But Maria Jordan"s manner as an applicant to fill her cousin"s place was so respectful and respectable, and the need to decide was so pressing, that Lady Henry"s housekeeper resolved to accept Jordan, so to speak, on face value. That same night Jessie Adams went home (or somewhere else), and her cousin stepped into the vacant niche.
Meanwhile, Joan had, on the plea of picking up her luggage, driven to one or two cheap shops in the Tottenham Court Road, and provided herself with a tin box and a suitable outfit for a superior housemaid. She was thankful to find that she would have a room to herself, and delighted to discover that Jessie Adams and Mathilde, Lady Henry"s own maid, had been on terms of friendship. Their rooms adjoined; Jessie had been teaching Mathilde English in odd moments, and Mathilde had often obligingly carried messages to the enamoured greengrocer.
Joan lost not a moment in winning her way into Mathilde"s good graces, wasting the less time because she had already made preparations with a view to such an end. She had bought a large box of delicious sweets, which she pretended her own "young man" had given her, and this she placed at the French girl"s disposal. It happened that Lady Henry was dining out and going to the theatre afterwards that night, and Mathilde, being free, visited Maria easily in her room, where she sat on the bed, swinging her well-shod feet and eating cream chocolates. Maria, in the course of conversation, chanced to mention that her "young man" was the partner of a French hairdresser in Knightsbridge; that the two were intimate friends; that the hairdresser was young, singularly handsome, well-to-do, and looking out for a Parisienne as a wife. This Admirable Crichton was in France at present, on business, Maria added, but he would return in the course of a fortnight, when Maria"s "young man"
should effect an introduction, as she was sure that Monsieur Jacques would fall in love at first sight with Mathilde.
Mathilde pretended indifference, but she thought Maria the nicest girl she had met in England, far more _chic_ than Jessie; and when she heard that her new friend longed to be a lady"s maid, she offered to coach her in the art. Maria was gushingly grateful, for though she had (she said) already acted as maid to one or two ladies, they had not been "swells"
like Lady Henry, and lessons from Mathilde would be of inestimable value.
"I suppose," she went on coaxingly, "that if I showed you I could do hair nicely, and understood what was wanted of a lady"s maid, you wouldn"t be took ill, and give me a chance to try my hand on Lady Henry?
Practice on her Ladyship would be worth a lot of lessons, wouldn"t it?
My goodness! I"d give all my savings for such a chance in a house like this! Think of the help it would be to me afterwards to say I"d been understudy, as you might call it, to a real expert like Mathilde, Lady Henry Borrowdaile"s own maid, and given great satisfaction in the part!
It might mean a good place for me. I ain"t jokin", mademoiselle. I"ve got twenty-five sovereigns saved up, and if you"ll have neuralgia so bad you can"t lift your head from the pillow for three or four days, those twenty-five sovereigns are yours."
"_Mais_, for me to have ze neuralgia, it do not make that milady take you for my place," said the laughing Mathilde.
"No, but leave that to me. You shall have the money just the same."
"All right," said Mathilde, giggling, scarce believing that her friend was in earnest. "I have ze neuralgia _demain_--to-morrow."
Joan sprang up and went to the new tin box. She bent over it for a moment, with her back to Mathilde; then she turned, with a stocking in her hand--a stocking fat in the foot, and tied round the ankle with a bit of ribbon. "Count what"s there," she exclaimed, emptying the stocking in Mathilde"s lap.
There were gold and silver, and even a little copper. Altogether, the sum amounted to that which Maria had named, and a few shillings over.
Mathilde was dazzled. What with this bird in hand, and another in the bush (the eligible hairdresser), she was ready to do almost anything for Maria. Later that night, in undressing Lady Henry, she complained of suffering such agony that she feared for the morrow. Luckily, should she be incapacitated for a short time, there was a girl now in the house (a young person in the place of the first housemaid, absent on account of trouble in the family) who had been lady"s maid and knew her business. Lady Henry was too sleepy to care what might happen to-morrow--indeed, scarcely listened to Mathilde"s murmurings; but when to-morrow was to-day, and a sweet-faced, sweet-voiced girl announced that Mathilde could not leave her bed, the spoiled beauty remembered last night"s conversation. After some grumbling, she consented to try what Jordan could do; and while the second housemaid pouted over Maria"s work, Maria was busy ingratiating herself with Lady Henry--ingratiating herself so thoroughly that Mathilde would have trembled jealously for the future could she have seen or heard. Joan was one of those rare creatures, born for success, who set their teeth in unbreakable resolve to do whatever they must do, well. Being a lady herself, with all a lady"s fastidious tastes, she knew how a lady liked to be waited upon.
