meanwhile, it is necessary to go back for a few moments to the garden and summer-house where jack had been waiting, to see who was going to keep the assignation with anstruther. on the whole, it was not unpleasant work, seeing that the night was very fine and warm, and at the same time dark and velvety. there were not many gardens in london as finely proportioned as those behind barmouth's residence. it was wonderful, in the midst of that atmosphere, that flowers and shrubs could flourish so kindly. there were not many paths, most of the ground being given over to turf, so that jack's feet made no noise as he walked along in the direction of the green gate which gave upon the lane beyond.
the gate turned out to be a door in the wall hidden from view inside by a deep belt of shrubs. it was here that jack hid himself, and stood smoking his cigar with a determination to stay there all night if necessary. the best part of an hour had elapsed before there was a noise outside, and a hand turned the latch. jack dropped his cigar, and ground it into the soft earth with the heel of his slipper. by this time his eyes had got accustomed to the darkness, so that it was not a difficult matter to make out the outlines of the approaching figure. the figure was that of a woman, evidently dressed for the evening, and wearing a mask.
jack was not to be deceived; he knew that form perfectly well, even if he had not recognized the dress, which the wearer had used the night of his visit to carrington's.
"serena," he whispered to himself. "well, i might have expected that. now to see what will happen next."
jack made his way hurriedly across the lawn, and took up a position behind a belt of pampas grass, where he could not only see into the summer-house, but also hear what was going on there. he was only just in time, for almost immediately the towering headdress of anstruther appeared, and its owner made his way directly to the summer-house. jack could see serena as she hurried along. on the still night air every word could be distinctly heard. there came to jack's ears a whispered apology from serena that she was sorry for the delay.
"you might have ruined everything," anstruther said savagely. "i told you to be here within half-an-hour at the latest."
serena replied humbly that she could not get there before. she had to dress, and she had had to get the other servant out of the way. anstruther muttered impatiently.
"i suppose it is impossible for a woman to keep to time," he said. "and now listen to me. there is something going on here which even i cannot fathom. i feel as if i were being laughed at; as if an unseen net was about my shoulders, and that a hidden hand was ready to close it at any time."
jack listened eagerly to what followed. it was quite evident from what anstruther said that seymour's performance had made a deep impression upon him. for once in a way anstruther was puzzled and frightened. he told serena at considerable length all that had taken place during supper.
"there is more than meets the eye here," he said, "and that fellow said either too little or too much. one thing is quite certain--he is pretty intimately acquainted with my inner life in mexico. now who is he, and how does he know all this?"
"if you don't know, i can't tell you," serena replied.
"no; but you are going to find out," anstruther responded. "you are going to mingle with the other guests as if you were a friend of lady barmouth's, and i will sign to you presently what i want you to do. you have plenty of nerve and resource, and you must find some way of removing the mask from the face of my friend the magician. but that is not all. i have a very shrewd suspicion that this mysterious lord barmouth is no other than the man james smith, who has been so useful to me from a pecuniary point of view."
"you think lord barmouth and james smith are the same person?" serena cried. "oh, that is quite impossible."
"that remains to be seen," said anstruther. "you know all about lord barmouth's reputation as a recluse as well as i do. therefore, it will be part of your duty to get a sight of lord barmouth also. mind you, i may be mistaken, but i have a strong impression that when you come to look at barmouth you will see the features of james smith. what the certainty of this means to me you can pretty well guess. hitherto i have treated smith as a comparatively poor man, never guessing for a moment that he was the enormously wealthy barmouth, but in future----"
anstruther paused significantly. the listener thrilled as he realized the danger in which barmouth stood. but his whole attention now was concentrated upon serena. he could see that she had drawn herself up to her full height; from the motion of her hands, she was evidently moved by some strong feeling. it flashed upon jack all at once that anstruther was asking serena to plot against the happiness of her own sister--lady barmouth. that that was the chord that anstruther had touched, serena's first words proved.
"you are asking too much," she said . "i will not do it. there are times when i feel that this life of mine can endure no longer. i have worked hard for you; i have been the slave of all your schemes; i have forgotten that i possess a conscience."
"yes; and you forget what you owe to me," anstruther responded. "but for me you would long since have stood in a felon's dock. if you will think of the time when you and your boy----"
"no, no!" serena cried. "i will not have it. what do i care if i alarm the people inside. for the sake of that black past i have consented to be your tool and slave. and yet i feel sometimes that you are playing with me; that the whole thing is nothing more or less than a cruel and deliberate lie on your part, and that my boy still lives. if i thought so; if i only thought so----"
serena plunged forward, and jack could see that something glittered in her hand. there was the confused suggestion of a struggle, the sound of an oath from anstruther's lips, and the tinkle of metal upon the floor of the summer-house.
"so you have got one of your mad moods on to-night," anstruther panted. "do not push me to extremes, because you know what that means. will you obey me or not?"
jack could see serena pass her hands across her eyes; he could hear the quick sobbing of her breath. "i was wrong," she said presently. it was marvelous how quickly she had recovered herself. "i will do your bidding. let us go inside, and you can show me the man whose face you desire to see."
the two moved off together, and entered the house, where they were quickly lost in the throng of guests. it was at this point that jack joined claire again, and told her rapidly what had happened.
