"Necessity knows no law. Are you better?"
"Yes; I am all right. But you are brutal, Noel."
"I wouldn"t have been brutal to a weaker woman," he answered. "And by acting as I have done, I show how much I think of you."
"Rather a strange way of showing approval. But your drastic methods have triumphed. I am quite composed, and shall tell you of our disgrace in as unemotional a manner as if I were reckoning pounds, shillings and pence."
"Disgrace?" Lambert fastened on the one word anxiously. "To us?"
"To Garvington in the first place. But sit down and listen. I shall tell you everything, from the moment Clara came to see me."
Lambert nodded and resumed his seat. Agnes, with wonderful coolness, detailed Miss Greeby"s visit and production of the letter. Thence she pa.s.sed on to explain how she had tricked Garvington into confession.
"But he did not confess," interrupted Lambert at this point.
"Not at the moment. He did yesterday in a letter to me. You see, he left my house immediately and slept at his club. Then he went down to The Manor and sent for Jane, who, by the way, knows nothing of what I have explained. Here are two letters," added Agnes, taking an envelope out of her pocket. "One is the forged one, and the other came from Garvington yesterday. Even though he is not imitating my writing, you can see every now and then the similarity. Perhaps there is a family resemblance in our caligraphy." Her cousin examined the two epistles with a rather scared look, for there was no doubt that things looked black against the head of the family. However, he did not read Garvington"s letter, but asked Agnes to explain. "What excuse does he make for forging your name?" asked Lambert in a business-like way, for there was no need to rage over such a worm as Freddy.
"A very weak one," she replied. "So weak that I scarcely believe him to be in earnest. Besides, Freddy always was a liar. He declares that when he went to see about getting the gypsies turned off the land, he caught sight of Hubert. He did not speak to him, but learned the truth from Mr. Silver, whom he forced to speak. Then he wrote the letter and let it purposely fall into Mr. Silver"s hands, and by Mr. Silver it was pa.s.sed on to Hubert. Freddy writes that he only wanted to hurt Hubert so that he might be laid up in bed at The Manor. When he was weak--Hubert, I mean--Freddy then intended to get all the money he could out of him."
"He did not wish to kill Pine, then?"
"No. And all the evidence goes to show that he only broke Hubert"s arm."
"That is true," murmured Lambert thoughtfully, "for the evidence of the other guests and of the servants showed plainly at the inquest that the second shot was fired outside while Garvington was indoors."
Agnes nodded. "Yes; it really seems as though Freddy for once in his life is telling the exact truth."
Her cousin glanced at Garvington"s lengthy letter of explanation. "Do you really believe that he hoped to manage Pine during the illness?"
"Well," said Agnes reluctantly, "Freddy has tremendous faith in his powers of persuasion. Hubert would do nothing more for him since he was such a cormorant for money. But if Hubert had been laid up with a broken arm, it is just possible that he might have been worried into doing what Freddy wanted, if only to get rid of his importunity."
"Hum! It sounds weak. Garvington certainly winged Pine, so that seems to corroborate the statement in this letter. He"s such a good shot that he could easily have killed Pine if he wanted to."
"Then you don"t think that Freddy is responsible for the death?"
inquired Agnes with a look of relief.
Lambert appeared worried. "I think not, dear. He lured Hubert into his own private trap so as to get him laid up and extort money.
Unfortunately, another person, aware of the trap, waited outside and killed your poor husband."
"According to what Freddy says, Mr. Silver knew of the trap, since he delivered the letter to Hubert. And Mr. Silver knew that Freddy had threatened to shoot any possible burglar. It seems to me," ended Agnes deliberately, "that Mr. Silver is guilty."
"But why should he shoot Pine, to whom he owed so much?"
"I can"t say."
"And, remember, Silver was inside the house."
"Yes," a.s.sented Lady Agnes, in dismay. "That is true. It is a great puzzle, Noel. However, I am not trying to solve it. Clara says that Mr.
Silver will hold his tongue, and certainly as the letter is now in my possession he cannot bring forward any evidence to show that I am inculpated in the matter. I think the best thing to do is to let Freddy and Mr. Silver fight out the matter between them, while we are on our honeymoon."
Lambert started. "Agnes! What do you mean?"
She grew impatient. "Oh, what is the use of asking what I mean when you know quite well, Noel? Hubert insulted me in his will, and cast a slur on my character by forbidding me to marry you. Freddy--although he did not fire the second shot--certainly lured Hubert to his death by forging that letter. I don"t intend to consider my husband"s memory any more, nor my brother"s position. I shall never speak to him again if I can help it, as he is a wicked little animal. I have sacrificed myself sufficiently, and now I intend to take my own way. Let the millions go, and let Freddy be ruined, if only to punish him for his wickedness."
"But, dear, how can I ask you to share my poverty?" said Lambert, greatly distressed. "I have only five hundred a year, and you have been accustomed to such luxury."
"I have another five hundred a year of my own," said Agnes obstinately, "which Hubert settled on me for pin money. He refused to make any other settlements. I have a right to that money, since I sacrificed so much, and I shall keep it. Surely we can live on one thousand a year."
"In England?" inquired Lambert doubtfully. "And after you have led such a luxurious life?"
"No," she said quickly. "I mean in the Colonies. Let us go to Australia, or Canada, or South Africa, I don"t care which, and cut ourselves off from the past. We have suffered enough; let us now think of ourselves."
"But are we not selfish to let the family name be disgraced?"
"Freddy is selfish, and will disgrace it in any case," said Agnes, with a contemptuous shrug. "What"s the use of pulling him out of the mud, when he will only sink back into it again? No, Noel, if you love me you will marry me within the week."
"But it"s so sudden, dear," he urged, more and more distressed. "Take time to consider. How can I rob you of millions?"
"You won"t rob me. If you refuse, I shall make over the money to some charity, and live on my five hundred a year. Remember, Noel, what people think of me: that I married Hubert to get his money and to become your wife when he died, so that we could live on his wealth. We can only prove that belief to be false by surrendering the millions and marrying as paupers."
"You may be right, and yet--"
"And yet, and yet--oh," she cried, wounded, "you don"t love me."
The man did not answer, but stood looking at her with all his soul in his eyes, and shaking from head to foot. Never before had she looked so desirable, and never before had he felt the tides of love surge to so high a Water-mark. "Love you!" he said in a hoa.r.s.e voice. "Agnes, I would give my soul for you."
"Then give it." She wreathed her arms round his neck and whispered with her warm lips close to his ear, "Give me all of you."
"But two millions--"
"You are worth it."
"Darling, you will repent."
"Repent!" She pressed him closer to her. "Repent that I exchange a lonely life for companionship with you? Oh, my dear, how can you think so? I am sick of money and sick of loneliness. I want you, you, you!
Noel, Noel, it is your part to woo, and here am I making all the love."
"It is such a serious step for you to take."
"It is the only step that I can take. I am known as a mercenary woman, and until we marry and give up the money, everybody will think scornfully of me. Besides, Freddy must be punished, and in no other way can I make him suffer so much as by depriving him of the wealth he sinned to obtain."
"Yes. There is that view, certainly. And," Lambert gasped, "I love you--oh, never doubt that, my darling."
"I shall," she whispered ardently, "unless you get a special license and marry me straightaway."
"But Garvington and Silver--"
"And Clara Greeby and Chaldea, who both love you," she mocked. "Let them all fight out their troubles alone. I have had enough suffering; so have you. So there"s no more to be said. Now, sir," she added playfully, "wilt thou take this woman to be thy wedded wife?"