Red Money Part 49

"Is anything else likely to appear in the papers?"

"No, my lord."

"I noted," said Lambert slowly, "that there was no mention of the forged letter made at the inquest."

Darby nodded. "I arranged that, my lord, since the forged letter made so free with your lords.h.i.+p's name and that of the present Lady Garvington.

As you probably saw, it was only stated that the late Sir Hubert had gone to meet his secretary at The Manor and that Miss Greeby, knowing of his coming, had shot him. The motive was ascribed as anger at the late Sir Hubert for having lost a great sum of money which Miss Greeby entrusted to him for the purpose of speculation."

"And is it true that such money was entrusted and lost?"

"Perfectly true, my lord. I saw in that fact a chance of hiding the real truth. It would do no good to make the forged letter public and would cast discredit both on the dead and the living. Therefore all that has been said does not even hint at the trap laid by Silver. Now that all parties concerned are dead and buried, no more will be heard of the matter, and your lords.h.i.+p can sleep in peace."

The young man walked up and down the room for a few minutes while the inspector made ready to depart. Noel was deeply touched by the man's consideration and made up his mind that he should not lose by the delicacy he had shown in preserving his name and that of Agnes from the tongue of gossips. He saw plainly that Darby was a man he could thoroughly trust and forthwith did so.

"Mr. Inspector," he said, coming forward to shake hands, "you have acted in a most kind and generous manner and I cannot show my appreciation of your behavior more than by telling you the exact truth of this sad affair."

"I know the truth," said Darby staring.

"Not the exact truth, which closely concerns the honor of my family. But as you have saved that by suppressing certain evidence it is only right that you should know more than you do know."

"I shall keep quiet anything that you tell me, my lord," said Darby greatly pleased; "that is, anything that is consistent with my official duty."

"Of course. Also I wish you to know exactly how matters stand, since there may be trouble with Chaldea."

"Oh, I don't think so, my lord. Chaldea has married that dwarf."

"Kara, the Servian gypsy?"

"Yes. She's given him a bad time, and he put up with it because he had no authority over her; but now that she's his romi--as these people call a wife--he'll make her dance to his playing. They left England yesterday for foreign parts--Hungary, I fancy, my lord. The girl won't come back in a hurry, for Kara will keep an eye on her."

Lambert drew a long breath of relief. "I am glad," he said simply, "as I never should have felt safe while she remained in England."

"Felt safe?" echoed the officer suspiciously.

His host nodded and told the man to take a seat again. Then, without wasting further time, he related the real truth about the forged letter.

Darby listened to the recital in amazement and shook his head sadly over the delinquency of the late Lord Garvington.

"Well! Well!" said the inspector staring, "to think as a n.o.bleman born and bred should act in this way."

"Why shouldn't a n.o.bleman be wicked as well as the grocer?" said Lambert impatiently, "and according to the socialistic press all the evil of humanity is to be found in aristocratic circles. However, you know the exact truth, Mr. Inspector, and I have confided to you the secret which concerns the honor of my family. You won't abuse my confidence."

Darby rose and extended his hand. "You may be sure of that, my lord.

What you have told me will never be repeated. Everything in connection with this matter is finished, and you will hear no more about it."

"I'm glad and thankful," said the other, again drawing a breath of relief, "and to show my appreciation of your services, Darby, I shall send you a substantial check."

"Oh, my lord, I couldn't take it. I only did my duty."

"I think you did a great deal more than that," answered the new Lord Garvington dryly, "and had you acted entirely on the evidence you gathered together, and especially on the confession of that miserable woman, you might have made public much that I would prefer to keep private. Take the money from a friend, Darby, and as a mark of esteem for a man."

"Thank you, my lord," replied the inspector straightly, "I don't deny but what my conscience and my duty to the Government will allow me to take it since you put it in that way. And as I am not a rich man the money will be welcome. Thank you!"

