The Independence of Claire Part 34

Erskine's lips were set in a fury of anger. He glanced at Claire and turned hurriedly away, as though he could not trust himself to look at her blanched face. To see the glint of his eye, the set of the firm jaw, was to realise that it would fare badly with the masquerader should he come within reach. There was a moment of tense, unhappy silence, then Erskine drew forward two more chairs, and motioned to the Major to be seated.

"I think we shall have to thresh this out! It is naturally a shock, but Miss Gifford's acquaintance with this person is very slight. She took a violent dislike to him at first sight, so you need not fear that she will feel any personal distress. That is so, isn't it? That's the real position?"

Claire nodded a quick a.s.sent.

"Yes, yes. I met him twice, and I hated him from the first; but my friend believes..." Her voice broke, and she struggled for composure, her chin quivering with pitiful, child-like distress. "He is engaged to be _married_ to my friend!"

A deep murmur of anger came simultaneously from both hearers. The real Major Carew straightened himself with an air of determination.

"Engaged to her? Under my name? This is too strong! And in the name of wonder, what for? I'm n.o.body. I've nothing. I'm the most insignificant of fellows, and chronically hard up. What had he to gain by taking my name?"

"You are a gentleman, and he is not. Everything is comparative. He wanted to impress my friend, and he knew you so well that it was easy to pretend, and make up a good tale. He _said_ he was hard up. He--he-- borrowed money!"

"From the girl?" Again came that deep murmur of indignation. "What an unspeakable cur, and--excuse me, what a poor-spirited girl to have anything to do with him after that! Could you do nothing to prevent her making such a fool of herself?"

"Nothing. I tried. I tried hard, but--"

Erskine looked at her with his keen, level glance.

"And she borrowed from you to supply his needs? No, never mind, I won't ask any more questions, but I know! I know!" His eyes hardened again as he turned towards the other man. "Carew, this is pure swindling! We shall have to worry this out!"

"I believe you, my boy!" said the Major tersely. He turned to Claire and added more gently, "Tell us some more about this fellow, Miss Gifford! Describe him! Would you recognise him if you met again?"

"Oh, yes. At once. He is tall and dark, good-looking, I suppose, though I detest his type. Very dark eyes. Large features."

The Major ruminated, finding apparently no clue in the description.

"Tall. Dark. Large features! I know about a hundred men to whom that description might apply. Could you think of anything more definite?"

Claire ruminated in her turn; recalled the image of Cecil's lover, and tried to remember the details of his appearance.

"He has very thick hair, and brushes it straight across his forehead.

His eyebrows are very short. He has a high colour, quite red cheeks."

Major Carew made a short, choking sound; lay back in his chair, and stared aghast. This time it was evident that the description awoke a definite remembrance, but he appeared to thrust it from him, to find it difficult to give credence to the idea.

"Impossible!" he murmured to himself. "Impossible! High colour, you say; short eyebrows. When you say 'short,' what exactly do you mean?"

"They begin by being very thick, then they stop abruptly. They don't follow the line of the eye, like most eyebrows. They look--unfinished!"

Major Carew bounced upon his chair.

"Erskine, I have an idea.--It seems almost incredible, but I'm bound to find if it is correct! There is a man who is in our camp now. I'll make an excuse, and send him over to-night, if you can arrange that Miss Gifford sees him when he comes. I'll give him a message for you."

"_Send_!" repeated Erskine sharply; then he glanced at Claire, and sent a frowning message towards the other man. "That can easily be arranged.

We'll leave it till evening, then. We can't get any further now, and I must get back to my duties. The mater is scowling at me. Go and soothe her like a good fellow, but for your life--not a word of this to her!"

Major Carew rose obediently, perfectly aware that his company was not wanted, and Erskine bent towards Claire with a few earnest words.

"Don't worry! If this man is an impostor, the sooner it is found out, the better. He _is_ an impostor, there's no getting away from that, and he is making a dupe of that poor girl for his own ends. If we had not made this discovery, he would have stuck to her until he had bled her of her last penny, and then would probably have disappeared into s.p.a.ce.

She knows nothing of his real name or position, so it would have been difficult to trace him, and probably nothing to be gained, if he _were_ found. One reads of these scoundrels from time to time, but I've never had the misfortune to meet one in the flesh. I'd like to horsewhip the fellow for upsetting you like this!"

