"I hope he will," said Julius, and felt a strong inclination to thrust his tongue in his cheek also. Then he took his leave and the old lady watched him go.
"What is this for?" she asked herself, and went inside to write a report to Durham.
CHAPTER XIII
A CONSULTATION
A week later Bernard was seated in the sitting room on the first floor of the castle looking out at the landscape. It was picturesque but depressing. The sun had just set behind dark clouds, and the red glare behind them looked like a fire in a grate. The marshes were covered with white mist, and the arm of the sea that reached up to the castle walls resembled a stream of blood. And over all the veil of night was falling darker and darker. Even to a mind at ease the prospect would have been cheerless, but to Bernard in his present low spirits it was positively suicidal. He felt more miserable than he had ever done in his life.
While watching and waiting, he knew not for what, the sound of voices was heard. As he started to his feet with that nervousness which had increased of late, the door opened slowly and Mark Durham entered smiling. Bernard with an e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of surprise hastened towards him with outstretched hands.
"My dear Mark, how unexpected and how jolly. I was just dying to see someone. When did you arrive?"
"This very minute, and Mrs. Moon"--he turned to the door through which could be seen the gigantic form of the ogress--"showed me up at once. I have come for the night"--he raised his voice for the benefit of the housekeeper--"on business connected with Lord Conniston"s estate."
"Sir," said Mrs. Moon, peering in, "don"t tell me as his lordship is going to fight."
"No! no! Make yourself easy. He has left the army. Should he go to the front it will be in a way more befitting his rank."
"And a relief it is to hear that," said Mrs. Moon, placing a large hand on her ample bosom. "When Jerry, who is my grandson, wrote me his lordship was a common soldier, I could have fainted, but what I thought Victoria would bring me to with hot water like the spiteful imp of darkness she is."
"Did Jerry write?" asked Durham, making a sign to Gore to be silent.
"Of course he did, and said as he had been turned out of his employment for a--recognizing of his lordship--a thing I should never have thought his lordship would have done, seeing he got my own flesh and blood, which Jerry is, the situation."
"It was not for that reason, Mrs. Moon. Jerry told a lie if he wrote that to you."
"Printed or speaking lies, he tells plenty," moaned the giantess. "Oh dear me, so like his poor dear father, though I thumped him rarely when I had the strength. But what"s my Jerry, bad as he is and liar though he be, a-doing of now? He may be starving in that nasty London, and a rare child he was for t.i.t-bits."
"I can tell you where he is, Mrs. Moon," broke in Bernard. "I have just heard." He glanced towards the table wherein lay a letter. "He is a page in the house of Miss Plantagenet at Hurseton."
"Deary me," said Mrs. Moon in mild surprise. "I do hope as he"ll give satisfaction, and pleased I am. I must tell Victoria, she being taken up greatly with my Jerry, though both of them be but young."
Durham detained her. "No! Don"t say a word to Victoria."
"And why not, sir?"
"If you do Jerry will lose his post," explained Durham. "Miss Plantagenet has heard of Victoria, and she doesn"t seem to be a good companion for Jerry. Only on condition that Victoria has nothing to do with Jerry will the boy be kept on. It is for this reason he has not been over to see you."
"And him being so near and denying his own flesh and blood," wailed Mrs.
Moon, raising her large hands; "but Jerry was always bad. Well, I don"t want him to lose his place, so I"ll hold my tongue, and right Miss Plantagenet is, Victoria being a bad and wicked critter as I"d take my Bible oath. If only another girl would stop here I"d give Victoria the walking-ticket. But, bless you, the castle"s that dismal and the----"
Here Durham interrupted impatiently. "Go and send up some tea, Mrs.
Moon, and hold your tongue about Jerry"s whereabouts. If Victoria learns, she may go over, and then Jerry would be dismissed."
"To the gallows," said the housekeeper, closing the door, "to which he will a.s.suredly go," she added, opening it again, "he taking after his forebears, who were hanged for many evils. Tea did you say. Ah, well, there"s some comfort in tea," and muttering to herself the weak old creature left the two gentlemen to themselves.
