A POSSIBLE SCANDAL.
After all, Lord Prelice did not return to Hythe on that night, much as
he desired to. In view of this new complication, which threatened the
domestic peace of Lady Sophia Haken, her nephew decided to remain in
London, and give all his energies towards solving the problem. He
could not think that Haken had anything to do with the murder of
Agstone. In the first place, he had no reason to kill the man; in the
second, he did not possess any leaves of the Sacred Herb with which to
make Shepworth unconscious. Certainly it was Agstone who had kindled
the leaves in the bronze cup, but he must have obtained them from Mr.
Haken--presuming he was the disguised lady---since he could have
obtained them in no other way. Sir Oliver had possessed a portion of
the plant, but had used it in the library when he was murdered, so the
old sailor could not have procured the leaves in that direction.
Prelice began to wonder if Haken had got the leaves from Madame Marie
Eppingrave to execute his purpose.
But then, so far as Prelice knew, his uncle was not acquainted with
the Bond Street fortune-teller. And again, he was well acquainted with
Dr. Horace, who admitted to possession of the leaves, and, more than
this, had actually burnt the Sacred Herb in the New Bailey. Lord
Prelice decided first to call upon his uncle in the city, and lay the
facts discovered before him, and then to interview Dr. Horace. In
these two several ways he might get at the truth. Also, somewhat
later, he decided to again speak with Madame Marie, and if possible
see her in the presence of Captain Jadby. When that buccaneer learned
that Mona was engaged to another man, and that she had inherited the
property, he might bow to fate and leave things alone. Finally,
Prelice knew that he had a powerful ally in the fortune-teller. From
what he had seen of her strong-willed character he guessed that she
would stick at nothing to secure as her husband the man with whom she
was infatuated.
Bearing all these circumstances in mind, Prelice sent a wire to Mona
stating that business detained him in London, and also went to his
club to write his first love letter. In this he carefully refrained
from mentioning the case, and merely poured out his heart in a
passionate dithyramb in honour of his goddess. Mona, for the moment,
felt some disappointment when she noted the absence of information
regarding Madame Marie, but later confessed that her lover was right.
It would never have done for the first letter which had passed between
them to be soiled by the sordid tragedy in which she had been
implicated. All the same, much as she appreciated Prelice's slightly
turgid prose, her heart hungered to learn of his doings relative to
the case. She felt that she would not know a happy moment until the
truth were made manifest. Then she could become Lady Prelice with a
light heart.
The next day Prelice went into the city to see his uncle, and learned
that Mr. Haken had gone to Paris for a few days. He was expected back
on the morrow, as he already had been absent for some time, so all
that his eager nephew could do was to possess his soul in patience.
Prelice returned to his club rather disappointed, and there found a
telegram waiting for him. It had been sent to his Hythe hotel, and had
been repeated on to his club, since it was marked "Urgent." It proved
to be from Horace, and asked Prelice to come up at once. "Be at my
house at three in the afternoon. Important," said the wire.
"I wonder what this means?" Prelice asked himself uneasily, and
fretted over the matter until the time came for him to go to Rutland
Square.
There was no getting over the fact that the mystery of this case was
telling on Prelice's strong nerves.
Nor was his uneasiness diminished when he found that Dr. Horace was
not alone. With him were Captain Jadby and Madame Marie Eppingrave,
both of whom appeared to be on very good terms with their host. As
usual, the room was untidy with its litter of curiosities, but Prelice
managed to find a seat with his back to the light. This he did so as
to keep his face well in the shade, as he had a premonition that there
was about to be a duel of words. Indeed, the first whispered remark of
Horace hinted at a storm about to break.
"You silly ass," grumbled the doctor in his beard as he went forward
to welcome his guest, "why couldn't you leave things alone as I told
you to? Now all the fat is on the fire with a vengeance."
Prelice shrugged his shoulders with a carelessness which he was far
from feeling, and saluted Madame Marie with a bow. Of Captain Jadby,
who stood fidgeting by the window, he took no notice. The buccaneer
noticed the omission, and resented it. "English manners, I suppose,"
sneered the half-caste pointedly.
Prelice sat down calmly, and took up the challenge. "Considering our
last meeting, when you treacherously fired on my friend, you can
hardly expect me to behave courteously."
"I wish I had killed him," flashed out Jadby viciously.
"I quite believe that; but you did not harm him in the least,"
retorted Prelice, lying bravely to defend Ned, and to annoy the
captain.
