Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter

by Lawrence L. Lynch

  CHAPTER XVI.

  FACE TO FACE.

  It is surprising to note how many pretexts a resolute, husband-huntingspinster can find for keeping a victim at her side, long after hissoul has left her, and gone forth with yearning for a downy couch, afragrant cheroot, or a fairer face.

  Edward Percy could be agreeable, for a reasonable length of time, to avery ugly woman. But even he felt himself an injured man when, at alate hour, he said good-night for the eleventh time to his fairenslaver--literally an enslaver, he thought. As the door of Oakleymanor actually and audibly closed behind him, he heaved a sigh ofgratification, and strode rapidly down the winding avenue.

  When the first group of trees had sheltered him from the view of theinfatuated spinster, should she still be gazing after him, Mr. Percypaused, and standing in the shadow, produced a cigar and wasproceeding to light it, when a hand fell lightly upon his arm, and heturned with a confused idea that she had followed him, and was aboutto lead him back a prisoner. But the figure that he dimly saw was,certainly, not that of Miss Arthur.

  "Pardon, monsieur! but I have a message for you."

  "Ye gods!" ejaculated the aggrieved man.

  Evidently the girl interpreted his thoughts, for she stifled a laughas she said, quickly: "Not from Miss Arthur, monsieur; but frommadame."

  "Oh, from madame," drawing a long breath. "Well, even madame will be ablessed relief; out with it, girl."

  "Madame will be grateful, I am sure," said the girl, mockingly."Madame desires a word with you--now, to-night. Will you follow me?"

  "Where?"

  "To madame; she will be in the terrace arbor directly."

  "Oh, very well," replacing his cigar in his pocket; "lead on, then."

  Celine flitted on before, until the arbor became dimly visible downthe pathway. Then she paused, pointed it out to her companion, andsaid: "Madame will soon join you there, sir. Now I must hasten to mymistress; I have kept her waiting too long."

  With a low, mischievous laugh she darted away in the direction of thehouse.

  Percy turned and gazed after her; then followed a few paces andwatched again, until she disappeared under a wide portico. Heaving asigh of relief he turned back toward the arbor.

  "I want no eavesdropping," he muttered; "and that minx might listen ifshe had time. She is no more a French maid than I am; she forgot her_monsieur_ just now. But a sham maid is very appropriate for a shammaiden; now for Alice;" and he entered the arbor.

  "I am afraid for you. But give up now; never!"--page167.]

  Had Mr. Percy been able to follow the retreating footsteps of theobjectionable French maid, however, he might have found occasionto change his opinion of her lack of time for eavesdropping,and there was excellent opportunity for its practice about theshrubbery-surrounded arbor.

  * * * * *

  Meantime Ellen Arthur, having reluctantly bidden her "blonde demi-god"a last good-night, sought her chamber, swelling with satisfaction, andfeeling somewhat hungry. Passing the door of her sister-in-law'srooms, she encountered Sarah, the romantic housemaid, who was justentering, bearing wine and a tiny glass. Glancing within, sheencountered the gaze of Cora, who stood holding in her hand some blacklace drapery.

  "Horribly late, isn't it?" yawned that lady, nodding good-naturedly."Set down the wine, Sarah, and then you may go. I'm so dismallyslumbersome that if I keep you to help me, I shall fall asleep on yourhands. Have some wine, Ellen?"

  "No, thanks," said the spinster. "If you don't want Sarah, she maybring me up a nice lunch as soon as possible. I won't detain you anylonger; good-night."

  And Miss Arthur, who had meditated entering and giving Cora thebenefit of some of her maiden dreams and fancies, marched away, atrifle offended at the manner in which her sleepy sister-in-law hadanticipated and warded off the interview. Cora's good-night floatedafter her as she sailed down the corridor. Then she heard the doorclosed and the bolt shot into the socket. A little later, the dooropened noiselessly, and a female figure glided down the dark stairwaysout into the night, and toward the arbor.

  "Celine shall undo my hair," Miss Arthur thought, "and I'll have hertry that new set of braids and puffs, if it is late. I don't feel asif I could sleep."

