Indeed, indeed I am not! But I must see Mrs. Lecount. You were not aware when you wrote to me that I had received a few lines from Magdalen--not telling me where she is, but holding out the hope of our meeting before long. Perhaps Mrs. Lecount may have something to say to me on this very subject. Even if it should not be so, my sister--do what she may--is still my sister. I can"t desert her; I can"t turn my back on any one who comes to me in her name. You know, dear Mr. Pendril, I have always been obstinate on this subject, and you have always borne with me. Let me owe another obligation to you which I can never return, and bear with me still!
"Need I say that I willingly accept that part of your advice which refers to Miss Garth? I have already written to beg that she will come here at four to-morrow afternoon. When you see Mrs. Lecount, please inform her that Miss Garth will be with me, and that she will find us both ready to receive her here to-morrow at four o"clock. Gratefully yours,
"NORAH VANSTONE."
IX.
_From Mr. de Bleriot to Mrs. Lecount._
"Private.
"Dark"s Buildings, October 28th.
"DEAR MADAM--One of Mr. Los...o...b.."s clerks has proved amenable to a small pecuniary consideration, and has mentioned a circ.u.mstance which it may be of some importance to you to know.
"Nearly a month since, accident gave the clerk in question an opportunity of looking into one of the doc.u.ments on his master"s table, which had attracted his attention from a slight peculiar ity in the form and color of the paper. He had only time, during Mr. Los...o...b.."s momentary absence, to satisfy his curiosity by looking at the beginning of the doc.u.ment and at the end. At the beginning he saw the customary form used in making a will; at the end he discovered the signature of Mr. Noel Vanstone, with the names of two attesting witnesses, and the date (of which he is quite certain)--_the thirtieth of September last._
"Before the clerk had time to make any further investigations, his master returned, sorted the papers on the table, and carefully locked up the will in the strong box devoted to the custody of Mr. Noel Vanstone"s doc.u.ments. It has been ascertained that, at the close of September, Mr. Los...o...b.. was absent from the office. If he was then employed in superintending the execution of his client"s will--which is quite possible--it follows clearly that he was in the secret of Mr. Vanstone"s address after the removal of the 4th of September; and if you can do nothing on your side, it may be desirable to have the lawyer watched on ours. In any case, it is certainly ascertained that Mr. Noel Vanstone has made his will since his marriage. I leave you to draw your own conclusions from that fact, and remain, in the hope of hearing from you shortly,
"Your faithful servant,
"ALFRED DE BLERIOT."
X.
_From Miss Garth to Mr. Pendril._
"Portland Place, October 28th.
"MY DEAR SIR--Mrs. Lecount has just left us. If it was not too late to wish, I should wish, from the bottom of my heart, that Norah had taken your advice, and had refused to see her.
"I write in such distress of mind that I cannot hope to give you a clear and complete account of the interview. I can only tell you briefly what Mrs. Lecount has done, and what our situation now is. The rest must be left until I am more composed, and until I can speak to you personally.
"You will remember my informing you of the letter which Mrs. Lecount addressed to Norah from Aldborough, and which I answered for her in her absence. When Mrs. Lecount made her appearance to-day, her first words announced to us that she had come to renew the subject. As well as I can remember it, this is what she said, addressing herself to Norah:
""I wrote to you on the subject of your sister, Miss Vanstone, some little time since, and Miss Garth was so good as to answer the letter.
What I feared at that time has come true. Your sister has defied all my efforts to check her; she has disappeared in company with my master, Mr.
Noel Vanstone; and she is now in a position of danger which may lead to her disgrace and ruin at a moment"s notice. It is my interest to recover my master, it is your interest to save your sister. Tell me--for time is precious--have you any news of her?"
"Norah answered, as well as her terror and distress would allow her, "I have had a letter, but there was no address on it."
"Mrs. Lecount asked, "Was there no postmark on the envelope?"
"Norah said, "Yes; Allonby."
""Allonby is better than nothing," said Mrs. Lecount. "Allonby may help you to trace her. Where is Allonby?"
"Norah told her. It all pa.s.sed in a minute. I had been too much confused and startled to interfere before, but I composed myself sufficiently to interfere now.
