He returned to Grange House with the dogcart and drove Grenier to Scarsdale with his luggage, consisting of Philip"s portmanteau and his own, together with a hatbox.
He touched his cap to Grenier, when the latter smiled affably on him from the luxury of a first-cla.s.s carriage, and he pocketed a tip with a grin.
A porter was also feed lavishly, and the station master was urbanity itself as he explained the junctions and the time London would be reached.
Left to himself, Mason handed over the dogcart to the hostler at the inn, paid for its hire, and again walked to the deserted farm. He surveyed every inch of the ground floor, carefully raked over the ashes in the grate, scrubbed the pa.s.sage with a hard broom and water, packed some few personal belongings in a small bag, and set out again, after locking the door securely, for a long tramp over the moor. Nine miles of mountain road would bring him to another line of railway. Thence he would book to London, and travel straight through, arriving at the capital late at night, and not making the slightest attempt to communicate with Grenier en route.
There was little fear of comment or inquiry caused by the disappearance of the inhabitants of the Grange House.
He and "Dr. Williams" were the only residents even slightly known to the distant village. Such stores as they needed they had paid for. The house was hired for a month from an agent in the county town, and the rent paid in advance. It was not clear who owned the place. The agent kept it on his books until some one should claim it.
As the murderer walked and smoked his reflections were not quite cheerful, now that he could cry "quits" with Philip Anson.
His experiences of the previous night were not pleasant. Neither he nor Grenier went to bed. They dozed uneasily in chairs until daylight, and then they admitted that they had committed Anson"s body to the deep in a moment of unreasoning panic.
He might be found, and, even if he were not identified, that confounded policeman might be moved to investigate the proceedings of the curious visitors to Grange House.
That was the weak part of their armor, but Grenier refused to admit the flaw.
"A naked man found in the sea--and he may never be found--has not necessarily been thrown from a balcony three hundred feet above sea level. The notion is grotesque. No constabulary brain could conceive it.
And who is he? Not Philip Anson; Philip Anson is alive. Not Dr.
Williams; any Scarsdale man will say that. And your best friend, Mason, would not take him for you."
But Mason was not satisfied. Better have buried the corpse on the lonely farm--in the garden for choice. Then they would know where he was. The sea was too vague.
Of pity for his victim he had not a jot. Had Philip Anson pitied him, or his wife, or his two children? They, too, were dead, in all probability.
While in London he had made every sort of inquiry, but always encountered a blank wall of negation. John and William Mason, even if they lived, did not know he was their father. They were lost to him utterly.
Curse Philip Anson. Let him be forgotten, anyway. Yet he contrived to think of him during the nine weary miles over the moor, during the long wait at the railway station, and during the slow hours of the journey to London.
On arriving at York, Grenier secured a palatial suite at the Station Hotel, entering his name in the register as "Philip Anson."
He drove to the post office and asked if there was any message for "Grenier."
Yes. It read:
"Family still at Penzance. Persuaded friend that letter was only intended to create unpleasantness with uncle. He took same view and returned to town. Will say nothing."
Unsigned, it came from a town near Beltham. Grenier was satisfied. He lit a cigarette with the message.
At a branch post office he dispatched two telegrams.
The first to Evelyn:
"Will remain in the North for a few days. Too busy to write to-day.
Full letter to-morrow. Love.
"PHILIP."
The second, to Mr. Abingdon:
"Your message through Miss Atherley noted. Please suspend all inquiries. Affair quite unforeseen. Will explain by letter. Address to-day, Station Hotel, York.
"ANSON."
Then he entered a bank and asked for the manager.
"My name may be known to you," he said to the official, at the same time handing his card.
"Mr. Anson, Park Lane--the Mr. Anson."
"I suppose I can flatter myself with the definite article. I am staying here some few days, and wish to carry out certain transactions requiring large sums of money. I will be glad to act through your bank, on special terms, of course, for opening a short account."
"We will be delighted."
"I will write a check now for five thousand pounds, which kindly place to my credit as soon as possible. Shall we say--the day after to-morrow?"
"That is quite possible. We will use all expedition."
"Thank you. You understand, this is merely a preliminary. I will need a much larger sum, but I will pay in my next check after hearing from London. I am not quite sure about the amount of my private balance at the moment."
The bank manager a.s.sured him there would be no difficulty whatever under such conditions.
Grenier obtained his pa.s.sbook and check book, after writing a check on London before the other man"s eyes.
For a small amount, an introduction would have been necessary. In the case of Philip Anson, the millionaire, a man who handled thousands so readily, it was needless. Moreover, his procedure was unexceptionable--strictly according to banking business.
Grenier rushed off to the station, caught a train for Leeds, went to the bank of a different company with different London agents, and carried through the same maneuver.
He returned to York and secured the services of the hotel typist. He wrote to Philip"s bankers:
"I am transacting some very important private business in the North of England, and have opened temporary accounts with the ---- Bank in York and the ---- Bank in Leeds, and I shall need a considerable sum of ready money. Possibly I may also open accounts in Bradford and Sheffield. To-day I have drawn two checks for five thousand pounds each. Kindly let me know by return the current balance to my credit, as I dislike overdrafts and would prefer to realize some securities."
The next letter ran:
"MY DEAR ABINGDON: Excuse a typewriter, but I am horribly busy. The Morlands" affair is a purely family and personal one; it brings into activity circ.u.mstances dating far back in my life and in the lives of my parents. Sir Philip is not dying, nor even dangerously ill. Lady Louisa is in Yorkshire, and I am making arrangements which will close a long-standing feud.
"Write me here if necessary, but kindly keep back all business or other communications, save those of a very urgent character, for at least a week or perhaps ten days.
"Sorry for this enforced absence from town. It simply cannot be avoided, and I am sure you will leave a detailed explanation until we meet. I have signed the inclosed annual report of the home. Will you kindly forward it to the secretary? Yours sincerely,
"PHILIP ANSON."
Grenier dictated this epistle from a carefully composed copy. He understood the very friendly relations that existed between Philip and his chief agent, and he thought that in adopting a semi-apologetic, frankly reticent tone, he was striking the right key.
The concluding reference to the Mary Anson Home was smart, he imagined, while the main body of the letter dealt in safe generalities.
Naturally, he knew nothing of the conversation between the two men on this very topic a couple of months earlier.