Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-12
CHAPTER XII.
Mrs Wortley of Oporto.

|
| so you didn't go, after all?" he said.
| I'm uncommonly glad to see you back
| Anything wrong?' asked Wiseman. He
| had recovered his temper. for he had sud
| denly hit upon theory which pleased him
| If he was right his troubles were near Of
| end.
| "Of course! You didn't think It was
| merely your company pinned for. suppose
| Last nights work was a failure; that's
! ALL"
| "Hullo!" said Harvey. Flows that? You
| told me this morning that 1t was all right
| Il thought 1t was. but I've learned better
| since them" said the gauger. But why
are you here now? Changed your mind?
| Or come to see for yourself that what
said was right, and that it was too risky TO
| leave Just now"
Neither" WiSeman answered. line
| widow has turned upi"
| What! The Portuguese woman
| Harvey nodded.
$50 there was no need to 60, he SAID
| ccmplacenty. But she's not Portuguese.
| We were all wrong which shows the folly
| of jumping to conclusions. Come up to my
room.
They went to the distiler's luxurious ift-
| tie den. Wiseman poured himself out
| liquer. and pushed the bottle over to the
gauger. He had chosen chartreuse, and the
choice was an indication, to any one who
Knew MS DdDltS, tlfdt he ptiitNtu iiV ""'S
| once more on the winning side. He was
| not very much troubled by his confederat e 8
announcement that there was a hitch be-
cause he was beginning to think that he
saw his way to new solution which would
render his already arranged plan unneces-
| sary. That involved some assumptions
which his experience of Eustace's wife, or
widow perhaps hardly warranted but he
| thought they were sound. On the whole
he was inclined to believe that things were
| going unexpectedly well with him and the
| belief made him ready to treat minor dis
appointments with a cheerful liberation. lie
| smiled he slipped his liquer, and enjoyed
! it's delicate favour with connoisseur de-
| liberation.
Yes. she has turned up he said. And
| she's not the ordinary intelligent foreigner
either, whom any fool can gull Shes the
snartest kind of the low-class English
woman-the kind that has lived by her wits
| in the past and can do it again If necessary.
She told me straight out that she had come
! to get her rights, and she wasn't particular
whether helped or hndered.
Her rights?" asked Black. ION, as the
| inconsolable widow of Sir Eustace:'
mo, as the mother of Sir Eustace's in
| fant SON said Wiseman. cat least | think
! that's what she means, but I'm not quite
sure"
"So-ho." whispered the gauger, with Il
| hooking grin of amusement. 'An infant
son, is there? You didn't reckon on that!
| He broke into a laugh. IT'S uncommonlY
rough on you of course he said. but it's
| uncommonly funny. too. Don't suppose it
| strikes you that way, though. What are
| you going to dO?'
II am open to suggestions?" said Wise
| man quietly. What would you propose?"
The gauger grew serious at once; for
Wiseman's tone. and the side glance from
| his half-closed eyes, seemed to hint at more
| than his words said.
Il don't propose anything he said
sharply. It's a thing that doesn't con-
| Germ me: and l warn you now. that If you
| u
on your own I won't help YOU
Harvey laughed, and gave himself another
glass of chartreuse.
What nervous chap you are some
| times" he said coolly. "Of course l don't
understand in the least what you mean. l
| shall probably make a point of acknowledg-
| Ing the infant baronet at the earliest oppor-
| tunity. Now tell me what you meant by
saving that last nights work was no good.
| You didn't bungle it, I hope. You told me
you had blocked the passage successfully.
| Black followed him to the new subject
| at once. Perhaps Wiseman was only laugh
| ing at him, limiting for the sake of enjoy
| ing his partners nervous fears; but he had
| a bad enough opinion of the distiller to be
| lieve that the request for suggestions might
seriously be capable of the sinister inter-
| probation which he had put upon it. The
gauger at the Holland Abbey distillery wa.
| q pretty enough scoundrel himself, and
| suitable company would be quite prepared
| to admit the fact; but lately he had be-
| to believe that Harvey w lSeildil Was d
holder Scoundrel than he.
$50 ! did" he said. but a determined
man could work his way through it. given
| time. However, since you haven't COMO 10
| Oporto after all. perhaps we won't give
| him time 1 expect he's trying it now"
Now" cried Wiseman. Then you were
seen last nightf
Yes, by that crooked little anatomy that
| drives the motor car" said Black savagely.
and the ghost nonsense didn't brighten
him either l told you that it wasn't likely
| that it would. He took his master to the
| refectory first thing this morning, and one
or both OF them is down below there now.
| l went to have a look at the barricade
| from our side, and l heard him at work
| on the other side"
''How long will 1t take him to work
| through" asked Wiseman.
The gauger considered.
at will be cramped working. he SAID.
! 1.-TWO days; perhaps three. 1t depends now
much of the roof has fallen"
Wiseman breathed sigh OF rellef.
| That's all right" he said.
| as it?" said Black. 1T seems to me that
| 1t means that we've got TO look sharp, NO
| body except that little motor-car mechanic
| knows that he's down there. Why shouldn
| we bottle the pair of them now?'
Because" said Wiseman, ITS too risky.
| The hue and cry would be out at once Be
sides, it isn't necessary.
| But tell you that 1t is. If we don't do
| Il now we shall have to do 1t In two or
| three days. when he works through. And
meanwhile were giving him the chance to
| talk
! The gauger was very much In earnest.
He and Wiseman had already thought out
their plan of violence, If violence should
| prove to be necessary. Black clearly
| thought the necessity had arisen now.
But Harvey apparently did not.
| oh nonsense" he said; 1--WE have two
| days And l shall be very much surprised
| If we haven't seen the last of Sir Eustace
| Holland in less than twelve hours. Don
YOU see that his game is up?"
| No | don't" said Black, doggedly.
| '"rhen III explain to you why say it is. y
| He gave his confederate a full account OF
! his mornings work. and of the conclusions
| which he drew about the newcomer. Black
| listened attentively to the facts. but OBJ
| viousIy was not satisfied with the theories.
| MY last words to her were,' Harvey fin
| ished, that she was fraud too; but on
| second thoughts l don't think the notion
| will hold Put shortly, the situation is this:
| She's the real thing; is the kid. Eustace
| is dead and the other mans fraud. /
| lose my title in any case but there's some
| satisfaction in knowing that the cocksure
! moralst who lectured me on my sins won't
get it,
| wait a Bit" said Black. you call heI
| the widow; but she denies It."
| "She doesn't. She merely refuses to say
| whether she's widow or a wife, But