answered. "But I most firmly anddistinctly deny ever having been inside it in my life."
"If you examine the marriage register there you'll find your signature,together with that of your wife," Gedge observed, with a confidence thatrather surprised me.
"I shall certainly take no trouble in such a matter," I declared. "Itis alleged that I am the husband of this lady, therefore it is for herto bring proof--not for me to seek it."
"Very well, then," cried the woman who called herself Mrs Heaton."Within three days a copy of the certificate shall be placed in yourhands."
"I'm not very partial to copies of documents," I observed verydubiously. "I always prefer originals."
"The original is, unfortunately, lost."
"Stolen, or strayed away of its own accord--eh?" I added with adoubtful laugh.
"Are you content to wait until the certificate can be obtained fromSomerset House?" she inquired.
"No," I responded. "If you are actually my wife as you allege, madam,perhaps you will kindly explain the mystery of my presence here, in ahouse that until an hour ago I had never seen in all my life."
The woman and the secretary again exchanged glances. I saw theyconsidered me an utterly irresponsible agent. They believed me to bedemented.
"None of us can explain it," Gedge answered. "There is some mystery,but what it is we can't yet fathom."
"Mystery!" I echoed. "I should think there was some mystery--anddevilishly complicated it must be too, when I find myself in thisamazing position. Why, it's sufficient to turn the brain of any man tobe told of one's marriage to a--to a woman one has never set eyes uponbefore, and--well, old enough to be his own mother!"
"Hush, hush!" said the secretary, who apparently wished to avoid ascene. He evidently knew that this angular woman, notwithstanding heraffected juvenility, possessed a fiendish temper. I had detected it bythe keen look in her eyes and the twitchings of her thin, hard lips.
"If I'm in my own house," I cried wrathfully, "I am surely permitted tosay what I like. Am I master here, or not?"
"Certainly you are, sir," he responded, instantly humbled.
"Then listen," I said. "Until the arrival of the certificate fromLondon I have no wish to meet this lady who alleges that she is mywife."
Then, turning to her, I made her a mock bow, adding, ironically--
"I think, madam, that it will avoid any further words of a disagreeablenature if we remain apart for the present."
"Certainly, Wilford," she cried, putting her hands out to me with animploring gesture. "Go and rest, there's a dear, and carry out DoctorBritten's orders. You will soon be right again if you do. You've beenpuzzling your head too much over your figures, and the blow has affectedyou. Go and rest. But before you go I would ask you one favour."
"Well?" I inquired in a hard voice.
She drew nearer to me, and with that detestable artificial coquetrylifted her face to mine that I might kiss her.
"No!" I cried roughly, for I was beside myself with anger. "Let meremain in peace. I don't want to meet you again, my dear madam, until--until I know the worst."
"What have I done, Wilford, that you should treat me thus?" she wailedbitterly, bursting into a torrent of tears. "Oh, what have I done?Tell me."
"I don't know what you've done, and I'm sure I'm not interested in it,"I responded. "All I know is that when you declare that you are my wifeyou tell a deliberate and downright lie."
For a moment she stood in hesitation, then, with tears flowing fast, shecovered her face with her hands and staggered from the room.
Was she only acting the broken-hearted wife, or was that emotion real?Which, I could not decide.
If all this were part of some conspiracy, it was certainly one of noordinary character. But what a confounded old hag the woman was! Ishuddered. Surely she could not be my wife! The suggestion was tooutterly preposterous to be entertained for a single moment, and withinmyself I laughed her allegation to scorn.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
HOW MANY YESTERDAYS?
"Now," I said, turning to Gedge, "perhaps you will show me over this newdomain of mine. They seem to be pretty comfortable quarters, at anyrate."
He looked at me strangely.
"You surely don't mean, sir, that you wish me to show you over your ownhouse?" he said with incredulity.
"Of course I do," I answered. "I've never been over it yet, and I thinkI may as well embrace the opportunity now."
"But hadn't you better go to your room and rest? It will surely do yougood. I'll ring for Rayner, the valet." He spoke as though solicitousof my welfare.
"I want no valets, neither do I require rest," I answered impatiently."I mean to fathom this mystery."
"But pardon me," he said deferentially, "there is no mystery, as far asI can see. You accidentally struck your head against the statue whilepassing through the drawing-room, and were rendered unconscious. Theblow has, according to the doctor, impaired your mental capacity alittle. In a few days you'll be all right again. Poor Mrs Heaton!--she's awfully upset."
"I will not have her called Mrs Heaton!" I cried in indignation."Understand that! I have no wife--and a hag like that I certainly wouldnever marry." He raised his eyebrows with a gesture of regret, sighed,but hazarded no remark.
"Come," I said, "show me over the place. It will be a most interestingvisit, I'm sure." And I laughed, reflecting upon my extraordinaryposition, one absolutely unparalleled in man's history.
"But before doing so will you not sign one or two cheques?" he urged,glancing at his watch. "The postman will call for the letters in halfan hour, and they must be dispatched to-day."
"What cheques?"
"There are six," he answered, taking out a large cheque-book and openingit. "I've already made them out, if you will kindly sign them."
I glanced at them. All six were for large amounts, each considerablyover a thousand pounds.
"They relate to business transactions, all of which are exceedingly goodbargains," he explained.
"Well," I said, laughing again. "I've never before signed cheques forsuch big amounts as these. But here goes, if you wish. Whether they'llbe honoured is quite another thing."
And I took up a pen and appended my signature to each, while he placedone by one in envelopes ready directed to receive them.
"Now," he said at last, "if you really wish me to take you round I'll doso, but the whole thing seems so droll and absurd that I hope, sir,you'll excuse my doubts as to your sanity."
"Well, why do you think I'm insane?" I asked, looking straight at him."Do I look like a madman?"
"Not at all. With your head swathed in those bandages, you look like aman who's received a serious injury."
"Of course, that confounded old charlatan Britten put forward thesuggestion that I'm not in my right mind!" I said. "But I tell youquite calmly, and without fear of contradiction--indeed, I could swearupon oath--that never in my life have I entered this place or set eyesupon you or upon that painted old girl before to-day. Now, if you werein my place, surely you would resent, being called husband by a womanwhom you don't know from Adam; you wouldn't relish being condemned as alunatic by an idiotic old country quack, and being imposed upon allround by persons in whom you have not the slightest interest."
His face relaxed into a smile.
"If I may be permitted to advise," he said, "I think it best not todiscuss the matter further at present. A solution must present itselfbefore long. Meanwhile your intellect will be rendered the clearer byrepose."
"I've already told you that I don't intend to rest until I've extricatedmyself from this absurdly false position," I said determinedly. "I feelabsolutely certain that I've been mistaken for some one of the samename."
He shrugged his shoulders. He was evidently a shrewd fellow, this manwho said he was my secretary, and was apparently a very confidentialservant.
"I'd like to know what to reply to Mawson's cable," he said. "Youreally ough
t to take some notice of such a marvellous stroke of goodfortune. His discovery means fabulous wealth for you as holder of theconcession."
"My dear sir," I said, "for mercy's sake don't bother me about thisfellow and his confounded pans. Reply just as you like. You seem toknow all about it. I don't--nor do I want to know."
"But in a case like this I do not care to act on my