The Scales of Justice.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8524, 30 August 1907, Page 2

The Scales of Justice.

By FRED M. WHITE,

CHAPTER XXl.—Continued. "I might ask you the same question," he replied.' "What are you doing here? I thought I had got into a nice mess for a moment." "I think you had better explain first," Doyle laughed. "Mine is a very long story. And what do you mean by saying that Captain Ronald Cardrew is'in that house? Why, you know he is in India with his regiment." "So J thought; but he obtained leave almost as s-.on as I started for home. He came by the dverland route, and must have landed before I reached Southampton. Gilbert, I can tell you what I have never openly spoken of to anybody else. ' Cardrew was at the bottom of the whole business that led to,my. disgrace. He is ■■■ afraid that the truth wall come out, and that is' why he has hurried home. Even Sybil does not know that he is, in England. Why. should he hide his presence from her? lam down here to have that question decided." CHAPTER XXII. A QUESTION OP IDENTITY, g "What do you propose to do?" Gilbert asked. "You can't force your way into the house, and " "Of course I can't. But fortune is on my side to a, certain extent. For some reason or another you are dressed as a gentleman's servant. Perhaps you had better tell me your story,"and what has been happening for a day or two, and then we can shape our plans without tumbling over each other and making mischief. What are you doing here?" As rapidly as possible Gilbert told his story. George had no questions to ask; he was loud in his praise of Flora and the clever way in which she w "-waging things. /in angel of goodness," he said. "As soon as my fair name is restored to me, I shall know where-to look for a wife. There is only one woman in the world for me now, Gilbert, old fellow. She would then compensate me for all the trouble that I have suffered." . '-

"Ay, she is a good woman." Gilbert rejoined, "but this is no time for sentiment. Do you mean to say that Cardrew is actually in this house."

"So I have been informed. I got m 3 information in London, quite by accident. I have found one or two good fel'lows who are inclined to believe my story. One of them told me that Cardrew was in England, though he bad not shown up at his club. Mind you, that struck me as Deing more than strange. So my friend made inquiries for me, and elicited the fact that Cardrew was staying here with Mrs Dunlop-Gor-don."

"Mrs Dunlop-Gordon is best known to me as Madame Regnieri" Doyle said quietly. "Good gracious! Masquerading down here as a wealthy widow of a good family. Why?" "Why? So as to be near Dr Bernard Beard, who is in league with her. They used to be in partnershio together, when they ruined me between them, and I see no reason why they should have broken off the friendship! It looks to me very much as if Cardrew. was in the same boat, or why did he risk coming near your sister, at the same, time evidently desiring that his presence in Engalnd should be kept a secret from her. I'll soon get to the bottom of that."

"But how do you propose to do it?" George asked "The easiest, way in the world. I'll go up to the house and ask for the gallant captain. I'll say a gentleman is at the gate desires to speak to him. Then I shall come away without a reply, the assumption being that you are driving. If he is there, well and good; if not, you will be spared a few hours' ioitering about here." There could be no objection to Gil(bert's ingenious suggestion, and Drummond was eager to carry it out without delay. With a bold face, Doyle knocked at the'front door and asked for a messenger to be sent to Captain Cardrew without delay. Tho shot was quite a successful one, Jbut not exactly in the way that Gilbert had intended. It was true that Captain Cardrew was staying in the house, the footman said, but he had just gone out. He had slipped out by the side door that led to the woods. "Anybody else staying here?" Gilbert asked. "Nobody; only two gentlemen who came to see my mistress on important business," the footman exrsiained. "Americans, I should say,, by their style. They're in the din-ing-room now." Gilbert tl:r/."iked his informant for hb explanation, and slipped away. He would not leave any message, he said; perhaps his master would call On Captain CV.drew to-momw. lie made his way back to George.£

