CHAPTER XXIII.
[_Colonel Annesley again._]
I had no reason to complain of the course of events culminating in theaffair at Culoz. I defended to myself the assault upon Lord Blackadderas in a measure provoked and justifiable under the circumstances,although I was really sorry for him and at the poor figure he cutbefore the police magistrate and gendarmes. But I could not forget thepart he had played throughout, nor was I at all disposed to turn asidefrom my set purpose to help the ladies in their distress. Every man ofproper feeling would be moved thereto, and I knew in my secret heartthat very tender motives impelled me to the unstinting championship ofLady Claire.
I was still without definite news of what had happened between the twosisters while I was covering their movements at Culoz. I could notknow for certain whether or not the exchange had actually beeneffected, and I did not dare inquire about the station, for it mightbetray facts and endanger results. I had no hope of a message fromLady Henriette, for she would hardly know where to address me. LadyClaire would almost certainly telegraph to me via London at the veryearliest opportunity, and I was careful to wire from Culoz to the hallporter of my club, begging him to send on everything without amoment's delay.
Then, while still in the dark, I set myself like a prudent general todiscover what the enemy was doing. He was here in Aix in the personsof Lord Blackadder and his two devoted henchmen, Falfani and Tiler. Ihad heard the appointment he had given them at the Hotel Hautecombe,and I cast about me to consider how I might gain some inkling of theirintentions. Luckily I had desired l'Echelle, the sleeping-carconductor, to stick to me on leaving the police office, and I put itto him whether or not he was willing to enter my service.
"I will take you on entirely," I promised, "if you choose to leaveyour present employment. You shall be my own man, my valet andpersonal attendant. It is likely that I may wander about theContinent for some time, and it may suit you to come with me."
He seemed pleased at the idea, and we quickly agreed as to terms.
"Now, l'Echelle," I went on, "after last night I think I may trust youto do what I want, and I promise you I won't forget it. Find out whatthe other side is at, and contrive somehow to become acquainted withLord Blackadder's plans."
"How far may I go?" he asked me plump. "They are pretty sure to tryand win me over, they've done so already. Shall I accept their bid? Itwould be the easiest way to know all you want."
"It's devilish underhand," I protested.
"You'll be paying them back in their own coin," he returned. "_Acorsaire fieffe corsaire et demi._ It will be to my advantage, and youwon't lose."
"Upon my soul, I don't quite like it." I still hung back, but hisarguments seemed so plausible that they overcame my scruples, and Iwas not sorry for it in the long run.
[_The reader has already been told how Falfani craftily approachedl'Echelle, and found him, as he thought, an easy prey. We know howthe communication was kept up between the two camps, how Falfani wasfooled into believing that he kept close watch over Colonel Annesleythrough l'Echelle, how the latter told his real master the true newsof the progress made by Tiler. When there could be little doubt thatthe chase was growing warm and had gone as far as Lyons, the Colonelfelt that there was danger and that he must take more active steps todivert the pursuit and mislead the pursuers. The Colonel shallcontinue in his own words._]
I was much disturbed when I learnt that Tiler had wired from Lyons. Isaw clearly what it meant. The next message would disclose thewhereabouts of the Lady Claire, at that time the only lady, as theythought, in the case, and the lady with the real child. It would soonbe impossible for me to make use of the second with the sham child todraw the pursuers after her. In this it must be understood that,although I had no certainty of it, I took it for granted that thelittle Lord Aspdale was with his aunt and not with his mother, who, asI sincerely believed, had already reached Fuentellato.
It was essential now to persuade my Lord Blackadder and his peoplethat this was the case, and induce them to embark upon a hastyexpedition into Italy.
I therefore concocted a cunning plan with l'Echelle for leading themastray. It was easy enough to arrange for the despatch of a telegramfrom Milan to me at Aix, a despatch to be handed in at the formerplace by a friend of l'Echelle's, but purporting to come from LadyClaire. My man had any number of acquaintances in the railway service,one or more passed daily through Aix with the express trains goingeast or west; and with the payment of a substantial douceur the trickwas done.
The spurious message reached me in Aix early on the third morning, andthe second act in the fraud was that l'Echelle should allow Falfani tosee the telegram. He carried out the deception with consummate skill,pretending to pick my pocket of the telegram, which he then put underFalfani's eyes. The third act was to be my immediate exit from Aix. Imade no secret of this, very much the reverse. Notice was given at thehotel bureau to prepare my bill, and insert my name on the list ofdepartures by the afternoon express, the 1.41 P.M. for Modane andItaly. It was quite certain that I should not be allowed to go offalone.
And suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, came a complete change in thesituation. Not long after I had consumed my morning _cafe au lait_ androlls, the conventional _petit dejeuner_ of French custom, a letterwas brought to my bedside, where, again according to rule, I wasresting after my bath.