  But Celine was not dutifully waiting in her mistress's dressing-room.

  Sarah appeared with the lunch, and offered her services, but wassummarily dismissed, for Miss Arthur did not deem it wise to initiatethe house servants into the fearful and wonderful mysteries of hertoilet. Therefore, she lunched in solitude and disgust, but heartily,notwithstanding, having just put off her very elaborate, but ratheruncomfortable evening dress and donned a silken gown, acting as herown maid.

  Then she fidgeted herself into a most horrible temper, and satdeliberately down before the grate in a capacious dressing-chair,determined to wait until the girl came, and deliver a most severe andstately reprimand, the exact words of which she had already determinedupon.

  The lady, sitting thus with her feet on the fender, her handscomfortably clasping the big arms of the dressing chair, and her headlolling rather ungracefully over its back, fell into slumber.

  * * * * *

  If Mrs. John Arthur had made a midnight appointment with Lucifer, shewould have fortified herself for the encounter by making a "stunning"toilet. It was one of her fixed principles--she had fixedprinciples--never to permit friend or foe of the male persuasion togaze upon her charms when they would show at a disadvantage. So whenshe entered the arbor, which was suffused with a soft moonlight glowfrom a heavily-shaded lamp, for the arbor stood among dense shrubbery,and but for this lamp would have been in Egyptian darkness, she wasindeed a personification of loveliness.

  Ungracious as was his mood, Percy would not have been a beauty-adoringmortal if he had not paid involuntary tribute to the charms of thewoman who was his bitterest foe. Gazing down upon her a moment, hesaid in his soft legato:

  "I am almost angry at you for being so beautiful, after having takenyourself to other lovers, _Ma belle_."

  The woman smiled triumphantly, as she threw herself into an easychair, and said in her softest, sweetest tone: "And did you expect meto go mourning for you all these years, sir?"

  "I don't think you were ever the woman to do that;" dropping lazilyinto a rustic seat near her. "May I smoke?"

  Cora nodded.

  "Are you sure we are quite safe here?" looking about him. "Somehow, Iam suspicious of that sharp French maid."

  "Quite sure," nodding again. "Mr. Arthur was in bed before I came out;Miss Arthur was ordering up a lunch to her room, and the French maidmust needs be in attendance for an hour or more; and besides, I knowshe is not at all dangerous. None of the other servants ever haveoccasion to come here, and most of them are in bed by now."

  "So your charming sister-in-law eats, does she? After parting from me,too; ugh!"

  "Eats? I should think so," laughing softly; "in her own room, when herstays are not too tight."

  "Spare me!"

  He held up both hands in mock deprecation; then, dropping hisbantering tone, said, as he puffed at his cigar:

  "But now to business. You did not come out here in such bewitchingtoilet to tell me that my charmer eats?"

  "Hardly," with a pretty shrug.

  "For what, then?"

  "To come to an understanding with you," coolly.

  "As how?" in the same tone.

  "As to our future standing with each other."

  "I thought that was settled to-day?"

  "Did you? I don't think it was settled."

  "Well, what remains, fair Alice?"

  "Will you drop that name?"

  "For the present, yes; but with reluctance."

  "Oh, certainly!" bitterly. "Now, what are we to be henceforth?"

  "Friends, of course," knocking the ashes off his cigar.

  "You and I may be allies; we can never be friends," she said,scornfully.

  "Don't trouble yourself to be
insulting, Mrs.--a--Arthur."

  "Then don't make me remember how I have hated you!"

  "Have you really hated me? How singular."

  "Very!" sarcastically; then: "If you don't drop that disagreeable tonewe shall quarrel. I wish to know what you want with Ellen Arthur."

  "Shade of my grandmother! If you don't drop that disagreeable name, Ishall expire. Haven't I had enough of her for one day? Alice, I knowrevenge is sweet, but spare me."

  "Bother! I must talk about her, else how can we settle anything? Doyou suppose I am going to allow that sweet girl to be deceived?" Thiswith mock indignation.

