Part 31 (2/2)

”Four children, Mr. Reed? Two girls and two boys?”

”Four grown children, Mr. Crane. The eldest is twenty-six, the youngest seventeen. They were left with a roof over their heads and a sum of money--a small sum--to provide for them during the absence of their parents. Not a satisfactory arrangement, sir, but made in haste and distress. Mrs. Revelly's devotion to her husband is such that in her alarm for him, she did not perhaps sufficiently consider her children.

At the moment when, left alone, their difficulties began to press upon them, your offer, your generous offer, for the house was made. There was no time to submit it to their parents, nor, to be candid with you, would there have been the slightest chance of Mr. Revelly's accepting it. He has never been able to tolerate the mere suggestion of renting Revelly Hall. But the four young people felt differently. It was natural, it was in my opinion commendable, that they decided to move out of their home for the sake of realizing a large sum--the largest sum probably that had come into the family purse for many years. But an obstacle soon appeared. You had insisted that servants should be provided. This was impossible. They tried earnestly. Miss Claudia told me herself that she went everywhere within a radius of twenty miles, except to the jails. At last it became a question of refusing your offer, or of--of--I believe you have already guessed the alternative.”

”This is not a time for the exercise of my creative faculties, Mr. Reed.

What was their decision?”

Reed's discomfort increased. ”I wish you could have been present as I was, Mr. Crane, on that occasion. We were sitting round the fire in the sitting-room, depressed that Miss Claudia's mission had not succeeded, when suddenly she said, with a determination quite at variance with her gentle appearance, 'Well, I've found a cook for him--and a mighty good one, too.' 'Where did you find her?' I asked in astonishment, for only a moment before she had been confessing absolute failure. 'I found her,'

she answered, 'where charity begins.' I own that even then I did not get the idea, but her brother Paul, who always understands her, saw at once what was in her mind. 'Yes,' she went on, 'I've found an excellent cook, a good butler, a rather inefficient housemaid, and a dangerous extra boy,' and she looked from one to the other of her family as she spoke.

Her meaning was clear. They themselves were to take the places of the servants they could not find. As Paul pointed out, the plan had the advantage of saving them the trouble of finding board and lodgings, elsewhere. Miss Lily was opposed from the start. Her nature, exceedingly refined and retiring, revolted, but no one in the Revelly family can bear up against the combined wills of Paul and Miss Claudia. How the plan was carried out you know.”

There was a short silence. It was now some days since Crane had suspected the ident.i.ty of his servants, an hour since Jane-Ellen had turned at the name of Claudia and made him sure. Nevertheless the certainty that Reed's confession brought was very grateful to him; so grateful that he feared his expression would betray him, and he a.s.sumed a look of stern blankness.

Seeing this, Reed thought it necessary to plead the culprits' cause.

”After all, Mr. Crane, was there not courage and self-sacrifice needed?

You see this explains everything. The miniature of their grandmother was taken upstairs for fear its likeness to Miss Claudia might betray them.

Miss Lily, who as I said never approved of the plan, was const.i.tutionally unable to be calm under the accusation of stealing a hat, made, as I understand, rather roughly by Mrs. Falkener. I should be very sorry if your opinion of the Revelly family--”

”I can't see what my opinion has to do with the situation,” said Crane.

Every moment now that kept him from Claudia was to him an intolerable bore. He drew his check-book toward him. ”However, your story has convinced me of this--my only course is to pay my rent in full.”

Reed began to feel the pride of the successful diplomat. ”And one other thing, Mr. Crane. You see the necessity of not mentioning this. It would make a great deal of talk in the country. A young lady's name--”

Burton rose quickly. It was not agreeable to him to have Reed pleading with him for the preservation of Claudia's reputation.

”Here's your check,” he said.

Reed pressed on. ”And another thing will now be equally clear to you, I am sure. Miss Revelly cannot possibly spend the night here alone.”

”That,” replied Crane, ”is a question for Miss Revelly herself to decide. My motors are at her disposal to take her anywhere she may choose to go.” And he opened the door as if he expected that Reed would now take his departure.

But Reed did not move. ”I cannot go away and leave Miss Revelly here alone with you,” he said.

”Of the two alternatives,” said Crane, ”you might find it more difficult to stay in my house without my consent. But I'll leave it this way--do you think Miss Revelly would regard your presence as a protection?”

”I don't understand you, sir.”

”Your last visit to my kitchen did not, I believe, inspire her with confidence. Shall we leave the decision to her?”

Reed went out in silence. He had had no reconciliation with Jane-Ellen since that fatal kiss in the kitchen, and he knew she would not now side with him. He decided to go away and find her brothers.

Lefferts, meanwhile, left alone, had stretched himself on a sofa, and was smoking, with his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

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