gardeners or some one may see us and gossip," and sheturned her eyes upon me with that look which had made many a man's headreel.
"We are safer from observation here, Lady Stanchester, than in my room,"I answered in a rather hard tone, I fear. She glanced at me quickly,apparently in wonder that I was in no mood for trifling. She was, ofcourse, unaware that I had overheard all that had passed between her andthe man Richard Keene. Nevertheless she said--
"As I anticipated, he claimed acquaintanceship with me last night--stopped me in the Panelled Corridor and addressed me by my Christianname."
"Well."
"I flatly denied ever having met him before. It took him backcompletely. He wasn't prepared for it," she laughed.
"And you were able, I hope, to sustain the fiction until the end?" Iasked, looking straight at her.
"Well," she answered, rather uneasily, "I managed to so confound himthat I don't think he'll carry out what was his intention. As a matterof fact, I fancy he'll curtail his visit. George has taken him to shootover at Islip." She made no explanation of his urgent appeal to her tosave Lolita, of his threats or of her own declaration that if they wereto be enemies then she would bring upon him an overwhelming disaster.She was keeping the truth to herself, suspecting my love for Lolita.
"He threatened you, of course?" I said, leaning upon the grey oldweather-worn sundial and looking at her as though I were waiting for herexplanation.
"Threats?" she laughed. "Oh! yes. He was full of them. But you werequite right; my denial utterly upset all his bluster. He can't make outmy intentions, and therefore will hesitate to do me harm, for he doesn'tknow the extent of my knowledge. Really, Mr Woodhouse, you verycleverly foresaw the whole affair. I admit that I was very hard pressedfor a few moments. But now--" and she paused.
"And now?" I asked.
"Well, I've met him with his own weapons. He won't dare to speak,because at heart he's afraid of me."
"Then you think he'll leave very soon?"
"Ah! I don't know. He's playing a very clever game, as he always does.Think how he has come here as George's friend, and at the same time asmy bitterest enemy! His audacity is surely unequalled!"
"But is he really your enemy?" I queried, fixing her with my gaze."Are you not his?"
She looked at me somewhat puzzled. I had put a meaning note into myvoice, yet I did not intend that she should be aware that I knew thetruth of her secret hatred of my love, or that I had ascertained thatthe name of the young man who had fallen the victim of an assassin'shand was Hugh Wingfield.
"Perhaps I am his enemy," she laughed lightly. "I have surely need tobe."
"Why?"
"With a man of his stamp one must act with firmness and disregard allscruples. He will ruin me if he can. But I don't intend that he shall.Before he does that I'll give information against him myself--information that will be a revelation to certain persons in this house."
I thought of the peril of my love.
"Information I take it, that would mean ruin to a certain person--awoman!" and I held her steadily with my eyes.
Her mouth opened slightly, and I saw that she suspected that I hadgained some knowledge which she believed was his alone.
"A woman," she repeated. "Whom do you mean?"
"Lolita," I replied in a low hard voice.
"Lolita?" she gasped. "Who told you that--I mean, what makes yousuggest such a thing?"
"My conclusions are formed upon certain facts already known to me, LadyStanchester," I answered coldly. "You deceived me when you sought myaid by declaring your desire to show your affection for your husband.You had a deeper and more desperate game to play--and poor Lolita is tobe the victim."
"You love her, I suppose?" she snapped. "You needn't deny it. I'veseen it long ago--you, her brother's secretary!" she sneered. "Why, thething's absurd?"
"There is a wide gulf in our social positions, I admit, LadyStanchester," was my quick angry response. "But surely it is not sostrange nor so absurd that I should love a woman who is friendless, andwho has so strangely incurred your hatred!"
"Incurred my hatred? What foolishness are you talking now?" she askedwith that cold hauteur which she could assume to inferiors when shewilled.
"I repeat what I have said. You intend that the ruin that threatens youshall fall upon Lolita. In plain words, you will sacrifice her, inorder to save yourself!"
"And who's been telling you this interesting untruth, pray?" she asked."I thought you knew Lolita sufficiently well to be aware that I have,ever since my marriage to George, been her friend."
"To her face yes, but in secret no."
"You are insulting me, Mr Woodhouse," she exclaimed, her eyes flashing."I have always been Lolita's friend."
"Then prove your friendship by telling the truth concerning her," Isaid, "the truth known equally to Marie Lejeune with yourself--the truththat can save her from this unfounded charge against her."
I made a blind shot, and stood watching its effect upon the brilliantwoman.
A slight hardness showed at the corners of her mouth, and a strangelight shone in her eyes as she realised that I knew the truth, how shehad cleverly sought to deceive me by her false declaration of that lovefor her husband which she had assuredly never entertained.
"I didn't know there was any charge against her. What is it?" sheinquired calmly.
"Prevarication is useless. Lady Stanchester," I said determinedly."Richard Keene has come here to get you to tell the truth concerningLady Lolita. You have refused, and he has threatened you with exposure.You, on your part, have retaliated by threatening him, hence theposition at this moment is that he fears to speak lest he should incuryour revenge, while you refuse to speak the truth and remove suspicionfrom Lolita. You intend, therefore, that she shall fall the innocentvictim. But recollect that I am her friend, and I will save her, evenif compelled to go to George and tell him everything."
She bit her lip. I could see that it had never crossed her mind, that,being her husband's friend, I might lay bare the truth to him and exposethe fact that Richard Keene and Mr Smeeton were one and the same.
"Ah! So you intend to give me away?" she remarked, with a quick shrugof the shoulders.
"I have no wish to do anything that will tend to cause a breach betweenyou and your husband," I answered. "I merely say that I intend to standas Lolita's friend, and to-night I shall go north, see her, and explainall I know. She will be interested, no doubt, to hear that a friend ofyour pre-matrimonial days is here as your husband's guest."
"Then you're going to tell her?" she asked with a quick start, and I sawby the way her eyebrows had contracted that she was devising some planto counteract my intentions.
"I shall act just as I think proper, Lady Stanchester," I responded."In this affair I have the good name of only one person to consider--theperson whom you declare it is absurd for me to regard with affection."
"And so you mean to place me in a very invidious position by tellingtales to everybody?" she exclaimed with a supercilious smile. "Well,"she added, "go up to Scotland and see her, if you like. Tell herwhatever you think proper; it will be all the same to me."
"Why?"
"Because I shall still retain the knowledge which I hold, and shecannot--she will not dare to--do anything to injure me. If she does,Mr Woodhouse--if she does--then I'll speak the truth--a truth that willastound you, and cause you to regret that you ever interfered in myaffairs, or ever sought to befriend a woman guilty of a crime."
"Guilty of a crime!" I echoed. "What crime do you allege against LadyLolita?"
She merely laughed triumphantly in my face.
"I demand a reply to my question," I cried angrily.
"Ask her yourself. It is not for me to denounce her before she hassought my downfall."
"But you make a distinct allegation!"
"And one that I can substantiate when the time is ripe," was the woman'sfirm fearless answer.
"But you can clear
her character if it suits you!" I exclaimed quickly."You have admitted that."
"You think fit to take the part of my enemies against me, therefore youwill find me merciless," was her vague ominous reply. "Go to Scotlandand see Lolita. Tell her that I have sent you--and," she added, "tellher from me to keep her mouth closed, or else the story of HughWingfield shall be known, You will recollect the name, won't you?--HughWingfield."
I stood