CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
"QUICK! FIRE!"
Geoff did not reply; he could not. As if the sight of that slow-movingfigure, linked with the realization which had now come upon him, hadwrought a curious numbing effect upon mind and heart alike, he simplystood there, breathing hard, and looked, and looked, and looked, butsaid no single word. Even Dollops could see that there was a glint ofsomething wet and shining in the crease beside his eye, and that, inspite of tears, he smiled as a man might smile if he had waked to findthat all the world was his. It was Ailsa that made the first sound,spoke the first word.
"Oh, Mr. Cleek, to think that she should be a somnambulist," she saidwith a little catch in her voice, as if she were laughing and sobbing atthe same time and fighting hard to do neither. "And to think that youshould have guessed it when even I, her dearest and closest friend,never suspected it for an instant."
"Oh, as for that, Miss Lorne, I really deserve very little creditindeed," he made answer.
For a moment he followed with his eyes the departing figure of LadyKatharine as it moved fleetly along the path to the stable quarters,where stood the stile giving access to the paddock and thence, by afar-away wall door, to the waste land of the open country beyond.
"If anybody is to be praised for the discovery of the truth asmanifested to-night," he went on presently, "that praise should go toLoisette alone. He has said--that wise Frenchman--that 'the likeness ofevents acting upon a highly strung and overwrought mind is likely toproduce exactly similar results.' There is his vindication before you.Last night all hope of happiness was smitten out of that poor girl'smind by the affair at Clavering Close and the certainty that she hadlost the man she loves forever. This morning new hope came; this eveningthat new hope was dashed to earth again by her interview with this dearboy, and the future looked blacker and more hopeless than ever. The'likeness of events' had come; there is the 'likeness of result' beforeyou. Back into her ball dress, back into her cloak, back into everythingthat had to do with that other time; there she goes now back to GleerCottage as well!"
"God!" said Geoff, with a queer sort of sob; then leaned his curved armagainst a tree trunk and hid his face in the crook of it. "And to thinkwhat I said to her, what I thought of her! I ought to be kicked for abrute. And yet I wouldn't have hurt her for all the world--my dear, deargirl!"
"Buck up, my boy, buck up!" said Cleek, patting him on the shoulder,"The world can do with all the brutes of your kind that can be created;for they make good sons, good husbands, and loyal gentlemen! She said,did she not, that she would 'show you something that would light the wayback to the land of happiness'? Well, she's doing it, my boy; and if youwere to follow her this minute you'd find history repeating itself downto the smallest detail. Only, you _mustn't_ follow her; you mustn't lethistory repeat itself, Clavering. Gleer Cottage is not in the samelonely and unwatched state to-night that it was in last night. Thepolice are there. They mustn't see what happens, because I've a fancyfor keeping some things with regard to this case off the annals ofScotland Yard and out of the courts of England. You must stop her, youand Miss Lorne."
"Stop her? How? Isn't it dangerous to wake a sleep-walker?"
"Yes, if it's done rudely. But people in that condition will answerquestions, and---- Who spoke first, when you met last night?"
"Why, I did, of course. I was so bowled over when I looked up andrecognized her that I said: 'Kathie! Great Scott, is it you?' before Ithought. That's how she came to speak to me."
"Then go and say it again," advised Cleek. "When she answers, suggest toher that you sit down and wait for a moment, as you promised you woulddo, until Miss Lorne could join you. Once she sits, be sure the desireto walk will pass away; she will gradually sink into the naturalposition for sleeping and will sleep soundly for a time. As for therest, you may rely upon the coldness and the hardness of the earth tohalf arouse her, and it will be but a step from that to completewakefulness if Miss Lorne begins to sing very, very softly and to rustlethe leaves as she comes up and joins you both. Now then, off with you,my boy, and move as softly as you can until you come up with her andspeak."
Geoff did not hesitate. He only paused to look back at Cleek and say:"By Jove, you know, you are a ripping chap!" and then was off on tiptoeafter Lady Katharine.
Watching, they saw him come up with her at last, and knew when he spokeby the manner in which she stopped and looked round at him; they saw herput a finger to her lips and nod and beckon, and knew when he spokeagain and suggested the things that Cleek had advised, by the listlessmanner in which she let her hands drop, the wavering uncertain way inwhich she stood swaying and looking straight before her.
Then, after a moment or two--they could have cheered had theydared--they saw her look round in the direction of a little knoll towhich Geoff pointed and then placidly turn and walk with him toward it.
"Oh, what a dear, dear friend you are!" said Ailsa, impulsively, as shelooked round and up at Cleek, with tears in her eyes and a face allsmiling. "I wonder which is your greater side--your shrewdness or yourhumanity?"
"I can tell you which is my weaker one," he smiled, looking down uponher with eyes that spoke to hers. "And maybe, some day if you will letme do so----But that's another story, as our friend Mr. Kipling puts it.Wait! Don't go yet, Miss Lorne. Before you start to join them and toplay your little part in the drama of Lady Katharine's awaking, there'sone more favour to be asked. Afterward you will understand why I askthis thing; for the present I want only your promise that you willunquestioningly obey. Will you give me that promise? Thank you, I feltsure that you would.
