Eye For A Tooth (8 page)

Examine the boot, we could not; for this was locked; and, since we could do no more, we let ourselves out by the wicket, to make our way home.

Before we left, we went on round the castle, until we could see the place where the drives came in.

There were in all three drives or private roads. And they all ran into a sweep in front of the castle’s gate. And out of that sweep, or
rond point
, ran the drive which served the garage and skirted the castle’s wall.

Since the moon was still up, though low, we retreated as we had come, past the garage and postern and into the lengthened shadow the castle threw. And so we came back to the Lowland; and forty minutes later we reached the farm.

Mansel was sitting up against my return, and Carson had soup all ready to serve to Bell and to me. And whilst I was eating my supper I told my tale.

When at last I had come to the end—

“You really have,” said Mansel, “done awfully well. I suppose you realize that you have been into Schloss Varvic and had a good look at Duke Saul.”

“My God,” said I. “And it never entered my head.”

“And I’ve no doubt at all that your lady friend is the Duchess. She was a Boston girl – Caroline Herring, by name. She was very lovely and charming, I’ve always heard. And she married Duke Saul of Varvic four years ago.” He sighed. “And that is so often the way. The bigger the blackguard, the straighter the woman he gets.”

Our hands were now pretty full, for we were watching Latchet as best we could. This, of course, by day only; for, now that they knew that some stranger had entered the ring, Forecast and Co. were not likely to work any more by night. Although, under cover of darkness, we could have approached the inn, that would have been of no use, unless we could hear what they said. But that would have meant going into the inn and upstairs, and “that,” said Mansel, “would be to ask for trouble of a very unpleasant kind. The horse has been stolen, of course; but it’s only human nature to watch the stableyard for a week to come.”

Of two things we wished to be sure – whether Forecast went to Schloss Varvic and whether, and if so when, he would send a telegram. And so, as I say, we watched Latchet as best we could.

Our method was this.

Three of us would drive to the crossroads which I have mentioned before. Two would then leave the car, and the third would drive to the lane, for this showed no sign of use and was the nearest place at which we could hide the car. The two would pass through the woods until they saw Latchet below them, sunk in its dell. From more than one point here, a man could see the Post Office as well as the inn, and from one particular spot he could look right into the coach-house, if only its doors were wide. With the help of binoculars, therefore, a pretty strict watch could be kept, and if anyone left the inn, we could see where he went without being seen ourselves. Every two hours one watcher would return to the crossroads, to meet the car and report; and if there was any news, the car could immediately carry it back to the farm.

On Friday this duty was done by George Hanbury, Rowley and Carson, while Mansel and Bell and I took the morning off. To be perfectly honest, Bell was washing the Lowland and Mansel was sitting beside me, busy with pencil and pad, and I was half asleep in the sunshine, listening to the murmur of the trout-stream and dreaming of Varvic in the moonlight and what a picture it made.

“I feel,” said Mansel, “that we must send Worsteds a wire – in Forecast’s name. If we don’t send one, he will; and ours will be much more likely to bring someone out. He’ll wire in the end, of course; but either he’ll put it too low, in which case they’ll send him instructions he can’t fulfil, or else he’ll put it too high, in which case he’ll frighten them off. To bring the big fellow out, he’s got to be made to believe, first, that there’s something wrong, secondly, that the game can be saved, and, thirdly, that only he can manage to pull it off.” He put the pad into my hand. “Bearing those facts in mind, d’you think that would do? Worsteds of course will believe it’s been sent by Boney or Gulf.”

I read the draft telegram through.

Forecast still in hospital carried on but found nothing so went to see his nibs waited two hours then told to come back next week please send money say twenty quid

WENSLEY

I covered my eyes and began to shake with laughter.

“I confess,” said Mansel, smiling, “that it has its humorous side. But business and pleasure do sometimes go hand in hand. Seriously, d’you think it’s too hot? I’ll never forgive myself if I frighten them off. The idea of Boney or Gulf’s visiting Varvic and trying to bluff the Duke will send them half out of their minds, but they may feel that, since he’s not seen them, they may be able, by coming, to keep the appointment instead.”

“I think it’s brilliant,” I said. “And the ‘still’ is a masterly touch. I wouldn’t alter a word. But I’d love to be there when they get it.”

