mrs. jack saw the answer in my eyes before speech came, and staggered back against the wall.
“no,” i said “why do you ask?”
“she is not here! then there is something wrong; she was not in her room this morning!”
this morning! the words set my thoughts working. i looked at my watch; it was past ten o’clock. in a dazed kind of way i heard mrs. jack go on.
“i did not say a word to any of the servants at first, for i didn’t want to set them talking. i went all over the house myself. her bed had not been slept in; i pulled the clothes off it and threw them on again roughly so that the maid might not suspect. then i asked quietly if any of the maids had seen her; but none had. so i said as quietly as i could that she must have gone out for an early walk; and i took my breakfast. then i had the cart got ready, and drove over here myself. what can it be? she told me last night that she was not going out until you came; and she is always so exact when she says a thing, that there must be something wrong. come back with me at once! i am so anxious that i don’t know what to do.”
two minutes sufficed for my toilet; then shutting the door behind us, we got into the cart and drove to crom. at the first and at the last we went quietly, so as not to arouse attention by our speed; but in the middle space[356] we flew. during the journey mrs. jack had told me that last night she had gone to bed as usual, leaving in the drawing room marjory, who had told her that she was going presently into the library to write as she had a lot of letters to get through, and that no one was to wait up for her. this was her usual habit when she sat late; it therefore excited no extra attention. mrs. jack who was an early riser, had been dressed for an hour before she went to marjory’s room. in the course of her enquiries amongst the servants, one of them, whose business it was to open the hall door, told her that she had found it locked and chained as usual.
within the house at crom we found all quiet. i went at once into the library, as that was presumably the last place where marjory had been. as we went, i asked mrs. jack if any letters had been left out to post. she said no! that the usual habit was to put such in the box on the hall table, but she had herself, looked, when she came down to put in a letter for america. i went over at once to the table near the fire where marjory usually sat at night. there were plenty of writing materials and blank paper and envelopes; but not a sign of a letter or anything written. i looked all round the room but could see nothing to attract my attention. once more i asked mrs. jack what marjory had said to her about her intention of not leaving the castle till i had come. with some hesitation at first, as though she were fearful of breaking confidence, but afterwards more freely as if glad to be able to speak, she told me all:
“the dear child took to heart what i said yesterday about her living with her husband. after you had gone she came to me and laid her head on my breast, as she used to do as a little child, and began to cry; and told me that i had been very good to her. the darling! and that her mind was made up. she realised now her duty[357] to her husband; and that as he wished her to stay in the house, nothing in the world would induce her to leave it till he came. that was the first act of her new duty! and, oh my dear! that is why i was so concerned when i found that after all she was not in the house. i don’t understand it; there must be something on foot that i don’t know; and i am full of fear!” here the old lady quite broke down. i felt that any self control now was precious. it would not do to leave mrs. jack in ignorance of the danger, so i told her in as few words as i could of the blackmailing going on and of the watch set by the united states secret service. at first she was overwhelmed; but her early apprenticeship to dangers of all kinds stood her in good stead. very soon her agitation took practical shape. i told her i was off to seek for help, and that she must keep the house till i returned. i would have tried the secret tunnel, but from what mrs. jack had said i was convinced that marjory had never left the house of her own accord. if she had been captured she was doubtless far away by this time. it was possible that the blackmailers had found the secret passage into the castle by which don bernardino had come. here the thought came to me in full force; that was how they had discovered it. they had seen and watched the don!... i felt that another debt for our day of reckoning had been piled up against him.
i got in the cart again and went to cruden as hard as the mare could go. as i went, i formed my plans, and had my telegrams made up in my mind ready to write them out at once. for a while i doubted whether i should go to another telegraph office, lest the cruden people might come to know too much. but there was no need of concealment now. i was not afraid of any one knowing, though i determined to be discreet and secret[358] if possible. the circuit was occupied, so i found the use of the priority telegraph forms adams had sent me. there was not a moment lost; one was being despatched whilst i was writing the next. to adams i said:
“they have succeeded: wire men see me at crom right away. come if you can. want all help can get. time vital....”
