A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story Page 20

  CHAPTER XIX

  THE CLUE LEADS TO LONDON

  It was indeed Portia. Seeing that she was discovered, she sprang fromthe bed and faced Giles with a sullen, defiant look on her freckledface. Still standing in the strong light which poured in through thewindow, Ware looked at the girl satirically.

  "You are a very clever mimic, Miss Franklin," said he, "but you ratherforgot yourself in that last speech. Anne is of too sensitive a natureto have explained herself with such a wealth of detail."

  "You were deceived at first," grumbled Portia, rocking herself.

  "Only for a moment," replied Giles. "And now I should like to know themeaning of this masquerade?"

  "I also," cried Franklin, in his turn. He was staring at his daughterwith a look of profound amazement. "Where is Anne, you wretched girl?"

  "She has run away."

  "Run away!" exclaimed the men simultaneously.

  "Yes. After your finding out last night that she had killed Daisy Kentshe was afraid to stop. She knew that you hated her father, and thoughtyou might hand her over to the police. Last night she told me so, andsaid she would run away. I love Anne, and I let her do as she liked. Itwas I who let her out," ended Portia, defiantly.

  "Anne should not have so mistrusted me," cried Franklin, much perturbed."Surely I always protected her, and treated her well."

  "Ah, but you didn't know till last night that she was guilty."

  "No; but for all that----" began Franklin, only to break off. "Where hasshe gone?" he demanded angrily.

  "I don't know. She had some money, and took a small black bag with her.She said when she got settled she would write here and let me know whereshe was, on condition that I did not tell you."

  "She has every reason to. Poor, miserable girl! to be an outcast, andnow to leave her only refuge," he sighed and shook his head. Giles allthe time had been watching Portia, whose face bore an expression ofobstinacy worthy of a mule. "Did this scheme for Anne's departureinclude the masquerade you have indulged in?"

  "It is my own idea," she retorted defiantly. "Anne wished to get awaywithout my father knowing, so I stopped in her room and pretended to beAnne. The servants were deceived, as I knew exactly how to imitate hervoice. I pulled down the blind, so that no one should see who I was.Only you could have guessed the truth."

  "How is that?"

  "Because you love her."

  Giles thought this a strange speech for the heavy-looking girl to make."Is that an original remark on your part?" he asked.

  "No," she confessed candidly; "I suggested to Anne that I should passmyself off as her, and so give her a longer time to get away. She saidthat I might deceive the servants and my father, but that I could neverdeceive you, because you loved her. But I had a good try," continuedPortia, nodding her red head triumphantly. "When my father spoke yourname at the door I thought I would try."

  "Well, you have done so only to fail," responded Ware coolly. "For themoment I was deceived, but you forgot how to manage your voice, and,moreover, your explanation was too elaborate. But how is it you dare toconfess, as Anne, that she killed the girl?"

  "Anne did kill Daisy Kent!"

  "She did not."

  "Yes, she did. She confessed as much to father last night, and to mealso. She asked me to tell you so, that you might forget all about her.I was going over to your place this very day to tell, but when fatherbrought you in I thought I would pretend to be Anne and tell you in thatway."

  "Anne would have written, and----"

  "No, she wouldn't," said Portia, eagerly. "She began to write a lettersaying that she was guilty, but afterwards she thought it might fallinto the hands of the police, and tore it up. She told me to let youknow by word of mouth. All she asks of you is that you will forget thatshe ever existed."

  "Let her tell me that with her own lips," said Giles, groaning.

  "Yes, Portia, tell Mr. Ware the place Anne has gone to."

  Portia eyed her father with some anger. "How can I tell when I don'tknow? Anne never said where she was going. I let her out by the backdoor just before dawn, and she went away. I know no more."

  "If she writes, you will let Mr. Ware know."

  "I shan't," retorted the girl. "Anne wants him to forget her."

