Part 28 (2/2)
”That will depend upon circ.u.mstances. A contest would, of course, delay the case, perhaps for several months; but I am not aware of any contestants with sufficient means for continuing it the length of time you mention.”
”Mercy me!” exclaimed Mrs. Mainwaring, addressing her husband; ”do you and Hugh intend to remain here all that time?”
”Our stay will probably be somewhat indefinite,” he replied, evasively; ”but that is no reason why you and the young ladies need remain against your will.”
”Indeed! Why could you not have said as much before? Neither Isabel nor I care to remain here a day longer than is necessary; we have simply been awaiting your pleasure. Wilson, bring me the morning papers; I want to see what boats are expected. We will take the first steamer home. Mr. Thornton, will you and the young ladies accompany us, or do you prefer to remain in exile a while longer?”
”Well,” replied that gentleman, smiling genially, ”speaking for myself, I would more than half like to stay and see this thing through; but the ladies are in the majority, and I will abide by their decision. How is it, Edith? I suppose, as the novelists say, you will be 'torn by conflicting emotions.'”
”You horrid old papa! Of course, if auntie is going back, I shall go with her. What do you say, Winifred?”
”I have very little choice, one way or the other,” Miss Carleton replied, more quietly than was usual for her; ”whatever you and Uncle William decide, will suit me.”
”Ab, here are the papers!” said Mrs. Mainwaring, adjusting her eye-gla.s.ses. ”These dreadful American dailies!” she exclaimed, as she scanned the pages; ”one never knows where to find anything. Ah, here it is, and just what we want! The 'Campania' sails Thursday, at three o'clock. That will suit us exactly.”
”To-morrow! so soon!” exclaimed two or three voices.
”Certainly,” she replied, rising. ”I shall have the maids begin packing at once; and, Mr. Thornton, I shall instruct Wilson to attend directly to your luggage, for you would never think of it until within an hour of sailing.”
Her departure seemed the signal for the breaking up of the little company. Mr. Whitney lingered a few moments at Miss Carleton's side, with a few murmured words of regret that she was to leave so soon, to which she listened courteously, though making little response. After he had gone she remained standing where he had left her, gazing dreamily out on the river and the distant bluffs.
Merrick, slowly sauntering up and down the veranda, had observed the whole scene, and now watched the fair young face with a suggestion of a smile in his kindly eyes.
”H'm!” he soliloquized; ”Whitney is a bigger fool than I've given him credit for if he thinks he stands any show in that direction.
If I'm not mistaken, I know which way the wind blows, and it's dollars to doughnuts she'll lose that far-away expression of hers before she's been aboard the 'Campania' many hours. I'd like to be aboard myself and watch the transformation scene.”
The attorney's voice here broke in upon his cogitations.
”I say, Merrick, that was a regular bomb you threw at Mainwaring with regard to young Scott! How did you discover he was an Englishman?”
”I very easily ascertained that he was not an American; that he was of English descent followed as a matter of course. I am not sure whether he is of English birth.”
”You seem to be keeping an eye on him.”
”It is my business just now to be posted regarding every one a.s.sociated with this place. I've been keeping an eye on you for the last thirty minutes.”
The attorney colored, and hastily reverted to the original topic of conversation. ”Have you seen anything of him since he left us?”
”Since his resignation of the salary as well as the position of private 'secretary?” queried the detective, half to himself, with a tone of amus.e.m.e.nt, which Mr. Whitney failed to comprehend. ”Yes; I met him to-day at the Murray Hill.”
”At the Murray Hill! Is he stopping there?”
”He evidently was this morning. So was I. Possibly we were both 'stopping' on the same business; I cannot say.”
The detective's face was a study, as was also the attorney's.
”I supposed,” said the latter, after a short pause, ”from the tenor of his note, that he intended to leave the city at once.”
”Possibly he does,” replied the other, enigmatically, and, having consulted his watch, turned abruptly in another direction.
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