Chapter 21

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

The next morning Darrel, who was still at the Rectory, paid a visit to Mildred. Had she been within doors she would have refused to see him, as she was much distressed in her mind. Frank had not returned from the Shanty, nor had Eustace appeared to explain the reason. Mildred was haunted by visions of the young man being captured, and, since she firmly believed in his innocence, felt very anxious. After a sleepless night she came out before breakfast to take the air in the garden, and so found herself face to face with Darrel in the most unexpected way. He entered the grounds with an air of possession which was intensely irritating to Mildred in her then state of mind, and she was not prepared to receive him warmly.

"You come at an awkward hour, Mr. Darrel," she said coldly, "and I am not able to see you."

"I thought you might refuse," he replied, sulkily; "but I cannot deny myself the pleasure of being the first to bring you the good news. You will be glad to hear that the murderer of your brother Walter has been caught."

Mildred nearly fainted, but saved herself by a strong effort. "Are you speaking of Mr. Lancaster?" she asked.

"Of who else?" replied Darrel, with a triumphant smile. "He is the guilty person. Last night Berry, of whom you have heard, came down and found him in Jarman's house. I believe there was a fight, but in the end the man was caught. You must be pleased."

"I am not pleased. Mr. Lancaster is innocent."

"Of course he would tell you that in his character of O'Neil," said the man, scornfully. "But it's a lie. I believe he is guilty."

"Perhaps you denounced him to Captain Berry?"

"No. I told him that if he left you alone I would hold my tongue."

The girl turned on him angrily. "And what right have you to say such a thing about me?" she demanded vehemently. "I am not engaged to you. I never shall be!"

"Oh, yes, you will," he replied, coming closer and looking into her white face with angry eyes. "You will be my wife, now that this villain is out of the way."

"Never! And Mr. Lancaster is not a villain."

"He is. He killed your brother. You cannot love the murderer of your brother."

"Who told you that I loved Mr. Lancaster?"

"My own heart. Bah! Do you think I can be deceived? Did I not see the looks which passed between you?"

Mildred looked on him with ineffable contempt. "You mean, low, pitiful coward!" she said, while he winced at the ringing scorn in her voice. "You come here to insult me, because I will not marry you. Now, hear me. I _do_ love Frank."

"Ah!"--a low cry of rage escaped him--"you call him Frank."

"I do, for I love him. He has said nothing to me, and I do not even know if he returns my feeling."

"Yes, you do," said Darrel, striking his stick passionately on the ground, and glaring on her fiercely. "You two understand one another very well. I believe that you knew where he was concealed after he left Jarman. Ah!"--he read her face--"you _did_ know."

"That's my business. Leave this place at once."

Darrel stood his ground doggedly. "I refuse to go. I refuse to give you up," he declared, with a growl like a wild beast disturbed at meal-time. "Your lover has been arrested. He will hang, and you will be my wife. I'll bring your pride down then."

"Never! never! never! Frank can prove his innocence, and I will die sooner than be your wife. You betrayed him, you pitiful coward!"

"I did not. Miss Berry learnt that he was here."

"Through you," she flashed out.

"No. On my soul!" he protested. "I said nothing. I don't know how she learnt it. But she did make the discovery, and told Berry. He came down here last night, and watched Jarman's cottage. He saw Lancaster enter, and waited outside the window. After a time he smashed the glass with his gloved hands, and sprang into the room with a revolver. Jarman overturned the lamp, and then--"

"And then," said a new voice--that of Jarman who had stolen upon the two unobserved--"then Frank escaped in the darkness with Tamaroo."

Darrel turned on the newcomer fiercely, but Mildred gave a cry of joy.

"Frank has not been taken then?" she cried, clapping her hands. "This man"--she looked scornfully at Darrel--"says he was captured."

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Eustace, who looked pale and ill, and was evidently in a sullen mood.

