I wanted to know for your sake, Sir Joshua, and for your wife's, if
the wretched woman had any accomplice beyond the man who passes for
her husband.
"Her story was a simple one, and is probably true. On the occasion
of the last Drawing Room she was in the crowd watching the carriages
drive into the gates of the Palace. Your wife was pointed out by
someone in the crowd. 'That's Lady Broome, Sir Joshua Broome's wife,'
said a bystander. My wife looked, and instantly recognised our former
governess, Margaret Grey.
"She told the man Winter, and between them they hit upon the idea
of blackmailing you. They calculated that the facts they would refer
you to would be so strong that no denial on Lady Broome's part would
allay your terror, and that rather than have the matter gone into by
the Lord Chamberlain, and the scandal discussed far and near in the
Press and in Society, you would send the money.
"Now that you know the truth, Sir Joshua, there is no more to be
feared from her. But I am responsible to you for my share in the
transaction, and I will make any public acknowledgement you wish."
"There is no necessity," said Sir Joshua, rising. "We shall never
hear any more of the matter from these people, and if we ever hear
of it from any other quarter, we can prove at once how the mistake
has arisen."
Mr. Garrod rose, and Sir Joshua put out his hand.
"You have my hearty sympathy in your misfortune, sir," he said,
"and I quite understand the terrible position you were in when you
found your wife had given her name to the police as Margaret Grey."
* * * * * *
We spent the rest of the evening with Lady Broome, now happily
relieved from all anxiety, and when we took our departure Sir Joshua
handed Dorcas a little envelope. She put it in her pocket, and
invited me to return to Oak Tree Road and have supper with Paul.
It was in Paul's presence that she opened the letter, and read
it aloud:
"My dear Mrs. Dene,--I and my wife owe you more than we can ever
repay. But for you I should probably have paid £1,000 to two
infamous wretches and have been a miserable man for the rest of
my days. The £1,000 belongs to you. Enclosed is a cheque for the
amount, which by no means represents our indebtedness to you for
the splendid service you have rendered us.--Believe me, dear
Mrs. Dene, Yours most sincerely, Joshua Broome."
"A thousand pounds!" exclaimed Dorcas. "Isn't that a princely fee?"
Then she put her arm round her blind husband's neck, and drew his
face lovingly to hers.
"Ah, Paul, dear," she said, with a happy sigh, "now we can go away
together and have a long, long holiday."
_THE END_
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
- Underscores have been used to enclose words and phrases which are,
in the original text, italicized. As in: _Italics_