Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter

by Lawrence L. Lynch

  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  "I HAVE COME BACK TO MY OWN!"

  Quite the pleasantest of all the rooms that had been so sumptuouslyfitted up, when "Mrs. Torrance" came to Oakley, a bride, was the backdrawing-room. At least it was pleasantest in Winter. Its large windowsfaced south and west, and all of the Winter sunshine fell upon them,glowing through crimson curtains, and helping the piled-up anthracitein the grate to bathe the room in a ruddiness of crimson and goldenbronze.

  On this particular December day, the air was crisp and cold, and fullof floating particles of hoar frost, while the winter sun shone brightand clear. Outside, one felt that it was an exceedingly cold sun. Butviewed from within, it looked inviting enough, and one felt inspiredto dash out into the frosty air and try if they could not walk _a la_hippogriffe, without touching their feet to the ground.

  Some such thought was floating through the mind of Mrs. John Arthur,who was progressing in her convalescence very rapidly now, and whohad, on this day, made her second descent to the drawing-rooms.

  She had donned, for the first time since her illness, a dinner-dressof rosy silk, its sweeping train and elbow sleeves enriched withflounces of black lace. As there was, at present, no need to play theinvalid--herself and Davlin being the sole occupants of the room--shewas sweeping up and down its length like a caged lioness.

  By and by she swerved from her course, and coming to the grate, put adaintily shod foot upon the bronze fender. Resting one hand on achair, and looking down upon Davlin, who was lounging before the firein full dinner costume, she said, abruptly:

  "How very interesting all this is!"

  Davlin made no sign that he heard.

  "Do you know how long we have been playing this little game, sir?"

  The man smiled, in that cool way, so exasperating always to her, andlifting one hand, began to tell off the months on his fingers.

  "Let me see, ball opened in June, did it not?"

  She nodded impatiently.

  "June!" He was thinking of his June flirting with Madeline Payne, andinvoluntarily glanced at the windows from whence could be seen the verytrees under which they had wandered, himself and that fair dead girl, inearly June. "Yes, the last of June--I remember,"--reflectively.

  "And pray, from what event does your memory date?" exclaimed Cora,with strong sarcasm.

  He glanced up quickly. "Why, _Ma Belle_, from your introduction to thehills and vales of Bellair, and the master of Oakley."

  "Oh, I thought it was from the time you received your pistol wound."

  Davlin smiled. "Yes, that scratch _was_ given in June; but I don'tdate from trifles, Co."

  "Oh! Well, I fancy it was not the fault of the hand that aimed thebullet, or rather of the _heart_, that you got a 'mere scratch.' Inever believed in your card-table explanation of that affair, sir."

  "Well, don't call _me_ to account for _your_ want of faith."

  "I believe you promised yourself revenge on the fellow who shot atyou. Why didn't you take it?"

  Lucian stooped down and brushed an imaginary speck from his boot toe,saying, as he did so: "I was forestalled."

  "How?"

  "The--fellow--is dead."

  "Oh, well, I don't care about dead men--what I am anxious about isthis--"

  "Oh, yes," maliciously. "Return to subject under discussion. Youembarked in this enterprise in June--"

  "Bother," impatiently.

  "Late in Summer, bagged your game; in early Autumn, fitted up thisjolly old rookery--"

  Cora gave a sniff of disdain.

  "Next--well, you know what next. We haven't been two months at thislast job."

  "Nevertheless I am tired of it."

  "No?"

  "I won't stay here a prisoner much longer!"

  Davlin came close to her, and letting one hand rest upon her shoulder,placed the other over hers, which still lay upon the chair back.

  "Cora, we won't quarrel about this. The situation is as trying to meas to you; more so. But our safety lies in moving with caution, and--Iwill not permit you to compromise us by any hasty act. Youunderstand!"

  His eyes held her as in a spell, and when, after a moment, the handfell from her shoulder and his eyes withdrew their mesmeric gaze, thewoman shrunk from under the one detaining hand and turned sullenlyaway, looking like a baffled leopardess.

