[_Colonel Annesley again._]
I had no reason to complain of the course of events culminating in the
affair at Culoz. I defended to myself the assault upon Lord Blackadder
as in a measure provoked and justifiable under the circumstances,
although I was really sorry for him and at the poor figure he cut
before the police magistrate and gendarmes. But I could not forget the
part he had played throughout, nor was I at all disposed to turn aside
from my set purpose to help the ladies in their distress. Every man of
proper feeling would be moved thereto, and I knew in my secret heart
that very tender motives impelled me to the unstinting championship of
Lady Claire.
I was still without definite news of what had happened between the two
sisters while I was covering their movements at Culoz. I could not
know for certain whether or not the exchange had actually been
effected, and I did not dare inquire about the station, for it might
betray facts and endanger results. I had no hope of a message from
Lady Henriette, for she would hardly know where to address me. Lady
Claire would almost certainly telegraph to me via London at the very
earliest opportunity, and I was careful to wire from Culoz to the hall
porter of my club, begging him to send on everything without a
moment's delay.
Then, while still in the dark, I set myself like a prudent general to
discover what the enemy was doing. He was here in Aix in the persons
of Lord Blackadder and his two devoted henchmen, Falfani and Tiler. I
had heard the appointment he had given them at the Hôtel Hautecombe,
and I cast about me to consider how I might gain some inkling of their
intentions. Luckily I had desired l'Echelle, the sleeping-car
conductor, to stick to me on leaving the police office, and I put it
to him whether or not he was willing to enter my service.
"I will take you on entirely," I promised, "if you choose to leave
your present employment. You shall be my own man, my valet and
personal attendant. It is likely that I may wander about the
Continent for some time, and it may suit you to come with me."
He seemed pleased at the idea, and we quickly agreed as to terms.
"Now, l'Echelle," I went on, "after last night I think I may trust you
to do what I want, and I promise you I won't forget it. Find out what
the other side is at, and contrive somehow to become acquainted with
Lord Blackadder's plans."
"How far may I go?" he asked me plump. "They are pretty sure to try
and win me over, they've done so already. Shall I accept their bid? It
would be the easiest way to know all you want."
"It's devilish underhand," I protested.
"You'll be paying them back in their own coin," he returned. "_A
corsaire fieffé corsaire et demi._ It will be to my advantage, and you
won't lose."
"Upon my soul, I don't quite like it." I still hung back, but his
arguments seemed so plausible that they overcame my scruples, and I
was not sorry for it in the long run.
[_The reader has already been told how Falfani craftily approached
l'Echelle, and found him, as he thought, an easy prey. We know how
the communication was kept up between the two camps, how Falfani was
fooled into believing that he kept close watch over Colonel Annesley
through l'Echelle, how the latter told his real master the true news
of the progress made by Tiler. When there could be little doubt that
the chase was growing warm and had gone as far as Lyons, the Colonel
felt that there was danger and that he must take more active steps to
divert the pursuit and mislead the pursuers. The Colonel shall
continue in his own words._]
I was much disturbed when I learnt that Tiler had wired from Lyons. I
saw clearly what it meant. The next message would disclose the
whereabouts of the Lady Claire, at that time the only lady, as they
thought, in the case, and the lady with the real child. It would soon
be impossible for me to make use of the second with the sham child to
draw the pursuers after her. In this it must be understood that,
although I had no certainty of it, I took it for granted that the
little Lord Aspdale was with his aunt and not with his mother, who, as
I sincerely believed, had already reached Fuentellato.
It was essential now to persuade my Lord Blackadder and his people
that this was the case, and induce them to embark upon a hasty
expedition into Italy.
I therefore concocted a cunning plan with l'Echelle for leading them
astray. It was easy enough to arrange for the despatch of a telegram
from Milan to me at Aix, a despatch to be handed in at the former
place by a friend of l'Echelle's, but purporting to come from Lady
Claire. My man had any number of acquaintances in the railway service,
one or more passed daily through Aix with the express trains going
east or west; and with the payment of a substantial douceur the trick
was done.
The spurious message reached me in Aix early on the third morning, and
the second act in the fraud was that l'Echelle should allow Falfani to
see the telegram. He carried out the deception with consummate skill,
pretending to pick my pocket of the telegram, which he then put under
Falfani's eyes. The third act was to be my immediate exit from Aix. I
made no secret of this, very much the reverse. Notice was given at the
hotel bureau to prepare my bill, and insert my name on the list of
departures by the afternoon express, the 1.41 P.M. for Modane and
Italy. It was quite certain that I should not be allowed to go off
alone.
And suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, came a complete change in the
situation. Not long after I had consumed my morning _café au lait_ and
rolls, the conventional _petit déjeuner_ of French custom, a letter
was brought to my bedside, where, again according to rule, I was
resting after my bath.
