"You may not know that your daughter and her cousin are as like as two human beings can be. I am rather put to it myself to tell them apart."
"Their mothers were much alike, but they were distinguishable. If you are proposing a subst.i.tution of Rosalind for Helen, I should say to have a care of it. You may deceive a casual acquaintance, but hardly a lover."
"I have carried through worse adventures. Those doc.u.ments must not get into--into--unfriendly hands! I have pledged myself that Miss Patricia shall be kept free from further trouble, and much trouble lies in those forged notes if your brother gets them. But I hope to do a little more than protect your sister; I want to get you all out of your difficulties. There is no reason for your remaining in exile. You owe it to your daughter to go back to civilization. And your sister needs you. You saved your brother once; you will pardon me for saying that you owe him no further mercy."
He thrust his hands into his pockets and paced the floor a moment, before he said:
"You are quite right. But I am sure you will be very careful of my little girl; she is all I have--quite all I have."
He went to the hall and called her and bowed with a graceful, old-fashioned courtesy that reminded me of Miss Pat as Rosalind came into the room.
"Will I do, gentlemen all?" she asked gaily. "Do I look the fraud I feel?"
She threw off a long scarlet cloak that fell to her heels and stood before us in white--it was as though she had stepped out of flame. She turned slowly round, with head bent, submitting herself for our inspection.
Her gown was perfectly simple, high at the throat and with sleeves that clasped her wrists. To my masculine eyes it was of the same piece and pattern as the gown in which I had left Helen at St. Agatha"s an hour before.
"I think I read doubt in your mind," she laughed. "You must not tell me now that you have backed out; I shall try it myself, if you are weakening. I am anxious for the curtain to rise."
"There is only one thing: I suggest that you omit that locket. I dined with her to-night, so my memory is fresh."
She unclasped the tiny locket that hung from a slight band of velvet at her throat, and threw it aside; and her father, who was not, I saw, wholly reconciled to my undertaking, held the cloak for her and led the way with a lantern through the garden and down to the waterside and along the creek to the launch where Ijima was in readiness. We quickly embarked, and the launch stole away through the narrow sh.o.r.es, Holbrook swinging his lantern back and forth in good-by. I had lingered longer at the boat-maker"s than I intended, and as we neared the upper lake and the creek broadened Ijima sent the launch forward at full speed.
When we approached Battle Orchard I bade him stop, and hiding our lantern I took an oar and guided the launch quietly by. Then we went on into the upper lake at a lively clip. Rosalind sat quietly in the bow, the hood of her cloak gathered about her head.
I was taking steering directions from Ijima, but as we neared Port Annandale I glanced over my shoulder to mark the casino pier lights when Rosalind sang out:
"Hard aport--hard!"
I obeyed, and we pa.s.sed within oar"s length of a sailboat, which, showing no light, but with mainsail set, was loafing leisurely before the light west wind. As we veered away I saw a man"s figure at the wheel; another figure showed darkly against the cuddy.
"Hang out your lights!" I shouted angrily. But there was no reply.
"The _Stiletto_," muttered Ijima, starting the engine again.
"We must look out for her going back," I said, as we watched the sloop merge into shadow.
The lights of the casino blazed cheerily as we drew up to the pier, and Rosalind stepped out in good spirits, catching up and humming the waltz that rang down upon us from the club-house.
"Lady," I said, "let us see what lands we shall discover."
"I ought to feel terribly wicked, but I really never felt cheerfuller in my life," she averred. "But I have one embarra.s.sment!"
"Well?"--and we paused, while she dropped the hood upon her shoulders.
"What shall I call this gentleman?"
"What does _she_ call him? I"m blest if I know! I call him b.u.t.tons usually; Knight of the Rueful Countenance might serve; but very likely she calls him Reggie."
"I will try them all," she said. "I think we used to call him Reggie on Strawberry Hill. Very likely he will detect the fraud at once and I shan"t get very far with him."
"You shall get as far as you please. Leave it to me. He shall see you first on the veranda overlooking the water where there are shadows in plenty, and you had better keep your cloak about you until the first shock of meeting has pa.s.sed. Then if he wants you to dance, I will hold the cloak, like a faithful chaperon, and you may m.u.f.fle yourself in it the instant you come out; so even if he has his suspicions he will have no time to indulge them. He is undoubtedly patrolling the veranda, looking for us even now. He"s a faithful knight!"
