CHAPTER IV--_The Lady in the Landau_
Beaumanoir passed into the corridor with unsteady steps, dazed by theenormity of his entanglement. He had been caught so easily, yet he washeld so firmly. His first impulse was to rush off to Scotland Yard,expose the white-bearded wire-puller in the invalid chair, and claimprotection. But that course would entail confession of his engagement asa criminal instrument, to the everlasting disgrace of the great familyof which he was now the head. The alternatives were foul treachery tothe girl of his heart or almost certain death at the hands of Ziegler'sdisciplined ruffians.
He had reached the top of the broad staircase when a step, almostinaudible on the thick pile carpet, sounded behind him and a hand fellon his shoulder.
"Charley, old boy! Or is it 'your Grace' I should be calling you? Whatthe dickens are you doing here?" said the young man who had overtakenhim.
Beaumanoir's harassed brows cleared as he met Alec Forsyth's honest gazeand he felt the grip of his honest hand. Their ways had lain apart forthe last few years, but a very real friendship, begun in the Etonplaying fields, had survived separation. Of all his acquaintances, Alechad been the only one to go down to Liverpool twelve months before tobid scapegrace Charles Hanbury farewell.
"I had a call to make, before going to Pattisons' in Lincoln's Inn,"said the Duke. And then with quick apprehension he added, pointing tothe door he had just left: "Have you come from there? Have you businesswith Ziegler too?"
"Ziegler? Who's Ziegler?" asked Forsyth, looking puzzled by his suddenconfusion. "No, I haven't been to those rooms, but to the suite beyond.A duty call on a certain Mrs. Talmage Eglinton, but, thank goodness, shewasn't at home. Now about yourself, Charley. Fortune smiles again, eh?"
"It's only a sickly grin at present," Beaumanoir replied, dejectedly."See here, Alec; I've got my bag on a cab outside. I landed atSouthampton too early for lunch. Come and talk to me while I get a snackbefore going to the lawyers."
A few minutes later they were seated in a Strand restaurant, and theyoung Scotsman heard all about his friend's struggles with the demon ofpoverty in New York, but never a word of the trouble that was brooding.In his turn Forsyth was able to fill in the blanks of the familysolicitor's cablegram, and enlightened Beaumanoir as to the manner ofhis succession to the title. The late Duke was traveling to Newmarket ina racing "special," accompanied by his nephew and heir, George Hanbury,when they had both met their deaths in a collision.
The double funeral had taken place at Prior's Tarrant, the ancestralseat of the Dukes of Beaumanoir in Hertfordshire, three days before, thearrangements having been made by the solicitors, in the absence of thenext successor. The last Duke having been a childless widower, and bothhis brothers, the fathers respectively of George and Charles Hanbury,having predeceased him, there had been no near relatives to follow thelate head of the house to his last resting-place.
"Let me see, my cousin George had a sister, Sybil, who used to live withmy uncle," Beaumanoir mused aloud. "I wonder what has become of her."
"I believe that she is still at your town house in Piccadilly," repliedForsyth with a constraint which the other did not notice in hisself-absorption. But the next moment it struck Beaumanoir as odd thatthe information should have been so readily forthcoming, for he had beenunaware that his friend knew his relatives.
"You have made Sybil Hanbury's acquaintance, then?" he asked.
"Yes, since your departure for America," was the reply. "I had thepleasure of meeting her first at my uncle's in GrosvenorGardens--General Sadgrove's, you know. I dare say you remember him?"
"Oh, yes; I remember the General well--a shrewd old party with eyes likegimlets," said Beaumanoir. "But what's this about Grosvenor Gardens?" headded quickly. "The Sadgroves used to live in Bruton Street."
"Quite so; but they moved to 140 Grosvenor Gardens, last Christmas."
"140!" exclaimed the Duke. "Why, that's where the Shermans are going tostay. Some friends of mine who--who came over in the same ship," he wenton to explain rather lamely.