I expected no letters, no one except the porter of my London club knew
my present address, and the interval was too short since my telegram
to him to allow of letters reaching me in the ordinary course of the
post.
I turned over the strange missive, the address in a lady's hand quite
unknown to me, examining it closely, as one does when mystified,
guessing vainly at a solution instead of settling it by instantly
breaking the seal.
When at last I opened it my eye went first to the signature. To my
utter amazement I read the name, "Henriette Standish." It was dated
from the Hôtel de Modena, Aix-les-Bains, a small private hotel quite
in the suburbs in the direction of the Grand Port, and it ran as
follows:
"DEAR COLONEL ANNESLEY:--I have only just seen in the
_Gazette des Etrangers_ that you are staying in Aix. I also am here,
having been unable to proceed on my journey as I intended after
meeting my sister at Culoz. I thought of remaining here a few days
longer, but I have also read Lord Blackadder's name in the list.
"What is to be done? I am horribly frightened, and greatly vexed with
myself for having put myself in this painful and most embarrassing
position.
"May I venture to ask your counsel and help? I beg and entreat you
will come to me as soon as possible after receipt of this. Ask for
Mrs. Blair. Although I have never had the pleasure of meeting you,
your extreme kindness to Claire emboldens me to make this appeal to
you. I shall be at home all the morning. Indeed, I have hardly left
the house yet, and certainly shall not do so now that I know _he_ is
here.
"Always very gratefully and sincerely yours,
"HENRIETTE STANDISH."
Here was a pretty kettle of fish! Lady Blackadder in Aix! Was there
ever such a broken reed of a woman? Already she had spoilt her
sister's nice combinations by turning back from Amberieu when the road
to safety with her darling child lay open to her. Now for the second
time she was putting our plans in jeopardy. How could I hope to lure
her pursuers away to a distance when she was here actually on the
spot, and might be run into at any moment? For the present all my
movements were in abeyance. I had reason to fear--how much reason I
did not even then realize--they would be interfered with, and that a
terrible collapse threatened us.
I dressed hurriedly and walked down to the Hôtel Modena, where I was
instantly received. "Mrs. Blair" had given orders that I should be
admitted the moment I appeared. I had had one glimpse of this tall,
graceful creature, who so exactly reproduced the beautiful traits of
her twin sister that she might indeed at a distance be taken for her
double. There was the same proud carriage of her head, the same lithe
figure, even her musical voice when she greeted me with shy cordiality
might have been the voice of Lady Claire.
But the moment I looked into her face I saw a very distinct
difference, not in outward feature, but in the inward character that
is revealed by the eyes, the lines of the mouth, the shape of the
lower jaw. In Lady Claire the first were steady and spoke of high
courage, of firm, fixed purpose; the mouth, as perfectly curved as
Cupid's bow, was resolute and determined, the well-shaped, rounded
chin was held erect, and might easily become defiant, even aggressive.
Lady Henriette was evidently cast in another mould. Her eyes, of the
same violet blue, were pretty, pleading, soft in expression, but often
downcast and deprecating; the mouth and chin were weak and irresolute.
It was the same lovely face as Lady Claire's, and to some might seem
the sweeter, indicating the tender, clinging, yielding nature that
commonly appeals to the stronger sex; but to me she lost in every
respect by comparison with her more energetic, self-reliant sister.
I heard the explanation, such as it was, without the smallest
surprise; it was very much what I expected now when I was permitted to
know and appreciate her better.
"What shall I say, Colonel Annesley, and what will you think of me?"
she began plaintively, almost piteously. "But the moment I found I
had to part with my child my courage broke down. I became incapable of
doing anything. I seemed quite paralyzed. I am not brave, you know,
like my dearest Claire, or strong-minded, and I quite collapsed."
"But I hope and trust you have made the exchange. Lady Claire has
little Lord Aspdale and has left you the dummy? Tell me, I beg."
"Oh, yes, yes, we made the exchange," she replied, in such a
faltering, undecided voice that I doubted, and yet could not bring
myself to believe that she was not telling the truth.
"So much depends upon it, you see. Everything indeed. It would be a
very serious matter if--if--"
"The contrary was the case," I wanted to say, yet how could I? I
should be charging her directly with wilfully misleading me, and
deceiving me in this moment of extreme peril.
"But what will happen now?" she said, her voice faltering, her eyes
filling, and seemingly on the very verge of hysterics. "What if
Blackadder should find that I am here, and--and--"
"He can do nothing to you unless he has a right to act, unless," I
answered unhesitatingly and a little cruelly perhaps, regardless of
the scared look in her face, "you have good reason to dread his
interference. Lady Henriette, you have not been quite straight with
me, I fear. Where is little Lord Aspdale?"
"In there!" she pointed to an inner room, and burst into
uncontrollable tears.