A BLOOD RELATION.
Walter choked down an ugly word that rose to his lips. He resented the
intrusion just at a moment when he particularly desired to be alone
with Vera. Who was it, he wondered, who came so late? And who rang so
imperiously and persistently for admission? He flung back bolt and
chain, and opened the door. With her nerves all unstrung, and with a
certain intuition of impending calamity upon her, Vera had followed
him into the hall. She had dried her eyes now; she showed little sign
of her recent agitation. She heard Walter's exclamation as he
recognised the intruder.
"Good heavens, it is Mrs. Delahay!" he cried. "What can you want here
at this hour?"
"The studio," Mrs. Delahay gasped. "Get to the studio at once. If your
uncle should happen to be there----"
"You can reassure yourself on that point," Walter said. "Lord
Ravenspur is at present in his bedroom."
Maria Delahay pressed her hand to her heart. She gave a little gasp of
relief. She was too breathless to explain. All she needed now was a
chair to support her failing limbs. As Walter stood there it flashed
upon him that something wrong must be taking place in connection with
the studio. He had not forgotten the vivid incident of the other
night. Perhaps at this very moment the clue to the puzzle was in his
hands. He turned round, and his gaze fell upon Vera, who was watching
Mrs. Delahay curiously.
"Take this lady into the drawing-room," he said, "and wait till I come
back. I shan't be very long."
Vera came forward with a sympathetic smile upon her face. A light was
shining on her features. Maria Delahay could see how fair and sweet
she was. And so this, she thought, was her sister's child. This was
the girl from whom her mother had voluntarily separated herself for
upwards of eighteen years. It seemed impossible, incredible to
believe, but there it was. And the girl's hand was under Mrs.
Delahay's arm now. She was being gently assisted as far as the
drawing-room.
"I am sure you are Mrs. Delahay," Vera said, in her most sympathetic
voice. "If all had gone well we should have met before now. I cannot
tell you how sorry I am for you. I do hope this dreadful mystery will
be cleared up before long. And now can I get you anything? I suppose
you came to see Lord Ravenspur?"
Maria Delahay hesitated for a moment. There was no occasion to tell
this beautiful child the dread import of her presence there. It seemed
a wicked thing to bring her within the range of the trouble.
"I should like to see Lord Ravenspur, yes," she said "So you are his
ward, Vera Rayne? Really, I cannot see any likeness between you and
your father."
The words had slipped unconsciously from Maria Delahay's lips before
she had time to think what she was saying. It was only when she noted
the startled look in Vera's eyes that she realised the full extent of
her imprudent speech.
"Did you know my father?" Vera cried.
"What am I saying!" Mrs. Delahay exclaimed. "My head is so dazed and
confused that I don't know what I am talking about. Just for a moment
I was filled with a foolish idea that you were Lord Ravenspur's
daughter. It would be strange if you bore a likeness to him, seeing
that he is only your guardian."
Vera was silent for a moment. Mrs. Delahay's impetuous speech had
filled her with misgivings. She did not know, she could not feel sure
that, after all, Lord Ravenspur might stand in closer relationship to
her than that of a guardian. But she put the trouble out of her mind
now. She had other things to occupy her attention. And after all said
and done, the poor creature by her side was in deeper grief and
anxiety than herself.
"I think I will go up and tell my guardian you are here," she said. "I
know he will be glad to see you."
Vera was spared the trouble, for at that moment Ravenspur came into
the room with a bundle of papers in his hand. He started as he caught
sight of Mrs. Delahay.
"You here at this hour!" he exclaimed. "I hope----"
"No; there is nothing particularly wrong," the woman said. "I should
like a few words with you if I am not intruding."
Vera discreetly left the room, and walked off towards the library.
There was a stern expression on Ravenspur's face as he looked at his
visitor. He waited for her to speak.
"I daresay you will think this is rather singular of me," she
faltered, "but I came here tonight because your life is in danger. I
believe that the man called Luigi Silva is under your roof at the
present moment. You know who I mean?"