With a warm hand-shake the inspector took his departure and Noel offered up a silent prayer of thankfulness to G.o.d that things had turned out so admirably. His s.h.i.+fty cousin was now dead and there was no longer any danger that the honor of the family, for which so much had been sacrificed, both by himself and Agnes, would be smirched. The young man regretted the death of Mother c.o.c.klesh.e.l.l, who had been so well disposed toward his wife and himself, but he rejoiced that Chaldea had left England under the guardians.h.i.+p of Kara, as henceforth--if he knew anything of the dwarf's jealous disposition--the girl would trouble him no more. And Silver was dead and buried, which did away with any possible trouble coming from that quarter. Finally, poor Miss Greeby, who had sinned for love, was out of the way and there was no need to be anxious on her account. Fate had made a clean sweep of all the actors in the tragedy, and Lambert hoped that this particular play was ended.

When the inspector went away, Lord Garvington sought out his wife and his late cousin's widow. To them he reported all that had pa.s.sed and gave them the joyful a.s.surance that nothing more would be heard in connection with the late tragic events. Both ladies were delighted.

"Poor Freddy," sighed Agnes, who had quite forgiven her brother now that he had paid for his sins, "he behaved very badly; all the same he had his good points, Noel."

"Ah, he had, he had," said Lady Garvington, the widow, shaking her untidy head, "he was selfish and greedy, and perhaps not so thoughtful as he might have been, but there are worse people than poor Freddy."

Noel could not help smiling at this somewhat guarded eulogy of the dead, but did not pursue the subject. "Well, Jane, you must not grieve too much."

"No, I shall not," she admitted bluntly, "I am going to be quiet for a few months and then perhaps I may marry again. But I shall marry a man who lives on nuts and roots, my dear Noel. Never again," she shuddered, "shall I bother about the kitchen. I shall burn Freddy's recipes and cookery books."

Lady Garvington evidently really felt relieved by the death of her greedy little husband, although she tried her best to appear sorry. But the twinkle of relief in her eyes betrayed her, and neither Noel nor Agnes could blame her. She had enough to live on--since the new lord had arranged this in a most generous manner--and she was free from the cares of the kitchen.

"So I'll go to London in a few days when I've packed up," said the widow nodding, "you two dears can stay here for your second honeymoon."

"It will be concerned with pounds, s.h.i.+llings, and pence, then," said Agnes with a smile, "for Noel has to get the estate put in order.

Things are very bad just now, as I know for certain. But we must try to save The Manor from going out of the family."

It was at this moment, and while the trio wondered how the financial condition of the Lamberts was to be improved, that a message came saying that Mr. Jarwin wished to see Lord and Lady Garvington in the library.

Wondering what the lawyer had come about, and dreading further bad news, the young couple descended, leaving the widow to her packing up. They found the lean, dry solicitor waiting for them with a smiling face.

"Oh!" said Agnes as she greeted him, "then it's not bad news?"

"On the contrary," said Jarwin, with his cough, "it is the best of news."

Noel looked at him hard. "The best of news to me at the present moment would be information about money," he said slowly. "I have a t.i.tle, it is true, but the estate is much enc.u.mbered."

"You need not trouble about that, Lord Garvington; Mrs. Stanley has put all that right."

"What?" asked Agnes greatly agitated. "Has she made over the mortgages to Noel? Oh, if she only has."

"She has done better than that," remarked Jarwin, producing a paper of no great size, "this is her will. She wanted to make a deed of gift, and probably would have done so had she lived. But luckily she made the will--and a hard-and-fast one it is--for I drew it up myself," said Mr.

Jarwin complacently.

"How does the will concern us?" asked Agnes, catching Noel's hand with a tremor, for she could scarcely grasp the hints of the lawyer.

"Mrs. Stanley, my dear lady, had a great regard for you since you nursed her through a dangerous illness. Also you were, as she put it, a good and true wife to her grandson. Therefore, as she approved of you and of your second marriage, she has left the entire fortune of your late husband to you and to Lord Garvington here."

"Never!" cried Lambert growing pale, while his wife gasped with astonishment.

"It is true, and here is the proof," Jarwin shook the parchment, "one million to you, Lord Garvington, and one million to your wife. Listen, if you please," and the solicitor read the doc.u.ment in a formal manner which left no doubt as to the truth of his amazing news. When he finished the lucky couple looked at one another scarcely able to speak.

It was Agnes who recovered her voice first.

"Oh, it can't be true--it can't be true," she cried. "Noel, pinch me, for I must be dreaming."