We were still skirmishing on the outskirts of conversation--What did I
think of a soldier's out-of-door quarters? Why hadn't any one yet shown
me the great sight, the concentration camp? when Tony Dalziel came
hurrying up, to take me back to his mother and the motor. His arrival
seemed to bring relief from strain. It was like a brisk breeze blowing
away the brooding clouds that stifle the atmosphere before a
thunderstorm. I dreaded to go and leave those two men together; but when
Major Vandyke suggested walking with us to the car, and asking Mrs.
Dalziel about Milly, my heart felt lighter. We stopped only long enough
with Eagle to arrange a visit to the concentration camp for next
morning, if Milly were better, and then Vandyke, Tony, and I started
off.
For the first two or three minutes the major walked along in silence;
but when we were well out of sight of Eagle March's tent he interrupted
some sentence of Tony's ruthlessly. I don't think he was even aware that
the other was speaking.
"See here, Tony, old man, will you do me a favour?" he asked in his
nicest manner. "There's a book in my tent I promised to give Lady Peggy,
to read aloud to Miss Dalziel--a jolly good story! I forgot to bring it
out when I came, and I don't want to go back now if I can help it,
because a party of bores are being shown round in that direction, awful
people I've escaped from. You don't know them, so they can't hurt you.
Will you, like a dear chap, cut off and grab the book? It's on the
table; you can't miss it; purple cover."
Tony obligingly "cut," and I waited, breathless, for what was to come,
knowing now without being told that Sidney Vandyke had seen the
photograph. He had not promised me a book, nor mentioned one.
I had only a few seconds to wait. "Is it true that your sister gave
March the picture he has in his tent?" he demanded, rather than asked.
I gasped, doubtful whether it would be wise to bring things to a crisis,
or better to try and keep them simmering. But an instant's reflection
told me that to shilly-shally with the man in this mood would make what
was already bad far worse. "Yes, she gave it to him, of course," I
replied. "I think you must have overheard him say so."
I really didn't mean to put emphasis on the offending word, but Major
Vandyke suspected it. Perhaps the cap fitted!
"I wasn't eavesdropping," he said. "I happened to hear. That's a very
different thing from overhearing. And I have a right to ask you as
Diana's sister, Diana herself not being on the spot, to give me an
explanation, as I'm sure she would if she were here. Because I have the
duplicate of that photo. She told me she'd had it taken for me, and the
negative destroyed. I considered it sacred. I would have shown it to
nobody."
"I am nobody," said I, "nobody except Captain March's friend, to whom he
tells things he wouldn't tell to others. He had the best of reasons to
believe I was in Diana's confidence, as well as his. And as for the
photograph, it's as sacred to him as it could be to you, Major Vandyke.
You might realize that from the clever way he has thought of to hide it;
and no person who wasn't absolutely _prying_ could have recognized it in
passing by his tent. He knew that very well, or he wouldn't have
uncovered the picture for even a second."
"If you were a man, you wouldn't dare say such a thing as that to me,
Lady Peggy."
"Oh, yes, I would," I retorted, "if I were nearly as big as you. I'm
Captain March's friend, not yours; and I'm not a bit afraid to be your
enemy if you are his."
"You are more loyal to your friend than to your own flesh and blood," he
flung at me. "If you say your sister did give that photograph to March,
you make her out a liar. But I won't believe it of her. I prefer to
believe it of March instead."
"'Liar' is a strong word," I temporized. "I was always taught that it
was very rude, too. You're a flirt, Major Vandyke! Every one says that
of you, and I believe you're proud of it. So you ought to have some
sympathy with a fellow flirt, like Di. If any one must be blamed, of
course it's she, not Captain March. He has as much right to accept a
photograph from a girl as you have. But you needn't be too angry with
Di, if she made you believe that you were the only one, when she was
doing the same thing with Captain March. Probably she didn't 'lie' to
either of you in so many words."
"It's not necessary for you to defend Lady Diana to me, I assure you,"
returned Major Vandyke. "Whatever she may have done, I'm ready to
forgive her, if she's willing to stand by me. But I won't have March
swaggering around and boasting that she gives him special favours."
"If I were a man _you_ wouldn't dare say _that_!" I burst out. "When you
talk about 'boasting,' or 'swaggering,' you must be judging him by
yourself, for you are always doing both, he never. I believe Di likes
him better than she does you, because he's a sort of popular hero with
his flying, and you have nothing except your flirting and your fortune
to recommend you to a girl."
If only I hadn't lost my head and thrown that taunt at him! I suppose I
shall never know how much difference, or how little, this mistake of
mine made. The instant the words were out I would have given anything to
recall them. But it was too late. To apologize, or try to explain, would
only do more harm. I ventured one sidelong glance at Major Vandyke's
face after I had shot that bolt; and I quivered all over as I saw how
the blood streamed darkly up to his forehead and swelled the veins at
his temples. If I hadn't been afraid of him for Eagle, whose superior
officer he was, I might have pitied him for the pain I had inflicted,
under which he could keep silence only by biting his lip. I knew he was
hating me violently, but I didn't care a rap. All I cared for just then
was that he was hating Eagle March, and counting on paying him out in
some way--I couldn't guess what.