“So would I,” said Mansel. “That’s the worst of these shows. One takes certain action, unknown to the other side. And you’d give a month of your life to be there when it takes effect. And to hear what they say. But you never are. It’s probably just as well; you’d laugh so much that you wouldn’t be able to stand. Never mind. We’ll send this wire this evening – from Salzburg, of course. The answer ought to be there by tomorrow midday. So we’d better spend the night there. I say ‘we,’ because I must go – I know how to deal with an accommodation address. But you and George must toss up as to who holds the fort.”

“George goes with you,” said I. “He’s had no show at all, and a night in Salzburg will suit him down to the socks.”

Mansel looked at me very hard.

“Right you are,” he said. “But no funny business, William. You’re not to go near Varvic. I mean what I say.”

I wrinkled my nose.

“We don’t want the Duchess followed on Sunday night.”

“She won’t be,” said Mansel. “On Sunday night we shall picket all three of the private roads. She’s bound to use one of them, and we stop her as she goes out. Then we turn off the tap on the feed-pipe and show her the way to the farm. And when she returns, we go with her, and we open the tap again when she reaches a private road. And then we come home.”

“That’s good enough,” said I. “But we can’t do it more than once.”

Mansel shrugged his shoulders.

“Sufficient unto the day,” was all he said.

And there I saw George Hanbury, strolling towards us with a comfortable smile on his face.

“All’s well,” he said. “They haven’t been near the Post Office. But China and Gulf have been splitting themselves on the car. Talk about spit and polish. They might have been hoping to win her some beauty prize. And good old Belper Orion cheering them on. All dressed up, he was – a study in brown. With a glass in his eye – I saw it – and a very rude hat on his head. And when China answered him back, he socked him one on the jaw. And China lay down and rolled. And Belper went and kicked him up to his feet. He’s a little caution, our Belper. He knows what he wants when he wants it, and that’s a fact. Then Boney comes out, all dressed up as a chauffeur, in navy blue. And dear Belper rehearses him in the stableyard. I tell you I laughed fit to burst. But he made him open a door and hold a hand to his hat. And China giggled and got knocked down again. It’s a pantomime, I tell you. If you saw it shoved on the stage, you’d swear it was overdone. And I saw it with these two orbs. Finally, off they go – Boney driving and Belper sitting behind. And Gulf and China laughing to beat the band. That they’re bound for Varvic, there can be no possible doubt.”

“Good,” said Mansel, laughing, and got to his feet. “And now let’s think about lunch. You’re spending the night in Salzburg, with me for chaperon.”

“Well don’t be too strict,” said George. “I haven’t walked into a night-club for more than three months.”

I was at the crossroads at two – with the Lowland this time, for Mansel and George were going to take the Rolls. As I slowed to a standstill, Rowley stepped out of the woods, to say that all was quiet and that neither Gulf nor China had left the inn. I bade him take my place and drive to the farm, break his fast there and be back by four o’clock. And then I went off to join Carson. All Latchet was very quiet, and, since it was very hot, the two of us took it in turns to doze and watch. At twenty minutes to four I sent Carson off to the crossroads, to send Rowley back to me and do as Rowley had done.

By now I was something surprised that Forecast had not returned, for from Latchet to Varvic was less than twenty-five miles, and Boney and he had left at eleven o’clock. From what I had seen of Duke Saul, I should have said that, without his letter of introduction, a man like Forecast would not have been admitted, much less received. But in such a case he would have been back by two. And when five o’clock had gone by, yet he had not come back, it seemed pretty clear not only that he had been received, but that he had convinced Duke Saul that, unless he took action of some sort, he himself was certain to be involved.

Thinking things over, I saw that, if Forecast told him the truth – that some person or persons unknown had now stepped into the ring and had actually in their possession the letter addressed to Duke Saul, the latter would be very angry, but greatly concerned. Such a letter was dangerous. And wild as he would be with Forecast and Worsted and Co., if he was to save himself, he would have to come in with them and to do his best to help them to bring the intruders down.

(Here perhaps I should say that Mansel had carefully copied both the letter of introduction and the very damning instructions which Forecast should have sent back. But he had taken the originals to Salzburg, as well as the four rogues’ passports and everything else. All this he was to lodge with the Bank in whose custody he had left the cloak-room receipt.)

And then another notion came into my head – a sinister notion that made me feel sick at heart. And all at once I knew that Mansel had had it, but, perhaps to spare my feelings, had not conveyed it to me. That was why he had looked at me so straightly and then had forbidden me to visit Varvic again.

Let me put it like this.

