Part 36 (1/2)

”Good-night, Mr. Elphick,” he said.

But before he could reach the door the old barrister had leapt from his chair and seized him with trembling hands. Spargo turned and looked at him. He knew then that for some reason or other he had given Mr.

Septimus Elphick a thoroughly bad fright.

”Well?” he growled.

”My dear young gentleman!” implored Mr. Elphick. ”Don't go! I'll--I'll do anything for you if you won't go away to print that. I'll--I'll give you a thousand pounds!”

Spargo shook him off.

”That's enough!” he snarled. ”Now, I am off! What, you'd try to bribe me?”

Mr. Elphick wrung his hands.

”I didn't mean that--indeed I didn't!” he almost wailed. ”I--I don't know what I meant. Stay, young gentleman, stay a little, and let us--let us talk. Let me have a word with you--as many words as you please. I implore you!”

Spargo made a fine pretence of hesitation.

”If I stay,” he said, at last, ”it will only be on the strict condition that you answer--and answer truly--whatever questions I like to ask you. Otherwise----”

He made another move to the door, and again Mr. Elphick laid beseeching hands on him.

”Stay!” he said. ”I'll answer anything you like!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

OF PROVED IDENt.i.tY

Spargo sat down again in the chair which he had just left, and looked at the two people upon whom his startling announcement had produced such a curious effect. And he recognized as he looked at them that, while they were both frightened, they were frightened in different ways. Miss Baylis had already recovered her composure; she now sat sombre and stern as ever, returning Spargo's look with something of indifferent defiance; he thought he could see that in her mind a certain fear was battling with a certain amount of wonder that he had discovered the secret. It seemed to him that so far as she was concerned the secret had come to an end; it was as if she said in so many words that now the secret was out he might do his worst.

But upon Mr. Septimus Elphick the effect was very different. He was still trembling from excitement; he groaned as he sank into his chair and the hand with which he poured out a gla.s.s of spirits shook; the gla.s.s rattled against his teeth when he raised it to his lips. The half-contemptuous fas.h.i.+on of his reception of Spargo had now wholly disappeared; he was a man who had received a shock, and a bad one. And Spargo, watching him keenly, said to himself: This man knows a great deal more than, a great deal beyond, the mere fact that Marbury was Maitland, and that Ronald Breton is in reality Maitland's son; he knows something which he never wanted anybody to know, which he firmly believed it impossible anybody ever could know. It was as if he had buried something deep, deep down in the lowest depths, and was as astounded as he was frightened to find that it had been at last flung up to the broad light of day.

”I shall wait,” suddenly said Spargo, ”until you are composed, Mr.

Elphick. I have no wish to distress you. But I see, of course, that the truths which I have told you are of a sort that cause you considerable--shall we say fear?”

Elphick took another stiff pull at his liquor. His hand had grown steadier, and the colour was coming back to his face.

”If you will let me explain,” he said. ”If you will hear what was done for the boy's sake--eh?”

”That,” answered Spargo, ”is precisely what I wish. I can tell you this--I am the last man in the world to wish harm of any sort to Mr.

Breton.”

Miss Baylis relieved her feelings with a scornful sniff. ”He says that!” she exclaimed, addressing the ceiling. ”He says that, knowing that he means to tell the world in his rag of a paper that Ronald Breton, on whom every care has been lavished, is the son of a scoundrel, an ex-convict, a----”

Elphick lifted his hand.

”Hush--hus.h.!.+” he said imploringly. ”Mr. Spargo means well, I am sure--I am convinced. If Mr. Spargo will hear me----”