sir george dashwood sat in the gothic library at dashwood hall bewailing his hard fate in a manner which would have been called peevish in a less distinguished man. he wanted to know when he was going to get back the full possession of his house again; he desired to be informed why horace mayfield had not been to see him. he did not appear to be listening to what mary had to say. also he was full of the fact that the more or less mysterious vincent dashwood had made a dastardly attempt to reduce the old house to ashes.
"you don't seem to understand," mary said with some impatience. she was standing in the window of the library with the sunshine full on her face. through the great mullion, with its crested devices, she could see the deer in the park beyond. "you do not seem to comprehend that this is a blessing in disguise. so far as i can see, the house is not a bit the worse for what might have been a terrible disaster. i am bound to confess that i don't like mr. dashwood, but at the same time i am quite sure that he had nothing to do with the fire--the fire which prevented anybody from knowing of the disgrace that had fallen upon us."
"no thanks to that young man," sir george grumbled. "i tell you he was responsible for the fire. his matchbox was found there. walters saw him by the house. why lady dashwood doesn't get rid of the fellow passes my comprehension."
"but i have just been trying to explain to you, only you won't listen," mary responded with some show of impatience. "there are the most powerful reasons why mr. vincent dashwood does not desire the destruction of the house. mr. darnley told me all about it last night. vincent dashwood claims to be the son of ralph dashwood."
sir george started as if something had stung him. he had been so wrapped up in his own selfishness up to now that he had no ears for anything else. mary's statement almost overpowered him. many things suddenly became plain to the baronet's understanding.
he rose to his feet and paced up and down the room in terrible agitation.
"is this really a fact?" he demanded. "i cannot believe it, and yet, and yet, i have met that fellow a good many times, and the oftener i see him, the more does he impress me unfavourably. i see now that there must have been some powerful reason why lady dashwood should tolerate the man. but why did she not tell us at once, why did she go on feeding him with money? for i can now quite see why she was not in a position to do me a favour the other night. if what you say is correct, mary, then we are little better than beggars. still, the reason for all this mystery----"
"is not so strange when one comes to understand, father. it appears that ralph dashwood married an american lady somewhere in the wildest part of california. there has been a great difficulty in finding the marriage certificate. lady dashwood is quite convinced that the man we are speaking of is her grandson."
sir george broke out into feeble whinings, he grew almost tearful. and as he became weak and sentimental, so did mary grow harder. if this crowning blow had to fall, then nobody should hear a word of weakness from her. for her part she could have fought this man, even if it had left her penniless before the world. she clenched her teeth upon her lip to keep down the rising tide of bitter reproaches. then she turned to see that vincent dashwood, together with inspector drake, had entered the room. the former looked heated and indignant, for he had been giving a piece of his mind to the policeman.
"i am glad to find you here, sir george," he shouted. "the police are making all kinds of accusations against me. they say, forsooth, that i have tried to burn the house down, and all because a matchbox of mine was found in the ashes. i suppose i am not the first man in the world who has lost a matchbox. and i've been telling drake here that i have every reason that the house should not be injured."
"so my daughter informs me," sir george replied in the same whining voice. "seeing that you claim to be the son of ralph dashwood----"
the other man laughed defiantly. all the same he could not meet the glance that mary turned upon him. his bold eyes were turned to her face, then they dropped as if looking for something on the floor.
"i'm very sorry," drake put in, "but this is a serious matter. the finding of that box, the mere fact that mr. dashwood was seen here at the hour of the fire, all make it necessary for me to take certain steps----"
"i must speak," vincent dashwood broke out. "i did not mean to proclaim the truth, because i was not ready to do so. and there was lady dashwood to be considered. still, as i see that mr. drake is prepared to go to the extreme length of arresting me for the alleged act of arson, i am compelled to declare the truth for my own protection. drake tells me that he has lived in the adjacent town of longtown all his life, so he must be more or less acquainted with the family of dashwood. he knows, for instance, that mr. ralph dashwood left here forty years ago, and that his friends have seen nothing of him since. i suppose that statement is not too much for your intelligence, drake?"
"i am quite aware that you are quoting facts, sir," drake said grimly.
"very well. i'm glad to hear that you believe something i say. it is not generally known, but it will be clearly established before long that mr. ralph dashwood married an american lady, by whom he had one child, a son. to go farther, i may say that that son now stands before you. i am the only son of ralph dashwood, born in lawful wedlock, as lady dashwood perfectly well knows, and therefore the property belongs to me. there is no such person really as sir george dashwood; as a matter of fact, sir vincent dashwood--in other words, myself--is head of the family and owner of the place. there is only one proof necessary, and that i hope to have in my hands in a few days. i allude to the certificate of my parents' wedding. and now, mr. drake, after hearing all this, can you suggest that i should gain anything by burning this house down? if i had had an impulse in that direction, i could easily have waited for an opportunity of committing that folly in a safer fashion."
drake was bound to admit that the astounding revelations made all the difference in the complexion of the case. sir george dashwood listened with a dark look on his face. mary turned to the door to see that ralph darnley was standing there. the mere knowledge of his presence seemed to support and comfort her in this trying hour. yet she did not feel the poignant sorrow and sense of loss as keenly as she should.
"mr. darnley will tell us if this is true," she cried.
"lady dashwood will tell you so, at any rate," ralph responded. "i have taken the liberty of listening to what this gentleman had to say. it so happens that i can throw considerable light on the story. as i told you last night, i knew the late ralph dashwood very well, though i had not the honour of meeting the man who claims to be his son. perhaps mr. dashwood will reply to a few of my questions. will he tell me, for instance, in what part of california his mother lived?"
"certainly i will," vincent dashwood replied without the slightest hesitation. "it was in jackson county; i understand the town was courville."
"i should say that is perfectly correct," ralph said. "in fact, i have every reason to know that it is correct. and the name of your mother?"
"alice montrose. but where the wedding took place, i can't say just now."
"that is also correct," ralph went on in the same solemn way. "i am in a position to prove that alice montrose was the wife of ralph dashwood. it is the legal verification of the marriage that you seek?"
"that's it," dashwood cried eagerly. "once that is in my possession, the rest is easy. as i said before, i did not desire to proclaim my identity just yet for several reasons. but i have been compelled to speak for the sake of my honour. and if you, mr. darnley, who seem to know so much, can help me to discover that particular document, i shall be eternally grateful to you. anything that i can do for you by way of reward----"
"i shall make use of you, no doubt," ralph replied. "your claim appears to be a very strong one, and everything is going in your favour. so far all you say as to the marriage of ralph dashwood and alice montrose has been correct. you are in urgent need of the certificate. let me make the dramatic situation complete by presenting you with the paper that you most desire. if you will look at this long slip of paper, you will see that it is a copy, certified, of the marriage in question. as you seem to be the person most entitled to the paper, it is with pleasure that i place it in your hands."
vincent dashwood's face turned from grey to red, and then to deadly white. then he suddenly burst out into a hoarse whoop of triumph and he danced round the room with every manifestation of extravagant joy. he would have shaken hands with ralph, only the latter did not seem to see the trembling moist palm extended to him.
"is this real?" sir george groaned, "or is it all some hideous dream?"
"it is real enough," ralph said. "it is a case of 'the king is dead, long live the king.' pray allow me to offer you my congratulations, sir vincent."