  Davlin resumed his seat and his former careless attitude. Cora walkedto the window and looked down upon the scene below.

  At length the man asked, carelessly: "Where's Percy?"

  "Down there," nodding toward the terrace, a portion of which wasvisible from her point of view. "And, of course, my lady is in herroom watching from her window. When he throws away his cigar, andturns toward the house, she will come down; not before."

  Davlin laughed at her emphasis, and while the sound still vibrated onthe air, the woman turned, and flinging herself upon a divan, said:

  "There, she is coming!"

  Complain as she might in private, Cora had acted her part toperfection. Between herself and Miss Arthur, there now existed anappearance of great cordiality and friendliness. While she treatedPercy with utmost politeness and hospitality, the remembrance of tenyears ago acted as an effectual bar to anything like coquetry, wherehe was concerned.

  Scarcely had Cora settled herself comfortably upon her divan, when thedoor opened noiselessly, and Miss Arthur sailed in, diffusing throughthe room the odor of Patchouli as she came. She was, as usual, amarvel of beflounced silk, false curls, rouge, and pearl powder. Herface beamed upon Cora in friendliness as she approached her, saying,with much effusion:

  "Oh, you poor child, how delightful to see you once more among us, andlooking like yourself."

  Lucian arose and gallantly wheeled forward a large easy chair, saying:"And how charming you look, Miss Ellen; you make poor Cora appearquite shabby by contrast."

  Cora cast a rather ungrateful glance at the gentleman, and thespinster simpered, "Oh, you horrid man! Brothers are so ungrateful!"

  At this juncture, as Cora had predicted, Mr. Percy presented himself,and the four fell into attitudes, in front of the grate--Percy leaningon the back of Miss Arthur's chair, and Cora and Davlin in theirformer places.

  "_Merci_," said Miss Arthur, pretending to stifle a yawn, "why can'twe all be out in this keen air and sunshine? If there were but snow onthe ground!"

  "Snow!" cried Cora, annoyed out of her usual assumption of feebleness;"don't mention it, if you don't want me to die. We won't have snow, ifyou please, until I can drive in a cutter."

  Percy laughed softly; his laugh was always disagreeable to Cora, ashaving an undercurrent of meaning intended for her alone. And Davlinsaid:

  "Hear and heed, all ye gods of the wind and weather."

  "Well, laugh," said Cora, half laughing herself, "but I am beginningto feel ambitious. Do let's try to set something afoot to make us feelas if we were alive, and glad that we were."

  "Agreed, Cora," cried Miss Arthur, gushingly, "only tell us what itshall be."

  "Suggest, suggest;" this from Davlin.

  The spinster glanced up coquettishly, "Edward, you suggest."

  Percy caressed his blonde whiskers thoughtfully, and letting his eyesrest carelessly on Cora, said, meaningly: "Let's poison each other!"

  "Or commit suicide!" retorted Cora, coolly.

  "Let's be more sensible," said Davlin. "Let's organize a matrimonialsociety, get up a wedding, and go on a journey."

  "Anything that will break the monotony," said Cora, while the fairspinster giggled and put her hands before her face.

  At that moment the monotony _was_ broken.

  While the words were still lingering on the lips of the fairconvalescent, the door was opened wide by old Hagar, who said, as ifshe had been all her life announcing the arrival of great ones at thecourt of St. James:

  "_Miss Madeline Payne!_"

  Then she stepped back, and a vision appeared before them which struckthem dumb and motionless with surprise.

&nbs
p; Across the threshold swept a young lady, richly robed in trailing silkand velvet and fur; with a face fair as a star-flower, haughty as theface of any duchess; with amber eyes that gazed upon themcontemptuously, masterfully, fearlessly; with wave upon wave of goldenbrown hair, clustering about the temples and snowy neck; and withscarlet lips half parted in a scornful smile.

  She swept the length of the room with matchless grace andself-possession, and pausing before the astonished group, said, in avoice clear as the chime of silver bells:

  "Good-evening, ladies and gentlemen! I believe I have not the honor ofknowing--ah, yes, this is Miss Arthur; _Aunt Ellen_, how do you do?"

