"I introduced them the night before last."
"I see." Again Miss Wentworth"s tone was significantly dry. "Mr.
Paxton has never seemed to me to be a man whose confidence was easily gained, especially by a stranger. Mr. Lawrence must have progressed more rapidly with him even than with you. And, pray, what else was Mr.
Lawrence pleased to say of Mr. Paxton?"
"Oh, a lot of lies! Of course I knew that they were a lot of lies, but they made me so wild that I felt that I should like to shake him."
"Shake me instead, my dear. One is given to understand that jolting is good for the liver. Who"s that?"
There was a sound of knocking at the front door. Miss Strong glanced eagerly round. A flush came into her cheeks; a light into her eyes.
"Possibly that is the recalcitrant Mr. Paxton, in his own proper person, coming with apologies in both his hands. Perhaps you would like to go and see."
CHAPTER X
CYRIL"S FRIEND
Miss Strong did like to go and see. She looked at Miss Wentworth with a make-believe of anger, and, rising to her feet, went quickly across the room. Admission had already been given to the knocker. There advanced towards the girl standing in the open door a man--who was not Mr. Paxton.
"Mr. Franklyn! I thought----"
There was a note of disappointment in her voice. She stopped short, as if desirous not to allow her self-betrayal to go too far. She moved a little back, so as to allow the newcomer to enter the room.
This newcomer was a man of the medium height, about forty years of age. His black hair was already streaked with grey. He had a firm, clear-cut, clean-shaven mouth and chin, and a pair of penetrating grey-black eyes, with which he had a trick of looking every one whom he addressed squarely in the face. His manner, ordinarily, was grave and deliberate, as if he liked to weigh each word he uttered. He held Miss Strong"s hand for a moment in his cool, close grasp.
"Well; you thought what?"
"I"m very glad to see you--you know I am; but I thought it was Cyril."
"Are you expecting him?"
"I was expecting him, but--it seems he hasn"t come."
Turning to Miss Wentworth he greeted her. And it was to be noted that as she offered him her hand a humorous twinkle beamed through her gla.s.ses, and her whole face was lighted by a smile. He turned again to Miss Strong.
"Have you heard the news?"
"What news?"
"Hasn"t Cyril told you?"
"He told me something last night, but I really couldn"t tell you quite what it was he told me, and I haven"t seen him since."
"He is in Brighton?"
"Is he? I was informed that he was stopping in town."
"You were informed? By whom?"
"By an acquaintance, who said that he saw him there."
Mr. Franklyn waited before speaking again. His unflinching eyes seemed to be studying the lady"s face. Probably he saw that there was something unusual in her manner.
"That is strange. I was under the impression that he was in Brighton.
I have come from town specially to see him. I expected to find him with you here."
"He did promise to meet me to-night. He hasn"t kept his promise. I don"t understand why. To be plain with you, it rather troubles me.
"He promised to meet you?"
"He did most faithfully."
"And you have received no intimation from him to the effect that he was not coming?"
"Not a word--not a line!"
"Then he may be here at any moment. Something has unexpectedly delayed him. You are acquainted with him sufficiently well to be aware that had anything occurred to cause him to alter his plans, he would immediately have let you know. Your informant was wrong. I have had inquiries made for him everywhere in town, and as a result have good reason to believe that he is in Brighton."
"What is the news of which you were speaking?"
"Has Cyril said nothing to you about the Trumpit Gold Mine?"
"He referred to it casually the night before last in his usual strain, as having been the cause of his destruction."
"That really is extraordinary. I confess I do not understand it. It is so unlike Cyril to have communicated neither with you nor with me. Are you sure that he said nothing more?"
"About the Trumpit Gold Mine? Not a word. What was there, what is there to say? Do get it out!"
The young lady made an impatient movement with her foot. The gentleman looked at her with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. She was very well worth looking at just then. Her hair was a little out of order; and, though she might not have agreed with such a statement, it suited her when it was slightly disarranged. Her cheeks were flushed. She held herself very straight. Perhaps it was her tears which had lent brightness to her eyes; they were bright. Her small, white teeth sparkled between her blush-rose lips, which were slightly parted as if in repressed excitement. She presented a pretty picture of a young lady who was in no mood for trifling.
"I shall have much pleasure, Miss Strong, in getting it out. What seem to be well-founded rumours have reached England that gold has been found at last in considerable quant.i.ties. The shares have gone up with a rush. When the Stock Exchange closed this afternoon they were quoted at 12 10s. A little more than a week ago they were unsaleable at twopence each."
"12 10s.! oh, Mr. Franklyn! And has Cyril got rid of his?"
"Not a bit of it. They are in my strongbox. There are ten thousand of them--Cyril is one of the largest holders, if he is not the largest; and what that means at 12 10s. apiece you can calculate as well as I."
"Oh, Mr. Franklyn!" The young lady brought her hands together with a little clap. She turned in natural triumph towards her friend. "What did I tell you? Now aren"t you sorry for what you said last night?
Didn"t I say that you hadn"t the faintest notion of what you were talking about?"
Miss Wentworth, though, as was to be expected, not so excited as the lady who was princ.i.p.ally concerned, evinced sufficiently lively signs of interest.
"You certainly did, and I certainly hadn"t; and while you left nothing unsaid which you ought to have said, there can be no sort of doubt whatever that I said everything which I ought to have left unsaid.
But, at the same time, I do beg leave to remark that Mr. Paxton need not have worn such an air of mystery."