Mairelon the Magician

  quietly, smiling slightly as Andrew and Robert fought Dan

  back under control

  "There, you," Robert panted "Now, before you continue,

  would one of you mind explaining why that—" he waved a

  free hand at the Saltash Platter, then had to grab Dan's arm

  again, "—is so all-fired important? I'm getting tired of not

  knowing what, exactly, is going on "

  "It's perfectly plain," Jonathan said "The Sacred Dish—"

  "Oh, stop nattering about the Sacred Dish," Robert

  begged "This is serious, Jon "

  "Quite serious," Mairelon said over Jonathans spluttered

  protests "This is—"

  "—the Saltash Platter, part o' a set as was stolen from the

  Royal College of Wizards upwards o' five years ago, by a

  245

  person or persons unknown," said William Stuggs. He smiled

  seraphically over Jack Stower's shoulder at the circle of sur-

  prised faces, and before the surprise could turn to speculation

  he added, "I 'ate to disco nvenience the Quality-like, but I 'ave

  to inform you that you, Lord Gregory St. Clair, and you,

  Mr. Daniel Laverham, and this cove 'ere, 'oose name I ain't

  'ad the dubious pleasure of bein' told, are all under arrest in

  the name o' the Law, for the theft o' the Saltash Set, breakin'

  an' enterin', 'olding a lot o' respectable folk at gunpoint, an'

  one or two other things as are against the Law o' the Realm "

  "He's a Runnen" Kirn burst out before she thought,

  "Jasper, you fool!" said Lady Granleigh, too angry to re-

  member that her brother was still comatose on the hearth-

  stone.

  "Good Lord!" said Andrew "Miss D'Auber, did you know?"

  "It is to me a great surprise also," Renee D'Auber assured

  him- "It is entirely a good thing after all, however, since

  Monsieur St. Clair and that person with the pistols are ar-

  rested, so I shall not repine in the least "

  "Well, well," Mairelon said He stepped forward, holding

  out the Saltash Platter to Stuggs "I expect you'll want this as

  evidence?"

  "I fear not," St. Clair put in. Kirn looked back at him and

  froze. He was holding one of Dan's pistols trained on Stuggs,

  who stood between him and the door, and his expression was

  grim. "Or rather, you may want it, but you won't have it."

  "Don't shoot!" Jack Stower pleaded, twisting in Stuggs's

  grip in a vain effort to get out of Lord St. Ctair's line of fire.

  "I ain't no nabbing cull! Don't shoot me!"

  "You can't shoot all of us with only one pistol," Mairelon

  said gently to St. Clair, ignoring Jack's frantic cries

  "Quite true," Lord St. Clair agreed. His left arm shot out

  and grabbed Marianne, who shrieked loudly as he pulled her

  close and pointed the pistol at her head. "But 1 doubt that any

  246

  of you will let the young lady be hurt just to keep me here- 1

  shall let her go in Dover, when I board the packet for

  France—provided, of course, that no one does anything fool-

  ish."

  "Here. now'" Freddy expostulated "What d'you think

  you're doing?"

  "Lord St. Clair!" Lady Granleigh exclaimed in tones of

  shock.

  "You wouldn't dare," Andrew said to St Clair.

  "He certainly would," Maireton said to Andrew. "I think

  you had better move away from the door, Stuggs. Your supe-

  riors will have to be content with half a haul this time.1'

  St. Clair smiled and started forward, dragging Marianne

  along with him, as Stuggs reluctantly moved aside. "Don't

  forget the platter, Merrill," St. Clair said, turning his head

  slightly.

  At that precise moment, Freddy Meredith stepped in front

  of Gregory St. Clair and astonished the entire company by

  knocking him down- His success was due only partially to his

  catching St. Clair completely off guard; Kirn had to admit

  dial the blow had been a regular wisty castor. Lord St. Clair

  fell backward, discharging his pistol into the ceiling above

  the hearth. A shower of plaster descended on Jonathan and

  the unfortunate Jasper, who coughed, choked, and sat up at

  last, holding his head and moaning.

  "Well struck!" Robert said after a stunned moment.

  "Dash it all, Freddy, that was a stupid trick to pulll"

  Jonathan complained, brushing at the plaster dust that cov-

  ered his shoulders. "I might have been shot!"

  "Oh, Freddyt" said Marianne, throwing her arms around him

  in ecstasy. "How bravef

  "Get up, you villain, and I'll do it again," Freddy said.

  "Dashed lot of nerve you've got, bullying ladies and frighten-

  ing Marianne."

