by Headon Hill
CHAPTER XVIII--_The Senator and the Securities_
On the hurricane-deck of the _Campania_, as the leviathan liner thrusther huge bulk towards the landing-stage through the lesser fry of theteeming Mersey traffic, a big man, wearing a light-gray frock-coat and abroad-brimmed soft white hat, stood talking to the purser. SenatorLeonidas Sherman was accounted the handsomest man at Washington, and inhis broad, well-chiseled, clean-shaven face was reflected that honestyand shrewd alertness which had caused his selection for his presenttrust.
"I don't want the box out before the last moment, Mr. Seaton, and if youcan conveniently keep the bullion-room locked till you hand it over Ishould be obliged," the Senator was saying.
The brass-buttoned official gave a ready assent to the distinguishedpassenger's request.
"I'd rather you had your job than me, sir," he added, seriously. "Theequivalent of three million sterling in a little leather thing likethat, and to have to cart it up to London all by your lone self--why,it's enough to make one shudder."
"It doesn't me," the Senator replied simply, with an unconscious gestureto his hip-pocket. "I have a bit of a reputation to live up to, youknow. If it's to be shooting, my early training has taught me to drawfirst; and if it's to be confidence-men--well, it's some years since Iwas born."
The purser nodded and went about his duties while Sherman leaned overthe forward rail and watched the shore, looming larger now every moment.The Senator was no back-woods "hayseed." A man of culture and muchtravel, he possessed far more than a guide-book knowledge of everyEuropean capital, and did not make the mistake of under-estimatingLondon as a hatching-ground for crime. Till his precious charge wasdeposited in the Bank of England and he had fingered the receipt he wasprepared for emergencies. The gold shipment which his Government hadnegotiated against the bonds he was bringing had been buzzed about inWall Street for two months and more--ample time for the maturing ofpredatory schemes.
Aided by the company's tug, the great steamer sidled up to thelanding-stage, and as soon as the gangways were opened the usual streamof passengers' friends began to push their way on board. Thehurricane-deck towered high above the level of the quay, and SenatorSherman, not expecting anyone to meet him, retained his post of vantageat the rail, looking down with amused interest at the embracings andhand-shakings. He had no need to hurry, for it was too late to catch atrain to London in time to reach the Bank before it closed for the day,and he preferred to let the ship clear before he claimed the box ofbonds from the purser.
Suddenly he heard his name spoken inquiringly at his elbow, and wheelingsmartly round he found himself looking into the harassed eyes of awell-dressed man whom he had seen, a few minutes before, pass on boardfrom the landing-stage. He had specially noticed him from a limp whichimpeded his progress across the crowded gangway.
"Yes, my name is Sherman, but I haven't the pleasure of knowing yours,"said the Senator shortly. There was a diffident air about thistired-looking individual--a something that might be shyness or might beguile--that put him on his guard. Could it be that one of the"confidence-men," about whom he had just spoken so lightly, was going topractise on him ere even the securities were out of the purser'scustody? He wondered what tale would be unfolded for his entrapment.
"I am the Duke of Beaumanoir," the stranger replied, after a nervousglance round. "I don't suppose you ever heard of me. There wouldn't havebeen time for a letter from your people to reach you from this sidebefore you sailed."
"You know my wife and daughter?" the Senator asked, sharply. The "tale"was developing on the grand scale, he told himself.
"I have the privilege of knowing Mrs. and Miss Sherman," replied theDuke, flushing under the keen scrutiny to which he was being subjected."I have also the honor of being their host. They are staying, togetherwith their friends the Sadgroves, at my place in Hertfordshire. I--Icame down to meet you in the hope of inducing you to join them there."
"Very good of you. May I ask how you came to make their acquaintance?"asked the Senator, in an arid tone.
"I traveled in the same ship with them from New York, and GeneralSadgrove, with whom they stayed on arrival, happened to be the uncle ofmy friend and secretary, Alec Forsyth," Beaumanoir made answer.