  There are some scenes that beggar description, and this was such anone.

  "_Miss Madeline Payne!_"--page 346.]

  Miss Arthur, who clearly recognized in this lovely young lady thelittle Madeline of years ago, was so stricken with astonishment thatshe utterly forgot how appropriate it would be to faint.

  Cora sat like one in a nightmare.

  Percy was conscious of but one feeling. True to his nature even here,he was staring at this vision of beauty, thinking only, "how lovely!how lovely!"

  And Lucian Davlin? At the first sight of that face, the first sound ofthat voice, he had felt as if turning to stone, incapable of movementor speech. At that moment, had Cora once glanced toward him, his facemust have betrayed his secret. But her eyes were fixed on Madeline.

  Davlin felt a tempest raging within his bosom. Madeline alive! Thisglowing, brilliant, richly robed, queenly creature--Madeline! Again inhis ears rang her farewell words. Quick as lightning came the thought:she was his enemy, she would denounce him! And yet, throughout everyfiber of his being, he felt a thrill of gladness. Again there surgedin his heart the mad love that had sprung into being when she had sogloriously defied him. She was not dead, and he was glad!

  Old Hagar had closed the door after her young mistress; and now shestood near it, calm and immovable as a block of ice.

  Madeline Payne stood, for a moment, gazing laughingly into the amazedface of the spinster. Then she said: "Come, come, Aunt Ellen, don'tstare at me as if I were a ghost! Introduce me to your friends. Isthis lady my new step-mamma?"

  Cora roused herself from her stupor, and said, haughtily: "I am _Mrs.Arthur_, and the mistress of the house!"

  "Ah! then you _are_ my new step-mamma? And you have been very ill, Iunderstand. Pray, don't rise, madame; you look feeble." Then, turningagain to Miss Arthur: "Don't you intend to speak to me, Aunt Ellen?"

  "But," gasped the spinster, "I thought, that--you--"

  "Oh, I see! You thought that I was dead, and you have been grievingfor me. Well, I will explain: I ran away from my respected papabecause he had selected for me a husband not at all to my taste. Notdesiring to return immediately, I seized an opportunity that came inmy way, and bestowed my name upon a poor girl who died in thehospital, thus making sure that my anxious friends would abandon allsearch for me. However, I have thought better of my decision, and so Ireturn to my own home to take my position under the _chaperonage_ ofmy pretty step-mamma, as the _Heiress of Oakley_!"

  These last words opened the eyes of Cora to the new "situation."Springing to her feet, she forgot for the moment all her weakness, andcried, wrathfully: "You cannot come here with such a trumped-up story!Madeline Payne is dead and buried. You are a base impostor!"

  Madeline turned tranquilly towards the spinster. "Aunt Ellen, _am_ Ian impostor?"

  "No," said Ellen Arthur, sullenly; "you are Madeline Payne. Any one inthe village could testify to that."

  Madeline turned to Cora. "Step-mamma, I forgive you. It _is_ hard tofind the entailed estate of Oakley slipping out of your hands, nodoubt, but this world is full of disappointments."

  Cora's eyes sought Lucian. That gentleman, who had, outwardly atleast, regained his composure, telegraphed her to be silent.

  Miss Payne asked: "Which of these gentlemen is your brother, Mrs.Arthur?"

  Lucian stepped forward with his usual grace, saying; "I am Mrs.Arthur's brother, Miss Payne. Pray, let me apologize for herdiscourteous reception of you; she has been very ill, and is nervous."

  Madeline sank into a chair and surveyed him coolly, while she said:"It is not necessary to apologize for your sister, Mr.--"

  "Davlin," supplied Miss Arthur.

  "Davlin," repeated Madeline, as if the name had fallen upon her earsfor the first time. "No doubt we shall be the best of friends by andby. I certainly have to thank her for making so marked an improvementin these old rooms," glancing about her.

  Here the still confused Miss Arthur, in obedience to a sign from herlover, said: "Miss Madeline, this is my friend, Mr. Percy."