"I wounded him in the arm," snarled Jadby. "Didn't I, Marie?"
"I certainly saw that Mr. Shepworth was slightly hurt," replied the
fortune-teller; "in a trance, of course."
"Ah!" replied Prelice negligently, "your trances are not always
reliable, Madame."
"I think you have found that one is, at least," she replied in her
turn, and very significantly.
"What does Captain Jadby think?" asked Prelice genially. He felt sure
that the woman had not dared to risk the buccaneer's rage by
explaining what she had said.
"Madame Marie told me that she went into a trance on your account,"
said Jadby, taking a chair, sullenly, "but, of course, she did not
remember what she said, and could not explain to me."
"Since Madame is certain that this especial trance is reliable," was
Prelice's retort, "she must remember something."
"Oh, the deuce take your chatter," shouted Horace ruffling his shaggy
red hair, in a high state of irritation. "I didn't ask you here to
waste my time in drivel."
"In that case, as my time is also valuable, I had better go."
"No, no, confound you," said Horace crossly, and seeing that Prelice
knew well how to treat his humours. "Madame here, and Jadby, wish to
speak to you seriously."
"I fail to see upon what subject."
"Upon the subject of Miss Chent," cried the buccaneer savagely.
"I decline to discuss an absent lady," said Prelice coolly.
"You are engaged to her."
"Am I indeed?"
"But you sha'n't marry her."
"Won't I! See here!" Prelice rose, very tall and very straight and
very cool-headed, "if you persist in going like this, Captain Jadby, I
shall be compelled to twist your neck."
"English manners," sneered the half-caste again.
"Not at all. Colonial manners, South Sea manners if you will, and very
necessary manners for dealing with a ruffian such as you are."
"I'll kill you for this," muttered Jadby, sinking back into his chair.
"With your little gun?" taunted Prelice pleasantly. "I hope you'll
shoot straighter. I never saw so rotten a shot."
"I can do more than shoot."
"Yes--you can bark."
"And bite too. See here, I asked you here to tell you, in the presence
of Horace, that if you don't stop meddling with things which do not
concern you, I'll disgrace your uncle."
Prelice never winced. He had a kind of idea that something of this
sort was forthcoming, and merely laughed aggravatingly. "Which uncle?"
said he, calmly. "I have two or three."
"Mr. Simon Haken."
"Oh indeed." Prelice turned to Horace. "Are you on my side, or on the
side of these blackmailers?" he demanded.
Madame Marie arose furiously. "I am not a blackmailer," she cried, and
her deep-toned voice became shrill with anger. "I did not want to say
anything, and if Felix does not swear to give up this girl, I shall
refuse to speak out."
"No," snapped Jadby, with a fierce glance; at which, strange to say,
the courageous woman looked cowed. "You shall speak as I direct."
"Are you on my side or on theirs?" Prelice asked Horace again.
"On yours, hang you," snarled the ugly little man. "And if I were not,
you would find yourself in Queer Street, I can tell you."
Prelice took no notice of this outburst, but turned to the woman. "Are
you against me?" he demanded.
"I am neutral," she retorted uneasily.
"I see; and Jadby there is an open enemy. Well, now that I understand
the situation, perhaps you will let me know how Mr. Haken can be
disgraced by you two, or you three."
"We can accuse him of murder," said Jadby, choking with anger at the
exasperating coolness of the young aristocrat.
"Good. Go on."
"Of two murders?" spat out the half-caste.
"Better and better. Ha! I understand then that you, Captain Jadby, and
you, Madame Marie, accuse Mr. Haken of killing Sir Oliver Lanwin and
Steve Agstone?"
"Yes," snapped the captain; and "Yes," breathed the woman, very pale.
Prelice looked quietly at them. "Prove these charges," he said.
"One moment," said Dr. Horace, getting out his German pipe. "Remember,
Prelice, that this business is none of my bringing about. I warned you
against meddling in the case, and you would not take my warning. You
have only yourself to thank for what is coming."
"I am perfectly ready to take the responsibility of my actions," was
the stiff retort of the young man; and he turned to Jadby. "Go on!"
The captain, bursting with venom, was only too pleased to relieve
himself in a torrent of words. "Before my father, Sir Oliver, died, he
frequently talked to me about the estate--sought my counsel, in fact.