Mansel had heard my account of how I had met the Duchess and how we had hidden the fact that the coupé had entered the lane; of how we had driven to Varvic and had a look at the Duke. And he had asked very few questions; but one he had asked was this. “How long was the coupé in the lane?” And I had told him, “A little over an hour.” Which shows that he saw at once that, though we had hidden the place where the Duchess had stopped, we could not conceal the fact that
she had spent more than two hours on a run which, though you drove slowly, took less than one
.

The Duke would therefore know not only that she had stopped, but that someone whom she had met had observed the trail and had erased the portion which would, if left alone, have betrayed their meeting-place: and if he did receive Forecast and hear what he had to say, he would at once perceive that the Duchess herself was in touch with the people who now held the letter which Worsteds had written to him.

It seemed to me very likely that any moment now some storm or other would break; but I did not want it to break about the Duchess’ head.

At twenty minutes to six I sent Rowley off, with orders to send back Carson, take the car to the lane and wait there until we came.

Carson then watched with me for over an hour; but when dusk began to come in, yet Forecast had not returned, I told him to follow me and go down to the inn: “for,” said I, “I should like to see them arrive; and if we stay here, we shall only see the lights of a car.”

But I hoped in my heart that we should do more than that. In a word, I wanted to learn how Forecast had fared, and, if he related what had happened, to overhear what he said.

It was a fine, warm night, but the sky was overcast; and as we approached the inn, we heard two men talking English, and they were without the house. In fact, it was China and Gulf, sitting, smoking and drinking, and waiting for Forecast to return.

They were sitting at one of the tables, to the left of the door of the inn, for though we could not see them, the glow of their cigarettes declared where they were. Since no one in Latchet could talk English – or so, no doubt, they supposed – they did not lower their voices or seem to care what they said, and as we stole into earshot, I heard Gulf mention ‘the hostel’ and then ‘Biretta and Cain.’

Except for these two, we could hear or see no one at all, but Latchet was never busy, and after dark it was dead. And I think the truth is that, except for the people of the inn, the inhabitants rose with the dawn and were glad to retire with the dusk.

Now, glorious chance as this was, I could not forget that Forecast was overdue; and that if, when he did return, Boney drove the car up to the door, as he very well might, its lights would illumine the forecourt and make this as bright as day. Yet, if we were to hear what was said, we should have to enter the forecourt: for from where we now were standing – that is to say, in the road – we could only catch words here and there, and the conversation itself was out of our reach.

It was then that I remembered the benches, on one of which Gulf and China were sitting now. I had noticed these benches, when first I had seen the inn, and had marked that they were ‘coffered’ – that is to say, their fronts and their sides had been boarded from seat to ground. They were low, of course, but some seven or eight feet long, and, since they stood away from the wall, a man could lie down behind one and not be seen. As I have said before, one of these benches had been set on either side of the door. Between them, the steps ran down, so that the two were only some twelve feet apart. If, then, I could reach the bench to the right of the door, I should be able to hear what China and Gulf were saying, yet, if the car came in, I should not be seen.

The door of the inn was wide open, and a lamp, which we could not see, was burning within the hall; but this was not very bright, and the light which it shed only reached the head of the steps.

I breathed in Carson’s ear.

“I’m going into the forecourt. There’s cover enough for one, but not for two. So you go along to the path and get up to the coach-house hatch. They may drive straight into the coach-house. And wait there for me.”

“Have you got your pistol, sir?”

“I have.”

“Then take the safety-catch off. You don’t want to take any risks, sir, with men like this.”

“I’ll be all right, Carson.”

“I know, sir. But don’t you wait. If you’re seen, you throw your lead as quick as you can.”

My shoes, being soled with rubber, made no sound, and ninety seconds later I was standing at the end of the table to the right of the door of the inn.

China was speaking.

“I know, I know,” he said. “I’ve heard talk of things before that was goin’ to come out in the wash. But I don’t want my washin’ done in no Austrian jug. I want my — passport – that’s wot I want. This ain’t my line o’ country, an’ never was. He says he can fix the Dook. Well, Dooks ain’t fixed, my lad. At least, not by trash like Forecast. Don’t you make no mistake. I saw Forecast’s face when he saw that them papers was stole. White as a — sheet. He knew wot he done all right. An’ if only he’d got his passport, you wouldn’t have seen him for dust. But now he’s — well stuck. An’ so are we.”

“That,” said Gulf, “is where the Dook comes in. He don’t want us goin’ to Consuls to try an’ get home. So he’ll use his influence to get us tempory papers to take us away.”