THE TEAR OF KALEE THE TEAR OF KALEE BY HERBERT INMAN & HARTLEY ASPDEN LONDON CHATTO & WINDUS 1902 PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED LONDON AND BECCLBS. ANNEX CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE THEFT ... ... ... ... ... i II. LETTERS FROM ENGLAND ... ... ... 13 III. THE FIRST WARNING ... ... ... ... 21 IV. HOMEWARD BOUND ... ... ... 27 V. THE END OF THE VOYAGE ... ... ... 34 VI. CONSTANCE LINTON ... ... ... 40 VII. THE VOICE THAT WILL NOT HUSH ... ... 44 VIII. "I KNOW NOT THE MAN!"... ... ... 53 IX. CHARLEY ... ... ... ... ... 58 X. CHARLEY GOES HOME ... ... ... 67 XI. THE MAN WITH THE FALSE BEARD ... ... 76 XII. ARRESTED ... ... ... ... 86 XIII. To SHOW HER FAITH IN HIM ... ... ... 95 XIV. THE BRIDE AND THE WIFE ... ... 104 XV. THE MEETING BY HARLEYFORD WEIR ... ... 114 XVI. A SUDDEN INSPIRATION ... ... ... izz XVII. FACE TO FACE ... ... ... ... 130 XVIII. THE BITTER TRUTH ... ... ... 138 VI CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGK XIX. AN UNLOOKED-FOR CALAMITY ... ... 147 XX. MADGE APPLEBYE ... ... 156 XXI. THE ABDUCTION OF CONSTANCE ... ... 163 XXII. WHAT THAT SUNDAY BROUGHT TO MADGE... 173 XXIII. THE VISIT TO THE GRANGE ... ... ... 182 XXIV. WHAT HAMILTON LEARNT IN LONDON ... 191 XXV. FOR HER SAKE ... ... ... ... 199 XXVI. THE CHAPLAIN'S DILEMMA ... ... 208 XXVII. MADGE MAKES up HER MIND ... ... 217 XXVIII. IN THE MOONLIGHT ... ... ... 227 XXIX. WHAT VICTORIA SAW AT DAYBREAK ... ... 234 XXX. DAVENPORT'S DECISION ... ... ... 242 XXXI. SUSPICIONS... ... ... ... ... 252 XXXII. DISAPPOINTED ... ... ... ... 263 XXXIII. TO RIGHT THE WRONG ... ... ... ZJO XXXIV. MOTHER AND SON ... ... ... 276 XXXV. THIS MAN WAS MY HUSBAND !" ... ... 286 XXXVI. THEIR LAST FAREWELL ... ... ... 294 XXXVII. AIM IE TELLS HER STORY ... ... ... 302 XXXVIII. THE RESCUE AND AFTER ... ... 310 XXXIX. BEFORE THE WORLD, HIS WIFE ... ... 318 XL. MADGE'S SECRET ... ... ... 326 XLI. THE DOCTOR'S EXPERIMENT ... ... ... 335 XLII. A STRANGE SEARCH ... ... ... 343 XLIII. THE DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION ... ... 351 CONTENTS vii CHAPTER PAGE XLIV. THE MEETING ON THE VELDT ... ... 356 XLV. THE TEAR is FOUND AT LAST ... ... 363 XLVI. JUST IN TIME ... ... ... ... 369 XLVII. THE RESTORATION ... " ... ... ... 376 CONCLUSION UNSEALED ... ... ... 382 THE TEAR OF KALEE CHAPTER I THE THEFT IT was hot as only an Indian midsummer can be, and all who could had betaken themselves to the hills to enjoy the delicious coolness of the higher altitudes ; while their more unfortunate friends who were compelled by duty or business to remain in the city grumbled, perspired, and cast envious thoughts after those who were escaping the martyrdom of the fierce heat, untempered with cooling breezes. On the marble of palaces and mosques, on the white walls of the cantonments, and the huts of the native lines, on the shops in Silver and Queen Streets, and the bungalows clustering round, on bank and native bazaar, those fierce rays poured ; and excepting for the unhappy sentinels perspiring at their posts, the ancient city of Delhi seemed as deserted as a city of the dead. And only when the moon arose, and the wind came whispering across the Jumna, did it assume a more animated appearance. Then did the lights gleam from bungalow and mansion, and the sounds of music, song, and laughter break upon the ear. Then Delhi woke up, and prepared to enjoy itself after its several fashions, with dinners, games, and all manner of social functions. In one spacious bungalow situated to the north of the cantonments, and close to the Mori gate on the west, and the old bed of the Jumna on the east, something in the nature of an evening party was in progress, as might be gathered from the strains of bright music, the sound of i B 2 THE TEAR OF KALEE merriment, and the soft swish of draperies a party given by its hospitable owner, James Westerton, one of the partners in the bank, the walls of which could be seen from the back of the house, in honour of his daughter's twenty-first birthday. Upon the verandah, the host and several of his male friends were gathered, seated, enjoying the relief of cigars in an atmosphere lower than the furnace-like temperature that had endured all the day. Directly before them the river ran, a stream of liquid silver in the moonlight, divided just above the city by a long, low-lying stretch of jungle into two arms, the narrower one nearer to them, and the wider, the principal course of the river, flowing swift and strong nearly half a mile away. " I say, it has been hot ! " And the speaker, a young fellow in regimentals, flicked the ash from his cigar as he spoke. " I think to-day beats the record this season." " Yes. There is one comfort, we may get another as warm, but it cannot well be worse." " I don't know about that. Let us thank our stars that we are not on active service." "Jackson is right there, Davenport," put in a third man, who, though dressed in white, yet wore clothes of clerical cut. He was Bruce Hamilton, the regimental chaplain. "Just fancy what a day like this would mean, tramping through the jungle, or clambering across nullahs, and being sniped at all the time. You might grumble then, when you saw fellows falling round you just as though they had been shot tumbled over with sunstroke. I've been in one of the hill troubles, and I have seen that." " So have I ! " laughed the one named Jackson. " And it is not an enviable sort of experience. Talk about thirst ! Why, I have felt as though I would have given the Tear of Kalee itself for a glass of water ! " " Always providing that you had it to give," put in the chaplain. And a general laugh followed. " By the way," said Vincent Davenport, " is there any truth in the story of that stone ? I have often heard it THE THEFT 3 mentioned, but could never gain any reliable information concerning it." " I suspect that there is a certain amount of truth, mixed with a great deal of exaggeration, in most of the native traditions," was the chaplain's answer. " But if you want the most reliable information, Mr. Westerton here can supply it. Native legends are his especial hobby, and he is a veritable walking cyclopaedia on things Indian." All faces were turned towards the grey-haired host ; and in answer to the looks of inquiry he took his cigar from between his teeth. " Kitmutgar ! " He called to the servant stationed at the end of the verandah. " Tell the mem-sahib that we will be ready for supper as soon as the young ladies like to finish dancing. It is as well to have the natives out of hearing," he went on, as the man glided away. " They do not like to hear their sacred things spoken of; and the Tear of Kalee is a very sacred one with them." "Then the rumour of its existence is not entirely fictitious r " queried Davenport. " By no means. Though its present whereabouts is not known, there is no doubt that the stone does exist ; and from all I ever heard, it must be one of the biggest diamonds in the world." " I should like to find it," Davenport muttered. And his host shook his head gravely. " Much good it would do you ! I should not like to hold it. It would be my death-warrant." " How's that ? " " What do you mean ? " came the questions of his hearers. " My dear fellows, Kalee has some millions of worshippers, and every one of them would think he was doing the most holy action in killing you to get that stone again ; and, remember, the worshippers of Kalee are commonly known as Thugs." An involuntary shudder went round as the name was uttered. " But they would have to find out I had got it," laughed Davenport. " They would soon do that. These fellows have 4 THE TEAR OF KALEE strange ways of finding out secrets, and communicating news, too ; sort of transmission of thought, I think. Find out they would ; and they would follow you to the end of the world, and keep up the search from generation to genera- tion, but they would get the Tear of Kalee back at last." An incredulous grunt from Davenport, and the chaplain spoke. " You might tell us what you know of the diamond, Mr. Westerton." " With pleasure. The legend is that Kalee (who is the female goddess of destruction, as Siva is the male) Kalee came from her home in the heights of the Himalayas to destroy a demon who oppressed mankind ; but she found that every drop of his blood produced another, worse than the first. Thereupon, the goddess created two men, and taught them how to strangle with the roomal, or sacred noose, so that no blood should be spilt ; and thus she over- came the demons. But on one occasion they, thinking to do the work more swiftly, used their swords, with the result that more blood was shed, and more evil demons created. And the goddess, in her grief, let fall one crystal tear, which, as soon .as it touched the ground, became changed into a diamond." " I wish my tears would change that way ! " laughed Davenport. " That is the legend. Certain it is that long ago, before white men came to the land, there existed in the caves of Ellora a shrine of the goddess ; and upon it, surrounded by a string of gems of lesser value, was a wonderful diamond, the like of which had never been seen before. When the Afghan and Mohammedan conquerors came, the stone was carried away by the priests of Kalee ; and subsequently it came to this city. After that it passed into the keeping of Abuzafar Bahadur Shah, the old King of Delhi ; and he, though he was for ever promising the priests that they should have it returned to them, nevertheless kept tight hold upon it, under the excuse that he feared the English would get it. But when at last the siege ended, and the city was taken by Nicholson, the secret hiding-place of the diamond had been broken open, and the diamond was gone. THE THEFT 5 The priests had never relaxed their watch, and the first opportunity that had presented itself was taken. From that day to this no white man has beheld the Tear, which most probably is at this very minute glittering upon the idol of the goddess in some secret shrine." " Well, I wish that I could come across it ; I would take the risks," laughed Davenport. " You would not live to enjoy the possession long," was the answer. And then the kitmutgar came with his noise- less step through the open window to announce that " the mem-sahib awaited the sahibs at supper." A general exodus from the verandah followed ; but the young officer addressed as Vincent Davenport remained, leaning moodily upon the rails, and gazing out over the moonlit scene, till a hand placed upon his shoulder roused him, and, turning, he beheld the chaplain at his side, regarding him gravely. " Hallo, Hamilton ! What is the matter now ? " he asked, with affected gaiety. "That is just the question I want to put to you, Davenport. What is the matter with you ? There' is something, I am sure." " Nonsense ; I am all right got a headache the heat, I suppose. There, you go in to supper; I do not want any." " Presently. I want to talk to you first," was the reply, and Bruce Hamilton came and placed his hand upon his friend's shoulder. "Vincent, we are old friends," he said quietly, "and I want to help you if I can. If I cannot if it is something beyond my power to assist you in then remember there is a better Friend than any earthly one, and He is all-powerful." And Bruce pointed upward for a moment. It was said very quietly. Hamilton never made religion obtrusive ; but it was said very earnestly. Davenport laughed a poor, hollow sort of laugh, and shrugged his shoulders. " Heaven does not help such fellows as I am," he said bitterly. " Hamilton, I am about done. I am head-over- ears in debt, and must have money. The Parsees will not 6 THE TEAR OF KALEE renew my bills any more small blame to them for that. They threaten to put me into court, and you know what that means. I shall have to sell out of the army." "Vincent, you have not been borrowing from the money-lenders, have you ? " " Borrowing ! Why, what else do you expect ? How could I have kept up an appearance upon my pay ? I have borrowed, and hoped for a stroke of luck to get clear a haul at cards, or a lucky hit at the races ; and it has been all the other way with me ; I have lost every time." " Why not write home ? " " What for ? After the mater's death, my father married a second wife, a woman who could twist him round her finger. He died, but not before she had induced him to make a will entirely in her favour. She married again, and out I came ; politely told that the less I was seen again the better. No, the crash must come ; and, after all, what matter ? There, you go in to supper and leave me. You cannot help me, and, if Heaven can, it won't ! " "That is not true," was the quiet reply. "It is not that Heaven cannot or will not help, but you will not be helped." An impatient shrug was Davenport's only reply, and the chaplain went on " You know it is so. You go the world's way, seek the world's ends, and then expect God to undo the tangle that you have made. His promise is, * Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.' You are only thinking about your worldly trials, and do not trouble about your soul's welfare. Being hard up is a big thing to you ; being sinful a small one. While that is so you cannot expect help from God ; nor can you blame Heaven that you are left alone." " Oh, don't you preach ! " growled Davenport. "I do not want to preach ; it will be far better if you pray" answered the other. "Tell the colonel the truth, and," he added, " tell Serasti the truth too. You ought to have done that long ago." " Nonsense ! I tell you that I cannot do that yet. As to your other remedy prayer may be very good ; but I THE THEFT 7 shall believe in it when Heaven puts a thousand pounds in my hands in answer to my asking. There, you mean well, Bruce ; it is your trade to preach. Look, Westerton is coming ! You go and make my excuses, there is a good fellow." And so the chaplain left him with a sigh, and Davenport turned once again to ponder upon his broken fortune. " Ruin ! ruin ! nothing else, and " " Vincent, my husband ! " The words were breathed in his ear, and, with a rustle of soft skirts and a breath of subtle perfume, a beautiful woman came from the room out into the moonlight. Aimie Serasti, though an Eurasian, was considered one of the most beautiful women in Delhi ; and many a youth- ful heart had yielded to her charms. Her mother had been a poverty-stricken Frenchwoman ; a beautiful adventuress, who gave her hand, if not her heart, to Lajal Serasti, a wealthy Eurasian merchant. Lajal, to his credit, had treated his wife well ; and when she died he turned all his affections upon their only child, Aimie. Every accomplishment that money could procure, every luxury that could be desired, did Aimie enjoy. Her father's wealth procured her ready entrance into society, and Lajal desired nothing more than that his daughter should make a brilliant match. But wealthy Europeans looked askance at the Eurasian beauty, and poor ones were not eligible in her father's eyes ; and so at last Lajal Serasti gave a favourable ear to the wooing of one of his own class, whose wealth equalled his own. But the father counted without reckoning the likelihood of Aimie wanting to choose for herself. She had met Vincent Davenport, and had learnt to love him with all the warmth of her Eastern nature. Of all men Davenport was the least eligible in his eyes, as he was a moneyless man, and deeply in debt. Lajal visited the Parsee usurers, with the result that they became importunate. Davenport once ruined, that danger would be over for good. Again he was too late. He had told Aimie that she must marry his friend. Aimie fled in tears to Davenport, 8 THE TEAR OF KALEE who, to do him justice, had been so much dazzled with her beauty that his reason and wisdom were overthrown. He had been engaged to a girl at home. What matter ? He would never be in a position to go back now. He was up to his eyes in debt. What matter ? Aimie would not make the burden greater. The sight of a beautiful woman in distress and tears was enough. He had sought his friend Bruce Hamilton, and against the latter's remonstrances as to the folly of the step, he had persuaded him to marry them ; and Hamilton, not without grave misgivings, had at length complied ; and then Davenport had awoke to the fact that he had done a very foolish thing indeed. " Vincent, my husband ! " How beautiful she looked as she stood there in the moonlight, beside him ; her rich, black hair, glittering with diamonds, was coiled high upon her head ; her dress was the best money could buy ; her rich olive skin harmonised with the great, lustrous eyes, in which shone such a depth of tenderest love as they looked up into his face. " You, Aimie ! " he said, turning towards her. " Is this wise, dearest ? " " I heard them say that you were ill, Vincent ; and how could I stay there, amidst all the laughing, while you were alone here ? What is it, my beloved ? " " Nothing, nothing, Aimie ! " he repeated hastily. " Nothing ! Ah, do not say that ! " Her arms were twined round his neck, and she gazed earnestly up at him. " You are pale, you are sad. Beloved, what is it ? Are you thinking of the English girl you left across the sea, in your own land ? " and there came a tinge of anxiety, akin to jealousy, into her voice. "Why, Aimie, jealous!" he laughed. "I was not thinking of her ; and I dare say she has quite forgotten me by this time." " Ah, I am jealous ! Beloved, I could bear anything sorrow, sickness, anything but to think that you had given any of your love to another ! Ah, I could not bear that ; it would kill me ! " " Well, you need not fear that, beloved," he replied, using her name for himself in addressing her. " I am worried, Aimie. Nay, I am ruined." " Ruined, my husband ? " she repeated, " Ah, it is for money you trouble, and I cannot help you. My father " " No good telling him ! " replied Davenport. " I think he is at the bottom of it. He suspects something^ and is getting those fellows to worry me. I wonder what he would do if he knew the truth ? " he added, with a laugh. " Oh, dearest, cannot we go away ? Cannot you leave the army, and let us go together ? " He shook his head moodily. " Impossible, Aimie ! Where could we go ? What could we do ? We must live, you know ! And you would find the life very different." " I would not mind," she cried, her eyes full of eager- ness. " I would bear anything if only you would come." " You do not understand ! " he replied impatiently. " I should have to go and find a home and means of earning a livelihood ; and that would not be easy. You would have to stay here while I did that. No, Aimie, I ought not to have been so cruel to you as to have made you my wife." " Cruel ! Oh, Vincent, my husband, do not call that cruel ! If you cannot go I will wait, and be content. If you go I will wait till you send for me. I will do all that woman can do for you. See ! " her eager hands went to her hair, and she loosened the diamond pins. " Take these ! Take all my jewels, and go " " Nonsense, Aimie ! You are a good little girl ; but your jewels would not be of much use, and they are far better where they are. If you brought me the Tear of Kalee now it might be something like." He spoke in jest. Reference to the diamond was often made when they spoke of anything that was deemed im- possible of attainment ; but Aimie drew back, with a strange look of terror upon her face. " The Tear of Kalee," she whispered. " What do you know of that ? " " Nothing. I was but jesting, Aimie." " The Tear of Kalee," she repeated again. " You io THE TEAR OF KALEE would not dare take it ? You could not do anything with it." " Oh, couldn't I, though ! " he replied, with a laugh. " My dear girl, if it only turned out half as valuable as it is reported to be, and I had it, I would go straight to England, buy one of the finest estates I could get, and settle down to comfort and happiness for the rest of my days." "You would be happy, very happy," she said slowly. " But would you send for me when you were happy ? Ah, no ; you would seek the white girl, and forget poor Aimie." " Oh, come, Aimie, we are talking nonsense ! I am as likely to get the moon as the Tear of Kalee. No, my dear, I must face the music. I shall get drummed out ; and then, goodness only knows what will happen. I may as well tell the colonel at once." " Ah, no no ! Oh, darling, wait wait two days. Perhaps Aimie can help you." " Help me ! You ! How ? " "Wait two days. I dare not tell you how. Oh, Vincent, my husband, believe I love you ! Whatever happens, I love you, and perhaps I shall never see you again. Wait two days ; and if I do not come, I shall have died for you ; for you, my love, my husband ! " Her soft, supple arms were winding round his neck, and her lips pressed kisses upon his own. "Wait two days," she again said, gazing fondly into his perplexed eyes. " Perhaps then, all the trouble shall be over for you ; and if Aimie can do that, what else matters ? Life or death, what matters if you, my love, are happy ? " " Aimie, I do not understand, and look out ! Here comes some one." He sprang back from her side, and leant negligently against one of the verandah supports ; while she sat down in the nearest chair, and began toying with her fan ; and then, silent, stealthy, catlike, the white-robed kitmutgar came into the verandah, and commenced to gather up the empty glasses. ****** Midnight has struck. Delhi is sleeping, save for the sentinels at their posts at the gates. The moon is hidden, THE THEFT n and darkness broods over all. The Jumma no longer seems a stream of silver, but runs a river of ink. No sound of life save the snort of some restless elephant from the artillery stables, or the bark of some wandering native cur. No sign of life save there, in the shadow of the wall, where a youth, clad in humble native dress, is stealthily mov- ing along as though fearful of being seen even at that hour. Cautiously he creeps along till out of sight of the walls. Then, rising erect, he turns southward, and hurries towards the ruins and desolation there the spot which once beheld the glories of the first Delhi. On, past the ruined Observatory, past the tombs of Safdar Jungh, of Nizamirdin, and of Humayan, with their dark shadows and white marble spots reputed to be haunted by ghouls and watchful Asuras, to be shunned by night for ever by all good worshippers of the holy ones. Past these, and away to the right, till the village of Kirpur is seen, and rising behind it the hills covered with their dark burden of forest growth. Once there comes from those shades a strange, hoarse cough, and the wanderer shudders at the sound, knowing that the prowling tiger is there. Now the moon struggles from behind a thick bank of cloud, revealing the rough way a mere track up the steep hill. If there had been terrors before, there are tenfold more now. Yet this youth hesitates not. Just for one moment he stands at the foot of the hill, looking up at the moon above ; and as the light falls upon his face, his lips seem to move as though in prayer ; then he turns and plunges into the forest, and the darkness and shadow swallow him up. ****** What was that ? Vincent Davenport is sitting alone in his room, moodily contemplating his outlook. He cannot sleep, try as he will. For two hours he has lain there tossing and restless, till at last in desperation he has risen again. How can he sleep with what is before him ? Dis- honour ! disgrace ! He can never meet the bills that are 12 THE TEAR OF KALEE due ; close upon six hundred pounds must be forthcoming at once. He cannot hope for it, and then well, it means ruin for him. Then again, what of Aimie r What a fool he was to burden himself with a wife ! She is a good little girl, and she loves him, and he yes, he is fond of her ; but it was a mistake he had far better have listened to the advice of his friend Hamilton. He, married to Aimie ! Well, he must fulfil his responsibilities, he must provide for his wife somehow, but it will be no easy matter. Then he thinks of that other girl away in dear old England pretty, faithful Constance Linton. Did she still think of him, or had she grown weary, and found another love ? Somehow, though he was married to Aimie, he did not like the idea of that. Perhaps, if he had faced the struggle a little more bravely, he might have conquered and won ; then he would have gone back and married Constance, and He roused himself with an impatient shake. What had started him thinking of Constance ! Whatever his faults might be, he had no thought of being false to the woman whom he had linked to his life. Aimie was his wife, and though he might not love her as he had done the love of his youth, he was not going to turn from her now. But it was a mistake a dreadful mistake. He might go away, and try to get some berth, as she had suggested ; but to leave her behind ? Suppose that her father found out suppose that anything should happen what then ? But Bruce would be his friend, he would not let Aimie suffer ; and yet it was a risky business. And for the first time the knowledge of his marriage seemed like a weight round his neck. Without Aimie he could have done, perhaps ; but with her tied to him, and dragging him back, he must fail, and What was that ? He lifted his head, and listened. There again. Some one was tapping cautiously at the window. " Vincent, open the window open the window ! " He drew back the casement, and looked out. " Who is it ? Who is there ? " LETTERS FROM ENGLAND 13 " Hush, make no noise ! It is I Aimie ! " And as the words are panted out a weary, travel-stained form a young man apparently emerges from the shadow, and enters. " Hush, do not make a noise ! Shut the window and pull down the blind ! " she gasps. " Quick, do not stop to question. I think they are after me close on my track and they must not know that I have come to you ! " " They ? Who ? " he asks, as he draws the blind close. And she shudders and whispers " The priests." " The priests ! Aimie, what are you talking of? What has happened, and why are you here at this hour, and in this dress ? " He cannot understand. Her words concerning the diamond have quite gone from his recollection, and he is bewildered at her appearance. " It is very imprudent to have come here," he begins. But she drags something from her bosom, something that glitters wickedly as she holds it out glitters and darts like the eye of an angry cobra. " Vincent, husband ! This is why I have come I promised, and I have got it." " Got it ! Got what ? " And then he starts and flushes, for she answers in a frightened whisper " Look ! It is the Tear of Kalee." CHAPTER II LETTERS FROM ENGLAND "THE Tear of Kalee." There it lay in her extended little hand that wonderful diamond, surrounded by a string of exquisite pear-shaped pearls, glowing like a living ember, a star of ever-changing scintillations of quivering, darting, multi-hued fire such a diamond as he had not thought possible of existence. i 4 THE TEAR OF KALEE He stood looking from it to her in dumb surprise. She had stolen it ! He could not have a stolen treasure. She had risked her life to get it for him ; he would not take it. Yet how it burned and blazed, till it seemed to burn itself into his brain yea, into his very soul itself! Its beauty intoxicated him, and he feebly put out his hands as though to hide it from his sight. " Aimie, you should not have done this ; it was not right," he protested but oh, how feebly ! " I I ought not to take it." " Not take it ! " She stood looking at him in wonder, in disappointed dismay. " Not take it ! You said that it would bring you happiness, and I have risked so much even more than life to gain it for you. I have seen oh, the horrors of all that I have seen since last night ! And I did it for you, my husband. Vincent, no one knows ; no one suspects. You can soon be away safely, and I can follow you after ; and then we shall be so happy together, beloved ah, so happy ! " So she pleaded, and he looked again suffered her to put it into his hand. Its light seemed to mock him ; he almost feared it. She did not look at it twice, she had eyes for nothing but his face ; but he he kept his gaze on that blazing stone, and looked not at her. " We will go to-morrow," he said at last. And she shook her head. " Not we you," she corrected. " If we went together, suspicion might be aroused. You must go alone, and I will stay till you send for me. Oh, love, we shall be happy then ! " Her eyes were full of intense tenderness ; all the fire of her woman's heart burnt in them ; but he scarcely looked at her. It seemed as though the curse of Kalee was upon him already. " You will be quite safe," she began, her arms entwined round his neck, and her eyes feasting themselves upon his face. " You will Hark, Vincent ! There is some one outside. I must go ; I have tarried too long." "Stay ! Hide there, behind the screen." LETTERS FROM ENGLAND 15 He thrust the diamond into his pocket, and drew her out of sight ; then he boldly opened the window again. Nothing to be seen all silence, moonlight, and shadow. "It is quite safe, Aimie," he said. "I must take you back to your father's now, before any one is about." " Are you mad ? " she exclaimed. " You are the last person who must be seen with me. Alone I can pass un- noticed ; but with you, attention would be aroused at once. Kiss me once, husband, beloved, and I will go." Was he a coward to let her go alone, when, perchance, enemies were waiting for her ? His heart condemned him ; he would not allow that. But then to go might mean danger of losing the Tear ! Alas, that thought deadened all better feeling. He did not notice the clinging yearning of her parting embrace ; his own kiss was cold and formal. The spell of the Tear was on him. Its radiance burned into his heart, till it made him indifferent to aught else ; till he felt as senseless and cold as the image of the goddess itself. One last, lingering pressure of her lips, one smothered " God bless you," and he was alone alone with that thing of beauty, of beauty fell, blighting and maddening. All night he sat there looking at it, now seeking feebly to bring himself to restore it to its owners, now determined that he would keep it at all cost. Keep it ! He had sunk low in his own estimation ; he had not lived a moral life, but he had never done anything that was criminal and dishonest. His father's name was his best heritage a spotless name. Should he sully its reputa- tion ? His mother's love and piety came like a sweet fragrance back to him. She had taught him to pray, and spoken of Heaven to him. Could he do this thing ? Honour or dishonour ? Poverty, perhaps, but with a clear conscience, or wealth such as few men possessed ? Suppose he got back to England with this ? To be rich, honoured, courted ! But then Aimie ? What of her, if he sailed ? How would she fare, and especially if this was traced to her ? He knew enough of the fierce passions of these people to know how little mercy she would meet at their hands. He could not do it ; and yet and yet He took the 16 THE TEAR OF KALEE diamond out again, and gazed at it. His breath came thick and heavy, a clammy sweat of excitement was on his brow. Could he give it up ? It seemed like some beautiful spirit seeking to make him barter his soul for its charms. What matter about Aimie and her peril ? What matter the poor bubble of honour ? He would not part with it ; he could not part with it. And he raised the senseless thing to his lips and kissed it. Evil stone ! Had he but known it, all along its history the same story had been told, the same fatal influence exercised. Each that had possessed it had come under its blighting power ; a long trail of crime, theft, murder, cruelty, marked its way. And now the spell was upon him ; and every better feeling of his nature, honour, truth, honesty, fell as the mists depart before the sun. The happy childhood, the mother who died, the proud father, these were forgotten. He thought of the poverty ah, that would be a thing of the past ! He would go to England. He would be rich, happy, prosperous. Yes, he would go, and then he could send for Aimie if nothing had happened to her. There was no more sleep for him. It must be nearly daybreak. He opened the window again, only to drop the curtain and stagger back, for as he pulled the blind aside he had a momentary vision of a swarthy, fierce face, and a crouching man. Some one had been outside trying to peer into the room ! He would make sure of the diamond, however ; and taking off his money-belt, he placed the Tear and the pearls in it, and buckled it round his waist. There ! Now, come what might, whoever wanted the Tear would have to get it from his body. And then again he seated himself. The battle had been fought and won ; and it was wrong, not right, that was triumphant. " Letters for you, sahib." The reveille" had sounded, and his man laid two envelopes upon his table and withdrew. Letters for him ! What, and from England ! And one in a well-remembered hand, the sight of which sent the blood bounding through his veins. LETTERS FROM ENGLAND 17 He tore open the envelope, and read the contents, his face strangely altering as he did so. " MY OWN DARLING " (so it began), " At last all our weary waiting is over. You will hear from the lawyers by this mail. Your uncle is dead, and you have come into his property, and are Sir Vincent Davenport. Think of that, Sir Vincent Davenport ! And I am, I think, the happiest girl in all the world. Darling, you remember how, when it was all looking so black, I told you that I was sure God would answer our prayers if we were only patient and faithful, and you see I was right. He has done so, and in a way that we did not dream of. " And now, dear, that you are coming back, shall we not both try and give Him all the love and service of our lives ? If He has done so much for us, is there anything too great to do for Him ? " Oh, Vincent, how I wish that I could see you when you get this letter ! What will you do first, I wonder ? I think I know. You will go right away by yourself and kneel down and thank Heaven for its goodness. How I wish that I could come instead of sending this ! Come home as soon as you can, dear, and, if possible, let me know the vessel in which you will sail, so that I can come and meet you when it gets in. Now, God bless you, Vincent, my darling, and bring you safe back to "Your ever loving " CONSTANCE." Vincent laid the letter down. He had loved this girl once ; he had promised to make her his wife pretty, gentle, faithful Constance; and now, now he was married to Aimie ! The other letter was short and business-like, from the lawyers. " His uncle had died and left him sole heir to his estate. It was not a very great one, and had been much neglected. It, at present, brought in about three or four hundred a year, might bring in double that if it was properly managed. They would await his instructions, and had wired the Bank c 1 8 THE TEAR OF KALEE of Delhi to honour the enclosed draft for five hundred pounds, so that he might have enough ready money to settle his affairs and bring him home." So he was no longer the poor man. Now he could look men in the face and be as independent as they were. He was Sir Vincent Davenport now ; and he had the Tear of Kalee ! Had these letters but come a week earlier the gem might still be resting upon the idol's breast. Now it was his ; and here was a good reason for instantly returning to England. He will wire the lawyers as soon as he has settled in what ship he will return. And Constance He paused. What of Constance ? She loved him ; she had been patiently waiting for him. How should he tell her that all her waiting had been in vain ? Aimie was his wife. Nothing could undo that ; and Aimie loved him too had risked her very life to gain the gem that now lay hidden in his belt. Nothing but death could undo that bond. Well, he would leave it to fortune. He would not write to Constance. He would see Aimie, and, if she chose to come with him now, well. If not, she must stay. He would see Hamilton, and get him to help her ; and then, if nothing happened, he would send for her. Come what may, he must be true to her, for she was his wife. Yes, he must be true to Aimie, for very honour's sake. He sought the colonel, and showed his letters. The old grey-headed officer was full of congratulations, and readily afforded him permission to go home on leave for six months. " You can resign at home, you know," he added. " You have my best congratulations, Davenport." The colonel congratulated himself too. He had heard rumours that the young officer might get into the civil courts for debt, and he had not liked the prospect of having to side with those money-lenders, and cashier a promising young fellow. Vincent met the chaplain and reported ; and Hamilton was filled with pleasure, ending his congratulations with the quiet remark LETTERS FROM ENGLAND 19 " I think God has taken you at your word. You have as good as a thousand pounds ; and now, Davenport, perhaps you will learn to trust Him." To which Vincent made no answer. They go to the bank together, and the draft is duly honoured ; then to the money-lenders, where the bills that are due are paid. There are others not due yet, and the sleek usurers look very blank when they find that Sahib Davenport is going to England, and that they can do nothing to stop him. They do not think much of the chances of those other amounts ever being paid, though Vincent gives them the name and address of his English lawyers, and tells them that their bills will be met when they are presented. Back again now. And then Hamilton asks suddenly " What about your wife, Vincent ? Will you take her with you ? " " I am going to see her now. It shall be just as she herself wishes. If she does not come now, then I want you to keep an eye upon her. And when I am settled I will send for her. You have been a good friend to us, Hamilton, and you will do this for me now ? " " Of course, old fellow, if need be. But I should advise that you take your wife with you. Things leak out in this country, and her father might make it very nasty for her, if he got to know the truth. Take Aimie with you. Tell her father the truth. Claim your wife, and clear out of it before he has time to rave." Good advice ; and Davenport will follow it. They go on to the merchant's together, ostensibly that he may bid him good-bye. Lajal is all tears that " Dear Mr. Davenport " is going, though he is secretly congratulating himself. " And Miss Aimie ? " Davenport would like to bid her farewell, too. "That is very unfortunate. Aimie will be grieved, I know," was the answer. " But she is staying with a friend at Ferosabar, and will not be home till to-night, if then." Davenport feels as though some one had struck him. There is no doubt that the man is telling the truth. Then Aimie has not been home. She is lost ! 20 THE TEAR OF KALEE He goes out mechanically. Lajal chuckles. He puts the sahib's troubles down to the fact that he is unable to bid Aimie farewell ; not but what, now that Sahib Davenport is inheriting a property in England, he might be less inclined to object to his daughter bestowing her smiles upon him. Lajal is quite sure that Davenport is disappointed, and Davenport is quite sure that Lajal is speaking the truth. Bruce Hamilton, noting his friend's look of concern, puts it down to the fact that he may have to go without bidding Aimie farewell, and suggests delaying departure for a few days. Davenport would do that, but like lead is the weight of that diamond. If the priests are after it, if they have really got Aimie, what may they not else find out ? Suppose they torture her he grinds his teeth at the idea and she con- fesses ? Then they may attack him, or try and get him into their power, or even make a bolder step, and have him arrested for its theft. No, the sooner he is out of Delhi the better. And he goes home, his mind like a troubled sea. How can he go before he knows something more certain concerning Aimie ? How go and leave her to her fate ? Better give up the diamond at once, and be at ease. In the secrecy of his room he takes it from its hiding-place, and stands looking at its brightness. A fatal indecision ! It would want a stronger nature far than his to withstand the seductiveness of the Tear of Kalee. He looks and looks, and then the stone is put back in its place, and his mind is made up. He will keep it at all costs. He will go to-day, and if Aimie is missing if she is dead well, it is the work of a higher power than he, and he cannot help it. Once again he goes to Lajal's, and finds the old mer- chant in a rare way. Aimie is not only absent, but she has never been to Ferosabar never been there at all ! His daughter is missing has been decoyed away he is shorn of his one lamb. And the poor old man tears his hair in his grief. And Davenport comes away, a strange sickness in his heart. He can only think one thing, and that is that his THE FIRST WARNING 21 unhappy wife has indeed fallen into the hands of the priests of Kalee, and suffered their vengeance. He is tempted to tell the truth, and have search made ; but that will mean delay, exposure, and, above all, the loss of the stone. Bruce Hamilton asks again and again if he really knows where his wife is. The colonel queries too ; says that he has heard of flirtation between them (he little suspects what the real state of affairs is), and he hopes, for the honour of them all, that Davenport has had no hand in spiriting her off. And he is assured that the latter is entirely ignorant of the missing girl's whereabouts. If he spoke he might give an important clue, but at the cost of the gem ! Hamilton sees him off, promising that he will send the first tidings of Aimie, and stand her friend till her husband can send for her. The colonel himself strolls down to the station, and sees the train go out ; and there, too, is old Lajal, come to make sure that Sahib Davenport has not got his daughter hidden away among his baggage. It was generally known now that the beautiful young Eurasian was missing, and search-parties were being organised for her recovery ; and the only man who could have thrown any light upon the mystery sat there ready to start for Calcutta, self-condemned, self-despised, but silent ; for Kalee's Tear had cast its spell upon him, and sealed his lips ! CHAPTER III THE FIRST WARNING CALCUTTA at last ! The train rolls, snorting and groaning, into the terminus station of the East Indian Railway, and Vincent Davenport steps on to the platform. So far all has been well, and he begins to think that it is all a fiction about the priests of Kalee being on his track. 22 THE TEAR OF KALEE All is bustle and confusion native porters rushing this way and that ; drivers of rickety cabs on the look-out for fares ; vendors of fruit and English papers all the same heterogeneous crew that one sees at a London terminus. He selects his hotel. It is large, fashionable, and above all, English ; and he enters, and orders lunch and a private room. He has a little business he must see to, even before securing his berth. The money-lenders have taken almost all his money. Indeed, when the passage-money is paid, he will be nearly without funds. He will see if one of the pearls cannot remedy that. He knows Calcutta well enough, and just where he can dispose of the gem ; and one is taken from his belt, a beautiful, perfect specimen, that will bring him more than he requires. Lunch over, he steps across to the telegraph office, and inquires if there is any message awaiting him. Yes ; the clerk hands him one, and he tears the envelope open, and reads the brief message " No news." " Here is a second message for Lieutenant Davenport," observed another clerk " came this morning." " Nothing definite. The body of a young woman been found in the Jumna greatly disfigured ; cannot identify, but fear it may be she." Poor Aimie ! He stands buried in thought for a moment. Can this be she ? Is this the price she has paid for his success ? At that moment he felt that he loved her as he had never loved Constance. She had been true to him. Poor Aimie ! He leaves the office, and, crossing the Hooghly Bridge, enters Clive Street ; then, plunging down a side turning, enters a shop, to emerge a few minutes later minus one pearl, but plus several good English sovereigns. He was safe, so he thought. But little did Vincent Davenport dream that while he stood in Delhi Station he had been watched that two natives had ridden by the same train to Calcutta, had followed him to the hotel, had crossed the bridge after him, had seen him enter that shop ! THE FIRST WARNING 23 Little did he think that the two well-dressed Hindoos who strolled past him had an interest in his movements ! And then a strange thing happened ; for no sooner had Davenport entered that shop than he appeared again to the eyes of the watchers, walking briskly down the road. The Hindoos are perplexed ; there is no doubt that it is the same man, but entirely different as to dress. He strolls by, and one of the watchers follows him, the other remaining. And then has the man the power of redoubling himself? for he emerges from the place attired just as he went in. The well-dressed Hindoo makes a signal, and a ragged lad trots down the street after Davenport ; while he himself enters the shop, to emerge later, that pearl in his pocket and a strange steely glitter in his eyes. Down Clive Road, past the cricket-ground and Fort William, across the racecourse, over Kiddepur Bridge, Vincent goes, with the steps of one who well knows his way. Now he is down to the south of the city, among the splendid docks with their many masts and funnels. He turns towards the river, and enters the spacious offices of the P. and O. Company. The next homeward-bound vessel ? Yes, there is one leaves the following night. " Can he have a first-class state- room ? " he asks, and is told that he can. All safe now ! Nothing more to fear. In four-and-twenty hours he will be out of India, and let who will seek him after that. His success has disarmed his caution. He does not return by the same road, but chooses a more quiet one. Skirting the gardens of the palace of the old King of Oude, he enters the Moorgheek Road, which winds round among the docks, crossing the network of canals that joins one huge basin to another. Away yonder is the hospital, and there the madhouse, while yonder can be seen the orphan-schools, the Sepoy lines, and, beyond them, the Zoological Gardens. It is just getting pleasant now, and there is a band playing in the Botanical Gardens the other side of the river. He walks slowly, pondering about the faithful woman 24 THE TEAR OF KALEE who has risked so much for him. There is much that is good in his nature, even though held in check by the bad ; and he is sorely troubled about Aimie's fate. Yet is he sorry or glad that he is free ? He can hardly answer that question. That he is free he has little doubt ; his wife's absence can only be accounted for upon the supposition that she has suffered the priests' vengeance. Well, she had been a good girl, and had loved him well ; but still, if he was going back to England, perhaps it was best as it was. Constance need never know of this page in his life's history ; had he sent for Aimie there was the chance that she might have been followed, supposing that these priests were really so persistent in their methods. Yes, it was best as it was, and Oh, what was this this sudden grip of his arms, this tightening of some- thing round his throat ? His eyes start from their sockets ; bright flashes of light play around him. He is dying ; he he Then, as through a mist, he sees a dim form that seems gigantic, and that hits out right and left. The awful pressure is relieved, he can breathe he can breathe. And he sinks to the ground as a voice says in his ears " Only just in time, sir." Then the mist clears, and he rises unsteadily ; he feels very shaken. " What has happened ? " he asks slowly, staring with dazed expression at the man before him. "Only that you were set upon by a couple of rascals who worked uncommonly like professional Thugs, and I happened to arrive just in the nick of time. And Why, have I rescued my own brother ? " Well might this stranger start and look surprised, for surely never did Nature make two faces more alike. One was well dressed, and one shabbily ; but, saving for that, no one could tell these men apart. The stranger saw it, Davenport saw it ; but this was neither time nor place to stand wondering. "Now, that explains something that has puzzled me somewhat," the stranger said. "I have had two fellows THE FIRST WARNING 25 dogging my steps for two hours, and they tried to get me into a quarrel with them, too. If I may say so, sir, I think they must have mistaken me for yourself, for I have no quarrel with them." " What makes you think I have, then ? " queried Daven- port ; and the other stared. " What makes me ? What were those two fellows sneaking along behind you for ? I watched them for a long while. Even Kalee's votaries don't risk their necks in broad daylight, and in the city, for love of her. No ; you have offended them somehow, and they mean to take their revenge. Been shooting a sacred ox, or a crocodile, or anything ? " Davenport shook his head ; he kept his own counsel, but he was very upset. Apart from the shock, he was disturbed. How had the men got upon his track so quickly ? Had Aimie betrayed him ? How had they found out ? for found out they seemed to have done ; and he had no difficulty in under- standing why he had been set upon. "I owe you my life," was his answer, and Davenport held out his hand. " Will you tell me your name ? " "Maurice Maplethorpe, at your service," laughed the other. " Maplethorpe ! One of the Cheshire Maplethorpes ? " " Can't say. I never came from Cheshire. I am one of Fortune's footballs, and only get her hard kicks." Davenport smiled at the words. "I have had that experience myself; but the fickle goddess has smiled at last. I am going back to England." " Wish I was ! " growled Maplethorpe, and Davenport paused ere he replied. If this man were well dressed and with him, no one could tell which was which. His late experience had startled him, and considerably damped his confidence. In plain terms, Davenport was frightened, and he thought he saw a very good means of safety. " Do you really mean that ? " he asked, "That? What?" 26 THE TEAR OF KALEE " That you want to go to England ; because if you do, I will pay your passage." " You will pay my passage ? " " Yes ; have you not saved by life ? It is not a great deal to do in return." " I will accept your offer, and tha*nk you. I am sick of this. Homesick, too. Yes, I will accept your offer." " Come on, then ; we will book your passage at once." They hurried back to the office. It was just closing, but they were in time, and the single stateroom was given up and a double one secured, and then the two sailed out, arm in arm. Surely Davenport had a generous fit ! He would purchase his newly-found friend a new rig-out, and he would have him return to his hotel with him. Dinner was served in their own room ; but just as they were to sit down, Maplethorpe asked Davenport to dine at the general table cChote, and also insisted that the wine and ale they drank should be brought in unopened bottles, from which he took the corks himself, to the bewilderment of his host. But Maplethorpe had a reason for his behaviour, and revealed it to Vincent when dinner was over. " Either you or I," he said, " are in the black books of these fellows, and it makes little difference which. When once the cork is out of a bottle, you cannot tell what may be put in. So with dinner in your own room, it may be drugged or poisoned ; but they cannot very well serve all the food at a general table in that way." " But who could get at wine or food without tampering with the servants ? " " My dear fellow, you are very ignorant of the pleasant ways of these fellows. They have got their own people everywhere ; and they generally do what they want to." So it would seem. When Davenport went to his bed- room, it was to find that his portmanteau had been turned upside-down. No good to make a fuss, it would only draw attention to himself. Surely they did not think him fool enough to keep the Tear of Kalee there, even if they thought he had got it at all. Vincent made very sure HOMEWARD BOUND 27 that his bedroom door was locked that evening, and that no one could enter through the window, and he slept with a light burning all night. Truly the priests of Kalee meant to let no chances slip them ! and it was with a sigh of relief that he stood with his friend on the saloon deck, as the great steamer loosed slowly from her moorings the next evening. He had baffled them. There was nothing of danger now. It was England and safety. But even as the thought came into his mind, he turned and started, for there, by his very side, regarding both him and Maplethorpe with keen glance, were two tall, well-dressed Hindoo gentle- men. CHAPTER IV HOMEWARD BOUND THE remarkable likeness existing between Vincent Daven- port and Maurice Maplethorpe could not fail to attract attention among those who comprised the little world on board the good ship Star of India ; and some rather ludi- crous mistakes occurred, as passengers and officers confused the one with the other. It suited Davenport's plans that the confusion should continue ; and he did his best to increase it himself, and get Maplethorpe to do the same. So long as those around could not be certain which was which, the priests of Kalee, supposing that they were on board, would have their task greatly increased in difficulty. He could not shake off a strange, haunting fear that had grown upon him. Try as he would, it was making his life a terror, and unnerving him entirely. Again and again he would wake at night, bathed in perspiration and feeling that strangling cord round his throat. Again and again he would fancy that relentless ministers of vengeance were dogging his steps. He was growing moody, irritable, 28 THE TEAR OF KALEE miserable, until he felt inclined to curse the fatal hour when he had first looked upon that ill-omened diamond. Then there would follow seasons of gaiety, when he laughed at his fears and told himself that they were ground- less ; and so the voyage went on till the ship, after calling at Madras and Colombo, rounded the great peninsula and put into Bombay, the last port of call ere the long run of sixteen hundred odd miles across to Aden is commenced. Bombay ! It was close upon a thousand miles from Delhi, and yet he felt anxious and nervous. Some took the opportunity of going ashore, but he retired to his stateroom and, locking himself in, did not reappear until the lights of Bombay were fast sinking astern. Dinner was over, and the gentlemen, lounging on deck, were whiling away the time as best they might, when one of them, looking up from his paper, roused them by this remark "I say, just listen to this." "What is it ? Anything startling in the way of news ? " " Startling ! I should say so. Enough to bring about a second Mutiny, if it is true, and any of our people had a hand in it." And he read " ' It is rumoured that the famous Tear of Kalee, which has been kept in a secret shrine near Delhi, has been stolen from its hiding-place, and the native population are greatly concerned at the loss.' " His hearers express their opinions variously. Some laugh, and say, " Is that all ? " Others look serious ; and others, again, express their doubts as to the reality of the stone's existence. "You are wrong!" remarks one gentleman, a travel- worn, grizzled man, in reply to this doubt. "There is such a diamond, for I have seen it, and it is without doubt one of the finest in the world." "Lucky beggar, whoever has managed to^get hold of it, then ! " laughs one man. But the former speaker shakes his head. " No ; I fancy not. In the first place, the possession of such a sum as this stone is worth, come by in such a manner, cannot fail to be harmful to all that is best in a man. To HOMEWARD BOUND 29 gam such a fortune as the Tear of Kalee would represent at the cost of one's honesty would, to my mind, be a very doubtful advantage. Beyond that, remember the words : * What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? ' No," he added, " I should not call him lucky. Is it not Petrarch who says : * Riches take peace from the soul, but rarely, if ever, bestow it ' ? " "There are not many men in the world who would refuse them on that account ! " laughed Maplethorpe. " I would take my chance of the peace. I think, now, that to get hold of such a thing as this Tear of Kalee would be decidedly lucky." "Still I disagree with you. Sooner or later these people will have the diamond again, and with them the life of the holder will stand for little. You do not know their methods, and I beg your pardon, I forgot that I had gentlemen of India among my hearers" and he bowed to the two Hindoos who were standing near listening gravely to his words. A sweet, winning smile, and a " There is no need, sir," came from one of the pair ; while the other added : " No offence can possibly be taken where none is intended. You say truly, sahib, that the Tear of Kalee has an existence, though I do not know how you can have managed ever to have seen it." The Englishman smiled now. "I am an old missionary," he explained, "and have spent the best part of my life among your people." " I suppose that an appeal will be made to Government, and search made ? " said he of the paper. " No, I should say not. Our people have strange ways of doing their own work. If the Tear is lost, Kalee's followers will go after it to every land. Remember, it cannot be easily disposed of; only the very wealthiest could afford to purchase it." " It might be cut into smaller stones," observed Daven- port. Was it fancy, or did a malignant light flash into those dark eyes as they were turned upon him ? 30 THE TEAR OF KALEE "You say truly, sahib. The thief might have the diamond cut, but its worth consists in its size. Divided into smaller stones it would be worth only a moderate sum ; and, besides, a man cannot divide a diamond for himself. It must be done by an expert, and we should know of it ; and if we could not save the Tear of Kalee, we should revenge the honour of the goddess. And it would be revenge indeed." An uncomfortable thrill went through Davenport as he listened, and he said " You identify yourself with them, then ? " "Pardon. I only mean my countrymen who worship the goddess when I say we. I myself am of different religion." "It cannot be disposed of easily, that is evident," remarked another. "Whoever has it will find it prove a white elephant." " More than that," said the old missionary, grimly. And the Hindoos nodded. "As this sahib says, it will be more than that. The Tear will bring its own punishment with it. And he who holds it shall, for that, lose all else. So the fate of the Tear runs. No more rest or peace shall he know. _From land to land Kalee's messengers will go. Some will die, perhaps ; others will take their places, taking up the thread of the search where the first ones let it fall. From land to land, from year to year, the search will be kept up ; but the Tear of Kalee will be regained at last" The words were spoken with a solemnity which im- pressed all who heard, and one of them very uncomfortably indeed. The newspaper man turned the pages of his journal and went on reading. " Hallo ! Here is another item relative to the diamond. Listen to this : * Delhi has been thrown into some excite- ment regarding the loss of the Tear of Kalee ; added to which two members of the Eurasian population have dis- appeared a merchant, Lajal Serasti, and his daughter Aimie, who have been missing for some time. There is a rumour among the native population that these two were HOMEWARD BOUND 31 involved in some way in the stealing of the missing Tear of Kalee.' What do you make of that ? " he added. "Just what you might expect," said the old missionary. " The father and daughter were suspected of the theft, and that would be quite enough." The advent of the ladies cut the conversation short ; and by most on board that good ship the whole circumstance was speedily forgotten by most, but not by all. Maple- thorpe thought of it ; wondered whether this could have anything to do with his companion's voyage to England, and dismissed the idea as absurd. He knew why Davenport was coming to the old country. A man with a fortune left him was not going to be mixed up with the stealing of a diamond from a heathen shrine. Davenport thought of it thought restlessly and feverishly. For the first time he realised how difficult it might be to get rid of the great gem, and with what remorse- less pertinacity the votaries of Kalee would follow every and any clue. Aimie gone and Lajal missing ! Would it be his turn some day ? He had been a brave man, ready to face death in his country's service, but he was fast growing unnerved now. He was growing a coward, both moral and actual. The dread of secret foes, of something leaking out to again put the priests upon his track, was ever present ; and sometimes he felt as though he must throw the accursed gem into the sea and be done with it. He would do it, but he could not. There was no other word for it he could not get rid of the Tear. Its fatal radiance mastered him whenever he looked upon it,, and while he was possessor he was also prisoner of the Tear of Kalee. Still nothing untoward occurred, and he was beginning to think that the presence of the two Hindoos on board was mere coincidence, when one evening, just as the vessel was making for Aden, he entered his room to find to his surprise that it was occupied. There on the bed, prone and sense- less, lay Maplethorpe, while over him bent the two Hindoos. And if ever men were searching another, they were searching his friend. 32 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Gentlemen, what does this mean ? " he cried. " What business have you here ? " The two confronted him quickly. The look of menace vanished, and a bland smile of expostulation took its place. " Really, Mr. Mr. " Then a sudden inspiration came to Davenport. These men were still in doubt as to which was himself. Let them believe that the man on the bed was the one they were seeking. It was a coward's plan. He was putting on an innocent man the danger which he should have incurred ; but since he had possessed the diamond all better feelings seemed to have perished. " Surely it is needless to keep up that farce," he said, with feigned indignation. " You must know that I am named Maplethorpe." " Pardon the likeness is very great. But there is no need, Sahib Maplethorpe, to adopt that attitude. Our presence here is easily explained. What ! do you imagine that we are here to rob your friend ? " " I do not know what I think, except that you have no business in my room, and that my friend there looks none the better for your being here." " Really, sahib, you are unjust ! We saw that Sahib Davenport looked ill. If we might suggest it, without giving offence, we think he is intoxicated. He fell down the companion-stairs ; and, knowing that a gentleman would not like it known were he in that state, we brought him here, and were just on the point of coming for you." So one of the pair explained, with many courteous bows ; and the other added that he thought they had better take their leave, and that they were sorry they had offended him in their attempt to aid his friend. He stepped from the door, dismissing them with curt apology, and taking care not to turn his back upon them. Then he went across to the senseless man and smelt his breath. " Yes, he had been drinking ; but this looks like more than intoxication. I wonder whether he is drugged." He rang the bell. " My compliments to the doctor, and will he step into my room," he said. And soon the doctor entered. HOMEWARD BOUND 33 "I wanted you here without a fuss being made," explained Davenport. "Doctor, is my friend here drunk or drugged ? " " Drugged ! " The doctor stared. " My good sir, who do you think is going to drug your friend on board this ship?" " Still, I ask you. He must have taken a lot of drink to get into this state. And he was all right an hour ago." The doctor grunted, and crossed over to Maplethorpe. He felt his pulse, lifted his eyelid and peered at the senseless pupil, smelt his breath, and finally looked up. " You are quite right, Mr. Bother ! I never can tell which is which of you ! " " I am Maplethorpe." " Ah, thanks ! Well, I should say that you are right. This man is drugged ; and, what is more, he is drugged with cannabis, and that prettily heavily, though who has done it, and what their motive was, I cannot say, unless," he added suddenly, " he has contracted the hemp habit. It is very prevalent with some Anglo-Indians, quite as much so as opium. They smoke it, or take a decoction of the seeds, and either way the result is bad." " Is he in any danger ? " "Oh, no ! He will be all right in an hour have a headache, and be as shaky and ill-tempered as you please. Serve him right, too ! " Drugged ! Drugged, and with Indian hemp ! Daven- port saw it all ; his last doubts were swept away. These two Hindoos were on his track, Kalee's priests, and they intended to stick at nothing. It was they who had assaulted him in Calcutta. They were dogging his steps ; and if he could not devise some way to shake them off, to baffle them completely, then sooner or later they would succeed, and he would fall a victim to their revenge. The greed of possession rilled his soul, but the fear of death his heart. He felt as though invisible perils were closing like a net around him, and all because of that glitter- ing diamond. 