"Edmund Gray," said Elsie, "says that his own lawyer who manages his affairs is Edward Dering. If he were to write letters while Edmund Gray, he would not impose upon Edward Dering."
"He cannot write to two men," said Athelstan. "There must be a border-land between the waking and the dreaming, when the two spirits of Edmund Gray and Edward Dering contend for the mastery, or when they command each other--when Edmund Gray endorses cheques and Edward Dering writes letters and conducts transfers for his client--his double--himself."
"I have seen him in such a state," said George. "At the time I never suspected anything but a pa.s.sing trouble of mind, which caused him to be so wrapped up in his thoughts as not to be able to distinguish anything.
He was then, I doubt not now, carrying out the instructions of Edmund Gray, or he was Edmund Gray acting for himself. Checkley whispered not to disturb him. He said that he had often seen him so."
"I have never tried to understand," said Elsie. "But I saw that Edmund Gray was Mr. Dering gone mad, and that he himself, and n.o.body else, was the perpetrator of all these forgeries; and I have been trying to discover the best way--the kindest way to him--the surest way for us, of getting the truth known.--George, this is the secret of my mysterious movements. This is why I have not given you a single evening for a whole fortnight. Every evening--both Sundays--I have spent with this dear old man. He is the most delightful--the most gentle--the most generous--old man that you ever saw. He is full of ideas--oh! quite full--and they carry you out of yourself, until you awake next morning to find that they are a dream. I have fallen in love with him. I have had the most charming fortnight--only one was always rather afraid that he might come to himself, which would be awkward."
"Well, Elsie, have you found a way?"
"I think I have. First, I have discovered that when he is surrounded with things that remind him of Edmund Gray, he remains Edmund Gray.
Next, I have found out that I can, by talking to him even at his office, when he has his papers before him, turn him into Edmund Gray."
"You are a witch, Elsie."
"She is," said George, looking at her in the foolish lover"s way. "You see what she has turned me into--a long time ago, and she has never turned me back again."
"I have been thinking too," said Athelstan. "For our purposes, it would be enough to prove the ident.i.ty of Edmund Gray and Edward Dering. That explains the resemblance of the handwriting and of the endors.e.m.e.nt. My commissionaire"s recollection of the man also identifies the cheque as drawn by himself for himself under another name. It explains the presence of the notes in the safe. It also shows that the long series of letters which pa.s.sed between him and the broker were written by himself for himself. Here, however, is a difficulty. I can understand Edward Dering believing himself to be Edmund Gray, because I have seen it. But I cannot understand Edward Dering believing himself to be the Solicitor to Edmund Gray and writing at his command."
"But I have seen him in that condition," said Elsie. "It was while he was changing from one to the other. He sat like one who listens. I think that Edmund Gray was at his elbow speaking to him. I think I could make him write a letter by instruction from Edmund Gray. That he should believe himself acting for a client in writing to the broker is no more wonderful than that he should believe himself another man altogether."
"Show me, if you can, the old man acting for an imaginary client.
Meantime, I mentioned the point as a difficulty. Prove, however, to Mr.
Dering and to the others concerned that he is Edmund Gray, and all is proved. And this we can do by a host of witnesses."
"I want more than this, Athelstan," said Elsie. "It would still be open to the enemy to declare that George, or you, or I, had made use of his madness for our own purposes. I want a history of the whole case written out by Edmund Gray himself--a thing that we can show to Mr. Dering and to everybody else. But I dread his discovery. Already he is suspicious and anxious. I sometimes think that he is half conscious of his condition. We must break it to him as gently as we can. But the shock may kill him. Yet there is no escape. If the forgeries were known only to ourselves, we might keep the discovery a secret; and only if necessary--but it would not be necessary--keep some sort of watch over him and warn the Bank. But Checkley has told the clerks and the people at the Bank, and there are ourselves to think of and my mother and Hilda.--No; we must let them all know."
"And if one may mention one"s self," said Athelstan, "my own little difficulty presses. Because, you see, I don"t know how long I may be kept here. Perhaps to-morrow I might go on to St. Petersburg or to Pekin. Before I go, Elsie, I confess that I should like my mother to understand that--that she was a little hasty--that is all."
"You are not going to St. Petersburg, brother." Elsie took his hand.
"You are not going to leave us anymore. You are going to stay. I have made another discovery."
"Pray, if one may ask----"
"Oh! you may ask. I saw a letter to-day--Mr. Dering showed it to me. It was written from the States three or four years ago. It showed where you were at that time and showed me more, Athelstan--it showed me how you lost the pile of money that you made over that silver mine--you remember, Athelstan?"
He made no reply.
"Oh! do you think that I am going to accept this sacrifice? George, you do not know. The donor of that great sum of money which Mr. Dering held for me--we have often wondered who it was. I have only found out to-day--it was Athelstan. He gave me all he had for such a trifling thing--only because I would not believe that he was a villain--all he had in the world--and went out again into the cold. He said he dropped his money down a gully or a grating on the prairie--some nonsense. And he sent it all to me, George.--What shall we do?"
