The Mystery of Lincoln's Inn

  CHAPTER XXII

  On leaving Francis Eversleigh, whose feelings at the turn events hadtaken were poignant beyond description, Harry Bennet went as fast and asstraight to Surbiton as the train could carry him. As he neared Ivydene,he was visited by some slight compunctions, but these he soon overcameand thrust out of his mind.

  On inquiring if Miss Thornton was at home, he was told by the maid, towhom Bennet was no stranger, that Miss Thornton and Miss HelenEversleigh were out, but were expected in very shortly. Mrs. Eversleigh,however, was in; would he not come in and see her? But Bennet, who hadno wish to see Mrs. Eversleigh, excused himself and withdrew. He did notgo far away, but hung about the house waiting till the two young ladiesshould appear. And presently, when they came into view, Bennet at oncewent to meet them.

  When the girls saw him, they beheld him with very different emotions.There was a smile of welcome on Helen's face, which showed she was gladto see him again, and that perhaps also she still, in her heart, was notill disposed towards him; at the same time, she wondered why he had notbeen near Ivydene for so long a time, and this imparted a certaineagerness to her greeting of him. But Kitty received him coldly. Boththe girls were in deep mourning, and Bennet thought he had never seenKitty look better. The coldness of his reception he put down to thegrief she must be feeling for her father, and for an instant he wasinclined to doubt if this were the proper time to speak to her on thesubject which had brought him to Surbiton, but his hesitation was soonover.

  There was something strange and unnatural in Bennet's manner as hesaluted the girls. So marked was it that even Helen Eversleigh could nothelp noticing it. Kitty observed it instantly, and she drew an augury ofevil from it. Since her rejection of the young man she had almostforgotten his existence, so much had happened in the interval. Now, asshe looked at him, her distrust of him returned.

  Yet his first words somewhat disarmed her, though the tone in which theywere uttered was hardly what she would have expected. She saw he waslabouring under some strong excitement.

  "I have not seen you, Miss Thornton," he said, hoarsely, "for some time,and I had meant to write you a note of sympathy, but--but--I was so----"

  "I understand," said Kitty, as Bennet paused, embarrassed.

  "It was very sad for you," remarked Bennet.

  "Yes," said Kitty, simply.

  The three were now close to Ivydene, and Helen Eversleigh invited him tocome in. Bennet stopped in the road, and did not at once reply; theothers stopped, too, regarding him curiously.

  Then, to the surprise of the girls, Bennet said, addressing HelenEversleigh--

  "Would you mind leaving us, Miss Eversleigh; there is something I wishto say to Miss Thornton?" Then he turned to Kitty and observed, gruffly,"It is something very important. Miss Thornton, or I should not troubleyou. Indeed, I have come on purpose to tell you of it."

  Kitty bowed gravely, and Helen, greatly astonished, retired to thehouse, saying as she went--

  "Come in when you have had your talk. You won't be long, I suppose."

  But neither of the others answered.

  "Is it something you have to tell me about my father?" asked Kitty, whoat once supposed that Bennet had in some way or other obtainedinformation respecting Morris Thornton.

  "No, Miss Thornton," answered Bennet, bluntly. "It is about somethingquite different that I wish to speak to you."

  "But if I do not wish to listen to you?" asked Kitty, suddenly alarmed.

  "You must," insisted Bennet.

  "Must!" cried Kitty. "You take a very strange tone. I shall not listento you, Mr. Bennet."

  And she moved a step from him.

  He strode beside her, and put his hand roughly on her arm.

  "I am in earnest," he said, his eyes gleaming balefully. "You must hearme unless you wish the worst to happen to those people in there."

  He waved his hand toward Ivydene.

  "Miss Thornton," Bennet went on, more calmly when he saw the girl gaveheed to him, "it is in your power, and in yours alone, to save yourfriends, the Eversleighs, from the gravest disaster."

  Kitty stared at him, thinking the man must have gone mad.

  "I repeat," Bennet continued, "that it is in your power. MissThornton--do you understand?--in your power, to avert a great danger, aterrible disaster, from the Eversleighs."

  "I do not understand you in the least," said Kitty. "Will you pleaseexplain yourself?"

  "You will listen, then?" asked Bennet, tauntingly. "And you will do wellto listen, if you have any regard for these people."

  "Will you explain, please?" asked Kitty, impatiently.

  "Yes; but I shall have to trouble you to hear rather a long story, butwithout it you would not understand."

  "Go on," Kitty answered.

  "I must commence by speaking of myself," said Bennet. "I had need of asum of money--ten thousand pounds, and I directed my solicitors,Eversleigh, Silwood and Eversleigh, to get it for me by selling aproperty in Kensington called Beauclerk Mansions, which belonged tome--at least, I believed it belonged to me. I knew that the sale of theproperty was not likely to be effected immediately; it had to beadvertised, and so on. But I did want that ten thousand in a hurry. So Iwrote the Eversleighs, and, knowing the Mansions were worth far morethan the sum I asked, requested them to make or procure me an advance ofthe money, and to repay the loan from the proceeds of the sale. Do youunderstand, Miss Thornton?"

  "Perfectly; though I do not see why you should imagine it is interestingor important to me," replied Kitty.

  "I am coming very quickly now to that," returned Bennet. "I wrote thefirm as I have told you, and received a communication in reply from Mr.Eversleigh, Mr. Francis Eversleigh, who said that he could not get methe money at once, but would do so in the course of a few days. Butthere were reasons for my having it without delay, so I went to see Mr.Eversleigh, and I saw him this morning."

  Bennet paused, and looked meaningly at Kitty; he saw that she wasfollowing him closely.

  "You saw Mr. Eversleigh, you were saying," she observed.