  "That is impossible," said Giles, whose face was now haggard with theanguish of the moment; "but you must be my friend, Portia, and tell me.Think how I suffer!"

  "Think how she suffers, poor darling!" cried Portia, whose sympathieswere all with Anne. "Don't ask me any more. I shan't speak."

  And speak she would not, although Giles cajoled and Franklin stormed.Whatever could be said of Portia, she was very loyal to the outcast.There was nothing for it but for Ware to depart. And this he did.

  What was the best thing to be done Giles did not very well know. Annewas lost again, and he did not know where to look for her. He could notbring himself to believe that she was guilty, in spite of her confessionto Portia and Franklin.

  "It's that blackguard of a father of hers over again," he thought, as hetramped moodily through the Priory park. "She is afraid lest hisbrother--her uncle--should denounce him, and has taken the crime on herown shoulders. Even though he is her father, she should not sacrifice somuch for him. But it is just noble of her to do so. Oh, my poor love,shall I ever be able to shelter you from the storms of life?"

  There did not seem to be much chance of it at the present moment.Mistrusting her uncle, she had vanished, and would let no one but Portiaknow of her new hiding-place. And Portia, as Giles saw, was too devotedto Anne to confess her whereabouts without permission. And how was suchpermission to be obtained? Anne allowed her uncle to think her guilty inorder to save her unworthy father from his fraternal hatred. She hadasserted her innocence to Giles, but had apparently, through Portia,tried to deceive him again, so that he might not follow her. "Poordarling!" cries Giles, full of pity, "she wishes to put me out of herlife, and has fled to avoid incriminating her father. If she told me thewhole truth her father would be in danger, and she chooses to bear hisguilt herself. But why should she think I would betray the man? Bad ashe is, I should screen him for her dear sake. Oh"--Giles stopped andlooked up appealingly to the hot, blue sky--"if I only knew where shewas to be found, if I could only hold her in my arms, never, never wouldI let her go, again! My poor Quixotic darling, shall I ever be worthy ofsuch nobility?"

  It was all very well apostrophizing the sky, but such heroics did nothelp him in any practical way. He cast about in his own mind to considerin which direction she had gone. The nearest railway station to Londonwas five miles away; but she would not leave the district thus openly,for the stationmaster knew her well. She had frequently travelled fromthat centre as Miss Denham, and he would be sure to recognize her, eventhough she wore a veil. Anne, as Giles judged, would not risk suchrecognition.

  Certainly there was another station ten miles distant, which was verylittle used by the Rickwell people. She might have tramped thatdistance, and have taken a ticket to London from there. But was it herintention to go to London? Giles thought it highly probable that shewould. Anne, as he knew from Portia, had very little money, and it wouldbe necessary for her to seek out some friend. She would probably go toMrs. Cairns, for Mrs. Cairns believed her to be guiltless, and wouldshelter her in the meantime. Later on a situation could be procured forher abroad, and she could leave England under a feigned name. Gilesfelt that this was the course Anne would adopt, and he determined tofollow the clue suggested by this theory.

  Having made up his mind to this course, Giles hurried home to pack a fewthings and arrange for his immediate departure. Chance, or ratherProvidence, led him past "Mrs. Parry's Eye" about five o'clock. Ofcourse, the good lady was behind the window spying on all and sundry, asusual. She caught sight of Giles striding along the road with bent headand a discouraged air. Wondering what was the matter and desperatelyanxious to know, Mrs. Parry sent out Jane to intercept him and ask himin. Giles declined to enter at first; but then it struck him tha
t sincehe was in search of information about Anne, Mrs. Parry might knowsomething. Her knowledge was so omniscient that, for all he knew, shemight have been aware all the time of Anne's presence at the Priory, butheld her tongue--which Mrs. Parry could do sometimes--out of pity forthe girl's fate. Giles went in resolved to pump Mrs. Parry withoutmentioning what he knew of Anne. Supposing she was ignorant, he was notgoing to be the one to reveal Anne's refuge. And if she did know, Warewas certain that Mrs. Parry would tell him all, since she was aware howdeeply he loved the governess. Thus in another five minutes the youngman found himself seated in the big armchair opposite the old lady. Shewas rather grim with him.

