principle of homoeopathy. 'Like cures like,' says the homoeopathist.
'Like produces like,' says Loisette, 'and the similarity of events
acting upon the human mind may, by suggestion, produce similar results,'
Well, last night Lady Katharine Fordham went through an experience which
no living woman is ever likely to forget: the knowledge that hope of
happiness is over, and that the man she loves is lost to her beyond all
possible recall. This evening, in the ruin over there, she went through
an exactly similar experience, and after some few hours of hope, was
thrust rudely back into the absolute certainty that a barrier as high as
heaven itself had come between Geoff Clavering and her. I stake my
hopes upon that, Miss Lorne. I look for Loisette to be vindicated. I
look for last night to be repeated _in all particulars_, and I am so
hopeful of it that I have sent for Geoff Clavering to come here and be a
witness to it."
"Sent for Geoff Clavering to come here--here?"
"Yes. At twelve o'clock he will be waiting for me at the lodge gates;
and if all goes as I hope and believe that it will go--ah, well, it will
be a blessed time for him, for her, for you! As for myself--but that
doesn't matter. I shall have but one more thing to accomplish under the
roof of this house, and then if the trail leads elsewhere, I'll be off
to Malta as fast as steam can take me."
"And that one thing, Mr. Cleek? May I ask what it is?"
"Yes, certainly. It is to discover Lord St. Ulmer's part in this elusive
business, and then to be absolutely certain of getting at the man who
killed the Count de Louvisan, and at the reason for the crime."
"The reason? The man?" repeated Ailsa in utter bewilderment. "I thought
you said just now that you were satisfied regarding that? Why, then,
should you speak as if there were a possibility of Lord St. Ulmer being
concerned in the murder if you are seemingly so sure that General Raynor
did it?"
"General Raynor? Good heavens above, Miss Lorne, get that idea out of
your mind! Why, General Raynor is no more guilty of the murder of De
Louvisan than you are!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
LOISETTE IS VINDICATED
Ailsa caught her breath with a faint, little, sobbing sigh at this, and
even if the moon had not chosen just then to slip out from the screen of
the enveloping clouds and throw a dusk of silver over everything, so
that he could see her face and the deep look of relief in her uplifted
eyes, he still would have known what a load his declaration of the
General's innocence had lifted from her mind.
"Oh, I am so glad," she said fervently; "so very, very glad! Do you
know, I made sure from the manner in which you spoke that, horrible as
it seemed, it must surely be he; that you must certainly have discovered
something which left no room for doubt in your own mind; otherwise you
would not have told me all these terrible things regarding the forged
letter and the drugged drink and his meeting with Lady Clavering at the
wall door. And now to know that you do not suspect him, that you are
sure it was not he that killed De Louvisan, ah, I can't tell you how
glad I am."
"How loyal you are to your friends," he said admiringly. "You needn't
assure me of your gladness; I can read it in your voice and face. No,
General Raynor is not guilty, although I am very positive that he not
only was out last night, but was actually at Gleer Cottage; but I am
absolutely certain his was not the hand that killed De Louvisan. I will
even go further, and say that it would not surprise me to learn that he
was not even present at the time of the killing, though there is, of
course, always the possibility, in the light of my theory of the whys
and wherefores of the case, that he was."
"You have a theory regarding it, then?"
"Yes. I had a vague one in the beginning that became more pronounced
when I heard Lady Clavering speak of 'letters' in her interview with the
General at the wall door to-night. She also spoke of Margot, recollect.
And I have said from the first that a woman was in it."
"And you think that she--that Margot--did it?"
"Did what--the murder? No, I do not. As a matter of fact, I am beginning
to believe that the presence of that crafty female in England, and in
this particular neighbourhood at this particular time, may possibly have
led me to leap to a conclusion which is a long way from the truth. That
she meant to see De Louvisan, and, with the aid of her band, deal pretty
harshly with him--give him the 'traitor's spike,' in fact--I feel very
nearly positive; but I am now beginning to realize there is a
possibility that the scrap of pink gauze may not have come from Margot's
dress, and that she may not have been at Gleer Cottage last night,
after all. In other words, that the woman in the case is not Margot."
"Who then? Lady Clavering?"
"Possibly. There is, however, a chance that it is not even she."
All in a moment Ailsa flamed up.
