"The peace and happiness of that child depends upon how you keep your word."
That was sufficient for Norton. "Your master knew me. He also knew that I am not a man who promises lightly. Now introduce me to the daughter."
With plain reluctance Jones went about the affair. Norton put a dozen perfunctory questions to the girl. What he was in search of was not news but the sound of her voice. In that quarter of an hour he felt his heart disturbed as it had never before been disturbed.
"Now, Mr. Norton," said Jones gloomily, "will you be so kind as to follow me?"
Norton was led to Jones" bedroom. The butler-valet closed the door and drew the window shade. Always seeking shadows. This did not impress the reporter at the time; he had no other thought but the story. Jones then sat down beside the reporter and talked in an undertone. When he had done he took Norton by the elbow and gently but forcibly led him down to the front door and ushered him forth. Norton jumped into his taxicab and returned to his rooms, which were at the top of the huge apartment hotel. He immediately called up his managing editor.
"h.e.l.lo! This is Norton. Put Griffin on the Hargreave yarn. I"m off on another deal."
"But Hargreave was a friend of yours," protested the managing editor.
"I know it. But you know me well enough, Mr. Blair. I should not ask the transfer if it was not vitally important."
"Oh, very well."
"We shan"t be scooped."
"If you can promise that, I don"t care who works on the job. Will you be in the office to-night?"
"If nothing prevents me."
"Well, good-by."
Norton filled his pipe, drew his chair to the window, and stared at the great liner going down to sea.
"Lord, lord!" he murmured. Then he smiled and chuckled. Some bright morning he would have all New York by the ears, the police running round in circles, and the chiefs of the rival sheets tearing their hair. What a story! Four columns on the first page, and two whole pages Sunday.... And all of a sudden he ceased to smile and chuckle.
In the living room of the Countess Olga Perigoff"s apartment the mistress lay reading on the divan. There was no cigarette between her well shaped lips, for she was not the accepted type of adventuress. In fact, she was not an adventuress; she was really the Countess Perigoff.
Her maiden name had been Olga Pushkin; but more of that later.
When Braine came in he found her dreaming with half-closed eyes. He flourished an evening newspaper.
"Olga, even the best of us make mistakes. Here, just glance over this."
The Russian accepted the newspaper and read the heading indicated: "Aeronaut picked up far out at sea. Slips ash.o.r.e from tramp steamer.
Had five thousand in cash in his pockets."
"Hargreave escaped!"
"Not necessarily," she replied. "If it was Hargreave he would have had more than five thousand in his pockets. My friend, I believe it an attempt to fool you; or it is another man entirely." She clicked her teeth with the tops of her polished nails.
"There are two young women in the house. What the deuce can that mean?"
"Two young women? Oh! then everything"s as simple as daylight.
Katrina Pushkin, my cousin, had a child."
"Child? Hargreave had a child? What do you mean by keeping this fact from me?" he stormed.
"It was useless till this moment. He probably sent for her yesterday; but in his effort to escape had to turn her over to his butler. We shall soon learn whether Hargreave is dead or alive. We can use the child to bring him back."
The anger went out of his eyes. "You"re a wonder, Olga."
"But you should have gone with Vroon last night. He does everything just as you tell him. When they reported that Hargreave had visited Orts" hangar you ought to have prepared against such a coup as flight through the air."
"I admit it. But a daughter! Well, I can bring him back," with a sinister laugh. "By the Lord Harry, I have him in my hands this time, that is, if this girl turns out to be his daughter. A million? Two, three, all he has in the world. I want you to pay a visit right away.
Watch the butler, Jones. He"ll lie, of course; but note how he treats the girl; and if you get the chance look around the walls for a secret panel. He might not have carried away the cash at all, only enough for his immediate needs, which would account for that five thousand on the man picked up at sea. If I could only get inside that house for an hour!"
"I believe I"ll call at once. Leo, was Hargreave the man"s real name?"
Braine laughed. "That is of no vital consequence. He will be Hargreave till the end of the chapter, dead or alive. You can tell me the news at dinner to-night."
So, later, when the butler accepted her card at the door, loath as he might be, there was nothing for him to do but admit her.
"Whom do you wish to see, madam?" stepping back into the shadow.
"Miss Hargreave. I"m an old friend of her mother"s."
"There is no such person here."
"To whom, then, does this hat belong?" she asked quietly. She waved her hand indolently toward the hall rack.
Jones" lips tightened. "That belongs to Miss Gray, a kind of protegee of Mr. Hargreave"s."
"Indeed! You have no objections to my seeing her? My maiden name was Olga Pushkin, cousin to Katrina, wife of Stanley Hargreave. I am, if you will weigh the matter carefully, a kind of aunt."
To Jones it was as if ice had suddenly come into contact with his heart"s blood. But as he still stood in the shadow, she did not observe the pallor of his face.
"If you will state exactly why you wish to see her, madam."
"You seem to possess authority?"
"Yes, madam, absolute authority."
Jones produced his doc.u.ment and presented it to her.
"There is no flaw in that," she agreed readily. "I wish to see the child. I have told you why."
"Very well, madam." Why had they not telegraphed the child, even on the train, to return to Farlow"s. He knew nothing of this woman, whether she was an enemy or a friend. He conducted his unwelcome guest into the library.
"How did you know that she was here?" suddenly.
But she was ready. "I did not. But the death of Mr. Hargreave brought me. And that youthful hat in the hall was a story all its own. Later I shall show you some papers of my own. You will have no cause to doubt them. They have not the legal power of yours, but they would find standing in any court."
Jones turned and went in search of Florence.
The countess lost no time in beginning her investigations, but she wasted her time. There was no secret panel in evidence.