The Mandarin's Fan Part 43

"But the fan is here."

"Yes. Hwei however thinks Tung-yu has it. I shall tell him that Tung-yu has taken the papers."

"But by breaking the agreement come to before the G.o.d, won't Kw.a.n.g-ho be angry, Marquis."

"Hwei does not mind, he is my slave and will do anything for me.

No--No," added the Marquis calmly, "as Tung-yu first disobeyed the G.o.d, in not bringing Miss Wharf to meet with her doom at the hands of Hwei, Kw.a.n.g-ho will give him up to my vengeance."

Neither of the Europeans could make anything of this. "What we want to know," said Ainsleigh, speaking for himself and Rogers, "is, how did the fan get back to you?"

"I told you last night it did not get back," replied Lo-Keong. "I heard from Hwei that the fan was given to Miss Wharf by Burgh--but how he got it--" Lo-Keong shook his head.

"From a pirate in Chinese waters."

"No. The fan never came back to China," Lo-Keong took a paper out of his pocket, "I should have given that to you last night. It will show you why Hwei and Tung-yu came to look for the fan in England," and he gave the paper to Rupert.

The young man read it. It was in scratchy female handwriting, and was to the effect that the fan of the Marquis was in the possession of a certain person in England. No name was signed to this paper, and after Rodgers had read it, Lo-Keong took it again and laid it on the table.

"So you see," he remarked, "when I got that letter, I knew the fan was in England. I sent Hwei to search for it, and of course Tung-yu on behalf of Hop Sing came also. They could not find who had written the letter, and advertised the fan as you know."

"Then Burgh told a lie," said Rupert.

Lo-Keong opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, Mrs.

Ainsleigh entered with a sheet of foolscap in her hand. "I beg your pardon for interrupting you gentlemen," she said excitedly, "but here is something you should know. Rupert," she turned to her husband and thrust the paper into his hand. "It's from Dr. Forge."

"What?" cried Ainsleigh astonished. "Has he dared to write?"

"Yes, and he writes to some purpose. Read it out Rupert. I am sure the Marquis and Mr. Rodgers will be glad to hear."

"If it bears on the case," hesitated the detective.

"It does," answered Olivia seating herself, "listen."

Rupert glanced at the heading of the letter. "He gives London as his address," he said, "so he apparently is afraid of being caught."

"Read, dear," said Mrs. Ainsleigh impatiently.

Thus adjured Rupert began. "My dear Mrs. Ainsleigh," said Forge in his communication, "I write to you rather than your husband, as I think you will judge me fairer than he will."

"As if I could," put in Mrs. Ainsleigh impatiently.

"I am not a good man, and I never pretended to be. But I have been poor all my life, and the lack of money is the cause of my having acted in a way which, otherwise I should not have done. There is much truth in Becky Sharp's remark that anyone can be good on five thousand a year.

Had I possessed that amount this letter would never have been written.

As it is, I write, because I hear that the Marquis Lo-Keong is in England, and he will no doubt, tell your husband his own story."

"Which is not creditable to Forge," said the Marquis, suavely.

Rupert nodded and proceeded.... "I was at college with Markham Ainsleigh, your husband's father, and he believed in me. But I was always jealous of him, as he was handsomer than I was; he possessed an ancient and honoured name, and was fairly well off. I was born of poor parents and was of humble origin. Markham certainly helped me with money and with influence, so that I obtained my degree."

"And a nice way he repaid his obligations," said Olivia, sharply.

"He's frank enough about his baseness at all events," said Rupert, and then continued the letter. "Markham wanted money, and as the doctor of a liner to Hong-Kong, I had heard of a little-worked gold mine on the Hwei River. I told Markham about it, and proposed that he should go to China to work the mine. He agreed, and took me with him, as he thought that my medical knowledge would benefit him."

"Does Forge say he owned part of the mine?" asked Lo-Keong.

"No. Listen," said Rupert, reading slowly. "I was merely the doctor, as Markham bought the rights to work the mine with his own money. But he promised me a share, and my share now amounts to ten thousand pounds."