34 THE TEAR OF KALEE CHAPTER V THE END OF THE VOYAGE " MAPLETHORPE, I cannot explain any more, but I am sure these two men are bent on harming me. It was me they wanted to drug that day." The voyage was nearly over, and the great vessel was slowly making its way up the Channel through a drifting fog. Maplethorpe and his companion were seated in their stateroom, talking. " I think that, too ; without wishing to be unkind, I wish they had done it, for my head ached all the week after. They did it neatly, too ; I was just drinking a brandy and soda, when one of them cried out that there was a shark astern, and we all ran to look. It was only a dolphin, after all." " Never mind that, but listen to me. I have tried to do you a kindness in return for your having saved my life. Now I want to ask you a favour. I have a presentiment that I shall not see England, even though we are near home. It may be absurd, but if anything should happen to me I want you to do something for me." " Eh, what is that ? " queried Maplethorpe. And Davenport took out a purse. " Take this. If nothing happens you can give it to me again, but if I should fall, this will be for you. Should any- thing happen, take my luggage to the shipping agents, and at once put a notice of my death in all the papers. I want that done at once. Will you promise me this ? " " I hope it will not be necessary ; but if anything should happen, I will do as you say." " Thanks. You have taken a load off my mind. There, shake hands. I am glad I met you, and I hope your return to England will bring you good luck." A laughing remonstrance from Maplethorpe, and he THE END OF THE VOYAGE 35 goes on to deck goes to stand gazing into the fog, and pondering. " Davenport is frightened out of his life, thinking these two Hindoos are after him. I rather think they are myself, though I don't think it is about that precious Tear that would be too unlikely. Well, suppose that he is right, and anything should really happen to him ? What will it matter to him whether it appears that Vincent Davenport or Maurice Maplethorpe died ? Nothing at all ; and it will make a very great difference to me. I don't want to do him any harm ; but, well " Alone in his cabin, Davenport sat musing. He was frightened ; he felt sure that the emissaries of Kalee were following him, and he must throw them off somehow, or life itself would be perpetually menaced. He had no idea, when he made his boast in Delhi, how closely these men would follow their work up. To throw them off the scent ! Yes, he thought he saw a way. He was a good swimmer. What more easy than to fall over, in this fog ? It was quite a common accident. He drowned and the Tear of Kalee at the bottom of the sea, there was nothing to keep his pursuers from returning to their own country. Then he would reappear on the scene, claim his property, and settle down to enjoy his hard- earned ease. Yes, it was a good plan, without one flaw, so far as he could see. He sat pondering it over. Yes; he would do it. Kalee's Tear should be his Kalee's Tear ! He had not looked at it for many days. He would gaze upon its glories once more, and wrap it up securely, so that the salt water might not get at it. He slipped the bolt into the socket, and undid his belt, taking out the diamond, and feasting his eyes upon its glories. What a beautiful thing it was ! It was worth all the peril worth all the anxiety. It was his his ! Nothing could take it away from him ! Red, purple, blue, green every conceivable tint, ever changing and intermingling. It was not a senseless stone ; it seemed endued with a sentient life, to have a spirit imprisoned in those walls of 36 THE TEAR OF KALEE crystal a beautiful, evil spirit. What matter if Aimie had given her life to gain it for him ? What matter if old Lajal had paid the penalty ? What matter aught ? It was his his his very own, and He looked up suddenly, then started back with a cry of rage and fear, thrusting the stone into his belt. A slight exclamation had fallen on his ear as he stood rapt in the contemplation of the diamond. He looked round fearfully. Was any one in the room ? Was ah, there ! At that little ventilator near the roof ! There, pressed close to the aperture, were a pair of eyes, from which flashed a fire as fierce and unholy as that which sprang from the Tear itself. It was one of the Hindoo spies ! What would they do ? Tell the captain demand that he should be searched, or wait, and strive to regain their treasure by their own exertions and in their own way ? A knock at the door ! Was it them trying to take him unawares ? No, Maplethorpe's voice. Thank Heaven for that ! Now he did not mind so much. He undid the door, and admitted his companion, who, noting his white face, stared in surprise. u Hallo ! What on earth is the matter ? You look as if you have seen a ghost ! " he cried. " I it's nothing " with a faint attempt at a smile. " I came to tell you that we are just off the Isle of Wight, and shall be in dock before long. All your fears are over and all my chances," he added, under his breath. " Yes yes, I know it is very absurd. My nerves are all gone the fault of the Indian climate, I suppose." " Oh, nonsense ! You will be all right as soon as we land. You had better take your purse again." " No, not yet. Keep it for the time. Where are we ? " " Right in. We have been creeping past the Isle of Wight, and every one is packing up their belongings preparatory to a general exodus. I shall not be sorry to see the old country again." " Well, all my things are packed. Let us go on deck, and have a look round." " The view is circumscribed to about three yards each THE END OF THE VOYAGE 37 way. It is all fog beyond that a regular English fog, such as I have not seen for years." The two went on deck, and Davenport could not help casting looks of apprehension behind him. What easier than for those two pursuing ministers of Kalee's vengeance to steal upon him in this enclosing mist ? He went to the side, and peered down. To jump over in this fog was fraught with danger ; but he was a good swimmer, and he would soon be lost to view. That was in his favour. He wanted it to appear that he was drowned. Let the priests but imagine that he and the Tear were together at the bottom of the sea, and there was no reason for their remaining in England. They would assuredly go back to their own land, and then he could reappear, claim his possessions, and live in ease and safety. Yes, it was a good plan, and the fog favoured it. Ah ! who was that creeping along towards him ? One of the Hindoos, and there was the other behind him ! So much the better ; they would witness the " accident ; " and, taking advantage of a sudden roll of the vessel, Vincent Davenport threw up his hands, staggered, and fell over- board. " Man overboard man overboard ! " The cry rang out, and then followed short, sharp orders, and the great steamer was brought to and lay rocking on the swell, while ready hands unloosed the boat's tackling, and lowered it from the davits. "In with you, men. Lower away, there." And the boat drops on the waves, and disappears from the sight of those who cluster so eagerly on deck. " Does any one know who it is ? " the captain asks. And the Hindoos answer (they seem in a terrible state of agitation) " It is the Sahib Davenport ; he was leaning far over, and suddenly slipped and fell. Oh ! will he be rescued, do you think ? " " All depends how he can swim. If he can keep afloat there is not much danger ; but it is a question how long it will take to find him in this fog. Keep the syren going ! " 38 THE TEAR OF KALEE he shouts, as a great vessel looms up to port. " We cannot stay here long, or we shall get run down ! " Ten minutes fifteen ; and the signal for the boat's recall is given. It is useless waiting. Davenport is lost lost when the voyage was over, and the harbour reached ! Words of pity and commiseration are heard on all sides ; but none look so distressed as the Hindoos, and their grief wins for them the deep respect of those around. Their skins may be dark, but their hearts are good for them to feel such sorrow at the death of a stranger is the general verdict ; and then, in the midst of commotion, an exclamation of surprise is heard, and the whisper runs " It is not Davenport at all, but his friend, that is lost. Davenport was in his cabin all the time, and has only just heard of the accident." To the cabin the captain goes, and there meets the man. He cannot be sure which is Davenport and which Maplethorpe ; indeed, he has regarded the likeness as a good joke all the way home ; it has helped to keep his passengers amused. " Mr. Davenport," he says, unconscious in his agitation of the bull he is making, " is it you or your friend that is lost?" "I am Vincent Davenport!" comes the reply. "If any one is lost, it is my poor friend, Maplethorpe. However did it happen ? " And so he is told ; and his grief is so great that he requests to be left alone for a little. " I will risk it," Maplethorpe says to himself. " If he has gone over it is a most likely thing that these fellows have sent him there. He will not come up again. Yes, I will risk it." He opens the missing man's portmanteau, and takes out a bundle of letters and papers, running over them quickly. " Letters from lawyers Grey and Coulson. What is this ? Love-letter from Constance Linton ; going to meet him at the dock. Ah, I am glad I got hold of this. It would have been awkward to have been unprepared. Letter and wires from Bruce Hamilton. Wonder who he is ? Oh, some one in Delhi ! Hum ! I shall have to have a THE END OF THE VOYAGE 39 quiet read as soon as I get ashore. Hallo, there is the bell ! We must be close in now." He gathers all his friend's belongings together, and looks up with a laugh. " Now, Maurice, my boy, Fortune has played into your hands, and it will be your own fault if you do not succeed. Good-bye, Maurice Maplethorpe, I have known you for a good many years, but I am going to part company with you now. I discard you, Maurice, for now I am Sir Vincent Davenport" The ship is in the great dock now; the Customs officers are on board, and presently the passengers are free to depart. " Good-bye, Mr. Davenport," says the captain, as Maplethorpe crosses the gangway. " I am so deeply grieved for the terrible accident to your friend, but I hope he may turn up again all right. There is yet a chance, you know." He goes ashore, and close behind him follow the Hindoos. And then, even as he steps on to the quay, he hears a glad voice cry " That is he ; I am sure of it." And a girl, fair with the fresh beauty that belongs to the daughters of dear old England, runs forward and throws her arms round Maplethorpe's neck. " Vincent ! Vincent, my darling ! Welcome, welcome home ! " ****** That evening there appeared in the late editions of the papers the following paragraph : " SAD ACCIDENT ON BOARD THE * STAR OF INDIA.' " To-day a sad accident occurred on board the Star of India just as she was rounding Hurst Point after a most pleasant and speedy run from Calcutta. One of the passengers a Mr. Maurice Maplethorpe fell overboard, and, though every effort to rescue the unfortunate gentleman was made, it was without success. The incident cast a gloom over the other passengers just when all were rejoicing at the termination of a pleasant voyage." 40 THE TEAR OF KALEE CHAPTER VI CONSTANCE LINTON " Is your letter from Vincent, Constance ? " People called Mrs. Linton sweet-faced, and not without reason. Her smooth brow, though beginning to be indented by the markings of time ; her brown hair, though beginning to be threaded with silver ; her gentle eye and soft voice all spoke a spirit of sweet peace, which seemed to infuse itself into those who were in her presence and bid them be calm ; even as the peaceful landscape quiets the man fresh from the fever and battle of daily life. And there could be no mistaking the relationship existing between the mother and daughter. The difference between the fresh beauties of early summer and the riper ones of mellow autumn was the only difference in these two. The same broad forehead, the same delicate and sensitive features, the same peaceful spirit was in each ; toned and matured by Time's experience in the elder lady, and mixed with the bright, hopeful spirit of youth in the younger. The French window of the room they occupied was open, for the autumn was warm and genial ; and the gardens beyond, though laid out with that primness peculiar to the grounds of an hotel, were still rich in floral beauty ; while beyond them could be caught a stretch of green turf, the foliage of venerable elm and oak, and a gleam of golden fire, where the lake in the park caught the beams of the morning sun. " Is your letter from Vincent, Constance ? " The girl looked up as her mother spoke. " Yes, mother," she said. " He is coming this morning." " And is this lawyer's business nearly done ? I hope so, for I know your father wishes to get back to his work, and I shall not be sorry to leave this noise and whirl, and get home again." CONSTANCE LINTON 41 "And you and father have been staying up here just for me " and Constance rose, and, crossing the room, put her arm round her mother's neck "just because I am so foolish as to want to stay till those troublesome lawyers have finished, and Vincent has received his inheritance. It is very good of you, mother mine." "Ah, dear, I fancy that your father feels it due to Vincent, after having been so adverse to your engagement." There was a pause, then Mrs. Linton spoke again, holding her daughter's hand and looking lovingly but anxiously into her face. " Constance, now that the clouds have been dispelled and your path is free, are you happy and satisfied ? satisfied from your very heart ? Are you quite happy, my daughter ? " " Is any one ever quite happy, mother ? " the words came slowly and gravely " happy in anything save the service of God ? " " But you ought to be, dear ; and yet I have fancied I have thought that some cloud is still hanging over you. You were so young when Vincent went perhaps too young to know your own mind. Has Vincent's return dispelled the illusion or confirmed the love, Constance ? " " Why, mother," was the half-laughing remonstance, " what a dreadful idea ! Of course I love Vincent love him with all my heart. And yet " She paused. "I can hardly explain it, but there is something different j I do not know what, but there is. He has improved in some things ; there is none of the old imperious way ; he speaks tenderly, and sometimes it seems as though he were pitying me. And I am sure I do not know why " " Constance, do you think he has lived a wild life abroad (there are so many temptations, you know), and he is troubled lest you should hear of it or anything of that sort ? " " I do not know what life he has lived. I love and trust him ; and it is not for me to appear to doubt and question. I do know that he speaks of sacred things with much more reverence than he used to do, and he is graver and more tender. He was always good and true, but he is better now. Yes, I love him better than I ever did ; and yet still there is that mysterious something " 42 THE TEAR OF KALEE She broke off with a sigh. " I am very stupid ! Of course it is only my fancy. I am happy indeed, dear mother ; and yet I have to acknow- ledge that in some way anticipation and realisation are not the same. That is what I meant by asking whether any one is ever quite happy." "But if this feeling exists, Constance, are you doing wisely to unite your life with Vincent's ? " said Mrs. Linton, gravely. "It is such a solemn thing to be joined in marriage to a man, to walk all life's long journey at his side. Be quite sure, my daughter, ere that step is taken." "I am quite sure, mother dear. I gave my heart to Vincent before he left England ; and it is still his. And, mother, though he is stronger, yet he is weaker than I am. I can feel that. He seems to cling to me for help in the better way. Ah ! mother, is it not right that I should be faithful to him ? Even supposing that his life has been wild ; if my love has made him penitent, if he desires to live a nobler and purer life now, can I turn from him ? No, mother dearest, it shall be mine to help him on, step by step. I will reclaim him. And surely no woman can have a higher mission on earth than to lead the man she loves upwards towards God ? " Her eyes spoke, and the colour mounted to her cheeks as she spoke, and her mother drew her down and kissed her. " God bless you, my darling ! " she said. " And may you indeed be a ministering angel to Vincent Davenport." It was spoken very tenderly, but there was a feeling of doubt in Mrs. Linton's heart. She had essayed to do the same thing for her own husband, and it had not been altogether a success. " What is that about ministering angels ? " Dr. Linton had entered the room in time to hear his wife's concluding remark. " Of course she must be a ministering angel. And you remember, Constance, that there are two sorts good and bad. The woman who sees that her husband's meals are properly cooked is the one, and a bad cook is the other, and the result is indigestion and trouble. Half the unhappy CONSTANCE LINTON 43 marriages are due to indigestion on the part of the man, brought on by bad cooking on the part of the woman. Prosaic, but fact, my dear. That was why I set my face against you and Vincent making the mistake of getting married when you wanted to. If the woman is the ministering angel, the man is the providing one ; and, if he can only provide the wherewithal for bread and cheese, the ministering is limited, and trouble ensues. Half the troubles of life are due to indigestion, and that is due to lack of funds frequently ; and so once more we see that money is the root of all evil, and er I mean, the lack of money is the root of all evil." And Dr. Linton broke into a laugh. He was a sturdy specimen of vigorous health himself j stout, florid, slightly bald, and decidedly grey. Prosperity and respectability were his possessions, irreproachable morality his garment. A staid man, a good man, a respected man ; the people's churchwarden in his parish, the friend of the squire, and the associate of the vicar, and a justice of the peace to boot. Iron, brass, adamant, when his ideas of right and wrong were opposed, and full of a sense of his own importance and worth. A good man, a sterling man in many respects, warm- hearted and generous, but merciless in his condemnation of those who fell ; and with very little of the spirit which made the Greatest Judge of all say : " Neither do I condemn thee : go, and sin no more." Such was Dr. Linton ; and, therefore, knowing that Vincent Davenport had come into a small fortune, and might come into a larger one yet, and not knowing that there was anything against him that would fall under his (the doctor's) category of sins, it is not to be wondered at that he viewed Constance's engagement with as much pleasure now as he had done with disapprobation before. " Going to see Vincent this morning ? " he asked, as he stood there. " Mind he does not forget that he dines here this evening. Remarkable how he seems to forget things ! I put it down to a slight sunstroke. There are many little incidents of his former life that he seems to know positively nothing about. Rather interesting case for me to study." 44 THE TEAR OF KALEE The doctor was brushing his hat all the time, and he ran on " By the way, we have two new guests here, I find ; and would you believe it ? they are Indian princes ? Remarkable what a lot of them there seem to be in London ! They are a splendid pair of fellows perfect physique. Well, I am due to call on an old friend this morning. You remember him, Sophie ? " to his wife " Harley. Used to be at college with me. Do not wait lunch for me." And, with a nod and smile, the doctor went out. And hardly had he gone before a servant appeared, bearing a visiting-card, which she handed to Constance. "It is Vincent !" she cried ; and her cheeks grew rosy again. " He is even earlier than I expected, and he has found me not ready ! That is the result of sitting chatting, mother mine. Well, Vincent dear, you are early, but that makes you only the more welcome." She turned and went towards him as he entered fair, gentle, loving, true. And, as he folded her in his arms and pressed a kiss upon her lips, there rose in the man's heart a stern, condemning voice : "Did even Judas worse than this ? " CHAPTER VII THE VOICE THAT WILL NOT HUSH MAURICE MAPLETHORPE sat at his breakfast a good sub- stantial breakfast, such as only a man with an appetite begotten of perfect health could tackle. But a few months before and he was a broken-down, dispirited wanderer in Calcutta ; now he was respected and respectable, his every plan seeming to succeed, and all his future provided for. But he was not happy. No one had questioned his being the right man. The lawyers, the Lintons, Constance all had been fully satisfied that he was none other than Vincent Davenport. And though he had made some very THE VOICE THAT WILL NOT HUSH 45 awkward mistakes, he had managed to wriggle out of them, and smooth things over. Nothing had been heard of the real man, and Maurice had no doubt that he was sleeping that long last sleep at the bottom of the English Channel. The only thing to remind him of the past was the fact that there was a Hindoo guest staying at his hotel ; but that was such a likely think that it did not trouble him in the least. Yes, everything was going well, and yet he was troubled, and the cause of his trouble was Constance Linton. He had been here two weeks, and seen her daily, and his heart accused him. It was one thing to impersonate a dead man for the sake of that man's wealth, but it was another to impersonate that same man to a beautiful and confiding woman. And Maurice Maplethorpe was not so bad but that he felt keenly ashamed of his false position with Constance. There had been but two women he had loved in the world his mother and sister and Mrs. Linton and Con- stance reminded him of them. Try as he would, he could not feel easy in this deception. The better part of the man rose in rebellion at the unmanly deed, and cried out its condemnation. Added to that, Constance was so true and good that he had conceived a very great respect for her ; a pity for her, deceived by himself as she was ; and such respect and pity might very soon develop into warmer feelings. What wonder if they did ? His life had been loveless ; and here was a woman, the very embodiment of what woman should be in his eyes, ready to lavish all the wealth of her heart upon him. What wonder if he should learn to love her to love, and still deceive ? How could he tell her that he had dared let her kiss him, that he had dared embrace her, under such false pretences ? He would sooner have faced an enraged tigress in that distant Indian jungle than have done this. " Gentleman wants to see you, sir." He took the card from the waiter and glanced at the name. One of the firm of lawyers, Coulson, the junior partner. What did he want ? 46 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Admit him," he said ; and Mr. Coulson, bland, smiling, polished, was shown in. "Sorry to trouble you at an inopportune moment, Sir Vincent," he began. " Not at all. Sit down. Have you breakfasted ? " " Hours ago. No, thank you, I never take anything at such an early hour." And Lawyer Coulson held up his hand as the other was about to ring for wine. " Hum ! If you had knocked about as I have, Mr. Coulson, you would take the gifts the gods send, when you can get them." The lawyer laughed a little, chuckling laugh, dry as himself. "Perhaps, Sir Vincent, perhaps. But, being a lawyer, I don't. I only called, in passing, to say that we shall be all ready to-morrow, if you will call. Any hour that suits you, Sir Vincent." " And that will finish this business ? " he asked. " Yes, with the exception of a few formalities we have to go through. By the way, may I ask you to sign a fresh copy of this ? " And he drew out a paper of the usual legal aspect. " It is a most extraordinary thing that ever occurred in my professional career," he went on. " A very annoying and mysterious affair. I left you yesterday, after you signed the first paper, and, placing that with other documents in my hand-bag, I went into my usual restaurant for lunch ; and when I had finished that bag was gone gone, Sir Vincent j and stolen intentionally, without a doubt. The only other man at my table was apparently a foreigner, almost copper-coloured ; so he would certainly never want to inspect my papers ; and yet the whole lot had been taken ; and, to make matters worse, the bag was sent by parcels post to us this morning, with a curt note of apology for the trouble it might have occasioned us to have been without it for the time ; and, though all the other papers were intact, the one you signed was missing. Of course, that was accidental. No one could possibly want it, but still it was gone. Ah, thank you" as Maplethorpe handed him the signed paper ; " so sorry to have troubled you. To-morrow, then, shall we say ? Three o'clock ? Thank you. We THE VOICE THAT WILL NOT HUSH 47 shall be quite ready. Three o'clock. Good-day, Sir Vincent ; pray do not trouble to rise. Good-day ! " And, bowing himself out, Mr. Coulson departed. And, left alone, Maplethorpe sat, a frown on his face. Who stole that bag ? And why ? A dark man ! A foreigner ! Suppose a Hindoo ? What, then, was the motive ? Maplethorpe began to piece things together. " They tried to get at Davenport in Calcutta. They tried on board the Star of India. Mistook me for him there. Davenport knew they were after him. Now, what for ? Could there be any real truth in that Tear of Kalee business ? If he had it, and they were coming after him, then I have taken over an inheritance of the priests' vengeance ! He is dead ; they do not know it. I took his name, and put mine in as the one who had been drowned. They will think I have the stone ! Again, what then ? I should not keep it about me. I should most likely place it in a bank or in my lawyer's hands. They can easily find out that Grey and Coulson are my lawyers. Coulson comes to me ; goes away with a bag ; perhaps that bag contains documents which may tell them where the Tear is ; perhaps it even contains the authority to give the gem up ; and so they steal the bag, take out the only paper that refers to Vincent Davenport, and return the rest, which are useless to them, this last being characteristic of a high- caste man." He paused, and smiled slightly as he thought of Lawyer Coulson's surprise could he know the real reason for the purloining of that harmless little bag. " I shall have to -try and make it very clear that I do not possess the diamond," he muttered. "It will be no light matter to have those fellows always about one. But how to throw them off I cannot see unless I tell them the truth ; and then they would not believe me." His face grew sober. He thought of that other diffi- culty, which could only be made right by telling the truth the truth, which he dared not tell. " I might make up some quarrel with her," he sighed, " or get into her father's black books somehow ; and yet 48 THE TEAR OF KALEE I cannot bring myself to do it. I am like one who has been shut into the outer darkness, and who has met with some bright ministering and pitying angel from the halls of light an angel who, while she convicts me of my sin, still breathes of that holiness which may never be mine. How can I give her up ? I cannot, I will not. I have taken the cup, and I will drain it. I have entered the fight, and I will battle to the end. I have taken Vincent Davenport's place ; I have taken his perils ; I will take his love also, for he is dead, and there is no more love for him. Besides," he went on, striving to excuse that which his heart said was inexcusable, " I am doing her a kindness. She would weep for Davenport did she know he was dead ; now she is happy in her mistake. She would suffer did she know I had deceived her; now she is satisfied. It would be cruel to tell her, and I will hold my tongue." And yet, as he felt her soft arms around his neck, and her kiss on his lips, all his resolution was shaken. He told conscience to hush, but it refused to be silent. It cried out against this act until he recoiled from himself as from a monster of evil. It would not hush, and still it cried : " Did even Judas worse than this ? " It was the hardest part of all ; and he felt that, in spite of his best endeavours, his manner was cold and formal. How could he act the honest lover with this girl ? To clasp her in his arms seemed desecration ; he ought to kneel and do homage to her. And Constance noted the hesitation, and the old doubt- ing trouble came again. Something was amiss, and she must try and find out what that was, or happiness could never be truly hers. So, without revealing that she noticed anything strange in his manner, she welcomed him with sunny smiles, questioned him as to the progress of his business, and then persuaded him to accompany her into the gardens to admire the beauties of the chrysanthemum^ ; and there, alone in the quiet garden, she found her opportunity of speaking. " Let us sit here a little, Vincent," she said. " I want to have a talk with you." And he sat by her side, his eyes on her face, and waited. THE VOICE THAT WILL NOT HUSH 49 " Vincent," she said after a little pause, "I am going to ask you what must seem a strange question. Are you sorry that we are engaged ? " " Sorry ! " He looked startled. " How can you think that, Constance ? " " I want you to tell me, dear. I am sure that something is the matter. Ah ! that look confirms my belief," she added, as she saw the blood surge to his very forehead. " I want you to tell me what it is. If we are to be man and wife, there must be no secrets between us. I want to be a help to you, to share your troubles, to cheer and comfort you if I can, and to bring some joy into your life ; but if you have found, during your long stay abroad, that your heart is not mine if you wish you were free then, Vincent, I want you to tell me so honestly." How easy it would have been to break the chain now ; and yet he could not. Something within him seemed to say that if he was parted from Constance he would sink. He ought to have taken the opportunity, and yet he could not ; and he answered " No, no, Constance, you must not think that ! Some- times I fear that I am not a fitting match for you ; that you should be united to one more worthy and noble. I have been a ne'er-do-well all my life ; and if you knew all my history, all the follies and failings, then you would turn from me." She laid her hand in his, and smiled as she listened. " I like to hear you say that for one thing, Vincent. It shows me that you do not love the path you have trod. It is not for me, dear, to be your censor ; the past is God's, and only He, in His infinite mercy, can blot it out ; but the future, dear, is all yours, white and clean, upon which you may write the golden deeds of a noble life. Vincent, will you try to do this ? " "I will," he replied, with deep emotion. "I promise you I will." " And you are not sorry that we are engaged ? " "Ah, no, Constance, I swear it ! " She held up her hand in half-smiling reproof. " No, no, that is too much like heroics. Your own 50 THE TEAR OF KALEE honest word is enough. I believe you, Vincent ; believe you and trust you with my whole heart ! " Her words seemed like a whip to his troubled con- science. She believed in him, and how could he ever undeceive her now ? And then, even with her declaration of trust upon her lips, womanlike she asked another question " Vincent, there there is no one no one whom you love ? No one in India, you have " The words faltered upon her lips. It was unworthy of her to doubt him ! But he understood, and thanked Heaven that he could answer that question without the least hesi- tation ; and he spoke with an emphasis that could not be mistaken. " No, Constance ; I solemnly declare that there is no woman in all the wide world that has ever held any place in my heart. Until I saw you, I was heart-whole ; and since I have seen you, I have no room in my heart, or thought in my mind, for another." It was true ; though he felt that even by the truth he was being false to her ; and yet the happy light in her eyes made him feel that he could not have had the courage to have answered otherwise. " Are you satisfied, Constance ? " he asked at last, wondering at her silence. And she lifted her face to him. " Satisfied ! ah, yes, beloved ; for you love me, and that is all I ask. Vincent, dear one, try and forget the past. Even if any one ever brings it up, I will not rebuke you. I will be faithful, and stand by your side. Forget it, dear one, and let us turn to the happy, blessed future the future that God gives us in which, if not to undo, to atone for the past * What-has-been.' We must bring our love to God, dear, and ask Him to bless it. He has brought us together, and we owe all to Him. I want ' Holiness to the Lord ' to be written on each day we live now. Shall it not be so, dear?" What could he answer but " Yes " ? And yet what torture it was to his soul. He was not deceived he saw clearly that the only right thing to do was to speak ; and he could not, he dared not THE VOICE THAT WILL NOT HUSH 51 do that. He, too, was under that fatal spell, and his lips were sealed. The sound of approaching steps disturbed their conversa- tion, and, looking up, Maplethorpe saw, in surprise, the old missionary who had been his fellow-passenger upon the Star of India approaching them. " Mr. Geary ! " he cried, rising. And the other came forward with a smile and out- stretched hand. " Sir Vincent Davenport, I am glad to meet you, though it is not altogether an unexpected pleasure." " Indeed. How is that ? " " I met an old friend, one whom you know well Mr. Linton. He was at the hospital where I studied medicine, prior to going out to India. I happened to speak of the loss of your poor friend ; and that led to his telling me how you were engaged to his daughter, whom, I suppose, I now have the pleasure of seeing." And he bowed to Constance as he said this. Maplethorpe hastened to confirm Mr. Geary's supposi- tion ; and, the introduction over, the conversation turned on the death of the man whose place he had usurped. " So sad so very sad to be lost in sight of home," the old gentleman said. " But God knows best. He calls us when He wills ; and who are we to question His decree ? " He spoke with solemn reverence, and lifted his hat; then continued in a brighter tone " But I must congratulate you. I have heard of your trials, and how you have had to wait in patience. Such a treasure is worth waiting for ; and, like all real treasures, has come to the one who waited patiently. It must have been hard while it lasted." " It was ; but it is over now," said Constance, speaking for herself and her lover. "But when we know God is helping us we can afford to wait, Mr. Geary. God never lets faithful service go unrewarded." " Nor wrongdoing unpunished, Miss Linton. The old promise is true all the way along { Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' It may be long in the coming, as men count time ; but it is sure, and sooner or later 52 THE TEAR OF KALEE a man's works find him out for bane or blessing, according to their nature." Find him out for bane or blessing ! Long after he had parted from Constance Linton those words rang in Maplethorpe's ears. Would his works ever find him out ? She had said, " Forget the past and turn to the future." But could he ? No ; that past was his present ; it dominated and ruled it. He must either, by one mighty effort, trample it down, or let it for ever be his master. Hour after hour he paced his room, a fierce battle in his soul. " Tell the truth tell the truth ! " cried that still small voice. " I cannot, I dare not ! " answered his nature. " I will let her lead me in the right all my days. O God, let me go on now ! " he groaned. " I never had the chance before ! Let me go on ! " But the voice replied " You cannot start in God's way with a lie, for a lie is of Satan!" " But it can make no difference ! It is my only chance ! To tell her is to have her turn in scorn from me ! I sinned for the gold, but I have a far holier treasure. O Heaven, let me keep her ! Bid conscience cease ! Let me have this treasure, this holy love of Constance Linton ! " In his soul's strife he cried out aloud ; he wrestled with self as he had never striven before. Midnight came and went, and still he walked sleepless, wretched, to and fro. Constance prayed ! He had not said a prayer since he knelt, a child, at his mother's knee, but he flung himself down now. " I cannot give her up ! She is as an angel from heaven come to me, and I cannot give her up ! O God, have you sent an angel only to force me to turn from her ? Let me keep her, for I cannot give her up, and all my life shall be spent in Thy honour ! " So he prayed, but still the answer came the same : " Did even Judas worse than this ? " And in his soul's bitterness he groaned "I KNOW NOT THE MAN!" 53 " It is useless useless ! That voice will not hush ! I must do it ! Heaven help me, I cannot live a lie in her presence ! " He rose and turned to his table. He took paper and pen and sat down. For one moment he hesitated, then laid the pen down. " Not-to night," he muttered. " I will call her mine for one night more. To-morrow I will tell her the truth to- morrow ! I would it might never come for me ! I will tell her to-morrow ! " CHAPTER VIII " I KNOW NOT THE MAN ! " WEARY and unrefreshed, Maplethorpe sat down to his morn- ing meal. He had resolved to tell the truth to-day ; but now he wavered, and resolution failed him. He meant to do it he would do it ; but not yet. Two letters awaited him one from Messrs. Grey and Coulson, to say that they should await him at three o'clock ; the other, a bright little note from Constance Linton. " My darling," it ran, " will you think me very childish if I ask you to let me come with you to-day ? I will not speak ; but I want to be by your side, and be the first to give you your title when everything is finished. You must not think me worldly ; it is not the title only I value, but the one who will bear it honourably. I am so proud of my Vincent, and know that he will live to make his name honourable. I shall come over in the afternoon, and I know that you will let me come with you." And then it ran on into sweet messages of comfort and help words of trust in God and restful faith and he sat reading with swelling heart and misty eyes. "I will not do it," he thought "I will not do it. Come what may, I will never tell her the truth." He passed the morning as best he might, and was ready and waiting long before Constance arrived. 54 THE TEAR OF KALEE " You did >not mind my coming, Vincent ? " was her greeting. " Mind it ! " he repeated. " Ah, love, surely you know better than that ! " And at his words the happy light beamed out afresh in her eyes, and she pressed the arm through which he drew her hand. " Now, suppose we walk through the Park ? " he said. " We have plenty of time, and it is far pleasanter than the streets." " I should like it very much," she replied. It was pleasant in the Park. The trees were clothed in their autumn garb of golden-russet and red-brown, the air was soft and balmy, the flower-beds rich in colour. " I am quite happy now," she was saying. " I know you will never deceive me, and you have all my trust, and " " Great Scott ! if it ain't Maurice, and dressed up to the eyes ! Maurice, old pal, how do you do ? " The words were spoken in a tone of insolent familiarity ; and the speaker planted himself right in the path with extended hand. " Knew you at once," he went on, " though it is so long since we see each other. Ain't you glad to see your old pal again ? I heard you was dead, but you're worth a lot of dead men yet, I reckon. Your good lady, I s'spose ? " And the speaker turned towards Constance, who drew back in dismay. " Your husband's an old friend o' mine, ma'am." For a moment Maurice Maplethorpe stood speechless. He knew this man, knew him all too well. A disreputable acquaintance of former days, and one who knew enough to send him to prison. " Ain't you going to shake hands with your old partner ? " the fellow continued. " Bless my eyes ! You don't seem over-glad. Not so glad as I am by a long way." " You mistake, sir," replied Maurice at last, drawing himself up, and assuming an air of displeasure. " I have not the pleasure of your acquaintance." A lowering sneer, half defiant, half threatening, came into the other's face as he listened ; and he broke out into a mocking laugh. "I KNOW NOT THE MAN!" 55 " So that is your game, is it ? Won't recognise me ! Pretend you don't know Jim Booly ! Maurice Maplethorpe, Esquire, it may suit you to forget, but it may suit me for to remember." " I tell you you are mistaken, fellow. I am Sir Vincent Davenport." " Just listen to him ! " said Mr. Booly, appealing to the trees and grass. "Just hark to him ! Sir Vincent Daven- port ! If he tells you that, miss, you tell him from me that it's all my eye. I know my old pals when I meets 'em again." Maurice clenched his fist, but Constance pressed his arm and spoke. "You are making a mistake. I know this is Sir Vincent Davenport ; and the man you speak of was lost coming home from India. Sir Vincent was on the ship at the time. Come, I can understand your mistake, for there was a great likeness between them." " Come, my man, let us pass," interrupted Maplethorpe. " I am not the man you seek ; and, as this lady has said, he is dead. If you are not satisfied, and still think that I am your late friend, you can call at my solicitors', and I have no doubt they will satisfy you that you are in error." The man drew on one side, half-doubting still. " It's like my luck," he growled. " If you had been my old pal, it would have meant a sovereign to me. We always went share and share alike." "Perhaps your 'pal,' as you call him, might have been unwilling to continue that sort of thing," observed Maple- thorpe dryly, and the man laughed. " P'r'aps he might ; but as he happened to have been a queer 'un, and as I know enough to have put him in gaol for a little business what I needn't mention it's most likely he'd 'a paid up willingly." " He is dead, and therefore let his past rest," said Maple- thorpe. " If you are in need, here is a sovereign for you ; and I hope it may bring you good fortune." " A sovereign ? You are a real gent ! A regular nobleman ! " The man took the coin eagerly, and repeated his thanks, 56 THE TEAR OF KALEE while Maurice hastily drew Constance from the spot, leaving Mr. Booly looking after them. " All the same, I'll keep my eye on you, Sir Vincent Davenport, Esq. You don't part with sovereigns for nothing, I guess ; and, for all your talk, if you ain't Maurice Maplethorpe, I never saw him ! " Maurice and Constance walked on ; and she, glancing at his face, saw that it was ghastly white, and that a clammy perspiration beaded his forehead. " Vincent dear, are you ill ? " she cried, in alarm ; and he hastened to allay her fears by assuring her that there was nothing the matter. " It was hearing poor Maplethorpe's name mentioned so suddenly, I think," he said. " Whatever he may have been, he and I were good friends." " Poor fellow ! It was very sad for him. And were you really so much alike, Vincent ? " " Yes j we could hardly have been told apart." She laughed. " I do not think it would have deceived me. I should not have liked to have had any one so like you had I known it, though. Only suppose somebody else coming in your place, Vincent, and my not being able to tell the difference ! Why, dear, you must be ill ; your face is quite white still ! " And Constance paused, and regarded her companion in dismay. "It is nothing, dear," he murmured. "I I let that fellow's speech anger me too much ; and it always makes me feel ill if I give way to my temper. I should have struck him had you not been present, I fear." " It was very unpleasant for you. I am afraid that this Mr. Maplethorpe must have been a bad man, for that person said he could have had him locked up." " He is dead now, and we do not know what the real truth may have been," he replied. Then he burst out vehemently : " Ah, Constance, there is many a poor young fellow who by law might be sent to prison, and yet is more sinned against than sinning. Remember that, Constance, whenever you hear any one spoken of as that man spoke of Maurice Maplethorpe." "Yes, dear," she said, perplexed at the emotion he I KNOW NOT THE MAN!" 57 displayed. " There, let us forget it ; only I am very glad that you are not like that." He could have groaned. Was that spirit of evil, that father of lies whom he had elected to follow, being allowed to torture him ? Her every word stung and rankled like a poisoned arrow. He never could tell the truth now ; and yet, should he ever forget those words ? "Only suppose somebody else coming in your place, Vincent, and my not being able to tell the difference ! " He listened to her words, but he hardly knew what she said as they finished their walk. All his soul seemed numbed ; the only thought that was clear was one that burned into his brain the thought that he was Maurice Maplethorpe, that nothing could alter that, and that all this woman's love was not for him ; for him she had nothing but loathing. He was only stealing the love that should have been another's. Better far that he had remained a poor man in India than have come to this. Better that he had never seen Constance, than to know that for ever he must act that lie to her. They emerged from the Park and reached their destination. " Here we are, dear," whispered Constance. " Now let all the clouds be chased away, and let me see a happy smile when I first greet Sir Vincent Davenport." They ascend the steps, and are ushered into a waiting- room, while the porter goes to inform the principals that they have arrived. But what is the matter with Maurice Maplethorpe ? Is it only the strain that he has undergone that is telling on him ? His face blanches and flushes alternately, his knees give under him ; for seated in that room are two women, both clothed in deep mourning, and as they lift their faces at his entrance he recognises in them his own mother and sister ! 58 THE TEAR OF KALEE CHAPTER IX CHARLEY MAPLETHORPE'S mother and sister were there, facing him in the lawyer's office ! The last people he had expected to see, and, under the circumstances, the last he wished to see. The wrongdoing of his younger days had brought disgrace and trouble upon them, and left them a heavy legacy of care ; and though in his heart he cherished a deep love for them, he sat abashed and speechless now. He had dreamed of some day returning rich, and atoning for all the past ; but to meet them thus, in the guise of an impostor, to stand revealed before them and Constance in his true colours ! He must be bold and put a stout face on it, deny his own identity again, and afterwards go secretly and try to explain to them. All this flashed lightning-like through his brain, as he started back ; while Constance, now seriously alarmed at his appearance, tried to lead him to a chair, convinced that this was a more serious attack of the indisposition which she thought had been trying him throughout the day. But that startled cry had attracted the attention of the other women, and the elder, with a sudden exclamation of wonder and joy, pushed past her, and, placing her hands upon Maplethorpe's shoulders, cried " Maurice ! Maurice ! Is it really you come home at last ? I heard you were dead ! " While her daughter, kneeling by his side, clasped his hand, sobbing and calling him " Dear brother ! " " You mistake oh, you are making a mistake ! " cried Constance, her heart filled with pity for them and anxiety for her lover. " This is not your son ! " " Not my son ! " The mother turned fiercely upon her. " Who are you, girl, to speak so ? Not my son ! Do you think a mother can be mistaken in recognising her own child?" " You are mistaken, indeed," she said, earnestly. " Mr. CHARLEY 59 Coulson " as the lawyer entered " please explain to these ladies their mistake. Sir Vincent is ill ; he has been suffering all day, and I fear this painful scene will only increase his weakness." " Dear, dear ! very sad, very sad ! " exclaimed the lawyer. " Quite a mistake on your part, ladies. This is Sir Vincent Davenport, madam. A remarkable likeness existed between him and your son. They came back together, and, as you know, your son was drowned as the ship was going up the Channel. Very sad mistake ! Extremely painful for us all ; but very natural ! " The woman listened in silence, her eyes on Maurice's face ; then she said slowly, still keeping that keen glance upon him " Let him deny that he is my son, if he can." "You you are mistaken." The words came slow and laboured. "I I never saw either of you ladies till to-day. I I recognised you, though, because my poor friend had a likeness of yourself, which he had shown to me." A likeness ! He had held that his most cherished possession all through his wanderings. It was in his pocket- book, all soiled and bent, even then while he spoke. " You are not my son ? " she repeated. "I have told you I am Sir Vincent Davenport. I was your son's friend." " His friend ! Whenever was a Davenport real friend to any but himself? Your uncle professed to be a friend to me and my husband, but he swindled us " "Er really, madam," interposed the lawyer, horrified at such a statement, " that is a very serious thing to say ! Speak well of the dead, madam ! " " I say swindled, sir ! " she repeated, drawing her thin, determined figure up as she spoke. " I have protested that it was so, with every payment I have come here to make you on the judge's order. I still say swindled! And I would say so did I stand face to face with Aubrey Davenport ! "Come, Hester," she added, turning to her daughter, " do not waste your tears thus. If this man is who he says he is, he is our enemy. If he is indeed your brother, then 60 THE TEAR OF KALEE he has added to his long list of wrong-doing ; and as he has denied his own mother, he can be no longer son to me or brother to you." And erect, resolute, with set face and compressed lips, she went out, followed by her daughter. " Dear ! dear ! Very painful ! Really, Sir Vincent, I am deeply sorry that there has been such a painful scene." And Mr. Coulson mopped his brow with his handkerchief, and refreshed himself with a pinch of snuff. " But you are indisposed ! A glass of wine or a little brandy ? " "Nothing, thank you," Maurice replied. "I shall be all right in a short time. I have been ailing slightly for the past week." " Ah ! " sympathetically " the weather, rather trying ; and the worry, perhaps." "This is the second time to-day that I have been mistaken for my unfortunate friend," explained Maurice, with a faint smile. "It is very painful. In this case I recognised the lady from the portrait which poor Maple- thorpe had shown to me ; and, naturally, the thing startled me somewhat. I am very foolish ; I fear I have frightened you, Constance." And he smiled down at her as she stood by his side, looking up at him. " Never mind, dear. You could not help it. You will be better soon." " I am better now. Now let us get to business. But first, Mr. Coulson and while I can remember it can you explain the reason of Mrs. Maplethorpe's words concerning my late uncle ? " "A very simple matter. The lady is shall we say ' strong-minded ' ? a trifle obstinate in her opinions ; does not understand the nice processes of law. Some money transactions between her husband and your uncle they knew each other slightly years ago ended in a lawsuit, and Maplethorpe had to pay. He compromised the matter by agreeing to refund all due in instalments, with additional interest ; and his wife has always declared that they were swindled." " Have they paid all the money yet ? " inquired the other. " No, not all ; but the payments are always punctual to CHARLEY 61 the day. The wife saw to that during the husband's life- time, and since his death she has taken the burden upon her own shoulders. A very conscientious woman. I should say that she was well quit of the eldest son, for he seems to have been a rascal at any rate, while he was in England." " And the rest of the family ? " queried Maplethorpe, slowly. " There were others two more sons, I think." " Quite right. The one is a very well-conducted young fellow, steady and industrious. It is due to his exertions, to a great extent, that his mother has kept these payments up. Then there is a little boy. Rather weak intellect, I believe ; suffers from hip disease, I think." " I should wish that debt cancelled, Mr. Coulson," said Maurice, when the lawyer finished his speech. "Maple- thorpe was my friend, and for his sake I would do what I can for his people." " Very generous indeed ! It shall be done, Sir Vincent. Ah, here is my partner come to look us up " as Mr. Grey entered. "Now, if you have quite recovered, Sir Vincent, we will get to business." They went into the inner office, and shortly after Maurice and Constance emerged again he still haggard and wan, she smiling and happy. " There, Sir Vincent Davenport ; that is all done. Now what shall we do, your lordship ? " she asked, trying to chase the cloud from his spirit. " I will tell you what you are not to do, Constance," he replied, " and that is ever call me Sir Vincent. I shall hate the name if you do." " I was but jesting, dear one." "Ay, I know, dear. Now to answer your question. I want you to do something for me, Constance." " Yes, dear ? " she inquired, wondering what it could be. " You saw how Mrs. Maplethorpe treated me ? I fear that she has had great cause for resentment, in spite of what the lawyer said. I know that they are poor, and I want to help them." "That is very good of you, Vincent," was her quiet comment. " But what do you wish ? That I should visit them ? " 62 THE TEAR OF KALEE "That is just it, Constance. I fear to go myself, for, in the bitterness of her spirit, Mrs. Maplethorpe would resent it ; besides, I shrink from going ; it is so very painful to me to be mistaken for poor Maurice as I have been lately. You, with your gentle, womanly tact, may do what I could not. Tell them I desire to be their friend ; that anything I can do I shall be glad to. Find out if they are pressed for funds in any way, or what you think I could do to help them. That little cripple he was Maurice's particular pet it was he who dropped the child and so caused the injuries which resulted in the injured spine. Maurice was always talking about him ; and if they think it would do any good, I might send him away to the seaside, or something." " I understand, dear ; and I will willingly go," was her reply. " You leave me to deal with Mrs. Maplethorpe, and I will do the very best I can." " God bless you, Constance ! I do not know what I should have done to-day had you not been with me," he said ; and those words were her reward. When Constance Linton said that she would willingly go she spoke the truth. The mission was one after her own heart, in that it was to try and bring comfort and help to those in trouble. The picture of that mother who, mourn- ing for her son, suddenly thought she had found him again, only to be at once disappointed, was one that elicited her deepest sympathy. The thought of in any way bringing ease or pleasure to the little cripple boy was to her full of happiness ; and, beyond this, there was a feeling that she was doing something for Vincent, beginning already to share his troubles, and help his life. And yet, again, the revelation of this tender and con- siderate nature on his part filled her with pleasure. Surely the man who, in the very first flush of his own happiness, could stay to think of and seek to help others' sorrows, was one to whom she might well trust all her life. So that very afternoon, having ascertained exactly where the Maplethorpes lived, Constance Linton set out upon her errand. Had it been any one less sympathetic and tactful, it is CHARLEY 63 most probable that they would have failed, for Mrs. Maple- thorpe met her advances with but chilling demeanour. Poor woman ! her spirit had been soured by that long, hard conflict, and the knowledge that law and justice had not, in her case, been synonymous. " She would have nothing from the hand of a Daven- port ! " she exclaimed bitterly. " She had battled so long, and she would battle to the end. She would not allow the instalments to cease, but would pay them, month by month, till the very last penny was given." Constance listened, and even approved of her spirit ; but at the same time she advanced the argument that it was unjust to treat Vincent hardly for the sins of his uncle. " The moment you had left the office," she said, " Sir Vincent directed that no more money should be taken ; and he has asked me to come and see you, and beg that you will let him, for the sake of his friendship to your dead son, help you in any way he can." " My son is dead, as you say," was the hard answer, and there was no tear in the eye or quiver in the voice as the stern woman spoke. " He is dead, and must answer now to his Maker for his life. In that life he did his best to break my heart and disgrace my name the only one of my children who ever brought shame upon me. I did not desire to see him again ; but now that he has gone, I will let my heart go out to his memory. I thank Sir Vincent that he, having found Maurice faithful, has spoken good of him that is some little comfort." " Perhaps he had changed before his death, Mrs. Maple- thorpe," suggested Constance, softly. " God is able to melt the hard heart and bend the stubborn soul, and His ways are past finding out." " You are a Christian, Miss Linton ? " queried Mrs. Maplethorpe, and Constance replied in the affirmative. It seemed to create a subtle bond of sympathy between the two, and before long the older woman was telling the story of her long life-battle, and finding a ready sympathiser in her visitor. And it is a rare comfort to those whose spirits are bitter to have one to whom they can pour out the bitterness. To 64 THE TEAR OF KALEE be a good listener is a rare gift, and Constance Linton possessed it. Thus, step by step, she drew the mother on, till she mentioned her youngest child ; and then the flood-gates were opened, and her grief welled forth in great scalding drops. Rachel mourned her child, and would not be comforted. " I do not rebel against God's providence, Miss Linton," she said. " But it is so hard ! I know it will be better for Charley, but it is so hard for me." " Is he so bad, then, Mrs. Maplethorpe ? " Constance asked, her own eyes full of tears. " He is dying, my dear " the " my dear " came so naturally now. " Dying, and the doctors can give no hope. It has been coming for a long while, and I have known it. It will be release for him j but Charley has been our pet such a poor, patient, blessed little lamb and it is so hard to see him go, and know we can do nothing. Why, Miss Linton, you are crying crying for my troubles ! " And hard-featured Mrs. Maplethorpe drew the girl towards her and kissed her brow. " Are you frightened to see any one very ill ? " she asked. " Some people do not like it." " I am not frightened, Mrs. Maplethorpe. I should like to see Charley." The mother rose and led her up to the neat little bed- room above. " It used to be my eldest son's room," she said. " Charley fretted to be put in here when he had to take to his bed for the last time, and so we made this his room. He frets so about his eldest brother. He has not forgotten him, though it is quite five years since he saw him." They entered the room as she said this, and Constance saw a young man and the daughter sitting beside the bed upon which the little lad lay. They looked somewhat surprised to see who was with their mother, but drew back a little, giving Constance room to approach the side of the bed. And she stood there looking down upon the little labouring vessel that was, through such stormy waves, making the shore a little, frail craft, that even now was within sight of the great Harbour Light. CHARLEY 65 He was about nine years old, she thought, but so tiny that he hardly seemed as big as many a boy of six. His little face, so thin and white, was encircled by a nimbus of long golden curls, giving him a girlish appearance ; and his blue eyes seemed to be looking into the great unknown, to which he was going so swiftly. " Does he suffer much ? " she asked at last. " Sometimes dreadfully. But he bears it so patiently and gently. He is more angel than mortal, Miss Linton." " He will soon be all angel, Mrs. Maplethorpe." As she spoke Constance stooped and lightly kissed the little brow ; and when she straightened herself again, there on the forehead lay one glistening tear a tear of pity, the choicest pearl that Heaven values. The brother rose, and turned hastily aside, while the sister bent her face that her tears might not be seen. The little one moved restlessly, and the light of con- sciousness came again into his eyes. " Does Charley want anything ? " asked the mother, bending over the bed. " Charley wants wants Maury wants dear old Maury to sing ' Old Folks at Home.' " Mrs. Maplethorne sobbed. " It is always the same always that cry ! The child loved Maurice more than any one else. He has prayed for him each morning and night ; and to-day he said that he would soon see Maury now." " And he will, dear Mrs. Maplethorpe, for they will meet face to face in the land of life ; and there, afterwards, you will meet them, when the work is done and the rest- time come." " Want Maury ! " rose the plaintive wail. " Want to see Maury before Charley goes to Jesus ! Won't nobody bring Maury to me ? " " Oh, if they might ! " whispered the weeping sister. " Anything to stop that poor little reproachful cry ! " Constance knew not what to say to comfort these sorrowful hearts. It seemed so hard to stand powerless ; and yet to simply repeat words of Scripture seemed useless. So she thought, but she little guessed what comfort she had already brought to the mother's heart. 