Whither Thou Goest Part 14

Then had come the time of liberation, and the thunder of the British guns, under the leadership of Wellington, had freed her from the foreign yoke.

Rossett was very delighted with his chief, one of those sane men of affairs, a perfect aristocrat with just sufficient business instinct, who can safely be appointed to an important post. A man who thought clearly, saw far ahead, and made few mistakes, a man at once calm, temperate, and equable.

This Amba.s.sador, on his side, had welcomed him warmly. With the natural prejudice of his cla.s.s, he always preferred his colleagues to come from the old governing families; they thought his thoughts, they spoke his language. If sometimes they lacked a little in brains and initiative, they had a large balance on the right side in deportment and integrity, two very important a.s.sets, especially in a monarchical country.

Besides, he was an old friend of Lord Saxham. They had been colleagues together in their youth. Lord Saxham was of a too violent and volcanic temperament to rise high in the diplomatic or any other profession. Had he possessed a little more balance, he might have sat in many cabinets.

But no Prime Minister who knew his business could run the risk of including him. But, none the less, he exercised a certain outside influence.

Rossett wrote every day to his beloved Isobel; if he had time, long letters; if diplomatic affairs were pressing, short ones, a.s.suring her of his unalterable affection. Isobel wrote every day also, most voluminous epistles, covering six or eight sheets of the flimsy notepaper.

He wrote once a week to his dear sister, Mary, only second in his heart to Isobel. And Mary also replied at great length, but she was not quite so voluminous as Isobel. Her letters were generally taken up with reviewing, with her kind, gentle humour, the tantrums of her father, who appeared to be growing more explosive than ever.

Rossett had exchanged one letter with his father, to which he got a reply. Lord Saxham was not a great letter-writer, he kept to the point, and used as few words as possible.

"Glad to hear you are getting on with Stonehenge--a very good fellow!

Stick to it, my dear boy, and I will work for you at this end with Greatorex. We shall see you an Amba.s.sador yet."

Guy smiled when he got this brief reply. He knew as well as Mary that his father did not care twopence as to whether he got on in his profession or not. He was only glad his son was out in Spain, because his sojourn in that country separated him from Isobel Clandon. How frightfully obstinate he was!

He often longed for his sweetheart, but still the days were very pleasant. He speedily found himself popular in the society of Madrid.

He had been received graciously by the King, who knew England well, equally graciously by the Queen, in her maidenhood a Princess of our own British stock.

One man in particular had sought to attach himself to him, a man a few years older than himself, a certain Duke del Pineda.

Pineda was a handsome-looking fellow who bore himself well, dressed immaculately, and was received at Court and by the best society.

Unquestionably, so far as birth and antecedents were concerned, he was a Spanish Grandee of the first water. And his manners were charming.

But, all the same, there were certain whispers about him. To begin with, it was well-known that he was impecunious. And a Spanish duke, like an English one, is always looked at askance when he is suspected of impecuniosity. A Duke has no reason to be short of ready money.

Stonehenge, who had watched the growing intimacy between the two men, spoke to Rossett one day about it.

"You seem very great friends with Pineda, I observe, Guy." The Amba.s.sador had fallen into the habit of calling him by his Christian name.

Rossett looked at his chief squarely. "Yes, sir, we go about a good deal together. Of course, you have a reason in putting the question."

"He is not on the list of `suspects' you gave me."

Guy smiled quietly. "No, but I think he will be very soon."

Mr Stonehenge gave a sigh of relief. "I see you know your business. I don't know that Pineda has yet definitely decided, but he will swim with the tide. If there is a revolution he will try to lead it, like Mirabeau. In the meantime, he keeps in with both parties."

"I have led him on to a few disclosures already," observed Rossett.

"Ah, that is good. I can see that if you stick to it, you will fly high. Of course, you know he is as poor as a church mouse."

There was a little grimness in Rossett's smile as he answered: "I am quite sure of that." Stonehenge looked at him keenly. "Ah, I don't want to be curious, but he has borrowed money of you?"

The other nodded. "A trifle, sir. I thought it was worth it. I shall lose it, of course, and although I have done it in the interests of my country, I don't suppose the Government will make it up to me." The Amba.s.sador laughed. "Virtue is its own reward in this profession, my dear Guy. They can subscribe any amount to the party funds, but they won't give an extra penny to the men who serve them well. Anyway, I am glad you have taken the measure of Pineda. He has really no brains."