  "Oh, no; certainly not! Well, if I must, I must. First, then--"

  "First, what position do you intend to take towards me?"

  "That depends upon yourself."

  "On conditions?"

  "On conditions."

  "Name them."

  "I am to be received as an honored guest whenever I shall choose tovisit Oakley."

  "Well."

  "Next, you are to do all in your power to further my suit withMiss--you know."

  "That's an easy task."

  "Lastly, you are to promise me not, now or at any future time, todeclare to any one aught you may know that might be to mydisadvantage."

  "That is to say, I am not to tell Ellen Arthur, or others, that youhave two wives--"

  "Softly; one, my dear, _one_. Mrs. Percy Jordan, number one, is dead;you alone are left. You see, Alice, my dear, the thing is reversed.You have two husbands now, while I--"

  "Will have two wives as soon as you can get them!"

  "Just so."

  "And what guarantee have I that you will not betray me to Mr. Arthur?"

  "The very best in the world; mutual interest."

  Cora pondered. "I don't see but that you are right," she said, atlast. "It certainly will not be to your interest to attempt to annoyme now, but how long is this truce to last?" looking at him keenly.

  Percy smoked away in tranquil silence.

  "Of course, I understand what you mean by a marriage with MissArthur," scornfully. "How long will it take you to squander herdollars? And after that, what will you do?"

  "Question for question, fair cross examiner; how long do you intendremaining so quietly here, the bond slave of this idiotic old man? Andwhat will you do when this play is played out?"

  "Because I ran away from a profligate young husband, who had decoyedme into an illegal marriage--illegal for me, but sufficiently bindingto have put you in the penitentiary for a bi--"

  "Don't say it, my dear; don't. It's an ugly word, and, after all, arewe not both in the same boat?"

  "No," angrily. "Do you think I have been so poorly schooled duringthese years that you can make me think now that you have any hold uponme? Bah! your case is but a flimsy one. When you deceived me into amarriage with you, you had already another wife. You hid me away in asuburban box of a cottage, fancying I would be content, like a bird ina gilded cage. You never dreamed that meek little _I_ would followyou, and find out from the woman's own lips that she had a prior claimupon you!"

  "Candidly, I didn't credit you with so much pluck," said Percy,coolly.

  "No! and when I charged you with your perfidy, and wept and upbraidedyou, and then became pacified when you told me that every proof ofyour marriage with that other was in your control, you did not dreamthat I would feign submission until I had gained possession of theproofs of both your marriages, and then run away?"

  "And succeed in baffling my search for ten long years," supplementedhe, grandiloquently. "No, fair dame, I did not."

  "Your search, indeed! It was not a very eager one."

  "Well, in truth it was not. The fact is, your beauty entrapped me intothat very foolish marriage; but I was a trifle weary of blondeloveliness in tears, etc., so I didn't get out the entire policeforce, you see."

  "And you wouldn't have found me if you had."

  "Indeed! why not?"

  "Because, if it will afford you any satisfaction to know at this latestage of the game, I sailed for Europe the very day I quitted yourhouse."

  "No!" opening his eyes in genuine astonishment. "Had it all cut anddried? Well, I like that! Why, little woman, if you had only developedone half the pluck latent in you, before you flitted, I would neverhave given you 'just cause,' etc., for leaving me."

  The woman smiled triumphantly, but made no other answer.

  "Well, what next? I am really becoming interested in your career."

  "Sorry I can't gratify your curiosity. My career has been a verypleasant one--seeing the world; generally prosperous. And this bringsme back to the starting point: why should you think, because I leftyou with good cause, ten years ago, that I must necessarily forsake,sooner or later, a husband who is kindness itself, and who leaves nowish of mine ungratified?"

  "First reason," checking them off on his fingers: "Because you don'tlove this old man, and love is the only bond that such women as youwill not break."

  "Thanks!" ironically, bending her head.

  "Second, because a dull country house, be it ever so elegant, will notlong satisfy you as an abiding place. I have not forgotten yourgirlish taste for pomp, pageant and all manner of excitement; a tastethat has doubtless become fully developed by now. Third, because youhave, at this present moment, a lover whom you prefer above allothers, and to whom you will flee sooner or later."