"You are leaving only Kathie," she said with spirit. "And if you were an
angel from heaven you could not make me believe it is she. I know you
declare that she was at Gleer Cottage last night; that you say Geoff
swears he met her there; but even so----"
"Oh, thank you for reminding me of that dear boy," interjected Cleek,
whipping out his watch and glancing at it. "If he keeps his promise, as
he doubtless will, he'll be at the lodge gates in exactly twelve
minutes, Miss Lorne. And there is another 'dear boy' to consider too, my
poor Dollops, who's probably waiting at the wall angle for me to explain
my change of tactics with regard to the arrest and release of Sir Philip
Clavering. Will you pardon me if I rush off and see him for a few
minutes? I'll be back here to join you as quickly as I can, and then, if
you will honour me, we'll be off together to the lodge gates to meet
Geoff Clavering."
He did not wait for her to reply; did not stop to make any comment upon
her remarks regarding Lady Katharine. Moving off as briskly as if he
were endeavouring to evade that subject, he slipped soundlessly away
through the shrubbery and was gone before she could speak. He was absent
for something like eight or ten minutes; then, as silently and as
abruptly as he had left her side he issued from the bushes and returned
to it.
"Shall we go to meet Geoff?" he asked; and again scarcely waiting for
her to reply, led the way in silence.
It was on the tip of Ailsa's tongue to ask him if, after so often
expressing his conviction of Lady Katharine's innocence and admitting
to-night that he had changed his opinion with regard to one woman's part
in this elusive riddle, he had suddenly changed it regarding her, too,
when, without preface of any sort, he looked round at her.
"Rum how we English stick to precedent, isn't it?" he said. "Ever remark
how faithfully old footmen cling to their 'calves' and old valets cleave
to their little black side-whiskers? And, I say, Miss Lorne! what's the
fashion in evening petticoats these days? Coloured ones, I mean. Do they
have to match the dress that's worn with them or not?"
"Certainly they don't," said Ailsa, looking round at him in surprise.
"Good gracious, Mr. Cleek, whatever in the world are you thinking
about?"
"I? Oh, nothing in particular. There we are at the lodge gates at last;
and here's our man. Come in, bonny boy, come in."
Geoff came up out of the shadow of the two big trees at the entrance and
moved swiftly toward the gates.
"Wait a bit," went on Cleek. "I've got a skeleton key handy, and in two
shakes of a ram's tail----Told you so! In with you, my lad. Miss Lorne's
here with me; and if Loisette wasn't a dreamer and I'm not a fool,
you'll be the happiest chap in England to-night. Sh-h-h! don't speak.
Walk on your toes, take to the grass, keep in the shadow of the hedge,
and get over there to that shrubbery as quickly and as noiselessly as
you can. With you in a minute, my boy."
He was. Stopping just long enough to relock the gates and to motion
Ailsa to accompany him, he travelled like a fleet-moving shadow across
the lawn, and was again with Geoff Clavering.
"Well, here I am as you requested, you see, Mr. Barch," said Geoff. "I
don't know what in the world you meant when you told me that thing over
the telephone; but whatever it is that's going to make Kathie and me as
happy as you promised, I'm ready enough to hear it, God knows."
"Yes, God does know; you're right there, my boy. He knows that Lady
Katharine did call you into Gleer Cottage last night, and did send you
into the room where that dead man's body hung; and--oh, yes, she did,
Miss Lorne. He'll tell you that just as he told me; won't you,
Clavering, eh?"
"Yes," said Geoff, and did forthwith, giving all the details just as he
had given them to Cleek hours earlier in the General's famous ruin.
"Will you believe now, Miss Lorne?" said Cleek, and then paused and gave
a little, shaky, half-suppressed laugh. For, of a sudden, a cuckoo's
note had risen softly over the stillness, sounding thrice in rapid
succession, as if the bird had mistaken the moon's glamour for the sheen
of day dawn, and had sent forth this untimely call.
Hearing it, Cleek knew that what he had so fervently hoped might come to
pass really _had_ come to pass, and that the theory of Loisette was
about to be vindicated.
"Or, if you will not," he said, taking up the sentence just where the
bird note had broken off, "come with me and find proof of it for
yourself. Come quickly. Hold your breath. Walk on your toes. Don't make
a sound on your lives. This way. Quickly. Come."
He took them each by the hand and, leading the way, passed on tiptoe
with them out of the shrubbery and down the hedged path to the mimic
ruin. The figure of Dollops rose out of the shadow of it as they came
upon the place, moved fleetly and quietly to Cleek's side, and then as
quietly slipped round behind him into the shade of the trees.