""You have entered into no particulars," I said. "You have only frightened us--you have told us nothing."
""You shall hear the particulars, ma"am," said Mrs. Lecount; "and you and Miss Vanstone shall judge for yourselves if I have frightened you without a cause."
"Upon this, she entered at once upon a long narrative, which I cannot--I might almost say, which I dare not--repeat. You will understand the horror we both felt when I tell you the end. If Mrs. Lecount"s statement is to be relied on, Magdalen has carried her mad resolution of recovering her father"s fortune to the last and most desperate extremity--she has married Michael Vanstone"s son under a false name.
Her husband is at this moment still persuaded that her maiden name was Bygrave, and that she is really the niece of a scoundrel who a.s.sisted her imposture, and whom I recognize, by the description of him, to have been Captain Wragge.
"I spare you Mrs. Lecount"s cool avowal, when she rose to leave us, of her own mercenary motives in wishing to discover her master and to enlighten him. I spare you the hints she dropped of Magdalen"s purpose in contracting this infamous marriage. The one aim and object of my letter is to implore you to a.s.sist me in quieting Norah"s anguish of mind. The shock she has received at hearing this news of her sister is not the worst result of what has happened. She has persuaded herself that the answers she innocently gave, in her distress, to Mrs. Lecount"s questions on the subject of her letter--the answers wrung from her under the sudden pressure of confusion and alarm--may be used to Magdalen"s prejudice by the woman who purposely startled her into giving the information. I can only prevent her from taking some desperate step on her side--some step by which she may forfeit the friendship and protection of the excellent people with whom she is now living--by reminding her that if Mrs. Lecount traces her master by means of the postmark on the letter, we may trace Magdalen at the same time, and by the same means. Whatever objection you may personally feel to renewing the efforts for the rescue of this miserable girl which failed so lamentably at York, I entreat you, for Norah"s sake, to take the same steps now which we took then. Send me the only a.s.surance which will quiet her--the a.s.surance, under your own hand, that the search on our side has begun. If you will do this, you may trust me, when the time comes, to stand between these two sisters, and to defend Norah"s peace, character, and future prosperity at any price.
"Most sincerely yours,
"HARRIET GARTH."
XI.
_From Mrs. Lecount to Mr. de Bleriot._
"October 28th.
"DEAR SIR--I have found the trace you wanted. Mrs. Noel Vanstone has written to her sister. The letter contains no address, but the postmark is Allonby, in c.u.mberland. From Allonby, therefore, the inquiries must begin. You have already in your possession the personal description of both husband and wife. I urgently recommend you not to lose one unnecessary moment. If it is possible to send to c.u.mberland immediately on receipt of this letter, I beg you will do so.
"I have another word to say before I close my note--a word about the discovery in Mr. Los...o...b.."s office.
"It is no surprise to me to hear that Mr. Noel Vanstone has made his will since his marriage, and I am at no loss to guess in whose favor the will is made. If I succeed in finding my master, let that person get the money if that person can. A course to follow in this matter has presented itself to my mind since I received your letter, but my ignorance of details of business and intricacies of law leaves me still uncertain whether my idea is capable of ready and certain execution.
I know no professional person whom I can trust in this delicate and dangerous business. Is your large experience in other matters large enough to help me in this? I will call at your office to-morrow at two o"clock, for the purpose of consulting you on the subject. It is of the greatest importance, when I next see Mr. Noel Vanstone, that he should find me thoroughly prepared beforehand in this matter of the will. Your much obliged servant,
"VIRGINIE LECOUNT."
XII.
_From Mr. Pendril to Miss Garth._
"Serle Street, October 29th.
"DEAR MISS GARTH--I have only a moment to a.s.sure you of the sorrow with which I have read your letter. The circ.u.mstances under which you urge your request, and the reasons you give for making it, are sufficient to silence any objection I might otherwise feel to the course you propose.
A trustworthy person, whom I have myself instructed, will start for Allonby to-day, and as soon as I receive any news from him, you shall hear of it by special messenger. Tell Miss Vanstone this, and pray add the sincere expression of my sympathy and regard.
"Faithfully yours,
"WILLIAM PENDRIL."
XIII.
_From Mr. de Bleriot to Mrs. Lecount._