66 THE TEAR OF KALEE "I think you have been sent by a greater than man," said the latter. " Surely God has caused you to turn in hither on your way, that you might speak His message to me. s, I am comforted, Miss Linton." " Charley wants Maury ! Mamma, won't you send and get Maury to sing < Old Folks at Home ' ? " " Mother cannot, Charley, or else she would." " Won't Hester or Georgie go and get him ? " "No, they cannot, pet. Charley lie still, and Hester will sing." "Charley wants Maury to sing." A pause, and the little eyes turned upon Constance. " Lady, will you tell Maury to come to Charley, and sing < Old Folks at Home ' ? " " Oh, what shall I do ? " sobbed the mother. " Come away, my dear Miss Linton. You are very good, and your heart is very tender, but it is not right to try you with this." " Mrs. Maplethorpe, there is one thing I might do to satisfy that little one, if you do not think it wrong," said Constance, when the two reached the room below. "I hardly like suggesting it, but it could be done, perhaps." " What is that, Miss Linton ? I can think of nothing. We tried to pass George off as Maurice, but the child knew at once. I can think of nothing." " There is some one we might ask to come and sing in your dead son's place, who I do not think that even Charley would know from his brother." " Some one who might come ? " The mother stood looking doubtfully at the girl. " Do you mean " " Sir Vincent Davenport ? yes. He is full of sympathy for you and yours. It is because he asked it that I came to see you ; and I know that if we ask him, and explain, he would come. It would be very trying for all who saw the scene that we must prepare for but it might satisfy Charley. The one question is, would it be nice to force such a deception upon the little one ? " " If it would satisfy him, and give him any pleasure yes," said Mrs. Maplethorpe. " But after what has occurred I hardly like to ask " CHARLEY GOES HOME 67 " You can ask for Charley what you would not ask for yourself," put in Constance. "I am sure that Sir Vincent would come ; and if you give me permission I will ask him." Just a short, silent struggle, and then the mother's love conquered the woman's pride. " I thank you with all my heart, Miss Linton. Will you do this for me ? If you fail, I shall not think the worse of Sir Vincent for it is a strange request to make and if you succeed, it will only add to what I owe you." u Then I will go and do so at once," was the answer. u There, try and be brave, Mrs. Maplethorpe. I will soon bring Sir Vincent, and he will sing to Charley." And with this parting word of comfort Constance came away to seek her lover, and ask him to go and sing to a little dying child to little Charley who had been Maurice Maplethorpe's special pet. CHAPTER X CHARLEY GOES HOME " THE youngest boy is dying." That was her verdict when she met him. And he had said " The youngest ! What, little Charley dying ? " " Yes, and the end is very near ; and he wants his brother Maurice." And then she told him of her plan. He should go and pretend to be Maurice Maplethorpe. Go and sing to the dying child. " The mother would be so thankful, Vincent," she ended by saying. " It is so sad to hear the little one keep moaning for some one to send the brother whom we know is dead. You will do this, dearest ? It is surely a good work to do." What could he say ? What could he do ? Was ever one in position like this ? To have to pretend to be the man he was ! To pretend to be Charley's brother ! 68 THE TEAR OF KALEE It was a difficult part to act. Perhaps to have to stand and see his mother's tears to have to speak the common platitudes of sympathy, when his heart would be bursting to stretch out his hands and cry, " Mother, I am in very deed your son ! " Suppose he did that r To lose Constance.! To lose the position he now held ; and to receive, as he knew he would, the stern rebuke of the mother whom he had once denied. No, that could not be. But he would go and see Charley, and sing him " Old Folks at Home." So he went to the old home, so well remembered. Nothing seemed changed save himself. The street, with its rows of little villas, was the same. It seemed as if the policeman at the street corner, and the very cat on the door- step, were the same as those of his childhood. The room into which he was ushered was the same, unchanged in anything. The basket of wax-flowers, the antimacassars, the Bible just in the place it had always been all just as it looked that morning when he had crept out, trembling and in secret, knowing that the constable would be searching for him. There were his father's and mother's portraits, so stiff and unnatural. There were Hester's and George's, and his own was missing ! He had been the only one to make a gap in the family, and his was the only portrait removed. His thoughts were cut short by the entrance of his mother, her stern face wearing an expression of deepest grief. " It is good of you to have come, Sir Vincent Daven- port," she began. " The doctor has just been, and he says the little one must soon go now. He has been calling all the time for his brother, and if you can make him think you are he, it will give him some little pleasure before he leaves me. Will you come ? " She had evidently prepared the little speech, and she spoke in strange, halting gasps. And he, in silence, followed with Constance. His room ! How well he knew it ! And on his bed Charley ! Yes, it was he, though much altered now. Maurice would hardly have known him five years make a CHARLEY GOES HOME 69 lot of difference in a child. A poor little sufferer, not like the little fairy he had known and romped with. But it was Charley. The voice was the same. And the blue eyes opened and the feeble arms outstretched to him as his mother bent forward and said softly " Charley, Brother Maury has come at last." Would he detect the fraud ? No, the little eyes filled with delight, the little face worked with emotion, and he gasped " Maury ! dear old Maury ! Come and sing * Old Folks at Home ' to Charley ! " " Charley, my little Charley ! " How well he acted, thought Constance and the mother. Had he been Maurice himself he could not have seemed more affected. "Sing Old Folks at Home.'" " Can you ? " queried the mother, and he nodded. "Yes, Maurice sang it to me as he used to do to his little brother," he said. And then he began the old song, the song he used to sing to Charley when he himself was honest and true, and when the old folks were dear to him and he to them. How often in the far-away land had he thought of it all, and felt what a precious spot that home was ; and now now to be in it as a stranger, with lips sealed, unable to speak one loving word to the weeping mother and sister ! " You sing it just as my poor son used to do," whispered Mrs. Maplethorpe, when it was ended. "There, Charley, now Maury must go and get his tea, and you will be good and go to sleep." Just what she had said in the old days, when he had come home from work, and been called to sing a good-night song to Charley, ere he sat down to his evening meal. If this went on much longer he could not endure it. " Mamma crying ! " said Charley. " Brother Maury, mammie crying ! I guess it is because you've been such a long time coming home from work. Mamma used to kneel down and ask God to bring the ' prodigal ' home. Why did she call you ' prodigal,' Maury ? You ain't in rags ! And she used to pray that you might enter the * narrow 70 THE TEAR OF KALEE way ' before it was too late I think that meant be good and go to heaven." " Yes, Charley, brother Maury will enter the narrow way, and I will help him," said Constance, coming forward. " Will you, pretty lady ? Will you promise Charley ? " " Yes, Charley ; I promise that all my life I will try and help this brother Maury." And she laid her hand on the man's arm as she spoke. " I will try to help him in the narrow way." " Mammie," said Charley, " the lady promised ; now you will put Maury's picture back ? " Yes, Charley." A pause. Then again " Maury." "Yes, Charley?" " Mammie's crying still. You must kiss her, and say you are sorry." u Mamma knows that, Charley." " Kiss her. Charley wants to see to see " A slight convulsion shook the child, and the mother cried in terror that he was dying. Yes, the little vessel was just crossing the bar, but the anchor was not dropped yet. Very slowly he came back to them ; and, as the mother bent forward to wipe the per- spiration from his brow, he began again " Maury, you must kiss mamma, and say that you are sorry." He could not do that ! He could not do that ! His very heart seemed to be bursting within him. Charley could not speak, but his eyes pleaded ; and Constance turned to her lover, little dreaming what she was doing. " Quick ! He is dying ! Kiss her and say it. Quick, he will go into heaven with it in his ears." The mother suffered herself to come to him to him whom she had thought an enemy, to him who was so like her dead son. And he God help him now ! for never did man suffer what he did, it seemed. And yet he could not speak the truth. CHARLEY GOES HOME 71 In that solemnity, to proclaim what he was ? No, he could not, now or ever. He had taken up the lie, and for ever he must carry it. " Speak ! " came from Constance, and he bent and kissed that withered cheek which he had so helped to furrow. " Mother I I am so sorry ! " he gasped ; and then, " O God ! O God ! I cannot bear this longer I can- not bear it ! " " Hush, dear." Constance places her hand on his arm, and points to the bed. What is this strange light stealing over that little face a strange light as though a shadow is passing over the sun ? Is this cast by the pinions of that grey angel whom men call "Death," because they know not the life beyond, to which the solemn messenger takes them ? " Charley," whispers the mother " O Charley ! " And she sinks upon her knees, while son and daughter kneel beside her, and whisper, through their tears, what comfort they may. Sing sing Old Old ' " It seems out of place, that old plantation melody, in the solemn chamber of death ; and he signs to Constance to sing a hymn instead. She begins one, the first that comes to her mind " There's a Friend for Little Children " but Charley does not appreciate it, and shakes his head. " Maury, sing Charley good-night song going to sleep soon now sing * Old Folks Old Folks at Home.' " The light is stealing over the face rapidly ; the anchor swings ready to fall. The last order is trembling on the lips ere the captain of that little ship shall pass into port and say, " I have come home." " Sing ' Old Folks' once more Maury." And he begins " ' 'Way down upon the Swannie River, Far, far away, That's where my heart is turning ever, That's where the old folks stay. All the world is sad and dreary, Everywhere I roam, Oh, darkies, how my heart grows ' 72 THE TEAR OF KALEE O Charley ! Charley ! come back " for Constance has touched his arm, and bending, crosses the little thin hands upon the breast, and Charley's good-night song was sung, and he had gone home. Yes, home ! Home to the Great River that proceedeth out of the Throne of God, to wind its way through the midst of the golden street of the Homeland. Home to the angel folk to whom his little thoughts had turned so often, while he was far away in the world's plantation. Home to the land where no one is old ; where there cometh no sorrow, sin, or pain ; where death is not, but life dwelleth ever. Home to the blessed land where God wipeth away all tears. Charley had gone to sleep, his good-night song was ended, and for him it was morning now. They straightened the little form ; they robed him in fresh spotless white, and placed a great white blossom in his hands ; and then they went away, softly and reverently, and left the unseen angel to watch by the sleeping boy. They went away, and they whispered tearful thanks to Constance and to him. He knew that, and he answered as one speaking in a dream ; and then she led him home. And as though she felt that he desired to be quiet, she left him with a loving kiss and word, and went her own way went to kneel and pray for the man she had promised to help along the narrow way. And he sat alone sat speechless and motionless thinking. Charley knew now knew all about it ! He had kissed his mother, and said he was sorry. God knew it was true, though she did not. And Constance had promised to help him ! It was strange that he should love her, seeing how short a time he had been in her presence. But love her he did, as he loved nothing else in this world she, his beautiful, pure angel, whom he was deceiving every hour of his life ! Again came the thought that he might be honest, and face the truth only to be dismissed. To do that to have to go out alone, and take up the old vagabond life again to be self-banished for ever from his queen ! No, he dared not do that. CHARLEY GOES HOME 73 Despair seemed to be closing upon him. He thought of the old pagan legend of the man suffering from thirst, and plunged up to the chin in water, which fled from his parched lips as he strove to drink one cooling drop. He was like that. No matter how loving and true Constance was no matter how she helped and comforted ever and ever that voice would speak, and he could not silence its accusing tones. False to her, false to himself, false to all ! The one lie was growing till it towered heaven-high, barring his path. It was like some many-armed monster of the deep, encircling him in its resistless folds forcing him backward and down- ward while he struggled in vain towards that purer, nobler life in which Constance Linton walked. The death of Charley had cost him even more than he would have thought ; and as he sat there, with bowed head, he would fain have been lying beside that little form, so still in the majesty of death, and at rest for ever ! He did not see his mother again ; he could not trust himself to do that ; but Constance the next day brought him messages of gratitude from the house of mourning, and she herself whispered words of approbation for the kindness and sympathy he had shown. " I am more proud of your being so ready to sympathise with the sorrows of others than I should be to see you reach the summit of worldly power and fame," she said. " Ah, Vincent, you do not know how happy it makes me, and how grateful I am to Heaven that you have been led to that higher life. Do you know, dear, it seems sometimes im- possible that you can be the same Vincent as went away. I loved you then, but I love you a thousandfold more now." It was torture to him, and a great fear was beginning to grow upon him. What will happen if she should ever find out ? What will she think, what will she say, and, worst of all, what will she suffer ? His business in London was concluded. There was nothing to hinder his going to take possession of the property that he had so sinned to obtain, and that, in the obtaining, was costing him so much. Mr. Linton was all anxiety to get back. He had left his practice in the hands of a junior 74 THE TEAR OF KALEE partner ; and, though it was but a country one, it was the best and most fashionable in the county ; and he did not feel easy in being away any longer. Maurice, however, said that he should stay in town till the funeral of Charley, and nothing could alter his determination. This was rather puzzling to the doctor, and decidedly discomposing. The Vincent of old had been easily led. A very little firmness had been enough to make him do whatever was desired ; but this Vincent was a man of a different sort. He had a will of his own, and was not to be turned from his course. Did he (the doctor) become indignant or assume a patronising air, Vincent either laughed at him or quietly snubbed him ; and Dr. Linton began to feel that neither with his daughter nor with his prospective son-in-law, would he be able to have his own way. It was galling and vexatious, for he had dominated his wife and most of his neighbours ; and now to find that he was not able to impress this young man with a due sense of the respect with which he ought to be treated, was as gall and wormwood to Dr. Linton. So Maurice stayed for the funeral of Charley ; and though he did not go to the house, he and Constance joined the cortege in a carriage, and followed Charley to his last resting-place, where the little body was to sleep in the bosom of kind old mother earth, till the Lord of life should come and call it from the dust. Like one in a dream, he sat and listened to the words : " * I am the Resurrection and the Life,' saith the Lord," and then, again : " Man brought nothing into this world, and it is certain he can take nothing out." Certain he can take nothing out ! Was it worth it, then ? Worth the sin he had sinned, when he could not say how long it should be ere the old robber Death would take all from him, and leave him naked and alone ? Then they took their way to the little grave, and there, the blue sky and the autumn sun overhead, they laid him to rest. Up in that blue sky one little quivering, palpitating spot of melody hung a lark singing its anthem of praise, emblem of the soul that, winging its way upward, sings and CHARLEY GOES HOME 75 sings itself into the very presence of God, where all is song eternal. " Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust ; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life." So the words fell, and then they turned away. Nothing more to be done. There little Charley shall sleep till the angels sound their golden trumps, and the Lord Himself shall come. Constance walks with the stricken mother to her coach, seeking to speak some words of help and comfort ; then she misses Vincent. Perhaps he has tarried to speak to the gravedigger, to give some direction as to the keeping of that little grave in good order. It would be like him to do that. The carriages have gone, all but theirs, and she goes back to the grave ; and there she finds him, his head bare, his dress soiled with the clay, kneeling alone and sobbing, while the gravedigger has withdrawn, and stands some distance off, respectful and yet surprised at this exhibition of grief. Softly she goes up to him and places her hand on his shoulder. " Why, Vincent dear," she says, " what is it ? " He looked up, he seized her hand, and smothered it with hot kisses. " I do not know I cannot tell what is the matter with me, Constance. It is as though all Heaven was crying out to tell me how evil I am and ever have been ; I feel un- worthy of your love, I feel unworthy of any blessing. O Constance, my queen, my love, I want to live a good life ! I want to atone for all the past. Help me, dear one, for the sake of your promise to Charley ! Help me into the narrow way." He gripped her hand so tightly that it hurt her. She was surprised, she could not understand this wild outburst of grief. " He was so good and pure, such a gentle little fellow ; it seemed so wrong for one like me to be by him when he died. Oh, if I could be as good as poor little Charley ! " She drew him to his feet, and stood holding his hand, an angel of life to draw him from the grave. 76 THE TEAR OF KALEE *' Vincent, the grace of God and the blood of Jesus are sufficient for every one. You are, in His sight, as the soul of this dear little child who now is with Him. Listen, I am never going to say to you, * What was the past ? ' I do not seek to know more than you will tell me. But this I say I will keep my word to little Charley. You are not the one he thought you to be, but you are the one I know you to be ; and I will help you, dear, if a weak woman can help a man. The past is God's, the future is God's, but the NOW is ours, given us by Heaven to use as we will. Vincent, leave the past, then, and trust the future to God ; but live the present for Him, and by His grace, and you will have no need to fear." She led him away back to the carriage ; and still from the blue vault above, there fell the beauteous limpid melody of the lark's song. They went away, and left the sexton to rub his eyes and fill in the grave wherein the little coffin lay the coffin of the boy who had gone home to God. CHAPTER XI THE MAN WITH THE FALSE BEARD WITHIN half a mile of the hotel where Maurice Maplethorpe was staying there was a quiet, sleepy square a little spot that looked as though it had been dropped into the great metropolis by accident and forgotten. A neglected enclosure in the centre gave it its name, and the explorer into its quietude was struck by the number of its houses which were inscribed "Private Hotels" or " Select Boarding-Houses." Into this square, upon the very day on which little Charley died, there came a tall, well-knit, bronzed man. He walked its entire round, contemplating the outside of the houses ; hesitated several times between one and another, and finally entered one of the aforesaid hotels and inquired for rooms. The proprietor hesitated. The man, though with THE MAN WITH THE FALSE BEARD 77 the air of a gentleman, had no luggage, and his clothes bore the unmistakable cut of " ready-made." There were many men in London who made a business of swindling hotel proprietors, and the landlord was prudent. " Had the gentleman been recommended ? " he asked. "No." " Was his luggage following r " " No ; no luggage following." " The gentleman would be accommodated, but he would have to pay in advance. It was their custom with strangers who were not recommended and had no luggage." " There you are ! If that will not cover, I will give you two more to-morrow, as soon as I have been to my bankers'," said the visitor. The landlord bowed obsequiously, determined now to make up by his attention for any ill impression his implied mistrust might have created upon so desirable a guest as a man who threw down sovereigns without asking his price, and talked about visiting his bankers. " What name, sir ? " he asked, as he opened his ledger. But the simple question seemed to somewhat confuse the other. " Daven " he began readily, then he checked him- self. "Name er oh, Brown John Brown, of Man- chester." And, following the waiter, the visitor ascended the stairs. " Strange," mused the proprietor of the hotel ; " that man has given me a false name Daven Brown. How- ever, that is no business of mine ; but the retaining of a good-paying customer is, so he may have what name he chooses for all I care, if only he makes a good long stay." Up in his room this " Mr. Brown " betook of his dinner with the air of one who has a healthy appetite ; and then, leaning back in his chair, sat contentedly smoking and watching the rings which floated up from the bowl of his pipe. " All well now," he murmured to himself, with a low laugh of satisfaction. " There is nothing more to fear. Getting picked up by that French smack was a great stroke 78 THE TEAR OF KALEE of good fortune. The death of Vincent Davenport must have been in all the papers Maplethorpe would have seen to that and my having been out of the way all this time must have put the Hindoos completely off the scent. They will have given up the search as useless, and gone by now." He paused and stroked his chin meditatively. " Perhaps it would have been wiser to have let people know who I was as soon as I got back to Dover," he said. " I would have done so, but I did not know how safe it might have been. It would not have done if those fellows are by any chance still in England. I shall have to find Maple- thorpe out, and see if anything has happened. I think he more than half suspects the real state of affairs." Another long pause. " Mr. Brown " bent his brows into a little frown as he knocked the loose ash from his pipe. " I suppose he was to be trusted ; he had no reason for being false. I must see Grey and Coulson, and get them to do things as quietly as possible. It will not do to have the matter in the papers, or I may have those Hindoos back again, and if they get a fresh clue, there is no telling what they may do. I am not a coward as a rule," he added, with a slight shudder, " but I have a dread of those mysterious, relentless priests. They are silent as the grave, sure as Fate, and relentless as death." He rose with an impatient exclamation " What a nervous fellow I am growing ! I am for ever harping upon them. There can be nothing to fear here. I am in England, protected by all its laws. In a few days I shall have my inheritance, and then I will go down to Harleyford, and live beyond the reach of care or peril, and this precious Tear shall provide me with the ladder whereby to climb to fame and fortune." He took the great diamond from his pocket, and stood drinking in its fatal beauty, just as beneath Delhi's sultry skies he had stood looking at it on that night when Aimie first put it into his hand. Poor Aimie ! The memory of her love and devotion brought a touch of compunction to him he had not been faithful to her as she had been to him ; and he gave a little sigh and shook his head. THE MAN WITH THE FALSE BEARD 79 " If any one had told me I should have been content to have taken this and left her to her fate, I should not have believed them." He let the sunrays fall into the very heart of the diamond as he spoke. " Poor Aimie ! She was What a splendid thing ! " and he broke off to admire the iridescent coruscations of the fatal Tear. Poor Aimie, indeed ! What chance had her faithful service against the witchery of the potent spell she had herself placed in his hands ? It had blinded and enslaved him before; it doubly did so now that the danger was passed and the goal won. Another woman's love might be gained ; another Tear of Kalee could never be ! " Poor Aimie ! It is just as well as it is. I should hardly have liked to have introduced her to English society ; people at home are so prejudiced in their opinions ! No, it is best ; and, besides, there is Constance to think of. I might have found it very awkward if we had met ! " I shall have to think where it will be best to take this to dispose of; though, upon my word, I hardly like parting with it at all." He gently dusted the face of the gem with his handkerchief. " It will bring me a fortune worth the having ; then I will become one of the leaders of the place, put up for Parliament, get into the Cabinet who knows ? Money is all-powerful, and I can buy my way up. I may become a peer of the realm yet, and all through the aid of this little piece of carbon ! All safe all safe now, and prosperity and Constance awaiting me, and Ah, what does that mean ? " He had been standing at the window, looking into the square below, and he started back hastily ; for there, passing with slow sedateness, were three men, the hue of whose cheeks there could be no mistaking three inhabitants of the far-off land from which he had so recently returned. Concealed from view, he watched them with eager eyes. Were they coming here ? No, they passed on, never glancing towards the hotel or pausing in their walk; and he drew a long breath of relief. " Bah ! I am too foolish ! A mere coincidence ! There are plenty of Hindoo students over here, of course ; and yet I could have sworn that the tallest of the three was one of 8o THE TEAR OF KALEE those who came over with us in the Star of India. Well, even if he was, it proves nothing. He may be staying over here on business. I must act with caution, that is all ; perhaps keep silent for a little longer. They cannot be looking for Vincent Davenport, for to all appearances he was unfortunate enough to be drowned in the Channel. No, a mere coincidence. I shall be quite safe now, and fortune and Constance both alike shall be mine." Placing the diamond safely into its resting-place, he went back to his chair, aimlessly picked up a magazine that lay on the table a mere gossiping, weekly collection of trifling society news and glanced carelessly at its pages ; then suddenly he uttered a cry of enraged surprise, and started up again. " What does this mean ? " he said. " It surely must be a mistake ! No, that cannot be ! * A wedding will shortly take place between Sir Vincent Davenport, of Harleyford, and Miss Constance Linton, the daughter of Dr. Linton, of the same locality ' ! " He read it once, twice, as though he could not grasp the import of the words. Then the book fell from his hands, and he shook his fists in the air in wild and impotent wrath. He could see it all ; it needed no philosopher to explain it. He had been deceived in Maplethorpe. The scoundrel had taken his place, trading upon the resemblance between them ! "He thinks I am dead, and he has stepped into my shoes. He will not stand in them for long " He halted, and sat down. It was very well to talk like that j but this had complicated matters greatly. His object had been to make the Hindoos think that both he and the Tear had been lost, and this man had frustrated the whole plan. They would still be on the watch, and the moment he appeared to claim his position they would transfer their attentions from the impostor to himself. "That explains why they are still here," he muttered. " I shall have to go carefully. To unmask the man is easy, but it will get talked about ; the papers will be full of it, and they will be sure to know. Let me think. The THE MAN WITH THE FALSE BEARD 81 Hindoos believe that he is the one who has the Tear, and yet nothing has happened to him. Can they have given up the search ? No, that is not likely ; they will wait their opportunity, and then the blow will fall ! " He laughed grimly. " Very well, friend Maplethorpe ; you have taken my place take my danger, too ! Let them follow you it will be much the safer for me ; and when the blow has fallen, and they are baffled, then I will come, and take my own again, if it is worth it." " If it is worth it." He repeated the words thoughtfully. " After all, is it worth it ? It is but a few hundreds, while the Tear is a fortune. No ; let Maplethorpe keep what he has taken. But then, Constance I cannot have her without revealing the truth ! " He ground his teeth in anger. Maplethorpe should never have her ! Had Aimie lived it would not have mattered ; but now that she was dead, and he was free, this man should never marry Constance Linton ! "After all, I may be making a lot of trouble about nothing," he reflected. " Maplethorpe thinks me dead. Perhaps, when he finds out the mistake, he will retire peacefully, and no one need know." He looked at the Tear again, and then, carefully placing it and its accompanying pearls in his pocket, he took up his hat. " I will get rid of this as soon as I can. An unlucky accident might deprive me of it and leave me poor. I will dispose of it even if I have to make a sacrifice. But I wonder where it will be best to take it ? " He ran over the names of certain merchants he knew, and finally, having made his selection, he rang and requested the waiter to bring him the directory. It was not to the list of jewellers he turned, however, but to that of theatrical costumiers. If he was going, it might be as well to take all the precautions he could ; and though he did not trouble about the man he was going to interview, there was no knowing whom he might meet in the streets. One of the priests 82 THE TEAR OF KALEE even might by chance see him, and so follow his steps. His experiences in Calcutta had given him a great respect for their prowess. No, he would run no such risk ; and, having found the address he desired, he ordered a cab and drove off. His business occasioned no surprise ; the costumier was used to disguising people ; and when he again emerged from the shop no one would have recognised in the red-headed and bearded man the trim, military-looking young fellow who had entered. Crossing the city, bold in the confidence his disguise gave him, he again took his way westward, and at last halted before a plain, unpretentious shop, which, while it had no glittering display in its window, yet bore a name well known in the fashionable world as being that of a man honoured with the commands of many a crowned patron. Entering boldly, he requested an interview with the principal, stating plainly that he had some valuable gems to dispose of, and could only treat with the head of the establishment himself. A few moments' waiting, and he was shown into the inner office, where a white-headed old gentleman received him. " Pray be seated," said this latter. " You have some business to transact with me, Mr. " "My name is Brown, sir. I am but newly returned from Africa." " Ah ! Diamonds, then, I presume." And the jeweller glanced keenly at his visitor's face. " Not diamonds, but a diamond^ and one of the finest in the world ; and some pearls that will match it," replied " Mr. Brown." And a quiet smile greeted his words. " Diamonds and pearls ! If your description is correct, I may be able to dispose of them for you, for I am at this present moment commissioned by one of the crowned heads of Europe to purchase the finest gems procurable. May I see this wonderful diamond of yours, Mr. Brown ? " He spoke very quietly, but there was just the faintest gleam of excitement in his eyes as, his visitor complying, THE MAN WITH THE FALSE BEARD 83 laid the great Tear and the pearls before him, with the remark " Certainly ! There, I do not think that even you have ever seen a finer specimen than that." The merchant picked it up and examined it in silence ; then he looked up suddenly. " And you got this in the African fields, Mr. Brown ? " "Yes, I was prospecting upon my own account, and came across it." A slight smile curved the other man's lips, and he inquired laconically " And it was cut when you found it ? And did you find the pearls with it, Mr. Brown ? " A muttered imprecation, and his visitor assumed a haughty air. " Sir, you are insulting ! I never said anything of the kind. I found this jewel in the rough ; the pearls I had possessed for some time. I had the diamond cut and set among the pearls, as you see it." "Ah, quite so ! I beg your pardon. And you wish to dispose of the whole set now ? " " Certainly ; either together or separately ; or, failing being able to find a customer for the diamond, I propose having it cut into smaller and more easily disposed of stones." " That would be a pity. I think I can find a bidder for the gem. Will you allow me to call my assistant ? I should like him to see it." Grave and courtly, the old gentleman rose and went out, leaving " Mr. Brown " alone. This man was suspicious ! He was a fool to make that jumbled explanation about having got the Tear in Africa ! Of course any one, even a novice, could tell that a diamond cut like that was not picked up ; and the setting and work was so manifestly Indian ! Why had he not been wise enough to take the pearls out of the gold setting aro'und them ? That told more than the gems themselves, and he had entirely over- looked it ! He glanced round the office. It had a window opening on to a quiet court, which ran at right angles to the main 84 THE TEAR OF KALEE road. He might slip out of that and be off, and here they were, coming back ! The merchant and his assistant entered, and the former took up the Tear. " There it is, Mr. Simmonds ; there can be no question about its being genuine." " Genuine ! " cried " Mr. Brown," as he heard the re- mark. "Of course it is genuine ! " And the assistant answered " Yes, without doubt it is." " I think we might take the responsibility, Mr. Simmonds ? " The merchant looked into his assistant's eyes signifi- cantly. " Without doubt we might, sir," was the answer. " Yes, so I think. That is all, Mr. Simmonds ; thank you for your opinion." The assistant withdrew. " Then you are prepared to buy the diamond ? " said " Mr. Brown," with carelessness, and the other answered " Yes, perfectly prepared ; that* is, providing you can assure me that I shall be quite safe in so doing." His visitor stared. " Quite safe ? I do not understand you. Your own assistant has just agreed with you that it is a genuine stone." Mr. Hardlet, the merchant, smiled quietly. " My dear sir, I do not need any man to tell me a real diamond from a false one. Let me make myself clear. There are only three diamonds in all the world that can in any way equal this one. One is the great Russian gem, the second is the Kohinoor, and the third is the Tear of Kalee, which last has been recently stolen. Now, sir, you have a stone manifestly of Indian workmanship, set with pearls of exceptional value, and having one of their number missing. In every detail this answers to the description of this stolen Tear, and I have a right to ask you how you became possessed of this stone " " I have already told you," began " Mr. Brown," when the other interrupted him. " A story which is false. That stone was cut by Indian THE MAN WITH THE FALSE BEARD 85 workmen. It would cost a large sum to have it done ; would take a considerable time, and require proper tools and workshop such as you do not find out in the African fields. The story is not true, sir." " If that is your opinion, I have only to wish you good- day, sir." And " Mr. Brown " rose as he spoke, and put the Tear in his pocket deliberately. But the merchant rose, too, and stood between him and the door. " Not so fast, sir. You cannot leave this place without rendering some explanation. I know that diamond is the Tear of Kalee ; and the missing pearl was sold to a jeweller in Calcutta, and from him at once re-purchased by the owners of the Tear. I have taken the liberty of sending for the police, and you must remain here till Ah ! Help, help, I say ! " The merchant broke off his speech and sprang across at his visitor, who had turned and flung open that side window. He was a brave old man, but no match for the vigorous and desperate one who held the famous Tear. The other turned and gripped him by the throat, forcing him backwards. " Hinder me at your peril," he hissed. "Help! help! police!" came the cry again, as the merchant frantically strove to pinion the arms of the other. A heavy ruler lay on the table, and " Mr. Brown " caught it up. Once, twice it fell, and the old man slipped to the ground ; but in falling he clutched at that thick beard, and both that and the red wig came away in his grasp, leaving the pale, desperate face of Vincent Davenport revealed. " Help ! help ! " he again cried feebly. And from the outer office there came answering cries. Help had come, but too late to save the Tear of Kalee ; and when Mr. Simmonds and the police he had gone for rushed in, they found that side window open, the bird flown, and the merchant half stunned, the beard and wig in his hand. 86 THE TEAR OF KALEE One glance was enough for the inspector. He rushed to the window and looked out, but the court was deserted. He gave a few rapid orders to his men, and then turned to the others. " Too late, I am afraid. He is safely off by this time, and we shall have more luck than we can hope for if we find him." Yes, he was safely off, indeed ; hidden from search in the securest hiding-place of all the engulfing vortex of London's teeming multitudes. CHAPTER XII ARRESTED "WHAT'S up?" "What's stolen?" " Which way did he go ? " These and similar questions are asked by the crowd which, attracted by the outcry, gathered in front of the shop. "He's grabbed a lot of diamonds and bolted. The desperate villain ! " " Got clean away with 'em, too." " Now then, move on there ! Pass along, please," and with a slight emphasis upon the " please," and sundry gentle pushes, the burly constable disperses the crowd, among which may be dangerous characters, offering as much jeopardy to the jeweller's stock as did the one who bolted. Then in comes an inspector and sergeant, accompanied by Mr. Simmonds. " You sent for us, sir. We are too late, it seems." Mr. Hardlet sinks into a chair, wiping his face, and glancing from one to the other in dazed fashion. " He has gone ! " he manages to gasp at last. " I asked him how the diamond got into his possession, and it scared him. I tried to stop him, but he knocked me down and ARRESTED 87 jumped through the window. I am afraid that he has made good his escape." " So am I," is the grim response. " You should have kept him chatting. Pretended to be testing the diamond or something. It will be looking for a needle in a bundle of hay to search for him here now." "It was foolish of me," acknowledged the merchant, ruefully. " I was so excited at seeing the gem that I forgot my usual caution." "Well, it cannot be helped. There is five thousand pounds slipped away for the time at least ; for that is the reward they offer now. You are sure it was the missing Tear ? " " As sure as I can be. I have never seen it, of course ; but from the description you sent to me I feel sure that this is the same stone." " What sort of man was he ? " " Tall, over six feet, I should say ; very bronzed, and with a slight dark moustache. He was wearing a false wig and beard." " How do you know that ? " came the sharp question, and Mr. Hardlet pointed to the articles in question. " There they are. They came off in the struggle." The inspector pounced upon them and examined the inside of the wig. " Billet's, eh ? Perhaps this may give me a clue ! I will see if he can remember who he sold this to, and when the fellow bought it. Meantime you had better come back with me to headquarters and see the chief. It's a thousand pities you scared the man off." Calling a cab, the jeweller accompanied the inspector to Scotland Yard, and gave a minute description of all that had transpired to the superintendent there, ending with reiterating his sorrow at having caused the would-be seller of the Tear to take alarm. " We can all be wise after the event," he said. " I can see now how stupid I was to alarm him." " Never mind, Mr. Hardlet, you acted for the best ; and if your man Simmonds had only hurried himself a little more, we should have been in time. At any rate, we now know that the diamond is in London, and not at the bottom 88 THE TEAR OF KALEE of the Channel, as I thought before. We shall have the man yet, I fancy. Good-day." And Mr. Hardlet is shown out. And when he is alone the superintendent goes to a trans- mitter standing in his office, and himself sends off several messages. Then, returning, awaits patiently till a cab dashes up the Yard, and a dark-skinned gentleman alighting is shown into his private room. " You sent for me ? You have news ? Have you found it ? " are his eager questions. But the superintendent shakes his head. " No. Through the bungling of a rather excitable man the thief has got away for the time ; but the stone is in London, and that is something to know. It will be a hard matter for any one to try and get rid of it without being discovered, and we shall watch all the outlets for the man as soon as we are sure of his description." " You will spare no expense. Remember that money is absolutely no object with us. Secure the Tear of Kalee, and we will pay you what you like to ask." "That is all right. Ah, here is one of my men, who may have some little information for us. Well, sergeant ? " " I have to report that I visited the costumier Billet, and he identifies the wig, sir," answers the sergeant who has entered. " He sold it to a man this morning as part of a disguise. Man said he wanted to shadow some one, and was disguised by Billet himself." "That will do, sergeant." And the man salutes and goes out. " What do you propose to do r " asks the Hindoo, eagerly, when they are alone again. " Find out who that man was ; or at least whether it was this Sir Vincent Davenport whom you suspect of having the Tear in his possession. We have two people now who have seen this man, and can identify him if need be. I shall take means to let them see this Davenport, and if they are both agreed as to his being the man, then we shall have grounds for arresting him." " But suppose that he should dispose of it in the mean time ? " ARRESTED 89 The superintendent smiled. " My dear sir, you yourself know how impossible that is ! Who is going to buy it ? Even if he took it to be cut up, as you fear, we should know. He will not be able to move without our knowing of his every action. Rest easy, we will keep a good watch upon him. If nothing else could stimulate our men, the splendid reward you have offered would be enough to keep them all wide awake. But mind, we are by no means sure that it is Davenport. There is the other man you have spoken of." " He was drowned ! " was the reply. " You suppose so, but you do not know. He may have had the diamond, and may not have been drowned. We may find Sir Vincent entirely innocent ; and it will not do to be precipitate when you are dealing with members of our aristocracy. At present all we can say is that the diamond is in London, and has been offered for sale. If we find that it is not Sir Vincent Davenport, we shall have to look for the other jnan, and detectives who have seen Sir Vincent are guarding every outlet, so that if any one like him tries to get away he will be sure to be arrested." He rises as he speaks, intimating thereby that the inter- view is at an end ; and when his visitor has retired he goes back to his interrupted reports with as much calmness as though there never had been such a thing as the famous Tear of Kalee to be recovered. Yet, though he sat so calmly, he was neglecting nothing. Every movement of the man at the Cosmopole was shadowed ; every place where there was the remotest chance of the Tear being offered for sale, or sent for cutting into smaller stones, was visited. Nothing was left undone ; and yet for a week nothing transpired to reward his efforts. But the superintendent was unruffled. He had his fingers upon many strings, and felt sure that sooner or later his quarry would be run down. And when that week was ended he sent Inspector Good- body, the officer who had first had the case in hand, upon a special errand to the premises of Billet the costumier. Very casually Inspector Goodbody strolled in and asked for the principal, and very obsequiously did Billet come forward. 90 THE TEAR OF KALEE "Shall not detain you long, Mr. Billet," was the inspector's greeting. " I want to have a chat with you about that wig you sold to the fellow you disguised." " Certainly, inspector. Very pleased to give you any information I can. My time is at your disposal." " You would know the man again, I suppose ? " Mr. Billet laughed. " Know him ? I should know him in a thousand ! " " That is all right, then. I want you to come with me and see if you can identify him." " Certainly ; I will just give a few instructions to my assistant, and then I shall be at your disposal, inspector." Billet hurries away, and the inspector remains con- templating the tawdry dresses, the wigs and masks, piled ceiling-high upon the shelves. " Nice sort of business ! It may be all very well as far as the drama goes ; but ought not to be allowed when it comes to disguising Dick, Tom, and Harry," he says to himself. " People don't want to be disguised for nothing. Hallo, here he is ! " Mr. Billet returns, brushing his hat with his handker- chief, and intimates that he is ready ; and the pair set out, wending their way through the noisy thoroughfares till they arrive at last at the shop of Mr. Hardlet. Here they enter, and the costumier is introduced to the jeweller as the man who had sold the wig and beard to the would-be seller of the Tear. Mr. Hardlet greets the costumier with frigid politeness. He considers himself several degrees higher in the social scale, and regards Mr. Billet as distinctly implicated in the business, since he had himself disguised the man they wanted. "Mr. Billet is certain that he would know the man again," the inspector explains, " and as we think we can put our hands upon him, we should like you both to see him first. We are going to take up our quarters at the Cosmo- pole, and we shall sit opposite to him at the table d'hote. Of course, you will neither of you make any sign of recognition. Only just take a good look at him, and make up your minds as to whether he is the one or not." ARRESTED 91 Mr. Billet nods, and murmurs " Certainly." Mr. Hardlet does not make any observation at all. He is rather annoyed at having to be away from his business. Still, it is to bring the man who had struck him to book. Mr. Hardlet felt the pain of the blow still, and he was prepared to do a great deal to punish the one who had inflicted it. He puts on his glossy silk hat, and carefully draws on his gloves. " Simmonds ! " he calls. And his head assistant appears. Yes, sir." " I am going out for a few hours. You will not leave the place till I return." " Certainly not, sir." " Very well. I shall not be very long, and " Mr. Hardlet suddenly breaks off in his speech, and stands staring through the window into the street. A lady and gentleman are outside, and beyond all question they are coming in. He seizes the inspector by the arm, and drags him into the inner office, beckoning the costumier to follow him. " Come in here. Be quick ! " he whispers. " Of all the barefaced impudence ! " " What is it ? " inquires the inspector, in a low tone. He cannot understand the reason for the sudden excitement upon the part of the jeweller, but his habitual caution makes him speak softly. " The impudent rascal ! The daring villain," gasps the jeweller, "to come back here like that ! " " Who ? " again demands the inspector. " Speak out, sir ! " Mr. Hardlet points to the costumier. " You say he knows the man he sold the wig to. Let him look out, and see who it is in the shop now." Thus invited, Mr. Billet looks out, carefully keeping himself concealed, and immediately utters a low exclamation of suppressed excitement. "The gentleman's right, inspector. That's the man ! I'd know him anywhere." 92 THE TEAR OF KALEE " The man ! What, the one you sold the wig to ? " " The very one ! There isn't the least shadow of doubt about it, inspector." Inspector Goodbody glances into the shop, and then he draws back with a low whistle. " Well, if that is the case, there is no need for us to go to the hotel, for that is Sir Vincent Davenport, the man I was going to take you to see. You are both quite certain you are right ? It would not do to make any mistake about it." " I am sure ! " answers Mr. Hardlet, decidedly. " I caught a full view of his face when the beard came off ; and I am quite confident that this is the same man who offered me the Tear of Kalee in this very room." " And I am quite sure that he is the gent I made up," adds the costumier. " He is better dressed, but he is the same man. I am ready to swear it upon oath ! " " Then we have no need to hesitate," is the answer. And Inspector Goodbody, followed by the others, walked into the outer shop. Yes, it was Constance, and the man who, passing as Sir Vincent Davenport, was to inherit the bitter burden of his wrong-doing. Already the deception had cost him many a sleepless night and sorrowful day, and now it was to bring fresh trial trial that should cast stigma and doubt upon him, and cause his newly-found friends to stand aloof in mistrust. Little Charley had been buried. All his business had been settled, and now there was nothing to keep him from going down to take possession of his property. A few days more and they would be going ; and now he had come, with the woman he had learnt so to love, that he might purchase for her the ring that was to proclaim to all the world she was his affianced bride. He had inquired of Mr. Coulson for one of the best jewellers, and had been directed to come here. Surely everything was against him ! With all the hundreds of kindred establishments, to have been directed here ! All unsuspecting of what was to follow, he had entered Constance on his arm and had requested to be shown ARRESTED 93 some diamond rings, when, just as the assistant placed a tray before him, and Constance was bending over its contents, a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder, and a stern voice said in his ear " Sir Vincent Davenport, you are my prisoner ! " He turned, utterly bewildered ; while Constance, dis- mayed and terrified, clung to his arm, and stared at the inspector. " Your prisoner ! Upon what charge ? " he asked. " You are making some gross blunder ! " "That will be for you to prove, sir," was the quiet retort. " At the present moment I must request you to come with me. You are charged with stealing the great Indian diamond known as the Tear of Kalee ; of bringing it to England, and trying to dispose of it in this very shop, and to this gentleman," indicating Mr. Hardlet with a wave of his hand. " Accused of stealing a diamond ! " cried Constance. " You cannot know what you are saying, sir ! This is Sir Vincent Davenport ! " " I am aware of it, madam ; and I regret that it is my unpleasant duty to have to take him into custody." " But this is preposterous ! " expostulated the prisoner. " It is outrageous ! I have never been in this shop before ! " " That I will swear you have ! " cried Mr. Hardlet. " You came here a week ago, and offered me the diamond. You knocked me down when I tried to detain you, and you sprang through that window. You were disguised ; but in the struggle the wig and beard came off, and I will swear that you were the man." " But I never wore a false beard or a wig in my life ! " persisted the accused. And at his statement Mr. Billet grunted in disgust. " You are wrong indeed you are wrong ! " cried Constance, in deep distress. It seems to her as though nothing but trouble has followed her unhappy lover ever since his return to London. " Sir Vincent has no need to do as you say." "I am very sorry, madam, but I must do my duty," again replies the inspector. " If Sir Vincent can demonstrate 94 THE TEAR OF KALEE his innocence to the magistrate, he will not be incon- venienced very long. I trust you will come quietly, sir." Arrested ! For a few moments he stands almost stunned by the suddenness of the accusation. He sees it all ! Davenport had stolen the Tear of Kalee. He is in London, and has been trying to dispose of it. What shall he do ? Yield, and confess the truth, and stand self-condemned in the eyes of the one woman he loves, or face it out r One way is to stand covered with shame, the other to add to the crime and deceit, perhaps to have to commit perjury. That he can clear himself of the charge he feels confident. Then what if Davenport should claim his property ? On all sides he is hemmed in he is like some poor struggling animal enmeshed in the toils, and he can do nothing. The inspector's hand falls on his shoulder again, and he rouses himself. He will go through with it. The very fact of his facing the ordeal will be so much proof that he is the real man should that question ever be raised. Yes, he will go through with it ; and he turns to the trembling Constance. "There is some foolish mistake here, dear," he says, trying to speak unconcernedly. " I shall have to go with the police, but I shall soon be with you again. Take a cab home, dear, and do not let this worry you. I am at your service, inspector." He kisses her and turns away ; but as he reaches the door he hears his name uttered in those dearly-loved tones, and turns to see Constance Linton fall into the arms of the now sympathetic jeweller. The shock has been too much for her, and she has fainted. He hesitates, and tries to return, but the inspector takes his arm. " Come, sir. She will be all right in a few minutes, and it is better this way." And so on he went, to suffer again for the wrong he had done, the deception he had practised, and the sin he had committed. When would he be free;' ( 95 ) CHAPTER XIII TO SHOW HER FAITH IN HIM " ARREST of Sir Vincent Davenport ! " The newsboys shouted. People discussed. It was the first topic at the clubs. It was spoken of at the War Office, and the question pondered whether, in the event of the accused being found guilty by the magistrate, he would not have to be tried by a court-martial as a military officer. It was spoken of on tram and 'bus and in train ; the most talked-of event in all London that autumn evening. And it was read by a moody, perplexed man, hiding in a second-rate hotel, and proved a solace for his own mortifica- tion. Maurice Maplethorpe had overreached him, but he would reap a bitter reward for his cunning now. "Mr. Brown" did not remain long in his apartments after perusing the paper. There was a rumour that another man, very like the accused, was in London. The sooner that he was gone the better. And in the shadow of the night " Mr. Brown " quietly strolled out, and that private hotel knew him no more. Bow Street was crowded the next morning, when Sir Vincent Davenport surrendered to his bail, and took his place in the dock. Barristers, army men, dainty ladies, and reporters jostled each other in their efforts to find accommo- dation ; and sprinkled among them were some whose dusky faces bespoke them children of warmer climes than ours. Constance was there, and with her both her parents her father looking flushed and angry, her mother troubled and grave. Messrs. Grey and Coulson were there with the rising counsel they had retained, and perfectly confident that they would speedily knock the case for the prosecution into what they termed " a cocked-hat." Mr. Hardlet was there, and the costumier, and a sprinkling of police officials ; and as soon as the magistrate had taken his seat the case was opened. 96 THE TEAR OF KALEE The prosecuting counsel began by stating that the Tear of Kalee was one of the finest diamonds in the world. He traced its history, and reminded the court that though they might not be of the same religion as those who had been robbed, yet Justice knew nothing of caste or creed, but used its sword impartially a point which evoked some little applause to the scandalising of the magistrate. He told how the Tear had been taken from its secret shrine ; how the aged priest that had been guarding it had been terribly wounded ; how suspicion had fallen upon one, Aimie Serasti, supposed to be enamoured of Vincent Davenport ; how she had been seen at his quarters in the early hours of the following morning attired in male clothing ; and how Davenport had, that same day, left for England. All this he told ; but not how that same Aimie had been seized, and tortured, and left for dead. That part even he did not know of. He told how Davenport had been followed ; how he had sold one of the pearls in Calcutta ; and how he had been seen on board the Star of India with the Tear in his possession. Finally, he called his witnesses : the Hindoo who had been on the vessel and seen the gem ; the jeweller and the costumier to swear that the man in the dock was the man they had seen in their respective shops. And having done this, he sat down, confident that he should see the prisoner committed for trial. Then uprose the counsel for the accused bland, collected, and equally confident. He did not cross-examine the witnesses, he said, because there was nothing to gain by so doing. Without doubt this gem had been stolen, and by some one who had managed to get it to England ; but there was not a vestige of proof that man was the accused. As to the girl Aimie Serasti a poor girl who had been brutally murdered by fanatics, if he was instructed aright if she was in the garden of the accused, as stated, it proved nothing more than a clandestine meeting ; and in saying that it must be clearly understood that he was not admitting the accuracy of the statement that such a meeting ever took TO SHOW HER FAITH IN HIM 97 place. It was, in his opinion, immaterial to the case. That the diamond was on board the Star of India seemed likely ; though, if it had been seen as described, why had not those who were searching for it given information at once ? Undoubtedly a man, resembling in a remarkable degree the accused, had tried to dispose of the gem to the witness Hardlet, after having been disguised in the shop of Billet ; but he was prepared to set forth, clearly and conclusively, that this man could not have been Sir Vincent Davenport. He would call Mrs. Maplethorpe. There was considerable sensation as the witness stepped into the witness-box. Mrs. Maplethorpe was the mother of one Maurice Maplethorpe, reported to have been drowned in the home- ward voyage of the Star of India. The accused looked very like her son. She had thought it was he when she first saw Sir Vincent. On the afternoon when the accused was alleged to have tried to dispose of the diamond he was in her house. And there were many misty eyes in the court-house as the witness described the death of little Charley, and how Sir Vincent had sat singing to him. " Call Miss Constance Linton," directed the counsel, when Mrs. Maplethorpe left the box ; and Constance took the other's place. " She had met the accused upon his landing at South- hampton, and had recognised him at once. She had been with him when a man had accosted him as Maurice Maple- thorpe. She had been with him at the death-bed of Charley ; and was prepared to swear that from two o'clock on that day till nine in the evening she had been in the accused's company." The counsel for the prosecution sat silent. He had nothing to ask ; he knew the case had failed ; -and the defence was just about to conclude, when a man entered the court, and a slip of paper was handed to Mr. Grey, and from him to Coulson, and so on to the counsel. A short pause. Expectation is rife. Something un- locked for is about to develop. The counsel rises. " He has another witness," he says, and calls for John Jexon ; whereupon the waiter from that little hotel steps into the 98 THE TEAR OF KALEE box and bows to everybody in general, takes out his hand- kerchief as if to mop his face, thinks better of it, and places it across his arm as if he were on duty in his dining-saloon. " His name is John Jexon ; he is head waiter at Shaw's Hotel. A gent was there, a rather poorly-dressed gent, but very free with his money, and he was the very image of Sir Vincent Davenport." Jexon described the agitation of the " gent " at Shaw's Hotel when he saw him reading one of the daily papers. " He did not know where the man was now ; he had paid for a week in advance, but had bolted the night before ; and that was all he knew, except that the said man did go out on the day when the Tear was offered for sale, and did not come home till the evening, when he seemed in a very bad temper." " That is our case," said the counsel. A very good case, too ! No doubt as to what the result would be. The magistrate complimented Miss Linton and Mrs. Maplethorpe upon the way they had given their evidence. He commiserated with Sir Vincent upon the distress and pain he must have been put to, whilst at the same time he exonerated the police from blame. It was a remarkable instance of mistaken identity. He enlarged on the kind heart of a man who could sit and sing at the bedside of a little dying child ; and remarked that a good action always brought its own reward, and had, in this instance, afforded a complete answer to a charge which it might, perhaps, otherwise have been more difficult to disprove. He dismissed the accused, gently hinting that though the name of this Aimie Serasti had been brought up, there was not a jot of evidence to connect her name with that of Sir Vincent. So the case ended. Grey and Coulson beamed and shook hands ; it was a good advertisement for them. Constance held her lover's hand, smiling but tearful. And the magistrate came and shook hands with him. He had escaped ! His position was more secure than ever, so far. Every one was congratulating him, and yet a load seemed to rest upon him like lead. TO SHOW HER FAITH IN HIM 99 Davenport was alive, and close at hand. There could not be the least shadow of doubt about that. At any moment he might confront him. And this Aimie Serasti who had been murdered ? Who could say when something might turn up to prove her connection with Davenport, to make him appear guilty in Constance's eyes ? At that moment the dead woman seemed to menace him more than the living man ; for if there had been anything between these two it would be so easy for some one who had known them in Delhi to meet him here, and let Constance know. And it was of her he was thinking more than of himself. Of what she would suffer did anything subsequently transpire to make it appear that he had been false to her. Of what she would suffer should she ever find out the truth. He shrank from the possibility of that. He would give everything to screen her from harm, and yet he was powerless, and his very presence was a menace to her. He sat in his hotel brooding that weight of foreboding ever pressing more and more upon him. In spite of the way he had been cleared in court, he felt that there was a something clinging to him. Dr. Linton had seemed decidedly cool, and his wife embarrassed and distressed ; while some of those whom he knew at this very hotel had almost appeared as though they would rather not have spoken to him. He did not wonder at it. The speech of the prosecuting counsel had been full of subtle innuendoes ; and they would not be forgotten. The mud had been thrown, and, in spite of all he could do, some of it would stick. Well, it was no use sitting moping there. He had determined to go through with it, and he would wear a brave face, whatever came. He would go and see Constance, and make all arrangements for their going down to Harleyford. But Constance and her mother were out, and only the doctor was there to receive him ; and he was grim and stern. "I am not satisfied," he said, bluntly. u There was something behind all this. I want to know what has been ioo THE TEAR OF KALEE the relationship between you and this Eurasian girl, who is reported murdered. That she was mixed up in the stealing of this gem seems to be certain, and that your name was linked with hers is certain, too. I shall want to know the truth about it before I countenance your marriage with my daughter, Vincent." " There is nothing to tell, sir. Rumour has linked my name with this poor girl's, but as I am here I never beheld her in all my life " The doctor shook his head. He was an obstinate man, and when he had an idea upon any subject he held to it tenaciously. " You can hardly expect me to believe that. As a man of the world, you cannot expect it. People do not get their names linked with any woman's if there are no grounds for it. It won't do, Vincent ; and I must demand to know the truth." The overbearing patronage of his manner irritated the already overtried man, and brought a sharp, short answer to his lips an answer which caused the doctor to start and flush with passion. u You may demand what you like," he said. " I have told you the truth, and if you will not believe it, you must do the other thing." " I I is that the way to talk to me, sir ? " spluttered Dr. Linton "to me, who am about to give you the greatest treasure I have to trust my daughter to you ? l Do the other thing,' must I ? Perhaps you do not know what the other thing is. It is to order you out of this room, and to forbid you to see my daughter again until you have complied with my most reasonable request, and added an ample apology for your insolent words." " And I decline to comply with your request, sir. So far as leaving this room goes, you have a right to demand that, and I will go ; but as to giving up Constance, you have no right to ask that. She is of age, and you have no power over her." " Have I not ? We will see ! You leave my room immediately, and never darken my door again, you " " Father ! What do you mean ? " TO SHOW HER FAITH IN HIM 101 And Constance stood in the doorway, looking from lover to father, and noting the hot anger in both their faces. " Oh, you are here ! " Round spun the doctor. " So much the better ! I mean that this man is no fit match for you. He has defied and insulted me. He refuses to answer my questions regarding this Aimie Serasti. He cannot answer them. I mean that you are to think no more about him. Do you hear me ? I forbid you to have anything more to do with Vincent Davenport." u Your father will not take my word, Constance," added Maurice in his turn. "He refuses to believe that I am ignorant who this Aimie Serasti is. He thinks, in spite of to-day's trial, that I am in some way implicated in the theft of the Tear, and he orders me to give you up. What do you say ? " She looked at him steadily, then crossed the room, and stood by his side. " You speak too late, father," she said. " I cannot give Vincent up. I love him, and I trust his word ; and, even if I did not, I would not have him sent away like this, without a chance of defending himself." The doctor was positively white with passion. He, to be defied by his own daughter ! He, to be set at naught in this style ! He made a violent effort, and calmed himself. " Hark, girl ! You have heard what I have said ; dis- obey me, and you are no more daughter of mine ! You must choose between your lover and your father ! " " I should be very sorry to have to make such a choice, father to have to give up either of the two men I love most in the world ; but if you were to force me to do it my choice would be here ! " And she placed her arm on Maurice's shoulder, and stood regarding her father calmly. And then Maurice spoke. What was he doing, to part this woman from her father ? " No, no, Constance, it must not be ; I cannot allow it ! Your father is right ; I shall always have a stigma upon me. People will shrug their shoulders and say that there was something behind it all. It is far easier to brand a man as 102 THE TEAR OF KALEE a thief than it is to remove the stain when once it is given. He will not believe me, and how can I expect others to do so?" "But / believe you, Vincent," she replied, looking up into his face. " Nothing can shake my confidence in you. Father, you must not be so cruel to Vincent. You are unjust, and will be sorry for it presently." The doctor started up ; opposition had only increased his temper. He stood pointing to the door, the very picture of passion. " You leave my room, sir," he shouted. " And you, girl, go to your chamber before you make me say what you will be sorry to hear." Father " "Will you obey me ? " " You must hear me first. I cannot let you send Vincent away like this. I have promised to be his wife ; and when- ever he asks me to come to him be it to-morrow or years hence I will go. Good night, Vincent dear ; you had better go now." " And you go, too ! " cried the doctor, hoarse with rage. " Go ! I never want to see your face again ! " And in his mad fury he literally thrust his daughter from the room, and turned the key upon the inside. For a moment Maurice stood silent. He had not con- templated anything like this. Then he touched her arm, and, beckoning her to follow him, went down into the gardens below. "Constance, I am very sorry," he began, when they were alone ; but she interrupted him, and though her face was white, and there were tears in her eyes, her voice and manner were calm. "You have nothing to reproach yourself with, dear. My father sometimes gives way to these unreasoning bursts of passion. He may be sorry for it to-morrow. Tell me what occurred to begin it." He told her just what had transpired, and she listened in silence, never taking her eyes off his face. " Constance," he said in conclusion, " I feel that I shall only bring trouble to you. I am always being mistaken for TO SHOW HER FAITH IN HIM 103 some one else, and having these unhappy experiences. Your father is not right in his conjectures, but he is right in saying I am no match for you.