XXI. LORD BELTHAM'S MURDERER
It was on the point of midnight, and absolute stillness reignedthroughout the house.
But Lady Beltham had not gone to bed. Although she had remained in thegreat hall where she did her work, she had been unable to settle down toany occupation. She had read a little, and begun a letter, got up andsat down; and finally, beginning to feel chilly, she had drawn an easychair up to the hearth, where a log was just burning out, and stretchingout her slippers to the warmth had fallen into a waking dream.
A sound caught her ear and she sat upright. At first she thought it wassome trick of the imagination, but in another minute the noise grewlouder; there was the hurrying of feet and voices, muffled at first butrapidly becoming louder, and at last a regular uproar, doors banging,glass breaking, and shouts from all parts of the house. Lady Belthamjumped up, nervous and trembling; she was just going to the window whenshe heard a shot and stopped dead where she stood. Then she rushed outinto the vestibule.
"Help!" she screamed. "What on earth is the matter?" and remembering thegirls for whom she had assumed responsibility, she called out anxiouslyfor them. "Lisbeth! Therese! Susannah! Come to me!"
Doors upstairs were flung open, and with their hair streaming over theirnight-dresses Therese and Susannah rushed downstairs and crouched downby her side, stifling moans of terror.
"Lisbeth? Where is Lisbeth?" Lady Beltham asked sharply.
At the same moment she appeared, her face distorted with fright.
"Oh, Lady Beltham, it's dreadful! There's a man, a burglar in thegarden! And Walter is throttling him! They are fighting dreadfully!They'll kill one another!"
Silbertown, the major-domo, came rushing in just then. Seeing the threegirls in their night-dresses he made as if to draw back, but LadyBeltham called him in and demanded explanations.
"We had just finished our rounds," he answered breathlessly, "when wecaught sight of a man hiding in the shadows, a thief probably. When weshouted to him he ran away, but we ran after him and seized him; heresisted and there was a fight. But we have got him and the police willtake him away in a few minutes."
Lady Beltham listened, with jaw set and hands clenched.
"A thief?" she said, controlling her emotion. "How do you know he is athief?"
"Well," stammered the major-domo, "he is very poorly dressed, andbesides, what was he doing in the garden?"
Lady Beltham was recovering her calm.
"What excuse did he give for being there?" she asked coldly.
"We didn't give him time to invent one," said the major-domo. "Wecollared him almost as soon as we saw him. And you know, madame, howtremendously powerful Walter is: Walter gave him all he deserved!" andthe major-domo clenched his fists and made an expressive exhibition ofthe porter's reception of the stranger.
Lisbeth was still overcome by what she had seen.
"Oh, the blood!" she muttered hysterically; "it was streaming!"
Lady Beltham spoke angrily to the major-domo.
"I hate brutality: is the man seriously hurt? I hope not. You ought tohave questioned him before assaulting him. No one in my house has aright to use violence. 'Whoso smites with the sword shall perish by thesword'!"
The major-domo heard her in silent astonishment: it was not at all whathe expected to be told, in view of all the circumstances.
Lady Beltham went on more gently:
"I suppose I shall have to apologise to this man for your wrong andthoughtless behaviour."
"Apologise?" exclaimed Silbertown in amazement. "Surely your ladyshipwill not do that?"
"One must not shrink from humiliation when one has been in the wrong,"said Lady Beltham, in the pulpit manner she affected. "Tell Walter tocome to me."
A few minutes later the porter, a muscular giant of a man, came into theroom and made a clumsy bow.
"How was it possible for anyone to get into the house at this time ofnight?" his mistress enquired coldly.
Walter dropped his eyes and twisted his cap nervously.
"I hope your ladyship will forgive me. I caught the fellow, and as hewas struggling I hit him. Then two of the footmen came, and they arelooking after him in the kitchen."
"Has he given any explanation of his presence here since you assaultedhim--at which I am very angry?" said Lady Beltham.
"He hasn't said anything; at least----"
"Well?"
"I don't like to tell you."
"Please do like!" said Lady Beltham irritably.
"Well," Walter replied, overcoming his nervousness with an effort, "hesays your ladyship is well known for your charity to everybody, and--hewants to see you."
There was a moment's pause.
"I will see him," said Lady Beltham at last, in a half-stifled voice.
"Will your ladyship allow me to point out the danger of doing any suchthing?" Silbertown exclaimed. "Very likely the man is a lunatic! Or itmay be a trick: Lord Beltham was murdered, and perhaps----"
Lady Beltham looked intently at the major-domo, seemingly trying to readhis thoughts. Then she answered slowly:
"I will see him. I will be more pitiful than you," and as the major-domoand the porter made a gesture of futile protest, she added peremptorily:"I have given my orders: kindly obey."
When the two men had reluctantly left the room, Lady Beltham turned tothe three girls.
"You had better leave me, darlings," she said, kindly but firmly. "Runaway: excitement is bad for you. Go back to bed. No, I assure you Ishall be in no danger whatever," and for a few minutes she was leftalone.
