CHAPTER VIII. TEMPTATION
His lordship ripped away the silk covering of the button with apenknife, and disembowelled it of a small packet, which consisted of asheet of fine and very closely-folded and tightly-compressed paper. Thishe spread, cast an eye over, and then looked up at his companion, whowas watching him with simulated indolence.
His lordship had paled a little, and there was about the lines of hismouth a look of preternatural gravity. He looked furtively towards thedoor, his heavy eyebrows lowering.
"I think," he said, "that we shall be more snug in the library. Will youbear me company, Mr. Caryll?"
Mr. Caryll rose instantly. The earl folded the letter, and turned togo. His companion paused to pick up the fragments of the button and slipthem into his pocket. He performed the office with a smile on his lipsthat was half pity, half contempt. It did not seem to him that therewould be the least need to betray Lord Ostermore once his lordshipwas wedded to the Stuart faction. He would not fail to betray himselfthrough some act of thoughtless stupidity such as this.
In the library--the door, and that of the ante-room beyond it, carefullyclosed--his lordship unlocked a secretaire of walnut, very handsomelyinlaid, and, drawing up a chair, he sat down to the perusal of theking's letter. When he had read it through, he remained lost in thoughta while. At length he looked up and across towards Mr. Caryll, who wasstanding by one of the windows.
"You are no doubt a confidential agent, sir," said he. "And you will befully aware of the contents of this letter that you have brought me."
"Fully, my lord," answered Mr. Caryll, "and I venture to hope that hismajesty's promises will overcome any hesitation that you may feel."
"His majesty's promises?" said my lord thoughtfully. "His majesty maynever have a chance of fulfilling them."
"Very true, sir. But who gambles must set a stake upon the board.Your lordship has been something of a gamester already, and--or so Igather--with little profit. Here is a chance to play another game thatmay mend the evil fortunes of the last."
The earl scanned him in surprise. "You are excellent well informed,"said he, between surprise and irony.
"My trade demands it. Knowledge is my buckler."
His lordship nodded slowly, and fell very thoughtful, the letter beforehim, his eyes wandering ever and anon to con again some portion of it."It is a game in which I stake my head," he muttered presently.
"Has your lordship anything else to stake?" inquired Mr. Caryll.
The earl looked at him again with a gloomy eye, and sighed, but saidnothing. Mr. Caryll resumed. "It is for your lordship to declare," hesaid quite coolly, "whether his majesty has covered your stake. If youthink not, it is even possible that he may be induced to improve hisoffer. Though if you think not, for my own part I consider that you settoo high a value on that same head of yours."
Touched in his vanity, Ostermore looked up at him with a sudden frown."You take a bold tone, sir," said he, "a very bold tone!"
"Boldness is the attribute next to knowledge most essential to mycalling," Mr. Caryll reminded him.
His lordship's eye fell before the other's cold glance, and again helapsed into thoughtfulness, his cheek now upon his hand. Suddenly helooked up again. "Tell me," said he. "Who else is in this thing? Men saythat Atterbury is not above suspicion. Is it--"
Mr. Caryll bent forward to tap the king's letter with a rigidforefinger. "When your lordship tells me that you are ready to concertupon embarking your fortunes in this bottom, you shall find me disposed,perhaps, to answer questions concerning others. Meanwhile, our concernis with yourself."
"Dons and the devil!" swore his lordship angrily. "Is this a way tospeak to me?" He scowled at the agent. "Tell me, my fine fellow, whatwould happen if I were to lay this letter you have brought me before thenearest justice?"
"I cannot say for sure," answered Mr. Caryll quietly, "but it is veryprobable it would help your lordship to the gallows. For if you willgive yourself the trouble of reading it again--and more carefully--youwill see that it makes acknowledgment of the offer of services you wrotehis majesty a month or so ago."
His lordship's eyes dropped to the letter again. He caught his breath insudden fear.
"Were I your lordship, I should leave the nearest justice to enjoy hisdinner in peace," said Mr. Caryll, smiling.
His lordship laughed in a sickly manner. He felt foolish--a rarecondition in him, as in most fools. "Well, well," said he gruffly. "Thematter needs reflection. It needs reflection."
Behind them the door opened noiselessly, and her ladyship appeared incloak and wimple. She paused there, unperceived by either, arrested bythe words she had caught, and waiting in the hope of hearing more.