*' She paid no heed to this. She placed one hand on either of his shoulders, and still kept her gaze on him, as though she would read down into the very depths of his soul. " Vincent," she said solemnly, " swear to me, by all that you hold sacred, that there is no truth in this rumour of anything between you and this girl. Swear to me that she was neither your wife nor your love." " As there is a God above us, Constance, I swear it I never in all my life saw this woman who is called Aimie Serasti. I never received the Tear of Kalee from her, and I never saw the Tear itself. There are some things in my life I cannot explain to you I have owned that before ; but in this you may be sure I am speaking the simple truth." She smiled, and, bending forward, kissed him. " I believe you, darling. I believed you before you spoke, and I will show my faith in you. Vincent, you asked me to be your wife, and I consented. We should have been married shortly, anyhow ; and it will only hasten things a little. If you desire it, I will marry you at once to-morrow, if it can be done." " To-morrow, Constance ! " " Ah ! Do not think me unwomanly, dear. I want to show you how complete my trust and faith in you is. I have heard all that father has said, and I am willing to come to you at once, if you will have it so. Let us be married quietly here ; and then the whole world cannot part us. Vincent, can I say more to make you see that I trust you ? " " My darling ! " He caught her in his arms and strained her to his heart. " I am not worthy of a love like yours." She placed her hand over his mouth, and smiled again, the love shining in her eyes. "I will not listen to you if you talk like that." How he was tempted ! It seemed the work of the veriest fiend to take this wealth of love and trust. Once more every better power in his nature cried out to him to 104 THE TEAR OF KALEE tell her the real truth ; and once more he thrust those powers away, and closed his ears to their cries. He loved her, and she should be his ! Yes, though all heaven and earth stood in the way, she should be his ! " Listen, beloved," he said. " I can get a special licence to-morrow, and the day following we can get married. Then, neither father, mother, nor any one can take you from me or separate us again. Shall it be so, Constance ? After all you have heard, will you have faith enough in me for this ? " "After what you have sworn I have faith enough in you, beloved. Get the licence as you say ; and when you come for her Constance will be ready to follow you. And now, beloved, farewell." " Good night, my darling, my queen ! " He pressed kiss after kiss upon her unresisting lips, then turned and hurried away. To-morrow he would get the licence the all-powerful gold would procure it for him the day after she should be his his, no matter what happened. To have her, his darling, ever by his side ! Surely Heaven had no other happiness after this was given. To have her, his peerless one ! And yet, as he walked back through the lighted streets towards the Cosmopole, the old question seemed to thunder in his ears again " Did even Judas worse than this ? " CHAPTER XIV THE BRIDE AND THE WIFE " So this is wonderful London ! " And the speaker stands and looks round her at the surging throng that for ever streams by ; at the crowds entering and emerging from the great terminus station ; at the ceaseless procession of bus, cab, waggon, and carriage. She is a slight, little woman, and, contrary to the THE BRIDE AND THE WIFE 105 fashion, she wears a heavy veil entirely concealing her face. She seems half frightened at the noise of the traffic, and clings to the arm of the bronzed gentleman, whose dress bespeaks him a soldier of the greatest army of all the army of Christ. " So this is wonderful London. I do not think it half so nice as Delhi. Is the sky always that strange dull hue here?" Her companion smiles as she asks this question. " Oh, no ! You must not go by first impressions, Mrs. Davenport. You cannot judge London from this, anymore than you could judge Delhi from a peep at the Burra or Sada Bazaars. But come, I must find you a place to rest ; and then we will consider our next step. Keep tight hold of my arm, and do not fear the crowd." " I need not fear while I am with you, Mr. Hamilton," is the low reply. "You have protected me from worse dangers than London could afford." "We will hope that they are all over now, and that the happiness of the future will atone for the sorrows of the past," he answered ; and hailing a hansom, he handed her in, directing the driver to take them to the Imperial Hotel. It was but a few minutes' drive, and soon Bruce Hamilton and his companion were seated in a private room in the handsome hotel, and congratulating themselves that all the anxiety and fear was of the past now. Very different from the brilliant beauty of Delhi did the Eurasian wife of Vincent Davenport appear now. Deep lines of sorrow were upon her lovely face ; an expression of heart-longing in her deep lustrous eyes ; and, with it all, a strange cowering, as of some hunted, terrified animal a strange air that sometimes seemed to crystallise into a look of soul-terror and horror. She sat, her head resting on one little hand ; and he stood looking down upon her in silence. Then he placed one hand gently on her shoulder and spoke " You must not look like that, Mrs. Davenport," he said kindly. " All your peril is over now, and we shall soon be going to meet your husband." io6 THE TEAR OF KALEE With a quick, impulsive motion she took that hand and pressed it to her lips. " How good and brave you have been ! " she cried. " It is to you I owe my life when " " You must think of that no more," he said, as he noted that look of horror come into her face. " Here in England, and with your husband to protect you, you will be quite safe. And now I must leave you for a little while." "Leave me," she said, starting up in sudden fear " leave me all alone ! " " You are quite safe, believe me. If I thought other- wise, I would tell you so honestly. I must go to the lawyers' and find out where your husband is. I only knew his address at his London club, and to that I sent my letter ; but as there has been no reply to that, or to the wire I sent on from Southampton, I must go and see if he has left London. Come, cheer up ; you will soon be with him now." She sighed, and shook her head. "I know; and yet I cannot shake off this cloud of depression. I feel that some great danger or sorrow is hanging over me. Oh ! what if he should be dead ? If I have come all in vain ? " " Oh, come, come, Mrs. Davenport, that will never do ! There, you go and try to rest, and I will meanwhile make inquiries at the lawyers'. Fortunately, I have their address." And with a nod and smile Bruce Hamilton went out. u Hallo, Hamilton, I thought I saw you go in just now, and waited. Goodness me ! What brings you here ? Why, you were in Delhi a few months ago." Hamilton turns and grasps the hand of the man who has addressed him an old college friend. " You, Miller ! Fancy meeting you the first hour of my arrival in London ! Yes, I am home. My time was up some little while back ; and though at first I had not intended coming home, something transpired to make me alter my mind." " The something being that Bruce Hamilton has been caught in the toils of matrimony at last," was the laughing THE BRIDE AND THE WIFE 107 reply. " No ? " as Hamilton shakes his head. " Then, if I may make so bold as to ask, who was the lady ? I saw you go in with one." " Not MY wife, my dear fellow ! A lady I have been escorting home. You do not know her, but I think you have heard of her husband. She is Vincent Davenport's wife. He was with us at college ; you may remember." " IP hose f " The speaker looks grave, and bites the end of his cigar viciously. " Davenport's ? Well, that is a pretty tale ! Who says so ? " "I do ! " laughs Hamilton. " And as I married them myself, I ought to know ! " "I always thought he was a blackguard," mutters the other ; " but I never gave him credit for being such a scoundrel." " What on earth are you talking about ? " is the question of the astonished Hamilton. And the reply comes grimly : " Only that your friend contemplates bigamy. He is about to marry the daughter of old Linton of Harleyford." Bruce Hamilton started as though he had received a violent blow. Had poor Aimie come all the way across the world for this ? The man she loved about to marry another woman ! " Are you sure of this ? " he asks gravely. And the other nods. " Yes, I know. He came home with the intention of marrying her wrote her that he was coming and she met him on his arrival. My sister and she are old friends ; that is how I know." " And where is Davenport now ? " And the question comes stern and short. There is an ugly tightening of the muscles of Hamilton's mouth. " He ? Oh, he is staying at the Cosmopole. By the way, he has been up at the police-court accused of stealing some Indian diamond, though I am bound to say he got out of that quite clean proved absolutely that it could not have been he. Are you going ? Well, good-bye. I am awfully sorry to have told you such unpleasant news the first hour of our meeting, but that is just how the case stands," io8 THE TEAR OF KALEE He parts from his friend and goes slowly back. Aimie will be resting, and ere she wakes he must think what to do. To tell her this ! How he shrinks from it ! Davenport may have thought her dead ; perhaps he did. But to come home and to put another into her place so soon ! And Hamilton ground his teeth in anger. But Aimie Davenport was not sleeping. She was sitting as he had left her, but with white drawn face, and a paper in her hand. " Mrs. Davenport ! What is it ? " he cried as he beheld the expression of misery. " Has anything happened ? " " Come and tell me if you understand this," she replied, holding out the paper. "I cannot make it out. I am his wife, and how can this be ? " He took the paper and glanced at the paragraph in- dicated. It was a weekly publication, one of the society- gossip species ; and there, under the title of " Approaching Marriages," was the notice of her husband's engagement to Constance Linton. " Tell me it is not true ! " she cried passionately. " Tell me it is false ! He would not deceive me. I knew there had been some one here, in this land, he loved ; but he swore to me he had put her from his heart, that he loved me alone. Say it is not true ! Ah, you do not speak ! Have you brought me here to let me learn this ? Better far you had left me tied there on the Jumna bank for the crocodile or tiger." But she turns swiftly as the words are uttered, and the passion melts away into penitent remorse. " Ah, forgive me ! You, who have been so good ! I did not mean so to speak. Only tell me that you do not think this true ! Tell me, for Heaven's sake, tell me ! " She would have fallen on her knees in the intensity of her pleading j but he restrained her and led her to a chair. " Pray try and be calm," he entreated ; and she sat, her hands clenched, her bosom palpitating, her lips trembling. " Mrs. Davenport " he began ; but she interrupted him. " Stay ! You too have heard something ; I can see THE BRIDE AND THE WIFE 109 it in your face. Speak at once, faithful friend as you have been. Speak, and tell me is this thing true ? Is this husband of mine false to me ? " " It is true," he replied sadly. " I heard it from a friend, and was coming to tell you. He is engaged to marry this girl ; but perhaps he is not the false heart it appears. Remember, that from my telegram which I sent him at first he had reason to think you were dead remember that you are supposed to be dead." u I must be," she said hurriedly, and the look of dread came back. " They must never know I am alive. I do not fear death^ but such a death as that ! They must never know " " They need not. I only want you to remember that perhaps your husband thought you dead " "And cast my memory out, and put another in my place so quickly ! Is that the love of man ? " she said. " Is that how he repays me ? Listen, Bruce Hamilton. You know how you found me. You know that I was reported to have been murdered by the priests of Kalee because it was rumoured I had been concerned in the stealing of the Tear. You know that my father fell a victim to the vengeance of her votaries. This much you do know, but you do not know all. Now listen. I did steal the Tear of Kalee. Ah ! you may well look incredulous, for surely never did love set woman such a task as was mine that night. I did steal it, and for my husband. He was ruined, miserable. He said if he had the Tear it would bring him light and joy ; and I knew where it was, and how it might be obtained. Ask me not how I knew to you it makes no difference. I went, dressed as a boy; I entered the unholy shrine of the goddess. I saw the awful rites. Ah, shall I ever forget the sight ! I waited till all was still. I struck down the old priest, and took the Tear and its pearls. I, a weak woman, did this, which no man would have dared ; for I did it for the man I loved, and for whom I would have given all body and soul. And he he puts another woman in my place so soon ! " She bowed her head, and sobbed ; while he stood stunned and silent. He had no sympathy with her crime, but he i io THE TEAR OF KALEE had a wonderful respect for the deep love which could dare a deed like that, and an utter contempt for the man who could set her the task, and then, coward-like, flee, and leave her to face the peril alone. She raised her head, and spoke slowly and sadly. " He told me, as he lay there bleeding that old priest that the curse of the Tear should fall on me and mine. Has it not done so ? On him my husband has it fallen, and made him false to me. On my father it fell, and on me. Even the vengeance of the priests was not equal to this ! They found me in his compound, Mr. Hamilton ; found me there dressed as I was, and they took me far away. Shall I tell you how they treated me to make me say where the diamond was ? "They hung me up, first, by my thumbs, and then by my hair ; but there was no pain that could conquer me and make me speak. They beat me with thistles till I fainted, but I never spoke ; they kept me without water, and let me hear its drip in my ears till I could have died for one drop. But still they could not make me speak. And then they took me to that jungle by the Jumna bank, and left me tied there. Ah " and she covered her face with her hands and shuddered " I can see that awful thing now come writhing over the mud towards me I can feel the power of its eyes upon me I wake at night with the very reek of its breath suffocating me, and hear again your shout and the ring of your rifle as you sent your bullet into its brain, just as its jaws were closing upon me. All this for him, and he has forgotten me so soon ! Could Kalee desire more bitter vengeance than this ? Could her priests inflict more bitter agony than this he has given me ? " Her agony of soul was extreme, and he could not find it in his heart to rebuke her. True she was a thief; but if ever theft could be glorified, surely it had been by this woman's love. He stood there silent ; then said, quietly and firmly " It is not for me to be your judge, Mrs. Davenport. I will do what I can to help you, if you will follow my advice." THE BRIDE AND THE WIFE m " What do you wish r " she answered wearily. " It seems little import what happens now." " That is not so. We must find your husband. This second marriage must not take place. Come with me ; I know his hotel, and we will seek him at once." They set out together. He called a cab, and they drove to the Cosmopole he troubled and thoughtful, she crushed and downcast. " Was Sir Vincent Davenport there r " he asked as soon as they arrived. " No, he was out had been out all the morning, but was expected back that evening." There was nothing to be done then. He could leave a note for the man who had been his friend, but that was all. That was not of much use ; better come again later on. But what to do with Aimie ? In her excited state, for her to be shut up in an hotel all day would be a torture. It would be far better to keep her walking for the time at any rate. The noise and confusion of the streets must afford some sort of attraction something to prevent her from brooding. Bruce Hamilton, though strict in his condemnation of wrongdoing, was very tender-hearted ; and from the very bottom of his heart he pitied the sorrow-stricken woman by his side the woman who had done so much for so unworthy a man. He guided her through the busy thoroughfares, trying to bring some little comfort to her soul by saying that perhaps when they found her husband, they would also find that all this was a mistake, though in his own mind he was perfectly convinced of the contrary. The very way in which Davenport had wanted his marriage kept secret the way in which he had gone and left a young wife alone it all showed him a man utterly selfish, while this graver thing of allowing the woman who loved him to run such risk, and commit such crime, was, in the chaplain's eyes, the deed of one in whom manhood and honour had ceased to exist. It was while they were thus passing through the city that they were caught in one of those sudden and heavy showers ii2 THE TEAR OF KALEE so common in the late autumn, which sent the pedestrians scattering in all directions. Hamilton looked round for a cab ; there was not one in sight. He must get shelter of some sort, for it was raining in earnest. Ah, the very thing ! An old City church was here, its doors open. Many of them were opened every day for private prayer, he knew ; and taking her arm, he led Aimie Davenport into the old, time-worn, dim building. Then what followed seemed for the moment like some strange dream. He has a vision of the dim, quiet aisle, and the stained-glass windows. He sees a surpliced form, and, coming towards them, a bride and bridegroom a very quiet marriage, surely. But that man ! And Bruce Hamilton staggered back, while his companion, with a bitter cry, started forward, crying "Vincent Davenport, forbear ! I am your wife, Aimie ! " Her words threw all present into confusion. Constance stood looking at her as though turned to stone. Pew-opener and verger stared ; the officiating parson seemed bewildered. And he, the centre figure of them all, stood speechless, a dull crimson surging up from neck to cheek, and from cheek to brow ; his hands clenched, his head bent. He had no need to ask. He understood clearly. His foreboding had been realised. This woman was Aimie the Eurasian ! the wife of Vincent Davenport ! the woman whom he had denied ever having seen ! Oh, the agony of it ! He could not move. He dared not look up. He felt his very hesitation and appearance served but to make him seem guilty. He felt that the eyes of Constance were fixed upon him. And still he could not he dared not move. " Who are you ? " The words were spoken calm, cold, and clear ; and the bride moved forward and faced the wife. " IMo are you ? " " Aimie Davenport ! That man's wife ! " They stood looking each other in the face wife and bride. There was no idea of rivalry no contest for the possession of this man. He, if he were guilty, was a thing too contemptible for further thought. Each felt pity for the other, for each had been wronged. THE BRIDE AND THE WIFE 113 " Do you hear what she says, Vincent Davenport ? You swore to me that you had never seen this woman Aimie, that you did not know her. You have been through the solemnity of this marriage with me. Look up, if you can, and deny this charge. Is that woman your wife ? " Still no answer. There is a mist swimming about his eyes. His temples throb as though they would burst. Every beat of his heart seems to shake his whole frame. " Is that woman your wife ? " Once again it comes ; and he mutters hoarsely, desperately, with " lie " stamped upon every letter of the word "No!" But then Bruce Hamilton steps forward, for this is the most cruel blow of all. " You cur ! " he says. " You dare say that in this holy place ? Madam, I am a minister of God, and till to-day I counted that man my friend. I swear that I myself married this man and woman in the mission-chapel of Purrapoor ; and this lady has my signed certificate of the wedding." The man puts out his hand, but Constance draws back as if from a leper. " Do not touch me ! " she cries. " Let me pass from the presence of one so vile ! " She tears the ring from her finger, and throws it at his feet. " Its touch has so polluted this hand that never another ring may take its place ! " she says, and sweeps down the aisle. But as she reaches the porch she staggers, and presses her hands to her temples, and a great cry of sorrow comes from her lips. And then oh, the wonder of it ! it is the woman who goes to her the wife who takes the bride in her arms, and draws the aching head on to her shoulder. "Weep there, poor heart weep there ! He has wounded us both," she whispers. And Bruce Hamilton, his heart aching for them, and burning with indignation against the man who had wrought all this wrong, takes them both away. And he is left left there alone^ with a crime that is not his, and with lips that are sealed. i ii4 THE TEAR OF KALEE He cannot think, he cannot speak. The parson has a stern rebuke on his lips, but there is something in the man's face which forbids its being uttered. He stands there alone ; and above him is the window with the white-robed figure of Him who came to bear our sins, and share our sorrows the white Christ, whom no sin had sullied. There is a text, too : " Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Rest ! There is no rest for him now only darkness and remorse. The verger touches his arm, and he raises his head. They want to lock the doors, and he goes out goes out, alone and lonely, and with sealed lips. CHAPTER XV THE MEETING BY HARLEYFORD WEIR THE autumn was waning, and upon hedgerow and tree hung the first glittering hoar-frost. The ploughman guided his patient team over the fields, now robbed of all their harvest treasures, turning the rich brown earth for new crops ; the sharp ring of the rifle came on the frosty air from the stubble ; and windborne from the distance, the cry of the pack and cheery shout of the huntsman. But there were three hearts in Harleyford which did not respond to the beauties of the autumn ; and perhaps the sorest of these was that of Constance Linton. Stern and obdurate as her father the doctor was, he had melted at the sight of her suffering, and taken her back to her childhood's home, full of tenderness to her, and bitterness against the man who had sought to work her wrong ; and it was only after much tearful pleading that Constance had persuaded him to forego taking proceedings against the baronet for bigamy. Meek and patient, Constance bore her cross ; and only once did the deep sorrow find audible expression, and that THE MEETING BY HARLEYFORD WEIR 115 was when her mother had taken her hands and spoken of the peril from which she had been saved. Then from her burdened heart had burst one bitter cry of agony. " Oh, mother, mother ! To think he could have done me such harm, and I loved and trusted him so ! " And, had Constance told all, she would have added : " And I love him still ! I shall love him till I die ! " Far differently did Aimie Serasti bear her trouble. In spite of all that Bruce Hamilton could urge, she had come to Harleyford. All her fierce nature was roused in pas- sionate protest against the wrong done to her, and the only mitigating circumstance was the reflection that her husband must have believed her to be dead. By the aid of Hamilton she had secured the major part of her father's wealth, and was therefore removed from anxiety on that score ; and she had come down to this quiet country spot that she might watch the man who, being her husband, was yet severed from her. She would not return to him, but he should take no other woman to reign in her stead. And the third was the man who lived at the Hall, in the possession he had sinned to obtain. Bitter indeed was his lot ; for the story had got wind, and the whole cf his neighbours shunned him. Not that he minded that ; his sorrow was of another sort. To have that happiness so near, and now to have to forfeit it ! It was more than he could endure ! Aimie would have revenged herself by telling the priests of Kalee where the unhallowed gem was ; but, so far as she knew, that meant returning to Delhi and putting herself in their hands ; and fear, more potent than revenge, kept her lips sealed ; but in his case it was love that forced him to be silent. For Maplethorpe loved Constance more than he loved life itself; and she was his wife. Yes, though he had married her under an assumed name, there was no legal flaw, and she was truly his wife. The thought made him miserable now. He had scorned himself before ; he did so doubly now, and imagined that n6 THE TEAR OF KALEE Constance could view him in no kinder light than he viewed himself. If she hated him, as she must, for the deceit she thought he had practised, what would she feel did she know the truth ? How would she view the fate she would have to endure as the wife of a false and nameless adventurer who had taken the place of a dead man, and cheated her into letting him breathe soft love speeches into her ear, and press the kisses of his perjured lips upon her own sweet mouth ? No ; better far to keep silent. Presently he would go abroad ; there were rumours of coming troubles in Africa, and a friendly bullet might free her from bondage and him from remorse ; and so while Aimie was silent from fear, he was silent from love ; and all these three were in Harley- ford now. He had not seen Aimie since that morning in the church, any more than he had seen Constance, and this circumstance only served to make him appear worse even in the eyes of the woman he loved. She never guessed the truth ; he ought to try and make atonement, she thought, and in some subtle way he knew that she thought it, and yet he was powerless to remove even this one of the many fatal entanglements that sur- rounded him. And yet in one way Constance was proving his good angel. He was tempted to drown his sorrow in dissipation, but her memory held him back ; she should not have reason to think worse of him. He used his money to aid the poor labourers around ; sorrow and suffering found none more ready to succour it than was the lonely inhabitant of Harleyford Grange ; and though most held aloof, and considered it only a plan to gain favour, Constance noted his actions and pondered. This man was a living contradiction ! He had contemplated the blackest, most dastardly crime, and yet he was living, it seemed, entirely for others. Aimie puzzled her also. Had she been this man's wife, she would have gone to him, and sought to reclaim him ; but the Eurasian only spoke with bitterness and hatred of him, and Constance was sorely puzzled to know what to make of it. THE MEETING BY HARLEYFORD WEIR 117 It was to ponder over this problem that she set off one morning for a lonely ramble. She would like to reconcile the two if she could, but she saw no way ; and unheeding whither her feet led her, she walked on till she came to the old weir, where the little river that gave its name to Harley- ford brawled and boiled over its tiny six-foot fall as obtrusively as did any cataract thunder in distant lands. And that mysterious Providence which guides the lives of men, decreed e that these other two should also seek Harley- ford Weir that morning. Maplethorpe went there because it was generally deserted, and its solitude seemed to harmonise with his loneliness ; and Aimie went there she knew not why, rambling along until she suddenly found herself face to face with the man she believed to be her husband. The meeting was quite unexpected, and for a moment neither spoke. He drew back motionless and surprised ; she with an evil glitter in the eyes that had once beamed so tenderly, and with the lips drawn into almost a grin of rage, as beautiful and as fierce as an angry tigress. And so they stood till at last she spoke. " You do not seem glad to see me, my husband ! It would have pleased you better to have met your English love." " I am not pleased to see you," came the low answer ; " yet I would rather meet you than her, for I have wronged you less." " Wronged me less ! " she repeated vehemently. " You tell me that ! Did ever this girl dare for you what I have dared, or bear what I have borne ? Do you know how the priests tortured me, to force me to tell them who held the Tear ? Ask Mr. Hamilton ! He knows. Ask him where he found me, and how. He saved my life ; you went to leave me to perish ! Did I deserve this treatment at your hands, Vincent Davenport ? Ah, you cannot answer me ! " as he remained silent. " Was there anything more I could do to show my love for you ? " Then in a moment all the hatred died out of her eyes, and she was by his side, her soft arms coiling round his neck. n8 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Tell me that you did not mean it ! " she pleaded. " Say you thought me dead, if you will. Say that you tired of me ; but take back that lie, and own you wronged me more than you did Constance Linton." He caught her hands in his own, and strove to loosen her hold ; and even at that moment something like pity and admiration stirred him. This woman had been a heroine indeed, for he knew what she must have suffered. "Tell me you did not mean that ! Tell me, Vincent my husband, or the last spark of my love will turn to hate, I think. I " Suddenly she paused. Her eyes were riveted upon his hand, and a strange, bewildered, doubting light came into them. Then she burst from him, and, gripping one of his wrists, she gazed fixedly into his eyes, while her voice rose almost to a scream. " What does this mean r " she cried. " Who are you, man ? " "You know well enough Vincent Davenport," he replied, startled in spite of himself. " It is not true ! You are not my husband ! He had a scar on his hand ; you have none. I swear that you are not Vincent Davenport ! " " Silence ! " he cried fiercely " silence, woman ! " " You own it ! Ah ! I remember how he loved me. He could not have been false. Tell me where he is, man, if you have a grain of pity in your heart tell me, or I will go straight back and denounce you as his murderer ! " " Sit down " he pointed to a fallen tree as he spoke " sit down and listen to me, Aimie Davenport, for such you really are." And she, still keeping that intense gaze upon him, obeyed. " That is right. Now listen. You may believe me or not, but I swear as I believe in a God above, I never intended to do you any wrong. Until that day in London I did not know that you were alive ; not till a short time before did I know your husband was " " He is alive, then ? " She interrupted him quickly, starting to her feet. " Tell me that he is alive ! " THE MEETING BY HARLEYFORD WEIR 119 He motioned her back, standing facing her and regarding her gravely. " Yes, he is alive at least, I believe so ; and he, you, and I are each suffering for the wrongs we have done, as all who do wrong must suffer in the end. Listen to my story. But, in the first place, mark this there must be no threatening, and there must be no denouncing." " Not when you are in his place ? Why not ? Why should I not denounce you ? " " Because you will thereby imperil yourself and your husband, Aimie Davenport. Kalee has a long arm, and her priests are here as well as in Delhi." Again that look of terror came into her face, and again she started up. " Kalee's priests here in England ! " she gasped, looking round wildly. " Is it true ? Is there no place where I can rest safely from them ? " " Not if you let them know you are alive. Within a day of your husband's arrival in Calcutta they attempted his life, and I rescued him. It was to protect himself that he brought me to England with him, for he thought our strange likeness would confuse his pursuers. On the ship I was drugged in his place, and he feared that he would never reach England." " But he did r " she queried fearfully. " You say he did. Why, then, are you in his place ? " " He fell overboard as we reached port. At first I thought his enemies had pushed him over, but now I think he did it on purpose to put them off the track ; and I I was tempted I had been poor and was heart-sick. I thought he was dead, and it seemed to me a light thing to take a dead man's place. I have been bitterly punished ! " he added, with a sigh. " Then how do you know he is alive ? " was her question. Maplethorpe narrated how he had been arrested for trying to sell the Tear. " Who could this be but your husband ? " he said, in conclusion. " He has the Tear, and is hiding, dreading the vengeance of the priests ; and if they find him, he will have cause to dread it," he added grimly. i2o THE TEAR OF KALEE " And Constance Linton is your wife, then ? " " Hush ! Yes," he groaned. " Would to Heaven it were not so, for her sake ! I did not think of deceiving that pure angel, but I had to. She expected your husband, and I had to keep up the deceit I had started." " She expected him ? Is it true, then, that he was coming home to marry her ? " " I think so," he replied slowly. " Only this much I know, that he really thought you dead, for we saw a report of your death in a paper at Bombay." She listened, a new light breaking upon her. True, Vin- cent had left her in peril, but she had urged him to do so ; and he might not have married this English girl. Perhaps she had been wronging him all the time ; and the desire of her heart made that possibility become a probability with her. And he was in London, hiding from his cruel enemies, and she had been foolish enough to tell Bruce Hamilton the truth ! She rose to go, but he detained her. "Aimie Davenport," he said solemnly, "listen to me. As you love your husband, so I love my wife ; and as you would shield him, so would I shield her. She must never know the truth while I am living. Breathe one word, and, as you and I are here, I will tell these priests where you are and where your husband is ; and be sure they will not be slow to run him down. Will you swear to keep my secret if I keep yours ? " "Yes, till I have found my husband and heard his wishes till then I will be silent." "I ask no more. You will be silent. Not even to Constance herself, should she ask you, will you divulge the truth ? " " Not to her or any one. When my husband is found, then he shall say what I am to do." " Let it be so ; but bid him remember his secret shall be kept only while mine is. And now let us part. Fate has made our paths cross ; it had been better for us both, perhaps, had We not tempted Providence, and so met, for they who seek to gain by unholy means those things which a wise Providence has denied them, find in the end that they have but plucked Dead Sea fruit." THE MEETING BY HARLEYFORD WEIR 121 She regarded him in silence. A strange solemnity seemed to pervade the man. The words were as those of one who had experienced their truth, and she was awed in spite of herself. " How will it all end ? " she whispered. And he answered " Only God knows. I cannot speak and tell the truth ; Heaven knows I would if I could. But, for her sake, I must be silent here, and bide till death's eternal seal completes my penance. You too must keep silence, for your husband's sake, if not for your own ; and remember that hourly I am exposed to the peril which would otherwise be his, and will be his if you speak. And now what will you do ? You cannot remain here, where people look upon you as my wife." She shook her head. "No. My path is clear. I must go and seek my husband. He may be in peril, perhaps in sickness and want, and my place is by his side." " But how will you find him in London ? " " I know not. My heart will guide me to him." "You must be careful. Remember that if the priests know you are here, they may watch you to find him. You must be careful." " I will be. My woman's love shall be matched against their cunning and it will win in the end." " Do you want money ? " he said, with some hesitation. " I will help you all I can ; and you need not hesitate, for it is your husband's, and all desire for it has gone from me now. The title I must keep the money I loathe." " I want none. I I am sorry for you. You are right ; we have both done wrong, and are both punished. I wish I had not come to the church." " I wish you had come but five minutes sooner," was his sad answer. " There, it is useless to utter impotent wishes ! The past is past, and we must bear it. Farewell ; and if we may not be friends, let us not part enemies." " Surely not enemies. You did my husband no wrong, for you thought he was dead." " I did, indeed," he said fervently. " Believe me, I did." 122 THE TEAR OF KALEE "And you have given me some happiness again ; Vincent has been misjudged. I am sure he would have been true to me had he thought I still lived. No, we need not part enemies now that we know." "We know?" he repeated, not quite catching her meaning. " Yes that I am not your wife, and that you are not my husband." And then they parted, and he went one way, she the other ; while from behind the old wheelhouse emerged Constance Linton, pale and perplexed. " What does it mean ? " she cried, looking after, not the woman, but the man. " I only heard those last words. I did not mean to play eavesdropper, but I could not help hearing them. What does it mean ? She claimed him in the church. That chaplain declared he had married them, and he did not deny it ; and yet I heard her say it distinctly * that I am not your wife, and that you are not my husband.' What does it mean ? For if he is not her husband, then he is surely mine ! I must know I cannot endure this uncertainty and bewilderment. It will drive me mad. I must go and ask Sir Vincent Davenport himself what those strange words mean ! " CHAPTER XVI A SUDDEN INSPIRATION " HARLEYFORD ! Harleyford ! " So the porter shouted, as one of the few trains which stopped at that station came to a rest at the platform. There were not many passengers for Harleyford, but two of the few were manifestly strangers, since they stopped the station-master, and inquired as to what hotel accommodation the place afforded. They were dressed well, evidently tourists of the wealthier class, though the dark hue on cheek and brow told of wanderings in other and warmer climes. A SUDDEN INSPIRATION 123 What should such people be doing in sleepy little Harleyford ? A third gentleman had also alighted j but this was no stranger, it seemed, for the porter had touched his cap as he saw him, and said, " G'day, Sir Vincent." And even the station-master broke off in his directions to the inquirers to repeat both action and words, " G'day, Sir Vincent." The gentleman addressed replied courteously to each salutation, and passed out of the station ; and the inquirers for the hotel, having listened to the rival claims of the local inn and the larger establishment in the town beyond, also passed out into the dusty roadway. " Brother, that was the man himself." "Even so. The man we must watch. The brethren desire to know for certain whether 'tis he or the man that was in London who had the Tear ; or whether there be but one man, after all. We must watch him as the eyes of Siva watch mankind." " And the house." " Even so, brother, and the house." " It will be difficult." " It will be difficult, and dangerous and tedious also ; but Kalee commands, and we are her slaves." Meantime, the object of this conversation was pursuing his way in another direction. Having left the station, he had gone a short distance down the road away from Harley- ford ; and there, hidden by a bend in the road, he waited till he had assured himself that the other two passengers had really gone towards the village. Then, crossing a stile and entering a plantation through which a bridle-path ran, he set out at a rapid rate till he arrived at a group of dilapidated ruins, which were stated by local wiseacres to be the remains of the old Norman castle of Harleyford a dreary, deserted spot, with little of the picturesqueness and none of the beauty that some such old piles possess ; and here he passed under a broken archway, and entered a weed-covered enclosure. "Upon my word, nothing seems altered here," he mused. " I little thought when as a boy I used to play here that I might ever be glad of it in reality. I shall i2 4 THE TEAR OF KALEE be safe even from those priests in my secret hiding-place here." And he laughed quietly as he seated himself upon a fallen stone. " London was getting too hot for me. I hardly dared show my face for fear of being recognised. They had Maplethorpe's likeness at every station, with a reward for the capture of a man like him. No, London was too dangerous, and those Indian beggars seemed to be turning up again and again. I shall be safer here. It must have been a facer to Maplethorpe to be arrested for trying to sell the Tear," he went on. " And it must have been a puzzle for them to find him prove that alibi. Bad thing for me, though, for they must know there is a second man still on the scene. All the more reason for my being here. It will help to keep things mixed up, and they will not know which is which. Now, what is the next move ? Maplethorpe is evidently fixed here in my place ; and both that porter and station-master have mixed us up already. I can pass very well for myself here, that is certain." He felt for his pipe, his ever remedy for perplexity, and a smile came over his face. " Sounds funny to be able to pass for myself ! Well, it is lucky, for I shall have to replenish my purse somehow, and at present Tear and pearls seem to be a drug in the market. It is too risky to try getting rid of them again. I must have a look in at the old place, watch my opportunity when my second self is out, and then go in boldly. It will take cleverer people than these yokels to tell us apart. I will take the liberty of using my own name, assuming my own personality, walking into my own house, and seeing if I cannot break open one of my own desks, and take therefrom my own money for my own use. Upon my life, it would be a situation worthy of a comic opera, were there not a grim element behind it. " If now I could in any way throw the diamond upon him again, without revealing myself or endangering my own skin ! It would be a little towards settling old scores and Ah, I have it ! " And in his exultation he sprang to his feet. "The library-window opens to the A SUDDEN INSPIRATION 125 grounds, and any one outside can see in easily. Now let me see if I can make sure he is out of the way that is the first step. Lead those two beggars to follow me that is the next. Go round through the grounds (if they are as they used to be there is plenty of shelter for them to take advantage of), and then, when I am sure they are watching, leave one of the pearls where they can see and find it. It is not half a bad idea. I go as Sir Vincent. The servants address me as 'Sir Vincent,' and it is Sir Vincent they have to deal with. It will give him some trouble, if nothing else. One pearl will do no need to waste more ; and at the same time I must take any money I can lay my hands upon. It is a good idea, and there is no reason why I should not boldly carry it out. I might see Constance, too, and then I could manage to stop any chance of Maplethorpe's success there. But no, that would never do ! She would be sure to tell the difference, and then things would have to be explained ; and it is not worth risking the danger that might follow. Let Constance go. She must take her chance and I will take mine. And now to devise some means of getting Maplethorpe clear out of the way for a little while. That is the only thing that has any element of trouble in it." But this problem did not present the difficulty he expected. A little observation revealed the fact that Maple- thorpe was in the habit of taking long solitary rambles every day, and the watching Davenport took advantage of these. The first essay was merely to walk boldly into the house, go to the library, look round, and go out again. The servants saw him, but made no comment. Evidently the danger of recognition from them was nil. A second visit, and he had made a more careful survey of the rooms. Search revealed a bunch of keys lying on the dressing-table in Maplethorpe's bedroom ; and Davenport had the unique experience of trying his own keys in his own locks, and examining the contents of his own house. He was right in his conjecture that he should find money there, and he had not the least scruple in helping himself to all that he could lay his hands on. He was tempted to leave a note saying that the rightful owner of the money was obliged for the care that had been taken about it ; but he ia6 THE TEAR OF KALEE determined, upon reflection, to do nothing that could in any way reveal to the watchers that he was other than the man whom they wanted. They were watching, he knew watching patient, unremitting, unseen ; and he had taken care to enter boldly by the library window, well knowing that the men would not be long in taking advantage of the features of the place to inspect the interior. Everything was safe. The ruin afforded him a secure hiding-place, and the Grange gave him money and food. He need only wait patiently, and let things work out for themselves. It was on the morning of the very day upon which Maplethorpe had set off" for that ramble round Harleyford Weir that Vincent Davenport, having assured himself that the coast was clear, wandered down through the village, well knowing that if the Hindoos were still there they would be sure to follow his steps. From the village into the meadows, and from thence through the spinney, never looking back till he gained the shelter of the trees. Then a cautious scrutiny revealed the fact that two men were following in the most unconcerned way. It was all right. A little suspicious manoeuvring to rouse their spirits, and he entered the Grange, pulled up the library blinds, and sat in full view of any who might be without. Wine was in the room. He placed the decanter close by his side ; cigars were there he ostentatiously took one. He picked up one magazine after another, as if undecided which to select ; he left nothing undone to make any beholder feel confident that he was the man who lived in this place. He sat with his back to the window ; before him a mirror hung, and in that he could see the reflection of the scene without, and had the satisfaction of beholding the forms of two men steal stealthily from shrubbery to shrubbery, till they were crouching close to the library, com- pletely hidden from view, but able to command the whole interior. Just what he had expected and desired. He laid aside A SUDDEN INSPIRATION 127 the book, yawned, and rose and walked to the window, to stand hands in pockets looking out. Then, opening his pocket-book, he took out the single pearl he had brought with him for the others, and the Tear itself, were now securely hidden in the old ruin, for the carrying of them about his person might prove dangerous, he had considered. He stood there, holding it by the short piece of chain attached to it, letting it swing to and fro before his eyes, well knowing that other eyes were eagerly watching its oscillations ; well knowing that, now it had been seen, the man who had taken his place would be subject to increased danger and annoyance. " Now, if I put it into that desk," he thought ; but even as the idea came into ^his head he started back from the window, a strange emotion in his heart, for there, coming up the walk, clad in pure white, was Constance Linton herself. Constance herself ! Yes, there was no mistaking that sweet face, though it had been long years since he saw it. Constance ! And his heart thrilled with a sudden deter- mination to in some way frustrate Maplethorpe, and make her his wife. He was agitated shaken out of his composure and he would have avoided this meeting if he could, for perhaps she might detect the difference between himself and the man who was impersonating him. How ill and sad she looked, he thought. Not a bit like what he should have imagined her to be. She had been going towards the great entrance, but, catching sight of him there, she altered her course and came towards the library, and he had perforce to open the window and admit her. Well, so much the better in one way. It would be another proof that the man who had the pearl was the man who was engaged to her. It all helped to aid his plans. " Constance ! You here ! " he began. But she held up her hand and silenced him. " Yes. You may think it strange that I should come ; but I must know the truth. I think I know it ; but I must know more yet." 128 THE TEAR OF KALEE " What do you mean ? You know the truth ? " Her words had startled him and thrown him off his guard. "Yes, Vincent Davenport, I know the real truth. But why have you deceived me as you have about Aimie Serasti?" " Aimie Serasti ! " What did this girl know about Aimie Serasti ? He started back utterly bewildered. What did she know about his murdered wife ? " I do not under- stand ! " he stammered. Had she questioned him about the Tear itself he could not have been more surprised. " Not understand ! " she repeated. " Vincent Daven- port, what do you mean ? Why did you acknowledge Aimie Serasti as your wife ? " 4< I did not publicly there were reasons why I should not ; but I never attempted to deny that she was my wife. How could I the marriage was legal, and she was my wife ? I know I wronged you." "Wronged me ! Yes, as never man tried to wrong woman before. But if she was your wife, why did you afterwards deny it ? Deny it even to-day, and to her ; and why did she, after having claimed you, say to you that she was not your wife ? " He regarded her in speechless surprise. He could not tell what she was referring to. That Aimie could be in England he had never dreamed. "I do not know what you are talking about," he stammered. " You do not know ! Will you tell me that you did not meet Aimie Serasti, the woman you say you have married, this morning at Harleyford Weir ? Will you deny that you were there, when I saw and overheard you ? Man, man, have you no spark of honour in your heart r Can this be the same Vincent who knelt by the grave of poor little Charley ? Ah ! " she looked at him again, reading the bewilderment upon his face " I see it all ; you are not the same man ! It is you for whom my Vincent has suffered such suspicion ! You are the man who has cast such a cloud upon him. I will fetch him and let him know " A SUDDEN INSPIRATION 129 She moved towards the door, but he caught her wrist. " Stay ! Listen to me, Constance Linton, before you do that of which you may afterwards repent. Speak one word, and you will endanger the very life of Vincent Davenport ! Speak one word, and you will bind him to this other woman, for she is his wife ! Speak one word, and Vincent Davenport may suffer a fate worse than death at the hands of the most merciless of men. If this woman Aimie is really here, ask her what will happen if the truth is known ; and for the sake of that very Vincent, let your lips be sealed ! " " But I am the wife of Vincent Davenport ? Is not that true ? " " No ! " he cried. " You are not the wife of Vincent Davenport ! " ^ She put her hands to her head and swayed forward ; and he caught her and laid her on a couch. " Poor girl ! " he sighed, " I dare not tell her the real truth ! Remember what I have said " and he bent over her " one word dooms Vincent Davenport to death, and you alone can speak it ! " He left her there ; he went boldly through the corridor, and out at the main entrance. If Aimie and Hamilton were in England, the sooner that he was out of the way the better, for their presence might prove a menace to him. He left her there, with the hidden watchers outside. Slowly she rose, her head swimming, her heart throbbing. What did it mean ? What could it all mean ? What was this? She picked that pearl from off the table. Surely this must be one of those which had been round the Tear of Kalee ! She had heard them described in the court. Who brought it there ? Her Vincent, or this man who had spoken ? Was it possible that Vincent had stolen the Tear, and that it was this which gave Aimie a hold upon him ? She would keep it, and give it to him. And she was placing it in her pocket, when a strong brown arm glided round her waist, and a hand held a handkerchief firmly across her mouth. She was choking, she was swooning ; and as they laid K 130 THE TEAR OF KALEE her, limp and white, down, the pearl fell to the ground from her senseless fingers. " So ! he who has these has the Tear also, brother," said the one. " What shall we do with her ? " was the query of the other. " It would be easy to " "No, no; she is useful. These two have quarrelled. To-morrow they will be reconciled. We will seek the brethren, and tell them ; have her taken away, and hold her as a means of compelling this Davenport to restore the Tear ; and when that is done " "Well, what then?" " Kalee's honour will have to be satisfied," was the grim response. And the two crept away, leaving the senseless girl alone in the library. CHAPTER XVII FACE TO FACE FULL of bitter regrets, Maurice Maplethorpe pursued his way after his unexpected interview with Aimie Davenport, little dreaming that that interview had been witnessed by the woman whom he had grown to love so dearly. How he regretted now the rash impulse which had prompted him to seek the ease which he fondly hoped Davenport's inheritance would bring to him ! Ease ! He smiled bitterly as he thought of that. From the very first day upon which he had assumed the place of the baronet, he had known nothing but trouble ; and the very thing which he thought would bring him rest, and help him towards a better life, was now to him the most to be repented of. He could not comfort himself with the reflection that he had not been warned, for conscience, the most honest of all mentors, had striven hard with him, even to the very hour upon which he had stood with Constance at the altar. FACE TO FACE 131 Perhaps, had he been courageous enough to have confessed the truth to her, she might still have given him, if not her love, at least her friendship ; but now alas, now ! how could he hope for anything but her scorn when he had so bitterly deceived her ? He groaned aloud in his tribulation ; he hated himself. He appeared in his own eyes as a very monster of deception, and he would have given all he possessed, even to life itself, could he have undone the work of the past few months. " Better far to have stayed a wanderer in India," he groaned. " I had not soiled my hands or my heart as I have done now. What were the things I did as a boy here, before I ran away, compared with this ? Yet that was the beginning of it. If I had stopped, and borne the punish- ment of that first offence like a man, I might have retrieved my character afterwards ; but running from that only led me to another, and that to another sin, till I came to this. Truly, he who begins to do wrong starts on a downhill course, to which there is no ending save in the great unknown darkness that lies beyond. " I wish I had never returned. And yet even that has had some blessing. It has let me know her God bless her ! a pure, holy woman ; and for that I must be the better. " How I wish that I could tell her of all my repentance ! And yet that may not be. To tell her would be to show her that she was my wife. To know she was the wife of Vincent Davenport, that would be bad enough ; but to know she was the wife of Maurice Maplethorpe a man who might even now be arrested for forgery I dare not tell her that ! " No ; there is but one way open for me only one way in which to prove the sincerity of my sorrow. I must set her free ! The false Davenport must die, and then How if the real one comes back ? Unless I write and tell her the whole truth, that would only add to her trouble. There is but one way a terrible way and yet for her sake I must take it." But then came the thought : Would she like that way ? Suppose he could go to her, and tell her, would she not say that his thought was unholy ? Yes ; he knew she would. 1 32 THE TEAR OF KALEE That way must not be taken. Then he would go right away, and let her think he was dead. That would be easier he need never come back ; and perhaps death might really come by a chance bullet, or a savage spear. " I will do it," he said aloud. " It is the only way left. Constance, you shall be happy yet, and I " " Will answer to me for your treachery, Maurice Maplethorpe." Clear and cold the words were spoken, and yet they were full of intense rage ; and as he looked up, Maurice beheld before him the man whose place he had taken, Vincent Davenport, standing contemplating him, with folded arms and menacing eye. " You ! " He started back, and the other laughed grimly. " Yes. Not a very welcome visitor, eh, Maurice Maplethorpe ? A very convenient place to settle our accounts this ! No one likely to come and interrupt us." It was, in sooth, a lonely spot, where the trees grew thick, and the undergrowth linked and twined at their feet ; a dark dreary spot and these two were alone. Davenport had been making his way back to his hiding- place, when he had seen the figure of this man walking slowly towards him ; and it did not need a second glance to assure him as to who the solitary being was. The sight drove all thought, save a desire for revenge, from his mind. He forgot that he had destined Maple- thorpe to bear the brunt of the priests' malice ; forgot that he had just laid a trap to throw increased suspicion upon him. The wild desire for revenge rose uppermost, and killed all else. But not so Maplethorpe ; he stood regarding the other calmly ; and he, too, folded his arms. "It is indeed a lonely place. All the better for us to talk uninterrupted," he answered coldly. " TALK ! " shouted Davenport, wildly. " It is a place for deeds, not talking. I have a long account to settle with you. Are you not ashamed to look me in the face ? " The blood began to surge into Maplethorpe's cheeks, but he restrained himself. " I am neither afraid nor ashamed, Mr. Davenport." FACE TO FACE 133 " Sir Vincent Davenport. You will give me my own name, please." " Pardon me, I will give you nothing ! For the time, at least, I remain the owner of this place." Davenport laughed scornfully as he listened. " High words. But we shall soon see about that." " Very soon. Did you ever hear of the Tear of Kalee ? Ah ! you see I have the whiphand " as Daven- port hesitated. " You have forgotten that little experience of yours, eh ? My friend, those gentle priests are after you, as you well know. Only the likeness between us hinders them from taking their cherished vengeance ; and the moment you speak that likeness will avail you no longer." " I will dare it ! " was the answer. But there was a ring of insincerity in the tone in which it was uttered. " Do you think you shall go unscathed, after your infamous conduct to Miss Linton ? " Round spun Maplethorpe, as though stung by a serpent. " Stop ! " he said sternly. " You said this was a lonely spot, then do not tempt me ! Remember, I am stronger than you. You keep that name out of our conversation ! " " Because you are ashamed to hear it ! " came the taunting reply. " Yes, if you will have it so. I am bitterly ashamed to hear it, for it is the name of a woman, far above me, whom I have deceived. As ashamed as one of the lost might be to hear the name of an angel of light who had stooped to save him ; and who, in stooping, had been deceived and wronged by the one she sought to bless. I am ashamed, but not half so ashamed as you ought to be ; for you have done her the most wrong, and without even my poor excuse." If wishes could have killed a man, surely Maurice Maplethorpe would have died then ; but wishes are impotent, and Davenport had not the courage to attempt the putting of them into execution. Morally he had degenerated under the influence of the Tear ; for sin and guilt ever bring fear in their train. " How have I wronged her ? " he retorted ; but his eyes did not look straight upon his adversary now. "I have done nothing." 