THIN ICE
With all her loyalty and determination in the interests of her new
friend, Jessie could not repress a sigh of relief once Vera Galloway was
safe in the shelter of the queen's hotel. After all said and done, the
events of the previous night had been exceedingly trying, and Jessie was
feeling in need of a rest. Vera Galloway did not fail to notice this.
"It is impossible for me to properly thank you," she said in a voice
that was very unsteady. "What I should have done without you, goodness
knows. By this time the man I love would have been ruined. Charlie
Maxwell would never have been able to hold up his head again. Oh, if
only I had not lost the papers!"
"They will be found," Jessie said. "I feel quite sure that they will be
found and you will regain possession of them. At any rate the countess
is powerless for present evil. Everything is against her."
The queen came into the room at the same moment. She was kindness itself
to Vera, though her face had its sternest expression. She held in her
hand a copy of the _Mercury_. She had been reading the sensational
interview carefully. Never had there been a more daring or outrageous
plot. And thanks to the courage and promptitude of Lechmere it had
failed.
"This thing is infamous, daring to a degree," the queen said. "But
fortunately the _Herald_ comes to our aid. And the king is already on
his way to Asturia. It is only the matter of those papers.... Vera, I
suppose I must forgive you for the trick you played on me."
"It was in a good cause," Vera smiled faintly. "You see, there were
complicating interests. And yet they were absolutely identical. I wanted
to save Charlie and you at the same time and but for a most distressing
and unforeseen accident I should have done so. But what a perfect
substitute I left behind me! Could any other girl possibly have behaved
like Jessie Harcourt?"
The queen forgot her anger and distress for a moment. A little time
later and Jessie was walking to her lodgings, her ears tingling with
pride and pleasure. She was never going to want a friend again, the way
was rosy before her for the future. Ada's pale anxious face brightened
and her eyes filled with tears as Jessie came in. It had been an anxious
time for Ada.
"You look so strong and happy and yet so tired," she said. "Sit down in
the armchair and tell me everything. There is something about you that
suggests adventure. But you have not failed."
No, Jessie had not failed, she explained. She told Ada everything from
beginning to end; she had to answer a thousand eager questions. When she
mentioned the name of Ronald Hope Ada smiled demurely. That was the best
news of it all.
"I am glad you and Ronald have met again," Ada said quietly. "We ought
never to have left the old home without writing to him. It has been on
my mind to do so frequently, but I thought perhaps that you would not
like it, Jessie. Now you are going to sit there and rest whilst I run
out and get some paints for those Christmas cards. I have been so
miserably anxious about you that I dared not go out before. The walk
will freshen me up."
Jessie nodded lazily. A delicious sense of fatigue stole over her. Her
eyes closed and she fell into a half sleep. When she came to herself
again Ronald was bending over her. Her face flushed as he stooped down
and pressed his lips to hers. Perhaps she had been more guarded had she
not been taken by surprise, for she returned the pressure.
"That was not fair," she said with a trembling smile. "You caught me
unawares, Ronald."
Ronald coolly took a seat close to Jessie's side. He took her hand in
his and it was not withdrawn.
"It isn't as if you didn't love me," he said. "You know perfectly well
that we always cared for one another. And you would not have kissed me
if you had not loved me, Jess. Why you disappeared in that strange
manner I never could understand. What difference did the fact make that
your poor father had left you penniless? I knew that he was a poor man
and that I had nothing to expect but your dear self, and you were quite
aware of it. Then when I go to India you disappear and I don't hear any
more of you till rumours reach me of the goddess in Bond Street. Jess,
you are never going to run away from me again?"
"It does not seem so," Jessie said demurely, "especially if you hold my
hand and my waist as tightly as you are holding them at the present
time. But seriously, Ronald----"
"That's the way to talk, seriously! Seriously, my darling Jess, don't
you love me?"
"I love you with my whole heart and soul, Ronald," Jessie whispered. "I
never realised how much I loved you till we came to be parted and I
thought that I had lost you for ever. This time yesterday I was one of
the most miserable girls in England, now I am one of the happiest."
"And you are going to marry me right away, dearest?" Hope whispered. "A
quiet wedding."
"Presently," Jessie smiled. "Not so fast, if you please. I have my new
friends to think of. I can't forget that but for them I might never have
seen you again, Ronald. Till that business is finished I am not a free
agent. Even at the present moment I am in danger of being arrested on a
charge of stealing some papers from the residence of Countess Saens."
"But, my dear girl, you never so much as saw those confounded papers."
"That does not make the slightest difference. The papers were stolen
from the residence of Countess Saens by a young girl answering to my
description and dressed exactly as I am dressed at the present moment.
If I was confronted now with the Countess's maid Annette she would
identify me as the thief."
"The real thief being Miss Vera Galloway all the time, Jessie."
"Of course she is. But could I say so? Could I in my own defence go into
the witness box and tell the story of my bold impersonation of Vera
Galloway so that she could be free to regain those papers? Why, by so
doing we admit the existence of the papers that we deny existence to at
all. If any scandal arises over them, I shall have to bear it alone.
Vera Galloway's share must not even be suggested. It must be assumed
that I traded on my marvellous resemblance to Vera to obtain certain
things from the countess."
"But this is monstrous," cried Ronald. "If it came to a matter of
imprisonment----"
"I should go through with it if it did," Jessie declared quietly. "At
least I should do so until it was safe to have the truth out. Countess
Saens is a bitter foe when----"
"Who can do you no harm," said Ronald. "At present she is on her way to
Paris. She has been lured there by a dexterous trick to keep her out of
the way."
"But she might have put the matter in the hands of the police before she
left?"
"Perhaps so. I had not thought of that, Jessie. It behoves you to be
careful. If any attempt was made to arrest you, but I dare not think of
it. If danger threatens, go back to the queen. She can help you if
anybody can. Hullo, here is Ada."
Ada's reception of the visitor was flattering enough. She was delighted
to see Ronald again, she was almost tearfully glad to find that Ronald
and Jessie had come to an understanding. But all the same she confessed
that she was frightened. A man had accosted her on her way home with an
enquiry as to the spot where Miss Jessie Harcourt lived. He had a parcel
in his hand and came from the shop of Madame Malmaison. It appeared that
Jessie had left some of her possessions behind and the messenger was
anxious to deliver it.
"And I don't believe that he was a messenger at all," Ada said
breathlessly. "He was far too prim and dark. He gave me an impression of
Scotland Yard. Of course I pretended to know nothing, but I was
frightened. Go and see what you think, Ronald. He is in Seymour Street;
he has a box under his arm."
Ronald departed hastily. He came back a little time later with a grim
face and an uneasy air.
"I am afraid that Ada is right," he said. "The fellow has police force
written all over him. I suppose the police are following up the
enquiries they made last night. You must go back to the queen without
delay, Jess. I fancy I have managed it. I see that there is a way out of
these block of rooms in Dean Street. Go down there and stand in the
doorway. Presently I shall pull up with a cab just for a second and you
are to jump in. Don't lose any time. If you are arrested many questions
will be asked, if you can tide over the next day you may escape
altogether. I'll see what Lechmere can do."
Hope bustled away and a little time later Jessie crept down the stone
stairs leading to Dean Street. She had not long to wait there, for
presently a cab drove up and Ronald looked anxiously out. Like a flash
Jessie was across the pavement and into the cab.
"Saved this time," Ronald muttered. "I shall leave you in Piccadilly to
go back alone. Glad to see that you took the precaution to veil your
features. After I have left you I'll go as far as Lechmere's rooms. I
daresay we can beat those people yet."