It was with a feeling of great anxiety that Edward Drake saw Lady
Mildred leave the billiard room to go to Baron de Croiseuil, for he
quickly guessed the reason of the Belgian’s visit. Although Gaunt
had not gone into details it was evident from what he had said that
there was much in his Congo past that he would not care to have reach
his wife’s ears. By all accounts the Baron was a most unscrupulous
adversary, and would not hesitate to use the knowledge that he
possessed.
After a few moments’ thought, Drake hastened to the telephone and got
into communication with the city office, only to find that Gaunt was
not there.
“Please ask him to come to Park Lane as soon as he returns,” Drake said
to Foster the secretary, and then went back to the billiard room.
Lady Ethel was idly knocking about the billiard balls, and she did not
look up when he entered.
“Where is my brother?” he asked.
“He suddenly remembered that he had an appointment at the war office,”
she answered, as she deftly made a cannon. “This is a good chance for
the lesson I promised to give you,” she said demurely.
Drake went to the rack from which he took the first cue that came to
hand.
“I am afraid that you will find me rather a duffer,” he remarked.
“Your education has been neglected—in many ways.” Then she gave him a
quick look which he failed to catch. “You may break.”
But Drake’s hand trembled, and he made a miscue.
“Try again,” she said lightly, and placed the ball back in balk.
Again he tried to make the shot, with a similar result.
“It is no use, I am an awful duffer,” he said apologetically.
She watched him as he replaced the cue in the rack, and her eyes
twinkled with mischief.
“You are very easily discouraged. I thought better things of you, Mr.
Drake,” she said with a laugh, but suddenly her face became grave and
she approached more closely to him. “Would you mind telling me why you
did not wish my sister to see the Baron de Croiseuil?”
Drake knew not what to say, for he could not tell her the real reason.
“I do not ask merely from curiosity. I am not quite a fool, although
you may think that my intelligence is below the average, and I am
not blind to what is going on. It seems to me that my sister and her
husband are drifting apart and that you know the reason of it,” she
said with unusual seriousness.
Still he did not answer, and she grew impatient.
“Am I not right? Mr. Gaunt has changed in a marvellous way since he has
known you—and I wish you to take me into your confidence.”
“I can’t do so, Lady Ethel. I shall be grateful if you will change the
subject. All I can say is that I will spare no effort to prevent any
disagreement between Mr. Gaunt and his wife. But there are great issues
at stake, and Lady Mildred must not be the only consideration,” he
said earnestly.
“No issue can be so great as my sister’s happiness,” she answered
impetuously.
“I do not agree with you, Lady Ethel. Please don’t say any more,” he
said appealingly.
“I won’t for the present, but I am disappointed in you. Your brother
would not have answered as you have done.”
His face flushed, and he took a step towards her. Her eyes regarded him
steadily, and their expression contained a hint of defiance.
“My brother would only do what is consistent with honor,” he answered
with quiet dignity.
A silence followed, and both were conscious of a feeling of
nervousness. Edward Drake came to a sudden decision, and spoke
impulsively.
“My brother is the only relative that I have in the world, and we are
more than brothers, for we are friends. Lindsay is as generous-hearted
a man as ever breathed, and I have never known him guilty of a mean
action. Lady Ethel, he is very dear to me, and I should grieve to
see him hurt. Perhaps I ought not to speak to you in this way, but I
think that you understand what I mean. For some years he has lived
among savages, and the life there has made him forget many things.
During these last few days he has only remembered that he is a man,
and you a woman. Your beauty has blinded him to the fact that he is a
poverty-stricken soldier, while you are a lady of title, who——”
While he spoke the color had left her cheeks, and she interrupted him
peremptorily.
“Don’t you think that you might allow your brother to speak for
himself? You parsons imagine that it is your prerogative to meddle in
affairs that do not in the least concern you.”
“My brother’s happiness concerns me greatly,” he said quietly.
“Isn’t he old enough to look after himself? You are a strange man, Mr.
Drake, and just a little bit impertinent. Of course, I use the word in
its classical sense,” she added hastily.
He smiled, but it was a sad smile, and she relented immediately.
“I don’t think you need be troubled about your brother’s happiness,”
she said gently.
“You mean?”
As he asked the question he was conscious of a fierce pain tugging at
his heart, for he dreaded to hear her answer.
“I mean—nothing,” she cried gaily.
The door was thrown open and Gaunt strode in, putting an end to the
conversation.
“I got your message. What is it?” he asked quickly of Drake.