134 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Done nothing ! Where are your fine gentleman's susceptibilities and conceptions of honour ? You left her to wait, bound to you by a secret engagement ; you were false to her and married your Eurasian wife. Nay, you were false to BOTH, for even then you were corresponding with Constance Linton ! You deserted your wife and came back ; yes, and I believe you would have done what I have done, and gone through a form of marriage with your first love ! " " I thought my wife dead," was the sullen remark of Davenport, and Maplethorpe checked himself. " True ! Yes, I forgot that. I will give you credit so far. Well, you rail at me for having tried to take your place. I also thought you dead, and it was you first put the idea in my mind. Why did you really ask me to come with you to England " " To repay the debt I owed you " " To screen yourself from danger, you mean. Do you think I did not see through your device ? Why did you make so much mystery as to our identity on board ; and why, after I was drugged, did you lie, and say you were Maurice Maplethorpe, as I afterwards learnt you did ? Come, if there was no harm in your taking my place to secure safety and give me your danger, there was no harm in my taking your place, when I thought you dead, to secure your wealth." It was true ; but the very knowledge that it was so only served to add to the ire of Davenport, and he broke out fiercely "A truce to your sentiment. You are in my place, a mere impostor ; and I mean to unmask you. Whether my wife is living or dead, you shall never call Constance Linton yours ! " " I never shall," was the solemn reply. " And for that very reason I shall force you to remain silent. The moment you speak, and proclaim me Maurice Maplethorpe, you also proclaim that lady my wife, for she is legally married to me." " Married to you ! I will not believe it ! It is a lie ! " " It is all too true ; God forgive me for the wrong I did her ! I married her believing that she would never know FACE TO FACE 135 the truth, and hoping that by devoting all my life to her I might atone for that one wrong, and be helped heaven- ward myself. To gain her I forswore myself. I denied my own identity to my mother and sister. I stood and heard my dying brother call for me, and had to pretend I was a stranger. Ah ! what have I not suffered for that one holy prize ! And to lose it as I have done ! " He flung up his hands with a gesture of utter despair, and Davenport, looking at him, was interested in spite oi himself. " At the very moment when she became my wife, and when it was too late to undo the past, a woman came between us who claimed me as her husband, and a man who claimed that he had married us. Who that man and woman were you can guess. I stood there covered in shame, and saw love die from, and repugnance come into, her dear eyes. And I had not one word to say. She thinks she is not my wife ; but she is, and nothing but death can break the bonds. For her sake I shall force you to be silent, and for her sake still keep my assumed position. Did she think she was the wife of the real Vincent Davenport that would be bad enough ; but to know that she was the wife of another man to know that I had cheated her into giving me her heart's affection I could not endure that she should know this. And know it she never shall, not even if I have to silence you by force." He ceased, and Davenport asked sullenly : " How came my wife here ? " The other shrugged his shoulders. " I do not know I have never asked her." " And she knew all about Constance ? " " I presume so. They have met more than once, I believe." A muttered imprecation escaped Davenport's lips. Aimie as his friend might have been dangerous, but Aimie as his enemy would be worse ; and he had little doubt that her fierce, jealous nature would be aflame with the desire for revenge. Any way, her presence might bring the priests down upon him j and that thought made her very undesired just at present. 136 THE TEAR OF KALEE Then there was Hamilton ! Deep in Davenport's nature were embedded those strange conceptions of honour and pride which, while they did not hinder him from doing wrong, yet caused him to shrink from the possibility of receiving the disgrace which the deeds might entail. How should he face Hamilton ? How see the look of scorn in his old friend's face ? How should he bear that the story should become known to -his old brothers in arms ? No, Aimie and Hamilton were the last two he desired to meet at present. He glared at Maplethorpe. He would have liked to have taken revenge upon him, but he could not. The question of physical vengeance was out of the question, for his opponent was quite able to take care of himself; while he could not speak, though he would have liked nothing better. The fear of what might follow the denunciation was quite enough to constrain him to keep silent. His lips also were sealed. " So things are to go on just as they are ? " he said at last. " Just as they are," was the laconic reply. "And you are still to appear as Sir Vincent Davenport, and retain his position and his perils r " " And the shame and disgrace. Do not forget those among the assets." " I will not ; and, believe me, I will try to add to the list for you. If I cannot speak, neither can you. You are as powerless as I am in that way, and more powerless in another ; for I can throw all manner of difficulties across your path until " " Until you compel me, in self-defence, to remove you from my way. Precisely, my friend ; that is in your power, only be careful how you do it." " I do not fear you " Maplethorpe laughed bitterly. " No, you fear Kalee's vengeance. You fear the loss of fhe Tear. What if I told the priests where it is r " Davenport started back with a cry of rage. Had Maple- thorpe seen where he had hidden it ? and he, seeing his agitation, laughed again. FACE TO FACE 137 " It is no use, Vincent Davenport ; I have the whip- hand after all. To tell Kalee's votaries would be to earn their gratitude ; to have you removed, very surely and expeditiously, from my path ; and to be enabled to quietly enjoy your possessions here. It is certainly tempting, and I may do it if you push me too far ; and, mark my word well, if you do anything which can bring further trouble upon Constance I will do it." " I have no desire to hurt her," was the reply, and Maplethorpe went on " You will remember that anything which makes me appear to be worse than I already am in her eyes, must add to her humiliation when she reflects that she ever suffered herself to care for me. For her sake I live as blameless a life as possible, and for her sake I shall force you to do the same. Now let us part, and Hush ! We are being watched ! There is some one lurking behind those trees ! " Davenport did not wait for anything after that ; one quick, nervous glance in the direction indicated yes, there certainly was a gleam of white drapery there, and he turned and disappeared amongst the trees, without delay. And then, as Maplethorpe walked in the direction of the hidden being, Aimie came from among the trees into view, walking rapidly towards him. " Mrs. Davenport," he began. But she interrupted him. " The man you were talking with quick, tell me who that was " ".One who little desires to see you " " Who was it ? " she repeated feverishly. " Never mind what he desires. Who was it ? I could not see clearly, but I thought it was he. The woods are being searched by two Indians. I saw them myself, and came to warn you but who is he ? " " The man both you and I have most cause to hate," he replied bitterly. "That man was Vincent Davenport and your husband." She gave a cry of mingled delight and terror. " Vincent ! and where has he gone ? " " I cannot tell." He shook his head as he spoke. " He 138 THE TEAR OF KALEE came from whence I know not, and has gone I know not where." " But the Indians may find him ! Perhaps it is not you they are watching at all, but he ! I must find him, and warn him. Do not try to stop me " as he made a motion to restrain her. " My place is with him ; Vincent is my husband." And then he stood aside and let her pass on. "They will track her down at last," he sighed. " Her love for him will be her ruin ! They will have them both. For Davenport and for myself the same warning has been written * Be sure your sin will find you out.' " CHAPTER XVIII THE BITTER TRUTH SORELY perturbed was the housekeeper of the Grange to find, upon entering the library, not the master she had expected to see, but the senseless form of Constance Linton stretched upon the floor ; and her first impulse was to send at once for medical assistance. But the housekeeper was a shrewd old lady, and medical assistance meant the coming of Dr. Linton himself. It might lead to some unpleasant scene, and she forbore until she saw whether anything serious was the matter. It might only be a swoon, she told herself, as she knelt by the girl's side and laved her temples, her kindly old heart full of sympathetic pity. " Poor young thing ! After having waited so faithfully all this time, to be treated so shamefully I I suppose she came here to see him ; though what she should want to see a man who had served her so badly for, passes my comprehension. And he must have spoken harshly to her the sweet lamb ! and left her. I know he was here not long since. Ugh ! Just like a man ! They are all selfish and all false ! / would not trust one of them ! " Her efforts were not relinquished during this soliloquy, THE BITTER TRUTH 139 and presently she was rewarded by seeing Constance open her eyes. A shudder and suppressed scream were the first signs of returning consciousness. Then she clung wildly to the housekeeper's arm, and cried " Has he gone ? Do not let him hurt me ! " " Tried to hurt her the great coward ! " reflected the old lady ; adding aloud " No, indeed, my pretty ! I should like to see him try it while I am here ! There, you sit on the couch a few minutes and rest ; and then you shall come into my own room and have a nice cup of tea, that will make you feel better ; and then one of the maids shall go home with you and " And then the housekeeper flushed with ire and came to a full stop ; for, as if in answer to her challenge, the man she regarded as her master, and to whom she believed Con- stance had referred, stepped through the window, to stand in surprise for a moment, and then come hastily forward as he noted the look of weakness upon Constance's face. " Miss Linton you here ! " he exclaimed, advancing ; and as Constance drew away from him, the housekeeper placed herself between the two, saying firmly " Pardon, Sir Vincent, but Miss Linton has been upset quite enough ; I will take her to my room now." " Upset ! How, and by whom ? " he demanded, looking still more surprised. " The deceit of the creature ! " thought the old lady. " It is not for me to say, sir. I came into the library shortly after you left it, and found the young lady in a dead faint on the floor." Shortly after he had left ! A light began to break in upon Maurice. The real man had been here, then ; and the housekeeper was, like everybody else, confusing them. What had Davenport said to Constance ? What had he attempted ? If he had dared to molest her in any way He looked at Constance, she was still white and trembling. " Leave us," he said to the housekeeper ; but the old lady bridled and held her ground. " Excuse me, sir, Miss Linton wishes to come with me ; after the scare you must have given her " HO THE TEAR OF KALEE " No, no," replied Constance, " you are quite wrong ! It was not Sir Vincent Davenport that frightened me. It was some one else ; I do not know who. Some one who gripped me round the waist and forced a handkerchief over my mouth ; some one with a dark brown hand. It was not Sir Vincent ! " (" Now it is my firm belief that she says that to screen him," thought the housekeeper. " Whatever there is in the man to fascinate her I can't see.") " I am sure I am very sorry I made the mistake, miss. Knowing Sir Vincent had been speaking with you a few moments before I came in, I thought, naturally, you were referring to him." " Quite so," put in Maplethorpe ; " but you were in error. Now be good enough to leave us. Miss Linton has nothing to fear at my hands." " No, you've done quite enough ! " was the unspoken retort. And the housekeeper withdrew. And then Maplethorpe turned to the girl ; a dull flush was on his cheek, and his voice was low and tremulous. Only so short a time before he would have held her in his arms, and now they were sundered far as the opposing poles ! " Miss Linton," he said, trying to speak calmly, " will you explain what has happened to you ? I do not know to what either you or my housekeeper have been referring." She was still half dazed from the effects of the drug ; she passed her hands over her eyes, as though to clear away the mist that seemed to surround her. Was this the man who had been speaking with her, or the one who had married Aimie Serasti ? And the question came in reply to his query " You are Maurice Maplethorpe, are you not ? " It was so unexpected ! He staggered back as though he had been struck. How did she know that ? Had Aimie betrayed him ? Had Davenport been here and proved the truth to her ? " You are Maurice Maplethorpe, are you not ? Will you not tell me the truth ? " He could not lie to her again ; he bent his head, and THE BITTER TRUTH 141 his broad chest heaved with the violence of his own emotion. " God forgive me, I am," came the low answer. " I have heard that you have not been a good man in the past," she said slowly. " I do not know if I can trust you. I am afraid to trust any one now, and yet I must know the truth entirely." "I have been a bad man. Too bad ever to have dared think of your love." His words puzzled her ; but she was too weak and ill to take in their full meaning, and she shook her head slowly. " It all seems such a muddle ; I cannot make it out. Will you promise to tell me the truth ? " So this was to be his punishment ! He must stand and tell her all, not hiding one jot of his guilt ! " Will you tell me the truth the real truth ? " " Do you really wish to know ? It may only add to your unhappiness. Will you not wait and let time reveal it?" " How can you ask me that ? Do you not think I want to know it now, to have the hideous doubts settled for ever ? I want to know to know the very worst. Will you tell me ? " And he answered simply, " Yes." " I believe you will. Your voice sounds true. Like like his did. But he was untrue." And she sighed. " I will tell you the truth no matter what you ask me," was his repeated assurance. " What do you wish to know first ? " " You were the man who was at the weir with Aimie this morning ? " Again he was bewildered. How had she learnt this ? But he simply bowed his head, and uttered the one word, "Yes." " And it was the truth she spoke when she said she was not your wife ? " " It was the truth." A pause her last hope had gone. She had thought that it might have been this Maplethorpe who had married the Eurasian ; and her next question came more slowly / 1 42 THE TEAR OF KALEE "Then what you told me before is really true, and Vincent Davenport DID marry Aimie Serasti ? " " That is so ; but I did not tell you that before " " Not tell me ! Why, you said so just before you left here ! Are you deceiving me all this time ? You first said that she was your wife, and then that she was the wife of Vincent Davenport ! Oh, why are you all conspiring to deceive me ? " and she wrung her hands in grief. " Surely I have done nothing to deserve it ? Mr. Maplethorpe see, I will kneel to you I beg of you to tell me the real truth once and for all ! " " No ! Stop ! Stop, Miss Linton," he implored, lifting her from the ground. "It is for me to kneel, as a penitent beyond hope of forgiveness. Sit down once again, and I will tell you the absolute truth I swear it by all that I hold sacred, by the memory of my little Charley, and my hope of mercy above ! I will tell you ALL ! But before I do, you must do one thing. I would not ask it, but it is needful to know exactly, so that no more mistakes can be made just the events of this day so far as you are concerned. Will it fatigue you too much to tell me ? Narrate them to me as you would to a stranger, and as if I had no part in them at all." " But you know all about them." " Still I ask. Believe me it is not to add to your trial. You have asked me for the real truth, and, cost me what it may to tell it, that truth you shall know. But in order to make sure it is the truth, I must know all you have done to-day." So he said, and she made no more comment, but, com- mencing with the walk to the weir, told him everything. He listened in silence ; only grinding his teeth as she spoke of the afternoon meeting with Davenport, and uttering a startled exclamation when she referred to the attack made upon her. " And they took the pearl you think I dropped ? " he asked. This was the most serious aspect in his eyes. If Kalee's priests linked Constance with the Tear, to what dreadful dangers might she not be exposed ? And he well knew that these mysterious men possessed means, even in THE BITTER TRUTH 143 London, of wreaking their vengeance, should they believe that they had secured the real holder of the Tear. " Yes. It was not about when I recovered my senses. But why do you trouble about that, unless you are thinking of the loss to you ? " "I am thinking of a loss to me, but not that of the pearl that, strange as it may seem to you, was never in my hand. My loss is the loss of the one thing I had hoped for. But my words must seem incomprehensible. Now listen, and if there is any point you do not understand, do not hesitate to question me. In the first place, I was the man with Aimie Davenport for that is her right name this morning, and it was the truth that you heard when she said she was not my wife. Next, it was the truth that you heard this afternoon, when you were told that she was the wife of Vincent Davenport ; but with that truth you were told a lie, for the man who told you was not I, but Daven- port himself. Oh, believe me, I am telling you the truth now the whole bitter truth " " But why did he call himself by your name, and why try and make me believe that you were he ? " " You want to know to really know ? " She bowed her head, and in answer he groaned " You knelt to me just now you who are so far above me. Now, let me kneel before you. Ah, turn your face from me, for pity's sake. How shall I tell you and read all the reproach in your eyes ? " " Mr. Maplethorpe, what do you mean ? How have you done anything that I can reproach you for ? " "Ah, how little do you guess ! Listen to my story, and you shall know. You have said that you heard Maurice Maplethorpe had been a bad man that is indeed the truth. I had to leave England, to fly from the law that I had offended. I was but young, little more than a boy ; but I had forged my employer's name, and it would have been penal servitude. "I went to India and tried to work hard hoped to retrieve my character, and once more be able to face the world ; but bad fortune dogged my steps all the way. I became hopeless, despondent, desperate, and homesick. i 4 4 THE TEAR OF KALEE " One day, wandering through the outskirts of Calcutta, I became aware that I was being shadowed by natives, one of whom eventually tried to get into a quarrel with me. I thought that strange, for the people there, as a rule, have a great dislike to quarrelling with the whites. That same afternoon I saw a man attacked, and with evident murderous intent, and rescued him. That man was Vincent Daven- port ; and he, in return for my help, paid my passage to England. I thought it was generosity then ; I know he had other motives now. At that time, as I have since ascertained, the Tear of Kalee was in his possession ; and it had been given him by his Eurasian wife, Aimie Serasti, whom he had abandoned to whatever fate might be in store for her. "Upon the voyage home Davenport did his best to confuse our identities ; and, indeed, once I was attacked in his place." " All this I know," began Constance ; but he held up his hand. " Hear me through. The worst has to come. Daven- port was in fear ; he told me he should never live to reach England, though he did not tell me what he had done to incur the anger of his foes ; and at that time I did not have more than a faint inkling of the truth. It was when he said that, that temptation came to me ; but, oh, believe me, I did not then dream of what it might lead to. I determined, should he not live, that I would take his place, and so gain ease and comfort. Do you want to know more ? He fell overboard. It was thought he was lost. I said it was Maplethorpe and so took his place. Ah ! Now you under- stand." For Constance had drawn away from him, and her eyes were full of horror. " And you pretended to be Vincent ! And you let me Oh, the shame, the shame ! " " Not to you, not to you ! " he cried hoarsely. " To me the shame, not to you." " You took the love that should have been his ! You took the kisses that were for another ! Oh, the bitter shame ! And, oh, mercy of Heaven ! " And she started THE BITTER TRUTH 145 up as the full truth flashed upon her. " Then you are my husbandy and I am lawfully bound to you ! " Lower and lower he had bowed before her, his face hidden from her eyes. " Speak ! Is that not true ? " " Bitterly true ! Ah, forgive forgive ! I did not dream of that at first. Then I had to act the part or lose the inheritance. I tried to escape it, but there was no way." " And you married me as you did, simply to keep up the deception and retain the money ? " " No, no ! Bad as I am, not so bad as that ! I married you because I had learnt to love you. You had come into my life, the purest, the noblest I had known ; and I loved madly, desperately. I could not give you up. To have cast the money aside would have been easy, but to forego you I could not ; and now now I have been punished indeed ! " " And could you have been satisfied with that ? To live, knowing that the love you received was meant for another ? that you held no place in the heart of the woman you called wife ? Could you have been satisfied with that ? Do you call that love ! Go, man ; the law would say I was bound to you, but my heart never was yours. I understand it all now, only too well, and it were better for me to have believed myself no wife at all, than to know that I am bound to you to a forger and a man who denied himself to his mother, and to his dying brother ! " " Have pity ! have some pity ! " he pleaded. " I deserve none, I know ; but I will make reparation." " Reparation ! " she cried. " What reparation can you make ? Your whole life could not do that ! " " I know that ; but my death might " " Your death ? " she queried, slightly altering her tone. "It would set you free. The truth would never be known " " Wicked thought ! wicked thought ! " she cried. " Unworthy of any man." "It is all I can do," was his sad answer. "I cannot hope for your pardon ; I cannot undo this at least, not L 146 THE TEAR OF KALEE without a long legal process and much publicity. There is nothing else that I can do." " There is. Do you think that I would purchase even my freedom at the price of such a sin as yours ? No, Maurice Maplethorpe, that must not be the way. If you would make any atonement at all, promise me first that your hand shall never be raised against your own life. Promise that first " " I promise." " Then promise that this shall never be revealed, unless I bid you do it that you will never seek to bridge the gulf between us, unless I call you to me. Will you promise this also ? " " This also I will promise." "Then here we part. I understand now, and can go back to my life and bear in silence. So far I thank you for telling me the truth." " And am I still to remain here ? " " It is not yours " she began, but he stopped her. " Yet to render it to Davenport is to proclaim you my wife. I must retain it." She pondered a moment. A change had come to them, and she was the stronger and calmer now. " Yes, that is so. For that there is no remedy ; you must keep the name you bear, until I bid you speak, or until he himself forces the truth out " " That he dare not do. As Vincent Davenport I am exposed to the peril that should be his " " The peril ? " she cried quickly. " Yes, from the priests. So much the better ; they may perhaps sever the bonds." " Then you must speak ! " she said decisively. But he shook his head. " It would be useless. So long as HE denied it it would only make them the more certain that I was the man they wanted. I know these Indians and their mode of reasoning. No, Davenport will never tell the truth ; and I will keep the secret to the end. And now farewell, and may the future hold as much happiness for you as the present holds sorrow." AN UNLOOKED-FOR CALAMITY 147 He stood aside, and she went ; went without another word, without one backward glance. Oh ! if she had only once looked at him and said, " I forgive." But she went. And he bowed his head and prayed prayed for death to come soon, prayed for strength to live aright while life should last. And in her own chamber Constance also knelt and prayed, prayed for wisdom and guidance ; and with that was mingled a petition that she might guide the man who was her husband to a nobler, better life. CHAPTER XIX AN UNLOOKED-FOR CALAMITY AFTER leaving Maplethorpe, Vincent pursued his way through the wood in the direction of a cottage he had taken. Bitter indeed were his reflections as he walked along and pondered upon the fact that the beautiful gem which he had secreted in the old ruin, was not only the cause of his being shut out of his inheritance, but was itself a source of worry and menace. It was his in so far as it was in his possession ; but, being his, it was of no more use to him than a piece of common glass would have been. He could neither sell it nor wear it ; and it was very likely that ere long he would be in absolute need of funds. So far he had been able to supply his exhausted purse at the expense of Maplethorpe ; but the latter could very easily prevent that continuing. And in that case what was he to do ? Maplethorpe was in his place ; and he was shrewd enough to see that he could not even dare to expose him. The moment he declared his real personality, that moment he diverted the attention of the priests of Kalee from his enemy to himself ; and he had a very wholesome dread of doing that. And the thought that Constance was Maplethorpe's wife 148 THE TEAR OF KALEE added gall to his already embittered mind, although he himself could never have made her his wife now that Aimie was alive. Indeed, on one point he congratulated himself, and that was his escape from the awkward position Maplethorpe had found himself in when Aimie appeared in the church. He might have been there himself had not Maplethorpe cheated him as he had done. " There is no help for it," he said to himself. " I must keep quiet for the time, and I think it is safer here than anywhere. I can always confuse my followers by the likeness between Maplethorpe and myself. I had better stay, and at the worst I must force him to give me money. If I put on an injured air and appeal to his sense of justice, he will do all I want in that way, especially as he is frightened of Constance knowing that she is really his wife. " Then, what about Aimie and Hamilton ? To think of her turning up here ! But that is like her ; she was always a plucky, good girl, and she would follow me to the end of the world, I know." His heart warmed towards the woman who had dared so much for him ; after all, she had been faithful and loyal, and she was his wife. Only it might be very awkward now that she knew about Constance, and how he had intended marrying her. Well, he would have to tell her that he never meant doing anything of the kind. He surely could talk her over and quiet the feelings of jealousy which he was sure would have been aroused when she found out all that had transpired. He rather wished that he had her with him now, she had been so tender and sympathetic, and in the depth of his present troubles he wanted the sympathy of some one, for he felt so utterly alone hiding here. Her presence would bring additional danger, though ; for once let the Hindoos know that she was with him, and it would be very clear proof as to which was the man who had the Tear. Then his mind wandered off to the hidden gem, and the remembrance of its deadly beauty came to him again. It AN UNLOOKED-FOR CALAMITY 149 was worth risking the danger to retain that glorious diamond ! He would be patient and keep in hiding ; something might transpire soon some unlooked-for relief might come to him. If he could only find means to keep the suspicion of the Hindoos fastened upon Maplethorpe, and make them think that the latter really had the Tear in his possession, then they might, in desperation, inflict some fatal injury upon him, and leave the country ; and in that case it would be easy for him to come forward and take his rightful place at last. It might be done. At any rate, he would keep watch and be patient ; and perhaps it was just as well that Aimie should not know where he was. She might grow tired, and go back to India, or and he paused as the thought came she herself might be discovered by their pursuers, and suffer their vengeance. Poor girl ! she deserved better than that she had been so true to him ! The sound of footsteps following rapidly behind him aroused him from his reverie, and, ever quick and suspicious, he turned swiftly, to find himself being pursued by a woman, and that woman, without doubt, Aimie herself! Aimie ! Though she had been in his thoughts, he had not the least idea that she was near him ; and for the moment he stood silent, too astonished either to welcome her or play his part of being Maplethorpe. How would she receive him ? What would she say ? Quickly the questions dashed through his brain as he stood there, waiting for her to come up. But he was not left long in doubt. Wronged by him she had been. Grounds for reproach she had, in truth ; but there was \no reproach in eye or on lip. She had found her husband once more her lord, her king ! And in the joy of this moment, danger, suffering, tears, and wrongs were forgotten ; and Aimie came towards him, the love-light in her glorious eyes, and a smile upon her lips came to him with wide-open arms, and he, before he knew what he was doing, had her clasped in his embrace, and was pressing kisses upon her brow and cheek. " Vincent ! Vincent, my husband ! " she murmured, 150 THE TEAR OF KALEE looking up into his eyes, as though feasting her very soul in that gaze. " My husband, at last we meet again ! " And he replied " Aimie, my wife ! my brave, faithful little woman ! " It was good to hold her thus. Yes, even though there was the danger her presence brought with it. It was good ; and he thought what a fool he had been ever to barter the treasure of her love for the great gleaming Tear of Kalee. He would have been so much happier had he never seen the Tear. It was not her fault. She had only acted prompted by the depth of her woman's love. No, he was to blame. He ought to have restored it at once, especially when he found that he had his inheritance left to him. He ought to have done that, but it was too late now ; and he must face what- ever the future held for him. So they stood for a little, whispering words of mutual love ; and then suddenly Aimie raised her head. She remembered her purpose. The priests were in the woods she had seen them there herself; and Vincent must be warned in time. " We are wasting time that is precious," she said quickly. " Vincent, there are men looking for you here in the woods. I saw them, and so I came on " " But how did you know ? How " She interrupted him hastily. "I will tell you everything presently. We cannot talk here, we shall be interrupted ; and if I am seen with you your safety will be gone." She saw that as well as he ! She was a clever girl, and her Eastern cunning might help him to find a way out of this peril. " Where can we go ? " she said ; " I am staying in the village. Shall we go to my house and risk being seen ? I am afraid it will be too dangerous." " No ; I have a hiding-place here far safer than that ; only it will not be so comfortable as your own apartments, I fear." " What matter that ? " she cried. " Ah, husband dear, so long as I am with you and have your love, what matter AN UNLOOKED-FOR CALAMITY 151 where we liv r e in palace or hovel ? It is all the same to Aimie." " Follow me, then, dear. I do not think there is much to apprehend from the priests at present. They are quite ignorant of my being here, and are watching another man, who " " I know ; you mean the man Maplethorpe. Yes, I know about that ; and it is for this reason I am anxious to keep them from seeing you, especially in my company, until we have had time to see what is best to be done." He led her on, keeping to the denser part of the wood, till he arrived at a traverse path leading close to his cottage ; and leaving her here, he walked on by himself, keeping a keen look-out for any prying eyes. No, the place was deserted, and he whistled to her softly to follow. " You will be safe here. I always wear a disguise here, and no one has any idea of who I am they think me a half-crazed fellow from London, who, having lost all his money, has come here to live cheaply ; and they let me entirely alone. I do not fear anything here." She glanced round the room. It was a poor little place, and very untidy ; and her heart melted with pity for him and forgot its own sorrows. Why should her Vincent her dainty, fastidious Vincent live in this hovel, when the fine old Grange was his by right ? Truly the Tear of Kalee had only brought a curse with it ! Was this the pretty country estate he had boasted he could buy ? Was this the happy life he had planned they should live ? It was an evil stone ! They would know neither peace nor happiness while it was in their possession ; and the thought strengthened the resolution which she had arrived at. There was only one way to solve this difficulty effectually : the Tear of Kalee must be given back to its priests ! She knew them well enough to feel confident that to regain it they would pass their word that no harm should befall Vincent or herself; and once that promise was given, it would be kept to the very letter. The Tear must be given up ; by that means only could happiness come to them, 152 THE TEAR OF KALEE But of this she said nothing now. With true womanly instinct, she busied herself in restoring order to the room. She had never had to engage in anything like domestic work, and yet her heart filled with joy now. It was for him her love, her king ; and she poured the whole treasure of her woman's love into every little act, while he sat and watched her with eyes that never seemed to tire of following her every movement. It was good to have her thus with him it calmed and soothed him ; and Vincent Davenport was more restful then than he had been ever since the Tear first gleamed in his hands that night in his bungalow at Delhi. And, the meal over, she sat by his side, and told him of all that had befallen her of her being taken by the priests, tortured, and rescued by Hamilton ; of how he had brought her to England ; and of how she had seen Maplethorpe married to Constance in London. It must not be supposed that any feelings of regard for Maplethorpe or Constance entered into her plans. For the former she had a very real and lively animosity. Was he not the man who had robbed her husband of his own ? That was sufficient to make Aimie hate him, even though she had left him with an outward show of friendship when they parted by the Weir. She had not Vincent by her side then had not known where to look for him. Now it was quite different. As for Constance, she was the woman who had been her rival ; who might even now be her rival. She had no love for her, and would have committed the pair of them to destruction without the least compunction, had it been for Vincent's good. He was her one thought ; and for him anything and everything would have been done. Only one question did she ask which could reveal the doubt of her heart, and that was : " Vincent, would you have married this girl if Maple- thorpe had not cheated you ? " He know that he would have done so ; that he had come home determined to do so, but he was not man enough to tell her this truth as she sat there so happy in his love ; and so he denied it. AN UNLOOKED-FOR CALAMITY 153 " No, Aimie. I should have told her that I had one wife, living or dead, and that no other woman would ever take her place." A lie so transparent that any simple English girl would have seen through it ; but the Eurasian, spite of her more subtle nature, was satisfied. She could not have done it, and she measured his love by hers. And she listened to the story he had to tell of his danger in Calcutta, of the men on the Star of India ; of his scheme to appear to have been lost, and how he was frustrated by the action of Maplethorpe. He described how the diamond was advertised, and how he had very nearly been captured in the endeavour to part with it. " We can do nothing with it yet," he sighed moodily. " Who could have guessed that these niggers would have been so keen in following it-?" She disregarded the latter part of his speech, but, rising and leaning over his chair, she drew his head on to her shoulder, softly stroking his cheek. She had set herself a hard task, and it would need all her woman's power of persuasion for its success. u There is one thing we can do with it at once, dear," she said. And he looked up in questioning surprise. " I do not know what it is, then, Aimie," i he remarked ; and she answered in suppressed tones " We can give it up" " Give it up ! " He started to his feet and stared at her. " Give it up ! Are you in earnest, Aimie ? Give up the Tear of Kalee, that has cost us so much already ! Give up the beautiful Tear ! " And though he had himself contemplated this more than once, yet now that it was suggested by another he walked to and fro with agitated steps. Give it up theiglorious Tear ! No, never ! not while life lasted not even for her would he do that ! But she was by his side, drawing him towards her and seeking to arrest his steps. Pleading in whispers that it would always keep them sundered and in danger ; point- ing out that she herself would be willing to go to the 154 THE TEAR OF KALEE priests and secure their safety ; urging that with her money and his they had more than they would need begging, pleading, now with smiles of love, now with tears of entreaty fighting a battle against the power and spell of the Tear, which her own little hands had plucked from the idol's forehead, in the secret shrine in the Khaipur hills. It was a hard fight a brave fight ; but she was not strong enough for it. The power of the Tear was greater than the power of her love. And at last Aimie was alone sitting weeping passionately ; while Daven- port, hot-tempered and agitated, with conflicting passions, was striding through the woods once more towards the secret resting-place of his treasure. How could he give it up his beautiful, bewitching diamond ? He drew it out and gazed upon it, spellbound by its ever-changing light. He kissed it, as one would kiss his mistress's lips. He could not he would not part with it. He must go back and try to overcome Aimie's wish ; but to part with the Tear it could not be thought of ! But when once again he arrived at the cottage and let himself in, he found her his wife sleeping. Utterly worn out with the intensity of her pleading and with the bitterness of her sorrow, she had fallen asleep. How beautiful she looked as she lay there ! And there were undried tears upon her cheeks she had been weeping in her sleep ; and his heart smote him. " I am a selfish brute ! What good is the stone to me, after all ? Far better do as she says, and get rid of it." A long pause a struggle was going on in his heart. Aimie or the Tear ; avarice, or content and happiness with her. Now she moved restlessly, as if in slumber she felt the power of his presence. Her lips moved, and she whispered his name. He would do it ! Do it at once, ere the Tear had time to weaken his resolve ; and he bent over her and kissed her. " Aimie, my wife, awake, and come with me ! I will do as you wish, and place the Tear of Kalee in your hands for you to do as you will with it." AN UNLOOKED-FOR CALAMITY 155 Oh, the depth of the love that shone in her eyes the radiance of the joy that swept across her features as she heard him speak ! At last it would be happiness and peace ! It was fast growing dark now, and Vincent took a small lantern with him, explaining to his wife that they might need it in the gloomy ruin to which they were going. There was little danger of being seen now, and they set out boldly Aimie too glad for many words, and Vincent silent from another reason. He was going to give up the Tear ! He half repented of it already. If he had not brought Aimie with him, he would not have had courage and resolution enough to go on about his errand. The ruin was reached without the pair encountering any one ; and together they entered its inner confines. Vincent lit his lamp, and led his wife across to where a fragment of what must once have been a noble pillar stood against the wall. "This is the hiding-place ! " he said. But the next moment his whisper rose to a wild yell, and he sprang forward. "Some one has been here !" he cried, his voice'coming in a shrill scream. " Been here ! That stone was in its place an hour ago, and it is moved now ! " His trembling finger was pointed to where a little dark hole appeared in one side of the pillar. A spring, fixed to a small stone, served to keep it in its place, thus perfectly concealing the presence of the hiding-place. But this had been tampered with, and the stone was swung back, leaving a little cave of inky darkness, towards which Vincent sprang with the gestures of a frenzied man. He was down on his knees, his arms thrust into the space beyond. His face was ghastly white, his eyes starting, and his forehead bedewed with sweat. He shook as though palsied, and his lips twitched as he felt in vain for the little case in which the Tear was enclosed. It was not there ! It had been stolen ! His Tear, his beautiful Tear, had been taken from him ! He sprang to his feet and shook his arms wildly in the air, while hideous imprecations came from his lips. 156 THE TEAR OF KALEE His wife, in terror, shrank back from him, regarding the fierce paroxysm of rage and despair, in silent fearfulness. Only once did she essay to calm him, and uttered his name ; but he turned on her with a snarl like some wild beast. " Stolen ! stolen ! My Tear is stolen ! Do you hear me ? My Tear is stolen I " And he beat upon his breast with his clenched fists, and flung himself prostrate on the earth to grovel, beast-like, in his impotent rage and despair. The shock had been too great, and for the moment reason was unseated, and Vincent Davenport was mad. " Lost ! lost ! " he shouted, till the woods took up the sound and sent it back in mocking echoes. " Lost ! lost ! " Yes, and hope was lost ! Without the diamond there could be no peace for them. Sooner or later Kalee's ven- geance would fall upon their heads. Maplethorpe could not be driven out, and they could not do anything to recover the treasure. If the blow was great for Vincent, it was as great for the woman by his side it was the death of all her hopes. And through the woods came the echo of his cry once again " Lost ! lost ! lost ! " CHAPTER XX MADGE APPLEBYE AFTER Bruce Hamilton had seen Aimie safely down to Harleyford, he had returned to London, troubled and ill at ease. He bitterly repented now that he had ever consented to unite these two in marriage ; and his indignation at the supposed villainy of Davenport was mingled with sorrow at the severance of their long friendship. For that it was severed he knew. Once he had attempted to call at the Grange, but his effort had met with so rude a repulse that he could not make a second attempt. Then his sorrow for Aimie's trouble was mingled with the strongest condemnation of her acknowledged theft ; for MADGE APPLEBYE 157 though the thing stolen was but an ornament from a sense- less and hateful idol, the crime was still great in his eyes, and deserving of the strongest censure. So he had returned to London undecided as to his future movements ; and whilst there he had received a very hearty invitation to visit an old friend of his father's, one with whom he had been a favourite himself, in his boyhood's days. Old Squire Applebye had run up against him in the park, to their mutual astonishment and pleasure, and would take no excuse from the young man. " You ought to have come to me the very moment you set foot in England," he declared. " If I was a touchy man I should feel deeply offended about it. What will the girls say when they know how you have served them your old friends Vic and little Madge ? You must come, Bruce, my lad. Besides, I want to hear all about this business of Davenport's." " You have heard of that, then ? " queried Hamilton, in some surprise ; and the other shrugged his shoulders. " Heard of it ! My dear boy, when we are living within two miles of old Linton there is not much chance of not hearing of it. I was very sorry about it, though. I met Davenport when he was a youngster, and used rather to like him, and that little girl of Linton's is too good to have been served in such a dastardly fashion. You must come ; besides, the girls will want to hear the story of this big pearl, or diamond, or whatever it is." Hamilton stared in real earnest now. Were all these secrets public property, then ? And he inquired as to how the squire had heard of the Tear. "Tear ! Ah, yes, that is it I knew it was a tear, or laugh, or something of that sort. How did we hear of it ? Why, my dear boy, don't you know that Davenport was arrested for trying to sell it, and only got off by the skin of his teeth ? Proved an alibi. Not a very difficult thing if you know how to go to work and are not above a little false swearing," he added to himself. So the outcome of the meeting was that two days after, Hamilton found himself in the old squire's hospitable keeping 158 THE TEAR OF KALEE at Applebye Manor, some two miles on beyond Harleyford and its inhabitants, with every prospect of having a very pleasant holiday. If he did not, it certainly would not be the fault of the squire, for he was hospitality embodied. A fine, bluff, old country gentleman, fleshly but hardy, and good for a cross- country spin with any man in the shire, on a sharp frosty morning, with the pack opening on a clear view. Good to the poor, honest and true to his peers, and loyal to his country and politics, Squire Applebye had the good wishes and the respect of all whose wishes and respect were worth the possessing ; and his two bonnie daughters were as fair specimens of English maidens as one might well wish to see. Victoria, commonly shortened to " Vic," was the elder, her father's girl in all things ; ready to follow the lead of the most daring horseman that ever attended the meet, a splendid judge of the merits of various flies, a dexterous wrist when it came to dropping a " grey " or " blue " just at the right spot in the trout stream ; and a very respectable wielder of a double-barrelled gun, in the stubble or among the trees. A good-hearted, sterling, matter-of-fact girl was Vic, and none the worse at heart because she adopted masculine sports, that she might be near her father and prove a companion to him now that her mother was taken away. Vic was clear-headed, strong-willed the queen of the household, and ruling with firm and wise sway. Madge was of a different temperament. Horses had no charm for her. Dogs, excepting such insignificant specimens as toy terriers or ugly little pugs, she abominated. Guns she was afraid of ; and fishing suggested worms, and brought a shudder to her. Madge was the gifted one the artist, the poet, the aesthetic ; never so happy as when wandering and dreaming in glade and dell, sketching this " lovely bit," or painting that " charming corner." Different in almost every particular from her stronger sister, save in her love for their father, Madge suffered herself to be led, was actuated by impulse rather than by MADGE APPLEBYE 159 judgment, lacked the self-reliant character of Victoria, and was wont to look to the latter to fight all her battles for her. Both girls received their guest heartily ; and each, after her own fashion, strove to make him comfortable. But Victoria soon voted that the " parson " was more suited to Madge than to herself. Not that Hamilton was effeminate in any way, but the tame amusements of field and river possessed little charm to him after the wild torrent and the mountain chase of India. Madge was something more new. Her sensitive, poetic nature harmonised with his own. She liked botany, she could discuss the poets with sound taste and judgment, and she was an accomplished musician ; and in a brief time Hamilton had, by tacit consent of all parties, left the side of the watchful and contented Vic, and attached himself to Madge. " So much the better," was Vic's comment to her sister. " Now I shan't feel any qualms about leaving him. I trust to you, Madge mine, and expect you to do all the needful in entertaining him when I am taking a gallop with the squire." To all of which Madge agreed. " She will go and fall in love with him in the end," soliloquised Vic. " That will be the upshot of it. Well, it will just about suit her to go visiting and giving away soup tickets, and taking Sunday-school classes. Madge is cut out for that sort of business, so it will be all right ; and Bruce is a straight, honest man. Yes, that is all right." And having thus comforted herself, and quite made up her mind to her sister's engagement in the near future, Victoria Applebye went her way to her father. Bruce had been obliged to satisfy their curiosity by relating what he knew of the famous Tear of Kalee, though he kept Aimie's secret, and only said that it was rumoured that she had taken the stone. The squire expressed his sentiments pretty freely ; and Victoria, after one or two questions, had dismissed the whole story from her practical mind ; but romantic Madge 160 THE TEAR OF KALEE had pondered over it, and was never tired of inquiring into the history of the Tear, and of trying to get an adequate idea of the splendours of the gem, and of asking concerning the legends of Kalee and the manner of her worship. Indeed, the strange occult mysteries of the East appealed to her strongly, and Hamilton was surprised to note her eager air as she inquired of him ; and very soon he began to strive to dismiss the matter entirely. But that was no easy matter. Madge would like to have painted the interior of Kalee's shrine, she said. " It would make a splendid subject." " She thought a poem something like Southey's ' Curse of Kehama' would be very good," and in fine, she seized upon the subject with all the force of her imaginative little soul, and would revert to it again and again during their wandering excursions. Sometimes it almost frightened her ! She had never seen this stone ; she could only picture it from the vague descriptions that had been circulated ; and yet it seemed to have a hold upon her. She thought of it, she dreamed of it, and sometimes she caught herself wishing that she could become the possessor of such a treasure. Not that she was of a sordid or avaricious nature she had money enough and to spare for her every desire ; it was simply the desire of possession which filled her soul the desire to possess something which she had never seen or even heard of till within a few weeks back. " Mr. Hamilton told me that the legend ran that the Tear had power to attract and influence certain people," she mused. " I wonder whether it would have such a power with me if I could see it ? " So Madge Applebye's thoughts ran ; but little did she dream that ere many days had gone she would herself hold that fateful Tear in her own white palm, and fall a victim to its spell. And yet so it was. Bent on a sketching expedition, and for once unattended by Bruce Hamilton, who had gone with her father to the Court, Madge had wandered as far as Harleyford Woods ; and there she came across an open glade, from which she obtained a pretty view of the grey old ruins. MADGE APPLEBYE 161 It really was a very pretty scene, and she felt a thrill of delight at the prospect of adding it to her collection ; and undoing her case, she sat down, and was soon absorbed in her task. She paid no attention to the flight of time, but worked contentedly on till the light began to fail ; and she was just about putting her things up, when in the distance, she caught sight of a man's form gliding stealthily from the shadow into the little circle of light around the ruins. A man and one whom she recognised even at the distance. It was Sir Vincent Davenport, the lonely owner of the Grange, and the man who was reported to have stolen that wonderful Tear of Kalee ! Instantly romantic Madge began to ponder upon what should bring him to this lonely spot. Had he made an appointment with his Indian wife ? and was he going to murder her after the manner of the villain in melodrama ? No, that could not be ; for after standing and glancing carefully round, Davenport entered the ruin. What for ? What could bring him there ? Thoughts of the Tear rushed into her excitable little head. Perhaps he had hidden it there ! Now he came out again, and, without looking in her direction, walked rapidly away. Madge watched him go, and then she herself ran lightly towards the ruin, and, albeit, not without some quakings and fears, entered its enclosure and gazed around. Ugh ! it was a very ghostly, dreary place, and nothing to see now that she was here, and yet and yet what had Sir Vincent Davenport been there for ? That question worried Madge ; she had not much to occupy her time, and so she could think about it. What had he been there for ? From that day the old ruin possessed great interest in her eyes ; and Bruce Hamilton was greatly perplexed and rather chagrined to find that Madge was for ever making excuses to get rid of him and run off by herself, though he would have been considerably more perturbed had he dreamed for what purpose she was deserting him. Madge, in fine, had determined to keep watch on the M 1 62 THE TEAR OF KALEE ruin. Curiosity was aroused ; she wanted to know exactly what it was that had brought Sir Vincent Davenport to it. Her patience was rewarded after several vain vigils ; and on the very afternoon upon which Aimie had found her husband and pleaded with him to restore the Tear to the priests, Madge Applebye had once more wandered down to the woods, and was in the immediate vicinity of the ruin when Davenport came to look at the Tear again. She saw him coming, and her woman's wits helped her. She knew by this time pretty well all the twists and turns of the ruin. She would hide inside, where she could obtain a view of what was going on. And before Davenport came up the girl was hidden away in a dark corner, and yet quite close to the secret hiding-place of the Tear. She saw him enter, saw him go directly to the pillar, saw him touch one protruding knob, and saw the covering stone slide away from the cavity. And then she nearly uttered a cry of astonishment as she caught a glimpse of the radiance of the diamond. Her limbs trembled with excitement. Here was a romance indeed ! She, Madge Applebye, had discovered the hiding-place of the great Indian diamond for which so large a reward was offered the hiding-place of the Tear of Kalee ! Breathlessly she watched, cowering there in the shadow. She saw him press his lips to the Tear, and cry aloud that he would sooner part with life itself than with the stone. And then he had replaced the diamond in its resting-place, and she was alone. Alone with her secret ! Alone in the old ruin. And just there, close to her hand, lay the great Tear in all its glory. She had no thought of taking it, not even of claiming the reward, as she stood there. It was simply and solely an intense desire just to look at it, for once to hold the diamond that had been taken from that mysterious shrine, that had witnessed so many un- hallowed deeds, and been the cause of so much mischief. THE ABDUCTION OF CONSTANCE 163 She touched the spring, and the stone slid back. She put her little hand in, it closed on the case. She drew it out, a soiled red case. How did it open ? Ah, a spring here ! and her finger pressed upon it ! Would that that pressure had never been given ! The lid ftew back, and there it lay in all its deadly fatal beauty ; and she uttered a little gasping cry of mingled fear and admiration as she gazed, spellbound, upon it. Again, as so often in its past history, the Tear manifested its power. She could not take her eyes from it she could not let it go. She felt that she, too, must, as the man had done, press her lips to its cold, senseless facets. Then there came a whispering of the wind in the old ruins, and she started like some guilty soul. Why should she not keep it ? Like the whisperings of an unclean devil the thought came Why not keep it ? No one would ever know that she had taken it. Why not keep it the beautiful stone ? Her face had grown white, and a strange, frightened look was in her eyes. The light of the diamond seemed to mock and yet command her ; and with a sudden movement she shut the case, thrust it in her bosom, and, turning, fled like a frightened hare from the gloomy spot. Little Madge, who had never soiled her lips with a lie, or her hand with a mean action, fled as a criminal flees from the scene of his crime, with the Tear of Kalee resting upon her breast, as it had rested on the unholy idol's in the far off Indian shrine ! CHAPTER XXI THE ABDUCTION OF CONSTANCE AFTER her interview with Maplethorpe, Constance had returned to her father's house in great perplexity. What ought she to do ? Again and again she asked herself that question. What ought she to do ? Before she had known the truth she had told herself that 164 THE TEAR OF KALEE anything would be better than the uncertainty under which she had laboured ; but now that the uncertainty was gone, and the truth revealed, she was even in a worse plight than she had been before. Alone in the quiet of her chamber she tried to review the situation calmly. She could understand it well enough. Davenport had been false to her ; that was the first thing that stood out before her. And that did stand out very conspicuously ! He had married this Aimie Serasti while he was in India, and at the very time he was still sending his messages to her ! In some strange way the thought of that seemed to help her to be reconciled to what was. Had it been different had Vincent Davenport been loyal to her all the time the fact that another had by fraud taken her love, and made her his wife, thus putting an impassable obstacle between herself and her old lover, would have been one of torture to her. But then Davenport had been false. Knowing what she did, she would not have given her hand to him now, even if he had been free again. In her eyes Maplethorpe's crime was less heinous than his. She could understand how the first wild temptation to seize the wealth and position had come to Maplethorpe, and how, having yielded to that first wrong, he had been compelled to go on, step by step, into deeper entangle- ments. Now she saw why he had seemed so strange, and yet so tender, to her. She comprehended how he must have felt when taking her love, and knowing that her every word was intended for another j she could see the reason of his sadness, and for his repeatedly saying that he was unworthy of her. It had puzzled her before, for Vincent Davenport had not been too sensitive to his own imperfections in bygone days. This Maplethorpe loved her. She knew that. He loved her with a wild, deep, hopeless love. He must have been torn by the conflicting desires to tell her the truth, and to keep silence. She thought of the scene at the deathbed of little Charley, and a thrill of pity went through her. It was so sad, so very sad and pitiful, this i6 5 picture of Maplethorpe bearing the punishment of his sin, and having to deny himself to the little lad he had so loved, and to the sorrowing mother and sister. And all because of his love for her. Because of his love for her / Yes, he loved her ; and even there, with the perplexity of her position weighing upon her, and with the knowledge that she was actually the wife of this man, Constance found some satisfaction in the thought that he loved her. And he was not a bad man, not as some men were. At heart he was true. Weak he was easily led astray but at heart good, and capable of being raised into a noble man, and she was his wife. Now what was she to do ? Should she tell her father at once ? No ; Constance knew, beyond doubt, that the first thing the doctor would do would be to have the marriage annulled. Ignorant as she was of the law, she knew he could easily do that ; and that she did not desire. Strange as it was in her own eyes, she did not desire that. She had thought of it. It would free her from what otherwise must be life fetters, but she did not desire it. Somehow there rose before her eyes that humble little bedroom, with the golden-haired, dying boy to whom she had given her promise that she would try to help the man who had been with her, to find his way to the great Homeland beyond. There arose a vision of the little newly-made grave, and the sobbing, despondent man kneeling there, to whom she had said that the past should be forgotten, and that the future should be brightened by her love. She remembered all this. He had wronged her cruelly, but she had promised him. His very love had made him work the wrong ; and she would keep her own secret for the time. So she found her heart pleading for him against her judgment. She made his love for her the excuse ; but she knew she was deceiving herself. It was not only that he loved her, but she loved him. She had told herself that she loved the Vincent who returned as she had never done the one who went. Now she knew that she loved the man who had 1 66 THE TEAR OF KALEE returned, as she had never loved Vincent Davenport at all. His was a deeper, truer nature ; and something in it had touched and awakened a kindred chord in her own heart. She would keep her secret for the time would watch Maplethorpe, and his life should decide what she would do. Did he strive to live nobly and truly, then she would openly declare the truth and take her place by his side ; did he fail and turn to the world's ways, then she would tell her father, and seek to have the marriage broken. This was the determination she came to, though not in her own strength only, but only after much earnest prayer for guidance and counsel ; and having come to it, a sense of strength and calm came to her, and she rose from her knees comforted and peaceful, ready to face her daily life and await the issue. And so a week came and went, a week in which many things had happened. The tenant