The Lion's Mouse
Page 16
XVI
A QUOTATION FROM SHAKESPEARE
"Not easily jealous, but, being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme."
The words describing Othello's torment rang in Roger Sands' ears.
The words kept time with the purring throb of the motor that sped him onhis wife's errand. Certain it was that he had not been easily jealous!
He had married a girl with a secret to keep, and he had never questionedher. He had made her a queen; and he was her loyal subject. She ruledhim and his kingdom. Only to-day he had given her a queen's pearls. Theywere his atonement for an hour of distrust. How had she rewarded him?Roger reviewed the afternoon, since the presentation of the pearls, andthere were details which he saw in a new light. So desperate had beenher mysterious haste that she had broken the rope of pearls, and had noteven stopped to pick up the scattered splendour.
Roger Sands' heart had been hard toward his wife when they met. He hadsettled upon a policy of silence for the present, while inself-protection he watched developments. He agreed quietly to Beverley'srequest that he should fetch the pearl-stringer, though feeling a cold,sick certainty of her motive in making it.
He went, as he had given his word that he would go, to 27 Elm Street,Yonkers. Miss Blackburne herself answered his ring: and when the name ofClo Riley was mentioned, she said at once that she would accompany Mr.Sands. Roger was kept waiting only while Miss Blackburne took leave ofher mother, gathered together her materials, and packed a small bag; forit was clear that, if the pearl-stringer were to finish her work in onesitting, she would have to spend the night in Park Avenue.
The little woman, whose face seemed almost featureless to Roger Sands,was interested in the man as well as in the mission. The pearl-stringerhad often heard of him in various ways; and her work took her into a setwho knew, or gossiped, about his private affairs. She had listened towomen's talk concerning Mrs. Sands, "the girl from nowhere," and, thoughMiss Blackburne was "good as gold," she did enjoy a little spicyscandal. She could in future make herself quite interesting to some ofher regular clients by telling how she had worked for Mrs. Roger Sands;and not only for their sakes, but her own, did she look forward to this"job."
Secretly, Ellen Blackburne planned some day to write a volume ofreminiscences, and she had a "feeling," as she sat in discreet silencebeside Roger Sands in his car, that to-night she would get material forparticularly good notes. She was conscious that his nerves were tenselystrung. "It's just as if he were sitting in a thunder cloud charged fullof electricity, with me getting some of the shocks," she told herself,thinking of her notebook, where she would make entries when she gothome.
It was nearly a quarter past eight when Roger's latch-key opened thedoor of his apartment. Miss Blackburne was impressed, not only by themagnificence of the hall, but by the originality of its decoration.
Roger, having let himself and the pearl-stringer in with his latch-key,regretted that he had done so. He did not want to see Beverley alonejust then. It would be better to have her summoned by a servant. MissBlackburne was too observant of tiny details not to notice that hestepped back and pushed the electric bell outside the door, which he hadnot yet closed. And when he said to the butler: "Please tell Mrs. Sandsthat I have been able to bring back Miss Blackburne," the small studentof character guessed at once that he wished to avoid meeting his wife.
The hall was large, and furnished like an extra drawing-room, thereforeit was not inhospitable that Roger should leave the pearl-stringer alonethere, with the excuse that he must dress for dinner. He was, heexplained, going to his club. As he made this announcement, however, andbefore the butler could carry the message to Mrs. Sands, a dazzlingvision appeared. It could be no other, Miss Blackburne felt, than Mrs.Sands herself; and she was right, for Beverley had dressed with unusualspeed, yet with unwonted pains, in order to be ready for Roger's return.
The vision came into the hall before the butler had been able to deliverthe message, and his wife's arrival whilst the man was present gaveRoger an opportunity he would not miss. There was a question he wishedto ask the old servant, in Beverley's hearing, but he had not expectedthe chance to come so soon. The butler retreated, stepping asiderespectfully to let Mrs. Sands pass. But before the man could effacehimself, and before greeting Beverley, Roger exclaimed, "Oh, by the by,Johnson, has any one been here since I went out?"
"Yes, sir," the butler replied, "one gentleman has been. He----"
But the vision intervened. "The gentleman wasn't a visitor, Johnson,"she said, a sharp note in her voice, almost an agonized note. "You oughtto explain to Mr. Sands that he came only to bring Miss Riley home."Then she hurried on, snatching the explanation from the servant's mouth,though she had ordered him to make it: "The poor child came back quitedone up, nearly fainting. She had to be helped in, almost carried. Theman stayed just long enough to hear that she was better. Is it MissBlackburne you've been lucky enough to find, and bring back to me?"
