netta had been away three weeks when one morning, just as they were sitting down to breakfast, she suddenly came into the room. with a cry of joy hilda ran into her arms.
"you wicked, wicked girl!" she exclaimed. "i know that i ought not to speak to you. you don't deserve that i should even look at you, but i cannot help it."
miss purcell embraced her niece more soberly, but hilda saw by the expression of her face that her niece's return relieved her of a burden of anxiety which at times she had had difficulty in concealing.
"in the first place, netta, before i even give you a cup of tea, tell me if this is a final return, or whether you are going to disappear again."
"that we will decide after you have heard my story," netta said quietly.
"and have you got any news of walter?"
"i am not sure; i think so. so you have kept my secret, aunt?"
"i promised that i would, dear, and of course i have kept my word, though it was very difficult to resist hilda's pleading. dr. leeds, too, has been terribly anxious about you, and not a day has passed that he has not run in for a few minutes to learn if there was any news."
"i don't see why he should have known that i have been away."
"why, my dear," hilda said, "coming here as often as he does, he naturally inquired where you were, and as i was uncertain how long you would be away, and as he had always been in our counsels, i could hardly keep[pg 234] him in the dark, even had i wished to do so. now, my dear, let us know all about it; there can be no possible reason for keeping silent any longer."
"well, hilda, the whole affair has been very simple, and there was not the least occasion for being anxious. i simply wanted to keep it quiet because i felt that you would raise all sorts of objections to the plan. we had, as you know, thought over a great many methods by which we might overhear a conversation between john simcoe and the man on pentonville hill. but it seemed next to be impossible that it could be managed there. suddenly the idea came into my brain that, as a servant at simcoe's lodgings in jermyn street, i might have an excellent chance."
hilda gave an exclamation of horror.
"my dear netta, you never can really have thought of carrying this out?"
"i not only thought of it, but did it. with a little management the girl there was got hold of, and as it fortunately happened that she did not like london and wanted to take a country situation, there was very little difficulty, and she agreed to introduce me as a friend who was willing to take her place. of course, it took a few days to make all the arrangements and to get suitable clothes for the place, and these i sent by parcel delivery, and on the morning of the day that the girl was to leave presented myself at the house. the man and his wife were good enough to approve of my appearance. they had, it seemed, three sets of lodgers, one on each floor; the man himself waited upon them, and my work was to do their rooms and keep the house tidy generally."
again hilda gave a gasp.
"there was nothing much in that," netta went on, without heeding her. "i used to do most of the house work when we were in germany, and i think that i gave every satisfaction. of course the chief difficulty was about my deafness. i was obliged to explain to them that i was very hard of hearing unless i was directly spoken to. mr. johnstone always answered the bells[pg 235] himself when he was at home. of course, when he was out it was my duty to do so. when i was downstairs it was simple enough, for i only had to go to the door of the room of which i saw the bell in motion. at first they seemed to think that the difficulty was insuperable; but i believe that in other respects i suited them so well that they decided to make the best of it, and when her husband was out and i was upstairs mrs. johnstone took to answering the door bells, or if a lodger rang, which was not very often, for her husband seldom went out unless they were all three away, she would come upstairs and tell me. johnstone himself said to me one day that i was the best girl he had ever had, and that instead of having to go most carefully over the sitting rooms before the gentlemen came in for breakfast, he found that everything was so perfectly dusted and tidied up that there was really nothing for him to do.
"but oh, hilda, i never had the slightest idea before how untidy men are! the way they spill their tobacco ash all over the room, and put the ends of their cigars upon mantelpieces, tables, and everywhere else, you would hardly believe it. the ground floor and the second floor were the worst, for they very often had men in of an evening, and the state of the rooms in the morning was something awful. our man was on the first floor, and did not give anything like so much trouble, for he almost always went out in the evening and never had more than one or two friends in with him. one of these friends was the man we saw with him in the row, and who, we had no doubt, was an accomplice of his. he came oftener than anyone else, very often coming in to fetch him. as he was always in evening dress i suppose they went to some club or to the theater together. i am bound to say that his appearance is distinctly that of a gentleman.