  "Perhaps you can substantiate that statement," sneered Cora.

  "Well, not exactly; but I know women. My dear, say what you please tome, but don't expect to be believed if you will insist upon doing thedevoted wife."

  "I insist upon nothing," said Cora, rising, "and I have not time formany more words. Let us come to the point at once: With my life, afterI left you, you have nothing to do; you know nothing of it now, andyou will learn no more from me. Of you, I know this much. I know thatyou clung, after your fashion, to the skirts of your unfortunate wife,spending her income and making her life miserable. I know that sixyears ago you inherited a fortune from a distant relative. I know thatfrom that time you utterly neglected your wife, who had been aninvalid for years; and that soon after she died, heart-broken andalone."

  Percy turned upon her, and scrutinized her face keenly; then, comingclose to her, said, meaningly: "And then I wonder that you did notcome back to me."

  For a moment the woman seemed confused, and off her guard. But she hadnot sought an interview with this man without fully reviewing herground.

  "I had ceased to care for you," she said, lifting her unflinching eyesto his face; "and I did not need your money. Come, enough of the past;you have squandered your fortune, and now you want another. You wantto put yourself still more into my power by marrying a third wife--sobe it; I consent."

  "Not so fast. You are first to promise me to place in my hands, on my'marriage morn,' those unpleasant little documents which you holdagainst me. In return for which you will receive a sum of money, theamount of said sum to be hereafter arranged. Then we go our separateways."

  "And if I refuse?"

  "Then, painful as it is, I must do my duty. You are to give me youranswer when I return to Bellair; no time for tricks, mind. If theanswer is no, then I interview Mr. John Arthur."

  "And you return?--"

  "The day after to-morrow."

  "Then you shall have my answer. Until then--"

  She swept him a stately courtesy, which he returned with a mostelaborate bow.

  Without another word from either, they separated; she gliding swiftlyand silently toward the house, he going once more in the direction ofBellair village.

  * * * * *

  How long she had slept it never afterward occurred to Miss Arthur toinquire. Something recalled her from the land of visions, and startingup in her chair she saw Celine, standing demurely before her, her facewreathed in smiles, and no signs of any uncanny adventure lingeringabout her.

  Beholding her safe and sound Miss Arthur began to pour out upon th
eluckless head of Celine, the vials of wrath prepared for her benefit.

  The girl listened with a face indicative of some secret source ofamusement. Noting her look of evident unconcern, and the laughter sheseemed vainly striving to keep under, Miss Arthur brought her tiradeto an abrupt termination, and demanded to know what Miss CelineLeroque saw, in her appearance, that was so very ludicrous.

  Whereupon Miss Celine Leroque dropped upon a hassock, at the feet ofher irate mistress, and laughed outright--actually laughedunreservedly, in the presence and despite the rage of the ancientmaiden!

  "Then you shall have my answer. Until then--"--page178.]

  Then observing that she was preparing another burst of wrath, thegirl appeared to be struggling for composure, and vainly endeavoringto articulate something, of which Miss Arthur could only catch thename, "Mr. Percy." Thereupon she fairly bounced out of her chair,demanding to know "what on earth" Mr. Percy had to do with her maid'sreprehensible conduct.

  "Oh, mademoiselle, everything!" gasped Celine. "Only let me explain,and mademoiselle will laugh, too. Oh, _Mon dieu, Mon dieu_!"

  Calming herself by a violent effort, Celine told her story, and itsmagic dispelled the wrath of her much neglected, sorely aggrievedmistress. Such a pretty little story it was, interspersed with slylooks, knowing nods, and rippling bursts of laughter. Listened towith, first, disdainful silence; then, growing interest; last,spasmodic giggles, _apropos_ ejaculations, and much blushing andmaidenly confusion.

  "You see, mademoiselle, after you had gone down, I went to my room, totake just a few little stitches upon some of my poor garments, that Imust wear to-morrow. I don't know how it was, but I sat on my bedsidethinking, after it was done, and fell off asleep."

