"Pine a gypsy," muttered Lambert, and the memory of that dark, lean, Eastern face impressed him with the belief that what the girl said was true.
"Avali. A true son of the road. He is here."
"Here?" Lambert started violently. "What do you mean?"
"I say what I mean, rye. He you call Pine is in our camp enjoying the old life. Shall I bring him to you?" she inquired demurely.
In a flash Lambert saw his danger, and the danger of Agnes, seeing that the millionaire was as jealous as Oth.e.l.lo. However, it seemed to him that honesty was the best policy at the moment. "I shall see him myself later," he declared after a pause. "If you listened, you must know that there is no reason why I should not see him. His wife is my cousin, and paid me a friendly visit--that is all."
"Yes; that is all," mocked the girl contemptuously. "But if I tell him--"
"Tell him what?"
"That you love his romi!"
"He knows that," said Lambert quietly. "And knows also that I am an honorable man. See here, Chaldea, you are dangerous, because this silly love of yours has warped your common sense. You can make a lot of mischief if you so choose, I know well."
"And I _shall_ choose, my golden rye, if you love me not."
"Then set about it at once," said Lambert boldly. "It is best to be honest, my girl. I have done nothing wrong, and I don"t intend to do anything wrong, so you can say what you like. To-night I shall go to London, and if Pine, or Hearne, or whatever you call him, wants me, he knows my town address."
"You defy me?" panted Chaldea, her breast rising and falling quickly.
"Yes; truth must prevail in the end. I make no bargain with a spy," and he gave her a contemptuous look, as he strode into the cottage and shut the door with an emphatic bang.
"Hai!" muttered the gypsy between her teeth. "Hatch till the dood wells apre," which means: "Wait until the moon rises!" an ominous saying for Lambert.
CHAPTER VII.
THE SECRETARY.
"Was ever a man in so uncomfortable a position?"
Lambert asked himself this question as soon as he was safe in his studio, and he found it a difficult one to answer. It was true that what he had said to Agnes, and what Agnes had said to him, was perfectly honest and extremely honorable, considering the state of their feelings.
But the conversation had been overheard by an unscrupulous woman, whose jealousy would probably twist innocence into guilt. It was certain that she would go to Pine and give him a garbled version of what had taken place, in which case the danger was great, both to himself and to Agnes.
Lambert had spoken bravely enough to the marplot, knowing that he had done no wrong, but now he was by no means sure that he had acted rightly. Perhaps it would have been better to temporize but that would have meant a surrender young to Chaldea"s unmaidenly wooing. And, as the man had not a spark of love for her in a heart given entirely to another woman, he was unwilling even to feign playing the part of a lover.
On reflection he still held to his resolution to go to London, thinking that it would be best for him to be out of reach of Agnes while Pine was in the neighborhood. The news that the millionaire was a gypsy had astonished him at first; but now that he considered the man"s dark coloring and un-English looks, he quite believed that what Chaldea said was true. And he could understand also that Pine--or Hearne, since that was his true name--would occasionally wish to breathe the free air of heath and road since he had been cradled under a tent, and must at times feel strongly the longing for the old lawless life. But why should he revert to his beginnings so near to his brother-in-law"s house, where his wife was staying? "Unless he came to keep an eye on her," murmured Lambert, and unconsciously hit on the very reason of the pseudo-gypsy"s presence at Garvington.
After all, it would be best to go to London for a time to wait until he saw what Chaldea would do. Then he could meet Pine and have an understanding with him. The very fact that Pine was a Romany, and was on his native heath, appealed to Lambert as a reason why he should not seek out the man immediately, as he almost felt inclined to do, in order to forestall Chaldea"s story. As Hearne, the millionaire"s wild instincts would be uppermost, and he would probably not listen to reason, whereas if the meeting took place in London, Pine would resume to a certain extent his veneer of civilization and would be more willing to do justice.
"Yes," decided Lambert, rising and stretching himself. "I shall go to London and wait to turn over matters in my own mind. I shall say nothing to Agnes until I know what is best to be done about Chaldea. Meanwhile, I shall see the girl and get her to hold her tongue for a time--d.a.m.n!"
He frowned. "It"s making the best of a dangerous situation, but I don"t see my way to a proper adjustment yet. The most necessary thing is to gain time."
With this in his mind he hastily packed a gladstone bag, changed into tweeds, and told Mrs. Tribb that he was going to London for a day or so.
