CHAPTER XX. Mr. CARYLL'S IDENTITY
"I must see Lord Ostermore!" had been Mr. Caryll's wild cry, as hestrode to the door.
From the other side of it there came a sound of steps and voices. Someone was turning the handle.
Hortensia caught Mr. Caryll by the sleeve. "But the letters!" she criedfrantically, and pointed to the incriminating papers which he had left,forgotten, upon the desk.
He stared at her a moment, and memory swept upon him in a flood. Hemastered the wild agitation that had been swaying him, thrust the paperthat he was carrying into his pocket, and turned to go back for thetreasonable letters.
"The taper!" he exclaimed, and pointed to the extinguished candle on thefloor. "What can we do?"
A sharp blow fell upon the lock of the door. He stood still, lookingover his shoulder.
"Quick! Make haste!" Hortensia admonished him in her excitement. "Getthem! Conceal them, at least! Do the best you can since we have not themeans to burn them."
A second blow was struck, succeeded instantly by a third, and somethingwas heard to snap. The door swung open, and Green and Rotherby spranginto the room, a brace of footmen at their heels. They were followedmore leisurely by the countess; whilst a little flock of servantsbrought up the rear, but checked upon the threshold, and hung there towitness events that held out such promise of being unusual.
Mr. Caryll swore through set teeth, and made a dash for the desk. But hewas too late to accomplish his object. His hand had scarcely closed uponthe letters, when he was, himself, seized. Rotherby and Green, oneither side of him, held him in their grasp, each with one hand upon hisshoulder and the other at his wrist. Thus stood he, powerless betweenthem, and, after the first shock of it, cool and making no effort todisengage himself. His right hand was tightly clenched upon the letters.
Rotherby called a servant forward. "Take those papers from the thief'shand," he commanded.
"Stop!" cried Mr. Caryll. "Lord Rotherby, may I speak with you alonebefore you go further in a matter you will bitterly regret?"
"Take those papers from him," Rotherby repeated, swearing; and theservant bent to the task. But Mr. Caryll suddenly wrenched the hand awayfrom the fellow and the wrist out of Lord Rotherby's grip.
"A moment, my lord, as you value your honor and your possessions!" heinsisted. "Let me speak with Lord Ostermore first. Take me before him."
"You are before him now," said Rotherby. "Say on!"
"I demand to see Lord Ostermore."
"I am Lord Ostermore," said Rotherby.
"You? Since when?" said Mr. Caryll, not even beginning to understand.
"Since ten minutes ago," was the callous answer that first gave thathousehold the news of my lord's passing.
There was a movement, a muttering among the servants. Old Humphriesbroke through the group by the door, his heavy chops white andtrembling, and in that moment Hortensia turned, awe-stricken, to ask herladyship was this true. Her ladyship nodded in silence. Hortensia criedout, and sank to a chair as if beaten down by the news, whilst the oldservant, answered, too, withdrew, wringing his hands and making foolishlaments; and the tears of those were the only tears that watered thegrave of John Caryll, fifth Earl of Ostermore.
As for Mr. Caryll, the shock of that announcement seemed to cast a spellupon him. He stood still, limp and almost numbed. Oh, the never-ceasingirony of things! That his father should have died at such a moment.
"Dead?" quoth he. "Dead? Is my lord dead? They told me he wasrecovering."
"They told you false," answered Rotherby. "So now--those papers!"
Mr. Caryll relinquished them. "Take them," he said. "Since that isso--take them."
Rotherby received them himself. "Remove his sword," he bade a footman.
Mr. Caryll looked sharply round at him. "My sword?" quoth he. "What doyou mean by that? What right?"
"We mean to keep you by us, sir," said Mr. Green on his other side,"until you have explained what you were doing with those papers--what isyour interest in them."
Meanwhile a servant had done his lordship's bidding, and Mr. Caryllstood weaponless amid his enemies. He mastered himself at once. Here itwas plain that he must walk with caution, for the ground, he perceived,was of a sudden grown most insecure and treacherous. Rotherby and Greenin league! It gave him matter for much thought.
"There's not the need to hold me," said he quietly. "I am not likely totire myself by violence. There's scarcely necessity for so much."