* * * * *
"Speak," said Lady Beltham in a toneless voice.
The major-domo and the porter had led in, and placed before her, a manwith unkempt hair and ragged beard; he was dressed entirely in black,and his face was tired and haggard. Lady Beltham, ghastly pale, wasleaning for support against the back of an arm-chair. The man did notraise his eyes to her.
"I will not speak unless we are alone," he answered dully.
"Alone?" said Lady Beltham, fighting down her emotion. "Then it issomething serious you have to tell me?"
"If you know anything of people in misfortune, Madame," the man answeredgently, "you know that they do not like to humiliate themselvesbefore--before those who cannot understand," and he nodded towards themajor-domo and the porter.
"I do know something of misfortune," Lady Beltham replied, in firmertones; "and I will hear you alone." She looked at her two servants."Leave us, please."
The major-domo started.
"Leave you alone with him? It's madness!" and as Lady Beltham merelylooked at him in haughty surprise, he began to withdraw in confusion,but still protesting. "It's--it's---- Your ladyship has no idea whatthis fellow wants: do please----"
But Lady Beltham curtly cut him short.
"That is enough!"
A heavy velvet curtain fell over the closing door, and in the room, thatwas dimly lighted by a small electric lamp, Lady Beltham was alone withthe strange individual to whom she had so readily, so oddly, consentedto accord a private interview. She followed her servants to the door andlocked it after them. Then with a sudden movement she sprang towards theman, who was standing motionless in the middle of the room followingher with his eyes, and flung herself into his arms.
"Oh, Gurn, my darling, my darling!" she cried. "I love you! I love you,darling!" She looked up at him and saw blood upon his forehead. "GoodGod! The brutes have hurt you! What pain you must be in! Give me youreyes, your lips!" With kisses from her own lips she stanched the bloodthat was trickling down his cheeks, and with her fingers she smoothedhis hair. "I am so happy!" she murmured, and broke off again. "But youare mad! Why, why come here like this, and let yourself be caught andtortured so?"
Moodily Gurn answered, returning kiss for kiss.
"Time has been so long without you! And this evening I was prowlinground and saw a light. I thought that every one would be asleep--exceptyou, of course. And so I came st
raight to you, over walls, andgates--drawn to you like a moth to a candle: and that is all!"
With shining eyes and heaving breast Lady Beltham clung to her lover.
"I love you so! How brave you are! Yes, I am wholly, only yours. Butthis is madness! You might be arrested and given up to no one knows whathorror, without my knowing!"
Gurn seemed to be hypnotised by the fierce and passionate love of thisgreat lady.
"I never gave that a thought," he murmured. "I only thought of you!"
Silence fell upon these tragic lovers as they stood reading love in oneanother's eyes, and recalling memories common to both, utterly unlike asthey were to outward seeming, yet linked by the strongest bond of all,the bond of love.
"What happy hours we lived together out there!" Lady Beltham whispered.Her thoughts had wandered to the far Transvaal and the battle-fieldwhere first she had set eyes on Gurn, the sergeant of artillery withpowder-blackened face; and then to the homeward voyage on the mightysteamer that bore them across the blue sea, towards the dull whitecliffs of England.
Gurn's thoughts followed hers.
"Out there! Yes; and then on the vast ocean, on the ship homeward bound!The quiet and peace of it all! And our meetings every day: our long,long talks, and longer silences--in the clear starlight of thosetropical skies! We were learning to know each other----"
"We were learning to love each other," she said. "And then--London, andParis, and all the fever of life threatening our love. But that is thestrongest thing in the world: and--do you remember? Oh, the ecstasy ofit all! But, do you remember too what you did for me--throughme--thirteen months ago?"
She had risen, and with white lips and haggard eyes held Gurn's handswithin her own in an even tighter grip. Emotion choked her furtherutterance.
"Yes, I remember," Gurn went on slowly: "it was in our little room inthe rue Levert, and I was on my knees beside you when the door openedquietly, and there stood Lord Beltham, mad with rage and jealousy!"
"I don't know what happened then," Lady Beltham whispered in a hopelessundertone, drooping her head again.
"I do," muttered Gurn. "His eyes sought you, and a pistol was pointed atyour heart! He would have fired, but I sprang and struck him down! Andthen I strangled him!"
Lady Beltham's eyes were fixed on the man's hands, that she still heldbetween her own.
"And I saw the muscles in these hands swell up beneath the skin as theytightened on his throat!"
"I killed him!" groaned the man.
But Lady Beltham, swept by a surge of passion, sprang up and sought hislips.
"Oh, Gurn!" she sobbed--"my darling!"
* * * * *
"Listen," said Gurn harshly, after a pause of anxious silence. "I had tosee you to-night, for who knows if to-morrow----" Lady Beltham shrank atthe words, but Gurn went on unheeding. "The police are after me. Ofcourse I have made myself almost unrecognisable, but twice just lately Ihave been very nearly caught."
