The Mynns' Mystery

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

  "THERE IT IS AGAIN."

  "My dear Gertrude, I did not oppose you after you had made up your mindto carry out your guardian's wishes; but I'm so pleased with the way inwhich things have turned out that I hardly know what to say."

  "But you forget, Mrs Hampton; you forget that I have promised to bethat man's wife."

  "Well, what of that, my dear?"

  "What of that?"

  "Yes; you are a woman, aren't you?"

  "Of course, but--"

  "Well, say you won't have him. Nobody can force you to. What's thegood of being a woman if you can't have your own way about the man youmarry?"

  "Hark!" cried Gertrude, "the bell!" and she turned quite pale. "It mustbe he."

  "Which he?" cried the old woman shortly. "Can't be our Mr GeorgeHarrington, because he was to go to Lincoln's Inn about this time. AndI don't believe it is likely to be the other. He'll never come back atall. Oh, the pest?"

  Mrs Denton looked from one to the other with a satisfied air, as shehanded the letter she brought in to Gertrude, her air suggesting thatshe expected to be spoken to; but as nothing was said, she shrugged hershoulders and left the room.

  "From Saul Harrington," said Gertrude, opening the letter with tremblinghands.

  It was dated the previous day from a well-known hotel in Paris, and verybrief.

  He hoped his dear little cousin would be glad to hear he had reachedParis all right, and was having lovely weather. He said that the gaycity was full of temptations, but he was going to resist them all, andleave in forty-eight hours for Chamounix, which he should make hisheadquarters till he went on to the Tyrol.

  "Tell George," he continued, "that I consider he has lost his manlinessin pinning himself to your apron till the happy day. He had far betterjoin me out here for a good tramp. If he likes to alter his mind he caneasily catch up to me, and I faithfully promise to send him bark inample time for a certain event. Under the circumstances I shallprobably not return till after you are married, so forgive my absence.I wish you every happiness."

  "Then that man has not joined him yet, my dear."

  "No, Mrs Hampton. Is it not very strange?"

  "Very, my dear."

  "Why do you speak like that? It is as if you had some hidden meaning."

  "I only think that he did not go and join him."

  Gertrude looked at her rather curiously, and then said in an eager way:

  "It would be easy to find out if he has joined him since."

  "By telegraphing. Are you going to do this?"

  Gertrude shook her head.

  "Would you like me to send a message?"

  "Yes--no--I hardly know what to say."

  Mrs Hampton stuck her ball of wool on the point of the shiningknitting-pin she held, and spun it round for a few times.

  "It would be satisfactory for everybody to know," she said at last."Ring the bell, my dear, and I'll send a message."

  The message was despatched, and after a long discussion as to theprobabilities of reaching Saul Harrington before he left forSwitzerland, and how soon an answer might be expected, they settled downto the daily routine of their lives. One duty now was Gertrude'snursing of the injured dog, who seemed, as he lay on the soft hay bed inthe stable, very near his end. He lay for hours together withoutstirring, till he heard his mistress' step, and then he uttered a lowwhine, and feebly raised his head as his eyes sought hers before helowered his muzzle again, as if it was too heavy for the strength he hadleft.

  Gertrude let many a tear fall upon the poor brute's head as she pattedit gently and bandaged the wound, the dog submitting to what must havebeen a painful operation without so much as a whine, till the time camewhen he could get his head in his mistress' lap, and sink into a kind ofstupor more than sleep.

  That day wore by, and there was no answer to the telegram. Then camethe dinner hour, and with it the old lawyer, but not alone, DoctorLawrence having once more accompanied him down to The Mynns.

  Their looks spoke volumes, but little was said till they were seatedover the dessert; when, in response to one of Gertrude's inquiringlooks, the Doctor leaned towards her, took her hand, and said gravely:

  "My dear child, I have said nothing, because I seem to have nothing tosay."

  "But tell me what you think," said Gertrude imploringly.

  "Well, my dear, I think--but it must not influence us in any degree--that this young man really is George Harrington."

  Gertrude tried to stifle the emotion she felt, as the doctor went on:

  "It is a puzzling business, my dear. We have had a very long interviewat Hampton's chambers, and he certainly has impressed me strangely. Ourfriend here is like a rock, and he has been piling on to my head storiesof impostures, and cases where pretenders have come forward, till I amcompletely bewildered."

  "Then if he is not the true George Harrington, let George Harringtonhimself come forward and say so. Why doesn't he come back, instead ofrunning off in this mysterious way?"

  Mrs Hampton looked quite fiercely to right and left as she deliveredherself of this speech.

  The old lawyer seemed to decline to take up the cudgels; he only tappedsoftly on the table. But Mrs Hampton's tongue was unloosed, and sheturned the flow of her eloquence upon the doctor.