"I shall get a trap at the inn and drive to the station," he said, as he halted at the door. "You will receive a wire saying when I shall return," and leaving the dry little woman, open-mouthed at this sudden departure, the young man hastened away.
Instead of going straight to the village, he took a roundabout road to the camp on the verge of Abbot"s Wood. Here he found the vagrants in a state of great excitement, as Lord Garvington had that afternoon sent notice by a gamekeeper that they were to leave his land the next day.
Taken up with his own private troubles, Lambert did not pay much attention to those of the tribe, and looked about for Chaldea. He finally saw her sitting by one of the fires, in a dejected att.i.tude, and touched her on the shoulder. At once, like a disturbed animal, she leaped to her feet.
"The rye!" said Chaldea, with a gasp, and a hopeful look on her face.
"Give me three days before you say anything to Pine," said Lambert in a low voice, and a furtive look round. "You understand."
"No," said the girl boldly. "Unless you mean--"
"Never mind what I mean," interrupted the man hastily, for he was determined not to commit himself. "Will you hold your tongue for three days?"
Chaldea looked hard at his face, upon which the red firelight played brightly, but could not read what was in his mind. However, she thought that the request showed a sign of yielding, and was a mute confession that he knew he was in her power. "I give you three days," she murmured.
"But--"
"I have your promise then, so good-bye," interrupted Lambert abruptly, and walked away hastily in the direction of Garvington village. His mind was more or less of a chaos, but at all events he had gained time to reduce the chaos to some sort of order. Still as yet he could not see the outcome of the situation and departed swiftly in order to think it over.
Chaldea made a step or two, as if to follow, but a reflection that she could do no good by talking at the moment, and a certainty that she held him in the hollow of her hand, made her pause. With a hitch of her shapely shoulders she resumed her seat by the fire, brooding sombrely on the way in which this Gentile had rejected her love. Bending her black brows and showing her white teeth like an irritated dog, she inwardly cursed herself for cherishing so foolish a love. Nevertheless, she did not try to overcome it, but resolved to force the Gorgio to her feet.
Then she could spurn him if she had a mind to, as he had spurned her.
But she well knew, and confessed it to herself with a sigh, that there would be no spurning on her part, since her wayward love was stronger than her pride.
"Did the Gentile bring the gold, my sister?" asked a harsh voice, and she raised her head to see Kara"s hairy face bent to her ear.
"No, brother. He goes to Lundra to get the gold. Did I not play my fish in fine style?"
"I took it for truth, sister!" said Kara, looking at her searchingly.
Chaldea nodded wearily. "I am a great witch, as you can see."
"You will be my romi when the gold c.h.i.n.ks in our pockets?"
"Yes, for certain, brother. It"s a true fortune!"
"Before our camp is changed, sister?" persisted the man greedily.
"No; for to-morrow we may take the road, since the great lord orders us off his land. And yet--" Chaldea stood up, suddenly recollecting what had been said by Pine"s wife. "Why should we leave?"
"The rabbit can"t kick dust in the fox"s face, sister," said Kara, meaning that Garvington was too strong for the gypsies.
"There are rabbits and rabbits," said Chaldea sententiously. "Where is Hearne, brother?"
"In Gentilla"s tent with a Gorgious gentleman. He"s trading a horse with the swell rye, and wants no meddling with his time, sister."
"I meddle now," snapped Chaldea, and walked away in her usual free and graceful manner. Kara shrugged his shoulders and then took refuge in talking to his violin, to which he related his doubts of the girl"s truth. And he smiled grimly, as he thought of the recovered knife which was again snugly hidden under his weather-worn green coat.
Chaldea, who did not stand on ceremony, walked to the end of the camp without paying any attention to the excited gypsies, and flung back the flap of the old woman"s tent. Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l was not within, as she had given the use of her abode to Pine and his visitor. This latter was a small, neat man with a smooth, boyish face and reddish hair. He had the innocent expression of a fox-terrier, and rather resembled one. He was neatly and inoffensively dressed in blue serge, and although he did not look exactly like a gentleman, he would have pa.s.sed for one in a crowd. When Chaldea made her abrupt entrance he was talking volubly to Pine, and the millionaire addressed him--when he answered--as Silver.
Chaldea, remembering the conversation she had overheard between Pine and Miss Greeby, speedily reached the conclusion that the neat little man was the secretary referred to therein. Probably he had come to report about Lady Agnes.