"i had taken with me two or three things that i foresaw i should want. among them was an auger, and some corks of a size that would exactly fit the hole that it would make. simcoe's bedroom communicated with the[pg 236] sitting room, and he always used this door in going from one room to the other; and it was evident that it was only through that that i could get a view of what was going on. i did not see how i could possibly make a hole through the door itself. it was on one side, next to that where the fireplace was, and there was a window directly opposite, and of course a hole would have been noticed immediately. the only place that i could see to make it was through the door frame. its position was a matter of much calculation, i can assure you. the auger was half an inch bore. i dared not get it larger, and it would have been hopeless to try and see anything with a smaller one, especially as the hole would have to be four or five inches long. as i sometimes went into the room when they were together, either with hot water or grilled bones, or something of that sort, i was able to notice exactly where the chairs were generally placed. simcoe sat with his back to the bedroom door, and the other man on the other side of the hearthrug, facing him. i, therefore, decided to make the hole on the side nearest to the wall, so that i could see the other man past simcoe. of course i wanted the hole to be as low as possible, as it would not be so likely to be noticed as it would were it higher up. i chose a point, therefore, that would come level with my eye when i was kneeling down.
"at about four o'clock in the afternoon they always went out, and from then till six johnstone also took his airing, and i went upstairs to turn down the beds and tidy up generally. it was very seldom that any of them dined at home; i, therefore, had that two hours to myself. i got the line the hole should go by leaving the door open, fastening a stick to the back of a chair till it was, as nearly as i could judge, the height of the man's face, tying a piece of string to it and bringing it tight to the point where i settled the hole should start, and then marking the line the string made across the frame. then there was a good deal more calculation as to the side-slant; but ten days ago i boldly set to work and bored the hole. everything was perfectly right; i could see[pg 237] the head of the stick, and the circle was large enough for me to get all the man's face in view. of course i had put a duster on the ground to prevent any chips falling onto the carpet.
"i was a little nervous when i set to work to drill that hole; it was the only time that i felt nervous at all. i had beforehand drilled several holes in the shelves of cupboards, so as to accustom myself to use the auger, and it did not take me many minutes before it came through on the other side. the corks were of two sizes; one fitted tightly into the hole, the other could be drawn in or out with very little difficulty. i had gone out one day and bought some tubes of paint of the colors that i thought would match the graining of the door frame. i also bought a corkscrew that was about an inch and a half shorter than the depth of the hole. it was meant to be used by a cross-piece that went through a hole at the top. i had got this cross-piece out with some trouble, and tied a short loop of string through the hole it had gone through. i put the corkscrew into one of the smaller corks and pushed it through until it was level with the frame on the sitting-room side, and found that by aid of the loop of string i could draw it out easily. then i put one of the larger corks in at the bedroom side of the hole and pushed it in until it was level with that side. then i painted the ends of the corks to resemble the graining, and when it was done they could hardly be noticed a couple of feet away.
"i had now nothing to do but to wait until the right moment came. it came last night. the man arrived about seven o'clock. johnstone was out, and i showed him upstairs. simcoe was already dressed, and was in the sitting room. i lost no time, but went into the bedroom, where the gas was burning, turned down the bed on the side nearest to the door, and then went round, and with another corkscrew i had ready in my pocket took out the inner cork, got hold of the loop, and pulled the other one out also. even had i had my hearing, i could have heard nothing of what was said inside, for the doors[pg 238] were of mahogany, and very well fitted, and johnstone had said one day that even if a man shouted in one room he would hardly be heard in the next, or on the landing. i pushed a wedge under the door so as to prevent its being opened suddenly. that was the thing that i was most afraid of. i thought that simcoe could hardly move without coming within my line of sight, and that i should have time to jump up and be busy at the bed before he could open the door. but i was not sure of this, so i used the wedge. if he tried the door and could not open it, he would only suppose that the door had stuck and i could snatch out the wedge and kick it under the bed by the time he made a second effort.