  "I saw him, told him I must have the money, and he put me off, but saidthere would be as little delay as possible. With that I had to becontent, though I was disappointed. I had nothing particular to do forthe rest of the day, and it occurred to me to go to Beauclerk Mansions,and take a last look at them. I was in a bad humour, and the thing fellin with my mood. When I got to the Mansions, can you guess what Idiscovered?"

  "How can I?" inquired Kitty, wonderingly.

  "The discovery was an accidental one," Bennet resumed, "but there was noroom for doubt about the matter. I found out that Beauclerk Mansions nolonger belonged to me. They had been sold some twelve months before to acompany named 'Modern Mansions, Limited.'"

  And now Kitty began to see something of what Bennet was about to tellher, and she gazed at him apprehensively.

  "The property had been sold!" she exclaimed.

  "Yes; without my authority, and by my own solicitors, Eversleigh,Silwood and Eversleigh."

  "Surely, there was some mistake," suggested the girl.

  "I thought so myself, at first," responded Bennet, "and I promptly wentto Mr. Eversleigh and asked for an explanation. But, Miss Thornton," hewent on, impressively, "there was no mistake. Mr. Eversleigh put theblame of the sale on his dead partner, Silwood--that may be true, or itmay not, in either case it is nothing to me--but he confessed that theproperty had been sold. No account was ever rendered to me--in a word,the sale was a fraudulent one. Out of his own mouth, Eversleigh stoodconvicted of fraud."

  "I cannot believe it!" cried Kitty, "there must be some dreadfulmistake."

  "The law, Miss Thornton, will not call it a mistake. It will call it acrime. I have but to say the word, and Francis Eversleigh will bearrested, in due course, tried, and convicted."

  Kitty stood and faced the man, her eyes full of indignation.

  "Mr. Bennet," she said, "I have known Mr. Eversleigh for years, and Icannot credit what you say."
r />   "It is quite natural for you to say so. I could hardly take the thing inmyself at first, but there is not the slightest doubt of the truth ofwhat I have told you. Francis Eversleigh is in my power, and I make noscruple in telling you so."

  Bennet's air, Kitty acknowledged to herself, was not that of a man whospoke falsely, whatever else it was; she was afraid that he did in verydeed speak the truth.

  "You do not scruple to tell me this," she said; "why do you tell meabout it at all?"

  Bennet looked at the beautiful girl, and her beauty maddened him.

  "It is because I love you," he said boldly.

  "Because you love me! You take a strange way of showing your love. Whatdo you mean?"

  "I said that Eversleigh's fate was in my hands; I should have said itwas in yours, Kitty."

  "In mine?"

  "Yes, in yours, in your pretty hands, Kitty. You have but to command me,and, so far as I am concerned, Eversleigh remains a free man. I will notseek to have him arrested if you tell me not to do so."

  "And what more, Mr. Bennet? Is it that your love for me dictates thisgenerosity? Oh, if that be so, I thank you with all my heart."

  "I do not want your gratitude, Kitty. I want you. I will only stay myhand on condition that you promise to marry me. There, is that plainenough?"

  "To marry you!" exclaimed Kitty. "You know very well that I am engagedto Gilbert Eversleigh."

  "Oh, Gilbert!" said Bennet, contemptuously. "After what I have told youabout his father you would never dream of marrying him!"

  Kitty's eyes suddenly blazed.

  "Take care what you say!" she cried.

  The passion in her eyes did not daunt him; on the contrary, he admiredher spirit, and his desire to marry her waxed stronger.

  "Am I to understand, then," he asked deliberately, "that you prefer tosee Gilbert Eversleigh disgraced, for disgraced he will be when hisfather is a convicted felon?"

  Kitty started; she felt as if she were in a trap.

  Bennet saw he had at last made an impression.

  "You can ruin Gilbert, too, if you like," he continued; "the fate ofboth father and son rests with you."

  He thought he had said enough, and so was silent. The girl walking byhis side was also silent. If what this man said was true, and she wasafraid it was, what a frightful calamity had suddenly come upon her! Herheart sank within her, all the sweetness of life and love were on theinstant turned to bitterness and gall.

  "You can ruin Gilbert," Bennet had said; she could ruin the man sheloved! And Francis Eversleigh, the kindly man, who had been a father toher! And Mrs. Eversleigh and the others! She could ruin them or savethem--so Bennet had said. Her word would save them!

  Bennet fancied he knew the debate which was going on within the girl'sbreast. At length Kitty came to a decision.

  "Do you want an answer now?" she asked.

  "At once; yes or no?"

  "You know that I do not love you?"

  "I love you, and you will come to love me."

  "Never, never!" she cried wildly.

  Bennet frowned heavily.

  "You will, you shall, you must," he vowed.

  "You cannot force love," said the girl.

  "Now, Miss Kitty," said Bennet, roughly; "I do not wish to discuss thatwith you. Give me your answer! Will you marry me, yes or no? Or isFrancis Eversleigh to go to prison?"

  "If I marry you, how will that protect Mr. Eversleigh?"

  "I will give him a receipt in full for whatever his firm owes me. Iwill give you the receipt, if you like, and you can give it to him."

  "Mr. Bennet," said Kitty, "I shall tell you what I am willing to do. Youhave told me some strange things; they are so strange that I find adifficulty in believing them. Yet I am afraid," went on the girl,honestly, "that they are true. But surely I have a right to ask thatthese statements of yours be confirmed. If you will give me tillto-morrow--if you will come then, I will give you my answer."

  "And pray what will you do in the mean time?"

  "I shall speak to Mr. Eversleigh."

  "Very well," said Bennet, after a moment's thought. "He will not denythe truth of what I have told you. I agree. I will be here at noonto-morrow for your decision. Only remember that the fate of theEversleighs is in your hands, as I have said, and in yours alone."

  And he turned and left her.