Rotherby looked up sharply. The cool, self-possessed tone had anintimidating note. But Mr. Green laughed maliciously, as he continuedto mop his still watering eyes. He was acquainted with Mr. Caryll'smethods, and knew that, probably, the more at ease he seemed, the lessat ease he was.
Rotherby spread the letters on the desk, and scanned them with a glowingeye, Mr. Green at his elbow reading with him. The countess swept forwardthat she, too, might inspect this find.
"They'll serve their turn," said her son, and added to Caryll: "Andthey'll help to hang you."
"No doubt you find me mentioned in them," said Mr. Caryll.
"Ay, sir," snapped Green, "if not by name, at least as the messengerwho is to explain that which the writers--the royal writer and theother--have out of prudence seen fit to exclude."
Hortensia looked up and across the room at that, a wild fear clutchingat her heart. But Mr. Caryll laughed pleasantly, eyebrows raised asif in mild surprise. "The most excellent relations appear to prevailbetween you," said he, looking from Rotherby to Green. "Are you, too, mylord, in the secretary's pay."
His lordship flushed darkly. "You'll clown it to the end," he sneered.
"And that's none so far off," snarled Mr. Green, who since the pepperingof his eyes, had flung aside his usual cherubic air. "Oh, you may sneer,sir," he mocked the prisoner. "But we have you fast. This letter wasbrought hither by you, and this one was to have been carried hence byyou."
"The latter, sir, was a matter for the future, and you can hardly provewhat a man will do; so we'll let that pass. As for the former--theletter which you say I brought--you'll remember that you searched me atMaidstone--"
"And I have your admission that the letter was upon you at the time,"roared the spy, interrupting him--"your admission in the presence ofthat lady, as she can be made to witness."
Mistress Winthrop rose. "'Tis a lie," she said firmly. "I can not bemade to witness."
Mr. Caryll smiled, and nodded across to her. "'Tis vastly kind in you,Mistress Winthrop. But the gentleman is mistook." He turned to Green."Harkee, sirrah did I admit that I had carried that letter?"
Mr. Green shrugged. "You admitted that you carried a letter. What otherletter should it have been but that?"
"Nay," smiled Mr. Caryll. "'Tis not for you to ask me. Rather is it foryou to prove that the letter I admitted having carried and that letterare one and the same. 'Twill take a deal of proving, I dare swear."
"Ye'll be forsworn, then," put in her ladyship sourly. "For I canwitness to the letter that you bore. Not only did I see it--a letter onthat same fine paper--in my husband's hands on the day you came here andduring your visit, but I have his lordship's own word for it that he wasin the plot and that you were the go-between."
"Ah!" chuckled Mr. Green. "What now, sir? What now? By what fresh pieceof acrobatics will you get out of that?"
"Ye're a fool," said Mr. Caryll with calm contempt, and fetched out hissnuff-box. "D'ye dream that one witness will suffice to establish sograve a charge? Pah!" He opened his snuff-box to find it empty, andviciously snapped down the lid again. "Pah!" he said again, "ye've costme a whole boxfull of Burgamot."
"Why did ye throw it in my face?" demanded Mr. Green. "What purpose didye look to serve but one of treason? Answer me that!"
"I didn't like the way ye looked at me. 'Twas wanting respect, and Ibethought me I would lessen the impudence of your expression. Have yeany other foolish questions for me?" And he looked again from Green toRotherby, including both in his inquiry. "No?" He rose.
"In that case,if you'll give me leave, and--"
"You do not leave this house," Rotherby informed him.
"I think you push hospitality too far. Will you desire your lackey toreturn me my sword? I have affairs elsewhere."
"Mr. Caryll, I beg that you will understand," said his lordship, with acalm that he was at some pains to maintain, "that you do not leave thishouse save in the care of the messengers from the secretary of state."
Mr. Caryll looked at him, and yawned in his face. "Ye're prodigiouslytiresome," said he, "did ye but know how I detest disturbances. Whatshall the secretary of state require of me?"
"He'll require you on a charge of high treason," said Mr. Green.
"Have you a warrant to take me?"
"I have not, but--"
"Then how do you dare detain me, sir?" demanded Mr. Caryll sharply."D'ye think I don't know the law?"