to cathcart i wired at his house in invernesshire:
“come to me without moment’s delay. vital. want every kind of help.” i knew he would understand, and would come armed.
as it would be some little time before anything could be done, i determined to find don bernardino if possible; and induce him to show me the secret exit. without knowledge of this we would be powerless; with it we might find some clue. i did not make up my mind as to what i would do if he refused; but to myself the instinctive grinding of my teeth, and clenching of my fingers, seemed to answer my question. of one thing i was glad, he was a gentleman. in such a matter as that in which i was engaged, there were possibilities, if even there were not definite hope.
i drove to ellon; and from the agent there got his address. i soon found it; an old-fashioned house near the town, in a tiny park surrounded with great trees. i left the cart on the road, with the mare tethered to the gate post, there being no lodgekeeper or no lodge. before i rang the hall-door bell i saw that my revolver was ready to my hand. the instant the door was opened i stepped in, and said to the old woman who opened it:
“mr. barnard is in the study i suppose? i have pressing business with him!” she was so taken aback by the suddenness of my entry and speech that she pointed to a door saying: “he is in there.”
[359]
as i entered the room, closing the door behind me, the don, who had been seated in a large chair with his back to the door turned unconcernedly. he had evidently not expected any disturbing visitor. the instant he saw me, however, he leaped to his feet, all his hostility awake. as he scanned my face his concern grew; and he glanced around, as though seeking for some weapon. i put my hand on my revolver, and said as quietly as i could, remembering his own precision of manner:
“forgive my intrusion, sir; but i have urgent need of speech with you.” i suppose there was something in my tone which bore home to his brain the idea that i had changed in some way since we had met. do what i would, i could not conceal the anxiety of my voice. after a pause he said:
“regarding the treasure?”
“no!” said i: “since last night i have not even given it a thought.” a strange, new look came over his face, a look in which hope and concern seemed to have equal parts. he paused again; i could see he was thinking. mechanically i tapped my foot on the floor with impatience; the golden moments were flying by. he realised my gravity of purpose, and, manifestly turning his attention to me, said:
“speak on senor!” by this time i had well in my mind what i intended to say. it was not my purpose to further antagonise the spaniard; at the outset at any rate. later on, that might be necessary; but i should exhaust other means first.
“i have come, sir, to ask your aid, the help of a gentleman; and i feel at a loss how to ask it.” through the high-bred courtesy of the spaniard’s manner came a note of bitterness, as he answered:
“alas! senor, i know the feeling. have not i myself[360] asked on such a plea; and stooped in vain!” i had nothing to say in reply to this, so went on:
“sir, i am aware that you can make much sacrifice: i ask, not for myself, but for a lady in peril!” he answered quickly:
“a lady! in peril! say on senor!” there was such hope and purpose in his quick tone that my heart instinctively leaped as i went on:
“in peril, sir; of life; of honour. to you i appeal to lay aside your feelings of hate towards me, however just they may be; and come like a true gentleman to her aid. i am emboldened to ask this because it was, i think, by your act that the peril—the immediate peril, has come to her.” he flushed at once:
“through me! peril to a lady’s honour through me! have a care, sir! have a care!” with a rush i went on:
“by your going into the castle through a secret passage, other enemies of the lady, low, base and unscrupulous who have been plotting to carry her off for ransom, have doubtless made an entry otherwise impossible to them. now we must find a clue, and at once. tell me, i implore you, of the secret way; that thus we may at once begin our search.” for a few seconds he looked me through and through; i think he suspected some plot or trap, for he said slowly:
“and the treasure; can you leave it?” i answered hotly:
“the treasure! i have not even thought of it since the news came of marjory’s disappearance!” here i took it that he was beginning his unscrupulous purpose, and was playing my loss against his own; and a thought came to me that had not even crossed my mind before—had he been the abductor for the purpose of just such a bargain? i took from my pocket the key of the house in[361] whinnyfold and held it out to him. “here sir” i said “is the key of my house. take it with all it contains, and all it leads to! the treasure is as you left it last night; only help me in my need.”
he waved my hand aside with an impatient gesture as he said simply:
“i do not bargain with a woman’s honour. such comes before all the treasures of popes or kings; before the oath and duty of a de escoban. come! senor, there is no time to lose. let us settle this affair first; later we can arrange matters that rest between thee and me!”
