Part 44 (1/2)

Mayson gave him a doc.u.ment, and when Jimmy stated that he knew Stannard's hand, resumed: ”Stannard joined me some years since, at a time when he was awkwardly embarra.s.sed. The combine had advantages.

Stannard had qualities I had not; his friends were fas.h.i.+onable sporting people. For all that, he was bankrupt and I supplied him with money.”

”Exactly,” said Sir James. ”Still, perhaps Stannard's agreeing to tout for you was strange. My nephew thought him a fastidious gentleman.

There's another thing: since he was willing to exploit his friends, did you not imagine he might cheat you?”

Mayson smiled. ”Stannard dared not cheat me, and perhaps I can give Mr.

Deering the light he wants. I knew something about Stannard that, had others known, would have broken him. When we made our agreement, he declared the person he had injured was recently dead and the risk he ran was gone. Perhaps he was sincere, but sometimes I doubt. Not long since, when he began to keep back sums I ought to have got, I made inquiries and found out that another knew. In fact, it looked as if Stannard were buying the fellow's silence with my money. Had he been frank, I might have broken the extortioner, but he was not frank. I think he knew he had deceived me about the agreement and was afraid. Anyhow, he tried to meet the demands, until----”

”I think I see,” said Deering. ”You do not yet know all Stannard's plans and now they're not important. I expect we can take it for granted that he imagined the demands could not long be met. Then he saw the police had found out his part in the shooting accident and he went down the rocks.”

”It looks like that,” Mayson agreed.

Deering turned to Jimmy. Jimmy's look was stern and his brows were knit.

Deering thought he saw a light, but he said nothing and Sir James got up.

”If you will go with me to the office, Mr. Mayson, I will write you a check.”

They went off and soon afterwards Dillon joined Jimmy.

”Laura wants to see you,” he said in a disturbed voice. ”She knows Stannard shot Douglas, and it's now obvious he meant you to pay; but I rather think that's not all. She talks about her not being justified in marrying me. The thing's ridiculous; if Stannard was a crook, she's not accountable, but my arguments don't carry much weight. Perhaps you can help. You agreed to play up.”

”I'll try,” said Jimmy, and went to the drawing-room.

n.o.body but Laura was about and her forlorn look moved him. Her face was pinched and all her color was gone, but she gave Jimmy a level glance.

”You know I'm sorry,” he said, and taking her cold hand, resumed with some embarra.s.sment: ”Frank's my friend and you were very kind. Not long since I thought----”

”You thought you were my lover?” said Laura in a quiet voice. ”You were lucky because you were not, but had you agreed to go back to the cotton mill, I might have married you. Now you know my shabbiness.”

”I know nothing like that,” Jimmy declared. ”I do, however, know I owe you much. You were the first to warn me where my extravagance led. Now I want to help----”

”Ah,” said Laura, ”you are generous! I was willing to cheat you and it's plain my father was not your friend.”

Jimmy studied her and thought her afraid. In fact, he began to see why she had sent for him. Laura was keen; she knew something, but he imagined she did not know all. Anyhow, he was not going to enlighten her.

”You mustn't exaggerate the importance of the shooting accident,” he said. ”I and Mr. Stannard used our rifles. The night was dark and I imagined I had hit the warden. I expect Mr. Stannard had no grounds to think the unlucky shot was his. Until recently, the police believed the shot was mine.”

Laura was quiet for a few moments, and then with an effort looked up.

”My father knew the rocks; he was a famous mountaineer. Yet when the police sergeant ordered him to stop he went down the bank----”

”After all, his carelessness was not very strange,” Jimmy replied. ”Mr.

Stannard was leader and had borne a heavy strain; in fact, we were all exhausted and our nerve was gone. Then the police came out of the mist, the sergeant shouted, and Mr. Stannard knew they claimed he had shot the warden. He was startled and, so to speak, mechanically stepped back----”

He stopped, for although his object was good, he knew Laura's cleverness. He did not know if he had altogether banished her doubts, but she gave him a grateful look.

”Frank is your friend,” she said in a quiet voice. ”He wants me to marry him. Are you satisfied I ought not to refuse?”