"Oh, what does it matter about me?" Claire cried impatiently. "It's Cecil I'm thinking about--my poor, poor friend! She's not young, and she is tired out after twelve years of teaching, and it's the _second_ time! Years ago a man pretended to love her, it was only pretence, and it nearly broke her heart. She has never been the same since then. It made her bitter and distrustful."

"Poor creature! No wonder. But that was some time ago, and now she is engaged to this other fellow. Is she in love with him, do you suppose?"

Claire shrugged vaguely.

"I--don't--know! She is in love with the idea of a home."

"And he? You have seen them together. He is a cur, there's no getting away from that, but he might be attached to the girl all the same. Do you think he is?"

"Oh, how can I tell?" Claire cried impatiently. "She thinks he is, but she thought the same about the other man. It doesn't seem possible to tell! Men amuse themselves and pretend, and act a part, and then laugh at a girl if she is so foolish as to believe--"

Captain Fanshawe bent forward, his arm resting on his knees, his face upraised to hers; a very grave face, fixed and determined.

"Do you believe that, Claire? Do you believe what you are saying?"

The grey eyes looked deep into hers, compelling an answer.

"I--I think many of them--"

"Some of them!" the Captain corrected. "Just as some girls encourage a man to gratify their own vanity. They are the exceptions in both cases; but you speak in generalities, condemning the whole s.e.x. Is it what you really think--that most men pretend?"

The grey eyes were on her face, keen, compelling eyes from which there was no escape. Claire flushed and hesitated.

"No! No, I don't. Not most. But there are some!"

"We are not concerned with 'some'!" he said quietly, and straightening himself, he cast a glance around.

The guests were standing about in little groups, aimless, irresolute, waiting to be broken up into twos and fours, and drafted off to the empty lawns; across the deserted tea-tables his mother's eyes met his, coldly reproachful. Erskine sighed, and rose to his feet.

"I must go. These people need looking after. Don't look so sad. It hurts me to see you sad."

Just those few, hastily-spoken words and he was gone, and Claire strolled off in an opposite direction, anxious to screen herself from observation among the crowd. She ached with pity for Cecil, but through all her distresses the old confidence lay warm at her heart. There was one man in the world who towered high above the possibility of deceit; and between that man and herself was a bond stronger than spoken word.

The future seemed full of difficulties, but Claire did not trouble herself about the future. The present was all-absorbing, full of trouble; full of joy!

It was seven o'clock before the last of the guests had departed, and Mrs Fanshawe saw to it that her son was fully engaged until it was time to dress for dinner. Her keen eyes had noticed signs of agitation as the two young people sat together at tea. And what had Erskine been talking about with that tense expression on his face? And what had happened to the girl that she looked at one moment so radiant, and at the next so cast-down? Mrs Fanshawe's affections, like those of most selfish people, were largely influenced by personal considerations. A week before she had felt quite a warm affection for the agreeable companion who had rescued her from the boredom of lonely days, now hour by hour, she was conscious of a rising irritation against the girl who threatened to interfere with her own plans. The verdict of others confirmed her own suspicions as to Erskine's danger, for during the afternoon half a dozen intimate friends referred to Claire with significant intonation. "Such a graceful creature. No wonder Erskine is _epris_!" ... "Miss Gifford is quite charming." ... "_So_ interested to meet Miss Gifford!" Eyes and voice alike testified to the conviction that if an engagement were not already arranged, it was a certainty in the near future. Mrs Fanshawe set her lips, and determined by hook or crook to get Claire Gifford out of the house.

That evening at nine o'clock the parlour-maid announced that Major Carew's soldier servant wished to see Captain Fanshawe on a message from his master, and Erskine gave instructions that he should be sent round to the verandah, and stepped out of the window, leaving Claire wondering and discomfited. What had happened? Was the impostor not to be found?

In her present tension of mind any delay, even of the shortest, seemed unbearable.

The murmur of voices sounded from without, then Erskine stepped back into the room, and addressed himself pointedly to Claire, but without using her name.

"Would you come out just for two minutes? It's some plan for to- morrow."

Claire crossed the room, acutely conscious of Mrs Fanshawe's displeasure, stepped into the cool light of the verandah and beheld standing before her, large and trim in his soldier's uniform, Cecil's lover, the man who had masqueraded under his master's name.