XXII
CLARA'S MARKET
All night she sat awake huddled under her greatcoat in the chillydarkness. She could not lie down, she could not close her eyes. At longintervals she heard the tread of unshod feet along the hall, and thenshe held her breath lest at her slightest stir they approach her door.Why, since he wanted the sapphire, hadn't he tried to get it from herwhen he had had her unawares, upon her threshold with the house asleep?It began to seem to her as if he were waiting, as if he were forced towait, for some appointed moment. She knew if it were his moment it wouldbe hers, too, as long as she had the sapphire upon her. She recalledfearfully the moment when she had crouched against the window with herhand protecting the jewel, and Harry's hand grasping her wrist. Hewould know well enough where to find it now. Oh, the restlessunconcealable thing! Where could she hide it?
She took the pear-shaped pouch that swung always before her on her longgold chain. She had repudiated that hiding-place before, but now themore obvious the better--now that both men supposed she carried thejewel far hidden out of sight. Without moving from the bed where she wascrouched, cramped and cold, she made the exchange, leaving the chainstill around her neck, dropping the jewel into the pouch, where it wouldswing free, so carelessly dangling as to be beyond suspicion, but neverbeyond the reach of her hand.
It was a pale, splendid dawning full of clouds when she feel asleep.
Broad sunlight filled her room when she was awakened by a knocking ather door. She sprang from the bed and went to it. She was not to be comein upon by any unwelcome visitor. But it was Mrs. Herrick; and Flora,with a murmur of relief, since this was the one person she did want tosee, drew her inside.
"Why, my child, you haven't slept, at least not properly." Mrs. Herrickherself looked anxious and weary. "I've come to tell you that Mrs.Britton is here. She came an hour ago."
"Where is she?"
"In the breakfast-room with Mr. Cressy."
"Oh," Flora cried, "you know I didn't expect them. I didn't want them.It wasn't for them I asked you to come."
"But can't you tell me what it is you're afraid of?" the other urged."Between us can't we prevent it? Is there nothing I can do to help you?"
"Ah, if you knew how much you have already helped me by just beinghere."
Her companion laughed a little. "Can't I do something more active thanthat?"
Flora pondered. "Where is Mr. Kerr?"
"In the garden, in the willow walk."
"Do you think you can manage that the others don't get at him?"
"I can; if he doesn't want to get at them," Mrs. Herrick replied."Against a man like that, my dear," she aimed it gravely at Flora, "onecan do nothing."
But Flora had no answer for the warning. "I must see Clara immediately,"she said.
"But not without breakfast," Mrs. Herrick protested. "I will send you upsomething. Remember that _she_ never abuses herself, so she's alwaysfresh--and so she's always equal to the occasion."
Mrs. Herrick went. Flora looked into the mirror. Almost for the firsttime in ten days she thought of her appearance. If it was, as Mrs.Herrick said, a factor of success, something must be done for it, for itwas dreadful. The best she could do revived a pale replica of the vividcreature who had been wont to regard her from her glass. Yet her blackgown, thin and trailing far behind her, and her hair wound high, by veryforce of their contrasted color gave her a real brilliance as they gaveher a seeming height. But she descended to the breakfast-room withtrepidation, and stood a full minute before the door gathering courageto go in.
When she did open it, it was so suddenly that both occupants faced herwith a start. They were standing close together, and between them, onthe glare of the white table-cloth, lay a little heap of gold. As theypeered at her she saw that both were highly excited, but in Clara itshowed like a cold sparkle; in Harry it gloomed like a menace. His handhovered, clenched, above the money in a panic of irresolution; then, asif with an involuntary relax of nerves, opened and let fall one lastpiece of gold. Like a flash the whole disappeared in a sweep of Clara'shand. It passed before Flora's eyes like a prestidigitator's trick, sorapid as to seem unreal, and left her staring. Harry gave Clara a look,half suspicious, half entreating; and then, to Flora's astonishment,turned away without a word to either of them.
Clara stood still, even after the door had closed upon Harry, and oddly,and rather horridly, she wore the same aspect she had worn the day whenshe had looked intently and absorbedly upon the rifled contents ofFlora's room.
"Good morning," she said, and, pushing up her little misty veil, satdown with her back to the deserted breakfast table, and waited meekly,like one who has been summoned.
"I am very glad you've come," Flora said. Her wits were still alla-flutter from the appearance of that little heap of gold. She cameforward and stood in Harry's place. She was face to face with the personand the question, but before the great import of it, and before themarble front of Clara's patience, she felt helpless. There was silencein the room, perfect silence in the garden; but moving along the hedgedwalk all at once she saw the flutter of Mrs. Herrick's gown, and then inprofile Kerr beside her. The sight of him gave her her properinspiration. She turned upon Clara.