  247

  St Clair did not reply He lay sprawled on the floor, his

  top hat gone and his hair disarranged, staring at Freddy as if

  he could not believe what had happened

  "I knew he was a regular Captain Sharp," Kim said with

  considerable satisfaction to no one in particular

  To her surprise, Mairelon answered her "Yes, you did, and

  very right you were, too Just hand that other bit of cord to

  Andrew, will you, Kim? Then look around for something to

  tie St Clair I'll fee! considerably happier when all three of

  them are, er, secure "

  "That's good sense, gov'ner," Stuggs said approvingly "An'

  pick up them other pops while you're at it They 'adn't ought

  to be lyin' about for the likes o' 'im to get 'is 'ands on "

  "There ain't no rope or string or anything," Kim said, pick-

  ing up the second piece of cord and Dan's other pistol "I

  already looked "

  "Amelia?" jasper's voice rose querulously from the hearth

  "What's happening? Have you got the platter?"

  "You imbecile'" Lady Granleigh stalked to her brother's

  side, the better to berate him "Fool' That man of yours is a

  Bow Street Runneri"

  "Stuggs? Don't be silly, Amelia Monkton recommended

  him; he'd hardly send me a Runner, now, would he?"

  Mairelon glanced at the two of them, then took the cord

  and pistol from Kim and walked over to Laverham, Robert,

  and Andrew He handed the cord to his brother and said,

  'Tie him up "

  "Of course," Andrew answered "Richard—"

  "In a minute, Andrew Mr , er, Stuggs, I believe you'll find

  this useful, at least until we've gotten things sorted out "

  Mairelon handed Stuggs the pistol, then tapped Freddy, who

  was still glaring pugnaciously at Lord St. Clair, on the shoul-

  der

  "I think this would be a good moment for a discreet depar-

  248

  ture," he said when Freddy turned He nodded his head in

  the direction of Lady Cranleigh and her brother, quarreling

  in front of the fireplace

  "What?" said Freddy "Oh, 1 see Good of you to mention

  it. Come on, Marianne " He abandoned St Clair to Stuggs

  and the pistol, and he and Marianne slipped out the open

  door

  "That was very kind," Renee D'Auber said to Mairelon "But

  ^ have you not perhaps made for yourself more trouble?"

  ^ "I'm sure of it," Mairelon said cheerfully "But f believe i

  owe Lady Cranleigh one
, for setting her unspeakable brother

  on me, and I can't think of a better way of evening the score "

  "It seems singularty appropriate," Robert said, stepping for-

  ward "But I would like to point out that 1 still haven't had my

  explanation Not in any way that is remotely satisfactory,

  that is 1 don't suppose you'd care to try again?"

  "Good luck," Kim said under her breath She gave the rest

  of the dropped pistols to Mairelon, then sat on a nearby

  footstool to watch Andrew and Renee were both looking ex-

  .. pectantly at Mairelon, Jonathan was scowling at him, and any

  .- minute now Lady Granleigh would realize that her wealthy

  ward had managed to escape again It ought to be better than

  a Dmry Lane comedy

  249

  -VA^' (L i airelon set the Saltash Platter on the seat

  JMp*.^ IVi of a high-backed chair and put the pistols

  f r Kirn had given him on top of it, When he

  turned back to the group, he was no longer smiling. "Yes,

  there do seem to be a number of loose ends," he said. "For

  instance, what are you doing here, Renee?"

  "It is as your brother has said," Mademoiselle D'Auber re-

  plied. She thought for a moment, then added scrupulously,

  "For the most part."

  "We came because Miss D'Auber had heard (here was a

  Runner on your trail," Andrew put in.

  "And you wished to assist him?" Mairelon said politely-

  "No!" Andrew looked hurt- "1—we came to warn you- And

  to help you, if we could, though I suppose you've no reason

  to believe that "

  "Why didn't you just tell Kirn the Bow Street Runners were

  about?" Mairelon asked Renee. "Why the meeting? And why

  weren't you there?"

  "Meeting?" Andrew stared at Renee D'Auber in surprised

  speculation. "You didn't tell me anything about a meeting "

  250

  "But of course not," Renee said. She gave the brothers a

  brilliant smile- "You have both got the heads of pigs, and if I

  had told you—" she nodded at Mairelon, "—that Monsieur

  Merrill the elder was here, you would have said a great many

  things of no politeness and gone away without seeing him,

  because you thought he did not believe you. And if I had told

  you—" she glared at Andrew, "—that we were to meet with

  your brother, you would have made a great many excuses of

  no merit and not have come, because you did not want to

  face him and admit you made the mistake five years ago That

  is why I was late," she added, turning to Mairelon. "He was

  being difficult."

  "Difficult? I was being difficult?" Andrew was almost beyond

  speech.

  "Do you mean to say that you dragged Andrew down here

  to force the two of us to make up with each other?" Mairelon

  demanded with equal incredulity

  Renee opened her eyes very wide. "But of course This feud

  was all very well when you were in France and he was here,

  but it would be altogether tiresome if you were both in En-

  gland, and me, I do not like the things tiresome. So I thought

  I would arrange it."