"I must sleep on't, at least," his lordship was continuing. "'Tis toograve a matter to be determined thus in haste."
A faint sound caught the keen ears of Mr. Caryll. He turned witha leisureliness that bore witness to his miraculous self-control.Perceiving the countess, he bowed, and casually put his lordship on hisguard.
"Ah!" said he. "Here is her ladyship returned."
Lord Ostermore gasped audibly and swung round in an alarm than whichnothing could have betrayed him more effectively. "My--my love!" hecried, stammering, and by his wild haste to conceal the letter that heheld, drew her attention to it.
Mr. Caryll stepped between them, his back to his lordship, that he mightact as a screen under cover of which to dispose safely of that dangerousdocument. But he was too late. Her ladyship's quick eyes had flashedto it, and if the distance precluded the possibility of her discoveringanything that might be written upon it, she, nevertheless, could see thecurious nature of the paper, which was of the flimsiest tissue of a sortextremely uncommon.
"What is't ye hide?" said she, as she came forward. "Why, we are veryclose, surely! What mischief is't ye hatch, my lord?"'
"Mis--mischief, my love?" He smiled propitiatingly--hating her more thanever in that moment. He had stuffed the letter into an inner pocketof his coat, and but that she had another matter to concern her at themoment she would not have allowed the question she had asked to be soput aside. But this other matter upon her mind touched her very closely.
"Devil take it, whatever it may be! Rotherby is here."
"Rotherby?" His demeanor changed; from conciliating it was of a suddentransformed to indignant. "What makes he here?" he demanded. "Did I notforbid him my house?"
"I brought him," she answered pregnantly.
But for once he was not to be put down. "Then you may take him henceagain," said he. "I'll not have him under my roof--under the same roofwith that poor child he used so infamously. I'll not suffer it!"
The Gorgon cannot have looked more coldly wicked than her ladyship justthen. "Have a care, my lord!" she muttered threateningly. "Oh, have acare, I do beseech you. I am not so to be crossed!"
"Nor am I, ma'am," he rejoined, and then, before more could be said, Mr.Caryll stepped forward to remind them of his presence--which they seemedto stand in danger of forgetting.
"I fear that I intrude, my lord," said he, and bowed in leave-taking. "Ishall wait upon your lordship later. Your most devoted. Ma'am, your veryhumble servant." And he bowed himself out.
In the ante-room he came upon Lord Rotherby, striding to and fro, hisbrow all furrowed with care. At sight of Mr. Caryll, the viscount'sscowl grew blacker. "Oons and the devil!" he cried. "What make youhere?"
"That," said Mr. Caryll pleasantly, "is the very question your father isasking her ladyship concerning yourself. Your servant, sir." And airy,graceful, smiling that damnable close smile of his, he was gone, leavingRotherby very hot and angry.
Outside Mr. Caryll hailed a chair, and had himself carried to hislodging in Old Palace Yard, where Leduc awaited him. As his bearersswung briskly along, Mr. Caryll sat back and gave himself up to thought.
Lord Ostermore interested him vastly. For a moment that day the earl hadaroused his anger, as you may have judged from the sudden resolve uponwhich he had acte
d when he delivered him that letter, thus embarkingat the eleventh hour upon a task which he had already determined toabandon. He knew not now whether to rejoice or deplore that he had actedupon that angry impulse. He knew not, indeed, whether to pity or despisethis man who was swayed by no such high motives as must haveaffected most of those who were faithful to the exiled James. Thosemotives--motives of chivalry and romanticism in most cases--LordOstermore would have despised if he could have understood them; for hewas a man of the type that despises all things that are not essentiallypractical, whose results are not immediately obvious. Being all butruined by his association with the South Sea Company, he was willing forthe sake of profit to turn traitor to the king de facto, even as thirtyyears ago, actuated by similar motives, he had turned traitor to theking de jure.
What was one to make of such a man, wondered Mr. Caryll. If he wereequipped with wit enough to apprehend the baseness of his conduct, hewould be easily understood and it would be easy to despise him. But Mr.Caryll perceived that he was dealing with one who never probed into thedeeps of anything--himself and his own conduct least of all--and thata deplorable lack of perception, of understanding almost, deprived hislordship of the power to feel as most men feel, to judge as most menjudge. And hence was it that Mr. Caryll thought him a subject for pityrather than contempt. Even in that other thirty-year-old matter that soclosely touched Mr. Caryll, the latter was sure that the same pitifulshortcomings might be urged in the man's excuse.
