"the danger would certainly lie there," walter said thoughtfully.
"my dear boy, that is just where the danger comes in," ravenspur replied. "i haven't the remotest idea whether vera is like or unlike her mother, but i fear that she must be, otherwise that man silva would never have got on my track, as i have felt quite sure lately that he has done. doubtless in some of his wanderings he has seen the girl, he has recognised the likeness, and made up his mind that he has found the object of his search at last. you see, he has only to make a few inquiries amongst the servants, who would tell him that vera is my ward, and that, as to the rest, she is more or less of a beautiful mystery. one can understand now why he should come to my studio and steal that portrait."
"i think i can see a better theory than that," walter said. "wasn't the portrait exhibited before it came back to the studio again? i seem to remember something of the kind."
"of course it was," ravenspur exclaimed. "i had quite forgotten that. silva must have got his inspiration from the picture. i suppose that is why he made that murderous attack upon sir james seton the other night, taking him, of course, for me. but that is not the first warning i have had of the impending danger, and i am afraid it won't be the last."
walter listened to this desponding view with impatience.
"but, surely, you are not going to take it like this, sir?" he expostulated. "by greatest good fortune we have discovered who your mysterious foe is. i think it has been a wonderful slice of luck, and we ought to take advantage of it. surely you couldn't do any less than place the matter in the hands of the police, telling them all that has happened. at any rate, you can do nothing else. they can drive this man silva out of the country. if i may be allowed a suggestion, you will let inspector dallas know without delay. if you don't care to tell him yourself, let me broach the matter. indeed, it seems my imperative duty to do so. if you fell by the hand of this man now i should feel morally responsible for your death. and, besides, if anything happens to you, what are we going to do about vera? she is not yet of age. she might at any moment be claimed by her mother, who you say is a perfect fiend. and, besides, though this is a minor matter, i am deeply attached to vera myself----"
"oh, i know, i know," ravenspur groaned. "the thing is hedged round with troubles and difficulties. you know why i was against your marriage with vera, and how greatly distressed i was when i found everything out. if there had been nothing in the way, nobody would have been more delighted at a match like that than myself. but you see the danger, though you little know how deep and far-reaching those corsican vengeances are. how do i know that if you marry vera you would not be marked down for the same fate as myself?"
"i am prepared to risk that," walter said grimly. "still, at the present moment, we have far more important things to talk about. and vera must know nothing of this."
"my dear boy, of course not. i should never dream of telling her. but sooner or later she must discover everything for herself, i am afraid. i have been thinking over what you said just now, and perhaps it would be as well to let the police know."
"you will do it at once?" asked walter eagerly.
"well, no, i don't propose to do it at all. you have been so clever and cool-headed in this matter that i have decided to leave everything to you. the whole problem is so complicated that i am utterly unable to grasp it. i can see no connection between the two, but i am perfectly certain that the death of poor delahay is all part of the coil."
"i feel that, too," walter said. "but we need not concern ourselves about that at present. by the way, have you seen anything of mrs. delahay to-day?"
"she won't see me," ravenspur replied. "she obstinately refuses to see anybody. she remains wilfully blind to the fact that she is in a serious position. you see, she declared in her evidence in chief that she had not been outside the hotel on the night of the murder, and yet on the testimony of three independent witnesses we have it that she was away upwards of three hours. of course, that man stevens is a very suspicious character, but he could have nothing to gain by swearing that he saw mrs. delahay with her husband very early in the morning in fitzjohn square. moreover, the man's evidence was not in the least shaken. what to make of it i don't know. i wish you would try and see her. you know her far better than i do, because you were a deal in italy before delahay's marriage, and i think she likes you. of course, she might have some strong reasons for leaving the hotel and for keeping the thing a secret, and she may be utterly and entirely innocent. but, really she ought to tell her best friends what is the meaning of this mystery."
walter glanced at his watch. it still wanted some minutes to eleven o'clock, and it was no far cry to the grand hotel. a hansom took him there in ten minutes. mrs. delahay had not yet retired for the night, and walter sent up his card, with a few urgent words pencilled on it. a maid came down presently with the information that mrs. delahay would see him for a moment.
she came into her sitting-room perfectly calm and self-possessed, though the deadly whiteness of her face and the scintillating of her eyes told of the torture that was going on within.
"i wish you would let me help you," walter said as they shook hands. "i wish you would be advised by me. my uncle tells me that you refused to see him altogether."
"i was bound to," mrs. delahay said in a low voice. "oh, i know exactly what you want. i am the victim of a set of extraordinary circumstances. my innocent lie may get me into serious trouble. i am not blind to that knowledge, but at the same time i cannot speak. i must allow people to think the worst. but i swear to you if it is the last word i ever utter, that i was not with my husband. i was not the woman the witness identified as the person he had seen with louis delahay in fitzjohn square that terrible morning."
the words were quietly, almost coldly, uttered, but walter believed them as he would perhaps have refused to believe a passionate outburst on the speaker's part.
"but surely," he argued, "you can give some account of your movements. you can say why you went out and what for?"
"i cannot," maria delahay went on in the same even tones. "there are the most pressing reasons why i should keep silent. my dear mr. lance, i am grateful from the bottom of my heart for all your sympathy and kindness, but nothing can move me from my determination. after all said and done, the police can prove nothing against me. for the rest of my life i shall be a person to be shunned and avoided, but i shall know how to bear my punishment uncomplainingly. and in conclusion, i am quite convinced of this--if i told you everything, you would say that i was perfectly justified in the course i am taking. further argument is useless."
walter saw the futility of it, too. he saw in the woman's averted head and outstretched hand, the sign that he was no longer needed, and that the interview was at an end. by no means satisfied he made his way down to the vestibule intent upon seeing inspector dallas without further delay. he was not surprised to find the object of his search engaged in discussion with the clerk.
"you are the very man i want to see," he said. "if you have ten minutes to spare, i think i can give you some useful information. i have just been having a long conversation with lord ravenspur, and he has asked me to lay certain facts before you."
"i can come with you now," dallas said. "we can talk as we go along the road. now, sir."
"it is rather a long story," walter said. "i suppose you scotland yard people keep yourselves au fait with most of the sensational crimes which take place on the continent? i suppose, for instance, you remember the death by poisoning of count boris flavio, and how his wife was charged no fewer than five times with the crime?"
dallas fairly started.
"that is a most extraordinary thing," he said. "i don't mind telling you that within the last day or two, or rather within the last few hours, we have blundered upon a startling light on that crime. it so happens that an italian detective, who has come here to take a prisoner back to rome, has interested himself in the fitzjohn business, more or less because mrs. delahay is italian herself. this detective berti was not in court during the inquest, but he came round here an hour or two ago and expressed a casual wish to see mrs. delahay. he managed to do so for a moment, and then he made a statement that fairly took my breath away. but come with me as far as scotland yard and you shall hear him tell the story himself. i won't spoil it for him."
a little while later walter found himself in the presence of a slim, diminutive man, with a fierce moustache and an exceedingly mild, insinuating manner.
"this is my friend berti," dallas explained. "and this, berti, is mr. walter lance, nephew of lord ravenspur. he mentioned the flavio case to me just now with a view to getting a little information. i told him that you had had the whole business in hand, and you had better let him know that you are in a position to place your finger upon the countess flavio at any moment."
"oh, that is an easy matter," berti said. "i had the privilege of seeing the countess this evening; but she does not call herself countess now. she is mrs. louis delahay."