of the cottage near the Grange had locked the place up and gone away. The dark-skinned lady, whom people whispered was the real wife of Sir Vincent, had disappeared, and they were asking, in under- tones, where she had gone to ; and away at good old Squire Applebye's pretty Madge had the Tear of Kalee hidden in her room, and was becoming such a nervous, frightened girl, that her father and her sister and her lover were all alike perturbed and desirous of calling in Dr. Linton, under the full belief that she must be ill. And what a week that had been for Maurice Maple- thorpe, there in the lonely Grange, shut up with his trouble ! What should he do ? She had forbidden him to proclaim the truth ; naturally so, when it would also proclaim her his wife. His lips had been sealed before ; they were doubly so now ! He could not go away, for she had bidden him stop ; and her one word of reproach had driven away the sudden mad and wicked thought that he might, with violent and daring hands, break the fetters from her by giving up his own life. She had bidden him stay, and her lightest word was law to him. Perhaps, later, he could go let the world think him THE ABDUCTION OF CONSTANCE 167 dead ; that would free her at once, and death might be sought and found ; and death might bring him peace ; but till he could do this, no fresh act of his should bring him lower in her eyes. So Maurice had stayed ; and when Constance had taken her place with Madge Applebye in the choir on the Sunday morning, she had seen the bowed, lonely man in the Davenport pew, and had smiled softly to herself. It was hard for him to attend when both the squire and her father glared at him as though they expected the very roof to fall upon him hard when the well-intentioned but unwise old vicar uttered many a sentence in his sermon that was specially intended for his personal benefit. Constance knew it was hard, and many a prayer went up from her gentle heart for the occupant of the pew before her. Then, when service was over, he rose and went quietly home, while others stayed and talked in the churchyard. There were the doctor and squire shaking hands, while practical Victoria was confiding to Mrs. Linton her fears that Madge could not possibly be well. " Wants a change," was the doctor's off-hand verdict ; and Madge stood by and shook her head rebelliously, declaring that she was all right, and that they were making a fuss about nothing. Then Hamilton, who had been assisting the vicar, joined them and carried Madge off, and the whole party dispersed to their several abodes. And Maplethorpe had gone alone, without one to take his hand or greet him ! Constance noted how one and another turned their backs, and became absorbed in contemplation as he passed by them. The influence of her father and the squire, between them, had been quite sufficient to place him beyond the pale of the little social circle at Harleyford. " It is like his impudence to come to church among honest people at all ! " was the squire's verdict. " Even supposing that he really thought his wife was dead, and that he was free to marry Constance Linton, there is the fact that he stole that diamond. Disgraceful positively disgraceful ! " i68 THE TEAR OF KALEE And when Madge heard that, her cheeks burnt, and she went red and white by turns. The midday meal was concluded, and Constance was due at the Sunday-school. To her, her class was one of the best-loved things in the world ; and though sometimes her father had grumbled, and said that she worked too hard, Constance was sure to be found in her place, be it wet or dry, hot or cold always there, prepared and punctual. She loved her work, and was sorry when it was over ; and more frequently than not did she carry one of her girls back with her, and give her the precious treat of " tea at Miss Linton's." But this afternoon she invited no scholar to go with her. Her heart was too full of its own affairs, and she wanted to walk among the shadows of the woods, or away beside the river, where she could be alone with Nature, and let its solemn voices enter into her spirit, and tell their messages of Him who doeth all things well, even though the poor per- plexed children of earth cannot see and understand the path by which He leads them. She had not the slightest appre- hension of danger of any sort. Each portion of the wood was well known to her, and all its silence and shadow loved by her. Even the chance of meeting a tramp or gipsy was remote ; they were rarely seen in the district. She was as safe here as in the grounds of her own house, and she wandered on, pondering upon the strange events which had come into her hitherto uneventful life, when suddenly, and without a sound being uttered, she found herself enveloped in some thick covering, which had been thrown over her from behind. At the same moment she was lifted from her feet and borne rapidly along ; and almost before her confused senses were aware that she was being molested, she was set down, and the covering taken from her head. " Keep silence ! " a low but stern voice said in her ear. " If you are quiet no violence will be offered to you ; if you make any outcry we shall find means to silence you." More bewildered than frightened, she looked around. She knew where she was, in the old Norman ruin ; but these two dark-skinned men, who were they ? Surely no tramps, tanned by long exposure to the sun ! THE ABDUCTION OF CONSTANCE 169 No, she needed not look twice ; these were natives of Hindoostan ; the same men who had drugged her in the Grange probably. She was in the hands of the priests of Kalee ! Why had they sought her ? She had never done them injury ! she had not been involved in the taking of the Tear. " Will you keep silence ? " the question came. Clearly there was nothing to be gained by resistance, and she replied in the affirmative. " In what way have I offended you, that you should seek to do me harm ? " she asked quietly. " What do you want with me ? " " Not to harm you," was the reply. She shook her head. " I can hardly think that, seeing that you have brought me here." " Maiden," said the younger of her two captors, " you are a Christian, and you love your religion and He whom you call your Saviour ? " " Yes," came her ready answer. "Even so. Now, we have also our religion, and our holy things. Nay " as he saw that Constance was about to speak "I am not going to enter into any discussion with you as to the merits of our respective beliefs. We have our holy objects, and we venerate these as you venerate your Saviour." " But what has this to do with me ? " asked Constance, in some perplexity. " One of these holy things," the Hindoo went on, " has been stolen. You have heard of it, maiden the Tear of Kalee and this was stolen by the wife of the man who is now your lover, and by her given to him, and by him given to you." "To me!" repeated Constance, in blank amazement. " You are wrong, I assure you. I never saw the Tear of Kalee in my life." " But a week ago you were in the man Davenport's room, and you held in your hand a pearl which he himselr gave you. That pearl was one of those surrounding Kalee's sacred Tear, and here it now is." And as he spoke the 170 THE TEAR OF KALEE man produced the pearl, which had been taken from Constance on that afternoon in the Grange. " Maiden, against you neither Kalee or her servants have aught, but you must give to us the Tear, or with us you must come to our chiefs and tell them your story." " Come with you ? Where to ? " she cried, in some alarm. And the answer came "To London." " But this is outrageous ! " she protested. " You do not understand. How can I come with you ? I tell you that I have never seen or had the Tear." The Hindoo shrugged his shoulders. " I must obey the voice of those who sent me," he said coldly. " Maiden, you must come with us." " But I cannot go. I will not submit " The protest died away in a faint sigh ; for the second of the two had placed a handkerchief firmly over mouth and nostrils, and Constance sank inert and helpless in his arms. "She is silent now," he said, placing her upon the ground. " She will not awake yet." " No, but we will wait here till the hour is late. Do you go and obtain the coach. You know where it is to be ready, and I will tarry and watch by the maiden. We must not lose her now, for the great ones will demand an account of us should that happen." ****** Where was she ? Constance started to her feet, and looked round in surprise and dismay. How came she into this handsomely-appointed room, with its mirrors, its costly carpets and luxurious couches ? She could remember nothing of what had transpired since being in the ruin with her captors. A slight rustle, and the sound of a gong striking, caused her to turn ; and she saw that she had been watched over by a girl, dark of skin and slender of build, who now, seeing her charge had awakened, had given a preconcerted signal. Two other girls entered the room, and, taking her by the hands, led her gently but firmly away between them. Evidently it was useless to try and resist ; and striving THE ABDUCTION OF CONSTANCE 171 to hide her agitation, and committing herself to God's care, she went with them across dim corridors till they arrived at one door, heavily curtained, which was opened in response to the knock they gave, and admitted them into a brilliantly- lighted room, the air of which was heavy with the scent of sandal-wood and incense. Here, on a low divan, were three grave-looking and white-bearded Hindoos, clad in gorgeous vestments, differing greatly from the plain English garb of the pair who had brought Constance here, and who now were in attendance upon their superiors. The girls led Constance up to the divan, and left her there, with many low obeisances ; and then the oldest of the three turned, and directed that she should be provided with a seat. " Maiden," he said slowly and solemnly, " doubtless we offend against the laws of your land in doing what we now do ; but she whom we serve is one who demands obedi- ence, and we count not the cost in fulfilling her behests. Yet this we say, you have nothing to fear at our hands yet." He paused after that significant word "yet," and the one on his right spoke. " Maiden, do you persist in saying that you know nothing of the Tear of Kalee, which was stolen by one Aimie Serasti, and by her given to the man Vincent Daven- port ? Answer." " I know nothing of the Tear. I have never seen it in my life," she replied, striving to speak calmly. " Yet one of the pearls which surrounded the Tear was in your possession, and was by that man " and he indicated one of the attendants " taken from you." "Yes, I picked the pearl up. It was dropped by " She hesitated. If she said by Davenport they would think she referred to Maurice ; while if she told the truth that would proclaim her Maplethorpe's wife. " Why hesitate ? " he asked. And the third broke in " Brothers, we waste time. We know by whom the pearl was dropped, and we know who took the Tear. 1 72 THE TEAR OF KALEE Either this girl has it, or the man still possesses it. Listen, girl. This man loves you. Is not that so ? " A slight pause. Then she raised her eyes, and said quietly "Yes." " Good ! Then through you we will make him yield. Yonder are writing materials. Sit and send him tidings. Tell him that Kalee's servants hold you, and that he must ransom you by producing the Tear. If that is done no harm shall befall either of you ; but if he fails you are sacrificed first, and he shall follow you. Write ! You disobey?" "Because it is useless," she said. "The man you ask me to send to, never had the Tear of Kalee in his possession." A disdainful wave of the hand was all the answer she received. " Write as we bid you. We are not wont to speak to a woman twice ! Bid your lover bring the sacred Tear and follow our guides here, or be sure that the vengeance of the goddess shall fall upon you in all its fulness." There was no help for it. Even if she declared who Maurice was they would not believe her. She wrote a brief note, according to their directions, and handed it to them. " I have done as you directed," she said. " But I tell you it is useless. If you want tidings of the Tear you must seek the woman who stole it, and the man to whom she gave it." " The woman is dead ; the man is this Davenport." "The woman is not dead. She is in England, and she is with the man whom she gave it to ; and that is not this man to whom I have now written." Her words caused genuine surprise, and the three con- versed together in Hindoostanee ere they turned to her again. " You speak idle words," they said. " Go with your attendants. No harm shall befall you till this man has decided what answer he will give." And so she went, helpless to do aught but wait as WHAT SUNDAY BROUGHT TO MADGE 173 patiently as she might, and commit herself to Heaven's protection. But when they were alone the three broke out into eager conversation again. " There was the second one ! " cried one. " Ay ! and perchance it was he who offered the Tear to the merchant ! " " If the woman Serasti be here she must be found." And then the eldest rose. " Brothers, let us wait till our messengers have seen the man to whom the maiden has written. Meanwhile, send spies to see if they can glean tidings of the Eurasian any- where, or learn how she reached England." And with this the council ended. CHAPTER XXII WHAT THAT SUNDAY BROUGHT TO MADGE FROM the very moment in which Madge Applebye had yielded to the sudden impulse to take the Tear of Kalee from its hiding-place in the old ruin, she had known no peace. All sorts of nervous fears haunted her, all the more trying because they were of necessity vague. She dared not carry her treasure about with her, and yet she was uneasy and restless when she hid it away. Who could tell what untoward accident might disclose its hiding- place, in the same way in which it had been disclosed to her ? Or these strange men, the priests of Kalee, might in some wonderful way discover that she held their treasure, and then what would happen to her ? She did not know where to hide it. One place after another was thought of and rejected, any one of which would have been secure, but to her excited mind each was open to some grave objection. Suppose she placed it in her desk ? Vic would think it very strange if she locked that up ; and yet how could she go out in anything like peace, knowing it was there, where 174 THE TEAR OF KALEE her sister or any one else might find it ? Though, as a matter of fact, she would have said that NOBODY would ever dream of opening her desk. This jewel-case, that casket, this box, each considered and each rejected ; while all the time Madge carried the Tear in her pocket, and kept feeling to assure herself that it had not by any means fallen out ; and feeling also very ill at ease, and as though every one who looked at her must see her secret written on her face. Had Madge been asked, she could not have told why she desired to keep the fatal Tear, or of what use it would be to her. She knew, certainly, that it was very valuable, but no thought of its worth had influenced her to take it. Money was one of the last things that Madge ever troubled her head about. She knew, also, that she could not wear the diamond that no one could ever be allowed to look at it save herself. Its possession was her secret, her dreadful secret, which made her tremble and fear, and which no one must ever be trusted to share with her. And yet, though the only gratification it could give her was that of watching the light play and flash in its crystalline depths, of touching its cold surface with her dainty fingers, or of pressing it to her lips though she knew she would be happier without it Madge Applebye had not resolution enough to rid herself of it. She thought of hiding it in the grounds ; but then there was the same chance that it might be found. She had even started to put that plan into force ; but when she stood in her room, her hat on, and took a final peep at her Tear, her heart failed her, and instead of carrying it out and hiding it, she kissed it again and again, and slipped it back into her pocket once more. She could not risk losing it. She did not know what to do with it ; and yet there was something in its evil influence which positively forbade her getting rid of it. The sight of those darting colours robbed her of all better resolution and made her its slave ; and Madge grew nervous, and positively feared that shining Tear. She had heard the legends about it, and how it had a WHAT SUNDAY BROUGHT TO MADGE 175 strange power over some people ; and it seemed to her highly wrought and excitable brain that this was the case with herself, and that the Tear was actually compelling her to keep it in her own possession, that it might bring about her destruction. "What would the priests do to any one whom they found hiding it ? " That was a question which Madge was always asking. Her people got weary of the topic, and tried to laugh her out of it ; but Madge would be sure to return to it at each opportunity. She put the question to Hamilton frequently ; and he, though he tried his best to turn the conversation, had to confess that it was very probable that they would inflict awful punishment upon whoever they found holding it. " What sort of punishment ? " demanded Madge. And when her lover shook his head, and declared that was too gruesome a subject for conversation, Madge felt more frightened than she would have done had he enlarged upon the subject of Hindoo cruelty. " But how would the priests ever know ? " That was her next point ; and Hamilton had to go into a full description of the reputed occult powers possessed by these men. Thereupon Madge was more nervous than ever. What could be done to guard her secret against men who could see through stone walls and inside locked boxes ? And Madge trembled and started and flushed, and in a dozen ways revealed the fact that her nerves were considerably unstrung. The squire and her sister tried to laugh her out of it. "Why did she want to trouble her head about the Tear of Kalee ? " they asked. Ah, why indeed ? And yet trouble she must. Awake or asleep, it was the same terrors rilled her by night as well as by day. Did she sleep, the Tear was in her dreams. It was alive. It knew how she suffered, and it was mocking her. Her heart was bitter against it, and she would no longer be its slave. She would take and throw it into the lake at the end of the grounds. 1 76 THE TEAR OF KALEE She was there ! How dark and lonely it was ! She took out the Tear. She would not look at it again for fear its spell might forbid her to do as she wished. She held it tight in her grasp. She raised her hand and drew back her arm to throw the horrible gem away ; but she she Oh, what was this ? Her arm was powerless ! She could not move it, and she could not open her fingers. They closed tighter and tighter upon the Tear, and its evil radiance seemed to gleam through her fingers themselves, and proclaim its presence. Then, in her troubled slumber, the shadowy forms of the priests came creeping along behind her, with merciless eyes fixed upon that upraised arm. They would cut it off ! Oh, if she could only lower it if she could only get that dreadful Tear out from her fingers ! She tried in vain, and then // was alive ! It had become a tiny, writhing snake, which bit again and again into the hand holding it. The ^priests were laughing at her, they were seizing her, and Madge woke with a wild scream, to find her sister standing by her side and shaking her, while she asked, in manifest consternation, " What is the matter ? " "The Tear!" she gasped. "The priests!" And then : " Why, Vic, I I was dreaming ! " " I should think you were," was the reply. " Madge, to-morrow you come with me and call upon Dr. Linton. I'm not going to have you keep in this nervous state ! " Certainly the heavy-eyed girl, who appeared next morning with a violent headache, was warranty enough for Victoria's matter-of-fact decision. Hamilton was troubled. He could not fail to see that something was wrong with the girl he loved ; but what he knew not. A change had come over Madge ever since that afternoon when she had practically evaded him, and gone off, ostensibly to finish her sketch of the old ruin. Doubts tormented him. Was it possible that there was someone else Madge loved better than himself, and was this the cause of her trouble ? She certainly was less willing to be in his company than she had been a week previous. WHAT SUNDAY BROUGHT TO MADGE 177 He tried in vain to find out, but Madge only told him not to be a " great silly," and protested that she was " all right, and just the same." And once she altered this by bursting into violent weeping, and declaring that " she was not fit to be the wife of a clergyman, and that he had better be free " all of which was decidedly trying to her lover's peace of mind. Always excitable, Madge was now becoming quite hysterical ; and the old squire rubbed his head in perplexity, and wondered what had come to his hitherto bright little Madge. And on that Sunday, when the squire had spoken so strongly about Davenport having stolen the Tear, oh, how she had wanted to kneel down at his feet and cry " Please, dad, I am a wicked, shameful thief, and I have got the Tear of Kalee upstairs at this very moment ! " She wanted to do that ; but instead, she only went to her room, and, having locked the door under plea of a bad headache, she threw herself on her bed and burst into a passion of tears. She was a bad, wicked girl, and she hated herself ! She would get rid of the Tear at once, for it was making her life a misery. She rose and got the gem from its last hiding-place. How beautiful it was ! She let the sunbeams fall into its very heart, and watched them flash back, and dart and quiver ; while little rainbow-hued glories appeared upon wall and ceiling as those rays reached their surface. Give it up ! Give up her beautiful Tear ! No ; a thousand times no ! She could not do that, come what might ! Hark ! there was Vic knocking and calling her to tea. She must go. And she replaced the gem in its hiding- place, and went down. And as soon as the Tear was no more shining up into her eyes the better resolve came back. She would get rid of it. She would do it that night. She would be brave, and do it that very night somehow. At tea the doctor dropped in on his way to a patient. N 178 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Was Constance there ? " he asked. " She had not been home that afternoon, and her mother was anxious." " No," he was told, " she had not been there." And he left, remarking that most likely she would be at church before they got there. Church ! Madge did not enjoy the sweet Sunday service to-day. The Tear got between her worship and her God, and seemed to force her back to earth. And then when the vicar began his sermon, how the girl started and flushed ! Why had he chosen that text ? Did he know anything ? For the words were : " Be sure your sin will find you out." Madge listened and trembled. She had only thought of her secret being discovered by men : and here the vicar was telling her that God knew about it all the time, and would surely bring it to light at last. Her sister by her side felt her trembling, and looked at her in surprise and concern. Madge was surely going to be ill, Victoria thought. Madge was ill ill in mind and spirit ; and that is worse than being ill in body. She ought not to have dared to come into God's house, she told herself. And as she knelt, awaiting the closing prayer, a sudden resolution came to her she would take the Tear back, and put it where she had found it ! She could manage to slip out later on, and if she crossed the grounds and let herself out at the small gate she should not be very long in doing it. She would not be worried like this any longer. She would take the Tear back, and never look at it again. She would get rid of the Tear. All the way home that thought was with her, resolution and regret struggling for mastery. She would get rid of the Tear ! She went at once to her room when they reached the Manor. " She was tired, and did not think she should come down again that evening," she said ; and with that left them. Now ! She would do it now ! And she locked her room door, and once again got that worn-out case from its hiding-place. WHAT SUNDAY BROUGHT TO MADGE 179 " I will not look at it any more," she told herself. " I shall not be able to do it if I keep looking at the Tear." She threw a long, dark cloak over her light dress. She was ready now. She would take the Tear back. Yes, she would take it back. How strangely her heart seemed to sink now that the test had come ! She was going to give up the Tear, her beautiful Tear ! She stood irresolute ; her fingers played with the spring of the case. No, she would not open it she would not ; and yet that hidden Tear was forcing her to do it com- manding her to open the box. U I must have one last look at it," she murmured to herself " one last look ! " And something like a sob burst from her as she let the lid fly back, and lifted the gem from its resting-place. " How beautiful ! How beautiful ! " the words broke from her lips ; and she stood, her eyes fixed upon its radiance. Her face paled, her breath came in gasps, her form trembled. She looked like some frail bird trembling beneath the basilisk spell of the serpent. " I cannot do it ! " she whispered. " I cannot part with it my beautiful, beautiful Tear ! " And holding it in her palms, she bent her head till her lips touched it, as some dusky priestess might have held and adored it in the long- forgotten past. Hark ! Surely there was some one trying her door ? She closed the case, and thrust it hurriedly into her bosom as she stole across the room. " Who is it ? " she asked. No answer. She turned the key, and looked out. No one there ; only her fancy, after all. She was always fancying things now. bOut came the case again. " Just one more look, and then I will go ! " One more look a long, silent gaze ; then Madge slowly sank down till she was crouching by her bed, her head resting on her arms, and the Tear in her hands. " I cannot doit! I cannot do it ! " she moaned. " I i8o THE TEAR OF KALEE want to, and yet I cannot. The Tear will not let me put it back ! It will not let me ! " And a shudder passed over her. Highly-strung, excitable, nervous, the gleaming radiance of that diamond was able to dominate her mind, to numb volition to produce an almost cataleptic condition in her. Ah ! There was some one at the door now Victoria, knocking and asking if she felt well enough to come down to supper. " No," she replied, rousing herself, " I shall not come down again, Vic. Good-night, dear." And Victoria, with an answering " Good-night," went away. Now ! She must do it now or not at all while they were at supper ; then, after that, her father and Hamilton would sit smoking, and Vic would have gone to her room. It would give her plenty of opportunity of getting back again. She would do it now. If she waited for the morrow she might change her mind. She turned and put out the light ; then she stole softly down and slipped into the garden, the Tear in her pocket, tightly gripped in one hand. She would not look at it any more. Come what might, she would get rid of it once and for all, and she ran on, quite forgetting how dark the woods would be, or how impossible it would be for her to find her way amidst the ruins, without a light. Why should she do it ? Again, lightning-like, the question came the Tear was quite safe. It was only her folly that made her get nervous. Why should she do it ? and Madge Applebye paused. To throw away her beautiful Tear ! Her steps were slower ; she halted, she turned to go back. She could not give it up. Then, like a whisper from Heaven, came the vicar's text again : " Be sure your sin will find you out," and once more Madge turned. " She would go on ! " And she broke into a run. Out of the grounds now, she was standing in Harleyford Lane, and the bridle-path there to her right would take her straight through the woods close to the ruin. But how awfully dark the woods seemed ! How silent WHAT SUNDAY BROUGHT TO MADGE 181 and ghostly ! How horribly the trees looked like men waiting to seize her as she passed them ! Again and again she halted ; she could hear the painful beating of her heart. Madge was frightened ; but fear helped her in one way. It weakened the power the Tear held over her, and made her only anxious to be safely rid of it. Hark ! Surely there was some one following her a stealthy, soft step ! No ! it was but the falling of the leaves, shaken from their frail hold by the sighing night wind. Calling all her resolution up, she went on ; she was close to the ruin now, and she came to a dead stop, a dread chill numbing her senses. There was no mistake this time, no possibility of a trick of fancy. There was a gleam of light just ahead just a flash, as though some one had struck a match and thrown it down. There were men there vague, misty, undefined ; she saw their forms moving. Two men, bearing between them a strange, shapeless burden. The priests were there they could be no others ! The priests of Kalee searching for the daring being who had taken their holy Tear ! Scarcely daring to breathe, Madge cowered in the deep shadow. They did not seem to have noticed her presence, but what was that ? Some one was moving close to her, she thought ; and in her terror she abandoned all thought of going on, and darted back towards the lane and the grounds beyond. She was being followed, she thought. The priests were after her, and would surely catch her now ! She ran on the end of the bridle-path was opening ; she was in the lane again ; she had reached her father's grounds, and was safe ! There was nothing more to fear ! The thought brought a sigh of relief to her lips, to mingle the next moment with a wild scream, for, from beneath the shade of a great oak two men emerged, who, crossing the lawn, stood right in her path, barring her farther progress. Two men ! The priests of Kalee ! They had got her 1 82 THE TEAR OF KALEE now in good earnest ! And Madge sank upon the earth, her trembling limbs refusing to support her longer, and with a moan of terror she awaited the approach of these two terrible foes. CHAPTER XXIII THE VISIT TO THE GRANGE THE priests of Kalee. That had been the one thought in the mind of foolish little Madge when she saw those two men cross over and bar her path ; but her fears were speedily dismissed, and their identity disclosed, as she heard her father's voice asking, in mingled surprise and anxiety, what was the matter. " Madge ! Good gracious, whatever has happened ? What are you doing out here alone at this hour ? " Her father and Hamilton ! Madge did not want to meet them. Even the relief from the fear she had been in, was mingled with a sense of dismay at being discovered like this. Madge sat on the grass she could not help it. It was very foolish ; but she began to cry. Hamilton was at her side at once, kneeling, and asking if she had been hurt ; while the squire kept peering this way and that for some sign of any assailant. " There is no one here," he said at last. " There, get up, Madge, and just tell me who you were running away from?" " No no no one ! " came the sobbed reply. " I I I was frightened. That's all." " Frightened ! What for ? What at ? " And again she sobbed lamely. " I I don't know." " Bruce, come away ! " cried the squire, sharply ; and with the nearest approach to force he had ever used to Madge, he pulled her to her feet. " Now, Madge, that is enough of this nonsense. I insist upon having an explanation. Stop that crying ! I insist. THE VISIT TO THE GRANGE 183 You are to tell me plainly and truthfully what all this means. Why did you slip out as you have done ? You have no business in the grounds at this hour. Who have you been to see, and what has happened to frighten you ? Come, I insist on your answering. No " as Bruce tried to draw the girl to him " this is no time for love-making. I want to know what Madge has to say in explanation." What-ould she say ? She dared not tell the truth, and there was that odious Tear in her pocket still. She felt that her hesitation only increased the suspiciousness of her position, but she could not find any words to explain. u Madge " and there was a very stern intonation in her father's voice now " do you intend to obey me ? " " I have nothing to tell," she stammered, her eyes cast down and her head bent. " Have you been out to meet any one ? " was the next question. And Madge flushed at the idea, and retorted : No." " Then what have you been out for ? And who have you seen ? " " I there is nothing to tell I wanted to take a stroll by myself, and I I got scared in the woods " " In the woods ! " roared the squire, getting into a temper. u Why why, miss, what business has a daughter of mine in the woods at this hour ? No, you mind your own business, Hamilton ! I don't believe the girl is telling the truth, and I will get at the bottom of this ! You go indoors, young woman, and I will come and talk to you, and Who is there?" "It is only I, dad. I was coming to see what all this noise is about. Have you found Madge ? " And Victoria emerged from the shade and came towards them as she spoke. " Found her ! " growled the squire ; " yes, here she is ! Been roaming about in the woods alone, she says, and got frightened at she does not know what. Nice story to tell me, certainly ! Here, Vic, take her in and keep an eye on her. Try and see if you can get her to tell the truth, for I am too angry to trust myself to-night. I will see about it 1 84 THE TEAR OF KALEE to-morrow." And, committing the sobbing culprit to her sister's keeping, Squire Applebye strode in, followed by the troubled Hamilton. Truly it was a nice predicament for Madge ! What could she say to account for having been out like that ? She pouted, she fretted, and she cried j but no explanation did she give, even to Vic, who felt very grave as she noticed her sister's confusion. She saw it all, so she thought. Madge had been very strange lately, and there must be some lover whom she had been meeting, and of whom she was ashamed some one in poor circumstances. So Victoria reasoned, and she deter- mined that on the morrow she would tell her father her doubts, and try to get him to leave Madge to her for a time. But the morrow brought its own business, and for the moment Madge and her escapade were forgotten in more momentous affairs. Scarcely had the squire taken his place at the breakfast- table, evidently in no very good humour, when Dr. Linton arrived, breathless, perturbed, and heated. Constance was missing ; she had not been home all night, and he had come to see if by any chance she was there. His fears were considerably increased when they replied that they knew nothing of the missing one's whereabouts. "I have sent everywhere I can think of," he groaned, " and I can glean no tidings. She must have come to harm somewhere, and I do not know where else to look." " Madge, do you know anything of this ? " demanded Squire Applebye, turning to his youngest daughter. " Come, speak up, girl, and tell me if you do." " But I do not," protested Madge, earnestly. " Why should I know about Constance ? I have not seen her since service on Sunday morning." Then a messenger arrived, sent by Mrs. Linton, after her husband. Their daughter's glove had been picked up close by the Grange, in the Harleyford end of the woods. The doctor rose, grim and stern, and took his hat with so determined an air that the squire asked what he intended doing. " Going where I ought to have gone at first," he retorted THE VISIT TO THE GRANGE ' 185 in hard tones. " To the house of that scoundrel ; and as there is a Heaven above us, he shall tell me where the girl is." The squire rumpled his hands through his hair. Much as he disliked Davenport, he did not think he would have forcibly taken Constance away, and he told his doubts to his friend. " Either that, or he has persuaded the silly girl to go to him. A man who would deliberately plot the crime he did when he went through that false marriage, would do anything. I am going to Davenport's house." "Then," said the squire, getting up, "I think I had better come with you ; and," he added, turning to Hamilton, " you had best come too ; you were friends with the man once, and may be able to persuade him to speak should he know anything." The chaplain made no objection j and within a few minutes the three were driving as fast as horse could take them, in the direction of Harleyford Grange. It was a silent drive. The doctor was in no mood for talking, and the squire respected his trouble and held his peace ; while Bruce, seated at the back of the trap, was absorbed in painful meditation as to the reason that could have called his Madge into the woods alone. He was not selfish, but he would have not been human had not his own trouble appeared greater than another's, to him. Maurice Maplethorpe received his visitors with utter bewilderment, their coming to him, apart from their grim air and stern faces, was in itself so unlocked for. What was this they were saying? They had come for Constance ! She was missing, and they were accusing him of having taken her away ! Constance missing ! Bewilderment, surprise, anger at the absurd charge all were alike overwhelmed in one wave of terrible grief and misery. Constance missing ! What did that portend r What could have happened to her ? Constance missing, and he could not proclaim his right to seek for her ! Truly this was the very bitterest of all ! He stood before them staring blankly. The squire 1 86 THE TEAR OF KALEE thought his attitude betokened guilt ; the doctor, cooler in his judgment, saw surprise there ; but Hamilton saw more. If ever heart-sorrow and misery were in any face they were in that of the man before him : and as he looked he knew that their errand was fruitless. " Well, sir, you have heard the tidings we have brought," said the squire, testily, when the doctor had finished. " What have you to say ? There is the strongest possible probability that you are the one who alone can account for this strange disappearance." The doctor started to his feet ; suddenly gripping Maple- thorpe by the shoulders and shaking him in the violence of his feeling. " Man, man, have you got her ? " he cried. " If there is one spark of manhood in you, restore her to her mother ! " Gently, and with a certain air of sorrowful dignity, did Maplethorpe unloose the old man's grip, and motion him to his chair again. " Gentlemen, you are in error natural error, perhaps, seeing what the past has been. I assure you I have not seen Miss Linton since she was in church yesterday morning. I have not been out of my house since, nor received any visitors." He touched a bell, and ordered the presence of his housekeeper. "You can question her for yourselves. She will confirm what I say," he said. " Have you ever spoken to Miss Linton since that day when you parted at the church ? " suddenly inquired Hamilton, and the squire added : " Or had any verbal or written message from her ? " Maplethorpe hesitated. How should he answer that question ? What would she have wished him to say ? A sudden resolve to tell the truth came to him, and he answered slowly "I may be betraying confidence. I hardly know if I ought to answer that question. Miss Linton has neither seen me or spoken to me from that day until a week ago when she came here " " Here ! " shouted the doctor, springing up. " I will not believe it ! It is false ! She would not come here ! " THE VISIT TO THE GRANGE 187 " Listen to what he has to say," growled the squire, pulling him back to his chair. " Go on, sir. She came here. What for?" " To question me about the woman Ser , about my wife. But here is my housekeeper. You can ask her of my doings yesterday." The^squire turned to the lady in question, who, after curtseying with old-fashioned grace, stood waiting to hear why she had been summoned. " Mrs. Grey, will you please tell these gentlemen how I spent yesterday, after I came home from church ? " " Sir Vincent did not go out after that, gentlemen," she said, readily enough. " He was in this room all day, I know, for he had my little grand-niece in here, and was playing with the child." " And no visitors called ? " said Bruce. " No, Mr. Hamilton." " Think again," put in the doctor. " No one ? Not my daughter ? " "No one came yesterday," repeated the housekeeper. " Miss Linton has only been here once, sir, about a week ago. I came in here, and found her fainting." " Eh ? " cried the squire, sharply. " Just tell us all about that, ma'am." Mrs. Grey complied, and described how she had heard the sound of her master speaking in anger, and Constance apparently entreating him ; how she had seen him go out, and how she had found the girl in a swoon. She told how Constance had seemed frightened, and had cried, " Don't let him hurt me ! " And then she went on to tell how her master had returned, and demanded that he should see the girl alone again. The three visitors listened, grim and stern again. And at the conclusion of the story they all turned to the man before them, while the squire said " Well, sir, what have you to say to that ? This does not tally with just coming to inquire about your wife. Do you now deny that you know anything of the young lady's whereabouts ? " " Entirely," was the quiet answer. 1 88 THE TEAR OF KALEE The squire banged his fist on the table. " Then all I can say is that I do not believe you, sir. You must take me for an ass, sir ! This young lady has expressed her fears that you would do her harm ; and now she is missing. I am a magistrate, sir, and I will, I will The squire paused and gulped. He could do nothing. Unless he could prove that this Davenport had been seen with Constance, or that she had been known to have come to the Grange, he could not move in the matter. Maplethorpe saw his helplessness, but there was nothing of triumph in his tones ; on the contrary, he seemed pro- foundly sorrowful as he spoke. " I own that there appears a very good ground for your suspicion," he said, " and yet, if it were possible for me to tell you the real facts, you would see how utterly you are mistaken. As to Miss Linton's present whereabouts I know nothing, though I shall strive to find out. Gentlemen, believe me, I would sooner give my life than harm should befall her ! You do not believe me, but it is true. I would give life itself to serve her ! " The squire snorted and the doctor frowned ; but to Hamilton there was a ring of truth in the words. Hamilton was puzzled. This was the first time he had been in the company of his former friend since that brief meeting in the church ; and, somehow, Davenport seemed different, altered. He could not tell in what it consisted, but it was so, and he was puzzled. The squire rose. " Come, doctor, there is nothing to learn here. We cannot make this man speak until we have proved a little more ; then I will make him find his tongue fast enough ; and if any harm has come to the lass, he shall pay for it bitterly ! " They went out and left him alone alone with this fresh misery that seemed to bow him to the earth. Constance gone ! Again and again he repeated that. Gone where ? Who had been the one to entice her away, and for what reason ? Davenport ? If it were he ! If he could prove it were THE VISIT TO THE GRANGE 189 he, he should answer for it ! The Hindoos ? They might be the ones ! They would know that he had been linked with her ! Suppose they had taken her, to force him to give up the Tear ? Davenport had that Tear ; he must find him ; force him to yield the gem up ; tear it from him if he would not consent ! He started to his feet. He must find Davenport ; but where ? Where in all this wide world was he to look for him ? Another visitor, and one that caused him as much surprise as the former ones had done. An impassive, watchful, taciturn Hindoo, who, with a slight salaam, handed him a note ; a note addressed to himself, in her writing. A note from Constance, his queen ! He tore it open and read eagerly. It was as he had thought. They had her, and were holding her prisoner ! " I have been compelled to write to you," she said ; "though I know it is useless. Do not come with this messenger to London if you think it will place you in danger " she thought of him and his danger ! " They threaten my life if the Tear of Kalee is not forthcoming, but I do not think they are in earnest " terribly in earnest, he knew that, and he groaned at his helplessness. " The priests, until they hear from you, are keeping me here prisoner. Farewell. CONSTANCE." Held prisoner, only to be ransomed by the Tear ! He could have cried aloud in his anguish. He must go with this man and tell them the truth ; at least, in so far as his not having the gem went. Ask them to give him time to run the real thief down. It was a vain hope, that, but he must go. He would free his darling from their clutches. He tore the note into fragments, and placing them in the stove set them alight, then turned to the silent messenger, who stood watching his every action. u I will come with you," he said in Hindostanee. And the man smiled. " Bringing what the great ones desire ? " he queried. And Maplethorpe shook his head. "I will talk with the great ones only, brother. Your business is to guide me to them." i 9 o THE TEAR OF KALEE " It is true ; and I am ready." ****** "Cannot do anything there just yet." Such was the squire's remark as the trio drove away. " I will see the chief constable, and Hallo ! Confound it, I have left my cane at that fellow's. Must send one of the men to get it." " I will go back for it, squire," Hamilton volunteered. " Nonsense, my dear fellow. There is no need." But the chaplain replied " I shall be glad of the excuse to go back. I should like to see Davenport alone, for I believe I could do more with him by myself. And if he really knows anything of which I am by no means sure I could get him to tell me." " That alters things, then. If you think you can use any influence with him, by all means go, Bruce." The squire reined up as he spoke ; and Hamilton, getting down, retraced his way to the Grange. He might be able to find out something by himself; while the presence of the others had only served to make things worse. But to his surprise, when he arrived, he was told that Davenport was away. " He went soon after you left, sir," said the housekeeper. " A dark gentleman came for him, and the two went away without the master telling me where he was going, only he said that he might be away for a few days, perhaps." That was strange, Bruce thought. Could it be possible that he was wrong, and that Davenport was really guilty ? " I will just go in and get the squire's cane," he said, and so passed into the library. The cane was in the corner ; he picked it up, and looked round the room, as if that could furnish him with any clue. An envelope was on the floor ; he stooped and picked it up. It was addressed, in a woman's hand, to Sir Vincent Daven- port ! What letter had it contained ? Ha ! something had been burned in the grate ! There were the pieces of ash there still ; and, hardly knowing what he expected to find, or how it would serve to help him, he stooped and took them up carefully. One piece not burnt at all, another only charred, the WHAT HAMILTON LEARNT IN LONDON 191 rest no use. He could make out some words on this piece : " come with this messenger to London if " And this other piece : " you, are keeping me here prisoner. Fare- well. CONSTANCE." He sprang to his feet. Davenport had been false, then ! and he had this unhappy girl in his power somewhere in London ! How could he find out where ? He went down and asked the housekeeper for a time- table. They could not have gone from the local station ; there was no train for hours. Then they had gone over to the town beyond ! Yes, there were trains from there more frequently ; but none they could yet have caught. If he could get there in time and follow them unseen, they would lead him then to the place where Constance was ! He wrote a few lines to the squire, saying that he had gone to follow a clue he had come across, and might be away a few days, perhaps, but would write and explain as soon as he could. " Will you send this to Squire Applebye's ? " he asked the housekeeper. And then, leaving the house, he struck across country with a swinging stride, in the direction which he felt positive the two he was seeking, must have taken. CHAPTER XXIV WHAT HAMILTON LEARNT IN LONDON THE church clocks were striking one as Hamilton entered the town. He was in time, then, for the train did not go for half an hour, and if Davenport had taken this route he must still be waiting here. He went into the booking-office, looking carefully around ere he entered. They were not there. He passed on to the platform, and glanced up and down. Yes, it was all right ; he had not been in error in his conjecture. There, at the far end, Vincent sat, his companion by his side. But 192 THE TEAR OF KALEE and Hamilton knitted his brows as he beheld that second man why, it was a Hindoo ! This was strange. Vincent would be more likely to keep out of their way unless And then the same thought came to him that had presented itself to the lonely man at the Grange they had taken Constance, and were using her as a lever to force him to give up the Tear. Better thoughts of the man sitting there, came to the chaplain. He might be going to help the missing girl, after all. Well, he would keep to his first resolve, and follow them secretly. Once he could find where she was kept, and he would soon summon the aid of the police, and have her free. Keeping in the booking-office till the train came in, the chaplain watched the two enter a first-class carriage, and then himself went into one close behind them. They could not leave the train now without his observing them and having time to follow. The whistle sounded, the engine shrieked, and the journey was commenced. They would not stop anywhere for an hour, and, leaning back, he let his mind dwell once again upon Madge Applebye and her strange behaviour of the evening before. A stoppage ! Bruce was on the alert. No, they had not got out. Another and still they did not leave the train. Nothing now till London was reached ; then he would have to be cautious, lest they should see him. Groaning and labouring, the train came to a standstill at last, and the passengers swarmed out in one confused crowd. Bruce was on the platform, his eyes fixed on that carriage just in front. He saw the two emerge and enter a cab. Good ! His work was easier now, and he also hailed a hansom. " Keep behind that cab ! " he directed the driver. " Mind you do not lose sight of it, for I want to follow it, and find out where it is going." " Right you are, sir ! " A touch of his hat, and the driver whipped up his horse and started. The pair in front suspected nothing, and his task was comparatively easy. WHAT HAMILTON LEARNT IN LONDON 193 So Hamilton thought as he sat there being driven through the busy London streets ; but he reckoned without his host, and was doomed to disappointment. A long stretch of one of the roads was " up," and only a single line of traffic could crawl by. Davenport's cab was several vehicles ahead, nearing the end of the obstruction, when suddenly the waggon just in front of Hamilton's lurched on one side. One wheel struck against a huge stone and came off, and Hamilton's driver pulling his horse up sharply, the brute stumbled and fell, making confusion worse confounded. The chaplain sprang out, and, giving the man his fare, raced along the crowded path, now blocked by curious loiterers attracted by the accident. Would he never get through ? He struggled and elbowed, and gained several hearty expressions of ill-will from those he struggled against ; and at last he emerged, to find that his quarry was hopelessly lost to view. Look which way he might, there was no sign of them ; and he had not even taken the number T of the cab they had called. Nothing was to be done except go back to the station, and try and find out by persistent inquiry which cab they had taken. He went back to his own driver, now busily getting his horse up, and asked him if he knew. No ; he was sorry he did not. Only it was a stray cab one that had just come in with a fare, and not one of the regular station ones like his. He was afeared the gent would not find out except by advertising, unless the constable at the station had taken the number. Sometimes they did, and sometimes they did not. Back went Hamilton to the station, but no success awaited him there. There were several cabs not belonging to the station rank that had taken fares ; and unless the gentleman could tell them something more, they could not help him. It was useless. The clue was lost, and all he could do would be to go back and wait till Davenport returned. But there was no train till the evening ; and he went o i 9 4 THE TEAR OF KALEE out, feeling angry and depressed, to spend the afternoon as best he might. He had spent over an hour in aimless wandering, when suddenly his attention was attracted to a ladylike woman walking in front of him. Hamilton stared at her that form seemed very familiar, and yet where had he seen her before ? He quickened his steps, and passed close to her. She was veiled, heavily veiled, in strange contrast to the majority of women who were passing. Where had he seen her before ? Suddenly a man, dark- skinned and ragged, passed her, and she halted, and seemed to shrink back. That gesture told Hamilton what he wanted to know. This veiled woman was Aimie Daven- port, the wife of the man he had followed up to London ! His first impulse was to speak to her, for that she would know anything of her husband's whereabouts he thought most unlikely ; but the next moment he was glad he had not done so, for a man crossed the road, and greeted her. A bearded man, clad in rough clothes, but a man whom Hamilton would have known among a thousand. That straight military carriage belonged to no day-labourer ; this man was a soldier, and the very one he had followed up from Harleyford. He did not understand the meaning of it all ; but of this he was certain, that Vincent Davenport was hidden under that disguise. He waited cautiously, determined not to lose sight of him again until he had seen where they went ; and so he walked on after them, and quite ignorant of the fact that that same ragged fellow with the dark skin had turned, and was following both them and himself. The pair crossed street after street, and emerged at last into a square of neat little villas, before one of which they halted. They were going in ; and Hamilton, quickening his steps, came up behind them, and, placing one hand on the man's shoulder, said, speaking with military sharpness " Lieutenant Davenport T" The woman uttered a little cry of terror ; but the man drew his heels together with a sharp " click," and straightened up as he uttered the word WHAT HAMILTON LEARNT IN LONDON 195 " Present ! " He had been taken by surprise, and the next moment he gave vent to a cry of rage, and drew back. " Bruce Hamilton ! " he cried hoarsely. " For Heaven's sake, man, what do you want with me ? " " To talk with you," was the quiet answer. Hamilton held the stronger hand, and, though he did not understand why, he saw that Davenport was in deadly terror of him. " I want to talk with you," he repeated. " Shall it be here, or indoors ? You were going in there." "Yes, come in. But for Heaven's sake do not speak that name here." And with this caution Davenport opened the door and admitted the chaplain. " Aimie, lock the door ! " was his next direction. And when she had complied he turned to his visitor, and asked abruptly " Now what do you want, Hamilton ? How did you find me out ? " " Followed you up from Harleyford this day," was the reply. " And as to what I want, you ought to know that. You told me a lie to-day when you said you did not know the whereabouts of Constance Linton. She is in London. She wrote to you telling you to come and release her, and you came up in company with one of these Indians, who seem to be everywhere just now." Davenport looked at his wife, and even in his fear some- thing like a smile flitted across his face. He understood what the chaplain could not. He saw that he was still being confused with his rival, and that trouble was apparently falling fast upon the man who had taken his place. About Constance he did not understand ; but he made a sign to Aimie to hold her peace, and said in reply " And you have followed me to find out where she is ? " "Yes/ " Suppose I do not tell you ? " " I shall call a constable and give you in charge." " For abducting her ? " " No, for stealing the Tear of Kalee, you and your wife between . you." 196 THE TEAR OF KALEE Davenport blanched, and his wife shivered as she sat cowering in her chair. " All I want from you is the return of this girl. Mrs. Davenport " and Hamilton turned to her " surely you cannot understand that your husband is holding Miss Linton a prisoner against her will ? " She gave no answer ; and he regarded her in surprise. This was quite beyond his comprehension. "Look here, Hamilton," at last broke in Davenport. " You are running your head against a brick wall. I tell you that I know nothing of Constance Linton ; and, what is more, I don't want to." "Very well. You leave me no alternative. I tell you that you do know, and that you came up from Harleyford to-day, in answer to a letter from her." " I never came from Harleyford to-day at all," was the sullen reply. Davenport was in a corner now. There was no help for it ; he must tell Hamilton the truth. " Sit down and listen to me," he went on. " I will tell you the truth. In the first place, the man you followed i up was not I." " What ? " cried the chaplain incredulously " not you ? " " No. Did you not hear of the fellow who was so like me, who fell overboard and was lost coming into port Maplethorpe was his name ? He never fell over at all ; it was I who did that. He thought I was dead, and took my place. Now do you understand ? " Bruce Hamilton gazed at the speaker, too astonished for words at first. Then he said " And Constance Linton " " Took him for me, and he was cur enough to let her. It was he she married, and " The chaplain sprang to his feet with a cry of dismay. " Then she is actually his wife ! Poor girl ! " ** Yes, but I do not think she has the least idea of it. The moment the truth is told, she must know, of course." " And it is for that reason you have been silent ? " Davenport laughed at the question. The idea of his being influenced by any such thought amused him. WHAT HAMILTON LEARNT IN LONDON 197 " Not I ! You forget the Tear of Kalee is known to be held by Sir Vincent Davenport. He has taken my place, and must take all its dangers too. If I speak, I turn the attention of these fellows upon myself." Another pause, and then Hamilton spoke gravely "Davenport, we used to be friends. For the sake of those old times, listen to me. This Tear does not appear to have done you much good. You are living in disguise, shut out from your rightful estate and from your title. Your wife is in fear and danger. You have not gained much by this mad business." " No ! " was the brief reply. " Then why not end it ? Let me be your representative in this business, and I will see these priests, and bargain with them that you shall be left unmolested on condition the Tear is returned." Aimie burst into tears as the chaplain spoke, and Daven- port shook his head. " Too late, my friend. We had determined to take the very steps you propose, but now it is impossible." " Why impossible ? " demanded Hamilton. And the reply came " Because the Tear has been stolen from the place where we hid it, and we do not know where it is. We dare not speak now, for you know well enough how these men will take their vengeance. Hamilton, I would speak if I could, though my doing so must proclaim Constance the wife of this adventurer ; but, you see, my hands are tied. Kalee's curse has fallen upon Aimie and I, and all our lives are full of sorrow. Poverty will soon stare us in the face, for some power has been at work, and we have found that we can get no more of her money from the bank. Why, we cannot say ; and we are not in a position to openly go to law about it." Hamilton sat and listened. The one sense of relief was that Davenport had not been the scoundrel he had believed. He was sorry for the trouble his former friend was in ; sorry for poor Aimie, who, in the depth of her love, had brought herself and her husband such misery ; sorry for the miserable man at Harleyford, who must be suffering so 198 THE TEAR OF KALEE bitterly ; but most sorry for the unhappy Constance, who, he believed, was still in ignorance of her real position as the wife of the man who had usurped Davenport's place. " What do you mean to do ? " he asked. " Keep quiet, and try to get out of England," was the answer. " You will not come forward in your proper name ? " " No ; I have told you we dare not." "But I must let Constance Linton know the truth," protested the chaplain. Davenport frowned as he listened ; he saw no need for that. " Why must you ? She is far happier in her ignorance," he retorted. " I tell you, Hamilton, I am not going to risk my own skin or my wife's, to come forward and tell her she is the wife of Maurice Maplethorpe. I should be a fool to do that. And if you did, I should declare that *he other fellow was me, and you would have a hard job to prove otherwise. Leave things alone for a time ; you can always speak if there is real need, and meantime something may be learnt about the Tear." Hamilton rose to come away. He could do no good here. " You will keep the secret ? " urged Davenport, anxiously. " It will do no good to anybody to speak." " You must let me have time to think," was the answer. " I promise you that I will not do anything without telling you first. Oh, Vincent," he added, with a burst of feeling, " how far better to have been satisfied with the good you had, than to have striven for treasure which could only bring bitterness ! " " It is too late to talk of that now," was the irritable response. " I have made my choice, and I must abide by it. Good-bye, Hamilton. And if anything should happen to me " and he lowered his voice as he spoke " for the sake of old times, will you look after poor little Aimie ? " "I will," was the grave reply. And Hamilton came away ; but in parting he left all the gold he had about him with Aimie. " You may want ready-money, Mrs. Daven- port," he said, " and you must let me prove myself your friend thus far till brighter days come." FOR HER SAKE 199 He turned and went ; and they stood watching him go. " He is a good fellow, Aimie ! " said Vincent at "hist and there was a little break in his voice. " Ah, dear, it would have been better if we had taken his advice at first, and Ah, look there, Aimie ! " He clutched her arm, and pointed down the street, for there, from out the shelter of a garden-wall, a ragged, dirty form came. A swarthy face was turned in their direction for a few moments, and then the man shambled off after the retreating chaplain. Their parting with Hamilton had been seen, and the watcher was one of their ever-vigilant foes. " We must clear out of this at once, Aimie," said Davenport. " Those fellows know Hamilton, and his being here will bring them about our ears." Meanwhile the chaplain betook himself to the station. There was nothing to be gained by remaining in London, for any clue as to Constance was lost. He went back, all unconscious that he had been followed to the station, and that, after seeing him enter the carriage, that ragged Indian beggar had started off, swift and fleet, towards the West End, to go to the very house where Constance Linton was being held prisoner till her ransom should be purchased by the return of the Tear of Kalee. Only a ragged beggar speeding on ; yet that gaunt man has the tidings in his hands which shall rescue Maurice Maplethorpe from death, and restore Constance to liberty. CHAPTER XXV FOR HER SAKE HOWEVER vindictive the worshippers of Kalee might have been at the theft of the Tear, and whatever vengeance they were prepared to take upon the perpetrators of the deed, they offered neither harm nor insult to Constance Linton during the twenty-four hours which elapsed before their messenger returned with Maurice Maplethorpe. 