"I think you'll know a deal more of it shortly," countered Mr. Green.
"Meanwhile, sirs, I depart. Offer me violence at your peril." He moved astep, and then, at a sign from Rotherby, the lackey's hands fell on himagain, and forced him back and down into his chair.
"Away with you for the warrant," said Rotherby to Green. "We'll keep himhere till you return."
Mr. Green grinned at the prisoner, and was gone in great haste.
Mr. Caryll lounged back in his chair, and threw one leg over the other."I have always endeavored," said he, "to suffer fools as gladly as aChristian should. So since you insist, I'll be patient until I have theear of my Lord Carteret--who, I take it, is a man of sense. But if Iwere you, my lord, and you, my lady, I should not insist. Believe me,you'll cut poor figures. As for you, my lord, ye're in none such goododor, as it is."
"Let that be," snarled his lordship.
"If I mention it at all, I but do so in your lordship's own interests.It will be remembered that ye attempted to murder me once, and that willnot be of any great help to such accusations as you may bring againstme. Besides which, there is the unfortunate circumstance that it'swidely known ye're not a man to be believed."
"Will you be silent?" roared his lordship, in a towering passion.
"If I trouble myself to speak at all, it is out of concern for yourlordship," Mr. Caryll insisted sweetly. "And in your own interest,and your ladyship's, too, I'd counsel you to hear me a moment withoutwitnesses."
His tone was calculatedly grave. Lord Rotherby looked at him, sneering;not so her ladyship. Less acquainted with his ways, the absoluteconfidence and unconcern of his demeanor was causing her uneasiness. Aman who was perilously entrammelled would not bear himself so easily,she opined. She rose, and crossed to her son's side.
"What have you to say?" she asked Mr. Caryll.
"Nay, madam," he replied, "not before these." And he indicated theservants.
"'Tis but a pretext to have them out of the room," said Rotherby.
Mr. Caryll laughed the notion to scorn. "If you think that--I give youmy word of honor to attempt no violence, nor to depart until you shallgive me leave," said he.
Rotherby, judging Mr. Caryll by his knowledge of himself, stillhesitated. But her ladyship realized, in spite of her detestation of theman, that he was not of the temper of those whose word is to be doubted.She signed to the footmen.
"Go," she bade them. "Wait within call."
They departed, and Mr. Caryll remained seated for all that her ladyshipwas standing; it was as if by that he wished to show how little he wasminded to move.
Her ladyship's eye fell upon Hortensia. "Do you go, too, child," shebade her.
Instead, Hortensia came forward. "I wish to remain, madam," she said.
"Did I ask you what you wished?" demanded the countess.
"My place is here," Hortensia explained. "Unless Mr. Caryll should,himself, desire me to depart."
"Nay, nay," he cried, and smiled upon her fondly--so fondly that thecountess's eyes grew wider. "With all my heart, I desire you to remain.It is most fitting you should hear that which I have to say."
"What does it mean?" demanded Rotherby, thrusting himself forward, andscowling from one to the other of them. "What d'ye mean, Hortensia?"
"I am Mr. Caryll's betrothed wife," she answered quietly.
Rotherby's mouth fell open, but he made no sound. Not so her ladyship.A peal of shrill laughter broke from her. "La! What did I tell you,Charles?" Then to Hortensia: "I'm sorry for you, ma'am," said she. "Ithink ye've been a thought too long in making up your mind." And shelaughed again.
"Lord Ostermore lies above stairs," Hortensia reminded her, and herladyship went white at the reminder, the indecency of her laughter bornein upon her.
"Would ye lesson me, girl?" she cried, as much to cover her confusionas to vent her anger at the cause of it. "Ye've an odd daring, by God!Ye'll be well matched with his impudence, there."
Rotherby, singularly self-contained, recalled her to the occasion.
"Mr. Caryll is waiting," said he, a sneer in his voice.
"Ah, yes," she said, and flashing a last malignant glance uponHortensia, she sank to a chair beside her, but not too near her.
Mr. Caryll sat back, his legs crossed, his elbows on his chair-arms, hisfinger-tips together. "The thing I have to tell you is of some gravity,"he announced by way of preface.