"An absolute a.s.s," corrected Rossett, "an absolute a.s.s, with more than a normal share of vanity."

"A most accurate description," a.s.sented the chief. "But, with his birth and connections, he might temporarily make a decent figurehead.

Monarchies have had their _rois faineants_. Revolutions when they start have upper cla.s.s and middle-cla.s.s puppets to lead them. Afterwards, as we know, these are displaced by the extreme element."

Rossett had found no difficulty in financing the impecunious Spanish grandee. For Great-Aunt Henrietta, on hearing of his promotion, had forwarded him a very substantial cheque.

Out of this, he had paid off Mr Jackson, and was able to take up his new post with a clean sheet. Needless to say that his sister Mary, the most honourable of women, was delighted at the position of affairs.

While events were progressing in Spain, Moreno the journalist had called on his old friend Farquhar at the familiar chambers in the Temple. It was a few days after Moreno's initiation into the brotherhood by Lucue-- the initiation which had been followed by that very significant interview with Violet Hargrave.

The visitor's keen glance detected at once that his old friend looked gloomy and depressed. And, in truth, Farquhar was in no jubilant mood.

His rejection by his pretty cousin, Isobel, the knowledge that another man had secured what he so coveted, was weighing upon him heavily.

He pulled himself together on Moreno's entrance, and extended a cordial hand. He was a very reticent man, and always hid his feelings as much as possible.

"Great things have happened since I last saw you, my friend," cried the journalist gaily. "I am now a full-fledged member of the brotherhood, the great brotherhood. You remember I told you I was going to be initiated?"

Yes, Farquhar remembered. Moreno had mentioned the fact, and he had been interested. He had thought at the time his friend was running great risks, but no doubt the journalist was playing his own game in his own subtle way.

Since that conversation, his own affairs had made him forgetful of everything save the daily duties of his profession, duties which he never neglected.

He smiled genially. "When are you going to blow us all up? You haven't brought a bomb in your pocket by any chance?"

Moreno shook his head. "Much too crude, my good old friend. We work in a more subtle way than that, by peaceful and pacific means."

He knew Maurice Farquhar well enough, so sure was he of the sterling character of the man, to trust him with his life. This reserved, somewhat priggish barrister would no more reveal a confidence than a Roman Catholic priest would betray the secrets of the confessional.

At the same time a man in his delicate and dangerous position must be doubly and trebly cautious. He must put even Farquhar off the scent, till the day arrived when he could speak freely.

He spoke a moment after, in a rather abrupt tone. "Forgive me for putting a certain question to you, and, believe me, it is not dictated from any spirit of impertinent curiosity. You remember our meeting your cousin and Guy Rossett? I told you I formed certain conclusions with regard to their relationship. Have you by any chance had an opportunity of testing the accuracy of the opinion I formed?"

For a moment Farquhar was at the point of telling this most inquisitive journalist to mind his own business, and not to pry into matters that, to all appearances, were no concern of his.

Then he remembered that he had known the man for many years, and during the period of a very intimate acquaintance he had never known him guilty of a breach of good taste.

Moreno had expressly stated he was animated with no spirit of impertinent curiosity. In short, he had apologised for putting the question. He then had some subtle and convincing reason for putting it.

Farquhar spoke more frankly than he had at first thought would be possible under the circ.u.mstances.

"After what you said, I made it my business to inquire. I am very greatly attached to my uncle and cousin. Whatever affects the welfare of either is deeply interesting to me."

He paused a few seconds. It was hard to admit to Moreno that his suspicions were justified. And he was gaining a little time by expressing himself in these cautious and judicial words, words of course which told the keen young journalist what he wanted to know, without need of further speech.

"It is, as you surmised, an absolute secret to all but a very few,"

resumed Farquhar, after that brief pause. "You diagnosed the situation perfectly. Rossett's father is, at the present moment, the stumbling-block."

"Thanks for your perfect frankness," answered Moreno easily. The next question was one still more difficult to put, for he had guessed the situation as regards Farquhar quite easily. The barrister was in love with Isobel Clandon himself, had delayed too long in his wooing, and too late learned the bitter truth, that a more enterprising lover had carried her off.