hunt's expression was not polite, nor was it intended for ears feminine. his almost eager face fell; he was evidently thinking of nothing else but his paper. he would have ruined every kingdom in the universe, including the state that gave him birth, to get a scoop on his rivals. just for a moment it flashed across his mind that he had been betrayed for higher money.
but that was hardly possible. no english paper would have dared to give that information to the world. it would have aroused the indignation of every patriotic briton, and the circulation of even the yellowest in the world would have suffered. and the expression of the countess's face was no acting.
"it seems almost incredible," hunt said. "please tell me all about it."
the countess proceeded to relate the story. it seemed to him that the case was not quite hopeless after all. true, he would not be able to enjoy the prospective triumph of his paper over the others, but as an able and adroit journalist he would know how to get out of the difficulty.
"well, you have a clue anyway," he said. "miss galloway is a strikingly beautiful girl, with a very marked type of loveliness, and if the thief was so like her as to make your maid certain that miss galloway was the real thief, the culprit is not far to seek. you don't think yourself——"
[109]
"that vera galloway is the thief? of course not. the thing is physically impossible. besides, vera galloway does not take the slightest interest in politics. she is quite a butterfly. and yet the whole thing is very strange. what puzzles me most is the infinite acquaintance the thief appears to have with my house. she could not have walked in like that to my bedroom unless she had a fine knowledge of the geography of the place."
"i'll make a stirring half column of it," hunt said—"showing no connection between your loss and that asturian business, of course. we'll hint that the papers were stolen by somebody who fancied that she had a claim on your vast russian estates. see what i mean. and we'll make fun of the fact that your maid recognized miss galloway as the culprit. that will set people talking. we'll offer a reward of £100 for a person who first finds the prototype of miss galloway. see? unless i'm greatly mistaken, we shall precious soon get to the bottom of this business."
the countess nodded and smiled approvingly. the cunning little scheme appealed to her. she pushed her plate and glass away with which she had been toying. at the same moment a waiter came and handed her a note, which she opened and read with a flushed face.
"it appears as if the police had actually succeeded in doing something for once," she said. "this is from one of the scotland yard men, saying that a woman in black dress and veil, answering to the description given by annette, has been taken to charing cross hospital after being knocked down by a passing cab. this may or may not mean anything, but it is distinctly encouraging. i am[110] told that i shall know more in the morning. but that is not good enough for me."
"don't do anything impetuous," hunt said anxiously.
"i am not in the habit of doing impulsive things," the countess replied. "at the same time, i am going to charing cross hospital to-night to make sure. it is quite time we finished this discussion, as you have to alter your plans and write that paragraph. let us be going."
a little later and the countess was proceeding in her brougham eastwards. hunt had parted from lechmere, too, after the latter had derived his useful piece of information from the startled editor. but the countess did not know anything of that. and as she was approaching the well-known hospital, jessie harcourt was reaching it in another direction in the motor-car of lascelles, otherwise known as "pongo." the nearer she approached to her destination the more nervous did the girl become.
"awfully jolly ride," lascelles grinned. "glad you put that black thing over your head, though. it's a pity to cut the thing short, but i suppose the joke has gone far enough?"
"not quite," jessie said between her teeth. "i am going to confide in you, mr. lascelles——"
"called me 'pongo' just now," the other said in tones of deep reproach. "it seems to me——"
"well, pongo, then—dear pongo, if you like," jessie said desperately. "i am going to confide in you. i want you to put me down close to the hospital, and then you go back without me. you may infer that i did not care for the business, and that i returned home by the front door. then at the end of[111] half an hour or so, you are to declare that the sport is over for the night and ride off as if seeking your chauffeur. after that you are to come here and fetch me back. you understand?"
it was quite plain, from the blank expression of lascelles' face, that he did not understand. the familiar air had left him; he had grown stiff and almost stern.
"i don't quite follow," he said. "of course, if i choose to play the ass—which, by the way, i am getting a little tired of—why, that hurts nobody. but when a lady who i respect and admire asks me to become a party, don't you know, to what looks like some—er—vulgar assignation——"
"you are wrong," jessie cried. "you are a gentleman; you have more sense than i expected. i pledge you my word of honour that this is no assignation. it is a case of life and death, a desperate case. i am going into the hospital; it is important that nobody should know of my visit—none of my own friends, i mean. i could come back in a hansom, but danger lies that way. i have no money for one thing. mr. lascelles, please believe that i am telling the truth."
the girl's troubled eyes turned on the listener's face. lascelles would have been less than a man had he not yielded, sorely against his judgment as it was.
"i'll do it," he said. "no woman ever yet appealed to me in vain. because i play the ass people think that i don't notice things, but they are mistaken. i've never done anything yet to be ashamed of, anyway. and i'm not going to begin now. it seems to me that you are making a great sacrifice for somebody else. if i could feel quite sure that that somebody else was a——"
"woman? it is a woman! i felt quite sure that i could rely upon you. now please go back and act exactly as i have suggested. when you come to know the truth—as assuredly you shall some day—i am quite certain that you will never repent what you are doing to-night."
lascelles was equally certain of it. he was quite convinced now that he was no party to anything wrong. all the same, his face was very grave as he helped jessie from the car, and placed her wrap more carefully around her. it was a long black wrap, covering her head and face and reaching to the ground, so that the girl's rich dress was quite hidden.
"half an hour," jessie whispered. "it may be a little longer. i can trust your discretion. at first i was a little afraid that perhaps you might—but in your new character you are quite reliable. do not stay any longer or we shall attract attention."
lascelles wheeled his car round and started westward once more. jessie hesitated just a minute to make quite sure that she had her permit in her pocket, when a two-horse brougham dashed up. evidently some fashionable doctor summoned in a hurry, jessie thought. but when she looked again at the perfectly appointed equipage, with its fine horses and its silver harness, she knew better. the thing was too fashionable and glittering for a doctor; besides, no man in the profession would use such a turn-out at night. then, as jessie looked again, her heart beat more violently as she recognized the face of the occupant. it was the countess saens. what did she want at this hour of the night? no errand of mercy, jessie felt quite sure, for the countess saens did not bear that reputation.
then like a flash it came to the girl standing hesitatingly on the pavement. the countess had found some clue, possibly through the assertions of the maid annette that the sham miss galloway was the thief who was responsible for the burglary. it was possible for such a train of thought to be started and worked out logically in that brilliant brain. but there was one other thing that jessie would have given a great deal to know—how had the countess discovered that the real miss galloway was detained by an accident at charing cross hospital?
well, jessie would know in a very few minutes. the countess stepped out of her carriage and made her way into the hall of the hospital. she could be seen talking to the porter, who shook his head. evidently the countess was asking for something that was against the rules. again the man shook his head. jessie felt that a crisis was at hand. she stood on the pavement hesitatingly, so eager that her hand fell from her face; her features were distinct and lovely in the strong rays of light. a man walking past her in a great hurry stopped, and an exclamation broke from him.
"vera!" he said hurriedly. "vera, won't you speak to me? great heavens! a chance like this——"
instantly jessie guessed what had happened. she was face to face with vera's lover, charles maxwell!
