TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10428, 20 September 1911, Page 2

TO THE UTTERMOST FARTHING.

CHAPTER XVl.—Continued

"Ah, so you did! 'Beg pardon, I'm sure! But, as I told you at the time, my dear fellow, you are a philosopher. A perfectly wise view to take, of course, but most uncommonly difficult, I think." He raised himself in his chair, speaking as though struck by a sudden thought. "By the way, this is the very scene of the comedy, isn't it?"

"Comedy?" "I should say tragedy; but to me I must say there is always something humorous about the affair, you know. It was here, was it not?" "If you mean was the will stolen from this room, it was." "Oh, was it really from here?" Clare, listening eagerly, bent forward in her chair. "Do you know, I have been thinking of it ever since we came I wondered whether ——" She stopped. "I—l know that you don't care to speak of it," she faltered, "but you don't mind just this once, do you?" Who could resist the prettiest of faces, the prettiest of shyly coaxing airs? Certainly Severance could not. ""Do you want to speak about it?" he said, smiling. "By all means tfhen. I won't mind il that is the case. What have you been wondering, may I ask?' •"Oh, all about it! I never heard much you, know; Mr. Bethell would never tell me." "I'll endeavour to be more accommodating. What ssih'all I tell you? That the bureau in 'the corner there is where Iso cleverly left my keys, or that the chair on which you are sitting is the one in which my lady visitor elected to faint away?" How much bitterness his tone and manner concealed only he knew. Pretty Glare did not even guess. "Tell me all about it," she said. "Just as it happened, you know."

Sir Derek made an impatient movement ; although he had introduced the subject he did not care to hear it pursued. Severance glanced across at the window. If Clare showed too much curiosity her foster sister surely exhibited too little. Once more to see that perfectly calm indifference of hers irritated him. "I'm afraid we shall bore Miss Latouche, Clare." "No, not at all," Lorraine said, as she looked round. "Please tell us, Mr Severance, if you do not object. This is a very appropriate place in which to relate the story, and Clare has always been curious. I confess that in my way so have I. One does not often come face to face with such a romance."

"If my personal experience is tie usual result of such a meeting, Miss Latouche, I should answer —most fortunately, no!" "And in your place, so should I. I have been told very few of the details. You will interest me as well as Clare." Her eyes turned from him to Sir Derek. "It is rather a strange chance," she said, "which has brought you two—the one who has gained all .and the one who has lost all —here together in this room with us two women who are, in a fashion, .concerned in the affair., Let us go a step farther and have the , thief Here, though only in imagination." Glare gave a. little shud; der. "We don't want her in any other sense, Lorraine I" "No, dear. Please let us have the story, Mr Severance. In your place 1 should remember all the details of that night as though they had occurred yesterday. But perhaps you do "

Severance did so remember them. His recital, though not,very wordy, was graphic; perhaps he warmed to his story the more because of the imr patient frown upon Sir Derek's face and the '. expression of somewhat os--tentatious indifference and inatteniori which it pleased him to Wear. '.'■ Lorraine .listened quietly, her face turned to ih<v window. Clare, gazing intently at the narrator, absorbed every word eagerly. ■ "She must have been eavesdropping!" she exclaimed as he finished. "She. must \ have, heard you and Mrs iWoorfield talking; Otherwise she would nbt have had. time, in the few minutes you were out of the: room, to find the ViiK"" ;

"I think that is very probable," he assented.

- "And when you came back she was at the door there almost on the landing? She had meant to get away." "No doubt. . She had got all she wanted!"

"Yet she stopped and spoke to you quite coolly—made her excuses and an appointment for the next day ? With the will in her pocket, I suppose? Oh, it's incredible! Imagine what she must have felt, Lorraine, when Mr Severance came back 1"

"She must have been frightened," Lorraine said quietly. "Frightened! The word does not half express it. I should have fainted. And fancy what .she must have borne ever since, knowing what she has done! It is enough:to kill her!" ; "Is it?" Severance laughed cynically. "I'm afraid I don't agree with you, Clare. Kill her? Why,should it? No suspicion points to her or ever has pointed to her. She must know that. And probably that is the only thing, short of detection, that would trouble her. You may rely upon it that the average criminal is pretty comfortable except when he or she is found out."