"Because I'm sure he has been taken by this time. I saw Berry last night--"

"Ah!" cried Mildred. "You came to help."

"Yes, I did. I wanted Lancaster removed from my path. Berry came to the Rectory to ask for my assistance. But he knew already where to find the man. I went with him to the cottage--"

"And you lurked outside, not being man enough to enter," said Jarman, with a sneer. "I turned Berry out pretty sharp. Being an American, he has yet to learn that an Englishman's house is his castle."

"And you have to learn, Mr. Jarman, that you have been compounding a felony in sheltering this criminal."

"Frank is not a criminal!" cried Mildred, with a stamp.

"Ah you defend your brother's murderer," sneered Darrel, savagely.

"Don't talk rubbish, Darrel," interposed Jarman. "You know well enough that Lancaster is innocent."

"He is not. He certainly escaped last night, but Berry is on his track. Lancaster may disguise himself, but Tamaroo will be spotted in a mighty short time. They can't escape."

"Why did you tell me that Frank was arrested?" asked Mildred.

"I thought you would be pleased," he said sulkily.

"No. You thought it would wound my heart, you coward! Go away!" She stamped her foot. "I hate the sight of you."

"Mildred," said Eustace, quietly, though he felt a pang at seeing how she defended Frank, "let me attend to this gentleman."

"I sha'n't move till he goes," said she, obstinately.

"You had better go," said Eustace, suggestively, to the Rhodesian.

"And leave the field to you," he answered, with a taunting laugh. "How many more lovers have you, Miss Starth?"

Mildred gave a cry of shame, and her face crimsoned. With a shout Eustace dashed forward, and before Darrel knew what he was about he swung him up in his mighty arms, and pitched him clean over the gate into the roadway, where he sprawled like a huge toad. Mildred caught Jarman by the hand, panting.

"Oh, you are a man--a man!" she said.

Darrel picked himself up, but did not show fight. His face was more like that of a negro than ever, and Eustace believed he was a half-caste, seeing how the racial type came out.

"You bully!" growled the man, fiercely, but keeping well in the roadway. "I'll be even with you. I can guess where Lancaster is hiding now, and I'll hunt him down--I'll hunt him down! He shall hang, and you, Jarman, shall go to prison for having assisted him. As for you"--he turned fiercely on the girl, who stood beside Eustace, shaking and white--"you shall be my wife. I'll break your spirit. I'll--I'll--" He could speak no more for sheer rage, and his hands trembled with excitement. Finally he gave a roar like a wounded lion, and dashed away. Mildred wrung her hands in dismay.

"He will hunt down Frank--he will hunt down Frank!"

"Nonsense!" said Eustace, roughly, helping her to a seat. "It's all bluff on his part. He can't know where Frank has fled to. So long as the boy is with Tamaroo, I am sure he will be safe."

"Did they say where they were going?" asked Mildred.

"No. There was no time. Berry, in a most wonderful way, smashed in the window. I expect he used his coat to avoid being cut by the glass. Before we knew where we were he was in the middle of the room, and covering Frank with his Derringer. The only thing that occurred to me was to overturn the lamp, which I did. Then I made for Berry, but found him already struggling with Natty. I managed to light a candle, and discovered that Tamaroo had disappeared with Frank."

"What did Berry do?"

"He accused me of sheltering a criminal. I would not let him leave the room, so that the two fugitives could get a start. Then I turned him out. I expect he joined Darrel, although I never knew that Darrel was outside, and they went away."

"But if Mr. Darrel was outside he must have seen the direction in which Frank went."

"I doubt it, the night was so dark and stormy. But, even if he did, he could do nothing. Berry, afraid of the law, as I thought he would be, did not bring a policeman with him, nor did he have a warrant. Frank can escape by half-a-dozen stations round about. They are all within walking distance. Depend upon it Tamaroo will take him to some safe place, and then we shall hear. I trust the negro."