I expected no letters, no one except the porter of my London club knewmy present address, and the interval was too short since my telegramto him to allow of letters reaching me in the ordinary course of thepost.
I turned over the strange missive, the address in a lady's hand quiteunknown to me, examining it closely, as one does when mystified,guessing vainly at a solution instead of settling it by instantlybreaking the seal.
When at last I opened it my eye went first to the signature. To myutter amazement I read the name, "Henriette Standish." It was datedfrom the Hotel de Modena, Aix-les-Bains, a small private hotel quitein the suburbs in the direction of the Grand Port, and it ran asfollows:
"DEAR COLONEL ANNESLEY:--I have only just seen in the_Gazette des Etrangers_ that you are staying in Aix. I also am here,having been unable to proceed on my journey as I intended aftermeeting my sister at Culoz. I thought of remaining here a few dayslonger, but I have also read Lord Blackadder's name in the list.
"What is to be done? I am horribly frightened, and greatly vexed withmyself for having put myself in this painful and most embarrassingposition.
"May I venture to ask your counsel and help? I beg and entreat youwill come to me as soon as possible after receipt of this. Ask forMrs. Blair. Although I have never had the pleasure of meeting you,your extreme kindness to Claire emboldens me to make this appeal toyou. I shall be at home all the morning. Indeed, I have hardly leftthe house yet, and certainly shall not do so now that I know _he_ ishere.
"Always very gratefully and sincerely yours,
"HENRIETTE STANDISH."
Here was a pretty kettle of fish! Lady Blackadder in Aix! Was thereever such a broken reed of a woman? Already she had spoilt hersister's nice combinations by turning back from Amberieu when the roadto safety with her darling child lay open to her. Now for the secondtime she was putting our plans in jeopardy. How could I hope to lureher pursuers away to a distance when she was here actually on thespot, and might be run into at any moment? For the present all mymovements were in abeyance. I had reason to fear--how much reason Idid not even then realize--they would be interfered with, and that aterrible collapse threatened us.
I dressed hurriedly and walked down to the Hotel Modena, where I wasinstantly received. "Mrs. Blair" had given orders that I should beadmitted the moment I appeared. I had had one glimpse of this tall,graceful creature, who so exactly reproduced the beautiful traits ofher twin sister that she might indeed at a distance be taken for herdouble. There was the same proud carriage of her head, the same lithefigure, even her musical voice when she greeted me with shy cordialitymight have been the voice of Lady Claire
.
But the moment I looked into her face I saw a very distinctdifference, not in outward feature, but in the inward character thatis revealed by the eyes, the lines of the mouth, the shape of thelower jaw. In Lady Claire the first were steady and spoke of highcourage, of firm, fixed purpose; the mouth, as perfectly curved asCupid's bow, was resolute and determined, the well-shaped, roundedchin was held erect, and might easily become defiant, even aggressive.
Lady Henriette was evidently cast in another mould. Her eyes, of thesame violet blue, were pretty, pleading, soft in expression, but oftendowncast and deprecating; the mouth and chin were weak and irresolute.It was the same lovely face as Lady Claire's, and to some might seemthe sweeter, indicating the tender, clinging, yielding nature thatcommonly appeals to the stronger sex; but to me she lost in everyrespect by comparison with her more energetic, self-reliant sister.
I heard the explanation, such as it was, without the smallestsurprise; it was very much what I expected now when I was permitted toknow and appreciate her better.
"What shall I say, Colonel Annesley, and what will you think of me?"she began plaintively, almost piteously. "But the moment I found Ihad to part with my child my courage broke down. I became incapable ofdoing anything. I seemed quite paralyzed. I am not brave, you know,like my dearest Claire, or strong-minded, and I quite collapsed."
"But I hope and trust you have made the exchange. Lady Claire haslittle Lord Aspdale and has left you the dummy? Tell me, I beg."
"Oh, yes, yes, we made the exchange," she replied, in such afaltering, undecided voice that I doubted, and yet could not bringmyself to believe that she was not telling the truth.
"So much depends upon it, you see. Everything indeed. It would be avery serious matter if--if--"
"The contrary was the case," I wanted to say, yet how could I? Ishould be charging her directly with wilfully misleading me, anddeceiving me in this moment of extreme peril.
"But what will happen now?" she said, her voice faltering, her eyesfilling, and seemingly on the very verge of hysterics. "What ifBlackadder should find that I am here, and--and--"
"He can do nothing to you unless he has a right to act, unless," Ianswered unhesitatingly and a little cruelly perhaps, regardless ofthe scared look in her face, "you have good reason to dread hisinterference. Lady Henriette, you have not been quite straight withme, I fear. Where is little Lord Aspdale?"
"In there!" she pointed to an inner room, and burst intouncontrollable tears.