Forsyth shot an amused glance at his old crony. "Yes, I know that UncleJem was expecting some Americans to put up with him, and he has beenraving about the charms of the young lady of the party for the lastfortnight. You are excited, Charley. Your manner has struck me asstrange since we met at the hotel. Is it permitted to inquire if myuncle is entertaining unawares--a future Duchess?"
To the young Scotsman's surprise, the Duke showed signs for a moment oftaking the light-spoken banter amiss. Beaumanoir flushed, and mutteredsomething inarticulate, but pulled himself together and diverted theirtalk into a fresh channel, clumsily enough.
"Don't gas about me, old chap," he said. "Tell me of yourself. Is theworld using you better than formerly?"
"About the same," Forsyth replied with a shrug. "They gave me atwenty-pound rise last year, so my pay as a third-grade clerk in theForeign Office is now the princely sum of L230 per annum. Not abrilliant prospect. When I'm a worn-out old buffer of sixty I shall beable to retire on a pension about equal to my present pay."
"Then look here, Alec; chuck the public service and come to me," saidthe Duke, eagerly. "I'll give you eight hundred a year to begin with,and rises up to two thousand; and you can have the dower-house atPrior's Tarrant to live in. Call yourself private secretary, bailiff,anything you please--only come. The fact is--well, I've been a bitshaken by--by what I've gone through. I want someone near me who's morethan a mere hireling."
It was Forsyth's turn to flush now, but with pleasure at the offer madeto him. He accepted it in a few simple words, and the Duke rose and paidhis score.
"Come with me to Pattisons'," he said. "Then we'll go on to Piccadillyand take possession."
The business at the lawyers', which consisted of little more thanarranging future meetings, was soon finished, and the Duke and his newsecretary took a fresh cab to the West End. As they bowled alongBeaumanoir inquired further about his cousin Sybil, whom, owing to hisabsence in India and more latterly to his estrangement from hisrelations, he had never met. Forsyth imparted the information that forthe last six months, since she "came out," she had virtually ruled thelate Duke's household.
"But she can be little more than a child," Beaumanoir protested."Anyhow, I can't keep a cousin of eighteen on as _my_ housekeeperwithout setting Mrs. Grundy's tongue wagging. The question arises whatto do with her. Old Pattison tells me she is well provided for, but Idon't like telling her to clear out if it does not occur to her to go.What sort is she, Alec?"
"That's rather a stiff question to put to _me_," Forsyth replied, asthough to himself. "I had better make my confession first as last," hewent on hurriedly. "You are her nearest relative now, and the head ofher family. Ever since I first saw Sybil Hanbury the dearest wish of myheart has been to make her my wife, but without prospects of any kind Icouldn't very well ask her. There you have it, my noble patron, in anutshell."
Beaumanoir patted his friend's knee affectionately.
"My dear fellow, go in and win, so far as I am concerned," he said."While I am above ground your prospects need stand in your way nolonger. But you haven't answered my question, which I'll put in anotherway. How is she likely to take my appearance on the scene?"
"I'm afraid she's rather prejudiced. Her brother George didn't love youmuch, you know, and she is greatly cut up by his loss," Forsyth replied,with the dogged manner of the honest man who has to say a disagreeablething. "I don't think that you need be under any apprehension about herstaying on at Beaumanoir House when you show up. To be candid, I saw heryesterday, and she said she should begin packing as soon as she was surethat you hadn't been drowned on the voyage home."
"Good girl!" ejaculated the Duke. "The unexpressed hope did her muchhonor, only it's a pity it didn't come off. Now, Alec, if you'll see herfirst--she needn't see me at all if she doesn't wish to--and tell herfrom me that she's not to hurry out of the house, because I'm going tooscillate between Prior's Tarrant and a hotel for the present, I shallbe immensely ob
liged to you."
"But you said just now that you were going to take possession."
"I have changed my mind. There are reasons which I cannot explain to youwhy my immediate neighborhood is likely to be dangerous for the present.I should be sorry to subject my fair cousin to any unpleasantness.Though not a word of this to her or anyone else, please."
