"I"m not bothering about who fired the second shot," said Miss Greeby leisurely, "but as to who wrote that letter. Once we find the forger, we"ll soon discover the a.s.sa.s.sin."
"True; but how are you going about it?"
"I shall see Silver and force him to give me the letter."
"If you can."
"Oh, I"ll manage somehow. The little beast"s a coward, and I"ll bully him into compliance." Miss Greeby spoke very confidently. "Then we"ll see the kind of paper the letter is written on, and there may be an envelope which would show where it was posted. Of course, the forger must be well acquainted with Agnes"s handwriting."
"That"s obvious," said Lambert promptly. "Well, I suppose that your way of starting the matter is the best. But we have only four days before Silver makes his move."
"When I get the letter he won"t make any move," reported Miss Greeby, and she looked very determined.
"Let us hope so. But, Clara, before you return to town I wish you would see Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l."
"That old gypsy fortune-teller, who looks like an almshouse widow? Why?"
"She hates Chaldea, and I suspect that Chaldea has something to do with the matter of this conspiracy."
"Ha!" Miss Greeby rubbed her aquiline nose. "A conspiracy. Perhaps you may be right. But its reason?"
Lambert colored. "Chaldea wants me to marry her, you know."
"The minx! I know she does. I warned you against having her to sit for you, Lambert. But there"s no sense in your suggestion, my boy. It wasn"t any catch for her to get Pine killed and leave his wife free to marry you."
"No. And yet--and yet--hang it," the young man clutched his hair in desperation and glared at the fire, "I can"t see any motive."
"Nor can I. Unless it is to be found in the City."
"Gypsies are more lawless than City men," observed the other quickly, "and Hearne would have enemies rather than Pine."
"I don"t agree with you," said Miss Greeby, rising and getting ready to go away. "Hearne was n.o.body: Pine was a millionaire. Successful men have enemies all over the shop."
"At the inquest it was said that Pine had no enemies."
"Oh, rubbish. A strong man like that couldn"t make such a fortune without exciting envy. I"ll bet that his a.s.sa.s.sin is to be found in a frock coat and a silk hat. However, I"ll look up Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l, as it is just as well to know what she thinks of this pretty gypsy hussy of yours."
"Not of mine. I don"t care for her in the least."
"As if that mattered. There is always one who loves and one who is loved, as Heine says, and that is the cause of all life"s tragedies. Of this tragedy maybe, although I think some envious stockbroker may have shot Pine as a too successful financial rival. However, we shall see about it."
"And see about another thing, Clara," said Lambert quickly. "Call on Agnes and tell her that she need not worry over Silver. She expects the Deluge in a few days, remember."
"Write and tell her that I have the case in hand and that she needn"t trouble about Silver. I"ll straighten him out."
"I fear you are too hopeful."
"I don"t fear anything of the sort. I"ll break his neck if he doesn"t obey me. I wouldn"t hesitate to do it, either."
Lambert ran his eyes over her masculine personality and laughed. "I quite believe that, Clara. But, I say, won"t you have some tea before you go?"
"No, thanks. I don"t eat between meals."
"Afternoon tea is a meal."
"Nonsense. It"s a weakness. I"m not Garvington. By the way, where is he?"
"In Paris, but he returns in a few days."
"Then don"t let him meddle with this matter, or he"ll put things wrong."
"I shall allow no one but yourself to meddle, Clara, Garvington shan"t know a single thing."
Miss Greeby nodded. "Right. All we wish kept quiet would be in the papers if Garvington gets hold of our secrets. He"s a loose-tongued little glutton. Well, good-bye, old chap, and do look after yourself.
Good people are scarce."
Lambert gripped her large hand. "I"m awfully obliged to you, Clara."
"Wait until I do something before you say that, old son," she laughed and strode towards the door. "By the way, oughtn"t I to send the doctor in?"
"No. Confound the doctor! I"m all right. You"ll see me on my legs in a few days."
"Then we can work together at the case. Keep your flag flying, old chap, for I"m at the helm to steer the bark." And with this nautical farewell she went off with a manly stride, whistling a gay tune.
Left alone, the invalid looked into the fire, and wondered if he had been right to trust her. After some thought, he concluded that it was the best thing he could have done, since, in his present helpless state, he needed some one to act as his deputy. And there was no doubt that Miss Greeby had entirely overcome the pa.s.sion she had once entertained for him.
"I hope Agnes will think so also," thought Lambert, when he began a letter to the lady. "She was always rather doubtful of Clara."
CHAPTER XIV.
MISS GREEBY, DETECTIVE.
As Miss Greeby had informed Lambert, she intended to remain at the Garvington Arms until the mystery of Pine"s death was solved. But her interview with him necessitated a rearrangement of plans, since the incriminating letter appeared to be such an important piece of evidence.
To obtain it, Miss Greeby had decided to return to London forthwith, in order to compel its surrender. Silver would undoubtedly show fight, but his mistress was grimly satisfied that she would be able to manage him, and quite counted upon gaining her end by bullying him into compliance.
When in possession of the letter she decided to submit it to Agnes and hear what that lady had to say about it as a dexterous piece of forgery.
Then, on what was said would depend her next move in the complicated game. Meanwhile, since she was on the spot and desired to gather all possible evidence connected with Chaldea"s apparent knowledge of the crime, Miss Greeby went straight from Lambert"s cottage to the gypsy camp.
Here she found the community of vagrants in the throes of an election, or rather their excitement was connected with the deposition of Gentilla Stanley from the Bohemian throne, and the elevation of Chaldea. Miss Greeby mixed with the throng, dispensed a few judicious shillings and speedily became aware of what was going on. It appeared that Chaldea, being pretty and unscrupulous, and having gained, by cunning, a wonderful influence amongst the younger members of the tribe, was insisting that she should be elected its head. The older men and women, believing wisely that it was better to have an experienced ruler than a pretty figurehead, stood by Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l, therefore the camp was divided into two parties. Tongues were used freely, and occasionally fists came into play, while the gypsies gathered round the tent of the old woman and listened to the duet between her and the younger aspirant to this throne of Brentford. Miss Greeby, with crossed legs and leaning on her bludgeon, listened to the voluble speech of Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l, which was occasionally interrupted by Chaldea. The oration was delivered in Romany, and Miss Greeby only understood such sc.r.a.ps of it as was hastily translated to her by a wild-eyed girl to whom she had given a shilling. Gentilla, less like a sober pew-opener, and more resembling the Hecate of some witch-gathering, screamed objurgations at the pitch of her crocked voice, and waved her skinny arms to emphasize her words, in a most dramatic fashion.
"Oh, ye Romans," she screeched vehemently, "are ye not fools to be gulled by a babe with her mother"s milk--and curses that it fed her--scarcely dry on her living lips? Who am I who speak, a.s.ses of the common? Gentilla Stanley, whose father was Pharaoh before her, and who can call up the ghosts of dead Egyptian kings, with a tent for a palace, and a cudgel for a sceptre, and the wisdom of our people at the service of all."
"Things have changed," cried out Chaldea with a mocking laugh. "For old wisdom is dead leaves, and I am the tree which puts forth the green of new truths to make the Gorgios take off their hats to the Romans."
"Oh, sp.a.w.n of the old devil, but you lie. Truth is truth and changes not. Can you read the hand? can you cheat the Gentile? do you know the law of the Poknees, and can you diddle them as has money? Says you, "I can!" And in that you lie, like your mother before you. Bless your wisdom"--Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l made an ironical curtsey. "Age must bow before a brat."