"Mr. Nape," he said solemnly, "we want an editor for the _Brockley
Aristocrat_."
Mr. Nape saw light.
"I of course know the paper," he said--there was little that Mr. Nape
did _not_ know--"but I have only seen it once--or twice," he corrected
carefully.
"It doesn't exist yet," said his serene grace, "it's a new paper that
Hank and I are going to run, and we need an editor."
"I see," said Mr. Nape, industriously blowing his nose to hide his
confusion....
"We want an editor of fearless independent character, who will do as
he's told, and ask no questions."
"Yes, yes," approved the detective.
"A man of judgment, of keen discernment and possessed, moreover, of a
knowledge of men and things."
Mr. Nape nodded thoughtfully.
"Some one we can depend upon to carry out a policy without striking out
on some silly idea of his own--there's the job, will you take it?"
"I have had some experience," began Mr. Nape, but the Duke interrupted--
"Pardon me," he said, "but it is not experience that's required. An
experienced editor would not do the things we shall expect our editor to
do. We shall expect him to--er--rush in where the _Times_ would fear to
tread."
Mr. Nape had a dim idea that the turn the Duke gave to this requirement
was not as complimentary as it might have been.
"I have a feeling," the Duke continued, "that in Nape we have discovered
a local Delane."
He spoke ostensibly to Hank, as though oblivious of the new Editor's
presence. Mr. Nape rather enjoyed the experience than otherwise.
"Or a Horace Greely," suggested the patriotic American.
The Duke assented gravely.
"There are certain conditions of service to be laid down," the Duke went
on, "a definite policy to be followed, a----"
"I am a conservative." Mr. Nape paused to observe the effect of his
declaration. In the absence of an outburst of wild enthusiasm Mr. Nape
hedged his bet, "but" he went on carelessly, "I am open to conviction."
The Duke nodded.
"We shall expect you to uphold the best traditions of current
journalism," he said, "and I do not doubt but that you will succeed.
You must be prepared to jump with the cat--you follow me?"
"Yes," said Mr. Nape, who had not the least idea what cat was referred
to.
"You must be careful not to give offence to the friendly nations. I
will supply you with a revised list of them from week to week--and deal
lightly with the Borough Council. You may have a whack at the Czar now
and again, but whatever you do, be careful that you do not annoy the
advertisers. Keep an eye upon the Balkans, the shipbuilding programme of
Germany, and the London County Council."
"And Sir Harry Tanneur," added Hank.
"Sir Harry Tanneur!"
Mr. Nape was surprised.
"You know him?"
The detective became instantly his mysterious self.
"He was a client of mine," he said briefly.
Having so brusquely dismissed the subject in a manner that arrested all
further investigation he regretted the fact. For he would have liked to
explain the reading of the cutting at the concert, would have been
delighted to accept recognition as the Duke's good fairy.
But the Duke did not pursue the subject.
He rose from his chair and held out his hand.
"Can you see me to-morrow?" he asked, "I have to arrange an office and a
printer."
Mr. Nape bowed.
"In the meantime," said his grace, "you had better think out some
leaders.
"I have already thought of one," said the resourceful editor. "It is
entitled _Noblesse Oblige_.
"A most excellent title," said the Duke admiringly, "I'll write the
article myself."
Mr. Nape went home deep in thought.
The adoring little maid of all work, who met him at the door ventured to
report.
"I've done up the laboratory, sir; them bloodstains have come from the
butcher's, and the plumber's fixed up the microscope all right."
Mr. Nape stared at her vacantly.
"Remove the rubbish," he said shortly.
Emma gasped.
"Beg pardon, sir?" she stammered.
"The rubbish!" cried Roderick impatiently stamping his foot, "microscope
and bloodstains and human hair--take them away."
A thought struck him.
"Run down to the stationers and get that book _How to Correct Printers'
Proofs_--it's sixpence."
The dazed girl accepted the coin.
"Shall I bring it to your laboratory?" she asked feebly.
Roderick turned a stern face upon her.
"Sanctum," he thundered, "there is no more laboratory, _sanctum
sanctorum_--did they teach you Latin at school, Emma?"
"No, sir," she confessed, "that's the thing you do with compasses, ain't
it?"
Mr. Nape shrugged his shoulders and walked slowly to the greenhouse.
