"i was just going," wilfrid replied. "but, of course, if there is anything that i can do for you——"
"i want to know if anything serious has happened," beatrice went on. "i could get nothing out of cotter. the man is paralyzed with fright. all i could learn was that my uncle's life is in danger. what does it mean?"
"i only wish i could tell you," wilfrid replied, "but i will not rest till i get to the bottom of it. beyond question, your uncle's life was in danger, and i have no hesitation in telling you so. and i fear you are going to have more trouble before the danger is removed. but there is one thing you must bear in mind—you are perfectly safe yourself. and as far as your uncle is concerned, he seems to be himself again, because you heard him call for cotter just now."
wilfrid might have said more, but he had no desire to alarm beatrice further. he did not want her to know that if he had been less prompt in breaking in the library door the career of the ship-owner would have been at an end by this time. he tried to close the incident with a smile.
"you must go to bed and sleep," he said. "your uncle and cotter will sit up all night, and i understand that to-morrow the case is going to be placed in the hands of a detective. it is a good thing that the servants know nothing about the matter. i suppose you saw nothing to alarm you when you were in the garden?"
"no, i was not afraid," beatrice said simply, "but i did see a thing which puzzled me exceedingly. i saw two of those strange little figures run along the drive closely followed by a gigantic negro, who was plying a whip about their shoulders unmercifully. they didn't seem to resent it in the least; in fact, they behaved just like refractory hounds who had been misbehaving themselves. they passed out of sight in a flash, and then i saw them no more. if you had not known so much i should have been almost ashamed to tell you this, for fear you should laugh at me."
wilfrid did not laugh. he did not even smile. so the thing that he had put down as a figment of cotter's diseased brain really was a fact. it was as well to know this, too. the small figures might be illusive. they might even obliterate themselves, but a stalwart negro, standing six feet six in his stockings, was another matter altogether.
"i am glad you told me this," wilfrid said thoughtfully, "because here we have something like a tangible clue. and now i must be going. i will see your uncle again to-morrow."
beatrice held out her two hands impulsively.
"how can i thank you for all your kindness?" she said. "how good and brave and patient you are!"
wilfrid carried one of the hands to his lips.
"i would do anything for you," he said, "and you know it, beatrice. perhaps the time may come some day when i can speak more freely. but i feel convinced that there is no occasion to tell you——"
wilfrid might have said more but for the heightened colour on beatrice's face, and the way in which she shrank suddenly from him. a little dismayed and chilled he followed the direction of her eyes, and noticed flower standing in the doorway. the latter betrayed nothing on his face. he merely inquired somewhat coldly if it would not be better for beatrice to retire. his expression changed when the big hall door closed finally upon wilfrid mercer.
"that young man will get on," he said grimly. "he has the necessary assurance. but i should have thought that a stranger would hardly venture to go so far——"
"mr. mercer is not exactly a stranger," beatrice said confusedly. "i saw a good deal of him when i was in london. i should have told you this before only i had no opportunity."
"oh, really! quite a romance. he is a clever young man, but i think he must be taught his place. you will not ask him here again, after he has done with me."
"i promised to call upon his mother," beatrice protested.
flower was on the verge of an angry retort, but checked himself and smiled in his own sinister fashion.
"as you please," he said. "it really doesn't matter either way. before many weeks have passed—but it is late to be talking here like this. go to bed, child."
meanwhile mercer was making his way back to oldborough, his mind full of the events of the evening. the more he thought over them, the more puzzling and bewildering they became. he emerged upon the high road presently, and went on steadily until he reached the cross-roads leading to oldborough on the one hand, and castlebridge on the other. then he became aware that a group of people were standing in the road close by the sign-post. they were gesticulating and talking so fast as to be utterly unconscious of the newcomer. wilfrid came to an abrupt standstill, then suddenly stepped off the road into the shadow of the hedge. he had ocular proof now that beatrice and cotter had been speaking the truth. here were the two small figures, no doubt the very same he had seen over their incantations in the woods, and towering above them was a gigantic individual with a face black and shining as ebony. for some time the controversy went on until it was broken at length by the thud of a horse's hoofs and the jingling of a bell. presently a flashy-looking dogcart drove up, driven by a still more flashy-looking driver. the horse was pulled up, and the man in the cart hailed the negro in tones of satisfaction.
"so you've got them at last, gordon," he said.
"indeed, i have, mister," the negro said, "and a nice dance they've led me. i never expected to see castlebridge before morning. what shall i do with them, sir?"
"tie them up behind and let them run," the man in the cart said brutally. "a gentle trot won't do them any harm. you can ride yourself. now then, hurry up!"
a moment later and the strangely assorted group were out of sight, and wilfrid was trudging homewards. he was too tired and worn out to think of much else beside bed and rest, and for once in a way a busy morning followed. it was late in the afternoon before he found time to go to maldon grange again, and then he was informed that mr. flower had left for london on important business, which would probably detain him in town till the end of the week. he hesitated before inquiring for miss galloway, but she, too, had accompanied her uncle, and the butler had not the least idea when she would be home again. it was disappointing, but wilfrid had to make the best of it.
there was, too, a sense of dulness and reaction after the bustle and excitement of the last four-and-twenty hours. it was hard to drop back into the humdrum life of oldborough, and as wilfrid went about his work he found himself regretting that he had abandoned the old adventurous existence for the stale commonplaces of respectability. then he had no cares and worries. now every post began to bring them along. certain of the local tradesmen were beginning to press him, and he dared not as yet ask for any money from such patients as had required his services. there was quite a little pile of these missives as he came in tired and weary to his frugal dinner. he tossed them aside impatiently.
"i think i'll wait till i have had something to eat, mother," he said. "i know what they are."
mrs. mercer glanced affectionately at her son. generally he treated these things lightly enough, and took a cheerful view of the future. but to-night everything seemed to oppress and weigh him down. he had no desire his mother should see how he was feeling the strain. it was not till he had finished his dinner and could make a decent excuse to get away to the surgery that he opened his letters. they were just as he had expected. nearly every one of them contained a request for money, from a polite suggestion to a curt threat of legal proceedings. but these were small matters compared with the last letter which bore the london postmark. it was short and business-like and, though courteous, there was no mistaking its meaning.
"dear sir (it ran),—we have this day taken over from messrs. darton and co. certain securities and bills upon which they have advanced money to various persons, yourself amongst the number. we notice that an acceptance of yours for £175 becomes due on saturday. as the circumstances of the case call for a clearance of these outstanding matters, we have to request that your cheque for the above amount be paid to us on saturday morning, otherwise we shall with great regret have to place it in other hands for collection. at the present moment we have no funds available to renew your acceptance.
"yours obediently,
"fowler & co."
"fowler and co., indeed," wilfrid murmured bitterly. "they have got me in their net surely enough. now i wonder what this means? i wonder what these fellows are driving at? they faithfully promised me to renew if i needed it; in fact, that was one of the conditions of the loan. and now i shall lose everything. all my efforts will have been in vain. it seems very hard just when i was making a little headway. but for my mother i would not care."