I thus learned that Mr. Haken, although supposed to be a wealthy man,
was in difficulties owing to disastrous speculation. He asked Sir
Oliver to lend him fifty thousand pounds to tide over a crisis, and
this my father refused to do. Naturally Mr. Haken was very angry----"
"Probably!" put in Prelice coolly; "but what you say does not prove
that Mr. Haken killed Sir Oliver."
"Let me speak now," said Horace rapidly. "I was the sole possessor of
the Sacred Herb, which, if you remember, Prelice, I brought from
Easter Island. I gave some to Haken, who desired to get the same for
Sir Oliver. You see," pursued the traveller, "Haken knew that Lanwin
was much interested in occult studies, so thought to tempt him to lend
the necessary fifty thousand pounds by getting him this rare herb,
which, as you know, produces a trance."
"I see." Prelice nodded. "Then Mr. Haken confessed to you that he
desired the loan of this money?"
"He did, saying that his affairs were in a bad way. With the gift of
the Sacred Herb he hoped to soften Sir Oliver's heart, which was
somewhat hard where money matters were concerned."
"I never knew that Mr. Haken was aware of Lanwin's inclination to the
occult," said Prelice quietly.
"He was in a way," said Madame Marie suddenly, and taking up the
story; "but, of course, I told him more, being very friendly with Sir
Oliver, as you know. Mr. Haken was superstitious himself--as the
saying goes--and frequently consulted me about stocks and shares."
"What?" Prelice looked incredulous. "Do you mean to tell me that a
hard-headed man like Mr. Haken consulted you?"
"He did; and I was enabled to serve him by my powers. I understood,
Lord Prelice, that you believed in the Occult World."
"I do," rejoined the young man dryly, "because I have had considerable
experience and possess imagination. But Mr. Haken----"
"He believed also," interrupted the fortune-teller quickly, "and came
to me for advice. It was I who recommended him to apply to his old
friend, Sir Oliver, for the fifty thousand pounds. When Sir Oliver
refused, I told Mr. Haken that he should get some of the Sacred Herb
from Dr. Horace, and give it to Sir Oliver, in the hope that the gift
would make Sir Oliver hand over the money."
"How did you know that Dr. Horace had the herb?" asked Prelice
sharply.
"Madame Marie and I were acquainted in Samoa," put in the traveller,
"and when we met in London I told her that I had succeeded in getting
the famous trance herb of Easter Island. She asked me for some leaves
to use in her business, and I declined."
"Why, when you gave the same to Sir Oliver?" inquired Prelice.
"Because I wished to keep the herb to myself," said Horace, his rugged
face growing dark; "but when Haken asked me for it to get money out of
Lanwin I gave it readily. I hated Lanwin. He thwarted me in Tahiti--it
matters not how--and he treated my brother Steve like a dog. I knew
that Haken would lose the fifty thousand, and wished Lanwin to see the
last of the cash. I would have ruined Lanwin if I could."
"This is quite a new light on your character, Horace," said Prelice,
with uplifted eyebrows. "However, I understand that for your own
purposes, which you have so kindly set forth, you gave the herb to
Lanwin."
"Not personally," retorted the doctor, scowling; "I gave it to Haken,
and he passed it to Madame Marie."
"And it was I who presented the herb to Sir Oliver, after retaining
some leaves for my own use," said the woman coolly. "It was on the
night of the murder that Mr. Haken came down to see Sir Oliver."
"Can you swear to that?" demanded Prelice, watching her.
"I can," she assured him emphatically. "Mr. Haken knew that I was to
give the herb to Sir Oliver on that night, and came down so as to
strike the iron while it was hot, by explaining how he had procured
the herb from Dr. Horace. Mr. Haken came in quietly by the window when
I was conversing with Sir Oliver in the library. That was about nine
o'clock. Agstone entered to close the windows--they were not
shuttered, remember--and also saw Mr. Haken. At five minutes after
nine--if you recollect the evidence I gave in Court--I went to bed,
leaving Mr. Haken alone with Sir Oliver----" She paused.
"And then?" questioned Prelice.
"There is nothing more to say," she replied coldly. "Mr. Haken was in
the library with a man from whom he desired to get money. It was, I
believe, refused; and then Mr. Haken murdered Sir Oliver, afterwards
burning the Sacred Herb, about the time Miss Chent entered the room.
Needless to say, before she entered, Mr. Haken had gone."
"A very pretty story," said Prelice, quite unmoved. "That is one crime
no doubt; but the other?"
"I can explain," said Jadby, enraged at the young man's coolness.