"kneeling down, i saw to my delight that my calculations had been perfectly right. i could see the man's face well, for the light of the candles fell full upon it. they talked for a time about the club and the men they were going to dine with, and i began to be afraid that there was going to be nothing more, when the man said, 'by the way, simcoe, i went down to tilbury yesterday.' what simcoe said, of course, i could not hear; but the other answered, 'oh, yes, he is all right, getting quite at home, the man said; and has almost ceased to talk about his friends.' then i saw him rise, and at once jumped up and went on turning down the bed, lest simcoe should have forgotten something and come in for it. however, he did not, and two or three minutes later i peeped in again. the room was all dark, and i knew that they had gone. then i put my corks in again, saw that the paint was all right, and went downstairs. i told mrs. johnstone that, if i could be spared, i should like to go out for two or three hours this morning to see a friend in service. it was the time that i could best be spared. i should have finished the sitting rooms by eight o'clock, and as none of the men have breakfast until about eleven, there was plenty of time for me to make the beds after i got back."
hilda was crying now. her relief that hearing that walter was alive and well was unbounded. she had[pg 239] absolutely refused to recognize the body found in the canal, but she could not but admit that the probabilities were all against her. it was certain that the clothes were his, the child's age was about the same, the body must have been in the water the right length of time, the only shadow of evidence to support her was the hair. she had taken the trouble to go to two or three workhouses, and found that the coroner's assertion that soft hair when cut quite close will, in a very short time, stand upright, was a correct one. she kept on hoping against hope, but her faith had been yielding, especially since netta's absence had deprived her of the support that she obtained from her when inclined to look at matters from a dark point of view.
"oh, netta," she cried, "how can i thank you enough! how happy the news has made me! and to think that i have been blaming you, while you have been doing all this. you cannot tell what a relief it is to me. i have thought so much of that poor little body, and the dread that it was walter's after all has been growing upon me. i have scarcely slept for a long time."
"i know, dear. it was because i saw that though you still kept up an appearance of hope, you were really in despair, and could tell from your heavy eyes when you came down of a morning that you had hardly slept, that i made up my mind something must be done. there was no hardship whatever in my acting as a servant for a month or two. i can assure you that i regarded it rather as fun, and was quite proud of the credit that my master gave me. now, the question is, shall i go back again?"
"certainly not, netta. you might be months there without having such a piece of luck again. at any moment you might be caught listening, or they might notice the hole that you made so cleverly. besides, we have gained a clew now to walter's hiding place. but even that is as nothing to me in comparison with having learned that he is alive and well, and that he has ceased to fret and is becoming contented in his new home. we can afford to wait now. sooner or later we are sure to[pg 240] find him. before, i pictured him, if still alive, as shut up in some horrible cellar. now i can be patient. i think that we are sure to find him before long."
"well, i think, dear," miss purcell said quietly, "that we had better ring the bell and have some fresh tea made. everything is perfectly cold, for it is three-quarters of an hour since it came up."
hilda rang the bell and gave the necessary orders.
"let janet bring the things up, roberts, and come back yourself when you have given the order. i want to send a line to dr. leeds. you will be delighted to hear that miss purcell has learned, at least, that walter is alive and well; but mind," she went on, as the old soldier was about to burst out into exclamations of delight, "you must keep this altogether to yourself. it is quite possible that we have been watched as closely as we have been watching this man, and that he may in some way learn everything that passes here; therefore it must not be whispered outside this room that we have obtained any news."
"i understand, miss. i won't say a word about it downstairs."
hilda scribbled a line in pencil to the doctor, saying that netta was back and that she had obtained some news of a favorable description, and that, as she knew that at this hour he could not get away, she would come over with netta at once to tell him what they had learned, and would be in harley street within half an hour of his getting the message.
as soon as they had finished breakfast they drove to the doctor's. they were shown up into the drawing room, where dr. leeds joined them almost immediately.