"I've found out something at any rate," he said. "Cardrew is staying in the house all right, but he is not in at present. He has just slipped Out at the side entrance which leads to the woods. The woods, my dear fellow, are a short cut to Tower Koyal, and our man has gone off to warn Mrs Dunlop-Gordon of her danger." . „ "The danger from the Americans, George exclaimed. "Precisely. We are getting on, Gilbert. Did you say that Sybil and my uncle were at the duke's charity affair?" "So Miss Cameron told me, bert explained. "If Cardrew were there " "I see your point," George responded with a chuckle. "The best thing you can do is to stay here and

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try to carry out "your original programme As for me, I shall go as far as Tower Royal and see what I can find out. For the present, goodnight." Meanwhile, events were moving on at Tower Royal. The charity dance was at its height still the floor of the great room covered with flying figures. A stately woman in scarlet detached .herself from the glowing scheme of colour presently and walked towards the door leading to the beautifully lighted refreshment rooms farther down the corridor as Beard en'e.'ed. The woman in red gave him a signal and he followed. Beard had the air of a man who has thrown care aside in the enjoyment of the moment.

"What is the matter? You look as if you had seen something." "So I have," the wdman said in a fierce whisper. "I've seen two of them. You understand?" Beard nodded. His flushed face had suddenly became a ghastly grey. "Better to be quite plain," he said. "You have seen the Virginians. Where?" - "Here, in this very room! They came in a motor-car. They came like the rest; they are not the guests of the duke and duchess. They paid their three guineas, and they are consequently free of the castle; By great good fortune I managed to see them before they saw me; indeed, I doubt if they saw me at all. I cried to find you and warn you, but it was impossible. I waited till they were gone." "You are quite sure that they have gone?" Beard asked. "Yes, yes; I saw them off. The sight of the two in evening dress, like peaceable Englishmen who are just enjoying themselves, made me feel sick and dizzy. It may be possible that they are just motoring about rhe country for pleasure, but I wish that I could believe that explanation." "So do I," said Beard gloomily. "It is no use trying' to deceive ourselves in that way. I thought I was free of them so long as my —so long as Winifred is well and uninjured. That was the promise given'to me in Virginia nineteen months ago. And, but for her sad mental condition, the poor child is as well as you or I. Were they altered at all?"

"Who? Those men. Not very much. A little grey and thinner, perhaps, but much the same. Bernard, something must be done! It is impossible to sit down quietly with this terror hanging over our heads. It was cruel, misfortune that deprived us of those bonds, I mean the bonds that Gilbert Doyle went to prison over. People supposed that he got, rid of the balk of them; those few j found in his room we knew were only' placed there as a blind. And then to 1 lose the great parcel, after we worked so hardly for them! It was maddening!" '■'lt would be still more maddening if they, were found," Beard said gloomily. "Such a thing would prove the innocence of Gilbert Doyle, and he would come and claim his wife. But what can we do? Could we get the oolice to take action?"

"On what grounds? Why, I have not even a letter of paper to show that I am under the ban of the Virginians. If I told the police, those fellows would come and shake hands with me and laugh in my very face. They would say that they were law-abiding citizens who were travelling for pleasure. And when they do strike it will bo in such a way as to make it impossibe to identify them with the outrage. That they should appear after all these years alarms me. What lam afraid of is that they have discovered the lie under which I have shielded myself so for so long. If they know of that "

Beard paused and wiped the heavy drops of moisture from his forehead; the big form was quivering from head to foot like a jelly. Man of blood and iron as he was, he looked bent and sunken now. He hastily swallowed a glass of liqueur, but the courage did not come back tingling in his veins as he had expected. He rose with a stifled groan. "I am not the man I was," he said. "I used to imagine that fear was the only thing that people shielded their cowardice behind. I suppose lam getting old. Let us go as far as the end of the corridor and get a breath of fresh air. Perhaps when I am cooler and more collected I shall be able to see my way."

The handsome woman in scarlet took Beard's arm and walked with him to the end of the corridor. They made a fine pair as they passed along, aind many eyes were turned in their direction. But it was the woman who smiled and carried off the thing so bravely, the man wanted was to be alone, to think. (To be Continued.)