"Are you sure you saw that person come in here?" they heard a voice ask--Jack"s voice.
"I"m certain." The voice that answered was Mary"s.
"I"ll bet it was a sneak thief," said a third voice--Mr. Pyecroft"s.
"To slip into a house at a funeral, or a wedding, when a lot of people are coming and going--that"s one of their oldest tricks." He turned the k.n.o.b, and finding the door locked, shook it violently. "Open up, in there!" he called.
The three clung to one another for support.
"Better open up!" called a fourth voice--Judge Harvey"s. "For we know you"re in there!"
Breathless, the trembling conspirators clung yet more desperately.
"But how could she get in?" queried the excited voice of Mary. "I understood that Mrs. De Peyster locked the door before she went away."
"Skeleton key," was Mr. Pyecroft"s brief explanation. "Mrs. De Peyster, we three will watch the door to see she doesn"t get out--there may have been more than one of her. You go and telephone for a locksmith and the police."
"All right," said Mary.
"It"s--it"s all over!" breathed Mrs. De Peyster.
"Oh, oh! What shall we ever do?" wailed Olivetta, collapsing into a chair.
"The police!--she mustn"t go!" gasped Mrs. De Peyster. "Open the door, Matilda, quick!" Then in a weak, quavering voice she called to her besiegers:--
"Wait!"
After which she wilted away into the nearest chair--which chanced to be directly beneath the awesome, unbending, blue-blue-blooded Mrs.
De Peyster of the golden frame, whose proud composure it was beyond things mortal to disturb.
CHAPTER XXII
A FAMILY REUNION
Matilda"s shaking hand unlocked the door. Jack lunged in, behind him Mr. Pyecroft and Judge Harvey, and behind them Mary. On Jack"s face was a look of menacing justice. But at sight of the trembling turnkey the invading party suddenly halted, and Jack"s stern jaw relaxed and almost dropped from its sockets.
"Matilda!" he exclaimed. And from behind him, like a triplicate echo, sounded the others" "Matilda!"
"Good--good-morning, Mr. Jack," quavered Matilda, locking the door again.
Then the four sighted Olivetta.
"What, you, Olivetta!" Jack and Judge Harvey cried in unison.
"Yes, it"s I, Jack," she said with an hysterical laugh. "I just thought I"d call in to express--it"s no more than is proper, my being her cousin, you know,--to express my sympathy to your mother."
"Your sympathy to my mother?"
"Yes. To--to tell her how--how sorry I am that she"s dead," elucidated Olivetta.
A little hand gripped Jack"s arm.
"Jack!"
He turned his head and his eyes followed Mary"s pointing finger.
"Mother!" He walked amazedly up before Mrs. De Peyster"s palsied figure. "Mother!"
In the same instant Judge Harvey was beside her.
"Caroline!" he breathed, like one seeing a ghost.
"Ye-yes," she mumbled.
"Then you"re not dead?"
"N-no," she mumbled.
The Judge and Jack and Mary gazed down at her in uttermost astoundment. To them was added Mr. Pyecroft. His bewilderment, for the moment, was the greatest of the group; for the likeness between the black-garbed, fled Angelica, and this real Mrs. De Peyster in lavender dressing-gown, was more remarkable than he had ever dreamed.
"Thank G.o.d!" quavered Judge Harvey. And then, voicing the general amazement: "But--but--I don"t understand! What has happened? How do you come here?"
Mrs. De Peyster, with a shivering glance at them all, and one of particular terror at her recent confederate, Mr. Pyecroft, made a last rally to save herself.
"My explanation--that is, all I know about this affair--is really very simple. I--you see--I very unexpectedly returned home--and--and discovered this--this situation. That is all." She gathered a little more courage. "I do not need to inform you that I have been away."
"Of course, we know you"ve been away!" said Jack. "But that Mrs. De Peyster at the pier--who is she?"
"She"s nothing--but a base--impostor!" cried Olivetta indignantly, lifting her face for a moment from her woe-soaked handkerchief. "Don"t you believe a word she says!"
"But we"re all ready for the ceremony!" exclaimed Jack. "There are a dozen reporters downstairs, and no end of friends are coming from out of town to be present. And that person, whoever she is, will be here--"
"I tell you she"s an impostor!" cried Olivetta frantically. "Don"t you let her in!"
"Caroline, I can"t tell you how--" Judge Harvey"s voice, tremulous with relief at this unbelievably averted tragedy, broke off. "But what are we going to do?" he cried.
"Yes, what are we going to do?" echoed Mary.
Concern over this new, swiftly approaching crisis for a moment took precedence of all other emotions. Judge Harvey and Mary and Jack gazed at each other, bewildered, helpless. Something had to be done, quick--but what?
"I tell you, don"t let that impostor in!" repeated the frantic Olivetta.
The three continued their interchange of helpless gaze.
"Pardon me if I seem to intrude," spoke up the even voice of Mr.
Pyecroft.