MRS. PREVOST'S DILEMMA
There was a tough skirmish when Nicholl met Craig Bellshaw at Hadwin's,
but eventually the owner of Barellan gave way, mainly owing to his
trainer's representations and persuasion, and settled with the jockey to
ride both his horses, Flash at Caulfield, and Barellan at Flemington,
for two hundred, win or lose, five per cent. on the stakes, and five per
cent. on any sweep money that might be forthcoming. Having fixed this
up, with a good deal of grumbling, Bellshaw set out for Manley to see
Mrs. Prevost, who was not aware he was in Sydney.
Bellshaw was in a bad temper. Things were all awry, and even the thought
of winning the Melbourne Cup with Barellan did not soothe him. It was a
disagreeable surprise to Mrs. Prevost when she heard who her visitor
was.
Bellshaw made no bones about the matter. He asked her what she meant by
writing him such a letter after all he had done for her; he upbraided
her in no measured terms, used harsh names, and behaved somewhat
brutally. It was his way with women.
She resented his conduct and replied forcibly. He saw she was
determined, and this angered him still more. There was a scene, they
lost their tempers, and mutual recriminations were the result. Mrs.
Prevost was expecting Glen Leigh for lunch and wished to get rid of
Bellshaw before he arrived. She dreaded their meeting, not on his
account, but for the effect it might have on Leigh, and her influence
with him. Bellshaw, however, did not seem in any hurry to go. He was
loth to give her up; in his way he liked her.
"The fact is," he said, "you've taken up with someone else. I warn you
he shall know all about you."
"You are cad enough to do that?" she asked.
"You can call me names if you wish; I don't care, but I'll make it
mighty unpleasant for you," he said.
There was a ring at the front door. Mrs. Prevost was at her wits' end
how to act. It was no doubt Glen Leigh.
She left the room hurriedly, and opened the door herself. It was Glen
Leigh. She took him into the front room, and said her maid had just gone
out; she promised to return in a few minutes, and left him.
Glen thought this strange. She was agitated; something must have upset
her. He wondered what it was.
Craig Bellshaw also wondered why she had gone out of the room. He heard
her open the door, and someone come in. Who was it? The voice sounded
like a man's.
She gave him a hint that he had better be going.
"Not until I have seen who your visitor is," he said.
"If I have a visitor it is no business of yours," she retorted.
"It is. I am still interested in you even if you treat me badly," he
said.
What was she to do? How could she prevent a meeting between him and Glen
Leigh? She cudgelled her brains but was at a loss to find a plan.
Bellshaw did not seem inclined to move.
Glen Leigh waited a quarter of an hour and became restless. What
detained her? He heard voices in the next room, but could not
distinguish who was speaking. Perhaps she had a visitor. If so, why did
she not tell him?
"I must ask you to leave my house," she said desperately.
Bellshaw laughed.
"Your house?" he sneered.
"Yes, mine. You did not know I had bought it."
"Have you paid for it?"
"I have, if that's any consolation to you."
"And you wish me to believe that? I wonder where you got the money
from?"
"It was my money. I am not without means," she answered indignantly.
He laughed as he got up, but there was an evil look in his eyes.
"I'll go. I don't wish to interfere with your pleasures, or any
conquests you may make, but I've not done with you, I promise you that,"
said Bellshaw.
He took up his hat and opened the door. She followed him. Would he go
into the front room?
Her heart beat fast. She felt faint. It was a trying moment.
Glen Leigh might see him leave the house, but he would not know who he
was; if Bellshaw saw him there was no telling what might happen.
Bellshaw passed the door of the room, opened the front door, and walked
away without saying another word, or even raising his hat. It was a
tremendous relief now he was gone; she waited a few minutes to regain
her composure, and then with a faint smile, entered the front room.
Glen Leigh was looking out of the window; he recognised Craig Bellshaw
and was so astonished he did not hear her open the door. Scores of
questions crowded into his mind as he saw the owner of Mintaro walking
away; the main questions were how came he to Mrs. Prevost's, and for
what purpose?