"we are not going to detain you more than two or three minutes," hilda said, while he shook hands warmly with netta. "you must come over this evening, and then you shall hear the whole story; but i thought that it was only fair that netta should have the satisfaction of telling you herself what she had learned."
"it is very little, but so far as it goes it is quite[pg 241] satisfactory, dr. leeds. i heard, or rather i saw, the man we suspected of being simcoe's accomplice say, 'by the way, i ran down to tilbury yesterday.' simcoe then said something, but what i could not tell, as his face was hidden from me, and the man in reply said, 'oh, yes, he is all right, and has almost ceased to talk about his friends.' now you must be content with that until this evening."
"i will be content with it," the doctor said, "if you will assure me that you are not going away again. if you will not, i will stop here and hear the whole story, even at the risk of a riot down in my waiting room."
"no, she is not going away, doctor; she had not quite settled about it when she got back this morning, but i settled it for her. i will take care that she does not slip out of my sight till after you have seen her and talked it all over."
"then the matter is finally settled," netta said, "for unless i go in half an hour's time i cannot go at all."
"then i will be patient until this evening."
"will you come to dinner, doctor?" hilda said. "i have sent notes off to mr. pettigrew and colonel bulstrode to ask them to come, as i have news of importance to give them."
"what will they do, netta, when they find that you do not come back?" hilda asked as they drove away.
"that has puzzled me a good deal. i quite saw that if i disappeared suddenly they might take it into their heads that something had happened to me, and might go to the police office and say i was missing. but that would not be the worst. simcoe might guess, when he heard that i had gone without notice and left my things behind me, that i had been put there to watch him. he certainly would not suspect that he could have been overheard, for he must know that it would be quite impossible for any words to be heard through the doors; still, he would be uneasy, and might even have the child moved to some other locality. so i have written a note,[pg 242] which we can talk over when we get in. of course they may think that i have behaved very badly in throwing them over like this, but it is better that they should do that than they should think there was anything suspicious about it. my wages are due to-morrow; like the girl i succeeded, i was to have eight pounds a year. i have left my box open, so that the mistress can see for herself that there is none of the lodgers' property in it. there are two or three print dresses—i put on my sunday gown when i came out—and the underclothes are all duly marked jane clotworthy."
"what a name to take, netta!"
"yes, i do not know how i came to choose it. i was thinking what name i would take when clotworthy flashed across my mind. i don't think that i ever heard the name before, and how i came to think of it i cannot imagine; it seemed to me a sort of inspiration, so i settled on it at once."
"now, let me see the letter," hilda asked, as soon as they returned home.
"i hardly liked to write it," netta said, "it is such a wicked story; but i don't see how a person can act as detective without telling stories, and, at any rate, it is perfectly harmless."
"oh, yes; it is quite certain, netta, that you could not write and tell her that you have been in her house in disguise, and that, having found out what you wanted, you have now left her. of course you must make up a story of some sort, or, as you say, simcoe would at once suspect that you had been sent there to watch him. he might feel perfectly sure that no conversation could have been heard outside the room, but he could not be sure that you might not have been hidden under the table or sofa, or behind a curtain. when so much depends upon his thinking that he is absolutely safe, one must use what weapons one can. if you have any scruples about it, i will write the letter for you."
"no, i do not think the scruples will trouble me," netta laughed. "of course, i have had to tell stories,[pg 243] and one more or less will not weigh on my mind. here is the letter. if you can think of any better reason for running away so suddenly, by all means let me have it."
the letter was written in a sprawling hand, and with many of the words misspelt. it began:
"dear mrs. johnstone: i am afraid you will think very badly of me for leaving you so sudding, after you and mr. johnstone have been so kind to me, but who should i meet at my friend's but my young man. we were ingaged to be married, but we had a quarrel, and that is why i came up to town so sudding. we has made it up. he only come up yesterday, and is going down this morning, and nothing would do but that i must go down with him and that we should get married directly. he says that as the banns has been published there aint any occasion to wait, and we might be married at the end of the week, as he has got everything ready and is in good employment. so the long and the short of it is, mam, that i am going down with him home this afternoon. as to the wages that was due to-morrow, of course i forfeit them, and sorry i am to give you troubil, by leaving you without a girl. my box is not locked, plese look in it and you will see that there aint nothing there that isn't my own. in one corner you will find half a crown wrapped up in paper, plese take that to pay for the carriage of the box, the key is in the lock, and i send a labil to tie on."
