Leo looked bewildered. "He denies the debt," said he. "Why he has my acknowledgment! He gave me the three hundred pounds in gold on Sunday morning. I packed it in a Gladstone bag, and took it to London with me.
There I paid it into my bank, and gave my creditors cheques for--"
"In gold!" burst out Mrs Gabriel, contemptuously. "Is it likely that in these days a man would pay such a large sum otherwise than by cheque?
Why, if you said notes it would be more reasonable, but gold--bah!"
"I tell you he did," said Leo, now thoroughly angry. "I wondered myself at the time, and I mentioned to Sybil how inconvenient it was. I asked Hale for notes, for a cheque, he refused both, and said I must take the money as he chose to give it, or not at all. He gave it to me in three bags, each containing a hundred sovereigns. I paid that into my London bank."
"Oh, I daresay you did," sneered Mrs Gabriel. "But you should have got a better price for the cup."
"You still believe me guilty," cried Leo, recoiling.
"I do. Hale denies that he paid you the money."
"I shall see him about it to-morrow," said Leo. "He will not dare to deny what is the truth. And I leave the castle this very night, Mrs Gabriel. I shall never call you "mother" again. You are cruel and wicked. Tell me why you hate me so."
Mrs Gabriel"s eyes flashed. "If I told you that--" she began, then closed her mouth and turned away.
"Then you _do_ hate me?"
"Yes. With all my soul!" She turned on him like a fury. "I have hated you from the moment you came into my house. All these years I have been on the point of turning you out. Go now, and never darken my doors again. I was a fool to have anything to do with you. Go! Go!"
For a moment Leo stood bewildered at her furious speech. He thought she was mad, for he could not conceive why she should speak so. It was useless to talk or to remonstrate, or to seek an explanation. He looked at her for a moment, then, without a word, he walked away. In another quarter of an hour he had left the castle, bag and baggage.
"Thank G.o.d!" cried Mrs Gabriel when alone. "I am rid of him at last!"
CHAPTER IX
A BAD REPUTATION
Pratt sat alone in his library. He was not reading, for although he had many books he rarely looked into one of them. He collected rare editions, he indulged in gorgeous bindings, and placed all his gatherings on shelves behind gla.s.s doors. It was the look of the thing Pratt liked. If his collection had been so many volumes of blank pages he would have been just as well pleased.
As the evening was cold there was a fire in the steel grate. The room looked comfortable and luxurious. It was decorated in dark red, with bookcases of rosewood, and many busts of celebrated men. On the desk stood a reading lamp, and this was the only light in the room. Before the desk sat Pratt. He was playing with a small pile of precious stones which he had shaken out of a leathern belt. The jewels gleamed in the light with rainbow hues, and Pratt fingered them with loving care, recalling where each one had been bought and found. He was crazy about his gems, but never showed them to anyone. Moreover, in addition to his liking for such things, it was a portable way of carrying about his wealth.
The door opened softly and a servant entered. Pratt did not turn his head, for he knew the footstep. But when he heard that Leo wished to see him, he poured the jewels back into the belt, flung it into a drawer and told Adam--that was the man"s name--to admit Mr Haverleigh. Adam was a tall, soldierly looking man, of the fair Saxon type. He had been with Mr Pratt for years, knew all his secrets and was absolutely devoted to him. As well he might be, for Pratt had once saved his life. Adam never forgot the obligation, and was Pratt"s devoted slave.
"Hullo, Leo!" said Pratt, rising, when the young man entered the room.
"Where did you come from?"
"From London, if you want to be precise," said Leo, after shaking hands.
"My bag is in the hall, Pratt."
"What? Have you not been to the castle?"
"I have been there, and I have come away. In fact, Pratt, she has turned me out at last. I always knew that it would come to this."
As Leo sat down Pratt frowned, and when he frowned he did not look pleased. "Ah!" said he, calmly, "so she has turned you out--on account of this theft, I suppose?"
"Yes. It is the first I ever heard of it!" said Leo, looking up. "Your wire said nothing about such an accusation. I don"t suppose you could very well have mentioned it in a telegram. However, Mrs Gabriel insisted that I had stolen the cup and sold it in London in order to pay my debts. We had a few words on the subject and parted. I am now here to ask you for a bed!"
"My dear fellow, you shall stay here as long as you please. Let me ring for Adam to bring you some supper!" and Pratt touched the bell.
"A few sandwiches and a gla.s.s of port will be sufficient," said Leo. "I am not in the humour to eat. By the way," as Adam entered, "I see he has got back?"
"Who? Adam? Yes. Where did you meet him?"
"At Portfront," said Leo, with a nod to Adam, who smiled. "He told me he had been up to London on your business. I gave him a lift part of the way. Didn"t I, Adam?"
"I shouldn"t have got home otherwise, sir," said Adam, respectfully, and departed to get food for his benefactor. Pratt seemed pleased that his servant was so friendly with Leo. He had a great opinion of Adam"s intelligence. Also, Adam was a power in the house--but Leo did not know that. Later on, he learned all about it, to his great astonishment.
"Come now," said Pratt, when Leo had eaten and had finished a gla.s.s or two of port. "Tell me about this cup. _Did_ you take it?"
"I certainly did not!" said Leo, stiffly. "I wonder at your asking me such a question, Pratt! I am not a thief!"
His host laughed somewhat nervously. "I only wanted to be sure, my dear lad," he said. "Don"t get angry with your best and only friend."
"I have another friend," said Leo, looking up from the cigar he was cutting, "and that is Sybil. She does not believe that I am guilty."
"Have you seen her, then?"
"No. But I do not want to see her in order to know that. She loves me, Mr Pratt, and would never believe me guilty. No; not though the evidence was twice as strong against me!"
"The evidence _is_ strong," said Pratt, rubbing his chin. "You were seen at the chapel, and--"
"And I have paid my debts," finished Leo. "So I have, and I can explain how I paid them; also my movements on that night." And he forthwith related to Pratt the story he had already told Mrs Gabriel. The man believed him much more readily than the woman. But then Pratt liked Leo, and Mrs Gabriel--as she had shown plainly--hated him with all the intensity of her stern and cruel nature.
"You say that Hale lent you the money?" asked Pratt.
"As I told you--in gold."
"And he now denies that he did so?"
"So Mrs Gabriel says. But I shall see for myself to-morrow."
Pratt reflected, staring into the fire. "It seems to be a conspiracy,"
he said slowly. "I wonder what his game is?"
Leo remembered that Sybil had also been uncomfortable when she heard that Hale intended to lend him the money. A thought flashed into his mind as Pratt spoke. "I believe that Hale is in love with Sibyl," said he.
"Humph! And his sister Edith is in love with you."
Leo coloured a little at this very direct remark. "I believe she is,"
said he, with an embarra.s.sed laugh; "but I a.s.sure you, Pratt, the feeling is not reciprocal. The only woman I have ever loved, whom I shall ever love, is Sybil Tempest. And the course of our true love does not run smooth," he finished, with a sigh.
"A conspiracy," repeated Pratt, who was not paying much attention to what Leo was saying. "Yes! I believe it to be one. By lending you that money Hale hoped to get you into his power, so as to induce you to give up Sibyl to him and marry Edith."