The Malefactor

by E. Phillips Oppenheim

  RICHARDSON TRIES AGAIN

  "You saw--who that was?"

  Lady Ruth's voice seemed to come from a greater distance. Wingraveturned and looked at her with calm curiosity. She was leaning back inthe corner of the carriage, and she seemed somehow to have shrunk intoan unusual insignificance. Her eyes alone were clearly visible throughthe semi-darkness--and the light which shone from their depths was thelight of fear.

  "Yes," he answered slowly, "I believe that I recognized him. It was theyoung man who persists in some strange hallucination as to a certainMademoiselle Violet."

  "It was no hallucination," she answered. "You know that! I wasMademoiselle Violet!"

  He nodded.

  "It amazes me," he said thoughtfully, "that you should have stooped tosuch folly. That my demise would have been a relief to you I can, ofcourse, easily believe, but the means--they surely were not worthy ofyour ingenuity."

  "Don't!" she cried sharply. "I must have been utterly, miserably mad!"

  "Even the greatest of schemers have their wild moments," he remarkedconsolingly. "This was one of yours. You paid me a very poor compliment,by the bye, to imagine that an insignificant creature like that--"

  "Will you--leave off?" she moaned.

  "I daresay," he continued after a moment's pause, "that you find him nowquite an inconvenient person to deal with."

  She shuddered.

  "Oh, I am paying for my folly, if that is what you mean," shedeclared. "He knows--who I am--that he was deceived. He follows meabout--everywhere."

  Wingrave glanced out of the carriage window.

  "Unless I am very much surprised," he answered, "he is following usnow!"

  She came a little closer to him.

  "You won't leave me? Promise!"

  "I will see you home," he answered.

  "You are coming on to Hereford House."

  "I think not," he answered; "I have had enough of society for oneevening."

  "Emily will be there later," she said quietly.

  "Even Lady Emily," he answered, "will not tempt me. I will see yousafely inside. Afterwards, if your persistent follower is hanging about,I will endeavor to talk him into a more reasonable frame of mind."

  She was silent for a moment. Then she turned to him abruptly.

  "You are more kind to me sometimes than I deserve, Wingrave," sheremarked.

  "It is not kindness," he answered. "I dislike absurd situations. Here weare! Permit me!"

  Wingrave kept his word. He saw Lady Ruth to her front door, and thenturned back towards his carriage. Standing by the side of the footman, alittle breathless, haggard and disheveled-looking, was the young man whohad attempted to check their progress a few minutes ago.

  Wingrave took hold of his arm firmly.

  "Get in there," he ordered, pointing to the carriage.

  The young man tried to escape, but he was held as though in a vise.Before he well knew where he was, he was in the carriage, and Wingravewas seated by his side.

  "What do you want with me?" he asked hoarsely.

  "I want to know what you mean by following that lady about?" Wingraveasked.

  The young man leaned forward. His hand was upon the door.

  "Let me get out," he said sullenly.

  "With pleasure--presently," Wingrave answered. "I can assure you that Iam not anxious to detain you longer than necessary. Only you must firstanswer my question."

  "I want to speak to her! I shall follow her about until I can!" theyoung man declared.

  Wingrave glanced at him with a faint derisive smile. His clothes wereworn and shabby, he was badly in need of a shave and a wash. He sathunched up in a corner of the carriage, the picture of mute discomfortand misery.

  "Do you know who she is?" Wingrave asked.

  "Mademoiselle Violet!" the young man answered.

  "You are mistaken," Wingrave answered. "She is Lady Ruth Barrington,wife of Lumley Barrington and daughter of the Earl of Haselton."

  The young man was unmoved.

  "She is Mademoiselle Violet," he declared.

  The coupe drew up before the great block of buildings in which wasWingrave's flat. The footman threw open the door.

  "Come in with me," Wingrave said. "I have something more to say to you."

  "I would rather not," the young man muttered, and would have slouchedoff, but Wingrave caught him by the arm.

