célestine laughed. “Oh, but I am sure, and it is something that the police are but now looking for—something that they will give a great price to know.”
There was no mistaking Mr. Lennox’s interest now; his breath quickened. “I tell you what, mademoiselle, it seems to me that this is a case that needs careful handling. It won’t do for you to go to Heron’s Carew, yourself.”
“But I tell you that that will be my revenge,” Célestine reiterated.
“Suppose Sir Anthony gets the first look in,” Lennox suggested. “Suppose he has the police at Heron’s Carew, and before you have time to speak he gives you in custody, on some trumped-up charge of course. He might, you know, mademoiselle, and you wouldn’t enjoy that, to think nothing of what I and your other friends would feel if we saw you marched down the village street by the police like a common thief. No revenge you could take would make up to us for that, mademoiselle.”
Célestine hesitated, her change of countenance showed that the prospect was an alarming one.
“But what can I do then?” she debated. “I don’t see—”
Lennox leaned across the little wooden table that divided them. “You could let a friend go, mademoiselle,” he suggested. “A friend might manage it for you. If you look upon me as a friend, and I am proud to hope you do, if you would put the matter into my hands, why, you know it would be an honour and a pleasure to come to serve you.”
Célestine considered the matter a minute, then she looked up at him through her eyelashes. “If Monsieur would be so good, I see now that it would be safer. But indeed I do not like to trouble you.”
“Trouble taken for you is a pleasure to me, mademoiselle,” the inspector declared gallantly. “I will walk up to Heron’s Carew without delay if you will give me the track to go upon.”
Célestine looked all around and lowered her voice. “I will tell you all from the beginning. You remember perhaps that I say that on the night of Lady Denborough’s dinner party miladi have a migraine, that she stay at home and go out later.”
Lennox nodded. “I remember thinking that she must have gone out to meet a lover myself.”
Célestine shook her head. “It was no lover as I told you before, monsieur. The next day I find that one of the wardrobes door is locked. I wonder and I wonder why it is, and at last I find a key that fit the lock, and I get it open. Inside, pushed down in what you call the well, I find the white tea-gown Miladi was wearing the evening before. It is all dusty now, and bedraggled, and there is ink on the skirt and the bodice and the sleeves are all stained with blood. Yes, indeed, monsieur,” as Lennox, in spite of his self-control, uttered an exclamation of astonishment. “Well I say nothing—me. But I take out the gown, and I put it away in one of my places, and when Miladi come to look for it, it has gone and she never guess who has it.”
“Still I don’t see,” Mr. Lennox debated. “Her nose might have bled.”
“Pah!” Célestine said contemptuously. “You have not heard all, monsieur. That night a man was killed in Leinster Avenue, and all London was trying to find a woman who visited him, a tall woman with golden hair, and only I, Célestine, knew that it was miladi for whom they were looking. Miladi went up to see that man in the flat that night that he died. Now, m
onsieur, shall I not have my revenge?”
“Perhaps,” Lennox said slowly, “but it won’t be the easy affair you think, mademoiselle. It can’t be dealt with by the local police. And it isn’t a matter that I can walk up to Heron’s Carew and lay before Sir Anthony; that would be to spoil everything—to give the whole show away. I have got a friend at Scotland Yard; if you will allow me we will take his advice upon it, and see what he thinks we ought to do.”
“As you like,” Célestine’s eyes narrowed into slits. “We will ask your friend what you like, only I will have my revenge,” she said decidedly. “You understand, monsieur, I must not be deprived of my revenge.”
CHAPTER XXIV
“Peggy is in the garden; you will find her there.” The Dowager Lady Carew looked vaguely at the window. It was evident that she did not want to be disturbed.
With a word of apology Chesterham stepped out on to the terrace. He knew where he would be most likely to find Peggy. At an early stage of his engagement he had been made free of her favourite haunts. At the very end of the shrubbery a drooping copper beech made a shelter on the hottest day. Peggy had a table there and a couple of lounge chairs. As he parted the branches, she looked up with a quick exclamation. Her face looked white and wan, her eyes were heavy and there were purple shadows beneath.
“Peggy, sweetheart, what is the matter? What have you been doing to yourself?” Chesterham dropped the leafy screen and came forward eagerly.
But Peggy drew back, she put aside his outstretched hands. “Not to-day. Please don’t,” she said, with a little air of dignity that sat oddly on her small childish face.
Chesterham paused, the smile died out of his eyes. “Why, Peggy, what is it?”
Peggy laid her hand on her breast as if to hush its throbbing; she raised her eyes and looked straight at the man before her.