200 THE TEAR OF KALEE Indeed, after her interview, she saw no more of them, but was conducted back to her room, and attended by the three girls, who showed no hesitation in engaging in conversation, and trying, in their broken English, to learn all they could concerning woman's lot in England. Constance did not believe that any real violence was meditated towards her, and her chief anxiety was occasioned by the problem of how she should account for her absence, to her father. She half hoped that Maurice would not return with the messenger ; and yet in her heart there was the sure knowledge that he would that he would know no rest till he stood by her side. And what then ? How would he persuade the priests to believe him ? Even if he told the truth, and she owned that she was his wife, they would still refuse to give credence to the story. Still, the thought that he was coming comforted her, and she waited patient and calm for the hour of his arrival. It came at last, and she was again summoned to the room where the priests were gathered. There were more here this time, quite a number of them, some in long, white robes, some in gorgeous Oriental costume, and some in plain English attire. The room was altered too, for at one end a curtain had been drawn aside, revealing a second chamber, its walls and ceiling rich with gold and delicate tracery. Here a golden altar was standing, and behind this a shrine of exquisite workmanship, which contained an image of a female form the idol of the goddess Kalee, she conjectured. Upon the altar was one object which she did not understand a long silken scarf or handkerchief, which lay hanging over either side directly in front of the idol. Scarcely had she time to take notice of these things, when the girls, who still attended her, led her into this inner room, and deftly fastening her hands behind her with a pair of steel handcuffs, secured her by a short chain to a ring in the side of the altar, after a whispered and friendly warning not to try and resist them, lest hands more rough came to their aid. Was this only done for effect ? The question flashed FOR HER SAKE 201 through her mind as she stood there. It was impossible that it could be anything more serious. Here, in the very heart of London ! It was surely absurd to think otherwise. Then the voice of the old priest who had first spoken to her rose " Maiden, we promised you that while our messenger was journeying nothing of harm should come to you. Have we kept that promise ? " "Yes," she answered, steadying her voice, and turning her face towards the three. " You have kept me here against my wish, and to treat me as you are now doing is an outrage ; but you have offered me no other violence." " It is well ! Now, mark. As we have kept our words so will we keep them, and if this man does not return to us the Tear of Kalee, you shall die at her altar. Remember that, and see that you use all your powers to urge him to comply." " I have told you that he never had the Tear, and so cannot give it to you," she answered clearly. " If you will not believe me, all I can do is to wait for you to question him yourselves." There were frowns on many faces as they listened ; but the oldest priest stroked his beard thoughtfully, and turned to his companions. " By the Sacred Three, brothers, there is a ring of truth in this girl's voice. I am doubtful if she has ever seen the Tear." " Trust no woman ! " growled the second. " They are all false together ! " " But their love is not," added the third. " And by her love will we test her." " How do you mean, brother ? " came the query of the other two. " 'Tis easy. She will be content to suffer so that he, the man she loves, shall go free. Tie him up, and let her eyes behold his pains, and she will speak fast enough if there be anything to tell." " By Siva, 'tis a true saying. We will try it, if need be. But see, here comes the man." Pale, weary, and heavy-eyed, Maurice Maplethorpe was 202 THE TEAR OF KALEE led into the room. Anxiety was marked upon his every feature. And behind him came the messenger who had been sent for him. "Great ones," began the latter, bowing to the three, " behold I have returned, and with me the sahib for whom I was sent." Hardly had he finished the words when Maplethorpe put him aside, and walked boldly towards the dai's. If he was to succeed in any degree with these men he must show no sign of fear or hesitation. " You sent for me here I am ! " he said coldly. " Now say what your business is, and why you have sent for me ? " A silence folowed his words. He spoke in Hindostanee, and, therefore, to Constance what he said was lost. The priests stroked their beards, and regarded him thoughtfully, as though they would pierce his soul and read its very secrets. Then came the reply, in English "You ask us what we want with you, Vincent Daven- port. Surely, that is an idle question. We want the Tear of Kalee, which was stolen by the women Serasti, and by her given to you ! " "The Tear of Kalee was never given to me by this woman you speak of. I have never yet seen it, much less held it in these hands." Again came a low murmur of anger, but the old priest checked it with upraised hand. " Look yonder, Vincent Davenport," he said, rising and pointing to the other side of the room. " Will that make you remember that the Tear has been in your keeping ? " Oh, the horror of it ! There stood his darling, her hands bound behind her, and she herself fastened to the altar, above which the image of Kalee rose ; and there beside her, with death-dealing kerchief in his hands, stood a tall, silent priest. One quick glance, and, like a lightning flash, Maurice Maplethorpe had sprung on to the platform, and was confronting its three occupants with threatening revolver. " Keep back, all of you ! " he cried, in ringing tones. FOR HER SAKE 203 " Back, or the blood of your priests be on your heads ! Tell them to keep back ! " he continued to the three astonished men before him. And his words and manner, backed up by the threatening mouth of the revolver, induced them to comply. With all their cunning, they had overlooked the fact that this man might come armed into their midst ; and for the moment the advantage was his. " Listen to me, ye priests of Kalee, and ye their friends ! " Maurice went on. " If one of you move a foot towards me, I shall fire ; and I do not miss my aim. Do you promise that these men shall stand back ? " " By the Three, yes ! " growled the priest on the right hand. " Place aside thy weapon, and let us talk ! " " Good ! But my wish must be done first. Unbind that lady ! " There was a pause, but the revolver never wavered. It seemed to menace each of those three men, and they knew that they were dealing with one who was as determined as they were. " Unbind that lady ! We cannot talk while such an insult is offered to her." " Unloose her ! " The order was given sullenly, and Constance stood free. " Good ! Now listen to my words ! This lady is innocent of ever having offended you or Kalee. She has never seen the Tear, and she has had no hand in its taking. Why, then, have you done this thing and brought her here ? " " The maiden was seen in your house, and with one of the pearls. We took it from her," replied the chief spokesman. " Good ! Your words are true, brother ! Yet still the lady is innocent. She did pick up this pearl. Methinks it was put there for her to pick up, so that she might be made to bear your anger " " But it was put there by you, then ? " came the quick remark. 204 THE TEAR OF KALEE Maplethorpe was silent. How should he tell the truth ? What would she say if he proclaimed her his wife, even to these men ? He did not know what to do. His questioners saw his hesitation, and smiled grimly. " Listen, Vincent Davenport," they said. " Since you say this maiden is innocent, and that it was you who gave her this pearl, then it is also you who should take her place and suffer." A look of relief came across his features. He had not expected that they would suggest this, and he cried " So be it. I tell you that I have never had the Tear, never even seen it, and yet you do not believe me. Now take me in her place, and swear to me that she shall go free. Once that promise is given, I will give you my weapon and remain in your hands." More beard-stroking followed. These men were used to all manner of duplicity. Was this only being done to deceive them, or had they been in error all the time ? They had no enmity against any but those who had injured them and wronged the shrine of their goddess ; and if these were not the guilty ones they did not desire to harm them. There was still one way the method the black-bearded priest had suggested. " Good ! We give our promise. There shall no harm be done to the maiden if you take her place." Something like a sob came from his lips. He had strung himself up to the highest tension, and the sudden relief was almost too much. "So be it." He laid down his revolver and went to the surprised Constance ; for as most of the conversation had been carried on in their native tongue, she did not know the terms of her release. " Constance," he said simply, " I am sorry you have been troubled like this ; but it is over now, and they will offer you no further harm." " And you will take me home safely ? " she asked quickly. But he shook his head. " I fear I cannot. I must remain." FOR HER SAKE 205 " Remain ! " A strange note of anxiety came into her voice. " Remain why ? " " I I cannot tell you. Only I shall have to stay." " You are in no danger ? " She came close to him and looked up into his face. " You are not going to not taking my place ? " "There is no other way," he replied. "You do not understand these people as I do. God bless you, whatever happens to me. Do not look so concerned. Believe me, I am glad very glad to have this opportunity of showing my repentance. And it is the best way, Constance the best way for both of us. They will never worry you again." " But you do not mean that they will kill you ? " she gasped in horror. "I will not leave you to suffer like that ! " "You can save him all the suffering by telling the truth ! " broke in the cold, merciless voice of the priest. " The Tear of Kalee, or his death ! " " I tell you she knows nothing of this gem ! " broke in Maurice, angrily. " There, keep to your bargain her free- going, and my submission to your will." " I will not agree to this ! " cried Constance, now fully alarmed, and convinced that they were in grim earnest in their intention to kill Maplethorpe. " I will not agree ! Listen, men, and I will tell you the truth ! " " Miss Linton Constance," he entreated, " there is no need. Once that secret is told, and who knows where it will rest ? I willingly take the danger, and and it will set you free and undo the wicked wrong I did you." And his voice sank to a whisper. " No, I will not allow it ! " was her response. " These men shall know the truth ! I will tell them all." " No, no, Miss Linton, you must not ; I forbid it ! Let me keep your secret to the end. It is all I can do to make atonement. Even if you were to tell them they would not believe you ! " And Maurice, in his anxiety, quite forgot that those standing near could hear and understand all he said. " They must believe me ! They shall believe me ! " 2 o6 THE TEAR OF KALEE she replied vehemently. " Listen, all of you ! This man never had the Tear of Kalee, never saw it even, for he is not Sir Vincent Davenport at all ! He is Maurice Maple- thorpe, and my husband ! " She stood erect as she spoke, facing them unflinchingly, and they regarded her, half believing, half in doubt. Then the leader spoke " This is a strange story, maiden. What proof have you of this?" "No proof. Try and explain to them." And she turned to Maurice. 11 It is even so," he said. " Surely your eyes were blinded not to understand this sooner ! Did you not know that there were two men so alike that none could tell them apart none except one woman, whom you thought was dead, Aimie Serasti, as you call her ? " '* Of her never mind. She is dead. For the rest, yes, it is true that there were two strangely alike." " And the man who fell overboard was the one who had the Tear. It was Davenport. I knew nothing of what he had done, and I took his name that I might take his money. Of his past I knew nothing. I never saw the Tear. The woman Aimie was his wife, and she it was who had given it to him, even as you have said. It was to escape you that he jumped overboard, and it was he, the real Davenport, who tried to sell the Tear here in London." " By the three holy ones, but this is a strange tale a passing strange tale ; and, indeed, I think that it is a true one," cried the old priest. " And if it be true, then you are more our friend than our enemy, since you have lifted your hand against him whom we have reason to hate. But who shall say whether this is true or not ? " Then there came a little commotion near the door, and a ragged, ill-favoured man appeared, breathless and heated. " My fathers, I have great tidings," he panted " tidings for your ears alone." A buzz of eager, excited curiosity went round as the three priests withdrew, followed by one or two of the most important men present, to hear the new-comer's tale. FOR HER SAKE 207 u What tidings are thine ? " they asked, as soon as they were alone. And he replied " Great tidings, oh noble ones. The man's tale is true, for these eyes have seen the man we want, and the woman also even the woman whom we thought was dead. It happened thus : In the great city yonder, I saw one whom these eyes knew. It was the priest of the Christians, Sahib Hamilton, who had been the friend of Sahib Davenport. Him I watched, not knowing what it might lead to. I saw him meet a woman and a man, and followed the three to a certain house that I can guide you to. Again I waited, and the Sahib Hamilton came out, while the woman and the man came to bid him farewell. And lo ! the man was the Sahib Davenport, and the woman was the Eurasian, Aimie Serasti, whom we know stole the holy Tear. The whole three are here, and Kalee has given them into our hands. So I came on hither to tell you, leaving others to follow the priest of the Christians, and tell whither he went." "You have done well, Sinda Burda ; faithful art thou, and shalt not be forgotten. Go, get food and rest, for thou dost deserve both." The messenger withdrew, and the Hindoos gathered in earnest conclave. The tale was true. This man and woman were guiltless of any offence, and should be free to depart. They must be sent away with presents ; and then those who were guilty should be followed and take their place ; and then Kalee's long postponed vengeance should fall upon their devoted heads. Maplethorpe was both relieved and surprised at the change in the demeanour of their captors, when the priests returned to them ; and, after a long conversation in Hindoo- stance, he turned to Constance and explained to her. " They are certain now that the story we told is true. I fancy that they have found some clue to Davenport himself, and they want you to accept gifts from them." " I do not want anything except to be allowed to go at once," said Constance, decidedly. But Maplethorpe urged her to accept their intended goodwill. " These people are quick to take offence. With them, 208 THE TEAR OF KALEE both the giving, accepting, or rejecting of a present is full of significance," he said, " and your refusal would be interpreted into an expression of enmity and insult. It will be far best to take them." Constance saw the sense of complying with his advice ; and though she did not feel very easy in her mind in accepting the beautiful ring and bracelet with which they presented her, she nevertheless took them with a smile of thanks, and then she and Maplethorpe were free to go, certain of one thing : that whatever the future might have for them, the priests of Kalee would never seek to harm either of them more. The door closed behind them, and they came down the broad drive out into the sunshine once more ; and, leaving the square, Maurice was looking round for a cab, when he heard Constance's name uttered, and, turning, the two found themselves face to face with the chaplain, Bruce Hamilton. CHAPTER XXVI THE CHAPLAIN'S DILEMMA " Miss LINTON ! " Bruce Hamilton stood looking from Constance to her companion in speechless surprise. He did not know but what this man had been directly concerned in the carrying off of the girl ; and yet she seemed to be perfectly at ease with him. Hamilton was perplexed in more ways than one. If Constance did not know the truth, she ought not to be so calmly walking with a man who had attempted so great a crime ; and who, he thought, had been concerned in taking her away from her home and placing her in a very compromising position ; and if she did know it she ought to show even more reluctance to be in the company of Maplethorpe. Then how was he to greet this man ? Should he call THE CHAPLAIN'S DILEMMA 209 him Davenport still ? Perhaps that would be best, at any rate, until he could learn a little more concerning the real facts. Maplethorpe himself came to his rescue, by saying " This is a surprise, Mr. Hamilton ; I never expected to meet you here. You see, I have, fortunately, been success- ful in my search, and have Miss Linton all safe." "You are to be congratulated," was the dry answer. " I came to London, I may as well own it, in pursuit of yourself. I happened to return to your house, to find that you had left unexpectedly ; and some fragments of a letter which I found disclosed to me the fact that you had received a communication from Miss Linton. I honestly confess that I thought you had carried her away against her will ; and I followed you in the same train, with the intention of seeing where you went to, and then calling the police to my aid." Hamilton spoke candidly. It was not his nature to act a part, and it was as well to let them know that he was aware that they had corresponded. "And so you still thought that it was I who was responsible for Miss Linton's disappearance ? " and there was the slightest of smiles upon Maplethorpe's face as he spoke. " I confess that I did." " You were quite wrong," said Constance, quickly. " Sir Vincent has done all he could to help me. I should not have been free now but for him." "Sir Vincent !" thought the chaplain. "It is evident that she does not know who he really is, and who she is, poor girl ; and I shall have the dreadful task of telling her." "Miss Linton has been unfortunate enough to excite the suspicions of these Hindoos who are over here searching for the Tear of Kalee, which they will say I have. Knowing that " he paused " that her name had been linked with mine, and thinking that she might be able to tell them something of the gem, they inveigled her away. Of course, we could proceed against them by law, if you could find the one who was responsible for the deed, but that might prove difficult. You will understand how difficult," he added. p 2io THE TEAR OF KALEE The chaplain nodded. " They allowed her to send a note to me the one whose fragments you appear to have found" and there was a slight change in Maplethorpe's voice as he spoke ; a chaplain acting secret detective was not edifying, he thought. " That was how I managed to find her so quickly ; and by demonstrating to these gentlemen the utter absurdity of their suspicions, I managed to persuade them to let her go." Hamilton was more puzzled still. If these priests had got the man whom they thought held the Tear into their power, it would take more than a mere demand to make them set him free. There was more here than he could understand. " And what do you propose now ? " he asked. And Maplethorpe replied "I am going to take Miss Linton back to her home, and tell the doctor just what has happened." He spoke very quietly but determinedly, and Hamilton could offer no objection, beyond saying " Would it not be better if / were to take Miss Linton home better for all ? " "No. I have been accused of taking her away, and I will take her back." " Then I should suggest the wisdom of sending a wire on, and " The chaplain paused, and glanced round, a frown on his brow. For the third time since he had left the real Daven- port he was aware that a man was following him a man who was beyond all question one of those with whom they had been so much in contact of late. " What on earth do they expect to gain by shadowing me ? " he wondered. Then came the thought that he would be known to have been Davenport's friend. And perhaps they were still following this other man, and expected that he would lead them to him. " They will leave no stone unturned," he reflected. " I wonder that this Maplethorpe is still alive. I certainly would not like to be in his place." THE CHAPLAIN'S DILEMMA 211 " We were just going to send a telegram off," Constance was saying. The three walked on together, none of them subject to particularly pleasant thoughts. Constance shrank from the interview with her father far more than she had done from that with the priests. Maple- thorpe realised what a very difficult position it was for her, and Hamilton was full of perplexity as to what course he ought to pursue. " I might tell Vic ; she is a sensible girl," he reflected. " But, then, it is not my secret, and I have no right to speak. The same objection is open to my taking counsel with the squire. Shall I tell the doctor himself ? Poor old fellow, it will be a terrible blow to him ! And yet he must be told sooner or later. No, I will wait for a little while, at any rate, till I have had opportunity of speaking to this Maple- thorpe by himself. That will be the best thing, and there is no need to be precipitate." With each in this mood, the journey down was not a pleasant one, and each felt relieved when the train slackened at Harleyford station and the ordeal was over, though each felt a little thrill of excitement when they beheld the squire and the doctor awaiting them. The squire looked heated and irritable, the doctor grim and stern ; and before either Maplethorpe or Hamilton could speak he had stalked up to his daughter, saying sharply " Now, Constance, will you please explain what all this means ? " " Not here," interrupted Hamilton. " I have no wish to seem impertinent, doctor, but this is no place for explana- tions." The doctor glowered. He was in one of his uncompro- mising moods ; and now that the worst anxiety was over he was inclined to adopt his most severe air. "Really, Mr. Hamilton, I must decline " he began. But the squire came to the rescue. " Pish, man, be reasonable ! " he growled. " Hamilton is right. We cannot talk here. Besides," he added in lower tones, " there is no good in having a scene where these gaping yokels can hear all that is said. Come on." 212 THE TEAR OF KALEE " My house is nearest," put in Maplethorpe quietly. " If Dr. Linton will consent to come in for a few moments, I am sure that he will be satisfied with the explanation we have to give him." " I will not come under your roof, sir," sternly replied the doctor. But again the squire took the opposite side. He was in an irritable temper ; he had been waiting there some time, and it fortunately for the others relieved his feelings to cross the doctor. " Rubbish ! You did not mind going there yesterday. If Sir Vincent Davenport has anything to say it is right that you should hear him. His house is the nearest. So come on, Constance ; give me your arm. You look tired." And, seizing the girl, the squire hurried her off in the direction of the Grange, and the rest followed in silence. " Now, then, for the meaning of all this excitement." The squire had instituted himself judge and jury in one ; and leaning back in his chair, he pressed the tips of his fingers together, and nodded to Hamilton. " You, Bruce, you sent me a note saying that you had a clue. How did you get it ? And how comes it that, if Sir Vincent did not know anything of Constance's movements, he could go and find her, as he seems to have done, from the wire he sent ? " " My part is easily answered, squire. I found, in this very room, some scraps of paper written by Miss Linton to er to Sir Vincent, which led me to believe that he had some hand in her disappearance. I followed him to London, whither I learnt he had gone, meaning to see just where he went, and then summon the police to my aid." " Very proper ! " And the squire nodded approvingly. " Well, what came of it ? " " Unfortunately, I lost sight of Sir Vincent, owing to a slight street accident ; and, after some fruitless wandering, I was about to return to Harleyford, when I met him again, bringing Miss Linton home after having freed her from her captivity." " Captivity ? " The squire stared and the doctor frowned. " What do you mean, sir, by captivity ? " THE CHAPLAIN'S DILEMMA 213 " Just what I say. But perhaps Miss Linton herself had better explain what led up to her disappearance." Two pairs of stern eyes were turned upon Constance as she told how she had been attacked in Harleyford Wood and conveyed to London. " I I will have the rascals arrested ! " spluttered the squire. " Tear or no Tear, these fellows shall be taught that they cannot do this sort of thing here." " I am afraid you will find that a difficult task," observed Maplethorpe, who had hitherto been silent ; and the squire turned upon him fiercely. " Ton would say that, sir, no doubt. It is to your interest to say it. I do not forget that it is you who have this stolen gem, and therefore you are responsible for the outrage upon this lady, sir." " I am aware of that, and therefore I did the only thing I could I went and released her." " How ? " demanded the doctor suddenly " how ? Did you give up this Tear of Kalee, as an honest man should ? " "How matters not. I did do it, and have made it perfectly certain that your daughter will never be molested again. It was all I could do. As I told you before, I had no hand in the painful experience Miss Linton had been subjected to, and I bitterly regret it. More I cannot say, and more than I have done I could not do." " Well," grumbled the squire. " Then there is nothing more to wait for ; but I will soon see about letting these fellows do as they like. Doctor, we are both magistrates, and we will see the police to-morrow. Come along." Squire Applebye rose as he spoke, but the doctor restrained him. " One moment, squire. There is one more thing I must know. Constance, I am informed that you were found here in an insensible condition about a week ago. I must know about that." Constance looked very distressed. She had no idea her father knew about her former visit to the Grange. " There is little to tell," she said slowly. " I did come here. I wanted to know from Sir Vincent's own lips whether this Aimie was his wife." 2i 4 THE TEAR OF KALEE "You wanted to know," repeated the doctor with a terrible frown. " And would a denial upon the part of this man outweigh the testimony of Mr. Hamilton, who himself performed the marriage ceremony ? Girl, I do not believe it ! There is something behind all this, and I will find out what it is. Besides, this does not explain the fainting-fit. That did not make you swoon." "No. I was frightened by the sudden appearance of these very men who carried me off"," she replied. " They startled me, and I fainted, and Mrs. Grey found me here." The doctor listened with compressed lips and angry frown. " Really, these mysterious Hindoos seem an excuse for everything. Well, listen to my word, and remember it. Whether Sir Vincent Davenport is married or not makes no difference to you. He is nothing to you, and never can be. Remember that ; and also that if ever I hear again of your meeting him or speaking to him, you will never enter my house more. There, I have spoken ; let us have no more words. Come, your mother is waiting for you." "Now, Hamilton," said the squire, as he noticed the chaplain was lingering. " Come on ! " " Not yet, squire," was the young man's reply, spoken in low tones. " The events of to-day make it needful that I should speak with Sir Vincent privately. I will come on after you." " Can't see what good it will do talking to him ; but you know your own business best." And with this, the squire stalked off after his friend and Constance ; and the two were left alone, the grave-faced chaplain and the weary, jaded man. He had heard what the doctor had said, he knew it was best, indeed it was the only way ; and yet every word had struck upon his heart like the lash of a whip ; and he sat with bowed head, almost unconscious of the presence of the other. At last he looked up and smiled wearily. " You have something you want to say to me ? " he queried. " What is it ? " "I have much I want to say to you," was the reply. THE CHAPLAIN'S DILEMMA 215 "I lost sight of you in London to-day, but I found some one else." " Indeed ? Does it concern me ? " "Judge. I met Aimie Davenport and her husband. What have you to say to that, Maurice Maplethorpe ? " He sprang up with a cry of distress. This was the last thing he had expected, and he stood staring in blank dismay at Hamilton. " It is not for me to be your judge," the latter went on solemnly. " But do you not see what a gross sin you have committed, not against the man whose possession you stole, but against a poor innocent girl whom you cheated into giving you her love, and now have bound with such terrible fetters ? Man ! man ! did no whisper of conscience forbid that unholy deed ? " The man before him had sunk into his chair again while he spoke, and sat with his face buried in his hands ; but now he groaned, and stretched out arms of trembling entreaty. " Ah, for pity's sake forbear ! You cannot know how I am tortured ! Again and again my whole soul cried out against the thing I was doing, but I would not listen. I had been lonely and unloved, and she came into my life a being so pure, so holy, so gentle. And I loved her. Oh, Heaven, how I loved her ! I could not put aside such a treasure. But I did not know of this other woman then. I did not know she was living. I thought that the worst would be the keeping of my secret from her. And then, ah ! you saw. Oh ! shall I ever forget the agony of that hour ? It has been with me ever since." His trouble was so acute that Hamilton felt his heart fill with pity. After all his mission was to help the fallen, not to condemn them. And bit by bit he got out the whole story of Maplethorpe's life his early sin, his flight, and his meeting with his mother. A pitiful story of one who, having set his feet upon that first downward road, had been hurried on and on, even against his will, till he had to cry as in soul agony : " All Thy waves and Thy billows have gone over me ! " " But this must be told at last," said Hamilton, when the story was ended, " She cannot be left in ignorance." 2i6 THE TEAR OF KALEE " She is not. She knows. I had to tell her the after- noon she came here. It was Davenport she met first, and he said he was I, and that Aimie was not his wife, but mine. I had to tell her." " She knows ? " repeated the chaplain, in amazement. " Constance knows that she is your wife ? Poor girl ! " " You must keep the secret ! " cried Maplethorpe. " I have a right to claim that." " Not if it ensures the continuation of a crime against another," replied Hamilton. " But it is for her sake. Listen. I shall set her free. Trouble is coming at the Cape, they say. There is every sign of it, and if not, there is some other spot will afford the chance of a soldier's death. I will go out, and if death is to be found on the field, I will find it. Ah, for pity's sake do not expose her to the world as my wife ! She has enough to bear now. When I am dead the story can be told if she wishes it ; but she herself begged me to keep it a secret." " Do you mean that, on your word, as you will answer to your Judge at last ? Did your wife request you to keep this thing secret ? " "She did. I swear she did." a Then it shall not pass my lips," was the reply. " Unless I see that the secret is working either for her suffering, or for another's sin, I will never speak. And now, what will you do ? " "As I have said. Seek active service abroad. Is not that the only way ? " A pause, a long pause, then Hamilton answered "I think it is the only way in which you, as a man, can make atonement. I may err in my judgment, but it is the way I should take. But there is one more thing even more needful." " I do not know what it is." " You do not ! You talk of going to seek death ; but what of the afterwards ? Death is but a portal to a larger life beyond. Are you fitted for that life, Maurice Maple- thorpe ? " And then Hamilton was surprised, for Maplethorpe MADGE MAKES UP HER MIND 217 raised his head and answered steadily the one word "Yes." " Yes ! Do you mean that ? " "I do. I mean that the words and example of that blessed angel have led me to that Cross where even one vile as I can obtain pardon. I have sinned, deeply sinned, Mr. Hamilton ; but without wishing to employ any vulgar, thoughtless cant, I can answer your question and reply that I know my sin is forgiven for His sake." And then the chaplain stretched his hand across the table, and said softly " My brother, my poor brother, I would that I could see a brighter path for you." "There is none on earth," he answered quietly. "I pray God will in mercy let me find a speedy death ; and when that takes place, if I have left word for the tidings to come to you, will you tell her, and say that to the last I loved her and called her my good angel. Will you do this for a stranger, Mr. Hamilton ? " "Not for a stranger," replied the chaplain, solemnly, " but for a brother. Shall we commit our future paths to God, now I " And there, side by side they knelt, and Bruce Hamilton prayed for guidance to Him who alone is able to smooth the tangle that erring mortals make of their lives, and to guide the wandering feet back into the narrow way once more. CHAPTER XXVII MADGE MAKES UP HER MIND "Bur, Madge, you must own that father has a right to know why you went out, and what frightened you. You should not behave so childishly. Surely you can give a proper explanation for your being frightened r " And as she spoke Vic laid aside her work, and, crossing the room, placed her arm lovingly upon her younger sister's neck. 2i8 THE TEAR OF KALEE " What is it all about, dear ? Cannot you tell me y if you are afraid to confide in any one else ? I cannot believe that my Madge has done anything she is unable or ashamed to own to." " I tell you there is not anything, Vic. You and father are making a lot of trouble out of nothing. I went for a ramble, and got scared in the woods. I know it was silly, but I could not help it." Madge spoke impatiently, and pushed her sister's arm away. She was usually gentle and loving, but her fright and anxiety had made her irritable, and her trouble was increased by the knowledge that her father would not be satisfied until she had given him some plausible excuse for being out and for her scare. " Madge, you know that is not true. It is no use your trying to make me believe that. I can see you are telling a falsehood." And Vic looked very grieved. What could this trouble be that was making her sister so different from her usual frank, loving self? " Besides," she went on, " Bruce has a right to know ; you have given him the right. And I know this is paining him." "I wish you would not talk about it. Bruce has no right to question me. You all seem determined to disbelieve me. He ought to take my word, at any rate." And Madge's voice sounded decidedly tearful. " But Bruce has a right to question you," persisted Victoria. " Madge, there is something more than you are letting us know, and I think that he suspects " " Suspects what ? " Madge looked startled as she jerked out the words. Exactly what I do. That you went out to meet somebody. ' " Went out to meet somebody ! " repeated Madge, looking bewildered. " What do you mean, Vic ? Do you " an indignant flush began to mount to her brow " do you mean to infer that I went to have a clandestine meeting with some one ? If Bruce dared to say that I would never speak to him again ! " and Madge stamped her little foot as she spoke, while tears gathered bright in her eyes. MADGE MAKES UP HER MIND 219 Victoria felt relieved. Whatever had taken Madge out, it certainly was not that. "I do not say that he has said so, but I fancy he thinks it ; and there is good reason for him to do so, for, Madge, you went to see some one, or to do something." " I did not, Vic. If you say that again we shall quarrel. I will not stop and listen to you ! " and Madge, jumping up, sought refuge in her own .room. " Oh, that hateful Tear ! " she moaned when she was alone. " How ever am I to get out of this scrape ? I shall have to invent some tale. I do not believe that Bruce thinks that about me, and yet " Madge paused as the thought came that, after all, it would be a very easy way out of the trouble. It was horrid ! Her heart ached at the idea of letting Bruce think that she had been flirting, or her father that she had been meeting any one. Poor Madge ! Her eyes were full of hot tears now, and yet she could not escape. She dared not tell the truth now. The Tear was exerting its fatal spell now upon her, and her lips were sealed, as so many others had been by it. Home came the squire in a red-hot passion. It was preposterous ! It was not to be tolerated ! Was England a civilised country the very home of law and order or were they living in some wild, uncivilised region ? That was what he wanted to know. Was the daughter of his old friend to be forcibly carried off and kept a prisoner, and he to be told that it was no use trying to bring her assailants to book ? Pooh ! Nonsense ! Rubbish ! And the old gentle- man stamped up and down, and mopped his forehead, and banged the table, and glared at his daughters in the most alarming fashion. Matter-of-fact Vic saw that he was ruffled, and forebore to question until he cooled down ; and by then Hamilton, grave and quiet, had returned, and the family gathered to the evening meal. " Well," growled the old gentleman, when they were all seated at the table, " did you get the fellow to confess that he had the Tear ? " Madge started at her father's words, but contrived to 220 THE TEAR OF KALEE hide her agitation. She sat listening breathlessly while the squire, without waiting for an answer to his words, launched out again against the "outrage," as he called it, that had been committed. " If I did not know Constance Linton as I do, I should be inclined to disbelieve her story. It is simply preposterous to say that it must go unpunished. Why should they suspect her of having the Tear ? " " Because they knew that she had been in Sir Vincent's company." " More shame for her ! " growled the other ; and the chaplain went on "And they imagined that he would be forced to give it up for her sake. They did not think she had it, squire." Madge's fork fell from her fingers ; she felt herself turn white. It was the Hindoos who had taken Constance away, then ! " How did that fellow manage to set her free ? " the old man condescended to ask. " I was so angry that I could not make out what he said." " He proved to them that she could not have had it." " You say they did not think that she did ; that they took her to make him give it up." " Yes, and that is just the point I am unable to explain. He seems to have clearly demonstrated to them that he had not got it either. They must have been satisfied upon that point, or they would not have released them as they have done. By the way, squire, it seems very absurd ; but I really fancy they are shadowing me now." " Shadowing you ! What, the Indians ? I will shadow them if they are about here ! Why should they shadow "I can only conjecture because I was Davenport's friend. They will leave no possible chance untried. I know how dreadfully persevering they can be in such a case." Madge listened with sinking heart, and her terror was redoubled. Perhaps they would hurt her Bruce ; or, perhaps, more dreadful still, it was not he but she herself whom they were watching. She was glad when she could slip away to her room, MADGE MAKES UP HER MIND 221 though there was very little rest for her. She took out the Tear again and contemplated its splendours, but they only .made her fear it the more. Suppose that they managed to get into the house and came into her room in the night and killed her, or carried her off, as they had done Constance ! Suppose that they climbed up and peered in at her window ! It would kill her to see a face looking at her from the darkness ; and she drew the curtains close with a shudder. If Ah ! What was that ? Only Vic knocking and asking why she had locked herself in. How it had startled her ! She was trembling in every limb. " I must get rid of the thing," she thought desperately. " I must ! but how ? I I will throw it into the lake as I did in my dream." Throw it into the lake ! She stood looking down upon the Tear. What a pity to throw that lovely thing into the dark water ! Fatal spell and fatal indecision ! Madge put the gem away once more, determined to wait, at any rate, till the morning. " I will go and put it back in the ruin again. It will not be so hard a task in the daylight," and with this reflection she went to bed. To bed, but not to sleep ; and it was a weary, white- faced Madge that came down the next morning. The squire noted her looks. He was still in an irritable mood, and he growled out the question " What is the matter with you ? Are you ill ? " Madge repudiated the suggestion, though her head was racking. " Then what is it ? Look here, Madge, I am not going to put up with this. I demand to know what is the matter ? Just you tell me what you were frightened about the other night." "I I don't know," stammered the girl. "I I felt nervous." " Felt fiddlesticks ! " growled her father. " What at ? Did you see a ghost, or think that these priests of Kalee were coming after you for the Tear, eh ? and Why, what is the matter with the girl now ? " for Madge had given a little gasping cry, and rushed from the room. 222 THE TEAR OF KALEE Vic followed her sister in consternation, and the two men were left alone. " I can't understand it ; the whole place is bewitched, I think," fumed Squire Applebye. "Even you look as moody as an owl." And he turned upon the chaplain as he said this. Bruce smiled faintly. " I beg your pardon, squire. I am afraid that I am but a poor companion to-day. I am anxious about Madge, you see." " I should think so ; so am I. What is the matter with the child ? " Hamilton hesitated ; he hardly liked to put the question that was upon his lips. Vic had been right when she conjectured that Bruce would think his sweetheart had been out to meet another, and more favoured, lover. Love is apt to be jealous, and the chaplain was a victim to the green-eyed monster just then. 11 Squire," he said slowly, at last, " I hope you will not be offended at what I am going to ask you. Has: did you ever I mean " " Well, what do you mean ? " demanded the squire. " Cannot you speak out like a man, instead of mumbling there like that ? " " Had had " and out it came with a desperate rush " had Madge ever another lover ? " " Had Madge a " The squire's eyes twinkled, and he burst into a roar of laughter. " Sweetheart ! A score of them ! Shall I tell you some of their names ? I could not remember half of them. Ho ! ho ! Bruce. Jealous, eh ? " " Not jealous, but troubled, squire. I have been wondering whether Madge has had time to find out that she loves some one better than she does me." " Rubbish ! " from the squire. " Some one that she went out to see secretly, and " " What ! " roared the squire, all his laughter gone. "Went out to see ! My Madge make secret assigna- tions ! Why, why, sir ! I Oh, here is Vic ! Look here, Vic, this young man hints that our Madge went MADGE MAKES UP HER MIND 223 out to meet some one that evening. Just tell him that he is an ass." And the squire rumpled his fingers through his hair, and glared at Bruce wrathfully. " I do not think I will do that, dad," she said, " for I confess that I thought so myself until a little while back. The oldest dog will get on a cross scent sometimes, you know," she added. Wise Vic ! that little sporting touch restored her father's good temper. " To be sure, to be sure ! and Madge is enough to set the best of us at fault. But you don't think that now, Vic ? Honour bright, now, you don't ? " " Honour bright, dad. I am sure now that, whatever it is that is troubling Madge and there is something it is not that sort of thing. Bruce can set his mind at rest on that point." " Of course ; but what ever is the matter with the child ? Vic, I'd give twenty pounds gladly to the man who could tell me. I shall have Linton come and prescribe for her ; she must be ill ! " Yes, she was ill : ill in mind, and suffering more than any mere bodily ailment could make her ; and when later the chaplain wandered out in the grounds, he found her sitting, sobbing, in a secluded corner, the very picture of misery. It is not pleasant for a young man to see a maiden crying, especially when it is a pretty maiden ; but when, in addition, it is the one in all the world whom he loves why, then the situation is aggravated immensely. Bruce sat down by her side, and, taking her hand, strove to draw her head down on to his shoulder. " Madge, pet," he whispered fondly, u what is it ? What is this trouble that has come to my little girl ? " Madge's sobs increased. She made a feeble effort to push him away. " Will you tell me, darling ? It pains me to see you in trouble, Madge." Sob, sob. " You " sob " you had no " sob, sob " no business to to say that I loved any one bet better than I I did you " several sobs here " and that I I went out to meet him." And the sobs became tears again. 224 THE TEAR OF KALEE " But I never said that, Madge," pleaded Bruce. " I only asked your father if there was any one you might love better. I am a grave man, not like my bright little girl " she did not seem very bright just then " and I thought that perhaps " " You had no business to think that, and and I hate you for doing it that is I love you and I I never loved any of the others." "Then Madge, darling, why not tell me what this terrible trouble is ? What has come to change you so ? " "I I am not changed," she sobbed. "Only I I don't want to be engaged to you because I I know that I am not good enough to to " "Madge," he interrupted, "what nonsense are you talking ? Not engaged, and not good enough ! You must not talk so. I love you, Madge, and you are all the world to me. Life would be dreadful without you, sweetheart. If I thought that you would be happier without me y it would be different. If that were so, Madge, I would take your dear hands in mine, and press one last kiss upon your lips, and say, * God bless you, little girl ! go and be happy ; ' but while you say that you love me, I will not let you go. I do not understand, and I want you to feel that I will help you if you will trust me ; but if it is something I may not know, even though it makes me sad to see how you are worried, I will be content to wait and trust you, Madge dear, until the time comes when you can tell me." Her tears had ceased now, and the love-light was shining out of her bonny blue eyes, as the sun shines out after an April shower ; and Madge rewarded him with a kiss and a whispered " My darling," and for the moment Kalee's Tear and her trouble were forgotten banished by the all-powerful sceptre of love. But not banished for long. That very night Bruce came in from, a ramble, and said to the squire " Squire, I think I shall bring my visit to a close." " Eh ! A close ! What in the name of common sense for ? Have you got an appointment ? " No ! " " Then what are you going for ? Aren't you MADGE MAKES UP HER MIND 225 comfortable, or have you had a tiff with Madge, or what?" Hamilton smiled and shook his head. " Nothing of the kind, squire, I assure you ; and I shall come back presently, but I think I had better go for the time. It may seem absurd, but these Hindoos are certainly follow- ing me about, and watching round the Hall. They think that I am in some way mixed up with the Tear, that is very certain ; and it may cause you some annoyance if I remain." Up jumped the squire and banged his fist on the table, while his face became crimson with indignation. " Am I an Englishman in my own house or not, sir ? " he roared. " Am I living under the law of this land or not ? Am I a justice of the peace or not ? Do you mean to tell me that I will let my guests go because a parcel of impertinent rascals come dogging their steps and trespassing upon my lands ? I tell you what I will do, sir ; I will have the dogs let loose every night, and the place laid with man- traps and spring-guns ; and if I catch so much as a glimpse of their skins I will treat them to a charge of buck-shot. That's what I will do, sir, and don't let there be any mistake about it." "Still, it would be better " " It wouldn't ; it would be worse." The squire stopped and gulped down his temper. " There, there, don't talk such nonsense, Bruce, my boy ! You are going to stay here, and that is settled, in spite of all the priests that ever lived. Come on, let us go and have a game of billiards. It will serve to steady my nerves after this burst." And so they went, leaving Madge alone there. A very alarmed Madge. Of course she understood it was not Bruce, but she whom they were watching ! They knew she had got the Tear, and they would surely let their vengeance fall upon her. A blind, unreasoning fear possessed her. She did not stop to consider how impossible it was for them to know her secret ; she only felt sure that they did know, and were waiting their opportunity to satisfy their vengeance. She dared not keep the Tear any longer. Not even its fatal beauty could overcome her terror. Its spell was gone, Q 226 THE TEAR OF KALEE and she only hated and feared it. She would throw it into the lake ; that would be best, and she had not to go out of her father's grounds to do that. Besides, there would be nothing strange in her being found there. Yes, that would be best, she would throw it into the lake. How she passed the afternoon and evening Madge did not know. She moved and spoke mechanically. Now she was pensive, and then filled with hysterical mirth. She was going to get rid of the Tear that was the one thought in her mind to get rid of all the danger and terror. She did not fear its beauty now ; had it been a thousand-fold more splendid it would not have had the power to make her change her mind. The time came at last. The dinner-hour was over, and she could slip out while her father and lover were at their cigars. The moon was rising, and it would be quite light down in the grounds. Up to her room she ran, and got the Tear from its secret hiding-place. One last look ! How bright it was ! She went to the window and held it in the moonlight how bright it was ! And what was that dark 'form that moved across the lawn below ? It was only a brief flitting, perhaps only a shadow thrown by a waving branch. It could be nothing else ! She pressed her lips to the Tear once more. "Good-bye, you beautiful thing," she said softly. " You are very, very lovely ; but I fear you. You are evil, I know ; and I will not be held by you longer. You shall do no more mischief in the world, for I will throw you into the lake." Then, with a gesture of one whose mind is fully made up, she placed it in her pocket, and ran downstairs without attempting any secrecy. u Vic," she called to her sister, " I am going to take a run in the grounds while dad and Bruce finish their cigars. It is just lovely out in the moonlight, and I won't be very long. Tell Bruce to come down towards the lake, and bring me back." " Tell him yourself," responded Vic ; but Madge shook her head. IN THE MOONLIGHT 227 " Can't. I am in disgrace with dad, and he would be sure to say that I must not go. Do tell him, there is a dear ! " " Very well," was the response, " I will send him after you. I say, Madge, mind there are no more scaring bouts. Don't go and get fits at your own shadow, or anything of that sort." She went forward through the moonlight without the least thought of fear. The priests would surely never dare come into the grounds, no matter how they might keep watch outside. It was but a short run to the lake, and Bruce would be after her in a few minutes. CHAPTER XXVIII IN THE MOONLIGHT BRUCE HAMILTON stood on the verandah, moodily gazing out into the grounds. The squire was dozing ; and the chaplain had come out here to try and think quietly. For Hamilton was deeply troubled and perplexed. The knowledge that Constance Linton was the legal wife of Maurice Maplethorpe weighed upon him, and again and again he asked himself whether he was doing right in keeping the truth back from her father. But more than by this was he troubled at the change in his Madge. What was this strange trouble that had come to .her ? What could it possibly be ? Hamilton liked a cigar, and the squire's Havanas were excellent ; but the one in his fingers was allowed to smoulder itself out. He stood absorbed in moody medita- tion till his senses were suddenly awakened by the sight or a dark form flitting silent and swift across a distant patch of moonlit grass. He started and strained his eyes. Surely he could not have been mistaken. And yet there was no one had any business out there now. Besides, the person whoever it 228 THE TEAR OF KALEE was did not come boldly forward like one whose business was honest, but had darted from tree to tree, as though anxious not to be seen. Perhaps he had been mistaken, after all ; some passing cloud had cast a shadow on the ground. No, there it was again ! He had not been deceived, some one was really out there. He stood watching. Was this a would-be burglar prowling about till the family should retire, or was it the Hindoos still keeping a watch upon him ? He could not repress a smile at that. They would gain very little from making him the subject of their vigilance. They would soon tire of that task. He was pondering whether he ought to arouse the squire, and call his attention to the intruders, when he saw a second form a woman's this time emerge from the house and run lightly across the lawn towards that waiting man. A woman ! He uttered a subdued exclamation of surprise and sorrow, for that woman was without doubt Madge herself Madge, slipping out in secret again, as she had done before ! No need to ask what that man was there for now. He must be her lover, and she had gone to meet him. Hamilton's heart sank as he stood there, his right hand clenching the rail in front of him, and his face hard and stern. What right had Madge to treat him thus r He had asked her whether she loved any one better, and she had said that she did not. And yet here she was stealing out in secret to meet this lurking man. What right had Madge to treat him like this to play with his affections and trample them under foot ? But wait ! Was he wronging her, after all r She had turned off to the right. Either she was not going to meet this man, or else they feared to let the meeting take place so close to the house, and were going to the lower grounds by the lake. The man he could not see now, and Madge had reached the shadow of the trees. For a few moments Hamilton remained undecided. If she wanted to meet some one else, let her do it. But and IN THE MOONLIGHT 229 he felt his pulses quicken at the thought suppose she were not going to meet him r It was possible. But, then, why had she gone out at all ? A moment's hesitation, and then he left the verandah ; and taking his hat, he, too, went out went without having given Vic the opportunity of delivering to him Madge's message. She from the house saw him when he was halfway across the lawn, and concluded that he had overheard what Madge had said and had gone after her ; and she con- gratulated herself upon the fact that these two must now have quite made up any quarrel they might have had. And Hamilton went on, inspired even against his will by the desire to know once and for all what was the matter with Madge. He would see who it was she was meeting ; he surely had a right to know. He would learn why she thus went out in secret. It would be better to have the truth, one way or the other, and be done with it ; and so, though spying and eavesdropping were occupations foreign to his nature and distasteful to his sense, the chaplain went on in the direction which the girl he loved so well had taken went on keeping a good look-out for the man whose form he had seen from the house. There was no sound of voices ; the whole place seemed deserted. What could have taken Madge in this direction save the desire to meet some one in secret ? The lake itself was situated in the centre of a little clearing, around which the trees and shrubs circled, forming a dark background of shadow to the moonlit spot ; and here, as the chaplain went forward, he caught sight of Madge and, to his surprise, she was alone. Then who was the man ? Where was he ? And what was he in the grounds for ? Hamilton halted. He was perfectly hidden himself, and had Madge in full view. He would see what it was that brought his darling to this lonely place. The whispering leaves rustled overhead, as the night wind gently rocked the branches, and the lake seemed like a sheet of silver. And what was that that gleam of purple and red, that seemed to come and go so quickly as Madge moved her hand ? 