Part 38 (2/2)

”Thanks, so much,” she said; ”it has been such a delightful morning.”

”It has indeed,” said he, ”and--let me congratulate you once more.

Claudius is a gentleman in every way, and--I suppose he is as worthy of you as any one could be,” he added quickly, in a discontented voice, and turned away, hat in hand. She stood looking after him a moment.

”I wonder,” she said to herself as she entered her room and closed the door. ”Poor man! it is not possible, though. I must be dreaming. Ah me!

I am always dreaming now, it seems to me;” and she sank down in a chair to wait for Clementine.

And so it is that some women go through life making far more victims than they know of. There are some honest men who will not speak, unless they have a right to, and who are n.o.ble enough to help those who have a right. The Duke had known Margaret ever since she had married Alexis, as has been said. Whether he had loved her or not is a question not so easily answered. Certain it is that when she told him she was going to be married to Claudius he turned very pale, and did not recover the entire use of his mind for a whole day.

Nevertheless, during the succeeding fortnight he devoted himself sedulously to Margaret's amus.e.m.e.nt, and many were the things that he and she and Lady Victoria, and the incomparable Miss Skeat, who always enjoyed everything, planned and carried out together. Margaret did not shun society or shut herself up, and more than once she saw Barker in the street and in the crowds at parties. The houses in America are so small that parties are always crowded. But he had the good sense to avoid her, and she was not troubled by any communication from him.

Clementine, indeed, wondered that so few flowers came, for a day or two, and old Vladimir pondered on the probable fate of Mr. Barker, who, he supposed, had been sent to Canada in chains for some political offence, seeing that he called no longer. But these faithful servitors could not ask questions, and sources of information they had none. Barker, however, as Margaret had antic.i.p.ated, had been active in spreading the news of her engagement; for, before very long, callers were plenty, and flowers too, and many were the congratulations that poured in. Then she saw the wisdom of having informed the Duke of her position before any officious acquaintance could do it for her. The Duke, indeed, saw very few people in New York, for he hated to be ”entertained,” but he knew a great many men slightly, and some one of them would probably have obliged him with the information.

One morning as he and the Countess were about to drive up to the Park for their daily ride, which had become an inst.i.tution, the servant presented a card, saying the gentleman was anxious to see her ladys.h.i.+p at once, if possible. The card was that of Mr. Screw, of Screw and Scratch.

”Very well,” said the Countess, who was pulling on her gloves, and holding her riding-stick under one arm as she did so. ”Ask him to come up.” The Duke moved to withdraw.

”Don't go, please,” said Margaret; and so he remained. A moment later Mr. Screw's yellow head and small eyes appeared at the door.

”The Countess Margaret?” he inquired deferentially.

”Yes. Mr. Screw, I believe?”

”The same, Madam. A--pardon me, but--I desired to speak with you alone,”

stammered the lawyer, seeing that the Duke did not move.

”I have asked the--this gentleman, who is my friend, to remain,” said Margaret calmly. ”You may speak freely. What is your business with me, sir?” She motioned him to a chair, and he sat down opposite her, hat in hand. He would have liked to hook his legs into each other and put his hands into his pockets, but he was too well bred for that. At last he took courage.

”Frankly, Madam, I have come to discharge a moral duty, and I will speak plainly. I am informed on credible authority that you are engaged to marry a gentleman, calling himself Dr. Claudius--a--a tall man--fair beard?”

”Your information is correct, Mr. Screw,” said Margaret haughtily, ”I am engaged to be married to Dr. Claudius.”

”As one of the executors of the late Mr. Gustavus Lindstrand, deceased,”

proceeded Mr. Screw slowly, ”I feel it my duty, as an honest man, to inform you that there are serious doubts as to whether the gentleman who calls himself Dr. Claudius is Dr. Claudius at all. The person in question disappeared two months ago, and has not been heard of since, as far as I can make out. I have no interest in the matter as far as it concerns yourself, as you may well imagine, but I have thought it right to warn you that the gentleman whom you have honoured with a promise of marriage has not established his claim to be the person he represents himself.”

Margaret, who, after the first words, had foreseen what Mr. Screw had come to say, and who believed that very respectable and honest man to be concerned in the plot against Claudius, was naturally angry, but she had the good sense to do the right thing.

”Mr. Screw,” she said in her commanding voice, icily, ”I am deeply indebted to you for your interference. Nevertheless, I am persuaded that the gentleman to whom I am engaged is very really and truly the person he represents himself to be. A fact of which my friend here will probably be able to persuade you without difficulty.” And she forthwith left the room. The Duke turned upon the lawyer.

”Look here, Mr. Screw,” he said sharply, ”I am the--well, never mind my name, you can find out from the people downstairs. I am an English gentleman, and I know who Dr. Claudius is. I knew his father; I brought him to this country in my yacht. I am prepared to go into court this minute and swear to the ident.i.ty of the gentleman you are slandering.

Slandering, sir! Do you hear me?” The ducal anger was hot. ”And except for the fact that Dr. Claudius will be here to speak for himself the day after to-morrow morning, I would take you into court now by main force and make you hear me swear to him. Do you hear me, sir?”

”My dear sir,” began Mr. Screw, who was somewhat taken aback by this burst of wrath.

”Don't call me 'your dear sir,'” said the n.o.bleman, moving towards Screw.

”Sir, then,” continued the other, who had not an idea to whom he was speaking, and perhaps would not have cared had he known, being such an honest man, ”I cannot conceive why, if you are so certain, you have not come forward before, instead of allowing your friend to go to Europe in order to procure evidence he might have obtained here.”

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