Part 32 (1/2)

”And the man?” breathed Mrs. De Peyster. ”Where is he?”

”He's down in the drawing-room, beginning on the tables.”

”It seems to me,” suggested Mr. Pyecroft, ”that since this summer hotel is filling so rapidly, we might as well withdraw our advertis.e.m.e.nts from the papers.”

”I wonder, ma'--” Matilda checked herself just in time. ”I wonder, Angelica,” she exclaimed desperately, ”who it'll be next?”

”Isn't it simply awful!” cried Mary. ”But Jack's gone into hiding and isn't going to stir--and the man didn't see him--and I'm your niece, you know. So Jack and I are in no danger. Anyhow, Judge Harvey gave the man a--a large fee not to mention any one being in the house besides Matilda, and the man promised. So I guess all of us are safe.”

But no such sentiment of security comforted Mrs. De Peyster.

Who was the man?

What was he here for?

One thing was certain: he and those behind him had made clever and adequate preparations for his admission. And she dared not expose him, and order him out--for only that very morning she had left Paris on her motor trip! She could only lie on the second maid's narrow bed and await developments.

Matilda went out to attend to her domestic duties below; Mr. Pyecroft withdrew; and Mary, the sympathetic Mary,--Mary who had no worry, for the cabinet-maker below would in due time complete his routine work and take himself away,--Mary remained behind to apply to the invalid the soothing mental poultice of ”Wormwood.” But ”Wormwood” did not torment Mrs. De Peyster as it had done in the forenoon. She did not hear it. She was thinking of the cabinet-maker below. But Mary faithfully continued; she did not cease when Mr. Pyecroft reentered.

There was a slightly amused look in that gentleman's face, but he said nothing, and seated himself on the foot of the bed and gazed thoughtfully at the wall of scaling kalsomine--and Mary's loudly pitched voice went on, and on, and on.

They were thus engaged when Matilda returned. She was all a-tremble.

Behind her, holding her arm, was a smallish, sharp-faced young man.

”He--he came in with the roast,” Matilda stammered wildly.

Mr. Pyecroft had sprung up from the bed.

”And who is _he_?”

”Mr. Mayfair, of the 'Record,'” answered the young man, loosing Matilda and stepping forward.

Mrs. De Peyster s.h.i.+vered frantically down beneath the bedclothes, her see-sawing hopes once more at the bottom. Mary leaned limply back in the shadow and hid her face.

”He tried to question me--and he made me bring him--” Matilda was chattering.

”May I inquire what it is you wish, Mr. Mayfair?” requested Mr.

Pyecroft--and Matilda fled.

”You may,” rapidly said the undeceivable Mr. Mayfair. Mr. Mayfair had learned and made his own one of the main tricks of that method of police inquisition known as the ”third degree”: to hurl a fact, or a suspicion with all the air of its being the truth, with bomb-like suddenness into the face of the unprepared suspect. ”I know Jack De Peyster has made a runaway marriage! I know he and his wife are living secretly in this house!”

”Why, this news is simply astounding!” exclaimed Mr. Pyecroft.

”Come, now. Bluffing won't work with me. You see, I'm on to it all!”

”I presume it's a newspaper story you're after?” Mr. Pyecroft inquired politely.

”Of course!”

”Then”--in the same polite tone--”if you know it all, why don't you print it?”