As we pa.s.sed the open door the dance ceased and a throng of young people came gaily out to take the air. We joined the procession, and were accepted without remark. Several men whom I had seen in the village or met in the highway nodded amiably. Gillespie, I knew, was waiting somewhere; and I gave Rosalind final admonitions.
"Now be cheerful! Be cordial! In case of doubt grow moody, and look out upon the water, as though seeking an answer in the stars. Though I seem to disappear I shall be hanging about with an eye for danger-signals. Ah! He approaches! He comes!"
Gillespie advanced eagerly, with happiness alight in his face.
"Helen!" he cried, taking her hand; and to me: "You are not so great a liar after all, Irishman."
"Oh, Mr. Donovan is the kindest person imaginable," she replied and turned her head daringly so that the light from a window fell full upon her, and he gazed at her with frank, boyish admiration. Then she drew her wrap about her shoulders and sat down on a bench with her face in shadow, and as I walked away her laughter followed me cheerily.
I was promptly seized by a young man, who feigned to have met me in some former incarnation, and introduced to a girl from Detroit whose name I shall never know in this world. I remember that she danced well, and that she asked me whether I knew people in Duluth, Pond du Lac, Paducah and a number of other towns which she recited like a geographical index. She formed, I think, a high opinion of my sense of humor, for I laughed at everything she said in my general joy of the situation. After our third dance I got her an ice and found another cavalier for her. I did not feel at all as contrite as I should have felt as I strolled round the veranda toward Rosalind and Gillespie.
They were talking in low tones and did not heed me until I spoke to them.
"Oh, it"s you, is it?"--and Gillespie looked up at me resentfully.
"I have been gone two years! It seems to me I am doing pretty well, all things considered! What have you been talking about?"
""--"Bout Giunts, an" Griffuns, an" Elves, An" the Squidgic.u.m-Squees "at swallers therselves!""
Rosalind quoted. "I hope you have been enjoying yourself."
"After a dull fashion, yes."
"I should like to tell her that! We saw you through the window. She struck us as very pretty, didn"t she, Reggie?"
"I didn"t notice her," Gillespie replied with so little interest that we both laughed.
"It"s too bad," remarked Rosalind, "that Aunt Pat couldn"t have come with us. It would have been a relief for her to get away from that dreary school-house."
"I might go and fetch her," I suggested.
"If you do," said Gillespie, grinning, "you will not find us here when you get back."
Rosalind sighed, as though at the remembrance of her aunt"s forlorn exile; then the music broke out in a two-step.
"Come! We must have this dance!" she exclaimed, and Gillespie rose obediently. I followed, exchanging chaff with Rosalind until we came to the door, where she threw off her cloak for the first time.
"Lord and Protector, will you do me the honor?"
It all happened in a moment. I tossed the cloak across my arm carelessly and she turned to Gillespie without looking at me. He hesitated--some word faltered on his lips. I think it must have been the quick transition of her appearance effected by the change from the rich color of the cloak to the white of her dress that startled him.
She realized the danger of the moment, and put her arm on his arm.
"We mustn"t miss a note of it! Good-by,"--and with a nod to me I next saw her far away amid the throng of dancers.
As I caught up the cloak under my arm something crackled under my fingers, and hurrying to a dark corner of the veranda I found the pocket and drew forth an envelope. My conscience, I confess, was agreeably quiescent. You may, if you wish, p.r.o.nounce my conduct at several points of this narrative wholly indefensible; but I was engaged in a sincere effort to straighten out the Holbrook tangle, and Helen had openly challenged me. If I could carry this deception through successfully I believed that within a few hours I might bring Henry Holbrook to terms. As for Gillespie he was far safer with Rosalind than with Helen. I thrust the envelope into my breast pocket and settled myself by the veranda rail, where I could look out upon the lake, and at the same time keep an eye on the ball-room. And, to be frank about it, I felt rather pleased with myself! It would do Helen no great harm to wait for Gillespie on St. Agatha"s pier: the discipline of disappointment would be good for her. Vigorous hand-clapping demanded a repet.i.tion of the popular two-step of the hour, and I saw Rosalind and Gillespie swing into the dance as the music struck up again.