  "You have not been to see me for ever so long," said she, rubbing herbeaky nose. "Your Royal Princesses have taken up too much of your time,I suppose. Oh, I know all about them."

  "I am sorry they did not stay for a few days," replied Giles in his mostamiable tone. "I wished to introduce them to you."

  "You mean present me to them," corrected the old dame, who was astickler for etiquette. "They are genuine Princesses, are they not?"

  "Oh, yes. But they are not royal. Princess Karacsay is the wife of aMagyar noble. She is not an Austrian, however, as she came from Jamaica.The younger, Princess Olga, is----"

  "Jamaica," interrupted Mrs. Parry! "Humph! That is where Anne Denham wasborn. Queer this woman should come from the same island."

  "It's certainly odd," replied Giles. "But a mere coincidence."

  "Humph!" from Mrs. Parry. "Some folks make their own coincidences."

  "What do you mean, Mrs. Parry?"

  "Mean? Humph! I don't know if I should tell you."

  Giles was now on fire to learn her meaning. Evidently Mrs. Parry didknow something, and might be able to help him. But seeing that she wasslightly offended with him, it required some tact to get the necessaryinformation out of the old lady. Giles knew the best way to effect hispurpose was to feign indifference. Mrs. Parry was bursting to tell hernews, and that it would come out the sooner if he pretended that he didnot much care to hear it.

  "There is no reason why you should tell me," said he coolly. "I know allabout the Princess Karacsay. She and her daughter only came down herefor a rest."

  "Oh, they did, did they, Ware? Humph!" She rubbed her nose again, andeyed him with a malignant pleasure. "Are you sure the elder Princessdidn't come down to see Franklin?"

  "She doesn't know him," said Giles, trying to be calm. "She took a walkin the Priory woods. I suppose that is how the mistake----"

  "I don't make mistakes," retorted Mrs. Parry, with a snort. "I know anew gardener who is employed at the Priory. He told Jane, who told me,that Princess Karacsay, the mother, called on Franklin the other morningand entered the house. She was with him for over an hour. He came to thedoor to see her off. The gardener was attending to some shrubs near athand. He could not hear what they said to one another, but declares thatFranklin was as pale as a sheet."

  "Queer," thought Giles, remembering how the elder lady had denied allknowledge of the man. However, he did not make this remark to Mrs.Parry. "Well, there's nothing in that," said he aloud. "Franklin livedin Italy for many years. He may have met the Princess there."

  "True enough." Mrs. Parry was rather discomfited. "There may be nothingin it, and Franklin seems to be decent enough in his life, though a bitof a recluse. I've nothing to say against the man."

  Giles thought that this was rather fortunate for Franklin, seeing thatMrs. Parry's tongue was so dangerous. If she ever came to know of hisbrother Walter, and of the relations between him and George, she wouldbe sure to make mischief. He thought it prudent to say nothing. The lessrevealed to the good lady the better. However, this attitude did notprevent Ware from trying to learn what Mrs. Parry had discovered withregard to the two Princesses. She told him an interesting detail withoutbeing urged.

  "Last night about nine I saw one of them out for a walk."

  "Princess Olga?" questioned Giles.

  Mrs. Parry nodded. "If she is the younger of the two, she is not abad-looking girl, Ware. She passed my window and went on to look at thechurch. Rather a strange hour to look at a church."