"All right, gov'ner," he whispered softly. "Over to the left there. Give
you the signal the minute I spotted her. Lie low, all of you. Here she
comes!"
"Here who comes?" Ailsa and Geoff spoke in concert.
"Lord, I dunno, miss," replied Dollops in a whisper. "Gov'ner said,
'Look sharp for a lady in white, and "cuckoo" when she appears.' Dunno
no more than that."
Ailsa flashed round and looked at Cleek.
"Yes, Miss Lorne," he said, answering that look. "Lady Katharine
Fordham! She did steal out of the house last night, and-- Loisette is
right. The mirror of to-night, reflecting the counterpart of yesterday,
is duplicating events. Her ladyship is stealing out of the house again,
and on the selfsame mission: to visit Gleer Cottage. She will certainly
wear a cloak, though not an ermine one, to-night. I looked out to see
that one was placed in the anteroom, to make sure of that. Quiet, quiet,
all of you! Not a sound, not a breath! Look sharp! You'll see her
presently!"
They saw her even then. Of a sudden a footstep sounded, the rustle of
moved leaves disturbed the stillness, then the figure of Lady Katharine
rounded the angle of the ruin, and advanced toward them with great
deliberation. A long dark cloak covered her almost to the feet, the hood
of it being drawn up over her head until its loose frill framed her
face; but it was easy to see, as she advanced, that under that cloak she
wore a gown of white satin and slippers with sparkling buckles on the
toes. She came into view so suddenly, and was walking so rapidly, that
she was upon them almost as they saw her, walking straight to them,
walking straight by them, within touch of them, yet seeming not to care
or even to notice, and taking the path which led to the stable gate, to
the waste land beyond, and thence to Gleer Cottage. It was then, when
she had deliberately walked past them, then, and then only, that Ailsa
understood.
"Dear God!" she said in a shaking whisper as she plucked at Cleek's
sleeve. "She does not know, she does not understand. She is asleep, Mr.
Cleek!"
"Yes," he made answer. "You know now why she looked so haggard and weary
this morning, despite her assurance that she had slept well. Poor little
woman; poor unhappy little woman! A sleep-walker, Clavering--and going
back where her heart leads her: to the cottage where she had often spent
those happier days when she was so sure of love and of you!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
"QUICK! FIRE!"
Geoff did not reply; he could not. As if the sight of that slow-moving
figure, linked with the realization which had now come upon him, had
wrought a curious numbing effect upon mind and heart alike, he simply
stood there, breathing hard, and looked, and looked, and looked, but
said no single word. Even Dollops could see that there was a glint of
something wet and shining in the crease beside his eye, and that, in
spite of tears, he smiled as a man might smile if he had waked to find
that all the world was his. It was Ailsa that made the first sound,
spoke the first word.
"Oh, Mr. Cleek, to think that she should be a somnambulist," she said
with a little catch in her voice, as if she were laughing and sobbing at
the same time and fighting hard to do neither. "And to think that you
should have guessed it when even I, her dearest and closest friend,
never suspected it for an instant."
"Oh, as for that, Miss Lorne, I really deserve very little credit
indeed," he made answer.
For a moment he followed with his eyes the departing figure of Lady
Katharine as it moved fleetly along the path to the stable quarters,
where stood the stile giving access to the paddock and thence, by a
far-away wall door, to the waste land of the open country beyond.
"If anybody is to be praised for the discovery of the truth as
manifested to-night," he went on presently, "that praise should go to
Loisette alone. He has said--that wise Frenchman--that 'the likeness of
events acting upon a highly strung and overwrought mind is likely to
produce exactly similar results.' There is his vindication before you.
Last night all hope of happiness was smitten out of that poor girl's
mind by the affair at Clavering Close and the certainty that she had
lost the man she loves forever. This morning new hope came; this evening
that new hope was dashed to earth again by her interview with this dear
boy, and the future looked blacker and more hopeless than ever. The
'likeness of events' had come; there is the 'likeness of result' before
you. Back into her ball dress, back into her cloak, back into everything
that had to do with that other time; there she goes now back to Gleer
Cottage as well!"
"God!" said Geoff, with a queer sort of sob; then leaned his curved arm
against a tree trunk and hid his face in the crook of it. "And to think
what I said to her, what I thought of her! I ought to be kicked for a
brute. And yet I wouldn't have hurt her for all the world--my dear, dear
girl!"