  "Off the bed?"

  "Oh! no, no, mademoiselle; off into sleep, I mean. When I awoke I wasanxious to know how much time I had slept away, and came down to yourapartments. You were still in the drawing-room, and I passed on to thekitchen, surprised to find that it was very late. 'I will hasten,' Ithought, 'and can so go to the village, and telegraph my sister beforemy mistress rings for me;' for I didn't think," with a sly look, "thatyou would be at liberty _very_ early in the evening. The--what youname him?--a--operateur, was out, and I had to wait a little time.Coming back so late, I became afraid of the woods, and took the pathalong the highway. Entering at the front and coming up the avenue, Iwas about to pass around by the east walk to the side entrancewhen,--" stifling a laugh.

  "O, Mademoiselle, every thing!" gasped Celine.--page180.]

  "Well?" impatiently.

  "When the front door opened and I, standing in the shadow, saw thelight fall upon the face and figure of Monsieur Percy."

  "Yes; go on."

  "I mention this, mademoiselle, only to show you how I know sopositively that it _was_ monsieur who--oh! oh!" laughing again softly.

  "Who?" with increased impatience; "who did what, girl?" eyeing hersuspiciously.

  Celine composed herself and continued: "Seeing monsieur, I stopped,for I did not wish him to discover me abroad so late. So I stood inthe thick shade until he should have passed. He came slowly toward meand, just about four paces from my hiding-place, paused, turned andlooked, back at the house. I could see him gazing toward the upperwindows, and presently I saw your shadow upon the blind as you enteredyour dressing-room. The light shone out from your window, too; andafter looking for a while, I heard him murmur to himself: 'That mustbe her window; I believe I am bewitched, for I can't bear to lose itslight,' and then--"

  "Stop laughing, you ridiculous girl! And what then?"

  "And then, mademoiselle, he began walking up and down within sight ofyour window--"

  "Ah!" rapturously.

  "Oui; and I--oh, mademoiselle, he was in the very path that I musttake to approach the side entrance. And he walked and walked, and Iwaited and waited. Then I thought I would try getting around by theother way, and creep up carefully from the terrace. So I crept alongto the other side, back of the arbor, and up the terrace, and managedto reach the entrance unseen. _Mon Dieu_, mademoiselle, the door waslocked! I was shut out! What was I to do then? I sat me down in theshadow of the portico and waited once more. After a terribly long timeI could see that he was not moving up and down. I peeped cautiously,and he seemed to be departing. Then I came out stealthy as a cat, andfound that he was going away, and the reason--"

  "The reason?"

  "Oui, mademoiselle; the light in your room had disappeared."

  "Disappeared!"

  "Oui, mademoiselle. Then I bethought me there might yet be a chance. Icame up to the front entrance and tried the door. It was not locked.My heart leaped for joy. I blessed the carelessness of the servants,and stole cautiously in. I came to this room. All was dark; but thecoals there showed me your figure in the chair. I could not mistakethe graceful outlines of mademoiselle. I entered very quietly,relighted your lamp--some little breeze must have flared it out whileyou slept. I was looking at you, and wondering what you would say ifyou knew how nearly crazy with love you had driven that stately,handsome Monsieur Percy, when you awoke."

  It is needless to say that, long before Celine had finished herrecital, her mistress was in the best of humors. Indeed, Celine'svolubly uttered, intensely flattering, highly probable recital, had anexhilarating effect upon her; so much so, that the lady found sleepnow quite impossible. So poor Celine was doomed, after all, to buildthe new braids and puffs into a wonderful edifice upon the head ofMiss Arthur, and to repeat over and again the sweet story of "how heloved her."

  The "wee sma'" hours were beginning to lengthen once more when Celinewas released from duty, and went wearily up to her room; wearily, yetwith undimmed eyes, and the mischievous dimples still lurking aboutthe corners of her mouth.

  She muttered: "Bah! it is better than sleep, after all; if only theothers were as easily duped as she!"

  By which words, a listener might have been led to suppose that CelineLeroque had been practising deception upon some confiding individual.