All this rushed out in a breath. The lovely lady in white and silversmiled at the small person in brown pongee. But Roger Sands was not aman easy to play with.
"Yes, it is Miss Blackburne," he quietly answered. "What was thegentleman's name, Johnson? Did you hear it?"
There was a trifling pause while the servant replied. Mrs. Sands wasstill faintly smiling, a mechanical smile, and her eyes were suddenlydull as glass.
"Yes, sir, I believe I heard the name mentioned," Johnson admitted. "Ithought it was the same as the young lady's; Riley or O'Riley. As Mrs.Sands remarks, sir, he wasn't exactly calling, so the name wasn'tannounced. It only reached my ears."
Roger looked straight at Beverley. The gaze was a challenge. "Was itJustin O'Reilly who came?" he inquired; and his eyes said: "if yourconscience is clean, you'll understand that I'm not trying to extractany confession. I give you the chance to clear yourself, here and now,that's all."
But Beverley's face was flooded with one of her painful blushes, thatalways came when she wanted them least. She realized, too late, thatRoger had enquired of Johnson because he suspected, perhaps even knew,that O'Reilly had been in the house.
"Yes, it was Justin O'Reilly who came and stopped about ten minutes,"she answered, trying to keep her voice as calm as Roger's. "But thisisn't very interesting to Miss Blackburne. It was good of her to give upher Sunday evening! Shall we----"
"Just a moment, please," Roger broke in, still in that deadly quietvoice which, it seemed, could betray nothing to a stranger, but forBeverley was a knife at her heart. "I must go out presently. Beforestarting to dress I should like to hear the latest news about yourprotegee. She looked all right, and not inclined to faint, when I sawher tripping into the house, just before I came in from my walk sometime ago. By the by I think Mr. O'Reilly must have been with her then.He was passing the house, I noticed."
"I don't know anything about that," the answer came slowly. "Clo didn'tmention seeing Mr. O'Reilly at that time. She rested and went out againlater. Johnson was speaking of her _second_ return."
Beverley knew that her husband could easily have questioned Johnsonbehind her back, and then have entrapped her perhaps, through herignorance of what had passed. He had chosen instead, to be as frank ashe was hard; and while she suffered, Beverley thanked her husband forcold justice.
"I must dress now," Roger said heavily. "I am dining at my club."
Murmuring some civility to Miss Blackburne, Sands turned away. A momentmore, and his wife heard his bedroom door shut. At the sound it seemedthat her heart must die in her breast! She felt a sensation of physicalsickness, and would have given anything not to have the pearl-stringeron her hands. Here the woman was, however, and could not be treated withdiscourtesy!
"You will dine with me, of course, before beginning your work," Beverleysaid, trying to be cordial. But Miss Blackburne smiled and shook herhead. She had had "high tea" at home with her mother, and could eatnothing more, she replied, thanking Mrs. Sands.
"I'll take you to my boudoir," Beverley said kindl
y to the little womanin brown. "The pearls are there. You'll be surprised at their beauty."
Miss Blackburne let her hostess lead the way. "There's a drama here, allright!" she told herself. "Has it anything to do with the pearls? But Ishall know soon, I bet!"
The Vision opened the door of a charming room. The light was alreadyswitched on, and the new-comer noticed that a door stood wide openbetween the boudoir and the bedroom, which, also, was lighted. MissBlackburne guessed that Mrs. Sands had only just finished dressing in ahurry as her husband came into the house. Perhaps, on account of thepearls, her maid had been released from duty. Anyhow, someone hadforgotten to turn off the lights, and ... but Mrs. Sands herself wasexplaining.
"I left the door open between my room and this while I dressed," shesaid, "because of what you see on this table. I thought it might as wellbe here, as anywhere else, all ready and waiting for you."
She made a nervous gesture, and Miss Blackburne saw on the tableindicated a large oval case of purple velvet, slightly old-fashionedlooking, and adorned with a splendid gold crown. The pearl-stringer knewsomething about crowns and coronets: duchesses, countesses, baronesses,and small fry like that. But this crown was royal. She was going to getgood "copy" for her notes!
Beverley's hand moved toward the purple case. She was in a desperatehurry to get her business with Miss Blackburne over, and escape into thehall again. She must try to have a word with Roger before he went,though she dared not--literally dared not--go to his room.
"You'll see the pearls, and----" she had begun, when her ears caught thesound of an electric bell; a loud, insistent peal.