"You know the old saying: a bird that can sing and won't sing must bemade to sing. Equally, then, a door that can be opened and will not openby persuasion or by threats, must be compelled to open by trickery andcraft. I am going to commit an act of violence under the roof ofWuthering Grange to-night, Miss Lorne. I'm going to do a thing that menget sent to prison for, and justly, too, if they are found out; onlythat I am not going to carry my act into full completion: merely make abluff at it, as it were.
"Meanwhile I want you to promise me that as soon as you have awakenedLady Katharine and have made her understand that she did go to GleerCottage last night and really has been walking in her sleep, you willfind a pretext--you and Geoff Clavering, between you--to get her as farfrom the neighbourhood as possible for the next two or three hours. Yes,Clavering Close will do. Any place will do so that neither she nor he iswithin hailing distance of this house when my 'act of violence' iscommitted. Try to do this if possible, Miss Lorne; more than you dreamof hinges upon it. In any case, promise me that no matter whatexcitement is created you will not venture near the house and willprevail upon them not to do so either. Will you?"
"Yes, certainly I will. And if I tell Geoff that it is your wish, I'msure I may promise for him as well."
"Thank you. That's all. Now I'll be off about my business. Yousee"--nodding in the direction of the paddock--"Geoff has persuaded herto sit. Good luck to your little 'singing tour,' and God bless you.Good-bye. This way, Dollops! Move sharp!"
Speaking, he swung off into the darkness, with the boy following closeupon his heels, and forged on in the direction of the wall angle, thereto wait until his instructions were acted upon and it was time for himto play his last great card.
And lo, as they went, a sweet, soft voice rose in murmuring melodybehind them and they could just distinguish the words, "KathleenMavourneen, the gray dawn is breaking," so softly Ailsa sang them as shepassed on in the direction of the paddock stile.
"A good, true woman that, Dollops," said Cleek, pausing to listen. "Andthere's nothing better in heaven or out of it than a good woman, my lad.Always remember that."
"Yes, sir," said Dollops softly and refraining from further comment.
Cleek laughed to himself as they took the angle path again. "I know thesecret of the universe at last, my lad," he said softly. "The way toheaven is through a good woman's eyes!" Then he laughed again, and sp
okeno more until they were at their journey's end.
"Now, then, my embryo Vidocq," he began, halting in the shadow of thewall angle and laying a gentle hand on Dollops's shoulder, "a word ortwo with you. I think you told me earlier in the evening that Mr. Narkomhad gone back to town, did you not? Did he say if he'd be returning toWimbledon to-night or not? I fancy he will be likely to, considering hisinterest in the Claverings, but did he say he would?"
"Yes, sir. Said he'd be back somewheres between nine and ten, sir; thathe'd drop in at the police station, and if there was a need for him, hesaid I'd find him there."
"Right you are! Well, there _is_ a need for him, Dollops; for him andfor the limousine, too. So off with you, my boy, and tell him to behere, at this spot, as quickly as he can; and to be ready when I callfor him. Now then," said Cleek, opening the wall door, "off with you asfast as you can travel."
For some minutes Cleek stood in deep thought, then he turned and walkedquickly back into the house. He had made up his mind to beard Lord St.Ulmer in his room, and his quick brain was intent on a plan by which heshould secure an entry. Three minutes later he stood outside the doorand placed a bunch of extinguished matches at the foot of it, while hecalled softly but piercingly.
"Lord St. Ulmer! Quick! _Quick!_ _Fire!_ The place is on fire."
His heart pounded as he waited, for if the man were asleep his effortswould be fruitless. Suddenly, however, there came a faint sound to hisstraining ears, and again he whispered in that sibilant whisper:
"Lord St. Ulmer, _fire_!"
He did not have time to repeat it, for there came the sound as of anextremely agile man leaping from his bed, and another moment he heardthe snick of an unfastened lock, then the door opened.
Cleek waited not a second, his foot was in the narrow aperture, and hewas through the door and had switched on the light before the other manhad realized what had happened. Then he gave vent to a little low laughof triumph as with his back against the closed door he surveyed thewhite-faced man who had retreated to the middle of the room.
"Good evening! Citizen Paul, good brother Apache, so it is you, is it?"he said airily. "Let us have a quiet little understanding, _mon ami_.You need not be distressed. There is no fire. It is merely a bluff.What! You do not know me. But wait! Look!" The serene face writhedsuddenly, and it was as if another man took his place. "Ever see a chapthat looked like this, friend Paul, eh?"
"God! The Cracksman!"
"The identical party!" acknowledged Cleek blandly. "Come! I want to havea few minutes' talk with you, my friend, and---- Stop! Don't back away!Stop and face me. By God! you'll hang for last night's business if youdon't!"