An amused twinkle flashed into the Senator's clear eyes. He was quitecertain now that the man was an impostor with designs on the threemillions. The only spice of truth in the fellow's story, he toldhimself, probably was that he had sailed in the _St. Paul_, which wouldhave given him the opportunity of gathering from his wife or Leonie theparticulars he was now working on. The Senator had no doubt that if heaccompanied this rather poor specimen of a criminal decoy an attemptwould be made to relieve him of the bonds--possibly to murder him. Itwas all a little too thin--especially the dangling of an exalted titleas a bait to catch an American. This part of the scheme really annoyedhim, as casting on a foible of his fellow-countrymen a reflection whichhe felt to be not wholly undeserved. The Senator became dangerous.
"Very well, your Grace; if my family is under your roof, it is the rightplace for me," he said more affably. "I accept your invitation in thespirit in which it is given. I have a matter of three million sterlingin securities to get from the bullion-room, and then I'm your man.Kindly wait here."
A grim smile played round the Senator's firm lips when, after goingthrough the needful formalities with the purser, he quitted thesteamer's stronghold, carrying the leather despatch-box. He would leadthe rascal on, making his mouth water, gently titillate hisexpectations, and then, having got him fairly on the hooks, hand himover to the police. Delighted with the prospect of thwarting a rogue, hesought his state-room to collect his personal baggage and have itconveyed ashore. The first thing that met his eye on entering thestate-room was a letter in his wife's handwriting that had just beendelivered.
It bore date of the previous day, and informed him that the writer andLeonie were staying as the guests of the Duke of Beaumanoir at hiscountry seat, Prior's Tarrant. Mrs. Sherman went on to explain thecircumstances, so far as she was aware of them, of the invitation, andshe wound up with the hope that the Senator would join them immediatelyon landing. The Duke, who was the embodiment of affability, hadcordially expressed that wish, she wrote; without, however, mentioningthe Duke's intention of going to Liverpool to meet the _Campania_.
Senator Sherman read the letter twice, assured himself of theauthenticity of the handwriting, examined the postmark, and--made a wryface. It looked as if he had been too hasty in jumping to a conclusionabout the young man waiting for him on the hurricane-deck, and he beganto regret the curt demeanor he had assumed. He was not quite convinced,however, owing to the absence of any allusion to the Duke meetinghim--in itself an extraordinary proceeding. Good republican as he was,the Senator fully appreciated the cleavage of English classdistinctions, and he was aware that great nobles do not, as a rule, waitat seaport towns to welcome perfect strangers. It was possible that thedepressed individual on deck might, after all, be a criminal who haddiscovered Mrs. Sherman's visit to the Duke of Beaumanoir and wasturning his knowledge to evil account. Still, though caution was calledfor, his wife's letter invested the man's story with a credibility whichit had wholly lacked, and when he rejoined him the Senator's manner wasaltered accordingly. The Duke having telegraphed for the carriage tomeet them at Tarrant Road, they took a cab together to Lime Streetstation, and were fortunate enough to find a train on the point ofstarting. It was a corridor express, made up entirely of vestibule cars,and the fact caused the Duke an annoyance which partially revived theSenator's suspicions.
"I don't like this," Beaumanoir said, glancing with what looked verylike dismay up and down the well-filled car as they took their seats. "Ishould have preferred an ordinary first-class compartment that we couldhave had reserved."
"Ah! I suppose a duke is bound to be a bit exclusive," said the Senator,guardedly.
Beaumanoir, who a month before had regarded a ride in a Bowerystreet-car as an unattainable luxury, was betray
ed into disclaiming anysuch snobbery.
"It isn't that----" he was beginning hotly, when he pulled up short andfeebly subsided, without explaining why he should have desired a_tete-a-tete_ journey.
With the starting of the train a sustained and confidential conversationbecame impracticable, nor did either of the fellow travelers seeminclined for one; but as they sped southward the Senator found plenty offood for reflection in his companion's behavior. To the experiencedAmerican eye the outline of a pistol was plainly apparent in thebreast-pocket of the Duke, whose fingers never strayed far from thatreceptacle--an attitude which was always more distinctly marked duringthe infrequent stoppages. Except when it was distracted into a swift andnervous glance round by a movement of one of the other passengers, theDuke's gaze was always focused on the precious box which the Senatorcarried on his lap.
