Part 57 (1/2)
”No, sir.”
There was not the slightest hesitation in the reply, but Judithe turned her eyes on the woman with unusual interest. Colonel McVeigh consulted his notes.
”Miss Loring distinctively heard the rustle of a woman's dress as her door opened; did you hear that?”
”No, sir.”
”You saw no one and heard no one?”
”No one.”
There was a pause, during which he regarded the woman very sharply.
Judithe arose.
”Only your sister or myself could have been in that corridor without pa.s.sing Miss Loring's door; is Miss Loring suspicious of us?--Miss Loring!”--and her tone was beyond her control, indignant; of all others, Miss Loring! ”Margeret, whatever you saw, whatever you heard in that corridor, you must tell Colonel McVeigh--tell him!”
Margeret turned a calm glance towards her for a moment, and quietly said, ”I have told him, Madame Caron; there was no one in the corridor.”
”Very well; that is all I wanted to know.” His words were intended for dismissal, but she only bent her head and walked back to the window, as Masterson entered with Monroe. The latter bowed to Judithe with more than usual ceremony, but did not speak. Then he turned a nonchalant glance towards McVeigh, and waited. The Colonel looked steadily at Judithe as he said:
”Captain Monroe, did you know Madame Caron before you met her in my house? You do not answer! Madame Caron, may I ask you if you knew Captain Monroe previous to yesterday?”
”Quite well,” she replied, graciously; there was almost an air of bravado in her glance. She had meant to tell him all; had begged him to listen, but since he preferred to question her before these men, and at the probable suggestion of Miss Loring--well!
Masterson drew a breath of relief as she spoke. His Colonel must now exonerate him of any unfounded suspicions; but Monroe regarded her with somber, disapproving eyes.
”Then,” and his tone chilled her; it has in it such a suggestion of what justice he would mete out to her when he knew all; ”then I am, under the circ.u.mstances, obliged to ask why you acknowledged the introduction given by Miss Loring?”
”Oh, for the blunder of that I was accountable, Monsieur,” and she smiled at him, frankly, the combative spirit fully awake, now, since he chose to question her--_her_!--before the others, ”I should have explained, perhaps--I believe I meant to, but there was conversation, and I probably forgot.”
”I see! You forgot to explain, and Captain Monroe forgot you were acquainted when he was questioned, just now.”
”Captain Monroe could not possibly forget the honor of such acquaintance,” retorted Monroe; ”he only refused to answer.”
The two men met each other's eyes for an instant--a glance like the crossing of swords. Then McVeigh said:
”Where did you get the picture found on your person last night?”
”Stole it,” said Monroe, calmly, and McVeigh flushed in quick anger at the evident lie and the insolence of it; he was lying then to s.h.i.+eld this woman who stood between them--to s.h.i.+eld her from her husband.
”Madame Caron,” and she had never before heard him speak in that tone; ”did you ever give Captain Monroe a picture of yourself?”
”Never!” she said, wonderingly. Margeret had taken a step forward and stood irresolutely as though about to speak; she was very pale, and Monroe knew in an instant who she was--not by the picture, but from Pluto's story last night. The terror in her eyes touched him, and as McVeigh lifted the picture from the table, he spoke.
”Colonel McVeigh, I will ask you to study that picture carefully before you take for granted that it is the face of any one you know,”
he said, quietly; ”that picture was made probably twenty years ago.”
”And the woman?”
”The woman is dead--died long ago.” Margeret's eyes closed for an instant, but none of them noticed her. Judithe regarded Monroe, questioningly, and then turned to McVeigh: