Part 86 (1/2)

Mr. Palford had been opening a budget of papers.

”It is evidence which is c.u.mulative, your Grace,” he said. ”Mr. Temple Temple Barholm's position would have been a far less suspicious one-- as you yourself suggested--if he had remained, or if he hadn't secretly removed Mr.--Mr. Strangeways.”

”The last was Captain Palliser's suggestion, I believe,” smiled the duke. ”Did he remove him secretly? How secretly, for instance?”

”At night,” answered Palliser. ”Miss Temple Barholm herself did not know when it happened. Did you?” turning to Miss Alicia, who at once flushed and paled.

”He knew that I was rather nervous where Mr. Strangeways was concerned. I am sorry to say he found that out almost at once. He even told me several times that I must not think of him--that I need hear nothing about him.” She turned to the duke, her air of appeal plainly representing a feeling that he would understand her confession. ”I scarcely like to say it, but wrong as it was I couldn't help feeling that it was like having a--a lunatic in the house. I was afraid he might be more--ill--than Temple realized, and that he might some time become violent. I never admitted so much of course, but I was.”

”You see, she was not told,” Palliser summed it up succinctly.

”Evidently,” the duke admitted. ”I see your point.” But he seemed to disengage himself from all sense of admitting implications with entire calmness, as he turned again to Mr. Palford and his papers.

”You were saying that the exact evidence was--?”

Mr. Palford referred to a sheet of notes.

”That--whether before or shortly after his arrival here is not at all certain--Mr. Temple Temple Barholm began strongly to suspect the ident.i.ty of the person then known as Strangeways--”

Palliser again emitted the short and dry laugh, and both the duke and Mr. Palford looked at him inquiringly.

”He had `got on to' it before he brought him,” he answered their glances. ”Be sure of that.”

”Then why did he bring him?” the duke suggested lightly.

”Oh, well,” taking his cue from the duke, and a.s.suming casual lightness also, ”he was obliged to come himself, and was jolly well convinced that he had better keep his hand on the man, also his eye.

It was a good-enough idea. He couldn't leave a thing like that wandering about the States. He could play benefactor safely in a house of the size of this until he was ready for action.”

The duke gave a moment to considering the matter--still detachedly.

”It is, on the whole, not unlikely that something of the sort might suggest itself to the criminal mind,” he said. And his glance at Mr.

Palford intimated that he might resume his statement.

”We have secured proof that he applied himself to secret investigation. He is known to have employed Scotland Yard to make certain inquiries concerning the man said to have been killed in the Klondike. Having evidently reached more than suspicion he began to endeavor to persuade Mr. Strangeways to let him take him to London.

This apparently took some time. The mere suggestion of removal threw the invalid into a state of painful excitement--”

”Did Pearson tell you that? ” the duke inquired.

”Captain Palliser himself in pa.s.sing the door of the room one day heard certain expressions of terrified pleading,” was Mr. Palford's explanation.

”I heard enough,” Palliser took it up carelessly, ”to make it worth while to question Pearson--who must have heard a great deal more.

Pearson was ordered to hold his tongue from the first, but he will have to tell the truth when he is asked.”

The duke did not appear to resent his view.

”Pearson would be likely to know what went on,” he remarked. ”He's an intelligent little fellow.”

”The fact remains that in spite of his distress and reluctance Mr.