"what do you think of that, hilda?"
"i think it will do capitally. i don't think any better excuse could be made. but where will you have the box sent?"
"that is what we must settle together. it would not do to send it down to some little village, for if the address was unknown it might be sent back again."
"yes; and if john simcoe had any suspicions that the story was a false one he might go down there to make inquiries about jane clotworthy, and, finding no such[pg 244] name known there, and the box still lying at the station, his suspicion that he had been watched would become almost a certainty."
"i should think that reading would be a good place to send to it. 'jane clotworthy, luggage office, reading.' then i could go down myself and ask for it, and could bring it up by the next train."
"tom roberts could do that, netta; there is no reason why you should trouble about it."
"i think that i had better go myself. it is most unlikely that simcoe would send down anyone to watch who took the box away, but if he should be very uneasy he might do so. he would be sure to describe me to anyone that he sent, so that it would be better that i should go myself."
"i think that your story is so plausible, netta, that there is no risk whatever of his having any doubts about it, but still one cannot be too careful."
"then i will wind up the letter.
"'begging your pardon for having left you in the lurch so sudding. i remain, your obedient servant,
"'jane clotworthy.
"'p.s.—i am very sorry.
"'p.s.—plese give my respects to mr. johnstone, and excuse blots.'"
hilda burst into a fit of laughter as she glanced at the postscript.
"that will do admirably, netta," she said. "now how had we better send it?"
"i should think that your maid had better take it. you might tell her to ring at the bell, hand it to the woman, and come away at once, without talking, except saying 'i was told to give you this.' then she would be well away before mrs. johnstone had mastered the contents of the note. it had better be sent off at once, for by this time they will be getting in a way."
"i think that i had better send roberts. no doubt[pg 245] johnstone himself will be in, and will answer the door; and he might ask lucy where she came from, and i don't want to tell her anything. roberts could say that a young woman of his acquaintance, down chelsea way, asked him to get on a 'bus and leave it for her. he can be trusted, if the man does detain him and ask him questions, to give sensible answers."
the letter was sealed and roberts called up.
"take a cab and go down with this to jermyn street," hilda said. "i want it left at that house. if the man who opens the door asks you who you have brought it from, say from a young woman, a friend of yours, in a place down chelsea way. i don't suppose that he will ask any other questions, and you had best say 'good-morning,' and saunter off carelessly, as if, having done your errand, you had nothing else on hand. of course you won't drive up to the door. leave the cab round the corner, and come straight back here in it."
"all right, miss," he answered.
there was a little look of amusement in the man's face as he glanced at netta that did not this time pass unnoticed by his mistress. she waited until the door had closed behind him, and then turned sharply on her friend.
"i believe, netta, you have had roberts in your confidence all the time, and while we have all been working ourselves into a fever as to where you could be, he has known it all along."
"one cannot work without accomplices," netta laughed. "it was necessary that someone should make arrangements with the servant there for me to take her place, and who could i trust better than roberts? i think colonel bulstrode's servant helped in the matter; at any rate, they managed it capitally between them. of course it was roberts who carried my box out that morning. you must not be angry with him, hilda, for keeping it from you. i made him promise most faithfully that nothing should induce him to confess."
"i shan't be angry with him, netta, but you may be[pg 246] sure that i shall give him a little lecture and say that i will have no more meddling on his part, except by my express orders. it is really annoying, you know, to think that all this time we were fretting about you there was roberts going about laughing in his sleeve."
"well, you know, hilda, he has the discovery of walter as much at heart as we have, and he has certainly not spared himself in the search for him."
"no, that he has not. he is a faithful fellow, and i promise you that i won't be too hard on him."