"Buck up, my boy, buck up!" said Cleek, patting him on the shoulder,
"The world can do with all the brutes of your kind that can be created;
for they make good sons, good husbands, and loyal gentlemen! She said,
did she not, that she would 'show you something that would light the way
back to the land of happiness'? Well, she's doing it, my boy; and if you
were to follow her this minute you'd find history repeating itself down
to the smallest detail. Only, you _mustn't_ follow her; you mustn't let
history repeat itself, Clavering. Gleer Cottage is not in the same
lonely and unwatched state to-night that it was in last night. The
police are there. They mustn't see what happens, because I've a fancy
for keeping some things with regard to this case off the annals of
Scotland Yard and out of the courts of England. You must stop her, you
and Miss Lorne."
"Stop her? How? Isn't it dangerous to wake a sleep-walker?"
"Yes, if it's done rudely. But people in that condition will answer
questions, and---- Who spoke first, when you met last night?"
"Why, I did, of course. I was so bowled over when I looked up and
recognized her that I said: 'Kathie! Great Scott, is it you?' before I
thought. That's how she came to speak to me."
"Then go and say it again," advised Cleek. "When she answers, suggest to
her that you sit down and wait for a moment, as you promised you would
do, until Miss Lorne could join you. Once she sits, be sure the desire
to walk will pass away; she will gradually sink into the natural
position for sleeping and will sleep soundly for a time. As for the
rest, you may rely upon the coldness and the hardness of the earth to
half arouse her, and it will be but a step from that to complete
wakefulness if Miss Lorne begins to sing very, very softly and to rustle
the leaves as she comes up and joins you both. Now then, off with you,
my boy, and move as softly as you can until you come up with her and
speak."
Geoff did not hesitate. He only paused to look back at Cleek and say:
"By Jove, you know, you are a ripping chap!" and then was off on tiptoe
after Lady Katharine.
Watching, they saw him come up with her at last, and knew when he spoke
by the manner in which she stopped and looked round at him; they saw her
put a finger to her lips and nod and beckon, and knew when he spoke
again and suggested the things that Cleek had advised, by the listless
manner in which she let her hands drop, the wavering uncertain way in
which she stood swaying and looking straight before her.
Then, after a moment or two--they could have cheered had they
dared--they saw her look round in the direction of a little knoll to
which Geoff pointed and then placidly turn and walk with him toward it.
"Oh, what a dear, dear friend you are!" said Ailsa, impulsively, as she
looked round and up at Cleek, with tears in her eyes and a face all
smiling. "I wonder which is your greater side--your shrewdness or your
humanity?"
"I can tell you which is my weaker one," he smiled, looking down upon
her with eyes that spoke to hers. "And maybe, some day if you will let
me do so----But that's another story, as our friend Mr. Kipling puts it.
Wait! Don't go yet, Miss Lorne. Before you start to join them and to
play your little part in the drama of Lady Katharine's awaking, there's
one more favour to be asked. Afterward you will understand why I ask
this thing; for the present I want only your promise that you will
unquestioningly obey. Will you give me that promise? Thank you, I felt
sure that you would.
"You know the old saying: a bird that can sing and won't sing must be
made to sing. Equally, then, a door that can be opened and will not open
by persuasion or by threats, must be compelled to open by trickery and
craft. I am going to commit an act of violence under the roof of
Wuthering Grange to-night, Miss Lorne. I'm going to do a thing that men
get sent to prison for, and justly, too, if they are found out; only
that I am not going to carry my act into full completion: merely make a
bluff at it, as it were.
"Meanwhile I want you to promise me that as soon as you have awakened
Lady Katharine and have made her understand that she did go to Gleer
Cottage last night and really has been walking in her sleep, you will
find a pretext--you and Geoff Clavering, between you--to get her as far
from the neighbourhood as possible for the next two or three hours. Yes,
Clavering Close will do. Any place will do so that neither she nor he is
within hailing distance of this house when my 'act of violence' is
committed. Try to do this if possible, Miss Lorne; more than you dream
of hinges upon it. In any case, promise me that no matter what
excitement is created you will not venture near the house and will
prevail upon them not to do so either. Will you?"
"Yes, certainly I will. And if I tell Geoff that it is your wish, I'm
sure I may promise for him as well."
"Thank you. That's all. Now I'll be off about my business. You
see"--nodding in the direction of the paddock--"Geoff has persuaded her
to sit. Good luck to your little 'singing tour,' and God bless you.