"Do you think the police have any accurate idea of what happened?" LadyBeltham asked abruptly.
"No," said Gurn after a moment's hesitation. "They think I killed himwith the mallet. They have not found out that I had to strangle him. Asfar as I know, they found no marks of my hands on his throat. At allevents, they could not have been clear, for his collar--you understand."The man spoke of his crime without the least sign of remorse orrepugnance now; his only dread was lest he should be caught. "But, nonethe less, they have identified me. That detective Juve is very clever."
"We did not have enough presence of mind," Lady Beltham saiddespairingly. "We ought to have led them to suspect someone else: havemade them think that it was, say, Fantomas."
"Not that!" said Gurn nervously; "don't talk about Fantomas! We did allwe could. But the main thing now is that I should escape them. I hadbetter get away,--across the Channel,--across the Atlantic,--anywhere.But--would you come too?"
Lady Beltham did not hesitate. She flung her arms around the neck of theman who had murdered her own husband, and yielded to a paroxysm of wildpassion.
"You know that I am yours, wherever you may go. Shall it be to-morrow?We can meet--you know where--and arrange everything for your flight."
"My flight?" said Gurn, with reproachful emphasis on the pronoun.
"For our flight," she replied, and Gurn smiled again.
"Then that is settled," he said. "I have seen you, and I am happy!Good-bye."
He made a step towards the door, but Lady Beltham stayed him gently.
"Wait," she said. "Walter shall let you out of the house. Do not sayanything: I will explain; I will invent some story to satisfy theservants as to your coming here, and also to justify your being allowedto go."
They clung to one another in a parting caress. Lady Beltham tore herselfaway.
"Till to-morrow!" she whispered.
She stole to the door and unlocked it noiselessly, then crossed the roomand rang the bell placed near the fireplace. Resuming her impassivemask, and the haughty air and attitude of cold indifference that were insuch utter contrast to her real character, she waited, while Gurn stoodupright and still in the middle of the room.
Walter, the porter, came in.
"Take that man to the door, and let no harm be done to him," said LadyBeltham proudly and authoritatively. "He is free."
Without a word, or sign, or glance, Gurn went out of the room, andWalter followed behind him to obey his mistress's command.
* * * * *
Once more alone in the great hall, Lady Beltham waited nervously to hearthe sound of the park gate closing behind Gurn. She did not dare go onto the balcony to follow her departing lover with her eyes. So, shakenby her recent emotions, she stood waiting and listening, in an agony toknow that he was safe. Then, of a sudden, the noise that she had heardan hour before broke on her ears again: the noise of hurrying feet andbroken shouts, and words, vague at first but rapidly growing clearer.She crouched forward listening, filled with a horrible fear, her handlaid upon her scarcely beating heart.
"There he is: hold him!" some one shouted. "That's him all right! Lookout, constable!"
"This way, Inspector! Yes, it's him, it's Gurn! Ah, would you!"
Paler than death, Lady Beltham cowered down upon a sofa.
"Good God! Good God!" she moaned. "What are they doing to him!"
The uproar in the garden decreased, then voices sounded in the corridor,Silbertown's exclamations rising above the frightened cries of the threeyoung girls.
"Gurn! Arrested! The man who murdered Lord Beltham!" Lisbeth called outin anxious terror.
"But Lady Beltham? Dear God, perhaps he has murdered her too!"
The door was flung open and the girls rushed in. Lady Beltham by atremendous effort of will had risen to her feet, and was standing by theend of the sofa.
"Lady Beltham! Alive! Yes, yes!" and Therese and Lisbeth and Susannahrushed sobbing to her, and smothered her with caresses.
But the agonised woman motioned them away. With hard eyes and set mouthshe moved towards the window, straining her ears to listen. From thepark outside Gurn's voice rang distinctly; the lover wished to let hismistress know what had happened, and to take a last farewell.
"I am caught, I am caught! Yes, I am Gurn, and I am caught!"
The fatal words were still ringing in Lady Beltham's ears when themajor-domo, Silbertown, came bursting into the room, with radiant faceand shining eyes and smiling lips, and hurried to his mistress.
"I thought as much!" he exclaimed excitedly. "It was the villain allright. I recognised him from the description, in spite of his beard. Iinformed the police! As a matter of fact they have been watching for thelast two days. Just fancy, your ladyship, a detective was shadowingGurn--and when he was going out of the house I gave him the signal!"
Lady Beltham stared at the major-domo in mute horror.
"Yes?" she muttered, on the point of swooning.
"I pointed him out to the
police, and it's thanks to me, your ladyship,that Gurn, the murderer, has been arrested at last!"
For just another moment Lady Beltham stared at the man who gave herthese appalling tidings, seemed to strive to utter something, then fellprone to the floor, unconscious.
The major-domo and the girls sprang to her side to lavish attentionsupon her.
At that moment the door was pushed a little way open, and the figure ofJuve appeared.
"May I come in?" said he.