  Mr. Percy advanced, bowing like a courtier. The young lady scrutinizedhim coolly, saying, with a gleam of mischief in her eyes: "I amdelighted to meet any friend of my aunt's."

  Then she turned to Davlin again: "But where is my step-papa? I havekept myself partially informed of events here. Is he still unable tobe about?"

  Davlin looked very serious: "Miss Payne, I fear that my unhappybrother-in-law will never recover his reason."

  Madeline uttered an exclamation expressive of concern, and said: "Oh,Mr. Davlin, then don't let him know that I am here; at least not yet.I am so afraid of the insane. I couldn't bear to see him now."

  Cora drew a breath of relief, on hearing this. But Lucian, who knewthe girl better, began to fear her, and mentally resolved to definehis own position as speedily as possible. One thing was evident; itwas no part of her plan to betray him, at least not yet.

  "Nurse," said Madeline, turning to Hagar, "see that a room is preparedfor me immediately, and send a servant to the station for my luggage.Also, prepare a room for my maid, who is below, and tell her to get meout a dinner dress immediately."

  Then turning to Cora, "Step-mamma, you look fatigued. Do go to yourroom and rest before dinner. Mr. Davlin, at what hour do you dine?"

  He explained their reason for dining so early, and she said, as sheturned again to Cora,

  "Do lie down, step-mamma; there is still a half-hour before dinner.And now I will go look after my maid."

  She swept them all a stately courtesy, and Percy springing forward toopen the door, she thanked him with a charming side glance, and passedfrom the room like a young princess.

  There was dead silence among them for a full minute after the door hadclosed behind her. Then Percy turned with a disagreeable smile uponhis face, and said:

  "You don't stand in need of something exciting _now_, do you,--Mrs.Arthur?"

  This was too much. Cora sprang to her feet and casting one meaningglance toward Davlin, swept from the room, erect and firm, utterlyregardless of the fact that her exit was quite incompatible with theinvalid _role_ she had been sustaining.

  An angry flush overspread the face of Lucian Davlin, as he realized,after one quick look at the face of Percy, how thoroughly she hadbetrayed herself. He was too good a diplomat, however, to quit thefield without a stroke in his own behalf. So giving a low whistle heturned toward the spinster, saying:

  "See what excitement will do. One would think she had the strength oftwo of us."

  To which Percy responded, dryly: "She certainly did not step like aninvalid."

  Then the three stood looking aimlessly at each other or anything,seemingly not at all inclined to converse.

  After a few moments of listless gazing out at the window, Lucianturned upon his heel and quitted the room. He was too wise to approachCora in her present mood. Even had he thought it advisable, he feltlittle inclination to see and converse with her or anyone then. Like aman in a dream, he wandered out and down the wide hall. Almostunconsciously he opened the library door, and crossing to the greatdouble window, leaned against the casement and looked out.

  Again his eyes rested upon the grove where he had so often wanderedwith the lovely girl who, to-day, had so coolly ignored him. Then shehad clung to him with trusting affection; now,--how did she look uponhim now? Could th
e love that she surely had felt for him in thoseSummer days, have entirely died out in her heart? Did not a woman'slove outlast her anger? And was he not the same man, with the samewill-power, and the same strength of magnetism?

  Where had she been all these months? And how came she here now, robedliked a princess; she, who had certainly left her home penniless?Clearly, she had found friends. Who were they? And what did they knowof matters here at Oakley?

  For once Mr. Davlin was at a loss how to act. Would it be safe tostay? Would it be wise to go? Would he be able to control Cora in thisnew emergency? One thing was certain: The heiress of Oakley meant tobe mistress in her mother's house, and she was in a fair way topossess the throne.

  Lucian turned away from the window, and from the scene that mockedhim, muttering: "I will see her alone, let come what will. I will makeone struggle to regain my power over her, and if I succeed--"

  Evidently the wily gambler could not testify as to what would belikely to follow. For the second time since his partnership with Cora,he found that lady a stumbling-block by no means despicable.