Rotherby took a seat by the desk, his hand upon the treasonableletters. "Proceed, sir," he said, importantly. Mr. Caryll nodded, as inacknowledgment of the invitation.
"I will admit, before going further, that in spite of the cheerfulcountenance I maintained before your lordship's friend, the bumbailiff,and your lackeys, I recognize that you have me in a very dangerousposition."
"Ah!" from his lordship in a breath of satisfaction, and
"Ah!" from Hortensia in a gasp of apprehension.
Her ladyship retained a stony countenance, and a silence that sortedexcellently with it.
"There is," Mr. Caryll proceeded, marking off the points on his fingers,"the incident at Maidstone; there is your ladyship's evidence that Iwas the bearer of just such a letter on the day that first I came here;there is the dangerous circumstance--of which Mr. Green, I am sure, willnot fail to make a deal--of my intimacy with Sir Richard Everard, andmy constant visits to his lodging, where I was, in fact, on the occasionwhen he met his death; there is the fact that I committed upon Mr. Greenan assault with my snuff box for motives that, after all, admit of butone acceptable explanation; and, lastly, there is the circumstance that,apparently, if interrogated, I can show no good reason why I should bein England at all, where no apparent interest has called me or keeps me.
"Now, these matters are so trivial that taken separately they have novalue whatever; taken conjointly, their value is not great; they donot contain evidence enough to justify the hanging of a dog. And yet,I realize that disturbed as the times are, fearful of sedition as thegovernment finds itself in consequence of the mischief done to publiccredit by the South Sea disaster, and ready as the ministry is to seeplots everywhere and to make examples, pour discourager les autres, ifthe accusation you intend is laid against me, backed by such evidenceas this, it is not impossible--indeed, it is not improbable--that itmay--ah--tend to shorten my life."
"Sir," sneered Rotherby, "I declare you should have been a lawyer. Wehaven't a pleader of such parts and such lucidity at the whole bar."
Mr. Caryll nodded his thanks. "Your praise is very flattering, my lord,"said he, with a wry smile, and then proceeded: "It is because I see mycase to be so very nearly desperate, that I venture to hope you will notpersevere in the course you are proposing to adopt."
Lord Rotherby laughed noiselessly. "Can you urge me any reasons why weshould not?"
"If you could urge me any reasons why you should," said Mr. Caryll, "nodoubt I should be able to show you under what misapprehensions youare laboring." He shot a keen glance at his lordship, whose face hadsuddenly gone blank. Mr. Caryll smiled quietly. "There is in thissomething that I do not understand," he resumed. "It does not satisfyme to suppose, a
s at first might seem, that you are acting out of sheermalice against me. You have scarcely cause to do that, my lord; and you,my lady, have none. That fool Green--patience--he conceives that he hassuffered at my hands. But without your assistance Mr. Green would bepowerless to hurt me. What, then, is it that is moving you?"
He paused, looking from one to the other of his declared enemies. Theyexchanged glances--Hortensia watching them, breathless, her own mindworking, too, upon this question that Mr. Caryll had set, yet nowherefinding an answer.
"I had thought," said her ladyship at last, "that you promised to tellus something that it was in our interest to hear. Instead, you appear tobe asking questions."
Mr. Caryll shifted in his chair. One glance he gave the countess, thensmiled. "I have sought at your hands the reasons why you should desiremy death," said he slowly. "You withhold them. Be it so. I take itthat you are ashamed of them; and so, their nature is not difficult toconjecture."
"Sir--" began Rotherby, hotly, half-starting from his seat.
"Nay, let him trundle on, Charles," said his mother. "He'll be thesooner done."
"Instead," proceeded Mr. Caryll, as if there had been no interruption,"I will now urge you my reasons why you should not so proceed."
"Ha!" snapped Rotherby. "They will need to be valid."
Mr. Caryll twisted farther round, to face his lordship more fully. "Theyare as valid," said he very impressively--so impressively and sternlythat his hearers felt themselves turning cold under his words, filledwith some mysterious apprehension. "They are as valid as were my reasonsfor holding my hand in the field out yonder, when I had you at the mercyof my sword, my lord. Neither more nor less. From that, you may judgethem to be very valid."
"But ye don't name them," said her ladyship, attempting to conquer heruneasiness.