"i will go to her at once," claire said. "it is quite evident, from what you say, that this poor woman acts entirely under the sinister influence of anstruther. it would be a good thing, i fancy, to appeal to her better nature." possibly it had been better for him to go off and warn seymour, but the strong curiosity of the moment prevailed. he was just a little anxious about claire, too. and seymour was so full of cleverness and resource if anything untoward happened.
the scheme commended itself to jack. he would leave everything to claire for the present. then, when she was ready, she could come to him again. apparently anstruther had given serena all her instructions, for claire found her seated by herself in a corner of the ballroom watching the dazzling scene. claire crept quietly to her side, and touched her on the shoulder.
"serena," she said gently. "serena, i want you."
there was a violent agitation, that shook the listener's frame; but she rose very gently, and passed along the corridor by claire's side without the slightest protest. they came to a little alcove at length, and claire bade her companion sit down.
"i know why you are here to-night," she explained. "i even know what your appointed task is. but, what is still more important, i am acquainted with the hold that anstruther has upon you. believe me, you have no firmer friend in the world than myself. tell me your sad story, and let me see if i can help you."
the gently spoken words were not without their effect. heedless of consequences, serena removed her mask, and proceeded to wipe the streaming tears from her eyes.
"i will tell you everything," she murmured. "you know already that lady barmouth is my sister, and you are acquainted with the fact that padini is my husband; but nobody knows besides anstruther that i was once the mother of a little boy. i was always wilful and headstrong. i was always ready to throw away my happiness for the whim of the moment. that is why i married padini, who basely deserted me when he found that i had no money. a month after our marriage i was alone in the world, almost starving. i was too proud to send to my friends; i had meant to wait till my money was exhausted, and then throw myself into the river. but i dared not do that, because of the fresh young life which i knew was coming to me. i managed to make a little money, and when my child was born i was comparatively happy. when the boy was about eighteen months old, anstruther found me out, and professed a desire to become my friend. it was about that time that padini turned up again, and began to blackmail me. i cannot tell you exactly what happened; they say i tried to kill him because he would have taken my child from me. at any rate, i have always been informed that i might have suffered a long term of imprisonment if anstruther had not stood my friend."
"but this does not give him so great a power over you," claire said. "a mere act of charity like that----"
"but i have not told you everything," serena whispered. "for a short time i was a mad woman. and when i came to myself again, they told me that i had killed my boy. oh, i have no wish to dwell upon that dreadful time--i hardly dare to think of it without a wild desire to lay hands upon myself. and yet there are times when i believe the whole thing to have been a wicked lie, a pure invention on the part of anstruther. at these times i believe that my boy is still safe and sound, and that some day we shall meet again. this is the whole secret of the reason why i have clung to anstruther, and why i have been the slave of his base designs. but this story must be told to no one, not even to lady barmouth."
serena might have said more, only the sound of approaching footsteps warned claire of the necessity for caution. she whispered to serena to replace her mask--a precaution that was none too soon, for anstruther was impatiently coming down the corridor side by side with another man, whom claire recognized as lord barmouth.
"i have been looking for you everywhere," anstruther said. "what do you mean by hiding yourself here?
"it was quite clear that anstruther had lost his head for the moment. lord barmouth paused, and looked at the other sternly and coldly. yet he hesitated, as if half afraid to speak. he had the advantage over anstruther in knowing who the latter was, while still preserving the secret of his own identity.
"i presume this lady is your wife," he said. "you would hardly speak even to a sister in that tone of voice."
"you are candid, sir," anstruther said bitterly. "if you knew who i am i have not the slightest doubt----"
"i know perfectly well who you are," barmouth said quietly. he had quite made up his mind what to do now. "will you be good enough to step this way for a moment?"
anstruther followed, until barmouth reached his own private room. then he locked the door, and put up the light. "now that we are face to face and free from interruption," he said, "i am going to speak still more candidly to you. but first let me ask you a question. why did you decline the invitation of lady barmouth on the plea of a severe chill, and then come here afterwards, as if you wanted your presence in the house kept a secret?"
"really," anstruther stammered--"really, i cannot recognize your right to cross-examine me like this. in the very unlikely event of your being my host----"
"we will discuss that presently," barmouth replied. "permit me to remind you that you have not yet answered my question, mr. anstruther. you will not deny your identity?"
anstruther laughed awkwardly, and, seeing that the game was up, removed his mask and pitched it on the table.
"what i have done is not exactly a crime," he said. "i changed my mind, and came at the last moment."
"at the last moment," barmouth echoed significantly. "you have been here for the past two hours."
anstruther moved towards the door. he declared, with some heat, that he would have no more of this, unless the other could prove his right to ask these questions. barmouth turned away for a moment, and when he faced round again his face was bare of the mask.
"now you recognize my right," he said. "you black-hearted scoundrel, i am lord barmouth."
