"Now," I said, turning to Gedge, "perhaps you will show me over this new
domain of mine. They seem to be pretty comfortable quarters, at any
rate."
He looked at me strangely.
"You surely don't mean, sir, that you wish me to show you over your own
house?" he said with incredulity.
"Of course I do," I answered. "I've never been over it yet, and I think
I may as well embrace the opportunity now."
"But hadn't you better go to your room and rest? It will surely do you
good. I'll ring for Rayner, the valet." He spoke as though solicitous
of my welfare.
"I want no valets, neither do I require rest," I answered impatiently.
"I mean to fathom this mystery."
"But pardon me," he said deferentially, "there is no mystery, as far as
I can see. You accidentally struck your head against the statue while
passing through the drawing-room, and were rendered unconscious. The
blow has, according to the doctor, impaired your mental capacity a
little. In a few days you'll be all right again. Poor Mrs Heaton!--
she's awfully upset."
"I will not have her called Mrs Heaton!" I cried in indignation.
"Understand that! I have no wife--and a hag like that I certainly would
never marry." He raised his eyebrows with a gesture of regret, sighed,
but hazarded no remark.
"Come," I said, "show me over the place. It will be a most interesting
visit, I'm sure." And I laughed, reflecting upon my extraordinary
position, one absolutely unparalleled in man's history.
"But before doing so will you not sign one or two cheques?" he urged,
glancing at his watch. "The postman will call for the letters in half
an hour, and they must be dispatched to-day."
"What cheques?"
"There are six," he answered, taking out a large cheque-book and opening
it. "I've already made them out, if you will kindly sign them."
I glanced at them. All six were for large amounts, each considerably
over a thousand pounds.
"They relate to business transactions, all of which are exceedingly good
bargains," he explained.
"Well," I said, laughing again. "I've never before signed cheques for
such big amounts as these. But here goes, if you wish. Whether they'll
be honoured is quite another thing."
And I took up a pen and appended my signature to each, while he placed
one by one in envelopes ready directed to receive them.
"Now," he said at last, "if you really wish me to take you round I'll do
so, but the whole thing seems so droll and absurd that I hope, sir,
you'll excuse my doubts as to your sanity."
"Well, why do you think I'm insane?" I asked, looking straight at him.
"Do I look like a madman?"
"Not at all. With your head swathed in those bandages, you look like a
man who's received a serious injury."
"Of course, that confounded old charlatan Britten put forward the
suggestion that I'm not in my right mind!" I said. "But I tell you
quite calmly, and without fear of contradiction--indeed, I could swear
upon oath--that never in my life have I entered this place or set eyes
upon you or upon that painted old girl before to-day. Now, if you were
in my place, surely you would resent, being called husband by a woman
whom you don't know from Adam; you wouldn't relish being condemned as a
lunatic by an idiotic old country quack, and being imposed upon all
round by persons in whom you have not the slightest interest."
His face relaxed into a smile.
"If I may be permitted to advise," he said, "I think it best not to
discuss the matter further at present. A solution must present itself
before long. Meanwhile your intellect will be rendered the clearer by
repose."
"I've already told you that I don't intend to rest until I've extricated
myself from this absurdly false position," I said determinedly. "I feel
absolutely certain that I've been mistaken for some one of the same
name."
He shrugged his shoulders. He was evidently a shrewd fellow, this man
who said he was my secretary, and was apparently a very confidential
servant.
"I'd like to know what to reply to Mawson's cable," he said. "You
really ought to take some notice of such a marvellous stroke of good
fortune. His discovery means fabulous wealth for you as holder of the
concession."
"My dear sir," I said, "for mercy's sake don't bother me about this
fellow and his confounded pans. Reply just as you like. You seem to
know all about it. I don't--nor do I want to know."
"But in a case like this I do not care to act on my own discretion
alone," he protested. "They are evidently awaiting a reply in Dawson
City."
"Let them wait," I said. "I don't want to bother my head over matters
in which I can have no possible concern. This alleged matrimonial
alliance of mine is of far more importance to me than all the gold in
the Klondyke."
"Well, the lady is your wife, so why worry further about it?" he said.
"And how do you know, pray?"
"Because I was present at the ceremony."