Blind Policy Part 43

They must have set upon her, tied her fast, and carried her down."

"Must, must, must!" cried James Clareborough, impatiently. "You were not here."

"No, boy, but it tells its own tale. Arthur was dressed as if for a holiday, and the other fool too."

"But what did it mean?" said Rob, hoa.r.s.ely; "suspicion--an effort to find out--or robbery?"

"Robbery, my boy, for certain. They thought that they would get at the girls' jewellery."

"Yes, that's it," said James Clareborough, sharply; "an interrupted burglary. Curse them! They had all the professional tools. Well, they won't want them any more."

Marion started, and Chester pa.s.sed his arm round her as he felt her trembling violently. For something like light was beginning to dawn upon her--a light which grew clearer as the thought of the butler asking leave for him and the footman to have a day in town, to see to some business, as the gentlemen were away. That morning at breakfast, and now--

The light was growing hard, clear and ghastly.

"Now, then," said James Clareborough, sharply, "let's look the position in the face. Everything turns upon whether anyone knows beside ourselves that the hounds came here."

"Yes, everything," a.s.sented the voice which puzzled Chester still.

"Would anyone know?"

"Is it likely?" said James, cynically. "They were coming on a burglarious expedition; they began by half killing the poor old aunt, and they were trapped trying to blow open the iron door. Is it probable that they would tell anyone they were coming here?"

"No; absurd," said Dennis, shortly.

"But still--"

"Will you hold your tongue, Rob?" cried his cousin. "Do you think they would have spoken?"

"No."

"Then we're safe in that direction," continued James Clareborough. "The next question is, then, did anyone who knew them see them come to the house? The odds are a million to one that no one did, for they would take pretty good care that their faces were not seen as they stood waiting. Besides, where does the inquiry begin? Down yonder. We were away; they ask for a holiday of my wife; she gives them leave; and they come away and do not return. Their relatives, if the poor devils have any, may make inquiry, but it is doubtful. I daresay we shall find that the scoundrels have been plundering us, and at the worst we could prove this. There it is in a nut-sh.e.l.l. They have disappeared like hundreds more, and the world will never be any wiser."

A chill of horror ran through Chester as he listened to all this, and he was conscious that his companion hung more heavily upon his arm, as if about to faint.

The pale, ghastly light was growing broader and clearer now, and as he grasped the fact that he was being made the recipient of the acknowledgment of a terrible deed, he felt strongly, knowing as he did the character of one of the men present, how perilous his position was growing. A few minutes more, he had strung himself up for a sharp encounter with the relatives who had, as it were, surprised them in a secret meeting. There would, he felt, be angry words, there might be blows, but the Clareboroughs would not dare to proceed farther. Now matters had a.s.sumed a dangerous shape, and his thoughts went towards the fireplace as he felt that the necessity might arise for him to defend himself and his companion--one against four.

His heart beat fast, but mingled with the feelings of alarm which would a.s.sail the stoutest in such a position, he felt thrill after thrill of delight. For Marion clung more tightly to him, as if trusting to his protection, and he mentally swore that he would protect her, come what might.

His thoughts came fast, but he had little time for musing; and as his arm tightened round his companion he listened eagerly for the next utterances of those who were grouped together some twenty feet away.

"Well," said James Clareborough, after a pause, "what have you all to say to that?"

CHAPTER THIRTY.

LOVE IS MASTER.

There was another pause, as if each of the other three waited for his companions to begin.

"James has spoken very well," said the owner of the hands which Chester could see playing about his breast; and as he uttered these words he too sank into a chair, and the ray of light struck across his face for a brief s.p.a.ce, one, though, sufficiently long for Chester to recognise the features of the quaint old bookworm upon whom he had called during his search for the house which had been the scene of such strange adventures.

"Uncle!" he thought to himself, as the old man went on--

"It seems to me that we have nothing to fear. It is our own secret.

What do you say, Dennis, my dear boy?"

"It looks all right, curse it!" said the young man, slowly. "I can't see how anyone can find it out. All we have to do is to go on as we have before--take care that everything is kept dark. What do you think, Rob, old man?"

"Think?" cried the latter, sharply; and as he spoke Chester felt a quiver of excitement run through her whom he clasped. "I think it is impossible to keep such a thing as this is quiet. Say what you like-- that it was in your own defence you fired, there are the men's pistols to prove it lying with their burgling tools; say that they were surprised in the act--the marks on the iron door and their false keys will speak for that--but we can't go on with it in the way you propose; the police must be called in."

"You cursed fool!" snarled James Clareborough. "Bah! you always were an idiot and a hindrance to our enterprise. You could spend your share readily enough, but you were always like a log to drag at our heels."

"My dear boy!" cried the old professor, quickly, "hush, please; there must be no quarrelling now; we have too much at stake."

"Yes, hang it all, Jem! do keep that vitriol tongue of yours quiet,"

cried Dennis.

"Who is to keep quiet when he listens to such idiotic drivel? Bring the police in--set their detectives to examine the iron safe that they were trying to force--to look at the jewels and plate stored up inside.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" he laughed discordantly. "Has Rob any brains at all?"

"Yes, yes; he spoke without thinking," said the old man, eagerly. "Rob, my dear lad, you see it is impossible."

"Yes, Rob, old man, don't you see?" growled Dennis. "You can't say to the hounds of the law, 'You must stop your scent here.' Why, it would, as they say, be blowing the whole gaff."

"Well, let it," cried Robert, bitterly; "let them find it out. I'm sick of it all, and have been for years."

"Then you must get well again," said James Clareborough, fiercely.

"Yes, yes, he is upset," said the old man, quickly. "Robert's never been himself since you fired at him, Jem. It was a mad act on your part; but there, there! don't let's open old sores. Let me speak. Rob, my dear boy, this is not a position in which a man can study self. We are all linked together in this business, and the one who talks of throwing it up talks of throwing his partners over. Think, my lad, of what it means. You cannot draw back. It is impossible. This is a most unhappy business, but the poor wretches brought their fate upon themselves. They have fallen in our battle of life, and there is that something to be done for all our sakes--our wives' and your sister's sake. They must not know of this."

"That's right, uncle; that's right," growled Dennis. "Come, Rob, old man, you must feel that this is good sound sense."

"Yes," said Rob, with a groan; "I suppose it is. There, uncle, go on."

"Yes, yes, my dear boy," cried the old man. "Well, here is our position, to finish up what Jem has said. It would be easier and better for us if we could call in the police and go through the inquest, but you know it is impossible. Now then, has either of you anything to propose over what must be done at once?"

There was utter silence, and Chester, as he stood there with a cold perspiration making his hair cling to his temples, wondered that those present did not detect the beating of his and his companion's hearts.

"No one speaks," said the old man, quietly; "well then, the old inventor has to come to the front again, as he always has since we held the first meeting, and had to look starvation in the face. Hark ye here, boys,"

he continued in a low, deep whisper; "I have turned it all over in my mind, and there is only one thing to be done. I am not going to be troubled about the disposal of what is, after all--speaking as a chemist--so much matter which has to be resolved rapidly into its primary const.i.tuents. There is the far cellar beneath the other house; we must dig there. Then a few bags of cement, and a carboy of acid, etcetera, and the matter is at an end."

Dennis drew a deep breath, and a low, hissing sound arose, which Chester felt must have come from between Robert Clareborough's teeth.

"Well, have I spoken rightly?" said the old man.

"Yes, that's right," said James Clareborough.

"You others are silent, but of course you acquiesce. You must keep the women down at The Towers, or take them to the Riviera for a month, and your aunt will know nothing more. There, the administrative has spoken; it is for the executive to go to work."