The latter glanced significantly at Lady Ethel who understood his
meaning.
“I will relieve you of my presence, and I hope that I have completely
reassured you.”
The last sentence was addressed to Drake, and was spoken so mockingly
that he winced, and the color came to his cheeks.
“What’s the matter?” Gaunt demanded as soon as they were alone.
There was a worried look on his face, and it seemed to Drake that there
were lines around his eyes that he had not before noticed.
“Baron de Croiseuil called this afternoon, and Lady Mildred insisted
upon seeing him. They may be together now.”
Gaunt smothered an oath, as he crossed the room to ring the bell, and
no word was spoken until the footman came.
“Is your mistress alone?” Gaunt demanded abruptly.
“Yes, I think so, sir.”
“Has the Baron de Croiseuil gone?”
“Yes, sir. About a quarter of an hour ago.”
“You can go, James,” Gaunt said to the footman, and as soon as the
latter had left the room he sank back into a chair with a groan.
“Is it very serious, what he might say to Lady Mildred?” Drake asked
hurriedly.
“Lady Mildred will consider it more than serious. But don’t talk for a
few minutes. I want to do some hard thinking.”
It was a quarter of an hour before Gaunt sprang to his feet, and there
was the light of battle in his eyes.
“Sit down, father confessor, while I tell you the whole story,” he said
with a mirthless laugh.
“There was a man named Marillier on the Congo. A blackguard of the
worst description, and soon after I arrived in the country we came into
contact. He was the most callous of all the brutes that go to make up
Congo officialdom, and in those days I was not inured to sickening
sights. One day I went to his station, and found him with his own hand
flogging a young girl of about fifteen, one of his numerous native
wives. He used the _chicotte_, a murderous instrument of torture, and
the girl was half dead. I lost my temper, and seized the _chicotte_
with which I gave him a little of what he had been giving the girl.”
“I am very glad to hear it,” Drake cried vehemently.
“I took the poor girl on to my own station, and that night Marillier
turned up in a drunken rage. In his hand he carried a revolver, and
commenced firing at me. I had no desire to die, so I took my own weapon
and fired.”
Gaunt paused, and his breath came quickly.
“My shot reached home, and he died.”
“You were justified by every moral law,” Drake said quietly.
“So the officials seemed to think who investigated the matter, for I
heard no more about it until last night when the Baron visited me,”
Gaunt said grimly.
“I am confident that Lady Mildred will hold you justified when she
hears your side of the story.”
“I hope so, but that isn’t the worst from her point of view. There is
only one thing that I dread her hearing, and the Baron knows it.”
“What is that?” Drake asked anxiously.
“It isn’t a pretty story, but you’d better know it. Of course you can’t
appreciate the code of morality that exists in West Africa. Nearly all
the white men out there have native wives. In fact, many of the Congo
officials have half a dozen. From the woman’s point of view, it is a
valid marriage and her status is raised thereby. You can guess what is
coming,” Gaunt said miserably.
“You had a native wife?”
“No. But the general belief throughout the Congo was that I had taken
Marillier’s native wife and that that was the reason why he had
attacked me. But there is no necessity to go into details, and I will
simply say that while I was on the Congo, I lived a clean life, as far
as women are concerned. You know Lady Mildred, and if the Baron should
tell her——”
Gaunt broke off, and turned away so that Drake should not see the
misery in his eyes. The latter had listened to this recital in dismay,
for he saw clearly that Lady Mildred would be deeply hurt should the
Baron have told this story, and he could say no word of comfort.
“Why don’t you speak? Do you think that I have lied to you?” Gaunt
demanded fiercely.
“No. Of course I believe you, but I fear that your enemies have a
powerful weapon. The Baron may honestly believe that you killed
Marillier on account of the woman, but——” He ceased to speak, and his
face cleared. “I don’t think the Baron will have told Lady Mildred,
yet; for he will hold it in reserve to use against you. Why don’t you
go to her yourself at once and tell her? Hearing it from you she might
believe, while if the knowledge came from a stranger—there would always
remain a suspicion.”
“You have set me a hard task, and I don’t think that I have the
strength to carry it out,” Gaunt said dully.
“Believe me, it is the best plan—the only one,” Drake said impetuously.
Gaunt did not answer, but stared moodily into the fire and the silence
became oppressive, but soon there was a knock at the door and a footman
entered.
“Her ladyship would like to see you in her room,” he announced.
“Now is your chance,” Drake whispered earnestly.
But Gaunt did not move.