"I know perfectly well," Ravenspur replied. "It would be absurd to
pretend to misunderstand you. And so it turns out after all that you
are the sister of my poor friend Flavio's wife. Did Delahay know your
identity before he married you?"
"He knew all there was that was worth knowing," the woman said, a
little defiantly. "He knew the story of my miserable youth, for
instance. I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't wish to
pretend that I had any ardent passion for my husband. But my affection
was deep and sincere, and my loss is almost more than I can bear. Oh,
I know what you are going to say. You are going to ask what I know
about that wretched Flavio affair. I repeat in all sincerity that I
knew nothing till the other day. I did not even know that my sister
was alive, not until I visited her tonight at her house in Isleworth
Road. I was not aware that she had married Boris Flavio. I did not
know that she had a child----"
"Do you know who the child is?" Ravenspur asked swiftly.
"Yes; I know _now_," was the significant reply. "I have just been
talking to her. What a beautiful girl she is! How sweet and natural!
How open and candid is her face! It seems almost incredible to me that
my sister could have forgotten her child all these years. I could not
have done so."
"No; nor any other woman worthy of the name," Ravenspur said grimly.
"But though you lived with your sister till early womanhood, you had
no real conception of her character. I never met her myself, for which
I am devoutly thankful. But I learnt enough, and more than enough, of
her character from Flavio's letters to me. If ever a man was cursed
with a fiend incarnate in the shape of a wife, Flavio was that man.
Oh, I don't wish to give you pain, for you have suffered enough of
late. But I know what I am talking about. The mere fact that you
alluded to just now is proof positive that your sister is incapable of
affection for her child. More or less by accident you have made this
discovery tonight. By sheer chance you know that your sister's
daughter is under my roof. For a long time past I have known that some
agency has been at work to deprive me of the girl, an agency so
utterly unscrupulous that my very life is in danger. I suppose that
man is acting for your sister, who has a sudden whim to gain
possession of her child once more. And now I am going to ask you a
favour. You are to say nothing of what you have found out tonight. I
have told you what your sister is, and no doubt my words will prove
true before long. I am going to ask you to give me a solemn promise
that----"
"It is too late," Mrs. Delahay exclaimed. "Whatever my sister may be
is all beside the point. She knows where her daughter is, and Luigi
Silva knows also. He told us everything not long ago. I found out by
accident that he was coming here. I saw him enter the house a few
moments ago. I believe he is in your studio at the present moment.
That is why I rang the bell so furiously; that is why I prayed I
should not be too late."
Ravenspur started violently.
"Oh, this is intolerable," he cried. "One could hardly believe it
possible that this is London in the twentieth century. I had thought
that those insane vendettas had died out before this, even in Corsica.
I must go at once and see----"
As the speaker turned away Maria Delahay held out a detaining hand.
Her face was pale and pleading.
"Your life is too valuable to be risked in that headstrong fashion,"
she said. "Besides, I have already warned your nephew, who appears to
know everything. He went off to the studio at once. I have no doubt
that he has scared Silva away by this time. But why don't you put this
matter in the hands of the police? Why run this risk when a few words
would prevent any danger? And there need be no scandal. Silva could be
warned. He would have to leave the country, and then there would be an
end----"
"And this from you who are a half Corsican yourself," Ravenspur said
reproachfully. "I could free myself from Silva, no doubt, but before
many months had passed another man would take his place and my danger
would be greater than ever. You see I have the advantage of knowing my
present assailant. To quote the old saying. 'Better a devil you know
than a devil you don't know.'"
Maria Delahay had nothing to say in reply. She was turning the matter
rapidly over in her mind. It seemed to her that she could see a way
out of the difficulty.
"I think," she began, "that perhaps----"
The words were never finished, for suddenly the tense silence of the
house was broken by a quick cry and the tinkling sound of broken
glass. Then, in the distance somewhere, a door banged sullenly, and
silence fell over the house once more.