• "Do you believe that?" Lorraino asked abruptly.

(OUR NEW SERIAL.)

By CARL SWERDNA, Author of "A Mere Ceremony."

"I beg your pardon! Believe what?" • "What you havo Jusi, said. That the fear of detection or suspicion is the sole misery that a criminal suffers ?" "From what I have observed I should say so.'-' "Aiid that if he is never found out what ho has done weighs nothing? Ho escapes scot-free?" "In most cases I believe he does." "His nature being so hardened, so callous, to incapable of remorse or imagination, that ho is practically unable to feel or suffer anything but a mere animal fear of results. That is l your view?" "Substantially that is my view." "Taking, it that he could positively know discovery and punishment to be .impossible, the crime committed, the wrong done, would not affect him at all?"

"I should say not. Take this woman we are speaking of " . "Yes, take (her."

"She got off, as you say, scot-free; no suspicion has ever dogged iher; the proof of her crime—the will —is no longer in existence. I suppose we may take that for granted?" "Yes," I think so." "That being so, I should say the strong probability is that she feels nothing whatever beyond some sort of triumph in Iher success. But remorse, grief, terror? No!" "The criminal, being criminal, is necessarily oallous, heartless, conscienceless, you think?" "In the vast majority of cases, yes." "Do you admit exceptions, then?" "For the sake of argument, yes. But I have not met them." Lorraine shrugged her isKoulders; there was a note of 'disdain in her voice. "It is the ordinary view, the conventional view," she said; "but I confess I did not expect to hear it advocated by you, Mr Severance." "I am eorry if I have disappointed you. But it is as well to remember that tthe conventional view is sometimes as near the truth as we have yet succeeded in getting. You don't agree with me?"

"Not in this case." "You don't believe that the undetected criminal escapes punishment?"

"I believe he pays it to the uttermost farthing!"

"I should think he did!" Clare struck in 'brightly. "Or at least 1 know I should. But I dare say, Lorraine,dear, there are many hardened wretches who really don't care what they do, as Mr Severance says." She looked at him, smiling. "And that reminds me. You never said what the woman was like. Was she young?" "I could scarcely see; but I sihould not say that she was." "Oh, you are dreadfully vague! She was not pretty or you would have noticed her more. She wore a veil, yousaid.. Could you see her eyes?" "Not distinctly; but they were dark I.think." , VWas she tall?" '"About your height, as far as I recollect." "And ithat's all. Glare leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "You might see fifty woman in a. day who all or less answer to such a description."

"Undoubtedly you might, and then not find the right one." "Should you know her again, do you think?" , "If I saw her I think I should, But there is very Kstle chance of her ever venturing into this room again." "Certainly not, or anywhere near you. It is a pity that your discription is so unsatisfactory. I don't feci that I have got a picture of her at all."

"I am sorry that my word painting is not more graphic. A picture?-Wait a moment! lam not sure that 1 cannot gratify you in that way."

"Why, you have not got a portrait of her?" cried Clare. "Something like it, I fancy." "A portrait?" Sir Derek broke, his silence, maintained so obstinately long, and rose from/his chair. . "Why, how could you become possessed of that, Severance ? Do you keep a camera in the corner, eh?" ' ' "Nonsense! I can't call it a portrait. At the most it is but a, .pencil sketch, and a /bad one. -But it may amuse Miss Throckmorton if it is still here."

He went to the'bureau and unlocked a drawer, and Sir Derek stood in the easiest attitude, idly looking on. After a few minutes searching Severance advanced with a sheet of paper in his hand.

"It is very badly done," he said. "I never practised much in that line. One night here, thinking of the • '■- fair, I found myself sketching almost without being aware. I know no more why I finished it than I do why I began. There's a 'sort of likeness in it, though, crude as it is. It may serve to give you something of an idea of the original.," (To be continued.)