Part 28 (1/2)

Mr. Carless looked at Mr. Pawle, and Mr. Pawle nodded a silent a.s.sent.

”Tell Mr. Methley it's quite agreeable and convenient,” answered Mr.

Carless. ”I shall be glad to see them both--at once. Um!” he muttered when the clerk had withdrawn. ”Somewhat sudden, eh, Pawle? You might almost call it suspicious alacrity. Evidently the gentleman has no fear of meeting us!”

”You may be quite certain, Carless, if my theory about the whole thing is a sound theory, that the gentleman will have no fear of meeting anybody, not even a judge and jury!” answered Mr. Pawle sardonically. ”If I apprehend things rightly, he'll have been very carefully coached and prepared.”

”You think there's a secret conspiracy behind all this?” suggested Mr.

Carless. ”With this claimant as cat's-paw--well tutored to his task?”

”I do!” affirmed Mr. Pawle. ”Emphatically, I do!”

”Aye, well!” said Mr. Carless. ”Don't forget what I told you about the missing finger--middle finger of the right hand. And I'll have Driver in here, and Portlethwaite, too; we'll see if he knows which is which of the three of us. I'll go and prepare them.”

He returned presently with his partner, a quiet, elderly man; a few minutes later Portlethwaite, evidently keenly interested, joined them.

They and Mr. Pawle began to discuss certain legal matters connected with the immediate business, and Viner purposely withdrew to a corner of the room, intent on silently watching whatever followed on the arrival of the visitors. A quarter of an hour later Methley was shown into the room, and the five men gathered there turned with one accord to look at his companion, a tall, fresh-coloured, slightly grey-haired man of distinctly high-bred appearance, who, Viner saw at once, was much more self-possessed and a.s.sured in manner than any of the men who rose to meet him.

”My client, Mr. Cave, who claims to be Earl of Ellingham,” said Methley, by way of introduction. ”Mr. Car--”

But the other man smiled quietly and immediately a.s.sumed a lead.

”There is no need of introduction, Mr. Methley,” he said. ”I remember all three gentlemen perfectly! Mr. Carless--Mr. Driver--and--yes, to be sure, Mr. Portlethwaite! I have a good memory for faces.” He bowed to each man as he named him, and smiled again. ”Whether these gentlemen remember me as well as I remember them,” he remarked, ”is another question!”

”May I offer you a chair?” said Mr. Carless.

The visitor bowed, sat down, and took off his gloves. And in the silence which followed, Viner saw that the eyes of Driver, Carless, Pawle and Portlethwaite were all steadily directed on the claimant's right hand--he himself turned to it, too, with no small interest. The next instant he was conscious that an atmosphere of astonishment and surprise had been set up in that room. For the middle finger of the man's right hand was missing!

Viner felt, rather than saw, that the three solicitors and the elderly clerk were exchanging glances of amazement. And he fancied that Mr.

Carless' voice, which had sounded cold and noncommittal as he offered the visitor a seat, was somewhat uncertain when he turned to address him.

”You claim, sir, to be the Lord Marketstoke who disappeared so many years ago?” he asked, eyeing the claimant over.

”I claim to be exactly what I am, Mr. Carless,” answered the visitor with another ready and pleasant smile. ”I hope your memory will come to your aid.”

”When a man has disappeared--absolutely--for something like thirty-five years,” remarked Mr. Carless, ”those whom he has left behind may well be excused if their memories don't readily respond to sudden demands. But I should like to ask you some questions? Did you see the advertis.e.m.e.nts which were issued, broadcast, at the time of the seventh Earl of Ellingham's death?”

”Yes--in several English and Colonial papers,” answered the claimant.

”Why did you not reply to them?”

”At that time I still persevered in my intention of never again having anything to do with my old life. I had no desire--at all--to come forward and claim my rights. So I took no notice of your advertis.e.m.e.nts.”

”And since then--of late, to be exact--you have changed your mind?”

suggested Mr. Carless dryly.

”To a certain extent only,” replied the visitor, whose calm a.s.surance was evidently impressing the legal pract.i.tioners around him. ”I have already told Mr. Methley and his partner, Mr. Woodlesford, that I have no desire to a.s.sume my t.i.tle nor to require possession of the estates which are certainly mine. I have lived a free life too long to wish for--what I should come in for if I established my claim. But I have a right to a share in the property which I quite willingly resign to my nephew--”

”In plain language,” said Mr. Carless, ”if you are paid a certain considerable sum of money, you will vanish again into the obscurity from whence you came? Am I right in that supposition?”

”I don't like your terminology, Mr. Carless,” answered the visitor with a slight frown. ”I have not lived in obscurity, and--”