"Either he means to rob me himself, or he is scared lest someone elsewill," was the Senator's conclusion.
But the journey came to an end without either of these consummationsbeing arrived at or even attempted, and the sight of the coronetedcarriage and the ducal liveries at Tarrant Road station removed theSenator's last lingering doubt as to the Duke's identity. And, twentyminutes later, when, still hugging his despatch-box, he found his wifeand daughter waiting to welcome him under the portico at Prior'sTarrant, he was ready to laugh at himself; and what the Senator wasready to do he usually did promptly--as now.
"Ah, Jem!" he cried, as General Sadgrove came forward to greet him."You'll never believe what an ass I've been making of myself. Somethingin the British soil, I guess. It's only this minute that I've been ableto clear my silly brain of a lurking suspicion that his Grace's kindnessin coming to meet me covered a design on this little box. Took him for asort of bunco-steerer."
The General passed over the remark as a careless jest without pursuingit, but shook hands with his old friend warmly. The veteran was lookingcareworn and aged, the Senator thought, and he wondered, too, at thequeer searching glance which the General cast upon their mutual host asthe latter limped from the brougham into the hall. The Duke was engagedin making light of the thanks and reproaches showered upon him for goingto Liverpool, wherefrom the Senator guessed that that singularproceeding had been unknown beforehand to the house-party.
They all went into the tapestry-room, where Mrs. Talmage Eglinton, nowhappily recovered from her headache of three days ago, was chatting toSybil Hanbury and Alec Forsyth. The necessary introductions wereeffected by Beaumanoir, whose spirits had wonderfully revived with hisentry into the house--to such an extent, indeed, that Leonie put it downto a few hours in the company of her breezy father, little thinking thatthey had traveled two hundred miles together without exchanging half asmany words. Yet if there was nothing forced about the Duke's suddengaiety it certainly suggested unnatural excitement, and everyone presentwas impressed by his changed demeanor. Mrs. Talmage Eglinton was soaffected by it that in narrowly observing her host she failed to noticethat for some minutes after the introduction she herself was the objectof observation, not to say a pretty sharp scrutiny, on the part ofSenator Sherman.
"Say, your Grace," exclaimed the Senator, recovering from hisabstraction and turning with some abruptness to the Duke, "I can't enjoyyour hospitality with a whole heart till I've got this treasure underlock and key. Have you got any place where I can deposit the box withtolerable confidence of finding it when I want to take it to the Bank ofEngland to-morrow? It's a just retribution, I guess, to have to make youits custodian after suspecting you of wanting to lift it."
Beaumanoir, it seemed, was quite equal to the occasion.
"I can guarantee the impregnability of the fire-proof safe in mymuniment room," he replied with alacrity. "If you will come with me, wewill lock it up at once."
Sturdily disregarding the badinage of his wife and Leonie for thinkingrobbery possible at Prior's Tarrant, the Senator followed the Duke, andwas conducted by him along many corridors to a stone-floored chamberlined with shelves full of dusty archives, and furnished only with acarved oak table and a few worm-eaten chairs. But, what was more to thepurpose, a brand-new safe, resplendent in green and gold, the verylatest patent of the most eminent manufacturers, occupied an imposingposition at the far end. Producing a key, the Duke unlocked the safe,with no result till a touch on a hidden spring caused the heavy steeldoor to roll slowly outwards. The interior was nearly filled withparchment-bound volumes exactly like those on the shelves, but there wasplenty of room for the box.
The Senator promptly placed his precious charge in the vacant space, andheaved a sigh of relief.
"It ought to be all right there," he said.
"It ought to be," Beaumanoir echoed, as he set the mechanism in motion.And when the heavy door had slid noiselessly back into position, heturned the key and pocketed it with an air of achievement. "Come, Mr.Sherman," he said lightly, "let us go and rejoin the ladies. Now that wehave got that safely housed we shall both feel much--er--morecomfortable, shan't we?"