"Is this really true, Athelstan? Did you really give up all this money to Elsie?"
"She says so."
"It is quite true, George. I saw the letter--Mr. Dering showed it to me--in which he sent that money home, and begged Mr. Dering to take care of it, and to give it to me on the day when I should be one-and-twenty.
He cannot deny it. Look at him. He blushes--he is ashamed--he hangs his head--he blows tobacco-smoke about in clouds, hoping to hide his red cheeks. And he talks of going on to St. Petersburg, when we know this secret, and have got the money! What do you call this conduct, George?"
"Athelstan--there is no word for it. But you must have it back. You must, and shall. There can be no discussion about it. And there is not another man in the world, I believe, who would have done it."
"Nonsense. I should only have lost it, if I had kept it," Athelstan replied after the Irish fashion.
"You hear, Athelstan. It is yours. There can be no discussion. That"s what I like a man for. While we women are all talking and disputing, the man puts down his foot and says: "There can be no discussion." Then we all stop, and the right thing is done. It is yours, brother; and you shall have it, and you shall stay at home with us always and always."
She laid her hand upon his shoulder, and her arm round his neck, caressing him with hand and voice.
The man who had wandered alone for eight years was not accustomed to sisterly caresses. They moved him. The thing itself moved him.
"All this belongs to another chapter," he said huskily. "We will talk of it afterwards, when the business in hand is despatched.
"Well, then--that is agreed. You are to have your money back: my mother is to take her suspicions back: Mr. Dering is to have his certificates back and his dividends: Checkley is to take his lies back: Sir Samuel is to have his charges back: George and I are going to have our peace of mind back. And we are all going to live happy ever afterwards."
"As for Wednesday now," said George. "It is not an unimportant day for us, you know."
"Everything is ready. On Sunday morning my mother is always at home before Church. I will see her then, and acquaint her with the news that the wedding will take place as originally proposed, at her house. This will astonish her very much, and she will become angry and polite and sarcastic. Then I shall tell her to prepare not only for a wedding feast, but also for a great, a very great surprise. And I shall also inform her that I shall be given away by my brother. And then--then--if I know my mother aright, she will become silent. I shall do that to-morrow morning.--In the evening, George, you will get your best-man, and I will get your sisters, my bridesmaids, and we will come here, or go to Richmond or somewhere--and have dinner and a cheerful evening.--Am I arranging things properly?"
"Quite properly. Pray go on."
"Sunday afternoon I have promised to spend with my master--Edmund Gray.
He is going to read me a new Paper he has just finished, in which he shows that Property can be destroyed by a painless process--Athelstan, put all your money into your pocket and keep it there--in less than a twelvemonth, and with it all crime--all sweating, all injustice.--No, Athelstan, he is not mad. When he argues on this theme he is persuasive and eloquent. He convinces everybody. I shall hear him out, and then I shall try to make him write down all that has happened. If we can only get such a confession, it would be better than anything else. But it may be difficult. He does not like being questioned about himself. If I do succeed--I don"t know quite what I ought to do next. He must be told.
Some time or other he must have the truth. I thought of asking all the people mentioned to meet at his office on Monday morning at noon when Mr. Dering is always himself. On Sunday I would not. He has to address his people on Sunday evening. Let him do so undisturbed. I will leave him in happiness that one night longer. But you two--you will be anxious. Come on Sunday evening--between eight and nine--to the Hall of Science. Then you will hear him and see me. And I will let you know how I have prospered."
"Sunday evening," said George. "Monday comes next, then Tuesday, and before Wednesday, my Elsie, the character of these two convicts has to be completely whitewashed, even to the satisfaction of Hilda herself.
Are we not running it pretty close?"
"Unbeliever! Doubter! I tell you that you shall be married with all your friends round you, and that Athelstan shall give me away. And you shall go away on your holiday with a quiet heart and nothing to trouble you.
What a foolish boy not to be able to trust his bride even for such a simple thing as getting a confession out of a madman!"
"Do you sport a crest, old man?" asked Athelstan.
"I believe there is some kind of a sort of a thing somewhere around. But crests are foolishness."
"Not always. Take a new one, George--a real one. Stamp it on your spoons and forks and in your books and on your carriage. Let it be simply the words, "Dux Femina Facti.""
CHAPTER x.x.xII
ELSIE AND HER MOTHER
"Can you spare me a few minutes, mother?"
Mrs. Arundel looked up from the desk where she was writing a letter, and saw her daughter standing before her. She started and changed colour, but quickly recovered, and replied coldly: "I did not hear you come in, Elsie. What do you want with me?"
Outside, the bells were ringing for Church: it was a quarter to eleven: Mrs. Arundel was already dressed for Church. She was one of those who do not see any incongruity between Church and a heart full of animosities.
She was bitter against her daughter, and hard towards her son, and she hated her son-in-law elect with all the powers of her pa.s.sionate nature.
But, my brothers, what an array of bare benches should we see in every place of worship were those only admitted who came with hearts of charity and love!