“your hand, sir” was all i could say. “in such trouble as mine, there is no help like that of a gentleman. but will you not honour me by keeping the key? this other is a trust which you have won by honour; as your great ancestor won his glorious duty long ago.” he did not hesitate; all he said as he took the key was:
“it is a part of my duty which i must not forego.”
as we left the house he looked like a new man—a man born again; there was such joyous gladness in his face and voice and movements that i wondered. i could not help saying when we had got into the cart and were on our way:
“you seem happy, sir. i would that i could feel the same.”
“ah, senor, i am happy beyond belief. i am happy as one raised from hell to heaven. for now my honour is no more perilled. god has been good to me to show a way, even to death, without dishonour.”
as we flew along to crom i told him what i knew of the secret passage between the chapel and the monument. he wondered at my having discovered the secret; but when i told him of how the blackmailing gang had used the way to evade the secret service men, he suddenly cried out:
[362]
“there was but one who ever knew the secret of that passage; my kinsman, with whom i stayed in crom when young, told me of him. he tried much to find the entrance to the castle, and finally under threat he went away to america. he was a base-born and a thief. it must be he who has come back after these years and has told of the secret way. alas! they must have watched me when i went, all unsuspicious; and so discovered the other secret.” then he tried to explain where the entrance was. it was not in the chamber where we had expected it would be, but in a narrow corner of the stair, the whole corner being one stone and forming the entrance.
when we arrived at crom we found that the secret service men were waiting for me, having been instructed from london. there were also telegrams from adams and cathcart saying that they were on the way to join me. adams wired from aberdeen, and cathcart from kingussie. mrs. jack was with the detectives and had taken them through the rooms which marjory had used. they had had up the servants one by one and examined them as to what they knew. the chief man had insisted on this; he said matters were now too serious to play the fool any longer. the servants were not told anything, even that marjory was missing; but of course they had their suspicions. a peremptory order was given that no one should leave the house without permission. the chief confided to me that mrs. jack had quite broken down when she was telling him that marjory knew all along about the blackmailers and had never told her. “but she’s all right now, sir,” he concluded. “that old lady is just full of sand; and i tell you her head is level. she’s been thinking of everything which could possibly be of use to us. i guess i have heard[363] more of this racket within the last half hour than i have done in the last two weeks.”
by the instructions of don bernardino we went into the library. i asked mrs. jack to send for lamps and candles, and these were brought shortly. in the meantime i asked that one of the detectives should be sent into the old chapel and another to the monument on the hill. both were warned to have their guns ready, and to allow no one to pass at any hazard. to each before going i explained the secret mode of entry.
the don went over to one of the book-cases—the very section containing the shelf in which i had replaced the old law book. taking out that particular volume, he put his hand in and pressed a spring. there was a faint click. he replaced the book and pressed against the bookcase with slow level pressure. very slowly it seemed to give way before him; and then turning on a hinge at one side, left an open cavity through which a man could easily pass. i was about to rush in, and was quite ready, with a lamp in one hand and a revolver in the other, when the chief of the detectives laid a restraining hand on my arm as he said:
“wait a moment. if you go too fast you may obliterate some sign which would give us a clue!” the wisdom of his speech was not to be gainsaid. instinctively i fell back; two of the trained observers drew close to the doorway, and holding their lamp in such wise as to throw light all round the opening, began an exact scrutiny. one of them knelt down and examined the flooring; the other confined his attention to roof and walls. after a silence, lasting perhaps a minute, the man kneeling stood up and said:
“not a doubt about it! there has been a violent struggle here at the doorway!”