"I must warn Eagle," I said to myself; and I could almost have kissed
Tony, I was so glad to see him when he came back with the purple-covered
book which nobody wanted.
Major Vandyke walked on with us to the motor, as if nothing had
happened, but he was very silent, letting Tony and me talk undisturbed.
It was only after he had spoken in a dry, mechanical way to Mrs.
Dalziel, and the car was about to start, that I caught his eyes. There
was a look in them as cold and deadly--or I imagined it--as deliberate
murder.
I couldn't wait until next day to see Eagle and tell him--I hardly knew
what, but _something_, to put him on his guard. He had said that he was
engaged to lunch with a man named Donaldson at the Hotel Weldon, and it
occurred to me that I might reach him there by telephone. At a little
before one o'clock, I called up the hotel, and inquired if Captain March
had arrived, to keep an appointment with Mr. Donaldson. The answer was
"yes"; and when I had given my name, I was asked to hold the line for a
few minutes, until Captain March should come to the telephone.
As I sat with the receiver at my ear, waiting, somebody began to talk in
weird Spanish--or "Mex," as I'd heard it nicknamed in El Paso. The
telephone and I had never been intimate friends at home, and I'd
practically made its acquaintance since coming to America, so I scarcely
realized why or how I was hearing that voice. "Is it some one trying to
call to me?" I wondered stupidly. "Who knows here, except Eagle, that I
speak Spanish?" Then, gradually, it dawned on me that I had "tapped" a
conversation going on between persons with whom I had nothing to do.
Their chatter could have no interest for me, even if it were excusable
to listen, but I didn't drop the receiver lest I should miss Captain
March, having been instructed to hold the line till he came. I couldn't
help being vaguely pleased, too, that I had picked up enough Spanish in
my home studies to understand what was being said. But suddenly my silly
conceit was turned into horror. I was overhearing (that word which Major
Vandyke had resented!) a plot between a pair of Mexican servants to
poison the American families who employed them.
Two women were talking to each other, rapidly, earnestly, in tones of
such agitation as they hurried on, that only for the first instant could
I fancy a practical joke was being played. "You got the stuff safely?
Yes? Then it has gone round among those who will do the work. Only a few
have refused to come in. Those who eat will not die, but all will be
sick. Then the men cannot fight our men if they come across the river.
It is a very good plan to let us women help in our way. Yet, above
everything, there must be no mistake! It is for the noon meal on
Thursday, but only if we are sure of an attack for that night. We should
be lost if we acted too soon. I am the one to pass the word. I am
telling one after another to wait until it comes from me, by telephone
or in some other way."
The words were rattled off so fast that I could catch no more than half,
but I had seized enough to fill up the spaces for myself when the voices
were cut off into silence, and Eagle March called, "Hello! Is that you,
Peggy?"
"Yes," I said. "I had something important to say to you, but I've heard
the most horrid talk going on over the telephone. I'm afraid it may mean
a real danger for El Paso. I daren't tell you about it on the wire. Do
let me see you! I must! Can you possibly take a taxi and rush over here
now, or shall I go to you? I'll do that if you can't come to me."
"I'll come to you, of course," answered Eagle. "I'll excuse myself to
Donaldson, and be with you in five minutes."
"Good; in the hall," I said. "I'll run down now and wait for you."
Mrs. Dalziel and I were to lunch in Milly's room, to keep her company
and tell her all the news; but the meal wasn't due yet for half an hour,
so there was plenty of time before my hostess should come knocking at
the door. I had just found a quiet place in the corner of the big marble
hall, and annexed a sofa for two, when I saw Eagle walk in. He was
looking for me. I beckoned, and he came to me with long strides. It
would be hard to tell why, but never had I loved him so well as at that
moment. I did not see how I was going to bear a whole, long life without
having him in it.
When he had sat down by my side, I told him quickly what I had
overheard, and how. The moment he had got the pith of the story he
jumped up, looking preoccupied and anxious. "I must go at once," he
said, "before the girls at the telephone exchange have time to forget
the numbers of those who've called and been called up in the last twenty
minutes or so. We may be able to catch the ringleader in that way, and
get from her the names of every one in the plot--if it's a genuine plot;
and I agree with you that it looks rather like it. Peggy, your fad for
studying languages and your quick wits may have saved El Paso from
something at the least unpleasant."
"Oh, I hope so!" I cried. "And the women talked about some 'attack!'
Don't forget that."
"No fear!" he almost laughed. "Now I must go. You may be asked some
questions later on. I hope you won't much mind."
I shook my head. "What does it matter? But, oh, Eagle! I cannot let you
go until I've told you what I rang you up for. Major Vandyke saw Di's
picture, and heard what we said. And he's furious, because it seems she
gave him a photograph--something like yours. I don't quite know what he
thinks, but he's more angry with you than with her, and I believe he'll
try to get even with you in someway. Look out for him!"
"I will!" This time he laughed outright. "And I don't think he will be
able to frighten me into giving up Diana--if she'll have me. Good-bye,
dear, and thank you for everything, with all my heart. You're my good
angel!"
"How I wish I could be!" I sighed. But he heard neither sigh nor words.
He had hurried away and into his waiting taxi.