  On leaving the drawing-room, Cora rushed up the stairs, and throwingopen the door of her dressing-room, fairly precipitated herself acrossthe threshold, forgetting in her blind rage to close the door behindher. She stood still for an instant, and then, springing to thewindow, threw it wide open, letting in a flood of wintry air. For amoment she leaned across the sill, drinking in deep draughts of thefrosty ether. Then dashing down the sash, she turned swiftly, andencountered a pair of bright black eyes that looked in at her from thesecure darkness of the hall. Sweeping across the room, she confrontedthe owner of the eyes, demanding haughtily:

  "Who are you? And how dare you spy at my door?"

  The woman--for it was a woman--came forward and said, respectfully:"If you please, I am Miss Payne's maid, and I was just bringing upsome things from the hall, ma'am," lifting to view a chatelaine andshawl strap. "I didn't mean to annoy you. I was only surprised to seesuch a pretty young lady here."

  Miss Payne's maid was a large woman of a very uncertain age, arrayedin sober black, not at all like the usual ladies' maid. But she seemedso very respectful, and full of contrition at having annoyed such a"pretty lady," that Cora made no further assault upon her, but closedthe door with unusual emphasis instead, and gave way once more to thewrath that was filling her soul.

  To be baffled like this now; now, when her schemes were approachingfruition; now, when this fair domain, this splendid fortune, was justwithin her grasp, to have it plucked from her hand by a mere girl, whomocked her while she said, "this wealth is mine, this house is mine;woman, you have schemed in vain!"

  And this was not all. She had bound herself hand and foot. She hadjeopardized her liberty, for what might not occur, now that this girlcould demand access to the imprisoned old man, her step-father? If shedared, she would go away that very night. But no; this would onlyconfirm suspicion, if suspicion were entertained.

  Not the least drop in her cup of bitterness, was the knowledge thatEdward Percy was secretly enjoying her discomfiture. As she thought ofhim, and his look when she swept past him, Cora stopped short in herangry promenade, and frowned fiercely. Then she crossed to her mirrorand surveyed her agitated face, saying, half aloud:

  "At least I will rob him of that pleasure; baffled as I may be, heshall never enjoy my discomfiture! I can act a part yet. And EdwardPercy shall find that if my schemes are to be overthrown, his, too,may suffer. He rejoices to see me thwarted; I will thwart him, let itcost what it may!"

  And Cora began to smooth her rumpled locks, and put her somewhatdisarranged toilet in order, with swift, firm fingers. While she wasthus occupied, there came a tap upon her door. Recognizing it at once,as Davlin's knock, she said, "come," and never once lifted her eyesfrom her task.

  Lucian, finding that the dinner hour was at hand, and beginning tofear that Cora might still further commit herself, had thought itwisest to come and see what was the state of her feelings, andendeavor to persuade her to play out her part. He entered the roomwith some apprehension; but seeing her so composed, came close as shestood before her dressing-glass and said, as he gazed down at theflounce she was busy adjusting:

  "Now is the time for pluck, Co. You will come down?"

  Cora gave a last touch to the silk and lace and then, letting thesweeping train fall from her hand, and standing very erect before him,said:

  "Yes, I shall go down. Do you suppose I will let that man think that Iam completely annihilated? There; don't talk to me now! I shall notforget myself again, never fear. But after dinner, come to me here.You were wise enough to bring me into this charming 'corner,' now letyour wisdom take me out of it, or I will extricate myself in my ownway."

  Again the iron hand fell upon her shoulder, as her partner in iniquityhissed in her ear:

  "And I intend that you shall not be a fool! Our game is not lost. Letme once get the lay of the land, and we may win yet."

  She turned her eyes upon him with angry incredulity. "How, pray?"

  "Wait and see!"

  She made no reply, but, taking up her dainty handkerchief, turned toleave the room, motioning him to precede her. In the hall, she pausedat the head of the stairs, saying:

  "Go down; I will come directly."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "Go down," she repeated; "I know what I am doing."

  She went slowly down the hall in the direction of the room beforewhich stood Madeline's luggage that had just arrived from the littlestation.

  Lucian gazed after her in some amazement, watched her tap softly,heard the door open, saw her enter the room, and then went slowlydown-stairs.