"But about the will--the--"

"There is no time to talk about that now," said Eustace, brusquely. "There is much to be done if Berry is to be thwarted. He'll hunt Frank down with all his heart and soul, and now Darrel, out of sheer hatred, will join in. I want to save Frank--" He paused, and looked directly at Mildred. "I wish to save him for--"

She put out her hands. "No. Say nothing now. Afterwards we will talk--we can--oh! believe me--I--I--shall keep my bargain."

"Your bargain was not that I should save Frank, but discover the assassin of your brother," said Eustace, gloomily. "But to do the one I must do the other. Frank shall be saved, and the man who killed Walter shall be caught. And then"--he paused again with a shiver--"and then--we will talk, as you say."

"But I want to say--"

"Say nothing, Mildred. Child," he said, as she rose, "all I wish is to see you happy. I have made one mistake. Do not let me make another. No, don't speak. I'm only a man after all, and I am not equal to--to--" He passed his hand across his forehead, then started briskly. "But this is not business," he broke off, and held out his hand. "Give me the letter."

Amazed by his sudden transition from sentiment to business, Mildred did not quite comprehend. "The letter?" she stammered.

"Yes, the letter written by Miss Berry to you, saying that she loved your brother, and wished to marry him. Denham gave it to you."

"Yes, yes. But how did you--"

"I got her to write it," said Jarman, quickly. "She wanted me to deliver a message to Frank for her, and I agreed to do it on conditions. They were that she should write such a letter."

"I wondered that she should," said Mildred, searching in the pocket of her dress. "I came to talk to you about it last night."

"That was the question you wished to ask?"

"Yes. But the arrival of Tamaroo put it out of my head. Did she love my brother?"

"No. Nor did she intend to marry him."

"Then why did she write a lie?"

"Because she would write anything to secure her own ends," said Jarman, taking the letter. "This will not hurt her in any way, and as I asked her to write it she did. I am only beating her with her own weapons."

"What do you intend to do with the letter?" asked the girl.

Eustace put it away, and smiled faintly. "I am going to show it to a black lady called Balkis."

"I heard something about her from Frank. But why--"

"Don't ask me questions, my dear," said Eustace, impatiently, for he felt that he could not talk about the negress without exposing the opium smoking of the dead brother; "there is no time. I go to London in an hour. First I look in at that house in Sand Lane--"

"Where Walter lived?"

"Yes. Frank told me that when he called to see your brother on the day of the murder one of the windows was open. Tilly, the servant, in her evidence said that the windows were all bolted and barred. I am going to ask why she told the lie. I suspect that she knows that someone got into the house, else she would not have given false evidence. And that someone is the murderer."

"Oh, I hope you will be successful!" cried Mildred, clasping her hands. "And afterwards?"

"I go to the Docks to see Balkis. I'll tell you all about it when I return. Keep up your spirits, Mildred," said Jarman, holding out his hand. "I'll save Frank yet."

She bent down, and, before he could stop her, kissed his hand. "Oh, how noble you are--how noble!" Then she ran into the house to prevent further betrayal of emotion.

Jarman turned away sadly. "No hope for me," he thought. "She loves the boy, and he her. The two young things have been loyal to me, and have not come to an understanding. Shall I be less noble? Well, well, well!" He passed his hand across his face with a sigh. "We shall see."

At the Mardon railway station Jarman saw Darrel getting into the train. He gave a scowl as his eyes fell on his enemy, but made no remark. Thinking that the Rhodesian was losing no time, and wondering if he really knew where the hunted man was to be found, Eustace slipped into a third-class smoker. He dismissed the big man from his thoughts, as the only chance of saving Frank lay in getting evidence to prove his innocence. And Jarman hoped to get a portion of such evidence from the servant, Tilly Samuels.

On arriving at Liverpool Street he took the underground train to South Kensington, and soon found himself in Sand Lane. At the door of the house formerly occupied by Starth he saw two women. One was Tilly, who was weeping, and the other--Miss Cork.