"From Madame Marie I learned that Mr. Haken was going to Mrs. Rover's
ball to see his goddaughter and Shepworth, and----"
"How did you know that?" asked Prelice, turning to the woman.
"Mrs. Rover consulted me occultly about her marriage, and confessed
amongst other things that Mr. Haken was her godfather. I saw that Mrs.
Rover was in that reckless state which might lead to a scandal, and I
told everything to Mr. Haken. He resolved to go to the masked ball and
remonstrate with Mrs. Rover, and afterwards with Mr. Shepworth. I told
Captain Jadby."
"And I went there," said the captain quickly, "because I knew that
Haken had killed Sir Oliver, and wished to see him, in order to get
some money."
"To blackmail him, in fact," said Prelice coolly. "So you were the
Continental individual whom my uncle was to meet."
"Yes. But he was too clever for me. He came in an ordinary domino, and
afterwards changed to a green one with a dress similar to that of Mrs.
Rover's."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I was hunting for Mr. Haken, and heard him chuckle. For the
moment I fancied that he was Mrs. Rover owing to the dress, but when
he chuckled I guessed it was Mr. Haken. He eluded me, however, but not
before I had smelt the perfume of the tuberose, which the Sacred Herb
gives out. When you discovered the crime, Lord Prelice, I guessed that
Mr. Haken, disguised as Mrs. Rover, so as to implicate her with
Shepworth, should there be trouble, had gone down and murdered
Agstone."
"How did Agstone come there? How did Mr. Haken know he would be
there?"
Jadby leaned back coolly. "I cannot answer either of those questions,"
he said calmly; "perhaps Mr. Haken can."
There was a few moments of silence, which Prelice broke. "Well," he
asked, rising, "and what are your terms for silence?"
"You must give up Miss Chent to me," said the captain, with a glance
of gratification, for he fancied that Prelice was yielding. "I shall
marry her, and then we shall live at the Grange."
"Ah, but you see it will not be your property," said Prelice politely.
Jadby sprang to his feet. "Not my property?"
"No. I fear that Dr. Horace has not informed you that Agstone brought
the will, leaving everything to Miss Chent, to him, and that he has
restored it to the lady. You are a pauper, Captain Jadby. Miss Chent
has the money, and shortly she will have me as her husband."
Jadby took scarcely any notice of Prelice, important as was the matter
he talked about. "Horace," he cried, glaring viciously, "you have
played me false."
"I never intended to play you true," said Horace contemptuously.
"Then I shall ruin Haken," cried Jadby, at his wits' end with sheer
rage.
"Do so," said Prelice, walking to the door. "I decline to be
blackmailed. Good-day." And he walked out.
After him came Madame Marie before he could descend the stairs. She
gripped him by the arm earnestly, and looked into his face. Prelice
could hear the captain and Horace quarrelling desperately in the room
he had left, but waited patiently until the woman spoke.
"Swear to me," panted Madame Marie, "that Jadby will never, never
marry that girl, and I will help you."
"In what way?"
"For one thing, I shall stop Felix from denouncing your uncle."
"Pooh! That's bluff!"
"Indeed, indeed it isn't," said the woman passionately. "What I have
told you is perfectly true. Your uncle will be in great danger if
Felix speaks. But swear to save him from that girl, and I shall stop
all trouble about Mr. Haken."
"I swear," said Prelice quietly; "especially as it is the dearest wish
of my life to make Miss Chent my wife."
"Beware--oh, be careful!" implored Madame Marie, clinging to Prelice.
"I know that Felix is desperate; he is dangerous."
"I am not afraid of him. He cannot hurt me."
"But he may hurt her," cried Madame Marie. "If anything goes wrong,
come to me. I can help you."
"I shall do so; but why do you work against the man you love?"
"Because I can secure him in no other way. I want him to leave England
to marry me. While he stops here, and is infatuated with Miss Chent,
there is no hope. Hark! Felix is calling. Remember, we are outwardly
enemies, but inwardly friends. You promise." On this she produced a
small golden crucifix.
Considering the exigencies of the case, Prelice was willing to promise
anything, even to a doubtfully good woman, such as Madame Marie
appeared to be. But the production of the crucifix took him aback.
"I give you my word," he said, stiffly.
"I want your oath," she retorted. "Swear on this, to aid me to marry
Felix, or I do nothing."
There was no help for it, and Prelice had to make allowance for Madame
Marie's flamboyant, foreign way of exaggeration. "I swear to help
you," he said, and kissed the crucifix.