In his fine tenor voice he sang, at her request, Tosti"s "Good-bye."
That was his farewell to Sylvia Jackson.
The following morning Mr. Jackson failed to appear at business. This was an almost unprecedented event, and caused quite a flutter of excitement in the office; but it was not until the afternoon that Desmond learned the reason. He was summoned into the Chief"s office to find Mr.
Jackson, grey-faced and worn, a broken man.
"I have ill news, my boy," he said very kindly to Desmond. "Sylvia has run away with Custance."
Desmond made no reply. Suddenly the world had altered for him; he had pa.s.sed out of the light into an impenetrable blackness. He sat with his head bent down, changed in a moment from a light-hearted boy to a despairing man.
"I want you to come home and fill the place that she had. Mrs. Jackson and I love you, and we need a child." Mr. Jackson continued.
"I can"t do it," cried Desmond. "I should be thinking of her all the time. I have lost all faith."
And so the world believed; for Desmond O"Connor, while he eschewed the coa.r.s.er vices and worked relentlessly, renounced for a period the religion that his father"s life should have made dear to him, and went on his way a professed disbeliever.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE VIRTUE OF GREY TOWN.
The City Fathers who governed the munic.i.p.ality of Grey Town were not unlike the councillors in other towns and cities. They laid no claim to a pre-eminence in wisdom, professing to be merely ordinary men of business, of sound common sense, and strictly honest for the greater part.
Councillor Garnett was perhaps the single exception to this rule of honesty. The other councillors worked from a sense of duty, possibly urged by a worthy ambition. Councillor Garnett occasionally dipped his hand in the munic.i.p.al purse, and brought from it as many golden guineas as he could clutch. Yet he had led the Council for many years, and was still regarded by the Conservative element as a worthy leader. In all probability he would have continued to rule the civic affairs of Grey Town had not Denis Quirk come to the town to turn things upside down and sweep away certain munic.i.p.al cobwebs.
The question as to the purchase of a block of land in the town for the erection of Council stables and cart houses was made a test question by both parties as to who should control the future destinies of Grey Town.
It had already been decided to erect the necessary buildings. Councillor Garnett had then moved that a certain vacant section in one of the streets should be purchased, when Denis Quirk rose to his feet.
Immediately there was a certain electrical excitement in the Council Chambers, that was reflected in the alert faces of the councillors. They sat attentively with expectant ears as he began to speak.
"Sir," he said, "I am here to oppose anything that approaches munic.i.p.al corruption."
"I object to that word," growled Garnett.
"You object to the word and I object to the deed," Denis replied, quietly. "We are not here to line our own pockets, or, if we are here for that purpose, we are in the wrong place. Our purpose should be to act as watch-dogs for the ratepayers, to guard their interests. What if the dogs start to worry the sheep? I accuse Councillor Garnett in this matter of abusing his position as a councillor. I accuse him of disingenuousness that borders on fraud."
"Oh, come, come," said an elderly councillor, who was constantly scandalised by Denis Quirk"s want of munic.i.p.al decorum. "Fraud is an unpleasant word."
"Undoubtedly," Denis continued. "But it amounts to that. Councillor Garnett is directly interested in the land that he is urging the Council to purchase at a false price."
The words were spoken quietly, and with a certain deliberation that was impressive.
"That is a lie!" cried Councillor Garnett, now aroused to fury.
"Order! Order!" cried the Mayor. "I ask Councillor Garnett to withdraw that word."
"Let Councillor Quirk withdraw his accusation first," suggested another councillor.
"I intend to prove it," answered Denis. "Will Councillor Garnett tell me who is George Haynes?"
"How should I know?" replied Councillor Garnett, doggedly thrusting his hands in his trousers pockets and tilting his chair backwards.
"Who should know better than you? George Haynes is a dummy, a former clerk in your office, who has been made to appear the owner of this land to cover you in this transaction. I have the copy of a deed here that directly proves my statement."
"How did you obtain it?" asked Garnett, when someone plucked his sleeve and thrust a paper in to his hands.
"Turn the tables on him. Ask him why he left Goldenvale; has he been divorced; and what about the funds of the Goldenvale Investment Society which he was accused of embezzling?" he read; but, when he turned to see the messenger, the latter had vanished.
"Never mind how I obtained it. May I read it?" Denis asked the Mayor.
"One minute first. Let us have the credentials of this reformer before we listen to his accusation. I refuse to be judged by a dissolute ruffian, a divorced man and one accused of embezzling the funds of an investment society. Why did Councillor Quirk leave Goldenvale?" cried Councillor Garnett, triumphantly.
This accusation came as a thunderbolt to the Council, when those who were friendly to Garnett were pondering how they should act in view of Denis Quirk"s charges; and those who stood opposed to Garnett were rejoicing in his discomfort. To the former his counter charges came as a relief; to the latter they brought doubt and consternation. Only one man seemed perfectly composed and he was the person accused.
"My past history does not concern the Council if I can prove my present statement," he said very quietly.
"It concerns the Council vitally. How can we believe a man with your reputation?" asked Garnett.
"The latter part of that charge is false."
Again a paper was thrust into Garnett"s hand. This time Denis Quirk noted the action, and the face of Gerard, the messenger. He smiled grimly.
Garnett glanced at the paper and read the heading.
"Quirk in Court. Accused of misappropriating the funds of the Investment Society. Case part heard."
"Does Councillor Quirk know this paper?" he asked. "The "Goldenvale Investigator?""
"I used to know it. It was a rival of my own paper, "The Firebrand," and a most unscrupulous paper."
"Perhaps you remember this?"
Garnett handed the paper across the table to Denis.
Denis read the heading aloud to the Council, ending with the last lines: "Case part heard."
"Have you the next issue of this rag?" he asked. "If so, you will find that the result of this case was a complete vindication. I was triumphantly acquitted. A month later you will find an abject apology from "The Investigator." This was a trumped-up affair, the work of my enemies. To-morrow I shall publish the full details in "The Mercury.""
But the Council were determined that he should no longer be heard. When he asked again:
"May I read this doc.u.ment?" the Mayor replied:
"I do not think it is in order."
"I intend to read it," cried Denis.