Part 19 (1/2)

”Are you serious when you say you will forbid the marriage?”

”Quite serious,” he replied; ”so much so that I shall bring in a policeman to witness my act.”

The girl was nearly in tears.

”It is monstrous of you! Uncle wouldn't--”

”Had you not better see your uncle?” he asked.

Something told her that he would keep his word. She had a horror of scenes, and, worst of all, she feared the meeting of the two men under these circ.u.mstances. Suddenly she leaned forward and tapped the window, and the taxi slowed down.

”Tell him to go back and call at the nearest telegraph office. I want to send a wire.”

”If it is to Mr. Frank Merrill,” said Jasper smoothly, ”you may save yourself the trouble. I have already wired.”

Frank came back to London in a pardonable fury. He drove straight to the hotel, only to learn that the girl had left again with her uncle. He looked at his watch. He had still some work to do at the bank, though he had little appet.i.te for work.

Yet it was to the bank he went. He threw a glance over the counter to the table and the chair where he had sat for so long and at which he was destined never to sit again, for as he was pa.s.sing behind the counter Mr. Brandon met him.

”Your uncle wishes to see you, Mr. Merrill,” he said gravely.

Frank hesitated, then walked into the office, closing the door behind him, and he noticed that Mr. Brandon did not attempt to follow.

John Minute sat in the one easy chair and looked up heavily as Frank entered.

”Sit down, Frank,” he said. ”I have a lot of things to ask you.”

”And I've one or two things to ask you, uncle,” said Frank calmly.

”If it is about May, you can save yourself the trouble,” said the other.

”If it is about Mr. Rex Holland, I can give you a little information.”

Frank looked at him steadily.

”I don't quite get your meaning, sir,” he said, ”though I gather there is something offensive behind what you have said.”

John Minute twisted round in the chair and threw one leg over its padded arm.

”Frank,” he said, ”I want you to be perfectly straight with me, and I'll be as perfectly straight with you.”

The young man made no reply.

”Certain facts have been brought to my attention, which leave no doubt in my mind as to the ident.i.ty of the alleged Mr. Rex Holland,” said John Minute slowly. ”I don't relish saying this, because I have liked you, Frank, though I have sometimes stood in your way and we have not seen eye to eye together. Now, I want you to come down to Eastbourne to-morrow and have a heart-to-heart talk with me.”

”What do you expect I can tell you?” asked Frank quietly.

”I want you to tell me the truth. I expect you won't,” said John Minute.

A half smile played for a second upon Frank's lips.

”At any rate,” he said, ”you are being straight with me. I don't know exactly what you are driving at, uncle, but I gather that it is something rather unpleasant, and that somewhere in the background there is hovering an accusation against me. From the fact that you have mentioned Mr. Rex Holland or the gang which went by that name, I suppose that you are suggesting that I am an accomplice of that gentleman.”