Part 51 (1/2)

”Tell me about last night,” Tavernake said. ”I suppose I am stupid but I don't quite understand.”

”How should you?” she answered. ”Listen, then. Wenham, I suppose got tired of being shut up with Mathers, although I am sure I don't see what else was possible. So he waited for his opportunity, and when the man wasn't looking--well, you know what happened,” she added, with a s.h.i.+ver.

”He got up to London somehow and made his way to Dover Street.”

”Why Dover Street?”

”I suppose you know,” Elizabeth explained, ”that Wenham has a brother--Jerry--who is exactly like him. These two had rooms in Dover Street always, where they kept some English clothes and a servant. Jerry Gardner was over in London. I knew that, and was expecting to see him every day. Wenham found his way to the rooms, dressed himself in his brother's clothes, even wore his ring and some of his jewelry, which he knew I should recognize, and came here. I believed--yes, I believed all the time,” she went on, her voice trembling, ”that it was Jerry who was sitting with me. Once or twice I had a sort of terrible s.h.i.+ver. Then I remembered how much they were alike and it seemed to me ridiculous to be afraid. It was not till we got upstairs, till the door was closed behind me, that he turned round and I knew!”

Her head fell suddenly into her hands. It was almost the first sign of emotion. Tavernake a.n.a.lyzed it mercilessly. He knew very well that it was fear, the coward's fear of that terrible moment.

”And now?”

”Now,” she went on, more cheerfully, ”no one will venture to deny that Wenham is mad. He will be placed under restraint, of course, and the courts will make me an allowance. One thing is absolutely certain, and that is that he will not live a year.”

Tavernake half closed his eyes. Was there no sign of his suffering, no warning note of the things which were pa.s.sing out of his life! The woman who smiled upon him seemed to see nothing. The twitching of his fingers, the slight quivering of his face, she thought was because of his fear for her.

”And now,” she declared, in a suddenly altered tone, ”this is all over and done with. Now you know everything. There are no more mysteries,”

she added, smiling at him delightfully. ”It is all very terrible, of course, but I feel as though a great weight had pa.s.sed away. You and I are going to be friends, are we not?”

She rose slowly to her feet and came towards him. His eyes watched her slow, graceful movements as though fascinated. He remembered on that first visit of his how wonderful he had thought her walk. She was still smiling up at him; her fingers fell upon his shoulders.

”You are such a strange person,” she murmured. ”You aren't a little bit like any of the men I've ever known, any of the men I have ever cared to have as friends. There is something about you altogether different. I suppose that is why I rather like you. Are you glad?”

For a single wild moment Tavernake hesitated. She was so close to him that her hair touched his forehead, the breath from her upturned lips fell upon his cheeks. Her blue eyes were half pleading, half inviting.

”You are going to be my very dear friend, are you not--Leonard?” she whispered. ”I do feel that I need some one strong like you to help me through these days.”

Tavernake suddenly seized the hands that were upon his shoulders, and forced them back. She felt herself gripped as though by a vice, and a sudden terror seized her. He lifted her up and she caught a glimpse of his wild, set face. Then the breath came through his teeth. He shook all over but the fit had pa.s.sed. He simply thrust her away from him.

”No,” he said, ”we cannot be friends! You are a woman without a heart, you are a murderess!”

He tore her cheque calmly in pieces and flung them scornfully away. She stood looking at him, breathing quickly, white to the lips though the murder had gone from his eyes.

”Beatrice warned me,” he went on; ”Pritchard warned me. Some things I saw for myself, but I suppose I was mad. Now I know!”

He turned away. Her eyes followed him wonderingly.

”Leonard,” she cried out, ”you are not going like this? You don't mean it!”

Ever afterwards his restraint amazed him. He did not reply. He closed both doors firmly behind him and walked to the lift. She came even to the outside door and called down the corridor.

”Leonard, come back for one moment!”

He turned his head and looked at her, looked at her from the corner of the corridor, steadfastly and without speech. Her fingers dropped from the handle of the door. She went back into her room with shaking knees, and began to cry softly. Afterwards she wondered at herself. It was the first time she had cried for many years.

Tavernake walked to the city and in less than half an hour's time found himself in Mr. Martin's office. The lawyer welcomed him warmly.