She was not attracted by Lady Henry, whom men called an angel, and women "a cat," but she was as attentive as if her whole happiness depended on her mistress"s approbation. Mathilde was efficient, but frivolous and flighty, sometimes inclined to sulkiness; and Lady Henry, superbly indifferent to the sufferings of servants, decided that she would not be sorry if Mathilde were ill a long time.
Two or three days went by; Joan kept the Parisienne supplied with _bonbons_ and French novels, and carried up all her meals, arranged almost as daintily as if they had been for her Ladyship. Mathilde was happy, and Joan was--waiting. But her patience was not to be tried for long.
On the third day, she was told that her mistress was dining at home, alone with Lord Henry. This was such an unusual event that Joan was sure it meant something, especially when Lady Henry demanded one of her prettiest frocks. A footman, inclined to be Maria"s slave, was smiled upon, intercepted during dinner, and questioned. "They"re behaving like turtle-doves," said he.
Joan had expected this. "That little cat has guessed or discovered that everything is settled, and she means to get the truth out of him this evening, so that somehow she can give the news to _The Daily Beacon_ to-night, in time to go to press for to-morrow," the girl reflected.
She was excited, but the great moment had come, and she kept herself rigidly under control, for much depended upon calmness and fertility in resource. "They will have their coffee in Lady Henry"s boudoir," Joan reflected, "and that is when she will get to work."
She thought thus on her way upstairs, carrying a dress of Lady Henry"s, from which she had been brushing the marks of a muddy carriage-wheel.
She laid it on a chair, and saw on another a milliner"s box. Her mistress had not mentioned that she was expecting anything, and Joan"s curiosity was aroused. She untied the fastenings, lifted a layer of tissue paper, and saw a neat, dark green tailor-dress, with a toque made of the same material and a little velvet. There was also a long, plain coat of the green cloth, with gold b.u.t.tons, and on the breast pocket was embroidered an odd design in gold thread.
Joan suddenly became thoughtful. This dress was as unlike as possible to the b.u.t.terfly style which Lady Henry affected, and all who knew her knew that she detested dark colours. Yet this costume was distinctly sombre and severe; and the name of the milliner was unfamiliar to Joan.
"It"s like a disguise," the girl said to herself, "and I"ll bet anything that"s what it"s for. She went to a strange milliner; she made a point of the things being ready to-night; she chose a costume which would absolutely change her appearance, if worn with a thick veil. And then that bit of embroidery on the pocket! Why, it"s a miniature copy of the design they print under the t.i.tle of _The Beacon_. It is a beacon, flaming! She means to slip out of the house when she"s got the secret safe, and somebody at the office of the paper will have been ordered to take a veiled woman with such a dress as this up to Portheous" private office, without her speaking a word. Well--a woman will go there, but I hope it won"t be Lady Henry."
Without stopping for an instant"s further reflection, Joan caught up the box and flew with it to her own room, where she pushed it under the bed.
She then watched her chance, and when no one was in sight, darted into the boudoir, where she squeezed herself behind a screen close to the door. She might have found a more convenient hiding-place, but this, though uncomfortable, gave her an advantage. If the two persons she expected to enter the room elected to sit near the fireplace, as they probably would, Joan might be able to steal noiselessly away without being seen or heard.
She had not had much time to spare, for ten minutes after she had plastered herself against the wall, Lord and Lady Henry came in. They went to the sofa in front of the fire and chatted of commonplaces until after the coffee and _Orange Marnier_ had been brought. Then Lady Henry took out her jewelled cigarette-case, gave a cigarette to her husband and took one herself. To light hers from his, she perched on Lord Henry"s knee, remaining in that position to play with his hair, her white fingers flashing with rings. She cooed to her husband prettily, saying how nice it was to be with him alone, and how it grieved her to see him weary and worried.
"Is the old Russian Bear going to take hands and dance prettily with little j.a.pan and big China, darling?" she purred. "You know, precious, talking to me is as safe as talking to yourself."
"I know, my pet. Thank goodness, the strain is over. England and France together have brought such pressure to bear, that Russia was in a funk. The ultimatum we issued----"
"Oh, then, the ultimatum _was_ sent?"
"Yes. If Russia had held firm, nothing could have prevented war. But for obvious diplomatic reasons, the papers must not be able to state officially that any negotiations of the sort have ever taken place.
There has been a rumour, but that will die out."
"Ah, well, I"m glad there won"t be war; but as _you"re_ not a soldier, and can"t be killed, it wouldn"t have broken my heart. Kiss me and let"s talk of something amusing. Your poor pet gets a headache if she has to think of affairs of State too long."
Joan did not wait for the end of the last sentence. She began with the utmost caution to move the farther end of the screen forward, until she could reach the door-handle. With infinite patience she turned the k.n.o.b at the rate of an inch a minute, until it was possible to open the door.
Then she pulled it slowly, very slowly, towards her. At last she could slip into the corridor, where she had an instant of sickening fear lest she should be detected by a pa.s.sing servant. Luck was with her, however; but instead of seizing the chance to run upstairs unseen, she stopped, shut the door as softly as it had been opened, and then knocked. Lady Henry"s voice, with a ring of relief, called "Come in!" Joan showed herself on the threshold, and announced that a person from Frasquet"s, of George Street, had called to say that by mistake a costume ordered by Lady Henry had been sent to the wrong address, but that search would at once be made, and the box brought to South Audley Street as soon as found.
Lady Henry sprang up with an exclamation of anger, and called down the vengeance of the G.o.ds upon the house of Frasquet.
"Might I suggest, your Ladyship, that I go with the messenger, and make sure of bringing back the box, if the dress is a valuable one?" asked Joan.
Lady Henry caught at this idea. Joan was bidden to run away and not to come back till she had the box. "I will give you a sovereign if you bring it home before midnight," she added.
Joan walked calmly out with the box from Frasquet"s, took a cab, and drove to Woburn Place, where, in her own room, she dressed herself as Lady Henry had intended to be dressed. The frock and coat fitted sufficiently well, for Jordan and her mistress were somewhat of the same figure. An embroidered black veil, with one of chiffon underneath, completely hid her features; and, heavily perfumed with Lady Henry"s favourite scent, at precisely a quarter to eleven she presented herself at the office of _The Daily Beacon_. A gesture of a gloved hand towards the flaming gold on the coat was as if a pa.s.sword had been spoken. She was conducted to a private office on the first floor, and there received by a bearded, red-faced man, who sprang up on her entrance.
"Well--well?" he demanded.
The veiled and scented lady put her finger to her lips.
""Sh!" she breathed. Then, disguising her voice by whispering, she went on. "Russia China, and j.a.pan have signed the alliance, in spite of England and France, whom they have defied very insolently, and it"s only a question of a short time before the storm breaks. There! That"s all, in a nutsh.e.l.l. I must run away at once."
[Ill.u.s.tration: ""Sh!" she breathed."]
"A thousand thanks! You"re a brick!" Mr. Portheous pressed the gloved hand and left a cheque in it. "We shall go to press with this immediately."
Joan glanced at the cheque, saw it was for seven hundred pounds, and despised Lady Henry for cheapening the market. Her waiting cab drove her a few streets farther on, to the office of _The Planet_. A card with the name of Miss Carthew, and "Important private business" scrawled upon it, was the "Open, sesame!" to Sir Edmund Foster"s door.
"Have you your cheque-book handy?" she nonchalantly asked.
"What for?"
"_Quid pro quo._" Joan rushed into her whole story, which she told from beginning to end, proving its truth by showing Mr. Portheous" cheque made out to Mrs. Anne Randall. "Lady Henry, no doubt, has an account somewhere under that name. She"s too sharp to use her own," added the girl. "Do you believe me now?"
"Yes. You"re wonderful. I shall risk printing the news exactly as you have given it to me."
"You won"t regret your trust. But I don"t want your cheque to-night.
I"ll take it to-morrow, when I can say: "I told you so.""
"Would you still like to come on our staff--at a salary of ten pounds a week?"
"No, thank you, Sir Edmund. I"ve brought off my big _coup_, and anything more in the newspaper line would be, I fear, an anticlimax.
Besides, I want to play with my fifteen hundred pounds."
"What shall you do now?"