"There is but one tree though--one copper beech you know," said her husband. "I am inclined to think that to make things safer, the hiding place must be in one of the green trees signified by the jade beads. The question is, which tree is it?"
Olivia looked at the fan again, and as she did so started. Rupert also raised his head. They heard the sound of wheels scrunching the gravel outside, and wondered who was arriving so late. The clock pointed to half-past ten. The servants had gone to bed, so Rupert followed by his wife, who was rather nervous, went to the door. When Rupert opened it he found himself facing a tall handsome man in a fur cloak, and wearing a strange hat.
"Good evening," said the stranger in the best of English, "I speak to Mr. Ainsleigh I think, I am the Marquis Lo-Keong."
CHAPTER XX
THE MANDARIN EXPLAINS
"I must apologise for this very late visit," said Lo-Keong, when he was conducted to the drawing-room by his surprised host, "but I must explain--"
"Not now, Marquis," replied Ainsleigh, giving his visitor the rank which he claimed, "you must be weary and hungry."
"No. I am perfectly well, and enjoyed a meal before I left London. If you will give my servants orders to take up my luggage, and will then hear what I have to say, you will do everything I desire."
Rupert went again to the hall to tell the two Chinese servants, which Lo-Keong had brought with him, to take the trunks up to the bed-room which the Marquis would occupy. Then he went to the back and made Mr.
and Mrs. Petley rise. Both were disturbed when they heard that a Chinese grandee was in the house. "I do hope he won"t bring trouble with him,"
said Mrs. Petley to her husband. "I never could abear them things, since I saw that creature who brought home the old master"s baggage. And, Missus, as is dead, couldn"t bear him either."
"He was a c.o.c.k-eyed man," said old John reflectively.
"c.o.c.k-eyed yourself," retorted the housekeeper who had a better memory, "he was one-eyed, and a nice ugly thing he looked. Ah well, as I always says, Abbot Raoul don"t walk for nothing, and this Chiner gentleman coming here, means trouble."
Old John who was much the same way of thinking himself, grew annoyed by his wife"s pessimism and told her to hurry up and come to the kitchen.
Then he went to see after the bed-room which his master had selected for the untoward guest. Mrs. Petley came down to find her kitchen in the possession of two grave silent Chinamen who had lighted the fire and were boiling water for tea. "Well, I"m sure," said Mrs. Petley surveying both with distaste, "the idear of these furreiners taking liberties," and she sniffed at the Far East.
Meanwhile, Rupert returned to the drawing-room and found the Marquis paying attentions to his wife. Lo-Keong was a tall, fine-looking man, grave and extremely polite. He had admirable manners, and his clothes were of the finest. Olivia in her rich dinner dress, felt quite plainly dressed beside this gorgeous gentleman, who wore a jacket of rose-pink, a coat of gra.s.s green satin, pale blue silk trousers, and thick-soled white green shoes. He also had a glossy pig-tail woven with silk, and carried a small fan--at which Olivia shuddered. Seated in a deep arm-chair, he looked a potentate, quite out of place in that sober English drawing-room. The Marquis was very affable, and deferential to Mrs. Ainsleigh, who quite overcame her dislike to Celestials after a few moments converse with this splendid specimen of the aristocracy of Cathay.
"You are quite sure you won"t have some refreshment?" she asked.
Lo-Keong waved his slim hand graciously. "I thank you, no," said he, "and if you will allow me to explain myself, you can then retire. I am ashamed of having called at this hour. But," he looked at Rupert first and at Olivia afterwards, "my excuse is a good one. I have seen Hwei--whom you know."
Ainsleigh shuddered. "Yes, and I don"t retain any very pleasant recollections of that gentleman," said he.
Lo-Keong laughed quietly, "Hwei is a true devotee of the G.o.d Kw.a.n.g-ho."
"I don"t understand about that G.o.d," said Olivia.