Meanwhile, behind him at Stretton House, Mr. Caryll had left a scene ofstrife between Lady Ostermore and her son on one side and Lord Ostermoreon the other. Weak and vacillating as he was in most things, it seemedthat the earl could be strong in his dislike of his son, and firm in hisdetermination not to condone the infamy of his behavior toward HortensiaWinthrop.
"The fault is yours," Rotherby sought to excuse himself again--employingthe old argument, and in an angry, contemptuous tone that was entirelyunfilial. "I'd ha' married the girl in earnest, but for your threats todisinherit me."
"You fool!" his father stormed at him, "did you suppose that if I shoulddisinherit you for marrying her, I should be likely to do less for yourluring her into a mock marriage? I've done with you! Go your ways fora damned profligate--a scandal to the very name of gentleman. I've donewith you!"
And to that the earl adhered in spite of all that Rotherby and hismother could urge. He stamped out of the library with a final command tohis son to quit his house and never disgrace it again by his presence.Rotherby looked ruefully at his mother.
"He means it,"' said he. "He never loved me. He was never a father tome."
"Were you ever greatly a son to him?" asked her ladyship.
"As much as he would ha' me be," he answered, his black face verysullen. "Oh, 'sdeath! I am damnably used by him." He paced the chamber,storming. "All this garboil about nothing!", he complained. "Was henever young himself? And when all is said, there's no harm done. Thegirl's been fetched home again."
"Pshaw! Ye're a fool, Rotherby--a fool, and there's an end on't," saidhis mother. "I sometimes wonder which is the greater fool--you or yourfather. And yet he can marvel that you are his son. What do ye thinkwould have happened if you had had your way with that bread-and-buttermiss? It had been matter enough to hang you."
"Pooh!" said the viscount, dropping into a chair and staring sullenly atthe carpet. Then sullenly he added: "His lordship would have been gladon't--so some one would have been pleased. As it is--"
"As it is, ye'd better find the man Green who was at Maidstone, and stophis mouth with guineas. He is aware of what passed."
"Bah! Green was there on other business." And he told her of thesuspicions the messenger entertained against Mr. Caryll.
It set her ladyship thinking. "Why," she said presently, "'twill bethat!"
"'Twill be what, ma'am?" asked Rotherby, looking up.
"Why, this fellow Caryll must ha' bubbled the messenger in spite of thesearch he may have made. I found the popinjay here with your father, thepair as thick as thieves--and your father with a paper in his hand asfine as a cobweb. 'Sdeath! I'll be sworn he's a damned Jacobite."
Rotherby was on his feet in an instant. He remembered suddenly all thathe had overheard at Maidstone. "Oho!" he crowed. "What cause have ye tothink that?"
"Cause? Why, what I have seen. Besides, I feel it in my bones. My everyinstinct tells me 'tis so."
"If you should prove right! Oh, if you should prove right! Death! I'dfind a way to settle the score of that pert fellow from France, and todictate terms to his lordship at the same time."
Her ladyship stared at him. "Ye're an unnatural hound, Rotherby. Wouldye betray your own father?"
"Betray him? No! But I'll set a term to his plotting. Egad! Has he notlost enough in the South Sea Bubble, without sinking the little that isleft in some wild-goose Jacobite plot?"
"How shall it matter to you, since he's sworn to disinherit you?"
"How, madam?" Rotherby laughed cunningly. "I'll prevent the one and theother--and pay off Mr. Caryll at the same time. Three birds with onestone, let me perish!" He reached for his hat. "I must find this fellowGreen."
"What will you do?" she asked, a slight anxiety trembling in her voice.
"Stir up his suspicions of Caryll. He'll be ready enough to act afterhis discomfiture at Maidstone. I'll warrant he's smarting under it.If once we can find cause to lay Caryll by the heels, the fear of theconsequences should bring his lordship to his senses. 'Twill be my turnthen."
"But you'll do nothing that--that will hurt your father?" she enjoinedhim, her hand upon his shoulder.
"Trust me," he laughed, and added cynically: "It would hardly sort withmy interests to involve him. It will serve me best to frighten him intoreason and a sense of his paternal duty."