She saw Glen with his back turned to her, and knew he had seen her
visitor; she was not aware Leigh knew him, and of his doings elsewhere
of which she was in ignorance; she had, as yet, no conception of the
depths of infamy to which Bellshaw had sunk.
"I am sorry to keep you waiting so long, but I had a visitor," she said.
"I saw him leave the house," said Glen, turning sharply round.
"He's an old friend; I have known him many years." She could not make
him out. He was looking at her steadily; his eyes seemed to pierce her.
"I know him," said Glen quietly. "I did not expect to see him in _your_
house."
"You know him!" she exclaimed aghast, the colour deserting her cheeks.
"Yes. Do you know him well?" he asked.
"Yes, but why do you ask in such a strange way?"
"I do not think you know what Craig Bellshaw really is. I am sure you do
not. If you did he would never have been admitted to your house," said
Glen.
What was she about to hear? She must learn more; how was she to excuse
herself to him? What if he and Bellshaw met? There would be revelations,
her backsliding would be magnified a hundred times; she must have the
first say no matter what it cost her.
"What is he?" she asked.
"A bad man, almost a murderer. I dare not tell you what has happened at
Mintaro. You would be overwhelmed with shame to think you ever had
dealings with, or ever took the hand of such a man," said Glen
seriously.
She looked very charming in her distress. Even Glen Leigh would have
been very dense had he failed to see the appeal in her eyes, or to
recognise that she liked him very much indeed.
No woman had ever appealed to him quite in the same way as Mrs.
Prevost; he had thought a good deal about her since he saw her last.
"Tell me about him," she said.
"What was he doing here?" asked Glen who doubted everything where Craig
Bellshaw was concerned.
"He came to see me, not at my request, but I was not surprised. I had
written to him at Mintaro telling him--" she hesitated.
Glen waited. Should he help her out? He thought he could. Rage was
surging up in him, not against Mrs. Prevost, but against Bellshaw. Was
she another of his victims?
That was hardly possible; yet there were unmistakable signs of acute
distress at the situation in which she was placed. As Glen thought, a
sudden wave of feeling overwhelmed him, and would not be beaten back. He
loved this woman. By some strange fatality Bellshaw was connected with
her as he had been with the other woman. He felt a mad desire to rush
after Bellshaw and kill him. This passed in a few seconds; then he said,
in answer to her hesitation, "Telling him you never wished to see him
again."
She looked at him in great surprise, feeling intense relief. This man
understood her, because he knew Craig Bellshaw for what he was. Already
he had forgiven her without the asking. He did not blame her, but the
man. In that case he guessed some of the truth and the rich blood
crimsoned her cheeks. She bowed her head; then she looked straight at
him and said, "That is what I wrote him--that I never wished to see him
again. I ordered him to leave the house, my house, when you saw him go.
I will never admit him again."
"I am glad of that," said Glen. "Very glad. When did you write to him?"
It was the truth she would tell him.
"The day after you came here with Jerry," she said.
Glen smiled.
"What decided you to write?" he asked.
"You did."
Again he smiled.
"I wonder how that happened?" he said.
"Can't you guess?" she answered in a low voice.
"No, at least not yet. Later on I'll try--with your permission."
"You have it now. I want a friend--like you."
"You don't think he'd dare to come here again?" asked Glen savagely.
"There is no telling what he might do. Try and avoid him."
"Why should I?"
"He's a dangerous man."
Glen laughed.
"I'm more than a match for him in many ways," he replied.
After lunch she asked him to tell her about Craig Bellshaw.
"I will tell you one terrible thing which I believe to be quite true,"
he said. "I am waiting to find out. It is a matter of time, and you must
promise not to repeat what I tell you."
She readily gave her promise and he told her in a graphic narrative all
about the woman who came to his hut, what happened there, and since her
recovery. He concealed nothing, not even about Lin Soo. He thought, in
justice, she ought to know what manner of man Craig Bellshaw was.
As she listened, horrified, believing every word, she felt deeply
humiliated when she thought what Bellshaw had been in her life; she
shuddered with repulsion.
"Bring her here," she said. "Let her be my companion. I may be able to
call back her lost memories. I will love her for all she has suffered.
You will trust her with me, will you not?"