Part 51 (2/2)
That evening witnessed rather a novel reception in the private parlors of the Savoy; both parties to the coming contest being entertained by their mutual friends. When Harold Mainwaring finally succeeded in securing a tete-a-tete conversation with Miss Carleton, she placed in his hands a small packet, saying,--
”You will find in this the statement of which I spoke to you, and I wish you would also read the accompanying note, and explain how the writer came to have so good an understanding of the situation.”
With eager haste he drew forth a sheet of paper little less time-worn and yellowed than the ancient will itself, upon which was written, in the methodical business hand with which he was so familiar, a brief statement to the effect that a certain accompanying doc.u.ment described as the last will and testament of Ralph Maxwell Mainwaring had been drawn and executed as such on the night preceding his death, its intent and purpose being to reconvey to an elder son the family estate, to which he had previously forfeited all right and t.i.tle; that efforts made to communicate with the beneficiary had proved unavailing, as he had left the country and his place of residence was unknown. Then followed Hugh Mainwaring's signature.
At the bottom of the page, however, was a foot-note of much later date, which put a different complexion on the foregoing, and which read as follows:
”It has now been ascertained for a certainty that the beneficiary mentioned in the accompanying will is no longer living. I have, therefore, a clear t.i.tle to the estate, as it would revert to me at his death. The doc.u.ment itself is worthless, except as a possible means of silencing that scoundrel, Hobson, should he attempt to reveal anything of the past, as he has threatened to do, and for this purpose I shall retain it in my possession until such time as I make final adjustment of my affairs.
”HUGH MAINWARING.”
”Ah,” said Harold Mainwaring, thoughtfully, as he suddenly recalled the morning when he had discovered Merrick and his a.s.sistant dragging the lake at Fair Oaks, ”I think I understand how this paper came into Merrick's possession. It was evidently kept in the same receptacle which held the will, but in my haste and excitement at the discovery of the will I must have overlooked it. The box in which these papers were kept afterwards fell into Merrick's hands, and he must have found this.”
”That solves one riddle, here is the other,” and Miss Carleton handed her lover a small note, covered with a fine, delicate chirography whose perfectly formed characters revealed a mind accustomed to the study of minute details and appreciative of their significance. He opened it and read the following:
”MY DEAR MISS CARLETON:
”Pardon the liberty I take, but, thinking the enclosed bit of paper might be of some possible a.s.sistance to one in whose success I believe you are deeply interested, I send it herewith, as, for obvious reasons, I deem this circuitous method of transmission better than one more direct.
”As when taking leave of you on board the 'Campania,' so now, permit me to a.s.sure you that if I can ever serve you as a friend, you have but to command me.
”Most sincerely yours, ”C. D. MERRICK.”
A smile of amus.e.m.e.nt lighted Harold Mainwaring's face as, glancing up from the note, his eyes met those of Miss Carleton's with their expression of perplexed inquiry.
”This is easily explained,” he said; ”do you remember the tall, slender man whom we observed on board the 'Campania' as being rather unsocial and taciturn?”
”Yes, I remember he rather annoyed me, for I fancied he concentrated considerably more thought and attention upon us than the circ.u.mstances called for.”
”Which shows you were more observing than I. Such a thought never entered my mind till I had been about ten days in London, when it occurred to me that, considering the size of the town and the fact that he and I were strangers, we met with astonis.h.i.+ng frequency. I have since learned that he was a detective sent over to London on an important case, and being an intimate friend of Merrick's, the latter, who, I am informed, was shadowing me pretty closely at the time, requested him to follow my movements and report to him, which he evidently did, as I have since heard that Merrick had expressed to one or two that he was not at all surprised by the developments which followed my return to this country. Consequently, it is not to be wondered at if he has an inkling that you may be somewhat interested in this case.”
”But what could have been Mr. Merrick's object in shadowing you?”
”I cannot say. It may have been only part of his professional vigilance in letting nothing escape his observation; but from the first I was conscious of his close espionage of my movements. Now, however, I am satisfied that he had none but friendly intentions, and I appreciate his kindness, not only towards myself, but more especially towards you.”
”Will that statement be of any a.s.sistance to you, do you think?”
”I hardly think so under our present plans,” he replied, after a moment's reflection; ”under recent developments our plans differ so radically from what we first intended, that we will probably have little use for any of the testimony which we had originally prepared.”
”But these recent developments which have so changed your plans must certainly have been in your favor and have rendered your success the more a.s.sured, have they not?”
”Not only more a.s.sured, but more speedy and complete. To me, the coming trial means far more than the settlement of the controversy over the estate; it means the complete and final vindication of my character, so that I can stand before you and before the world acquitted of every charge which my enemies would have sought to bring against me.”
Her face grew radiant with sympathy. ”I well know what that means to you, and I would be first to congratulate you on such a victory, for your own sake; but I needed no public acquittal to convince me of your innocence,--not even,” she added, slowly, ”when you yourself for some reason, which I hope one day to understand, were unable to a.s.sure me of it.”
His dark eyes, glowing with suppressed feeling, met hers, the intensity of their gaze thrilling her heart to its inmost depths.
”Do not think that I can ever forget that,” he said in low tones which seemed to vibrate through her whole being; ”do not think that through any triumphs or joys which the future may bring, I can ever forget, for one moment, the faith and love which stood loyally by me in my darkest hour,--the hour when the shadow of the crime, which has forever darkened Fair Oaks, was closing about my very soul!”
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