The cab was drawing up before the ducal mansion, and Forsyth forbore toput into words the astonishment which he looked. As the two men wereabout to ascend the steps to the entrance, a landau, which was beingdriven slowly by, drew to the curb, and a lady who, besides theservants, was the sole occupant, called out:
"Surely you're not going to cut me, Mr. Forsyth. Too proud to know poorlittle me, eh, now that you've taken to calling on dukes?"
A murmur of annoyance escaped Forsyth, but perforce he went to thecarriage and shook the daintily gloved hand held out to him.
"How do you do, Mrs. Talmage Eglinton?" he said, adding the reprovingwhisper, "That _is_ the Duke."
The lady in the landau raised her lorgnettes and calmly surveyed thewaiting nobleman.
"How very interesting!" she purred, adding aloud so that the subject ofher request could not fail to hear, "Why don't you introduce him,instead of keeping him standing there? We Americans are death on dukes,you know."
At a gesture from Forsyth, who tried to convey his disgust by a look,Beaumanoir limped forward, smiling. His misfortunes had made himsomething of a democrat, and he had always been ready to see the comicside of things till tragedy that morning had claimed him for its own. Inmeeting the advances of the agent Jevons in the Bowery saloon he hadbeen largely influenced by the humor of the situation--of the scion of aducal house consenting to "get a bit" by passing forged bonds.
Mrs. Talmage Eglinton, a handsome blonde with an elegant figure and achildish voice, received the Duke with effusion.
"I stopped my carriage to ask Mr. Forsyth to tea on Saturday," sheprattled. "I do hope your Grace will come too. I am staying at theCecil, and shall be delighted to see you."
The unblushing effrontery of the invitation failed to strike Beaumanoirin his sudden horror at the associations called up by it. This frivolousbutterfly of a woman occupied the next suite of rooms to those in whichZiegler was spinning his villainous web--in which that terrible old manhad unfolded to him the details of his treacherous task. Strange, too,that he should be bidden to the mild dissipation of an afternoontea-table in that hotel, of all others, on the very day when he was dueto go there on business so different, for Saturday was the day appointedby Ziegler for his call for "further instructions."
Conscious that the mocking eyes of the lady in the landau were watchinghim with a curious inquiry, he mastered his emotion, and at the sametime came to a decision on the vital issue before him. Probably he wouldhave arrived at the same one without the incentive of avoiding anunpalatable engagement, but Mrs. Talmage Eglinton's invitation to teawas undoubtedly the final influence in setting him on the straight path.
"I am very sorry," he replied, and there was a new dignity in his tone,"but I must ask you to excuse me. I am going down to-morrow to Prior'sTarrant, my place in Hertfordshire, and I shall not be in town onSaturday."
For the fraction of a second the rebuffed hostess seemed taken aback bythe refusal. She flushed slightly under her powder, and the taperfingers twitched on the handle of her sunshade. But without anyappreciable pause she answered gaily:
"That's most unkind of you. Well, what must be must be. Good-bye, yourGrace. Good-bye, Mr. Forsyth; I shall expect you, anyhow. Drive on,Bennett."
The carriage rolled away.
"I am glad you snubbed her," Forsyth exclaimed. "She has been made agood deal of in certain circles during the last month or two, andpresumes a lot on the strength of it."
"Did I snub her?" said the Duke carelessly. "I am sure I didn't mean to,for she deserves better things of me. You'd hardly believe it, Alec, butthat little episode has jerked me into deciding a crucial point--no lessthan whether to be a man or a cur. At the same time it has put me quiteoutside the pale as a resident under the same roof as my cousin. Onsecond thoughts, I will not go in at all, but I shall be obliged if youwill see her and convey the message I gave you--that Beaumanoir House isat her disposal till she can quite conveniently leave it."
"But what are you going to do yourself?" said Forsyth in sheerbewilderment.
"First I shall go to Bond Street, to gladden the hearts of some of myold creditors; then by an evening train to Prior's Tarrant," was thereply. "And, Alec," proceeded the Duke earnestly, "if you can get leavefrom the Foreign Office, pending retirement, and join me there as soonas possible, you will place me under a very deep obligation."