"He"s up to some mischief," persisted the old maid, "and I"d like to find out what it is. He is supposed to be keeping his room, because of a cold, and I find he is not in. People with colds," added the lady, impressively, "do not go into the night air."
"How do you know Major Tidman has?"
"Because he would be at the ball, were he in the hotel. I shall ask Clarence to see what he is doing."
"Why?" asked Miss Wharf, puzzled.
"Because--oh, just because," replied Miss Pewsey, tossing her head in a sharp way, like the Red Queen in Alice"s Adventures. "But the fan, dearest Sophia?--Can"t I take charge of it?"
Miss Wharf grasped the fan tighter. "No, certainly not. It is worth five thousand pounds."
"And perhaps more," said Miss Pewsey. "Remember, dearest Sophia, that is the sum offered, but you might ask more. It is very important that this Mandarin should get the fan back. Dr. Forge told me."
"Why is it important?"
"Theophilus didn"t tell me that, but he said that this Mandarin--I quite forget his queer name--would give even more than five thousand to get it back."
"His emissary didn"t seem very anxious to buy."
"Oh, that is craft," rejoined Miss Pewsey, tossing her head. "The Chinese are very double, Theophilus says."
"I don"t think so, Lavinia. I would have sold this fan for a few pounds had I not known such a large sum was offered. Tung-yu is not a good business man, or else the Mandarin must be a millionaire."
"He is--he is. I wish you would let me conduct the business, and _do_ let me take the fan?"
"No, I shall keep it."
"Sophia," said Miss Pewsey, solemnly, "that is dangerous. Rupert Ainsleigh hates you and needs money; he might kill you to get that fan, and sell it for five----"
"Nonsense. I cannot be murdered in a house full of people like this. I know another Chinaman hints at murder--you told me so----"
"Olivia told me to tell you," put in the little woman, quickly.
"Well, Hwei isn"t here, and I"ll sell the fan to Tung-yu to-morrow."
Miss Pewsey would have said more, but at this moment Dr. Forge approached, with a crooked elbow and a dreary smile. "Allow me to take you into supper, Miss Wharf."
"Certainly," she rose and took the arm. "I am really hungry. Lavinia?"
"I shall look for Clarence. I must find out what has become of Major Tidman," and the old maid hurried away while the doctor escorted Miss Wharf to the supper-room.
Clarence was not drinking at the buffet, though his aunt went there to find him as the most likely place. Nor was he in the ball-room, although a new dance had begun. She could not see him in the card-room, but finally ran him to earth on the terrace, where he was leaning against a tree-fern with folded arms and with his wicked black eyes fixed on a couple some distance away. Miss Pewsey followed his gaze and her eyes also flashed, for she beheld Rupert talking with Olivia. Both their heads were bent, and they conversed earnestly. The little woman hated Olivia and detested Rupert, so the sight was gall and worm-wood to her.
"Why don"t you ask her to dance?" she demanded, touching her nephew"s arm.
"Because there would only be a row," he rejoined sullenly. "I feel inclined to spoil that chap"s looks I can tell you."
"Do you really love the girl, so?"
"Yes I do. I"d give anything to marry her, and I shall too."
"There"s not the slightest chance. Ainsleigh will not surrender her I can tell you."
"Then why did you make me waste that fan."
"You didn"t waste it on her," said Miss Pewsey coldly, "she refused to take it like a fool, and now Sophia has it, there is no chance of getting it back. Had I known the fan was of such value, you wouldn"t have caught me advising you to part with it. If you knew what this Hwei said, why didn"t you tell me the fan was valuable."
"I did not see Hwei until I had parted with the fan," said Clarence crossly, "and we can do nothing now."
"You are not so bold as Major Tidman," she whispered.
"What"s that?" asked the buccaneer sharply.
"He"s not in his room," rejoined Miss Pewsey in a low voice, "he pretends illness, to carry out his plan to get the fan."
"How do you know that?"
"Because Tung-yu is in the hotel. The Major will try and get the fan to sell it to him."
"In that case he would have come to the ball and have seen Miss Wharf to get it from her."
"No. He has some other plan. What it is I don"t know. But I wish you would look round for him, Clarence, and watch him."
"Bah! It"s all stuff." Burgh turned to look at the sea and the pier and the luminous night. "I"m getting sick of this business," he went on discontentedly, "and but for the chance of gaining Olivia, I would bunk out on the long trail. There"s a barky out there," he continued pointing to the right of the pier, "yonder--the one with the green light. I saw her anchor early in the afternoon--a kind of gentleman"s yacht I fancy.
She"d just do for me. I"d like to take a boat and pull out to her and then get up steam for the South Seas. There"s a clear path leads there, down channel," and he stared at the flickering green light which winked amongst many red ones.
"You"ll never get Olivia," said Miss Pewsey, in a sharp tense voice, "and you can go away as soon as you like. Meantime, look for Major Tidman and tell him I want him."
Clarence lazily stretched himself, and moved off along the balcony. At the end there was a flight of shallow steps leading down to an iron gate which was open. Thence one could pa.s.s to the Esplanade and the beach, if so inclined. But the guests kept to the populous end of the balcony where the lights cl.u.s.tered. Near the stairs, there were hardly any lamps, and a screen of flowers curtained it off from the rest of the hotel. Clarence pa.s.sed through this floral arch, and Miss Pewsey lost sight of him. Her eyes turned to the couple she hated, and she carelessly moved near them. No one noted her as the balcony was not so full, and she sat down behind a fern where she could hear without being seen by the two, she was spying on. Their voices were low, but hate sharpened Miss Pewsey"s ears, and she listened intently.
"My aunt is much more amiable to-night," Olivia was saying, "I suppose the chance of making five thousand pounds has appealed to her."
"She gave me the chance of making it, provided I gave you up," said Rupert, "and she lost her temper with me because I declined."
"Will you never be friends with her?"
"I fear not, while Miss Pewsey is in the way," said Rupert. "Olivia, it is that woman who makes all the mischief."
"I think it is," replied the girl with a weary smile, "but she seems to have a kind of hypnotic power over my aunt--"
"What do you mean?"
"Aunt Sophia has bad headaches and Miss Pewsey sometimes hypnotises her to send away the pain."
"Miss Wharf is foolish to allow her to do such a thing. That little woman is no more to be trusted than her scamp of a nephew is."
"Well it doesn"t matter," said Olivia, feeling in her pocket. "I want to talk about ourselves. See Rupert you wanted a silk tie the other day. I have knitted you one--red and yellow."
Rupert took the tie and admired it in the lamp light. He would have kissed Olivia"s hand after a few words of warm thanks, but she prevented him.