V
As an unprejudiced observer of the fight that was destined to shake
Brockley to its very depths, to set the blameless citizens at each
other's throats, to divide families, and in one case (when the
engagement of a certain A.M. and B.Y. was broken off in consequence) to
alter the very destinies of the human race--an unprejudiced observer, I
repeat, of Sir Harry Tanneur's attempt to purge Brockley of the foreign
yoke--I quote the _Lewisham and Lee Mail_--I am free to confess that the
honours lay with the ducal party.
This _L. & L. Mail_--Hank invariably and wickedly introduced aspirates
into the abbreviation--was remarkably outspoken.
There will appear nothing extraordinary in this fact, when it is
realized that Sir Harry had, on the very day the Duke returned,
purchased the paper for a considerable sum in order to further his
candidature in the division--and for other purposes.
For two weeks the advantage was all with the knight. His phillipics
thundered from his hireling press for two consecutive issues, his
content bills scarred the faces of nature.
Then came the Duke's turn.
One morning Sir Harry, passing through the main road of Lewisham, saw a
huge announcement that covered one hoarding:
"THE BROCKLEY ARISTOCRAT."
No. 1 ready on Saturday. One Penny.
"CHANGE FOR A TANNER,"
BY
THE DUC DE MONTVILLIER.
Sir Harry grew apoplectic.
"The ruffian!" he spluttered, "the vulgar punning ruffian!"
In a fury he drove to Kymott Crescent.
His car stopped at 64 and he sprang out shaking with rage.
His noisy knock brought the sedate servant.
"Where's the Duke," he demanded.
The silent servant led the way.
Sir Harry burst in upon a council of three.
The Duke, Hank and Mr. Nape sat at a table strewn with papers, and his
grace saluted his visitor with a smile.
"Look here, sir!" bellowed Sir Harry. "This damn foolishness has got to
stop--you clear out of my house as soon as ever you can: by heavens,
sir, I'll take you to the courts, I'll----"
The Duke raised his hand.
"Sir Harry," he said serenely, "as one aristocrat to another, let me beg
of you to remember the restrictions imposed by birth. It ill becomes
men of our ancient lineage----"
"Confound you, sir! I will not have you pulling my leg! I'm dead
serious---- There's a law in this land----"
"There is a law also in America," said the Duke calmly, "I believe there
is even a law in China. It is one of the disadvantages of the century
that no spot on earth is left where there is no law."
"You won't put me off with your blarney," blazed the knight. "I know
you, I've met men like you before."
"Don't boast," begged the Duke.
"I'll clear you out neck and crop----"
"Neck perhaps," corrected the Duke, "but crop no; not being a fowl of
the air, and being to a great extent anatomically ordinary, your
illustration lacks point."
"As to Alicia," said the knight with deadly earnestness. "I absolutely
forbid her to have anything further to do with you."
The Duke was silent. He looked at the elder man a little curiously, and
Sir Harry, interpreting the silence in quite the wrong way, pursued his
mistaken advantage. "You must understand that she is in a sense my
ward----"
"Mr. Nape!"
The Duke addressed his editor.
"Would you be kind enough to see me later in the day--what I have to say
to Sir Harry is no fit thing for a young editor to hear."
He said this gravely, and Mr. Nape made a reluctant exit.
"Now that that child has gone," said the Duke, "will you permit me to
say a few words? I am," he confessed, "rather fond of hearing myself
speak. Sir Harry, I would rather you left your niece out of the
conversation."
"You would rather!" jeered the master of Hydeholme.
"I would rather," said the Duke politely, "if you have no objection.
You see, Sir Harry, I know all about your relationship with the father
of my fiancee. I know how you lured him and his money into your rotten
financial quicksands, how you left him to ruin."
"That's a lie, a horrible lie," gasped Sir Harry, pale with rage.
In justice to him it may be said in passing, that he really thought that
it was. The Duke diplomatically passed the comment.
"Coming nearer home," he went on, "I know that you conspired with
certain individuals to rob a most worthy young nobleman--to wit
myself--of his mineral wealth."
"That's another lie: by Gad, sir? if you dare print this----!"
"I _did_ think," said the Duke carefully, "I must confess that I _did_
think of using the material for a humorous poem, but if you _would_
rather I didn't----"
Sir Harry Tanneur made an admirable effort to recover his temper and his
lost dignity.
"If you cannot behave like a gentleman," he said, "it is useless for me
to prolong this interview. To-day," he turned at the doorway, "to-day I
shall take action."
"From my knowledge of you," retorted the Duke, "I should imagine that
you would take anything that happened to be lying about."
Sir Harry was attended to the door by the sedate servant.
"A nice household!" he said meaningly.
The sedate servant bowed.