Marie Belloc Lowndes

“ Late that same evening the Duchess received the message she longed yet feared to hear.
"It is the man's real name," were the cautious words, "and someone is coming down from town to see you concerning his past career to-morrow."
There followed for the Duchess a sleepless night. She lived over and over again every moment she had spent with Angela Patterdale, since the awful, to her, almost incredible, revelation. The girl had looked exceptionally composed, it might almost be said exceptionally happy, all the evening. ”

“ A tall, slender, singularly good-looking man stood close to a very plain young woman, whose masses of fair shingled hair—her only beauty—had been brushed back off her forehead and looked, so the Duchess told herself, like a lion's mane. ”

“ The Duchess felt a rush of pity for the girl. Was it possible, she asked herself, that the good-looking man she had seen holding Angela Patterdale in his arms, scarce an hour ago, was a local farmer's son? Everything is possible nowadays; but somehow she felt sure that Angela's present, and evidently secret, lover, was a very different type of man from the one of whom the old-fashioned gentlewoman, now sitting upright by her side, had just spoken with such acrid contempt. ”

“ During the last ten days the Duchess had tried to win, if not Angela's confidence, then some measure of liking, but, do what she might, she could make no way with her. Indeed it was plain that the girl regarded her hostess as belonging to her aunt's faction. Not that Angela allowed herself to say a word against Miss Patterdale. To the surprise of the Duchess, she "maided" her devotedly. The old lady, though by now really ill, refused with angry obstinacy all thought of a nurse, and was remorselessly selfish in making her niece dance attendance on her. ”

“ I always believe in girls having what is called a good time."
"Not so I, Duchess! What's called 'a good time' makes girls unfit for the only life a woman ought to lead."
"You mean," said the Duchess gently, "the life of wife and mother?"
Cousin Amy hesitated. "Yes, I suppose I do mean that."
"And is there any chance of a happy marriage for Angela?" inquired the Duchess. "Is she engaged?"
Illustration: "Angela had grasped the pillar of her four-post bed. Her green eyes were dilated, and in them was an expression of almost animal terror." ”

“ It will only take me a few moments to get ready."
"I hope the second car has arrived," exclaimed the Duchess. "I mean the one for your maid and the luggage."
"I have no maid," replied Miss Patterdale. "Owing to the income-tax I have become a poor woman, so when my faithful Beckett had to go back to her mother, I made up my mind that I would do without a maid. The very little maiding I require is done by Angela."
"I'm very sorry for Angela," the Duchess instinctively lowered her voice. "It must be so terrible for her to know that her carelessness caused the fire. ”

“ There has always been, and there always will be—human nature being what it is—a great deal of secret poisoning going on. What is more, Duchess, every medical man of my age and standing has probably had to consider the question, as it affects himself as well as a patient, more than once during his professional life. ”

“ The husband, who is a prudent sort, thinks it no business of theirs. The more so that this Captain Ranley is a pleasant-spoken young man, and generous with his money. The woman mentioned, as an afterthought, that he is a friend of one of the young ladies staying at the Castle, and she told me, tittering, that they met daily, secretly, by the river."
"I told her I would think the matter over," went on Dr. Wakefield, "and of course I pointed out to her that Captain Ranley might possess the stuff, whatever it may be, for some quite innocent purpose. ”

“ Here is a newspaper cutting containing a short summary of the Police Court proceedings."
The Duchess glanced at it eagerly. "The magistrate was less shocked than I should have been," she exclaimed.
"I understand from Inspector Eartham that your Grace has no definite charge against Ranley? The fact that he is secretly engaged to a young lady of good family cannot be regarded as a criminal offence," and a slight smile came over the shrewd face. ”

“ You became quite fond of Angela Patterdale, eh, Laura? What d'you think your pet has gone and done now?"
The Duchess started to her feet with a cry: "Not killed herself?"
"Killed herself? Married herself! I'll show you poor old Cousin Amy's letter in a minute. With her 'kind hearts' are not more 'than coronets'——"
"I quite agree!" exclaimed the Duchess. "But whom has the poor girl married?"
"From what she says, your queer young friend had a secret love affair, some years ago, with the son of a farmer who lives near Scalands. ”

“ Wakefield said in a low voice: "That girl, Duchess, is slowly but surely doing her aunt to death. Each morning and evening she goes out and secretly meets a man who is stopping at that old 'Fisherman's Rest,' down by the river. He calls himself Captain Ranley, and he must have arrived at the hotel two days after Miss Patterdale and Miss Angela came here. It is this Captain Ranley who is almost certainly providing, day by day, the arsenic which is being administered to Miss Patterdale. ”

“ One of the children of the man who keeps 'The Fisherman's Rest' has measles, and I went down to see the little chap, who is rather bad, on leaving you this afternoon. The moment I arrived the child's mother mysteriously took me off into a bedroom which I could see was in the occupation of a man. ”

“ You have the night before you in which to get away. I have been shown the Police Court report of what happened in 1918."
Slowly the girl wrote the words in a round, childish hand. But it was the Duchess who blotted the bit of note-paper, and who, after putting it into an envelope, wrote on it Private.
Suddenly she told herself that the official from Scotland Yard had advised more wisely than he knew. If she sent Angela alone to "The Fisherman's Rest," the girl might disappear with this man for whose sake she had so nearly committed murder. ”

“ Wakefield confesses himself puzzled, Cousin Amy, and so to-morrow we are having down a really great man, Sir Joseph Flintlaw, to hold a consultation."
A look of surprise and displeasure came over the old lady's drawn face, and so the Duchess hurried on, saying the only thing she knew might smooth away that look. "James always begins by asking for news of you during our little morning telephone talk. And I know that it will be a great relief to him for you to see a specialist."
Miss Patterdale's face softened. "The Duke is very kind," she said feebly. Then she lay back and closed her eyes. ”

“ Again dismissing poor Angela as an unprofitable subject of speculation, the Duchess, as she walked briskly down the broad carriage drive that led to the gateway and so into the town, told herself that she had managed "Cousin Amy" quite cleverly. In fact she was now actually on her way to tell Dr. Wakefield of her success, so that he could get a call through to the specialist to-day. She hoped he would be at home, though, were he out, she could leave a message with his wife. ”

“ What exactly did she do, Cousin Amy?"
"Left a lamp burning by her bedside till the oil caught fire. You need not waste any pity on that girl; she has hardly said she was sorry."
Illustration: "'Dr. Wakefield has discovered that your Aunt Amy is being poisoned. Two days ago, had it not been for a certain precaution the doctor thought it right to take ... she would have died in agony.'"
"I hope you were well insured?" ”