By this time Bernard had returned to the fire and was pushing forward a chair for Durham. "I am glad to see you, Mark," said he, cordially. "But why did you stop me speaking?"
"I didn"t stop you, worse luck," said Durham, running his hand through his curly hair. "I didn"t want Mrs. Moon to know where Jerry was. I only hope she will hold her tongue; but if she does tell Victoria, and she is weak enough to babble a lot, Jerry will learn in a way I need not describe that you are here."
Bernard saw that he had been foolish and bit his lip. "I should have been silent," he said. "But the fact is, Mark, I didn"t think of Jerry being dangerous. Alice simply wrote saying that he had been engaged by Miss Berengaria as a page, and that she would give me the details when she came to-morrow."
"So like a woman," grumbled Durham, sitting down. "It would have been better had she told you that Beryl had induced Miss Plantagenet to take the boy as a page."
Bernard stared. "But she is on my side," he faltered.
"Of course she is, and for that reason she has taken the boy. I told her to be civil to Beryl, so that I might learn what his game was. It is better that we should keep all these people in sight. I have my eye on Beryl, who haunts my office. Jane Riordan is in my employment. Miss Randolph keeps watch on Mrs. Gilroy, and Miss Plantagenet will see that Jerry--or Judas as Conniston calls him--does no mischief. If I can get all the threads into my hands, Bernard, I"ll soon be able to find a clue likely to lead me to the central mystery of this labyrinth. And there"s no denying," added Durham, wrinkling his brows, "that the case is a perplexing one."
"I understand about you and Miss Berengaria," said Bernard, nursing his chin, "you are my friends; but Lucy. I have always had my doubts about Lucy, and offended Conniston by saying so. He admires Lucy."
"Miss Randolph is entirely to be trusted," said the lawyer, decisively; "she is your friend, and has broken off her engagement with Beryl. I think he showed too plainly that he wanted to ruin you and----"
"Does he know that I am alive?" interrupted Gore, much perturbed.
"No! But I think he is suspicious. He has some rascally scheme in his head or he would not have placed Judas in Miss Berengaria"s establishment; luckily, the old lady will watch the boy. However, as I was saying, the engagement between Miss Randolph and Beryl is ended. She told me that she had given him back the ring. She is quite on our side."
"Conniston will be glad," said Gore, smiling in a haggard sort of way; "he admires Lucy."
"So do I. She"s a charming girl, especially now that she has been allowed to exert her individuality, which was crushed by Sir Simon. I often wondered you did not fall in love with her, Bernard."
"Oh, we are like brother and sister," said Bernard, quietly, then he sighed and started to his feet. "See here, Mark, I can"t stand this sort of thing any longer."
"What sort of thing?"
"This inaction. Here I am mouldering in this old castle, a prey to apprehension, and letting other people do my work. Why shouldn"t I come to life and give myself up?"
"You can do that later, when we know more about the case than we do at present. Don"t be rash, Bernard."
Gore walked up and down the room. "The life will drive me mad," he said impatiently. "Thank Heaven Alice comes to see me to-morrow."
"Why didn"t she come before?"
"She would have done so had she thought it safe. Alice is as true as steel. But with Beryl about the place--and he has called several times on Miss Berengaria--she thought it best to postpone her visit. But Conniston asked them both over to-morrow, and they are coming openly."
"So they told me," rejoined Durham, coolly, "and I particularly impressed on them that they were not to bring that imp over. If he learns you are here--" The lawyer paused.
"What will he do?"
"Sell you to the highest bidder. I think we can get the better of Beryl there, though. We have the money and Beryl hasn"t. Judas is in the employment of Beryl so long as it pays him. But if I promise him a good sum he"ll hold his tongue whatever he learns. It"s just as well, seeing how rash you were telling his grandmother where he is to be found."
"I was foolish," admitted Gore, gloomily, "but I am so worried that I do foolish things. Do you think there is any chance of getting at the truth, Mark?"
"Here"s the tea," said Durham, rising at the sound of a shuffle at the door. "Let me have a cup, and then I"ll tell you what I have discovered."