  The brothers exchanged a look of complete accord, and

  Kim suppressed a grin. That served Mairelon a bit of his own

  sauce! Stuggs shook his head sadly "French," he explained to

  the room at large-

  "And you weren't looking for the Saltash Platter?" Mairelon

  asked Renee, though Kim could tell from his tone that he did

  not really have doubts any longer

  "It would have been a very good thing, I think, if I could

  have gotten it," Renee answered, unperturbed. "For then we

  should not have had all this confusion which you have still

  not explained in the least "

  "But for yourself?"

  251

  "For me?" Renee looked at Mairelon with convincing hor-

  ror- "But no! Only consider! The Saltash Platter makes per-

  sons speak the truth, and that would have been of all things

  the most inconvenient "

  Kirn laughed. Mairelon looked at her with an affronted ex-

  pression, which only made her laugh harder. Slowly Mairelon

  began to smile "Yes, under the circumstances, I can see

  where it would have been, er, inconvenient."

  Lady Granleigh chose this moment to stop abusing her

  brother and turn back to the rest of the room- "Marianne, it is

  high time—where is Marianne?"

  "Cone," Mairelon answered helpfully

  Jonathan snickered, and Lady Granleigh rounded on him.

  "It is not humorous, young man! Stand aside," she com-

  manded Stuggs "I must leave at once, to prevent my ward

  from throwing herself away on that lamentably foolish young

  man

  "I 'ave my duty," Stuggs said, not moving- "And I 'ave one

  or two questions as you ought to answer, beggin' your pardon

  for the inconvenience."

  "Of course, you could always pay a call in Bow Street

  later," Mairelon put in as Lady Granleigh stared, unable to

  believe that Stuggs had not immediately followed her orders.

  "!t would cause quite a sensation among the ton, you might

  even set a new fashion."

  "Amelia!" Jasper had gone pale. "We can't! The duns would

  be after me the minute they got wind of it."

  "What is it you wish to know?" Lady Granleigh said stiffly.

  "'Ow did you come to 'ave an interest in that there platter?

  An' what sort o' interest did you 'ave?"

  "I am very much afraid that 1 can answer that," a new voice

  said from behind Stuggs

  Stuggs jumped back and whirled, so that he could cover

  both the doorway and the corner where Laverham, Stower,

  —252—

  and St. Glair stood Then he smiled and relaxed. "Sir!" he

  said, and stepped aside

  Four men entered behind him Hunch was the only one

  Kirn recognized; the other three were gentry toffs, middle-

  aged and dressed for riding, but she didn't recall seeing any of

  them before She glanced around the room, sizing up the

  reactions of the rest of the group Lady Cranleigh was staring

  at the man who had spoken, and she had gone rather pale.

  Jonathan Aberford turned red when he saw the second toff,

  but Robert smiled in relief at the same man Laverham and

  Slower wore blank expressions, St Glair's eyes narrowed and

  his lips thinned as he stared at the newcomers, and Kim got

  the impression that he was not at all pleased- Stuggs was

  watching the third man with a respectful expression. Andrew,

  Renee, and Mairelon all looked startled to various degrees

  "What 'ave you been a-doing now. Master Richards" Hunch.

  demanded, ignoring the rest of the company entirely.

  "An excellent question," Robert murmured "Perhaps you'll

  do better at getting an answer than we have."

  "Well, well," Mairelon said. He blinked, smiled, and swept

  a bow "Your servant, Cranleigh, Bramingham. I'm afraid

  you've missed most of the excitement, Edward "

  "I am desolated," the third man replied. With a start, Kim

  recognized his voice he was the Earl of Shoreham, who had

  sent Mairelon off to Ranton Hill in search of the Saltash Plat-

/>   ter. "Richard, I hate to be overly particular, but I seem to

  recall telling you not to attract atten—Andrew^ What the devil

  are you doing here?"

  "No, no, we've already had that bit," Mairelon said "I want

  to know what Cranleigh here meant when he said he could

  account for Lady Granleigh's, er, actions And how you all

  happen to be here," he added as an afterthought

  "I received some information last night, after Hunch left,"

  the Earl replied. He glanced toward Laverham and St Glair

  — 253—

  "I thought it sufficiently urgent to post down, but it seems to

  have been an unnecessary effort."

  "!f you're talking about the irregular relationship between

  Mr. Laverham and St. Clair, yes, that's come out," Mairelon

  said. "But where did you pick up these others?"

  "Hunch told me you'd gone to Bramingham Place," Shore-

  ham said. "Naturally we went looking for you there. Mrs.

  Bramingham had just discovered that most of her houseguests

  had vanished, and Bramingham and Granleigh elected to

  come with me in hopes of hunting them up."

  "And in hopes of getting away from the excellent Mrs. Bra-

  mingham's frenzy," Mairelon murmured "Quite understand-

  able. Now, what was that you were saying about Lady Gran-