"What are you going to do with the picture of Farrell Wand?"
For the first time she saw Clara startled. Her lips parted, and thebreath that came and went between them was audible. But she was herselfagain before she spoke. "Do with it? Why I don't know." Her fingersdrummed the table.
"Whatever you do," Flora began, "please, oh, please don't do anythingimmediately."
Clara's eyebrows rose like graceful swallows. "You seem to anticipatepretty clearly what I _am_ going to do."
"I suppose you're going to do what any one would who had a clue, andcould bring a person to justice," Flora candidly responded. "But if everI have made anything easy for you, Clara, won't you this time make iteasy for me? I'm not asking you to give up the picture, I'm only askingyou to wait."
Clara nodded toward the window, through which Kerr could still be seenwith Mrs. Herrick. "On account of him?"
"On account of him."
For the first time Clara smiled. It crept out upon her face, as it wereinvoluntarily, but she sat there smiling in contemplation for quite tenseconds. At last, "You want me to suppress my information? My dearFlora, don't you think you want me to do more than is honest?"
"Honest!" Flora cried. The words sounded hideous to her on Clara'stongue; and yet what right had she, she thought with shame, to judge ofClara's honesty when she herself was leagued with a thief? "Clara," shesaid humbly, before this upholder of the right, "I can't pretend I'm notsuppressing things. I've only asked you to see me before you do anythingmore. Now, you've come. Will you tell me one thing--did you bring thepicture with you?"
Clara weighed it. "Well, if I did--"
This was the considering Clara, and Flora realized whatever she couldexpect from her she couldn't expect mercy. It was another thing she mustappeal to.
"Clara," she urged, "wait three days, and you shall have the whole ofit. You have only the picture now. You shall have the jewel, too. Thenyou can get the reward and still be--honest."
She let the word fall into the silence fearfully, as if she were afraidClara might detect its sneer. But this time Clara neither smiled norfrowned.
"It isn't the reward I'm thinking about. That's really very little,considering."
"Twenty thousand dollars!"
"Would that be much to you?"
"No," Flora admitted; "at least I mean I could pay it."
"Well, then," Clara triumphed, "why, the picture alone, if it's worthanything, is worth more than that." With a bird-like lifting of the headshe gave a sidelong interrogative glance.
Flora, for a moment, steadily returned the look. It was coming over herwhat Clara meant; a meaning so simple it was absurd she had not thoughtof it before--so hateful that it was all she could do to face it. Shefelt a tightness in her throat that was not tears. Shame
and angercontended in her. Oh, for the power to have refused that shamefulbargain--to have scorned it! She turned away. She closed her eyes. Inher mind she saw the figure of Kerr moving quietly about the windingwalks with Mrs. Herrick. She faced sharply about. "What is it worth toyou?"
Clara put her off with the last sweet meekness of her cleverness."Whatever it's worth to you--and him."
Flora was in command of herself now. "There are some things I can notset a price on. If this is what you have come down for, we are simplywaiting for you to name it." She looked over Clara's head. She had stoodabashed when Clara had put on the majesty of right, but now it was Claraherself who was abashed, not at the thing itself, but at the fact ofhaving to utter it. She sat grasping one of her gloves in her doubledfist; and, leaning forward, with her eyes like jewels in her little paleface and the white aura of her veil, waited as if she thought that bysome silent agency of understanding Flora would presently take up a penand write the desired figure in her check-book.
But Flora stood inexorable, straight and black, crowned with her helmetof gleaming hair; and, with her hands behind her, looked over Clara'shead through the window into the garden. She would not help Clara glossover this ugly fact.
A curious grimace distorted Clara's features, as if with an effort shegulped something bitter, and then into the silence her voice fell--agasp, a breath--"Fifty thousand."
All sums had become the same to Flora, even her year's income. As if shewere verily afraid Clara might take it back, she turned precipitately toa writing-table. But Clara had risen, and though still pale, in ameasure she seemed to have recovered herself.
"Wait. I can't give it to you now. I will meet you here in two hours andbring the picture. You can let me have it then."
"Oh, two hours!" Flora objected.
But Clara was firm. "No, I can't bring it sooner. It will make nodifference in your affair." She was panting in her excitement. "In twohours you shall have the picture here. I promise you."
Flora wondered. Depth below depth! She could never seem to get to thebottom of this business. There was only one thing she could count on,and that was Clara's impeccable honor in living up to a bargain. Florasealed that bargain now. She held out her fluttering slip of paper,still wet with ink.
"Very well, in two hours--but take this now. I would rather you did."
Clara reached the tips of her fingers, touched the paper--and then itwas no longer in Flora's hand, and Clara was walking from her across theroom.
The Coast of Chance Page 22