"That is true in a way," said Lo-Keong, "out of the money I pay you, Mr.

Ainsleigh, this man can certainly claim that amount."

"Then what I receive must be a large sum," said Rupert.

The Chinaman smiled faintly. "Much larger than you think," said Lo-Keong, "pardon my interruption and proceed."

Rupert continued. "But I was not satisfied with my share, and wanted all the money. Lo-Keong had an enemy called Hop Sing, and he promised if I could ruin Lo-Keong that he would put Markham out of the way, and give me the money which had been obtained by working the mine. I knew that Markham had never sent any money home, as he wanted to wait until he could become a millionaire, and then return to astonish his wife, and restore the splendours of Royabay. I therefore saw Hop Sing----"

"I think you can leave all that out, Mr. Ainsleigh," said Lo-Keong, "it is the story I told you."

"So it is," said Rupert, running his eyes down the closely written page.

"Well--hum--hum," he picked up the thread of the tale lower down. "It seems," he said, speaking for himself, "that Hop Sing fell into disgrace, and Forge could not get the money. He went to China several times, as Hop Sing recovered his position----"

"And I fell into disgrace," said the Marquis, "the Empress is a woman you know--pardon me, Mrs. Ainsleigh--and whimsical."

"Well," said Rupert, smiling, "you seem to have been up and down several times. When Hop Sing was in favour, Forge went to China, but the Mandarin refused to help him to get the money which was under the control of Lo-Keong, unless the fan was obtained. Forge learned the conditions of the fan, and finally got it from the Major. He took it to England and locked it up in a cabinet. But he was afraid to take it to China or use it in case Hwei should kill him."

"And Hwei would have killed him," said the Marquis, "it was as well that Forge was so careful. But how did he lose the fan?"

"Miss Pewsey took it," said Rupert glancing at the letter.

"A woman," the Marquis took the note from the table, and pa.s.sed it to Mrs. Ainsleigh. "Tell me, madam, is that a woman's handwriting."

Olivia looked surprised. "It is Miss Pewsey's handwriting."

"Ah," said Rupert, "so she wrote to Lo-Keong telling him the fan was in England. Listen to what the doctor says," and he began to read again.

"Miss Pewsey came to my house and was very friendly. She wanted me to marry her, saying she was trying to get Miss Wharf to leave her the money, that should have been left to you Mrs. Ainsleigh."

"Ah," said Olivia significantly, "so she _did_ work for that. Go on."

The letter went on as follows:--"I didn't like Miss Pewsey who was old and ugly and evil--much worse than I ever was, in my worst days. But she haunted my house and I got used to her. I used to smoke opium, and grew very ill. In fact on more than one occasion I became delirious. Miss Pewsey came and nursed me. She took advantage of my delirium to learn the whole story of the fan, and learned also--don't be startled at this Mrs. Ainsleigh--that through me Markham had lost his life."

"We know that from the Marquis," said Rodgers, "but I suspect Mr. Forge wouldn't have spoken out had he not guessed the Marquis would tell the whole yarn. Go on Mr. Ainsleigh."

"Miss Pewsey," went on the letter, "insisted that I should marry her, or else she threatened to reveal the story to Rupert. I was unwilling that this should be, as I thought--and very rightly--that I should get into trouble."

"And he would have," Rupert, broke off grimly to explain, "I should have shaken the life out of him. However, to continue," and he again began to read this highly interesting letter. "I therefore agreed to marry her, but always sought an opportunity of escape. During one of my insensible fits after a bout of opium smoking, Miss Pewsey took the key from my watch chain and opening the cabinet gained possession of the fan. I denied this to Major Tidman at Miss Pewsey's behest, or else Miss Pewsey would have denounced me."

"Not she," said Rodgers, chuckling, "she would have lost her husband had she done so."

"She has lost him in any case," said Olivia, "but I can tell you what is in the rest of the letter, as I see Rupert is tired of reading. Miss Pewsey gave the fan to Clarence to give to me----"