"I shall do so," said he, and turned again to his lordship. "I had nocause to love you that morning, nor at any time, my lord; I had no causeto think--as even you in your heart must realize, if so be that you havea heart, and the intelligence to examine it--I had no cause to think, mylord, that I should be doing other than a good deed by letting drive myblade. That such an opinion was well founded was proven by the thing youdid when I turned my back upon you after sparing your useless life."
Rotherby broke in tempestuously, smiting the desk before him. "If youthink to move us to mercy by such--"
"Oh, not to mercy would I move you," said Mr. Caryll, his hand raisedto stay the other, "not to mercy, but to horror of the thing youcontemplate." And then, in an oddly impressive manner, he launched histhunderbolt. "Know, then, that if that morning I would not spill yourblood, it was because I should have been spilling the same blood thatflows in my own veins; it was because you are my brother; because yourfather was my father. No less than that was the reason that withheld myhand."
He had announced his aim of moving them to horror; and it was plain thathe had not missed it, for in frozen horror sat they all, their eyes uponhim, their cheeks ashen, their mouths agape--even Hortensia, who fromwhat already Mr. Caryll had told her, understood now more than any ofthem.
After a spell Rotherby spoke. "You are my brother?" he said, his voicecolorless. "My brother? What are you saying?"
And then her ladyship found her voice. "Who was your mother?" sheinquired, and her very tone was an insult, not to the man who sat thereso much as to the memory of poor Antoinette de Maligny. He flushed tothe temples, then paled again.
"I'll not name her to your ladyship," said he at, last, in a cold,imperious voice.
"I'm glad ye've so much decency," she countered.
"You mistake, I think," said he. "'Tis respect for my mother thatinspires me." And his green eyes flashed upon the painted hag. She roseup a very fury.
"What are you saying?" she shrilled. "D'ye hear the filthy fellow,Rotherby? He'll not name the wanton in my presence out of respect forher."
"For shame, madam! You are speaking of his mother," cried Hortensia, hotwith indignation.
"Pshaw! 'Tis all an impudent lie--a pack of lies!" cried Rotherby. "He'scrafty as all the imps of hell."
Mr. Caryll rose. "Here in the sight of God and by all that I holdmost sacred, I swear that what I have said is true. I swear that LordOstermore--your father--was my father. I was born in France, in theyear 1690, as I have papers upon me that will prove, which you may see,Rotherby."
His lordship rose. "Produce them," said he shortly.
Mr. Caryll drew from an inner pocket of his coat the small leather casethat Sir Richard Everard had given him. From this he took a paper whichhe unfolded. It was a certificate of baptism, copied from the registerof the Church of St. Antoine in Paris.
Rotherby held out his hand for it. But Mr. Caryll shook his head. "Standhere beside me, and read it," said he.
Obeying him, Rotherby went and read that authenticated copy, wherein itwas declared that Sir Richard Everard had brought to the Church of St.Antoine for baptism a male child, which he had declared to be the son ofJohn Caryll, Viscount Rotherby, and Antoinette de Maligny, and which hadreceived in baptism the name of Justin.
Rotherby drew away again, his head sunk on his breast. Her ladyship wasseated, her eyes upon her son, her fingers drumming absently at the armsof her chair. Then Rotherby swung round again.
"How do I know that you are the person designated there--this JustinCaryll?"
"You do not; but you may. Cast your mind back to that night at White'swhen you picked your quarrel with me, my lord. Do you remember howStapleton and Collis spoke up for me, declared that they had known mefrom boyhood at Oxford, and had visited me at my chateau in France? Whatwas the name of that chateau, my lord--do you remember?"
Rotherby looked at him, searching his memory. But he did not need tosearch far. At first glance the name of Maligny had seemed familiar tohim. "It was Maligny," he replied, "and yet--"
"If more is needed to convince you, I can bring a hundred witnessesfrom France, who have known me from infancy. You may take it that I canestablish my identity beyond all doubt."
"And what if you do?" demanded her ladyship suddenly. "What if you doestablish your identity as my lord's bastard? What claim shall that beupon us?"
"That, ma'am," answered Mr. Caryll very gravely, "I wait to learn frommy brother here."