The Terms of Surrender Part 45

"I give no pledge of that sort," he said dourly.

"Very well. It means simply that Miss Marten will be protected from you."

"In what way?"

Marten laughed, a trifle scornfully. "You are young, Mr. Lindsay," he said, "or you would see that you are speaking at random. I hear a footman coming. He will show you out. But, before you go, let me inform you that, so long as you remain in this part of Devonshire, Miss Marten will have less liberty of action than usual; and that will be vexing, because she is interested in some bazaar----"

Then Lindsay's frank gaze sought and held the coldly hostile eyes of the man who was insulting him. "In that event," he broke in, "you leave me no option but to state that I return to Aldershot by the first available train. It would appear, Mr. Marten, that I value your daughter's happiness rather more than you do."

He went out defeated, but every inch a cavalier. No sword clanked at his heels; yet he held his head high, though his soul was torn with despair.

He saw nothing of Nancy. She had gone for a ride into the wilds of Exmoor, and had not the least notion that her lover pa.s.sed through the gates of Valescure an hour before she entered them.

Power heard Lindsay's broken story in silence. Even Marten's callous threat of confining Nancy to the bounds of the castle left him outwardly unmoved.

"I am not altogether unprepared for your failure," he said gently, when the disconsolate Lindsay had told him exactly what had occurred. "I compliment you on your att.i.tude. As might be expected, you said and did just the right things. I approve of your decision to rejoin your regiment at once. The next step is to prevent Nancy from acting precipitately. I think all may be well, even yet. But you agree that it was necessary you should see Mr. Marten and declare your position?"

"It certainly seems to have settled matters once and for all," came the depressed answer.

"By no means. It has opened the campaign. It is a declaration of war. I need hardly advise you not to have a faint heart where such a fair lady is the prize. No, no, Nancy is not yet the Princess Montecastello, nor will she ever be. _You_ may not marry her, Mr. Lindsay; but _he_ will not. I shall clear that obstacle from your path, at all events, and, it may be, a.s.sist you materially. My offer still holds good--remember that.

For the rest, be content to leave the whole affair to me during the next three weeks. Don't write to Nancy. It will do no good. I'll tell her you were here, why you came, and why you went. Do you trust me?"

"'Pon my soul, I do!" said Lindsay, and their hands met in a rea.s.suring grip.

A servant entered, bringing a cablegram. It read:

"Cable received. Everything in order. MAC."

Then Power smiled wearily; for the real struggle was postponed until that sealed envelop reached him. There followed some disturbing days. He told Nancy of her lover's visit, and its outcome, and had to allay her fears as best he could. Then, on the day of the bazaar, when he hoped to have many hours of her company, he discovered, in the nick of time, that Marten and the whole house-party from the castle had accompanied her; so he remained away.

Next morning he received a letter:

"Dear Mr. Power.--My father, by some means, has heard that you and I have become friends. He has forbidden me ever to meet you again, or to write. I am disobeying him this once, because I cannot bring myself to cut adrift from a friendship dear to me without one word of explanation. All at once my bright world is becoming gray and threatening. I am miserable, and full of foreboding. But I remain, and shall ever be,

"Your sincere friend and well-wisher, "NANCY MARTEN."

That same day Howard returned from the Continent. He brought a full budget. But, in a time when the world was even grayer for Power than for Nancy, one person contrived to give him a very real and pleasurable surprise. On the twelfth day after he had received MacGonigal's cablegram a man in the uniform of a London commissionaire brought him a big linen envelop, profusely sealed. He chanced to be out when the messenger came; so the man awaited him in the hall. He rose and saluted Power when a house-servant indicated him.

"The gentleman who sent this package from London was very particular, sir, that it should be given into your own hands," he explained. "He also instructed me to ask for a receipt written by yourself."

"Indeed. What is the gentleman's name?" inquired Power, scrutinizing the envelop to see if the address would enlighten him.

"Name of MacGonigal, sir."

"What?"

"Yes, sir, MacGonigal. A stout gentleman, sir, an American, and very dry. He made me laugh like anything. Talked about holdups, and road agents, and landslides on the railway, he did. Oh, very dry!"

MacGonigal himself cleared up the mystery:

"Dear Derry [he wrote].--I wasn't taking any chances; so I've brought that little parcel myself. Time I saw London, anyhow, and here I am. A man in our consulate tells me these boys with medals and crossbars are O. K., and one of them is making the next train.

I didn't come myself, because I don't know how you are fixed; but I'll stand around till I hear from you. London is some size. I think I'll like it when I learn the language.

"Yours, "MAC."

Power's first impulse, warmly supported by Dacre, was to telegraph and bid the wanderer come straight to Devonshire, But he decided unwillingly to wait until he had won or lost the coming battle. He telegraphed, of course, and told MacGonigal to enjoy life till they met, which would be in the course of three days, at the uttermost. Then he retired, and spent many hours in writing, refusing Howard's help, and taking a meal in his own room. It was long after midnight when his task was ended; but he appeared at the breakfast-table in the best of health and spirits.

Dacre, aware of something unusual and disturbing in his friend's att.i.tude of late, was glad to see this pleasant change, and talked of a long-deferred drive into the heart of Dartmoor.

"Tomorrow," agreed Power cheerfully. "I am calling at Valescure Castle this morning, and the best hours of the day will be lost before I am at liberty."

Dacre had the invaluable faculty of pa.s.sing lightly over the gravest concerns of life. He had noticed the abrupt termination of Power's friendship with Nancy, and guessed its cause; but he made no effort now to dissuade the other from a visit which was so pregnant of evil.

When the meal was ended Power summoned his secretary to a short conclave. Then he entered a carriage, and was driven to the castle by the roundabout road. He could have walked there in less time; but his reason for appearing in state became evident when he alighted at the main entrance, and a footman hurried to the door.

"Mr. Marten in?" he inquired.

"Yes, sir."

"Is he in the library?"

"Yes, sir."

"Kindly take me to him."

"What name, sir?"

Power gave his name, and followed close on the man's heels, and the servant did not dare bid such a distinguished-looking visitor wait in the hall. Still, he hastened on in front, knocked at a door, and said:

"Mr. John Darien Power to see you, sir."

"Tell Mr. Power----" came a stern voice; but too late to be effective, for Power was in the room.

"You can tell me yourself, Mr. Marten," he said quietly. "I'm sorry to thrust myself in on you in this way; but it was necessary, as my business is important and will brook no delay."

Marten had risen from a table littered with papers. A cold light gleamed in his eyes; but he had the sense and courage to refrain from creating a scene before the discomfited footman.

"You may go," he said to the man, and the door closed.

"Now, Mr. Power," he continued, "we are alone, and, whatever your business, I must inform you that your presence here is an unwelcome intrusion."

"May I ask why?"

"I mean to make that quite clear. In the first place, I have learned, to my astonishment, that you have wormed your way into my daughter's confidence, and thereby brought about the only approach to a quarrel that has marred our relations. Secondly--but the one reason should suffice. I do not desire to have any communication with you or hear anything you have to say, or explain. Is that definite enough?"

Power turned suddenly, locked the door, and put the key in his pocket.

"How dare you?" Marten almost shouted.

"I had to answer, and I chose the most effective method," was the calm reply. "Your long experience of life should have taught you that there are times and seasons when closing the ears is ineffectual. The wise man listens, even to his worst enemy. Then he weighs. Ultimately, he decides. That is what you are going to do now. Won't you be seated? And may I sit down? Promise me we shall not be interrupted till I have finished, and I'll unlock the door."