"isuppose i shall be able to take it all in presently," maxwell said feebly. "vera is a patient here, and the countess has come to see her. but would you mind explaining to me why vera is here, what has happened to her, and what that fiend of a woman desires to know?"
"it was a case of cruel misfortune," jessie said. "miss galloway was knocked down by a passing cab in piccadilly and brought here. she was not so badly hurt, because she had the sense to call herself by my name. besides, dr. varney saw her here. and dr. varney discovered my secret, so that i was obliged to confide in him. now do you see?"
"i can't see where the countess saens comes in," maxwell murmured.
"you are not very wise or long sighted for a diplomatist," jessie said with a faint smile. "don't you see that the countess's maid's suspicions fell on fruitful soil? when she left merehaven house for her own, she discovered the full significance of her loss. then she began to put things together. she had an idea that a trick had been played upon her. she had the police in——"
"yes, but how did she discover that anybody answering to vera's description was here?"
"easily enough. her maid gave the description of the thief. then the police began to make inquiries.[133] they discover that a girl in black answering to the maid's description has been brought here after an accident. they tell the countess as much. the police don't worry about the matter for the present, because their bird is quite safe. but that is not good enough for the countess. she comes here to make sure for herself; she suspects the trick."
"i confess that you are too clever for me," maxwell sighed. "and yet everything you say is absolutely clear and convincing. i am afraid that there is still further trouble looming ahead. how did you get to know what had happened?"
"miss galloway sent me a message by a district boy. the idea was that i was to try and see her without delay, and go on playing my part until we could resume our respective personalities. without some further coaching such a thing was impossible. i took dr. varney into my confidence, and he gave me a permit to see vera galloway to-night. i am here at considerable risk, as you understand, though i have prepared for my return to merehaven house. ah, she has failed."
the countess was standing up and gesticulating wildly before the little man in the gold-rimmed glasses. he seemed to be profoundly sorry, but he was quite firm. he signalled the porter, who opened one of the big glass doors and signified that the countess could depart.
"even her fascinations have failed," jessie said. "please let me go, mr. maxwell. if i am recognized now everything is ruined. and you had better not be seen, either."
"every word that you say is replete with wisdom," maxwell said. "one moment. i must see[134] you again to-night and know how things are going. will you meet me in an hour's time in the garden at the back of merehaven house? don't say no."
"if it can possibly be managed," said jessie. "now i must go. you had better get into the shadow across the road. i feel that all is going to be well yet."
maxwell lounged away, and jessie passed quickly along as the countess came down the steps and stepped into her brougham. jessie waited to see the flashing equipage drive away before she turned again and in her turn mounted the steps of the hospital.
jessie boldly demanded to see a patient named harcourt, and thrust her permit into the porter's hand. he looked a little suspicious over this fuss about a mere patient, but the name on the permit had its force, and presently jessie found herself entering one of the wards under the charge of a nurse. the nurse glanced at jessie's half-concealed face, and came to the natural conclusion that here was a sister of the latest accident case. under the circumstances, she had no hesitation in leaving jessie and vera galloway together.
"thank heaven you have come!" vera whispered. "no, there is not much the matter. i suppose i must have fainted at the shock and the pain, but the doctor says i shall be out in two or three days at the outside. it is a case of bruised tendons more than anything else. you dear, brave girl!"
the dear, brave girl forced a smile to her lips. all the same, the prospect was alarming. it was one thing to carry this imposture through for an hour or two, but quite another to keep the comedy[135] going for some days longer. but audacity carries such things through.
"tell me everything that has happened," vera went on. "don't let us dwell on this cruel misfortune. everything seemed going so well when that wretched cab came along. perhaps i was dazed by my success. i know that i was shaking from head to foot ... but that mattered to nobody but myself. tell me."
jessie proceeded with her story. she had a deeply interested listener. vera turned from side to side and her face grew pale as she listened to the amazing story that jessie told her.
"so i am in danger," she said. "the countess suspects. and it was all true, all about charles and captain lancing. i heard that as i came along. if i could only see charlie——"
"i saw him not five minutes ago," jessie said. "perhaps i had better finish my story, and then you can ask any questions you like afterwards."
vera composed herself to listen with what patience she could. her white face was flushed and hot before jessie had finished. the latter looked uneasy.
she was evidently uneasy in her mind about something.
"i am afraid that i must ask you to confide in me more fully," jessie said. "presently i will ask you to give me a few simple instructions whereby i can keep in touch with my position. but you will recognize the danger, both to you and myself. the countess has her suspicions aroused, as i have told you. now tell me, did you visit her house to-night? were you the burglar, so to speak, who——"
"i was. i may as well admit it to you. it was the matter of the papers. you see i knew——"
"yes, but how did you know?" jessie persisted. "you saw me this evening quite early. at that time those papers were quite safe at the foreign office. how could you tell then that they were going to be stolen, or rather, conveyed to countess saens? and if you knew that the robbery was going to take place, why did you not warn lord merehaven? or better still, tell mr. maxwell what you had discovered?"
"i could not get in touch with charlie at that moment," vera said, speaking as if with difficulty. the tears had gathered in her eyes. "there was no time to be lost."
"i am still very much at sea," jessie said gently. "what aroused your suspicions?"
"yes, i had better tell you everything," vera said in a firmer tone. "you have been so good to me, you are so loyal and brave. there never was anybody so good to a stranger before."
"no, no. i did it all for money. it was because i was so desperately placed——"
"it is nothing of the kind, jessie, and you know it. you would have done the same for me in any case—i feel certain that you would. my first suspicions were aroused by a letter which came into my hands. it was evidently sent in mistake, and written by charlie to countess saens. it seems as if the two had struck up a violent flirtation together. if i cared less than i do for charlie——"
"i would not let your mind dwell on that," jessie said soothingly. "when you get to the bottom of this business you will find that there is some plan on the part of that infamous woman. may i ask you whether that letter was an admission of guilt on the part of mr. maxwell, or——"
"it might have been. in the light of recent events it certainly looks like it. but pretty well everything is capable of explanation, as you know. i shall possess my soul in patience.... i am so dazed and confused now that i do not seem able to think clearly. but when i sent for you i could see everything as clear as crystal before my eyes. if i had not met that cab everything would have been all right, and you would have been back at home by this time and nobody any the wiser."
"then you were quite successful?" jessie asked eagerly.
"absolutely successful. i can't think now how i had courage to do it. once i got going, my nerves never failed me for a moment. you see, i know that house where the countess lives; i have been there so many times before. and i felt so strong and resolute, especially when i passed the porter and he did not make any protest. but the rest you already have from the countess saens's maid. it was a sheer piece of bad luck finding her there at all."
"and you got safely out of the house with those papers? that was a bit of good luck indeed."
vera galloway smiled. a sudden idea came to her—the idea seemed to come to both girls at the same time. it was jessie who put the question.
"and where are the papers now?" she asked. "you had better let me have them."
"have them!" vera echoed blankly. "where are they? don't say they were lost after i fell under the cab!"
there were no papers anywhere to be found.