  "Come!" he said firmly, and the youth obeyed.

  Wingrave led the way into his sitting room and dismissed his servant whowas setting out a tray upon the sideboard.

  "Sit down," he ordered, and his strange guest again obeyed. Wingravelooked at him critically.

  "It seems to me," he said deliberately, "that you are another of thosepoor fools who chuck away their life and happiness and go to the dogsbecause a woman had chosen to make a little use of them. You're out ofwork, I suppose?"

  "Yes!"

  "Hungry?"

  "I suppose so."

  Wingrave brought a plate of sandwiches from the sideboard, and mixed awhisky and soda. He set them down in front of his guest, and turned awaywith the evening paper in his hand.

  "I am going into the next room for some cigarettes," he remarked.

  He was gone scarcely two minutes. When he returned, the room was indarkness. He moved suddenly towards the electric lights, but was pushedback by an unseen hand. A man's hot breath fell upon his cheek, ahoarse, rasping voice spoke to him out of the black shadows.

  "Don't touch the lights! Don't touch the lights, I say!"

  "What folly is this?" Wingrave asked angrily. "Are you mad?"

  "Not now," came the quick answer. "I have been. It has come to me here,in the darkness. I know why she is angry, I know why she will not speakto me. It is--because I failed."

  Wingrave laughed, and moved towards the lights.

  "We have had enough of this tomfoolery," he said scornfully. "If youwon't listen to reason--"

  He never finished his sentence. He had stumbled suddenly against a softbody, he had a momentary impression of a white, vicious face, of eyesblazing with insane fury. Quick to act, he struck--but before his handdescended, he had felt the tearing of his shirt, the sharp, keen painin his chest, the swimming of his senses. Yet even then he struck againwith passionate anger, and his assailant went down amongst the chairswith a dull, sickening crash!

  Then there was silence in the room. Wingrave made an effort to draghimself a yard or two towards the bell, but collapsed hopelessly.Richardson, in a few moments, staggered to his feet.

  He groped his way to the side of the wall, and found the knobs of theelectric lights. He turned two on and looked around him. Wingrave waslying a few yards off, with a small red stain upon his shirt front.His face was ghastly pale, and he was breathing thickly. The young manlooked at him for several moments, and then made his way to the sidetable where the sandwiches were. One by one he took them from the dish,and ate deliberately. When he had finished, he made his way once moretowards where Wingrave lay. But before he reached the spot, he stoppedshort. Something on the wall had attracted his attention. He put hishand to his head and thought for a moment. It was an idea--a gloriousidea.

  . . . . . . . . . . . .

  Lady Ruth's maid stepped back and surveyed her mistress ecstatically.

  "Milady," she declared, "has never, no never, appeared more charming.The gown, it is divine--and the coiffure! Milady will have no rivals."

  Lady Ruth looked at herself long and earnestly in the glass. Her facereflected none of the pleased interest with which her maid was stillregarding her. The latter grew a little anxious.

  "Milady thinks herself a trifle pale, perhaps--a little more color?"

  Lady Ruth set down the glass.

  "No, thank you, Annette," she answered. "I shall do very well, Isuppose. Certainly, I won't have any rouge."

  "Milady knows very well what becomes her," the woman answereddiscreetly. "The pallor, it is the more distinguished. Milady cannotfail to have all the success she
desires!"

  Lady Ruth smiled a little wearily. And at that moment, there came aknock at the door. A servant entered.

  "Someone wishes to speak to your ladyship on the telephone," the girlannounced.

  "On the telephone, at this time of night?" Lady Ruth exclaimed."Ridiculous! They must send a message, whoever they are!"

  "Parkins told them so, your ladyship," the girl answered; "but theyinsisted that the matter was important. They would give no name, butsaid that they were speaking from Mr. Wingrave's rooms."

  Lady Ruth raised her eyebrows.

  "It is very extraordinary," she said coldly, "but I will come to thetelephone."