the woman in the alcove-第40节

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s　self…confident　man　a　matter　of　no　great　risk。　Nor　did　he　find　it　so。　He　reached　his　strong　room；　procured　his　securities　and　was　leaving　the　house；　without　having　suffered　an　alarm；　when　some　instinct　of　self…preservation　suggested　to　him　the　advisability　of　arming　himself　with　a　pistol。　His　own　was　in　Maine；　but　he　remembered　where　Sears　kept　his；　he　had　seen　it　often　enough　in　that　old　trunk　he　had　brought　with　him　from　the　Sierras。　He　accordingly　went　up　stairs　to　the　steward's　room；　found　the　pistol　and　became　from　that　instant　invincible。　But　in　restoring　the　articles　he　had　pulled　out　he　came　across　a　photograph　of　his　wife　and　lost　himself　over　it　and　went　mad；　as　we　have　heard　the　detective　tell。　That　later；　he　should　succeed　in　trapping　this　detective　and　should　leave　the　house　without　a　qualm　as　to　his　fate　shows　what　sort　of　man　he　was　in　moments　of　extreme　danger。　I　doubt；　from　what　I　have　heard　of　him　since；　if　he　ever　gave　two　thoughts　to　the　man　after　he　had　sprung　the　double　lock　on　him；　which；　considering　his　extreme　ignorance　of　who　his　victim　was　or　what　relation　he　bore　to　his　own　fate；　was　certainly　remarkable。

Back　again　in　C；　he　made　his　final　preparations　for　departure。　He　had　already　communicated　with　the　captain　of　the　launch；　who　may　or　may　not　have　known　his　passenger's　real　name。　He　says　that　he　supposed　him　to　be　some　agent　of　Mr。　Fairbrother's；　that　among　the　first　orders　he　received　from　that　gentleman　was　one　to　the　effect　that　he　was　to　follow　the　instructions　of　one　Wellgood　as　if　they　came　from　himself；　that　he　had　done　so；　and　not　till　he　had　Mr。　Fairbrother　on　board　had　he　known　whom　he　was　expected　to　carry　into　other　waters。　However；　there　are　many　who　do　not　believe　the　captain。　Fairbrother　had　a　genius　for　rousing　devotion　in　the　men　who　worked　for　him；　and　probably　this　man　was　another　Sears。

To　leave　speculation；　all　was　in　train；　then；　and　freedom　but　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away；　when　the　boat　he　was　in　was　stopped　by　another　and　he　heard　Mr。　Grey's　voice　demanding　the　jewel。

The　shock　was　severe　and　he　had　need　of　all　the　nerve　which　had　hitherto　made　his　career　so　prosperous；　to　sustain　the　encounter　with　the　calmness　which　alone　could　carry　off　the　situation。　Declaring　that　the　diamond　was　in　New　York；　he　promised　to　restore　it　if　the　other　would　make　the　sacrifice　worth　while　by　continuing　to　preserve　his　hitherto　admirable　silence　concerning　him：　Mr。　Grey　responded　by　granting　him　just　twenty…four　hours；　and　when　Fairbrother　said　the　time　was　not　long　enough　and　allowed　his　hand　to　steal　ominously　to　his　breast；　he　repeated　still　more　decisively；　〃Twenty…four　hours。〃

The　ex…miner　honored　bravery。　Withdrawing　his　hand　from　his　breast；　he　brought　out　a　note…book　instead　of　a　pistol　and；　in　a　tone　fully　as　determined；　replied：　〃The　diamond　is　in　a　place　inaccessible　to　any　one　but　myself。　If　you　will　put　your　name　to　a　promise　not　to　betray　me　for　the　thirty…six　hours　I　ask；　I　will　sign　one　to　restore　you　the　diamond　before　one…thirty　o'clock　on　Friday。〃

〃I　will；〃　said　Mr。　Grey。

So　the　promises　were　written　and　duly　exchanged。　Mr。　Grey　returned　to　New　York　and　Fairbrother　boarded　his　launch。

The　diamond　really　was　in　New　York；　and　to　him　it　seemed　more　politic　to　use　it　as　a　means　of　securing　Mr。　Grey's　permanent　silence　than　to　fly　the　country；　leaving　a　man　behind　him　who　knew　his　secret　and　could　precipitate　his　doom　with　a　word。　He　would；　therefore；　go　to　New　York；　play　his　last　great　card　and；　if　he　lost；　be　no　worse　off　than　he　was　now。　He　did　not　mean　to　lose。

But　he　had　not　calculated　on　any　inherent　weakness　in　himself；　had　not　calculated　on　Providence。　A　dish　tumbled　and　with　it　fell　into　chaos　the　fair　structure　of　his　dreams。　With　the　cry　of　〃Grizel！　Grizel！〃　he　gave　up　his　secret；　his　hopes　and　his　life。　There　was　no　retrieval　possible　after　that。　The　star　of　Abner　Fairbrother　had　set。


Mr。　Grey　and　his　daughter　learned　very　soon　of　my　relations　to　Mr。　Durand；　but　through　the　precautions　of　the　inspector　and　my　own　powers　of　self…control；　no　suspicion　has　ever　crossed　their　minds　of　the　part　I　once　played　in　the　matter　of　the　stiletto。

This　was　amply　proved　by　the　invitation　Mr。　Durand　and　I　have　just　received　to　spend　our　honeymoon　at　Darlington　Manor。





End