"Oh, indeed. A jury will give their opinion on that," sniffed the maiden.
"No! No I beg of you----"
"The damages will be laid at five thousand pounds."
"The price of the fan," said Tidman starting.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Miss Pewsey, her eyes glittering.
"I mean, just nothing."
"Oh yes, you do. Make a clean breast of it Benjamin Tidman. Oh, to think that the son of a farmer, who was almost a labourer, should dare to speak evil of a Pewsey of Ess.e.x. But the law--the law," said the irate lady shaking a thin finger, "and five thousand pounds."
"Get it out of the fan."
"Is it worth that?" asked Forge coldly.
"You heard what young Ainsleigh said," answered Tidman as coldly.
"Yes I remember; but we have not come about the price, but about your libel on this lady."
"I apologise," said Tidman, seeing nothing else was to be done.
"Apology isn"t money," snapped Miss Pewsey.
"Oh, if you want money, again I refer you to the fan."
The Major was getting angry. He didn"t very much care if Miss Pewsey did bring an action at the moment, though with saner thoughts he would have been horrified at the idea. "I apologise," said he again, "but I was misled by Dr. Forge."
"How were you misled by me?" demanded Forge impa.s.sively.
"You said you had the fan in your cabinet, and that it had been stolen.
Mrs. Bressy swore she did not take it, and I thought--"
"That I was the thief," cried Miss Pewsey shrilly, "oh how clever of you--how very, very clever. You thought that I got the key from the watch-chain of Dr. Forge where he always carries it, to open the cabinet and steal a fan, I knew nothing about it. I never even knew of the existence of the fan--there Judas," snapped the lady once more.
"Then I was mistaken, and Dr. Forge was mistaken also."
"I confess that I did make a mistake," said the doctor with a sad face, "but that does not excuse your libelling the lady I hope to call my wife. My memory is not so good as it was, and I fear that the drugs I take to induce sleep have impaired what memory I have left. I suffer from neuralgia," added the doctor turning to Miss Pewsey, "and in China I contracted the habit of opium smoking, so--"
"Marriage will put that right," said the lady patting his hand. "I do not expect a perfect husband--"
"I never knew you expected a husband at all," said Tidman injudiciously.
"Ho," cried Miss Pewsey drawing herself up. She had been standing all the time, "another libel. I call Dr. Forge to witness it."
"I really think Tidman you"d better hold your tongue," said the doctor gently, "but I must explain, that I quite forgot that I had parted with the fan. Yes. I received it from you, seven years ago when I brought you home after that adventure in Canton. Two years later I returned to China, to see Lo-Keong on business, and I took the fan with me. He received it."
"No," said the Major shaking his bald head, "I can"t believe that, Forge. You declared that you hated Lo-Keong and that the fan would harm you and him also."
"I do hate the man," cried Forge looking more like a bird of prey than ever, "but I got a concession about a gold mine, by giving back the fan.
I wanted the money more than Lo-Keong"s life. As to my own life, it was in danger from the enemies of the Mandarin, who want the fan to ruin him. That was why I spoke as I did. Are you satisfied?"
"Not quite," said Tidman who was puzzled, "how did the fan come to England again?"
"My nephew Mr. Burgh will tell you that," said Miss Pewsey, "when he has administered the beating I have asked him to inflict."
"Beating," shouted the Major s.n.a.t.c.hing a knife from the breakfast table, "let that young whelp dare to hint such a thing, and I"ll kick him round Marport."
"Clarence is not the man to be kicked."
"Nor am I the man to be beaten. I have apologised and that is quite enough. If you are not satisfied Miss Pewsey, you can bring your action and I"ll defend it. Beating indeed," snorted Tidman, "I"d like to see anyone who would dare to lay a hand on me," and he looked very fierce as he spoke.
"Very good," said Miss Pewsey in a stately manner, "if you will tell me all about the fan, I shall ask Clarence to spare you the beating."
"Clarence can go to--" the Major mentioned a place which made Miss Pewsey shriek and clap her fingers to her ears. "I am not the least afraid of that cad and bounder--that--that----"
"Libel again Major Tidman."
"Pooh--Pooh," said Forge rising, "let us go Lavinia."
"Not till I hear about the fan. For the sake of my dear Sophia who has the fan, I want to hear."
"All I know, is, that the fan was advertised for----"
"I saw the advertis.e.m.e.nt," said Miss Pewsey, "but I said nothing to dear Sophia, although I recognised the fan from the description in the newspaper. She never looks at the papers, and trusts to me to tell her the news."
"So you kept from her a piece of news out of which she could make five thousand pounds."
"Really and truly," said Miss Pewsey clutching her bag convulsively and with glittering eyes, "who says so--who pays it--who--?"
"One question at a time," interrupted Tidman, now quite master of himself. "Tung-yu, the man Ainsleigh saw at the Joss House in Perry Street Whitechapel, offered five thousand pounds for the return of the fan. Ainsleigh saw the advertis.e.m.e.nt and--"
"I know how he came to inquire about the fan," said Miss Pewsey, "Dr.
Forge told me, but I did not know the amount offered."
"Will you tell Miss Wharf now."
"No," said Miss Pewsey very decisively, "nor will any one else. My Sophia"s health is delicate and if she had a shock like that inflicted on her, she would die."
"What the offer of five thousand pounds--"
"The chance of being killed," said Miss Pewsey, "but I will leave my nephew Mr. Burgh to explain that Major Tidman. I accept your apology for thinking me a--but no," cried the lady, "I can"t bring myself to p.r.o.nounce the nasty word. I am a Pewsey of Ess.e.x. All is said in that, I think. Good morning, Major. My abstinence from bringing an action lies in the fact, that you will refrain from unsettling my Sophia"s mind by telling about the fan. Good-morning. My Theophilus will we not go?"
Before the Major could recover from the bewilderment into which he was thrown by this torrent of words, Miss Pewsey taking the arm of the melancholy doctor had left the room. When alone Tidman scratched his chin and swore. "There"s something in this," he soliloquised. "I believe the old woman wants to get the money herself. By George, I"ll keep my eyes on her," and the Major shook his fist at the door, through which the fairy form of Miss Pewsey had just vanished.
Later in the day Tidman dressed to perfection, walked up the town twirling his stick, and beaming on every pretty woman he came across.
The stout old boy was not at all appalled by the threat of Miss Pewsey regarding her buccaneering nephew"s attentions. When he saw the gentleman in question bearing down on him, he simply stopped and grasped his stick more firmly. If there was to be a fight, the Major resolved to have the first blow. But Burgh did not seem ready to make a dash. He sauntered up to Tidman and looked at him smilingly, "Well met old pard,"