It was Mr.Hutchinson who, having an eye on the window, first announced an arriving carriage.
"Some of 'em's comin' from the station," he remarked."There's no young woman with 'em, that I can see from here.""I thought I heard wheels." Miss Alicia went to look out, agitatedly.
"It is the gentlemen.Perhaps Lady Joan--" she turned desperately to the duke."I don't know what to say to Lady Joan.I don't know what she will say to me.I don't know what she is coming for, Little Ann, do keep near me!"It was a pretty thing to see Little Ann stroke her hand and soothe her.
"Don't be frightened, Miss Temple Barholm.All you've got to do is to answer questions," she said.
"But I might say things that would be wrong--things that would harm him.""No, you mightn't, Miss Temple Barholm.He's not done anything that could bring harm on him."The Duke of Stone, who had seated himself in T.Tembarom's favorite chair, which occupied a point of vantage, seemed to Mr.Palford and Mr.Grimby when they entered the room to wear the aspect of a sort of presidiary audience.The sight of his erect head and clear-cut, ivory-tinted old face, with its alert, while wholly unbiased, expression, somewhat startled them both.They had indeed not expected to see him, and did not know why he had chosen to come.His presence might mean any one of several things, and the fact that he enjoyed a reputation for quite alarming astuteness of a brilliant kind presented elements of probable embarrassment.If he thought that they had allowed themselves to be led upon a wild-goose chase, he would express his opinions with trying readiness of phrase.
His manner of greeting them, however, expressed no more than a lightly agreeable detachment from any view whatsoever.Captain Palliser felt this curiously, though he could not have said what he would have expected from him if he had known it would be his whim to appear.
"How do you do? How d' you do?" His Grace shook hands with the amiable ease which scarcely commits a man even to casual interest, after which he took his seat again.
"How d' do, Miss Hutchinson?" said Palliser."How d' do, Mr.
Hutchinson? Mr.Palford will be glad to find you here."Mr.Palford shook hands with correct civility.
"I am, indeed," he said."It was in your room in New York that I first saw Mr.Temple Temple Barholm.""Aye, it was," responded Hutchinson, dryly.
"I thought Lady Joan was coming," Miss Alicia said to Palliser.
"She will be here presently.She came down in our train, but not with us.""What--what is she coming for?" faltered Miss Alicia.
"Yes," put in the duke, "what, by the way, is she coming for?""I wrote and asked her to come," was Palliser's reply."I have reason to believe she may be able to recall something of value to the inquiry which is being made.""That's interesting," said his Grace, but with no air of participating particularly.She doesn't like him, though, does she? Wouldn't do to put her on the jury."He did not wait for any reply, but turned to Mr.Palford.
"All this is delightfully portentous.Do you know it reminds me of a scene in one of those numerous plays where the wrong man has murdered somebody--or hasn't murdered somebody--and the whole company must be cross-examined because the curtain cannot be brought down until the right man is unmasked.Do let us come into this, Mr.Palford; what we know seems so inadequate."Mr.Palford and Mr.Grimby each felt that there lurked in this manner a possibility that they were being regarded lightly.All the objections to their situation loomed annoyingly large.
"It is, of course, an extraordinary story," Mr.Palford said, "but if we are not mistaken in our deductions, we may find ourselves involved in a cause celebre which will set all England talking.""I am not mistaken," Palliser presented the comment with a short and dry laugh.
"Tha seems pretty cock-sure!" Hutchinson thrust in.
"I am.No one knew Jem Temple Barbolm better than I did in the past.
We were intimate--enemies." And he laughed again.
"Tha says tha'll swear th' chap tha saw through th' window was him?"said Hutchinson.
"I'd swear it," with composure.
The duke was reflecting.He was again tapping with his cane the gaiter covering his slender, shining boot.
"If Mr.Temple Temple Barholm had remained here his actions would have seemed less suspicious?" he suggested.
It was Palliser who replied.
"Or if he hadn't whisked the other man away.He lost his head and played the fool.""He didn't lose his head, that chap.It's screwed on th' right way--his head is," grunted Hutchinson.
"The curious fellow has a number of friends," the duke remarked to Palford and Grimby, in his impartial tone."I am hoping you are not thinking of cross-examining me.I have always been convinced that under cross-examination I could be induced to innocently give evidence condemnatory to both sides of any case whatever.But would you mind telling me what the exact evidence is so far? "Mr.Palford had been opening a budget of papers.
"It is evidence which is cumulative, your Grace," he said."Mr.Temple Temple Barholm's position would have been a far less suspicious one--as you yourself suggested--if he had remained, or if he hadn't secretly removed Mr.--Mr.Strangeways.""The last was Captain Palliser's suggestion, I believe," smiled the duke."Did he remove him secretly? How secretly, for instance?""At night," answered Palliser."Miss Temple Barholm herself did not know when it happened.Did you?" turning to Miss Alicia, who at once flushed and paled.
