"it can be done," grey murmured.
the pupils of rent's eyes dilated strangely.
"man, it must be concealed," he said hoarsely. "try to conceive the cruelty of making all these matters public when the one human being who ought to suffer is beyond the reach of justice! what you know and what tanza knows i can regard as safe. i could die comfortably in the knowledge that you would never speak, and i am certain that john charlock would remain silent for the sake of my mother and that innocent girl who has come to think so ill of me. surely you need not undeceive her! surely you can think of some plausible fiction! if ever there was a case where a lie is justified, this is the occasion. now promise."
"i will do all i can," grey said freely and heartily. "and i know that i can speak for tanza, too; indeed, i may go further and say that he advocated the very course you are suggesting. he assumed that if the worst happened—i beg your pardon, i should not have put it as bluntly as that."
"but that is just the way i want you to put it," rent insisted. "you don't know what a load you have taken off my mind. and now i will ask you to leave me. i should like to have my mother with me for the little time that remains——"
the speaker broke off suddenly. something seemed to choke his utterance. he dropped back on his pillow, breathing faintly. his eyes closed. very gently grey crept from the room downstairs to where the others were waiting. the expression of his face was quite enough for mrs. rent, who hurried away, followed by ethel. a little while later the girl came downstairs, her manner soft and subdued. grey raised his eyebrows interrogatively.
"yes," ethel whispered. "he went off peacefully. the nurse and doctor were in the room at the time. i don't know whether you will mind my bringing up the subject just now, but mr. charlock has mentioned the matter to you. there were certain letters which my relative had in his possession——"
"i hope they are destroyed," grey said. "i know what you are alluding to. but it would be as well if those letters were burnt, because it is probable they may lead you to a wrong conclusion. i know you have had a rough time lately, but that mustn't make you suspect crime. i think mr. charlock is of the same opinion as myself and deprecates your arriving at a hasty inference. try to recollect that, however black a case may look against a person, the whole complexion of the thing may lie changed when his defence is disclosed."
a look of relief crossed the girl's face.
"i suppose that is so," she suggested timidly.
"indeed it is," grey said emphatically. "but, whatever you do, don't allude to anything in mrs. rent's presence. she has enough sorrow and misery to contend with as it is. now, if you will excuse me, i had better go. this is no place for a stranger."
grey was glad to find himself outside the house, glad to know that his unpleasant errand had ended without more disastrous consequences. he went at once in search of john charlock, whom he found disconsolately wandering about his garden. he looked somewhat guilty as grey came up.
"i don't know what you must think of me," he said, "but i find it difficult to tear myself away from this place. you see, all my hopes and ambitions were centered here. it was here that i looked forward to a happy life. i have just begun to see the fruition of my ambitions, to see my reputation established. i am a free man now and the grave contains my one mistake. i don't say that i feel any regret at what has taken place, beyond the horror that such tragedies bring. but i don't want to talk about myself. what can i do for you?"
"you can come aboard the yacht and talk matters over with tanza," grey suggested. "we have several things to discuss with you and one or two confessions to make. i may be a false prophet, but i am sure that the best part of your life's happiness is still to come. but let us eschew platitudes. come with me and let us have the matter out."
charlock expressed himself willing, and a little later the two men were on their way to the yacht. for the best part of an hour or more charlock listened to all that tanza and his companion had to say. finally he took the case of jewels which the italian handed to him and slipped it in his pocket.
"i am infinitely obliged to you gentlemen," he said. "as to these jewels, they rightly belong to me. they have been paid for, too, and their sale will enable me to take possession of my old house again. i daresay i shall be reasonably happy. no doubt i can find some worthy woman who will act as housekeeper and look after my servants. but i am afraid that my dream of a perfect home must remain a dream, for it is never likely to be realised. i am forced to the conclusion that i am not the sort of man to make a woman——"
"pardon me," grey interrupted. "that is just where i think you are wrong. you have as much generous feeling and emotion as most decent men, but you are afraid to show your real nature. at the risk of being considered impertinent i was going to suggest that the lady calculated to make your home happy is not very far off. i was thinking of miss ethel hargrave."
a deep frown knitted charlock's brows. then, in spite of himself, something like a smile came over his face.
"do you really think so?" he asked almost eagerly. "but i am talking like a fool. she is a girl in a million, mind you. a man like me, rough and reserved——"
"why belittle yourself?" tanza said. "you are famous. you are on the road to wealth. hundreds of women would be proud to call you their husband. but i won't flatter you. i am a pretty good judge of human nature, and if ever i saw a girl in love with a man, that girl is ethel hargrave and the man is john charlock. you are a lucky fellow, my dear sir, if you have sense enough to see it. but, after this exhibition of gratuitous impertinence on my part, i am afraid to say more. let us change the subject, and perhaps grey will ask the steward to bring us cigarettes and coffee."
john charlock said nothing. there was no outbreak of anger or impatience on his part; on the contrary, he smiled with the air of a man who is well pleased with himself. there was something like a gleam of happiness in his eyes.
the white wings of the yacht were folded. she came to an anchor again after a year's absence on a voyage round the world. as the boat put off from the side for the shore, swift, bronzed and happy-looking, shook his head with a smile as he declined to accompany tanza and grey.
"i should be in the way," he said. "besides, they don't want me. i read in the papers this morning that john charlock and his wife had only just come back from their honeymoon, in which case they are not likely to require either of you."
"oh, yes, they will," tanza exclaimed. "i flatter myself that they will be agreeably surprised to see us."
the boat reached the shore, and after a few minutes' walk tanza and his companion stopped in front of the house. the windows frowned at them no longer. the casements were flung open. silk and muslin curtains fluttered on the breeze. the paths were trim and neat. the lawns were ablaze with a wild riot of colour. on all sides were signs of prosperity, peace and happiness. grey pointed to the long lawn gleaming in the sunshine like a broad ribbon of green velvet.
"there is only one change i see," he murmured. "the old sundial has gone. but that is no matter for surprise."
before tanza could reply there came the sound of voices from behind a belt of shrubs. it was almost impossible to recognise the tones of john charlock, so full and hearty and generous with the flow of life were they. they could hear also the quiet ripple of laughter on the part of his companion, and a moment later husband and wife came in sight. there was no doubt as to their welcome. they came forward with delighted surprise and hands extended. not much was said for a little while, until they divided into pairs, and charlock walked down the drive, with grey, somewhat silent and speculative, by his side.
"what a paradise you have made here!" the latter exclaimed.
"i haven't done it," charlock said joyously. "it is my wife. everything she touches she adorns, and i owe you and tanza a deep debt of gratitude for what you said to me that day on board the yacht. it seemed impossible that she——"
"the impossible has become the real," grey said.
charlock paused a moment and threw back his head.
"indeed it has," he said in a voice just above a whisper. "i have found what i was looking for at last. i have been paid for all my suffering. but i can't talk about such matters. they are a bit too sacred. now let us go inside. i want to show you my ideal of an english home and an english life."