  Giles started. It was about that hour that he had been talking to Anne,and shortly afterwards she had heard the footsteps and had fled. He nowbelieved that Olga must have overheard a portion of the conversation. Itwas her footsteps which they had heard retreating. At once he rememberedOlga's threat, that if he tampered with Anne in the meantime she wouldhave her arrested. This, then, was the reason why Olga had not come tohis house again, and why she and her mother had left so suddenly forLondon. He wondered if the elder Princess knew about Anne, and wasassisting her daughter to get the poor girl into the hands of the law.Giles turned pale.

  "What's the matter, Ware?" asked Mrs. Parry, sitting up.

  "Nothing," he stammered; "but this coincidence----"

  "Oh, I simply mean that as Princess Karacsay and Anne both came fromJamaica, it was strange that they should go away to London together.Don't you think so, too? There must be some connection."

  Giles started to his feet. "Anne," he said loudly, "do you know thatAnne is here?"

  "She was here," said Mrs. Parry, with a gratified chuckle; "but whereshe has been hiding is more than I know. However, I am certain it wasAnne I saw this morning on the moor. She was veiled and dressed quietly;but I knew her walk and the turn of her head."

  "You must be mistaken," said Giles, perplexed.

  "Indeed, I'm not. Trust one woman to know another, however she maydisguise herself. I tell you Anne Denham has been here in hiding. Idon't believe she left the neighborhood after all. I wonder who tookher in," muttered Mrs. Parry, rubbing her nose as usual. "I must findthat out."

  "But what do you mean by saying Anne went to London with the----"

  "I can believe my own eyes and ears, I suppose," snapped the good lady."I was out at seven o'clock taking a walk. I always do get up early insummer. That is how I keep my health. I have no patience with those wholie in bed, and----"

  "But what did you see?"

  "Don't you be impatient, Ware. I want you to find Anne, as I believe sheis guiltless and has suffered a lot unjustly. While you have been on awild-goose chase she has been here all the time. If I had only known Ishould have told you; but I didn't, worse luck."

  "I know you are my friend," said Giles, pressing her hand. "And you canhelp me by saying where Anne has gone to."

  "Oh, my good man, you must find that out for yourself! I believe she hasgone to London with those Princesses of yours. At least that fool of aMorris said they left his inn this morning early to go to London. Theydrove to the Westbury Station. That is the one we hardly ever use downhere. The Barnham Station is the nearest."

  "Yes! yes! The Westbury is ten miles away. You go across the moor----"

  "My good Ware, have I lived all these years in this place withoutknowing it as well as I know my own nose? Hold your tongue, or I'll tellyou nothing. The coachman who drove these Princesses of yours"--Mrs.Parry always used this phrase disdainfully--"is a new man. Morris hiredhim from Chelmsford, and he does not know Anne, luckily for her. If ithad been the old coachman she might have been in jail by this time.Well, as I say, I was on the moor and saw the carriage coming along. Ididn't know that those Princesses were in it till one of them--theyounger--got out and stood by the roadside. I was close at hand, andhidden by a gorse bush. She whistled. I tell you, Ware, she whistled.What manners these foreigners have! Three times she whistled. Then someone rose from behind another bush and walked quickly to the carriage. Itwas Anne. Oh, don't tell me it wasn't," cried Mrs. Parry, vigorouslyshaking her head. "I knew her walk and the turn of her head. Trust mefor knowing her amongst a thousand. Anne Denham it was and none other."

  "What happened then?" asked Giles anxiously.

  "Why, this Princess Olga embraced and kissed her. Does she know her?"

  "Yes. They have been friends for a long time."

  "Humph! and Princess Olga's mother comes
from Jamaica, where Anne wasborn," said Mrs. Parry. "Queer. There is some sort of a connection."

  "You are too suspicious, Mrs. Parry."

  "All the better. But I can see through a stone wall. Believe me, Ware,that if there isn't some connection between those two, I am aDutchwoman. However, Anne got into the carriage and it drove away."

  Giles caught up his hat. "To London," he cried jubilantly. "I know whereAnne is to be found now." And to Mrs. Parry's dismay, he rushed out.