  "I say this is the right man," she cried; "everything goes to prove it.I have not said anything about this before, but I have noticed a greatdeal since I have been here, and I kept my lips sealed because I feltthat I might be doing wrong in speaking, and, besides, I had no right."

  "What have you observed, then?" said the lawyer, turning upon hersharply.

  "That time after time, while he was professing to be so sober, our MrGeorge Harrington sat drinking with Saul half, and sometimes all thenight. Three times over did old Mrs Denton come to me, pretending itwas to help her about some domestic matter, over which she did not wantto trouble Gertrude here, and it was to show me Mr George Harringtonasleep in the study, where he had been all night. Ah! here she is.Mrs Denton, how many times did you find the gentleman--bah!--the manwho came and said he was Mr Harrington--asleep in his chair in thestudy."

  "Six, ma'am," said the old housekeeper. "No: it was eight."

  "Now, don't exaggerate, Denton. It was only three."

  "I beg your pardon, ma'am; I only came to you three times. There werefive other times when I woke him, and got him up to bed myself, sostupid and confused that he could only ask where Mr Saul was. They hadbeen sitting in the study together when I went to bed, and he must havelet Mr Saul out himself and then gone back and fallen asleep in hischair. A telegram, miss."

  Gertrude eagerly took the message, tore open the envelope, read, andpassed it to Mrs Hampton who also read it anxiously.

  "_What do you mean? George did not come with me. He refused in yourpresence. Just off to Switzerland. Wire to Glacier Hotel, Chamounix_."

  "You need not wait, Denton," said Gertrude.

  "No, miss; but might I make so bold: is there any news of--of thegentleman who said he was Mr George?"

  "No, Denton; none at all."

  "And might I ask when Mr George is coming again?"

  Gertrude looked at the old lawyer, who only looked close as one of hisown tin boxes, so she transferred her gaze to the doctor, who fidgetedabout beneath the inquiring eyes.

  Gertrude rose from the table, laid her hand upon the old woman's arm,and led her from the room.

  "Denton--dear old nurse," she said affectionately, "you must be patientand wait. We are all in a terrible state of perplexity; do not increaseit by asking questions."

  The old woman caught her hand and kissed it affectionately.

  "Not another word will I say, my dear, till you speak to me. But, MissGertie, I know I'm right. This last one is Master George. Why, mydarling, you can see it in his eyes and in his fine manly way to me--thepoor old woman who nursed him as a child."

  "Yes, yes, Denton; but please say no more now."


  "Only one word, my dear, and it's about you. If the other comes backand wants you to side with him, and be his wife, don't listen to him.You shall not. I'd sooner kill him than he should ever take you in hisarms."

  "Denton!"

  "I've done, my dear. It was only my love for the little girl I helpedto bring up that made me speak. Don't be angry with me, dear. I forgetsometimes that I'm only a servant. That's right. If you only smile atme like that you make me feel so happy again."

  Gertrude returned to the dining-room, to find that a discussion wasgoing on, and the doctor speaking.

  "Then you feel it is our duty to remain silent?"

  "Most decidedly. Whatever your feelings may be you must recollect thatwe have accepted this gentleman as James Harrington's heir. Thepretender--"

  "Pretender!" echoed Mrs Hampton.

  "Yes. I must call him so, my dear. The pretender must make good hisclaim."

  "Then we can do nothing till Mr George Harrington Number one comesback?"

  "Nothing."

  "And you have a latent feeling that we shall not see him again?"

  "A feeling that the telegram has strengthened. It seems to me that if--mind, I say if--he is an impostor, he may have had a hint that thegenuine George Harrington was, after all, alive and coming back. He hadforesight enough to possess himself of a large sum of money, and withthis he has escaped. Good Heavens! There it is again."

  Dr Lawrence had started from his seat, as once more a long, low howlseemed to come from close at hand.

  "It is only Bruno," said Gertrude. "Poor fellow! he must have made hisway out of the stable. Don't stir, I'll send him back."

  She ran out of the room, to find Denton coming to meet her.

  "Bruno, my dear. He has managed to get over into the house."

  "Where is he?"

  "I don't know, my dear; I only heard him howl."

  A short search was sufficient, and the dog was found in the study,standing on the hearthrug, though his legs seemed hardly able to bearhis weight, and sniffing and looking about in a curiously uneasy way.

  Gertrude's coming was sufficient to take his attention directly, and hesuffered himself to be led back to his quarters.

  "I seem very rude," was on Gertrude's lips as she reached thedining-room door, but the words were not spoken, for she stood, chained,as it were, to the spot, listening to the doctor's words.

  "No, Hampton," he said, "we medical men know too much of nature to besuperstitious; but I have known cases where a dog has seemed to have astrange presage of death."

  A sudden giddiness seized upon the trembling girl, as the thoughtoccurred to her: Suppose these two young men should meet. What would bethe consequence? Would it mean death, and to which?

  Gertrude's heart seemed to stand still.