Good-bye. This way, Dollops! Move sharp!"
Speaking, he swung off into the darkness, with the boy following close
upon his heels, and forged on in the direction of the wall angle, there
to wait until his instructions were acted upon and it was time for him
to play his last great card.
And lo, as they went, a sweet, soft voice rose in murmuring melody
behind them and they could just distinguish the words, "Kathleen
Mavourneen, the gray dawn is breaking," so softly Ailsa sang them as she
passed on in the direction of the paddock stile.
"A good, true woman that, Dollops," said Cleek, pausing to listen. "And
there's nothing better in heaven or out of it than a good woman, my lad.
Always remember that."
"Yes, sir," said Dollops softly and refraining from further comment.
Cleek laughed to himself as they took the angle path again. "I know the
secret of the universe at last, my lad," he said softly. "The way to
heaven is through a good woman's eyes!" Then he laughed again, and spoke
no more until they were at their journey's end.
"Now, then, my embryo Vidocq," he began, halting in the shadow of the
wall angle and laying a gentle hand on Dollops's shoulder, "a word or
two with you. I think you told me earlier in the evening that Mr. Narkom
had gone back to town, did you not? Did he say if he'd be returning to
Wimbledon to-night or not? I fancy he will be likely to, considering his
interest in the Claverings, but did he say he would?"
"Yes, sir. Said he'd be back somewheres between nine and ten, sir; that
he'd drop in at the police station, and if there was a need for him, he
said I'd find him there."
"Right you are! Well, there _is_ a need for him, Dollops; for him and
for the limousine, too. So off with you, my boy, and tell him to be
here, at this spot, as quickly as he can; and to be ready when I call
for him. Now then," said Cleek, opening the wall door, "off with you as
fast as you can travel."
For some minutes Cleek stood in deep thought, then he turned and walked
quickly back into the house. He had made up his mind to beard Lord St.
Ulmer in his room, and his quick brain was intent on a plan by which he
should secure an entry. Three minutes later he stood outside the door
and placed a bunch of extinguished matches at the foot of it, while he
called softly but piercingly.
"Lord St. Ulmer! Quick! _Quick!_ _Fire!_ The place is on fire."
His heart pounded as he waited, for if the man were asleep his efforts
would be fruitless. Suddenly, however, there came a faint sound to his
straining ears, and again he whispered in that sibilant whisper:
"Lord St. Ulmer, _fire_!"
He did not have time to repeat it, for there came the sound as of an
extremely agile man leaping from his bed, and another moment he heard
the snick of an unfastened lock, then the door opened.
Cleek waited not a second, his foot was in the narrow aperture, and he
was through the door and had switched on the light before the other man
had realized what had happened. Then he gave vent to a little low laugh
of triumph as with his back against the closed door he surveyed the
white-faced man who had retreated to the middle of the room.
"Good evening! Citizen Paul, good brother Apache, so it is you, is it?"
he said airily. "Let us have a quiet little understanding, _mon ami_.
You need not be distressed. There is no fire. It is merely a bluff.
What! You do not know me. But wait! Look!" The serene face writhed
suddenly, and it was as if another man took his place. "Ever see a chap
that looked like this, friend Paul, eh?"
"God! The Cracksman!"
"The identical party!" acknowledged Cleek blandly. "Come! I want to have
a few minutes' talk with you, my friend, and---- Stop! Don't back away!
Stop and face me. By God! you'll hang for last night's business if you
don't!"
CHAPTER THIRTY
NEARING THE TRUTH!
It was one o'clock when Mr. Maverick Narkom, pacing uneasily up and down
the narrow strip of turf just outside the boundary wall of Wuthering
Grange, saw the door at the wall angle flash open and shut again, and
without so much as a murmur of sound looked up to find Cleek standing
within a few paces of him.
"My dear fellow! Gad, I never was so glad to see anybody in all my
days," exclaimed the superintendent, swooping down on him in a little
whirlwind of excitement. "Cinnamon! You'll never guess what's happened,
Cleek, never! After all my instructions, those blundering idiots of
local police were too late to catch Margot and her crew at Wimbledon,
the house where young Raynor visited, as you wrote me. I went down
myself directly Dollops brought me your note, but it was too late, the
police had frightened her in some way----"
"It does not matter," said Cleek calmly. "I have come to the end of the
riddle."
"The end?" gasped Mr. Narkom. "The end! Man alive, tell me who----"