"I have come to explain," said the Chinaman, "it is a great pity I did not come before. You would then have had no trouble about this," and he took up the famous fan which Olivia had tossed on the sofa.
"Oh," the young couple looked at one another, and if they did not say "oh," the expression of "oh"--an amazed "oh" was on their faces.
Lo-Keong seemed to have his eyes everywhere, and took up the fan as if it was the most natural thing it should be lying there. "You understand," he went on in his calm well-bred voice. "I have seen Hwei and he told me everything."
"About the murder?"
"About the murder, Mrs. Ainsleigh, and about the hunt for the a.s.sa.s.sin; also about your husband"s visit to London, and full details concerning the folly of Tung-yu--my enemy"s servant, who related how the picture on this," he laid a long yellow finger on the fan, "could be brought to light," his eyes wandered to the fragment of the joss-stick within the fender. "I observe that you have been clever enough to see the picture."
"Yes," said Rupert, quite amazed at this penetration, "but how do you know that?"
"Very easily. Hwei told me that he came to the cloisters one night to see that all was well----"
"He knew of the hiding place then?" asked Olivia, eagerly.
"Certainly. I have always trusted Hwei, but Tung-yu did not know, and hence his desire to procure the fan. Hwei was here on the night poor Miss Wharf was killed, and dropped the joss-stick. You have been clever enough to make use of it. Well, now you both know where the packet is?"
"The packet?"
"Of papers which mean my life--papers connected with the Boxers, which the Mandarin Hop Sing would give much to possess."
"We know that the packet is hidden in a tree," said Rupert, "but which tree we cannot guess."
"Ah," Lo-Keong slipped the beads through his fingers, "here is a piece of jade with a gold band round it."
"The third bead----"
"Consequently the third tree. We will look for the packet, as soon as I explain myself. The packet must be safe, as you have the fan, and I know, Mr. Ainsleigh, you are my friend, as I was the friend of your father before you."
"What," Rupert threw back his head. "I understood from Dr. Forge, that you were my enemy."
Lo-Keong frowned. "Ah! he goes as far as that," said he, then paused a moment. "I will explain."
Olivia would have interrupted, but he threw out a long arm in an imperious manner, and began his story without further preamble, playing with the fan all the time.
"My name," said the Marquis, "is Lo-Keong, and I am a native of the province of Kan-su----"
"Where the mine is," murmured Rupert.
"Exactly, Mr. Ainsleigh. My native town is on the Hwei River, and not far from the mine your father bought----"
"Along with Dr. Forge."
"Pardon me, sir, but Dr. Forge did not buy it. He was merely a servant of your father"s. The mine was owned by your father alone. I conducted the negotiations on behalf of the owner of the land."
"But Forge says----"
"I can guess." Lo-Keong waved his hand coldly. "He blackens my name to you, and lies about the mine. Always bad--always foul, always a liar--that man must be killed. I have spared him too long."
Olivia shuddered. "No Marquis," said she, "I beg that there may be no more murders."
"Not in England, but when this Forge comes again to China," here the Marquis smiled in a cruel way, but made no further remark. The young people shuddered. He smiled benignly on them, and went on with his story in a calm level voice.
"My respected parent was a merchant," said he calmly, "and he gave me a fine education, of which, as you know, we think greatly in the Middle Kingdom. I secured the Hanlin degree, which is very high, and so became greater than my friend Hop Sing, who failed. That success made Hop Sing my enemy. I returned home, and Hop Sing made trouble. It is not necessary to explain how," added the Marquis with another wave of his hand. "But the trouble resulted in my leaving my parental roof, and becoming a soldier with the Boxers who then conspired against the Empress Dowager. But before I left my native town, I acted as the middle man between a respected resident and Mr. Markham Ainsleigh who desired to lease a gold mine on the Hwei River. I left him in full possession of the rights to work the mine, and Dr. Forge a.s.sisted him."
"Not as a partner?" asked Rupert breathlessly.