230 THE TEAR OF KALEE With unwavering eyes he stood watching, a strange fascination keeping him silent. The witchery of the hour, the scene, and that white-clad form standing there, had over- mastered him, and he stood waiting for what should next follow, and unconscious that from one of those dark clusters of bushes yonder, other eyes, fierce and pitiless, were watch- ing that girl and had seen that quick, firefly-like gleam of radiance. But what was Madge doing ? Utterly unconscious that she was being watched, she stood there gazing into the water. What hindered her from putting her resolution into effect ? She wanted to get rid of the Tear. It was no lingering desire to retain possession of it that was weakening her resolution ; and yet she could not throw that evil stone into the lake. Thrice she raised her hand, and thrice she lowered it ; a strange fear filled her soul. She felt as one must feel who is contemplating some unhallowed crime against the life of another. The Tear was more powerful than she was ; it was bidding her unclasp her hand and gaze upon it. Then, sudden and swift, came back the memory of her dream, every detail of it standing out vivid and clear. She was being watched some one was creeping nearer and nearer towards her from the bushes ; and yet she could neither turn nor advance ! Her limbs refused to obey her will ; her very brain seemed to refuse to think. The light from that gem seemed to blind and confuse her to pierce into her soul itself. She would not yield ; she would not fail. With a mighty effort she strove to recover her will power. She would throw it in ; and she raised her hand again ; but the fingers seemed cramped ; they would not open ; they only closed tighter and tighter around the Tear. She could feel that dreadful creeping form coming close behind her ; she must throw herself into the lake to escape it, and with one dreadful scream of utter terror Madge raised her arms high in the air, and then Hamilton, watching in bewilderment, had noted her every movement. What was it that she sought there r What A thought came to him, turning him cold and IN THE MOONLIGHT 231 sick with dread. Madge had come here to destroy herself ! She was going to throw herself into the lake ! This trouble, whatever it was, had driven her to despair, and she was seeking to make away with herself ! Ah ! She was resolved now ; she stepped forward, and her scream mingled with his shout of " Madge, Madge, my darling, forbear ! " as he sprang forward. Then the bushes in front of him were violently parted, and a man bounded from their shadows and seized her. Again and again she shrieked madly. Why, this was no rescuer ! the fellow had clutched her throat and flung her to the ground ; and now he was striving to tear something from her grasp. He was a robber ; a thief ! The moonlight gleamed on a swart face, with grinning lips and shining teeth ; upon fiercely rolling eyes and scowl- ing brow, and that face was one which Bruce recognised ; it was the Hindoo, who had of late so persistently watched him. With a cry of rage the chaplain rushed madly forwards towards the lake. The man heard his approach, and started up with a savage snarl. He was like some tiger interrupted in his fell work, and standing defiant and menacing over the body of its victim ; and as the chaplain reached him, he caught a glimpse of a gleaming dagger thrust savagely at his breast. Bruce Hamilton was lithe and active, and, springing aside, he avoided the blow. He gave no time for its repeti- tion he did not notice that the keen blade had gashed his hand. His fists clenched, his muscles stiffened like steel bands, and once twice out shot the right and left arms alternately. Swift as a flash, true and irresistible, the blows fell, and the man staggered and dropped senseless. The chaplain gave him no second thought, beyond snatching up his assailant's weapon, and hurling it into the lake ; then he bent over the now senseless form of Madge. Was she dead ? Surely that could not be. And yet how strangely stiff and cold she was, and how dreadfully her half-unclosed eyes stared up at the moon a.bove J 232 THE TEAR OF KALEE He gathered her up in his arms, and turned without a glance at the motionless man. He might be living or dead for all Bruce cared now. Holding her tenderly, and yet firmly, he retraced his steps towards the house. What a long way it seemed, and how slowly he moved ! Ah, thank Heaven, there were lights moving ahead, and voices shouting ! They had heard Madge's screams even up in the house, and were coming to see what was wrong. " Who's that ? " shouted the squire, as he caught sight of the chaplain. " Is that you, Bruce r " " Yes, squire," came the answer. u What is all this about ? Is that Madge you are carry- ing ? What has happened to her ? " The squire and Victoria were there, and the groom and coachman. And Victoria gave a cry of alarm. " She is wounded she is bleeding ! Oh, what has happened ? " " I do not think she is wounded. That blood has come from my hand. The fellow tried to kill me." " What fellow ? Who ? Where is he ? " ' The squire asked the questions in rapid succession, but Hamilton did not stop in his journey. " Let me get her in, and then we can see if she has been wounded," he said. "It was one of those Hindoos who attacked her down by the lake. I stunned him, and he is lying there now." " Go and secure him, men ! " directed the squire. " I will teach him a lesson ! Hurry along, and bring him back with you ! " And the men ran off, only too eager to secure the man who had dared to molest their beloved Miss Madge. They took her in, and laid her on the couch in the great hall. And Victoria, kneeling by her side, undid collar and dress, and laved the senseless brow with scent. "I think it is only a swoon," she said, looking up. "There is no wound that I can see, only there are some marks on her neck, as though some one had tried to strangle her." "He did!" said Bruce, "He would have succeeded, IN THE MOONLIGHT 233 too, if I had not come up. And he seemed to be striving to wrest something from her hand." " Dad " from the kneeling Victoria " I cannot rouse her. You will have to send for the doctor, for I do not like the look of this swoon ; it is too heavy and Why" and Victoria looked up again "she has something in her right hand, but it is so tightly shut that I cannot open the fingers." " That is what the man was trying to get from her," cried Hamilton. " What can it be that little Madge had that should make these men so ready to attack her, and that should cause her such fear ? " " It is the secret that has been troubling her, depend upon it," exclaimed the squire. " Vic, dear, try and get her hand open before we send for the doctor, or these men come back. I I can't think what it is, but it is her secret^ and we alone ought to know it at first." " Let me try," said Bruce, bending and taking the little hand in his own. " Yes, there is surely something here, but her grasp on it is quite cataleptic. You hold her hand steady, Vic, while I try and loosen the fingers one by one." " Don't hurt her, poor child ; mind you don't hurt her, Bruce," cried the squire. And his lip quivered. That his little one, his fairy, should have been treated thus ! His innocent little Madge ! Did these fools think that she had their Tear ? that she would soil her fingers by taking it, even if she had the chance ? " I will take care, sir. I would rather hurt myself than I would her, and ah ! what does this mean, squire ? Vic, what is this ? " And Bruce started to his feet, looking dazed and stunned. " What is it ? " cried the squire and Vic together. " What is the matter ? " " The matter ! Close the window, squire that is it. Now lock the door." " But why, lad ? What is it all about r " but Squire Applebye obeyed the chaplain's directions as he spoke. " The matter ! I cannot understand it. Come close here, both of you. Now look this is Madge's secret ! " 234 THE TEAR OF KALEE He opened the cold, slender fingers as he spoke, and held that little palm exposed ; and there, resting in it, gleaming with all its wicked, enthralling radiance, lay a great diamond. u What is it r " The question came in hoarse whispers and with trembling lips. Yet they had no need to ask it. They knew what the answer would be ere Bruce replied " It is the TEAR OF KALEE ! " CHAPTER XXIX WHAT VICTORIA SAW AT DAYBREAK THE Tear of Kalee ! It needed no second glance to tell the bewildered trio that this glittering bauble lying before them could be none other than the famous Indian gem, and surprise and consternation mingled in their glances as they looked from it to the senseless form of Madge. How had she come by it ? What strange mystery was this that had come upon them ? Of all persons in this wide world, surely she was the very last whom they might have suspected of being implicated in the matter ? Hamilton had picked the diamond up, gazing upon it as one dazed ; but it was no insidious power of the fatal Tear which was upon him ; its beauty had no power to enthrall him ; it was not admiration, but pain and grief which bound him. How had Madge become possessed of the stone ? There was but one way Davenport must have given it to her. The miserable coward had got rid of his peril in this way ; and the story of the Tear being lost was but a fabrication. But then, Madge must have been to meet him and a hot wave of jealousy swept over the chaplain she must have been to meet him, the husband of Aimie. And Hamilton's face grew hard and stern. " Mercy upon us ; what does this mean, Bruce ? " WHAT VICTORIA SAW AT DAYBREAK 235 It was the squire's voice, hoarse and trembling, which spoke and recalled him to himself. He did not know what it meant, save that it was peril grave and pressing. He knew now what the attack in the grounds implied. The priests knew where the Tear was, and they were prepared to go to any lengths to regain possession of their treasure. He shook his head. The question was beyond his answering. " We cannot tell ; the whole thing is an incomprehen- sible mystery," he replied. "But one thing it certainly means, and that is, danger to every one in this house." " But what shall we do r " cried the squire. " You, Bruce, know more of these people than we do. Don't stand staring at that evil thing as though you wanted to keep it. What had we better do ? " " Send for Dr. Linton," broke in Victoria. She had turned from the Tear to her inanimate sister. " Madge has had such a shock as will be very serious, if we do not have proper treatment at once." Her words roused the two men from their stupor. Yes, whatever all this meant, it was certain that Madge must have efficient aid, for she lay rigid and cold, looking as though she were already dead ; and the squire despatched a mounted messenger, with instructions to bring the doctor back with him. And the Tear lay unnoticed upon the table, as the three still gathered round the unconscious girl. Here it had no power, for it was in the presence of mightier forces. The squire was divided between grief and anxiety. His pride was wounded. It did not matter how she had become possessed of it, his Madge was mixed up in the disgraceful business of this stolen gem, and had manifestly been deceiving him ; and she was ill very ill and had perhaps another sinister and secret danger menacing her, the danger of the Hindoos' vengeance. Hamilton was equally divided between anxiety and trouble ; and Victoria had no room in her sisterly heart for any thought save that her Madge was very ill ; and so they waited till the sound of horses clattering across the 236 THE TEAR OF KALEE stones outside announced that the doctor had come ; and the squire went out to meet him, while the servants, ignorant of what had happened, clustered in awed knots, and con- versed in scared whispers. " What is amiss, squire ? " cried Dr. Linton as he alighted. " The groom says that Madge has been set upon by footpads." Then, catching sight of his old friend's face, he continued : " It is not serious, is it ? " The squire beckoned him to follow his emotion was too great for words ; and as the doctor entered the room, the first thing which caught his eye was the gleaming radiance of the Tear. "Squire, Hamilton, what does this mean?" he cried, stopping short. " The T " " Hush ! " came the warning from Hamilton. " Don't let the servants hear. Lock the door and here, squire, you put this in your pocket ; the fewer eyes that see it the better. See to Madge first, doctor ; we can do nothing till we can hear her story." The doctor nodded, and approached the senseless girl, Victoria drawing aside to let him take her place. A frown gathered on his brow, and his lips compressed, and upon his face came the look of determination of the man who knows that he has to match his skill against mighty odds. - " She is not wounded," observed Victoria. " I have looked, but can find no injury. That blood came off Bruce's hand ; he has been hurt." Dr. Linton paid no apparent attention ; he was bending over his patient, absorbed in his examination ; and the others looked on in silent apprehension. He straightened himself at last, and took off his glasses, folding them with deliberate carefulness, and replacing them in his pocket. " A severe shock to the nervous system ; it may turn to brain-fever. She is absolutely cataleptic at present." He took his case from his pocket, and proceeded to put a few drops of some drug into a tiny syringe ; then, lifting her arm, he injected the drug beneath the clear, white skin, and waited. A faint quivering of the eyelids, a palpable relaxing of WHAT VICTORIA SAW AT DAYBREAK 237 the rigid muscles, then a long, convulsive struggle, and a series of wild screams, so dreadful in their intensity that the faces of the onlookers worked, and their cheeks paled. The doctor selected another phial, and administered another injection. He forced a few drops of the liquid between her lips and waited again, his fingers upon her pulse. The convulsions grew less, the cries became low moans, and the widely-staring eyes were curtained by the long lashes and drooping lids. " She will do," was the quiet verdict. " Get her to bed, Miss Victoria ; and mind, she must not be left alone, for the action of this medicine is erratic, and she might leave her couch under its influence. And, one word. I think you had better watch beside her yourself, for if she wanders and talks in her stupor, other ears might hear that which it is advisable they should not, on any account." Victoria nodded, and, summoning aid, she had Madge conveyed to her own room, while the doctor turned to the squire again. " Squire," he said, " I do not want to force your confi- dence. Tell me just what you will much, little, or nothing." The squire wrung his hand. " Ever the same faithful old friend ! " he said. " I know as little as you do. Bruce here can tell you all there is to tell. I shall be glad of your advice." So Hamilton told the story, not omitting how he had seen some one lingering under the trees, and had thought that Madge had gone to meet him. " I do not want to hurt your feelings, squire," he went on. Squire Applebye raised his hand. " Go right on, lad ! After what has occurred, I cannot blame you for the conclusion you arrived at. Oh, my little Madge, what does it all mean r " " She must have gone to meet some one that is perfectly clear," observed the doctor, gravely. " This Tear seems to have thrown its power over all the place. What are you going to do with it ? " 238 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Put it into my safe," replied the squire, firmly, " and myself take it to the police in the morning. I shall tell them the actual facts, as far as I know them ; and as soon as Madge is able to be questioned they shall question her for themselves. The Applebyes have never soiled their name with dishonour, and not even for Madge will I connive at anything underhand." The doctor nodded in approval. " May I look at the stone once more ? " he asked, and the squire handed it to him. " A wonderful thing ! Only a little piece of carbon, and yet worth an emperor's ransom ! It is very beautiful. I wonder how much of crime and misery there has been wrought, on its account, in this world. Take it away, squire ! If I looked at it for long I should be wanting to keep it. No wonder that men have shed blood to gain possession of it ! " The squire nodded without taking his eyes from the Tear, which he was turning this way and that in the lamplight. " Yes," he said slowly, " such a gem would be worth a king's ransom. If I had it, it would restore the old glories of my house." " If I had it I would destroy it," put in Bruce. " I would render its power for future mischief impossible." "Rather a pity to destroy a large fortune," said the squire. And then Victoria came in to report that the invalid was in bed, still unconscious, but quite calm. " That is all right, then," remarked the doctor. " The drug I gave her should be enough to keep her asleep for some hours yet, and I will leave you another dose for her. That will keep her right till I come again in the morning. Now, Hamilton, let me have a look at that hand. Hum ! Nasty cut, but not serious. A little strapping will soon put that right." And Dr. Linton dexterously bound the injury up. " Squire, you look done up. Now, take my advice, let Bruce have a sleep." !t I could not sleep, doctor," put in the chaplain. " Let Bruce have a sleep, and you keep watch ; and then wake him in an hour or two, and you turn in. I will WHAT VICTORIA SAW AT DAYBREAK 239 leave you a sleeping draught, and you will feel a different man in the morning." " You go to bed at once, squire," added Hamilton. " I could not sleep if I tried ; and I can take a good doze to- morrow morning." " No no ; I could not, my lad," answered the squire. But the doctor would admit of no refusal. " Drink this," he said, handing the squire the mixture he had prepared. " That's the style. Now lock that thing up, and off to bed with you. You have your dogs loose, the place is well secured, and Hamilton will be on the watch. You go and get a good night's rest." The squire promised compliance, and went to see his friend out ; and then Victoria came up to Bruce, and laid her hand on his arm. " Bruce," she said slowly, " what can it all mean ? " " I do not know, Vic. I cannot even think." " Don't think too bad of Madge," came the low pleading. " Wait till she can tell her story ; for, Bruce, she certainly expected you to go after her to-night, and that does not look like going to meet any one. I am glad the stone is found. Now it can be given up, and the matter will be done with." But to her surprise Bruce answered " I wish it had never been found. I feel almost tempted to take and destroy it." The return of the squire stopped their conversation, and, taking the diamond, he told Hamilton to follow him, and see it safely locked away. " There," he said, when the task was done, " I don't think any one could get it out of there without the key, and that I shall keep under my pillow. Good-night, Bruce ; you are sure you do not mind my going to bed ? Really, you might go as well ; I don't think any one could get in." " I do not think they will even try to," was the frank answer. "These men will know we should be on the alert, and they would not make a useless attempt. All the same, I could not rest if I went to bed, so I may as well sit up. Good-night, squire ! " 240 THE TEAR OF KALEE The chaplain returned to the smoking-room. What would it mean to Constance now that the Tear had come to light ? Once it was safely in the keeping of the priests, Davenport and his wife would have little reason to hesitate about taking their own place. That would mean that the man at the Grange must declare his personality ; and that, again, would mean that Constance Linton must be known as his wife poor Constance ! He wished this evil Tear had not been found. Then his thoughts rambled off to the problem of how Madge came to have it ; and a thousand doubts and fears assailed him again. Then came a feeling of relief that the diamond was to be given up in the morning. That would remove the danger from his Madge. The hours passed with the slow, leaden flight they ever have to the night watcher. How still the house was ! Hark ! what was that ? Surely he heard some one moving ! It was very well to say that he did not think the priests would make any fresh attempt so soon after their defeat ; but his nerves had undergone a severe strain, he could not help it ; but he was growing nervous. Suppose they did get in, they might murder Madge and Victoria ! They might kill the poor old squire ! Surely he did hear some one moving about ! He rose and opened the door. No ; all was still, and yet he felt uneasy. He went down and looked into the hall ; the lamp was burning there, and all seemed as usual. He crept along the corridor till he came to the girls' room. He could see the light under the door. He went on to the squire's room the door was ajar and he looked in. The old gentleman was sound asleep and everything safe. And he returned to his chair, blaming himself for being so foolish ; and yet, within an hour, he was again stealing along the passages to assure himself that things were all right. How still the house was, and yet the very stillness seemed to be full of noises ! The slightest sound was magnified by reason of the very quietude. Fight against it WHAT VICTORIA SAW AT DAYBREAK 241 as he would, he was fast becoming a prey to nervous fear, and he felt as though he could not endure the solitude, but must go and wake some one to share his vigil with him. And there was another wakeful one in the house Victoria, sitting by her sister's bed, watching the colour gradually creeping back into the cheeks, and wondering, with tear-filled eyes, what reason Madge could give for having become the holder of this dreadful Tear. And as she sat there, suddenly her ear caught a muffled sound the sound of some one stealthily creeping along the corridor. Her heart seemed to stand still ; but with presence of mind she went to the door and quietly drew the bolt. No one should get in without giving her time to raise an alarm. But the footsteps went by. They had only hesitated outside her door for a moment. They had gone on on in the direction of her father's room ! A sudden thought brought with it a thrill of fear. What if these men, in some strange fashion, had discovered that the squire had the Tear in his room, and were going there to get it. She slipped back the bolt and looked out cautiously looked out to see, in bewildered surprise, the form of Bruce Hamilton gently creeping along in stockinged feet ! Now he stopped outside her father's door. He was listening. He pushed the door open and peered in. He entered. Victoria, hiding behind her own door, kept watch. What was it that took Bruce into her father's room ? Now he came out again, and she thought his face seemed very strange. He was coming back ; and as he passed her, Victoria distinctly heard him mutter to himself " He is sound asleep he will never know." What did it all mean ? What was Bruce doing ? It never occurred to her that he would go to see things were safe. What was he doing ? She determined he should not pass again without her knowing and questioning ; and she sat with her door wide open now. Madge seemed rather more restless j but there was no need to give her the other medicine yet. R 242 THE TEAR OF KALEE The dawn was stealing over the sky, and the day would soon be breaking ; and, leaning back, Victoria sat musing till, all unnoticed, the drowsy god came to her, and her eyes closed ; Victoria was asleep. All silent, all secure ; the clock in the hall ticking away the hours ; the dawn deepening, and the grey turning to pink and crimson as the sun rose, and the birds in the elms heralded it with glad songs. All silent, all still and peaceful j till at last both she and Bruce were aroused by a hoarse, wild shout ; and Squire Applebye, his dressing-gown flung around him, appeared at the door of his own room. " Vic ! Hamilton ! " he gasped. " They have been in ! The safe is open, and the Tear is gone ! " CHAPTER XXX DAVENPORT'S DECISION "AiMiE, we cannot go on like this. We must come to some definite decision ! " Vincent Davenport paused in his restless pacing to and fro, and turned to his wife as he spoke. " Our funds are almost exhausted. Apart from the danger which menaces us both, from the Indians, we are faced with the fact that we shall soon be penniless." His wife listened in silence. Anxiety and sorrow had marred the fresh radiance of her face, and left a careworn expression there. But still the light of love shone in her eyes as she turned towards the man standing looking down upon her. Let what would come, she was with him. And that was her reward. Yet it was through her he was reduced to this ! Had she never stolen the Tear he might have been quietly enjoying his inheritance now and she beside him, with no shadow of care. " Shall I try again if I can get any money at the bank, dear ; " she asked. DAVENPORT'S DECISION 243 But he shook his head. " What good will that do ? You can tell them nothing more than you did before. And, therefore, until they can have some evidence that you are the right person they cannot pay you. That seems reasonable enough. And the only person who could supply that evidence is Bruce Hamilton. I am not sure where we could find him now ; and even if we knew, it would be risky to establish your identity " " I would not mind the danger, dear," she replied quickly. And he retorted " Perhaps not ; but it would be dangerous for me also, and / should mind very much ! " There was an irritable ring in his voice, which brought the tears to her eyes ; and he saw that he had pained her, and relented. "There, forgive me, Aimie sweetheart," he said; "I am surely a brute to speak like that ! " As the light follows the shadow when the wind sweeps the clouds from before the sun, so did the love come into her eyes again ; and she stopped to press a kiss upon his forehead. "My beloved," she whispered passionately, "I would risk anything for you bear anything for you ! Tell me what Aimie can do to help you." " I am afraid very little, sweetheart. You may be sure it is those relentless priests who in some way have managed to put a stopper upon our getting at your money. Their influence reaches farther than I should have thought." " Ah, I told you, beloved ; but you said they could not work here, in this England of yours." " I know, I know, Aimie. It was my own fault. You were not the only one who told me what the possession of the Tear would entail ; but I thought, like the fool I was, that I knew better than others. However, all that is past, and we have the future to face." " Yes, the future." And Aimie gave a little shudder as she repeated his words. What was the future to hold for them ? "Well, sweetheart, come what may, we will meet it hand in hand," he said. 244 THE TEAR OF KALEE Davenport was changing somewhat. Trouble had taught him many lessons, and the devotion of his wife had not been unnoticed or without effect. He was selfish, and in many things weak, but not so bad but that he could recognise and value the love of the woman who had given up so much for his sake. " Come and sit down by me, and listen to my idea," he went on. And she came and sat at his knee, resting her chin upon her hands, and looking up into his face. " There are two reasons why we cannot stay here," he began. " First, the danger that continually menaces us of being found by Kalee's priests ; and, secondly, the fact that we shall soon be penniless." " Yes," she said, as he paused. " We cannot interfere with Maplethorpe," he continued. "Unless we could recover the Tear, and purchase our freedom by restoring it." Again he paused ; and again she uttered the one word : "Yes." "Now, I propose leaving the whole thing, Aimie the danger, the Tear, the money and all, and going to another land where we may be safe." She looked up in eager wonder. Another land where they would be safe ! It seemed to be like talking of heaven ! " Where is this land, beloved ? Be it where it may, let us go!" "I was thinking of South Africa, Aimie. It is a big place, and there are plenty of opportunities opening up. If peace continues, we could decide whether to stay in one of the towns, or try farming. There are the mining districts and the diamond-fields." Aimie shuddered at the word diamonds would for ever be distasteful to her. "I could surely get an appointment if peace lasts, but I do not think it will do so. The air is full of the rumours of impending trouble ; things have never settled down since the Raid ; and in the event of war breaking out, I should have no difficulty in getting an appointment in one of the Colonial levies." DAVENPORT'S DECISION 245 " But war means danger for you, Vincent ! " she said, with anxious voice, and he smiled. " What ! You think so much about my safety ? I am not worth it, Aimie. But I am a soldier, and you a soldier's wife. I wish we had never forgotten it," he added, with a sad sigh. " But, Vincent, there is one thing to be thought of. Where is the money to come from, with which to go ? It will cost a lot, will it not ? " " Yes ; there's only one way I am going to Maple- thorpe " " To Maplethorpe ! " she repeated in surprise. " Yes. He has all that is mine, and he must give it to me. Besides," he added, " I can force him to, by threaten- ing to reveal that Constance is his wife. He must buy my silence. But I do not think he will make any objection. It is to his advantage that I should clear right out of it, and he will be glad to bargain with me. He must let me have five hundred pounds ; and I do not think he will make any trouble about it." The plan seemed feasible ; and the very next day the pair put it into execution, Aimie parting with her last ring to raise enough money for them to travel in comfort Davenport was still the tenant of the cottage, for he had paid for it till the end of the year ; and, assuming his old disguise, he and Aimie went there, prior to his seeking Maplethorpe. The plan seemed good, there was nothing to mar it ; nothing but one thing, which they had not considered and that was the fact that Maplethorpe was not there. Daven- port had gone in his disguise only to find that the man he sought had left his home and gone no one knew whither, leaving no message beyond one that he should be away for some days. For the moment Davenport was nonplussed. What should he do now ? Aimie advised that they should wait quietly, and see if the man returned, but her husband could ill brook delay. He discarded his disguise, and, taking her with him, he boldly returned, to the surprise of the housekeeper. 246 THE TEAR OF KALEE It was dangerous, he knew. At any moment the other might come in, and then grave complications would ensue ; but he was desperate, and must have the money he required. He searched for the other's cheque-book ; it was not to be found ; the pass-book, that was also missing. He might return to town and go to the bank for this, and then get a fresh cheque-book and draw the amount he wanted. That would be easy ! But then Aimie came to his assistance, and pointed out that he could not hope that his signature would tally with that of Maplethorpe ; and if there was any great difference it might lead to a very nasty situation. She was right, it was too risky ; there was nothing for it but to wait. And if Maplethorpe did not return he would try and find Hamilton, and see if he could tell him where the other was. Arrived at this conclusion he called the housekeeper, and said shortly that he was going away again, and did not quite know when he would return. " You say that there has been a man inquiring for me ? " he said. " Yes, sir," answered the old lady, little dreaming that she was talking to that very " man." " If he comes again, let him have anything he wants. He is free to come as he likes." " But, sir, am I to understand " "That he is to do precisely as he likes yes. Now, Aimie." Davenport walked off with his wife, leaving the house- keeper in a state of the deepest indignation. "Well, to be sure ! Things have come to a pretty pass ! It was bad enough in old Sir Aubrey's day, but it is worse now. I don't understand all this coming and going." And, with a toss of her head, Mrs. Grey sought her own room. Meanwhile, Davenport and his wife, making their way back to the cottage to wait the return of Maplethorpe, suddenly encountered one of the last persons they would have desired to meet, Constance herself, who, having been upon some errand of charity in the village, was returning to her home, DAVENPORT'S DECISION 247 The meeting was unavoidable. They had encountered her at the very gate of the cottage, and there was nothing to do but to face it boldly. Constance had halted. She was under no misappre- hension now. She knew the man before her was Aimie's husband, and not her own, now that she had the opportunity of comparing the two. There were subtle differences which made her marvel she had ever failed to distinguish the real from the counterfeit before. " Sir Vincent Davenport ! " she exclaimed. " You ! " "You are mistaken, Miss Linton. You forget I am Maurice Maplethorpe," he answered ironically. Constance held up her hand beseechingly. "Oh, do not keep up this deception any longer," she pleaded. " There has been so much falsehood and mistake. Why do you desire to still pretend to be what you are not r " There was no mistaking the reality of her earnestness ; and she turned to Aimie. " Lady Davenport," she said, giving her her proper title. " Do you not know how much sorrow there has been r Why do not you and your husband assume your places and end it r " Davenport regarded her gravely ; he could not under- stand this. " Do you realise that to end it, as you say, would be to declare that you are the wife of this man Maplethorpe r " The colour came into her cheeks as she listened ; but she answered steadily " Yes, I know that." " And you are prepared to bear the revelation ? " " Yes," she replied quietly ; and he shrugged his shoulders slightly. " I am sorry that I cannot oblige you ; but the revelation also would have certain results in the case of my wife and myself, and we are neither of us quite prepared to run the risk. No, Miss Linton, Maurice Maplethorpe took my place of his own choice, and he must keep it now, for I swear that if he or you proclaimed the truth, I would deny it ; and who is to prove that you are right and I wrong r " 248 THE TEAR OF KALEE " But listen," she pleaded. " Can you hope for things to right themselves while you are only increasing the evil ? It is not for me to judge in regard to the beginning of this wrong I was no party to it, yet it has fallen upon me as much as upon you. It has been a sad tangle of mistake and wilful falsehood ; and the only way to clear it is to tell the truth, boldly and openly, and trust to God to protect you and keep you." He shook his head again. " I am afaid that I have not got your sublime faith. To me, this is too frail a trust." " Ah, do not talk so ! To trust in God's faith is to trust to the one unchanging and unfailing source of help. Man's faith may fail, but God's faith never fails. He is the Faithful God, and only as we turn to His path of trust, can we hope to get clear of this muddle and misery. I know it seems a foolish way, but it is a sure way. Man's wisdom invents many plans, but they all come to nothing. God's way is simple and easy " " And dangerous," he put in. " Not dangerous, but safe," she corrected, " for we have His promise " " It is no use, Miss Linton," he said impatiently. " We have come here to ask this Maplethorpe to give me enough of my own money to enable me to leave this country. Then when we are gone, he can say what he likes ; but while we are here, he must keep the position he has assumed." " Will nothing alter your decision ? It is a bad one for you, for him, for all of us." " Nothing ; unless you can give me once again the Tear of Kalee, which, as you know I believe, has been taken out of our possession. Once I have that to restore to the priests, and so secure our safety, then I will take my own place fast enough ; and I venture to think that when your husband," and there was a slight emphasis upon the word, "is turned out of here ignominiously, and exposed as an impostor without home or money, you will be the first to regret that you have advocated such a rigid adherence to the truth. But there," he added, "as I am not in the least DAVENPORT'S DECISION 249 likely to see the Tear again, we have no need to trouble about such contingencies." " And you came down here to get money enough to go away ? " she asked. " Precisely. Enough of my own money." " I am sure that Mr. Maplethorpe will let you have it." " So am I," was the grim retort. " He will have to do so when he returns. You do not know anything of his present address, I presume ? " " No," she answered ; " I did not even know he was away." She turned to go, but he took a step towards her. " I need hardly tell you that we are in hiding here," he said. " You will keep the secret you have discovered ? " " Yes," she said. " You need not fear. No one shall learn your hiding-place from me. Good-bye." The word was uttered very gently, and Constance turned away and resumed her walk, leaving the pair looking after her. " I cannot understand her," mused Davenport. " She does not seem in the least to mind people knowing that she is that fellow's wife. It is beyond me." " Perhaps it is that she loves him," suggested Aimie, gently, as they entered the cottage j and he laughed at her words. " Love him ! My dear girl, how absurd ! Why, she only married him thinking he was I. He might love her ; but that she should love him ! Why, it is ridiculous, my dear girl." Aimie sighed. " I wish I had her faith in God," she said ; and the mocking laugh came again. " My dear, it is very easy to have that sort of faith when it does not lead you to risk your own skin. I prefer a little common sense." And so the matter was allowed to drop. Meantime Constance, her heart full of grave thoughts, continued her walk home. Sir Vincent was right ; it would mean proclaiming herself Maurice's wife, did she tell the truth. 250 THE TEAR OF KALEE Was she prepared to do that ? She put that question to herself calmly. Was she prepared to own herself the wife of Maurice Maplethorpe ? She put aside the idea of seeking to have the marriage quashed on legal grounds. She could not deceive herself she still loved Maurice. He had been ready to risk his life for her ! Yes, she was willing ; and could she but persuade the real Davenport to tell the truth, she would do so. But for her to have spoken while he the true heir to the property disclaimed his personality, would only serve to increase the already terrible complications of the situation ; and so she was forced to hold her tongue. She had never seen the Tear, was innocent of any part in its loss, and yet its power was upon her. She could not speak that which her heart desired to utter her lips were sealed ! And yet, she comforted herself, perhaps it was better so for the time. She was watching this man all unknown to him. He was striving in the right direction. She would let him prove himself a little longer. Then she would go and place her hand in his, and say : " My husband ! " That same evening, while the Lintons were at supper, there came the message from the Manor calling the doctor to attend Madge ; and his wife and daughter, alarmed at the manner of the messenger and the urgency of the call, sat up awaiting his return, and eager to know all the particulars of the attack upon Madge. Hour after hour went by, and still he did not come. Surely it must be a very serious case ; and they were just about retiring, when his key was heard in the door, and the doctor came in. " Hallo ! both up ! " he cried. " Why, what is that for?" "We were so anxious to hear about Madge, father," exclaimed Constance. " Is she seriously hurt ? " " Not hurt at all ; only suffering from a severe fright. Not but what she might have been murdered, if that young fellow Hamilton had not been on the spot. She gave her assailants inducement enough." DAVENPORT'S DECISION 251 " Why did they attack her, father do you know r " " For the same reason they carried you off, Constance to get at the Tear of Kalee." " The Tear ! " cried Constance, in some surprise. "Surely they did not think that little Madge would have it ! " " Eh ! She would be as likely as you to possess it," growled the doctor. " They took you off, remember, young lady ; and they've made a better guess this time." " A better guess ! But to think that Madge had the Tear ! Do you not think that absurd, mother mine r " " Very absurd," said her mother, in decided tones. " The idea is out of all reason." " Is it ? " snapped the doctor, as he kicked off his boot. Think so ? " " Why, of course, father. I wonder where that Tear of Kalee really is ; and what will become of it ? " " And what will you say if I tell you that I can answer both questions r " laughed the doctor. " The Tear is in the squire's safe ; and to-morrow it will be in the hands of the police." " Father ! " cried Constance, eagerly. " Do you really mean it ? " " I do. I cannot explain the thing in the least ; but certain it is that when Hamilton brought Madge in, she held the Tear of Kalee itself in her hand, and it was to get this that her assailant attacked her. There, it is no use asking any more questions now. You know as much as I do, so now get to bed." And she went. The Tear of Kalee was at the squire's ! And Sir Vincent had said that if she could restore it to him he would tell the truth. She would do it to-morrow. She would go and tell him ; and then then, come weal or woe, she would stand before the world as what she really was the wife of Maurice Maplethorpe ! And with his name on her lips Constance fell asleep. 252 THE TEAR OF KALEE CHAPTER XXXI SUSPICIONS THE Tear of Kalee was gone. The squire's cry had roused Victoria, and brought Hamilton to the spot. He also confessed to having fallen into a doze after daybreak. And the two had followed the squire to his own room. The Tear was gone, but by what agency was an inscrutable mystery. No window had been tampered with, no door forced. Examination revealed everything as secure as it had been left over night. It was manifest that no one had entered the house, since they neither could nor would have re- fastened the place after they again left. There was not any possible inlet that had been overlooked ; and yet the Tear was gone absolutely and entirely gone. Nor did the squire's story in the least lessen the strangeness of the matter. He declared that after going to bed he had not roused once during the night, that the key of the safe was under his pillow when he did awake, just where he had placed it the evening before, and that the safe was securely and properly locked. " The Tear came to my mind as soon as I opened my eyes," he said. "That, of course, was natural. I got up and opened the safe, meaning to have a look at the thing by daylight. The lock is a patent one, and had it been tampered with by any one, had any other than the proper key been used, it would have become hampered ; and yet it opened quite readily, and I found the Tear had disappeared." That was all the squire could say. His first idea was that the Hindoos had managed to get in, and while he was asleep to abstract the key, and effect their purpose ; though how they could either know where the Tear was placed, or where the key was hidden, seemed as great a mystery as how they could enter. SUSPICIONS 253 But when subsequent search demonstrated that no one could possibly have been in, the squire's perplexity gave way to a feeling of deeper trouble, and his face wore a very grave expression. For he saw that there was only one alternative if no one had entered from without, some member of his household must be responsible for the theft. " It is no use standing here," he said at last. " Vic, see about having breakfast prepared ; it is not much earlier than the usual hour, and I want a strong cup of coffee my nerves seem all unstrung. Dr. Linton will be over presently, and then we will try and calmly consider what is best to be done." But when the squire was alone the lines on his face deepened, his brow was contracted into a thoughtful frown, and he sat pondering over the strange loss. " It could not be any of the servants," he mused slowly. " Yet I don't know. Supposing they were acting in league with these priests, what then ? Well, they could let them in, certainly, or they could hand the Tear out to them. But then they did not know where it was, did not know that it was in the house, even. We kept that to ourselves, and there was no means by which the priests could have told them. No, that explanation will not do ! The same thing holds good if we suppose that one of them stole it for himself. No one knew it was there, no one knew where I put it, and no one could get at it without the key ; and only Bruce knew where that was." He paused and shook his head, as though the last idea were distasteful to him. " Only four of us knew anything about it. There was Linton, and he went home ; there is Vic, she would not take it." He hesitated and sighed. " I have no right to say that ; we are all equally under the cloud. Madge took it, and we should have all said she was the last in the world to do such a thing. There is myself well, I know it was not I ; and lastly, there is Bruce, and he alone knew where I placed the key." He rose with an impatient gesture, as though he would repel the thought ; but he continued " Only he saw me put it away, and only he knew where I hid the key." 254 THE TEAR OF KALEE The squire rumpled his fingers through his hair, and stared at his reflection in the glass. " Tom Applebye, what on earth are you thinking of ? " he growled. " Bruce would never do such a dirty trick ! " Bruce would not do it ! Yet, it was gone ; and it could not go by itself. Bruce had been up all night. Bruce knew that he had taken a sleeping draught. Bruce was in love with Madge, and Madge wanted the stone. It was possible that in a moment of weakness he might be tempted to do for her what he would not do for himself. Either he or Victoria must have taken it it seemed, for there was positively no one else. The squire finished dressing, and went to the breakfast- room ; and Victoria startled him by saying that Madge was awake, and insisted on getting up. " Getting up ! " he gasped. " Why, the child is too ill for that ! " " She seems a great deal better. I found her awake when I went back after leaving you. She says she was awake when you called out that she had been so for over two hours, while I was dozing. I wanted her to take the other medicine, but she declares she will not ; she says she is all right." " You did not mention the diamond to her ? " demanded the father. And Victoria replied, as she handed him his coffee " No ; she mentioned it to me." " Eh ? Just tell me all that passed, Vic, there is a good girl. Tell me, before Bruce comes in." " It is not much, Dad. When I got back I found her awake and rather excited. 'Does Dad say the Tear has been stolen ? ' she asked and you may guess the question startled me. ' Yes, dear,' I answered. ' We found the Tear in your hand last evening, and Dad put it away for safety, and now it has gone.' Then she asked me who saved her from the men who attacked her ; and I told her all that we knew, and how Bruce had followed her. She just lay still and listened, and then said that she would get up." "Did she tell you how she came to have the Tear, Vic?" F' SUSPICIONS 255 " No, Dad. She said that she would get up and tell you all about it. She seems very strange, but quite collected. The result which Dr. Linton feared, of brain-fever, does not seem in the least likely. She is horribly nervous and hysterical, but her head is quite clear." The squire grunted and fidgeted. " Vic," he said slowly, and came to a stop. Yes, Dad." " Nothing." A pause, and then he said again, " Vic." " What is it, Dad ? " " I want want to ask you something ; and never mind, now." And the squire broke off, as Bruce entered. " I am afraid I have kept you waiting," said the chaplain, with a smile. " Vic, how is Madge ? " " She is going to get up," was the reply. And Hamilton looked incredulous. " To get up ! Is she well enough r " " She says she is. I would not refer to all this trouble before her at first. I do not half like the idea of her coming down." " If she is well enough to come down, she is well enough to tell me how she came by the diamond," growled the squire. " That is a thing altogether apart from the loss of it again." " And that is what she is coming down to do." The three started up as the words were said. Madge herself stood in the doorway a very white and shaky Madge, with strong indications of a fit of hysterics coming on, but a Madge with determination written on every line of her face. " Madge ! " exclaimed three voices together. And Victoria and Bruce went towards her ; but she, standing by the door, motioned them back. " You go and sit down, and leave me alone," she said. " Please, leave me quite alone." And they complied, taking their seats once more. Then she came and sat down between her father and her lover, yet apart from both resting her arms upon the table, and refusing, with a shake of the head, the cup Vic offered her. " I've come down on purpose to tell you all about it," she 256 THE TEAR OF KALEE said slowly. " I've been a very wicked, deceitful girl, and I don't deserve your forgiveness ; only the Tear is such a dreadfully beautiful thing, it seems to make you take it does it not, Daddie ? " And she turned towards the squire suddenly. The old man gulped a little. Love and sternness were battling within his breast. " I cannot say, Madge. It would not have tempted me, though apparently it has had that effect both upon you and some one else. You know it has been taken during the night ? " " Taken during the night ! " She repeated the words slowly. " And you do not know who took it, Daddie ? Oh, do not say you do not know ! " Her eyes were fixed upon his face with an expression of almost pleading a strange, intense expression ; and her little hands locked as though in prayer, while she waited for his answer. " No, Madge, I do not know who took it. It has been stolen ; that is all I can say." Was it for the loss of the Tear that that sob escaped her trembling lips ? Was she mourning for the Tear which had so nearly cost her her life ? "I I am going to tell you all about it," she resumed " how I came by it. I want Bruce to know that, because he thought that that I I went to meet some one." And a red glow came into that white cheek as she whispered these words. And then she told her story. How she had first seen the Tear, and how she had yielded to temptation, ending with the pleading question " There was some excuse for me, Dad, was there not ? You know there was some excuse for me." u Hem ! I suppose so at least, I mean no, certainly not ! No daughter of mine should have stooped to such a mean action." And the squire pulled out his handkerchief and mopped his brow. "And who was the man you saw hide this diamond, Madge ? " asked Bruce. SUSPICIONS 257 Madge had lifted a great load off his mind by her con- fession. In his eyes she was not very blameworthy. " It was Sir Vincent Davenport himself, Bruce." " And you saw where he hid it, and you took it ? He told me himself, that it was lost," cried Bruce. " Eh ? " cried the squire, suspiciously. " It seems to me, Bruce, that you are a great deal too thick with that man, considering the part he has played. How came you to be talking with him about it ? " " It was the most natural topic of conversation when we met," was the answer. " You forget that I was associated with him in the getting back of Constance Linton." The squire frowned. And again Madge said " There was some excuse for me, was there not, Dad ? " " I cannot say that there was, Madge. But the question I want answered is, where is the Tear now ? It is no use beating about the bush. The thing is gone, and only one of four people could have taken it. I myself or one of you three. That I have not done this is certain. I know it, of course ; and you also know that Dr. Linton gave me a strong sleeping draught, from the effects of which I did not recover till I woke this morning, and found the thing missing." "Of course, we know you would not take it, Dad," said Vic, with a slight laugh ; but that laugh was not echoed by either of the others. Madge had her face bent, and Bruce sat silent and grave. He also had reviewed the situation, and bearing in mind what the squire had said the evening before about the Tear being sufficient to build up the ancient fortunes of his house, and knowing the fatal power the gem could exercise, the chaplain was by no means sure the squire himself had not hidden it. There was no one else to have done so, he thought. " Very well," continued the squire. " Now let us look this business in the face, and see what conclusion we must arrive at. You must admit that it has not gone without hands." " You mean, squire," said Bruce, slowly, " that one of us must have taken it ? " 258 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Can you come to any other conclusion ? " demanded the squire, turning to him. " If you can, for mercy's sake tell me what it is ! / do not want to have to think one of you guilty." " Do you think one of us guilty ? " suddenly asked Madge ; and again there was that fixed questioning ex- pression in her eyes. " Do you think that, Dad ? " " What else can I think, Madge ? " was the sad answer. " I would not seem harsh ; but remember, you took it once." " And you think I would again ? " she asked. But Victoria came to her rescue. " Nonsense, Madge ! Dad means nothing of the kind. How could you when you have been asleep all the time ? " "But I have not. I was awake, remember, for two hours, while you were asleep. I am just as likely to have taken it as any one else more so, indeed, for, as Dad has reminded me, I am already a thief." " Hush ! hush, Madge ! Your father did not mean that ! " put in Bruce, hastily. " No one believes that you had any hand in this." " Then we are reduced to you and Victoria ! " was the squire's short comment. " Bruce, it is horrible to me to have to talk like this, but there is no other conceivable explanation. You and Vic sat up all night. Did you see or hear anything suspicious : " " No ! " said Bruce, readily enough. "Did you, Vic?" The squire turned to her, but she did not answer. Already in her heart Victoria had settled who it was had taken the diamond. She would like to have taxed Bruce with it privately ; but now her father sat regarding her keenly, and the frown on his face deepened. " Vic " and he struck the table as he uttered her name " you do know something ! I am sure of it ! I command you to tell me what it is instantly ! " " Let me tell you presently, Dad," she began, but her father started up in sudden anger. " Girl, did you hear me ? I command you to tell me, here and now ! There shall be no secret conferences about it ! What do you know ? " SUSPICIONS 259 And Victoria, in troubled tones, explained how she had seen Bruce enter the squire's room. Darker and darker gathered the frown upon the old man's brow as he listened ; but Madge drew closer to her lover, and slipped her little hand into his. " I am sure Bruce would not take it," she began, but the squire interrupted her. " Hold your tongue, Madge ! Now, Bruce, what have you to say to this ? " " Really there is nothing to explain, squire," replied the young man, frankly. " I certainly did come into your room not once, but three times ; for the fact is, I grew horribly nervous." " But what did you mean when you said to yourself, * He is sound asleep ; he will never know ' ? " " I had been looking at you ; you were under the influence of the drug, and I feared that if any one did get in they would be able to do you harm without your ever rousing." " Hum ! " The squire's frown did not relax ; he thought the explanation a poor one. " Don't see how you could have thought any one would get in. You yourself said you did not believe that they would make any attempt." " I know it. I have said that I got nervous ; and surely there is some reason for my being that." " Bruce, I am going to be frank with you. You alone knew just where the key was ; you knew that I was under the influence of this sleeping draught ; you admit that you came into my room. Now, lad, honestly, some one has taken this thing, and is that some one you r " " Father ! how can you r " cried Madge ; and then she faltered and burst into tears. "Is that some one you?" repeated the squire, while Victoria hastened to her sister's side and led her away. " If you have yielded to sudden temptation, for the sake of your profession, for the sake of Him you serve, pause and reflect. Give it back to me now, the thing is only known among ourselves. Bruce, for the sake of your dead mother, give this accursed thing back to me ! " 2 6o THE TEAR OF KALEE He paused, and held out his hands as in entreaty ; but the chaplain answered quietly " Squire, you are in error. I have not got the Tear. I have not seen it since I left it in your hands last night. I know enough of its evil power to be the last one to desire it. I said last night if it fell into my hands I would destroy it." " I know. Was it for that you took it ? " " I have told you that I did not take it, squire ! " And there was just a little heightening of the colour in Hamilton's cheeks. " You are forming a very natural but an erroneous conclusion. Remember, you also expressed a wish that you could keep the gem." " Why ! What ! Do you mean to infer " spluttered the squire. " I infer nothing," answered Bruce. " I only tell you what you must admit is a fact, to show you that my saying that I wished the Tear destroyed is nothing in itself." " You are inferring that I took it myself ! " shouted the other, all his hot temper ablaze now. " You mean nothing else ! " " I mean that / did not take it that, and nothing more ! ' ** I do not believe you ! You knew where the key was ! You have been hand and glove with this Davenport ! There is no one but you could have taken it ! " And the squire banged out of the room. A summons at the bell. Ah, the doctor had come ! No, it was two men, well dressed, speaking English fluently, but the natives of India Kalee's votaries had come to see the squire. The hot-headed old gentleman turned the whole force of his ire upon them, before they had time to explain their visit. Then they spoke, and to purpose. And the squire had to haul down his colours. " We are coming to make terms with you," they said. " There are ten thousand pounds offered for this diamond " " Ten thousand pounds ! Well, what of that ? If SUSPICIONS 261 every pound was a thousand, do you think I would touch your dirty money ! " roared Squire Applebye. They shrugged their shoulders. "The sahib could please himself. If he was too proud to take the reward, he should be too proud also to keep the stone." And the squire was silenced. " Sahib," they said solemnly, " once before that stone was lost. For a year, and for ten times a year, was it searched for ; yea, and for five decades did Kalee's servants wander, seeking her Tear. And we found it at last. And so shall it be again. Give up this gem, and ask what price you will. Keep it, and surely the vengeance of the goddess shall fall upon you and yours ! " " I have not got it ! " growled the squire. " It has been stolen during the night." The men listened incredulously ; and the squire went off into a passion again. " Did they dare to doubt his word ? " he shouted. And Victoria, hearing the noise, begged Hamilton to go and take part in the interview. " Here you are ! " shouted Squire Applebye. " These men have come for the Tear. Perhaps you will explain." Then as Hamilton turned and spoke to the two in their own tongue " In English, please ; I want to hear what you have to say to them, and they to you." Hamilton could not say much. The stone had been stolen, that was all. The men listened ; and their working lips showed how fierce were the passions striving within. "The Sahib Hamilton was great friends with the Sahib Davenport and the Eurasian woman," they remarked pointedly. " He had rescued the woman and brought her to England. He had been with the Sahib Davenport but recently." Hamilton acknowledged it, and the squire compressed his lips. Even these men came to the same conclusion as he did himself, it seemed. " The Tear could not be taken without hands," the men said. " We come to ask for our own ; to pay a great price for that which belongs to our people. If you will 262 THE TEAR OF KALEE agree, well : we will keep our part, and you shall not be molested. But if you refuse, upon your own heads be it. We have spoken what is your answer ? " " I have not got the Tear," replied the squire. " You had better ask him " pointing to Hamilton " if he knows where it is." " Our last word is spoken." They rose as the words were said. " Be sure of this : that upon the head of the one who holds the Tear of Kalee, all the dread vengeance of the goddess shall fall ! " And Madge, who had heard of their coming, heard this parting threat also ; and she moaned and shivered, for those words struck her like a scourge, and froze the resolution she had been nerving herself to form. Whoever held the Tear should feel all their vengeance ! Those dreadful words had sealed her lips. But when they had gone, and after she had listened to the sound of her father's voice, as it heaped reproaches upon the head of the man she loved, Madge stole down to the breakfast-room, and found Hamilton alone. A very sorrowful Hamilton, but one who had made up his mind. There was only one course open to him he must go away. After what the squire had said to him, he could never hope to claim Madge for his wife. Yet his lips compressed, and his heart rose in rebellion ; for Hamilton believed in his soul that the squire had taken the Tear himself. He turned as she entered, and, without a word, he opened his arms, and she came and rested her head upon his shoulder, sobbing, and saying it was all her fault, and calling him her "darling" and her "injured Bruce," while he whispered words of comfort in her ear. " Do not cry, little one," he said brokenly. " God knows that it is hard to part from you, but it must be. I shall love you all my life, Madge dear ; and perhaps some day this cloud will be cleared away, and then I shall come back for you. Will you be faithful to me, Madge, and wait r " " For ever and ever, Bruce. But you must not go I cannot let you go. Oh, Bruce, I know you did not take the Tear. I know you did not." " I did not, indeed, dear } but your father accuses me. DISAPPOINTED 263 The best thing I can do is to go away quietly, sweetheart. It is very good of you to come and bid me good-bye." " Not good-bye, beloved ! " she moaned, clinging to him convulsively. " Not good-bye, Bruce ! Bruce, I cannot let you go I love you so ! You must stay ! " "I cannot, Madge. After what your father has said, there is nothing to do but go. Whisper one last sweet * God bless you ! ' Madge darling, that I may take the music of your voice with me, to cheer me through the days of sorrow. One last sweetheart-kiss, and then good-bye ! " His voice shook with emotion. Surely he had not deserved this sorrow ! And she hung upon his neck, weeping bitterly. " Good-bye, Madge darling ! " " No, no ! Not good-bye, Bruce ! You must not go I cannot bear it ! Bruce, it it was " She checked herself and shuddered. Up alone in her room she had vowed that, come what might, that should never pass her lips. " Good-bye, Madge darling ! " " No, Bruce ! Bruce, stay ! Oh, stay ! " He strove to loosen the hold of those slender, entwining arms. Then Madge gave one gasping sob of grief, and her fair head fell limp 'and lifeless upon his shoulder. What Doctor Linton had feared had come now, and the brain had given way under this renewed strain. And the squire and Victoria, hearing her last despairing wail of sorrow, came running into the room, to see her in Hamilton's arms, prone, senseless just as she had been the night previous. CHAPTER XXXII DISAPPOINTED " MOTHER mine, I am going out for an hour. There is nothing you want me for ? " No, dear." Mrs. Linton looked up at her daughter as she spoke, and wondered to see the look upon her face. 264 THE TEAR OF KALEE Constance had not seemed so bright since that morning when she had stood beside Maplethorpe at the altar, under the impression that she was being married to Vincent Davenport. " No, dear ; I suppose you will not be long ? It is a beautiful morning, and a run will do you good." The doctor was seeing his morning cases, prior to setting out upon his round. He had an unusually large number of people waiting in the reception-room, and his daughter did not trouble him, as she passed out. She was rather glad he was busy, or he might have asked her where she was going. And Constance had made up her mind to go at once to Davenport and his wife, and tell them what strange tidings she had learnt. She started off, walking briskly, and soon she arrived at her destination. And, greatly to the surprise of Aimie, who answered her knock, she requested an interview with her husband. "I have something to tell him which I think you will both be glad to hear," she said, and the Eurasian ushered her in. " It is Miss Linton, Vincent," she said, for she never thought of calling her visitor by the name which was really hers. " She wants to see you." " I have something to tell you," Constance explained, as she noted the look of amazement upon his face. " It is about the Tear of Kalee." Surprise changed to interest and eagerness; and Vincent offered her a chair, and sat waiting her explanation, Aimie standing by his side. "You said last night you wanted to know where it was." " Perfectly true. Did I know, I would tell the priests, and so be done with this life of misery." "Do you know Squire Applebye?" she asked; and he shook his head. " No. I met him when I was a boy. He lives about two miles from here. But he would not remember me now." " It does not matter. The Tear is at his house." DISAPPOINTED 265 Davenport sprang up in excited incredulity. " At his house ! Miss Linton, are you sure ? How should it come into his possession ? " "I cannot tell you that. I do not know anything but this : Last night his youngest daughter, Madge she is engaged to your former friend, Mr. Hamilton was attacked, in her father's grounds, by some men who seem to have been Hindoos, and but for Mr. Hamilton's timely appearance, she might have been killed. He carried her indoors, and then they saw that she had the Tear of Kalee in her hand. The squire intends taking it to the police this morning." " But how did she come by the Tear ? " was the next question. " I tell you I cannot answer you. I know nothing save what I have told you. My father was called in to attend her, and he told me of it when he returned." Davenport paced up and down. This was news indeed ! "And you say he is going to give the Tear into the hands of the police ? " " Yes. I thought that you would like to know that perhaps you would go to him, and tell him the truth." " Yes ; and what then ? " " Ask him to let you return the diamond to the priests. Explain that you can then make terms with them, and so secure your safety. Perhaps he would agree to that, for he only desires that the Tear should be given to those who can lawfully claim it." " He might do it," reflected Davenport. " If I remember him aright, he will storm and rave, and lecture me about the evil of my ways, and end up by doing what I ask him." " Mr. Hamilton is there, and perhaps he will side with you," added Constance. " And you desire that I should tell him the truth, tell him that the man he has taken for me is an impostor, and your husband ? " "Yes, yes," she said. " Oh, if you would only believe me, there is only one safe way, only one way we can ask God to bless, and that is to tell the truth, at all costs ! " 266 THE TEAR OF KALEE He was silent for a few moments. He had laughed at what he called her " sublime faith " the evening before, believing that it would never be put to the test ; but now here was this woman ready to prove herself sincere, and advocating that which would bring additional shame and trouble into her life. Davenport could not understand such a course ; and shallow as he was, the intensity of her trust, and her readiness to act in accordance with her profession, touched him. He was like a man who, unable to paint himself, and ignorant of the first rules of art, could yet admire the beautiful creations of the artist. " Aimie, we will go," he said at last ; adding, " Miss Linton, I thank you for what you have done." " Let us go at once ; there is no time to lose, for the squire may start at any hour. And though, in one way, it would make no difference, still I thought it would be better for you if you could restore the Tear yourselves." " It would indeed ! Come, we will go at once." And without disguise, his wife on his arm and Constance by her side, Davenport set off. A new hope was in his heart. No thought of regaining the Tear stirred him now ; he had learnt that there were things more precious than money that the end of such an inheritance as he had sought was a curse and not a blessing ; and his pulses bounded at the thought that he would be able to take his place among men, without the hideous dread of Kalee's vengeance hanging over his head. Surely the sun shone with a strange brightness, and the world looked more fair to these three to him with the thought of his emancipation, to Aimie with the vision of happy love, and to Constance, who thought of the lonely man at the Grange, freed from his thraldom, the man from whom no one could sever her without her own consent. But little did they dream of what tidings would await them ! They entered the old mansion the door stood opon as was the custom there ; they passed into the hall ; and there, right before them, they saw in the breakfast-room a strange scene. DISAPPOINTED 267 Victoria was bending over the senseless form of her sister, while the squire, his face dark with passion, was confronting Hamilton. " I will hear nothing more ! " he was saying, when the three visitors caught his sight ; and he stopped and glared at two of their number in speechless wrath. Davenport and his wife ! The accomplices of Hamilton ! Surely they had arrived at an opportune moment ! The chaplain turned, too, and fixed a troubled, in- quiring gaze upon the new-comers as Davenport advanced. " Squire Applebye," he began, " I believe that you know me. I am Vincent Davenport." " Then, Vincent Davenport, be good enough to relieve my house of your presence, and also of that of the woman with you. Applebye Manor has no welcome for you." " Will you please hear me^ squire ? " said Constance. " I fear that we have come at a bad time. But we wanted to make sure of seeing you." " Well, miss, what is it ? I wonder what your father would say to his daughter being in the company of Sir Vincent Davenport ? " " I do not know. There are some things which do not allow of stopping to consider even such a question as that, squire. I think I am acting for the best ; I hope I am. Will you listen to me r " " Yes ; go on. What is it ? You had better stay, too " to Hamilton " as these friends of yours are here. Now, Constance, come to the point." "It is about the Tear of Kalee, squire," she began. And the old gentleman started. " What, have you got it ? Do you know where it is r Be quick, girl ! Have you got it ? " Imagine the surprise which this question caused the girl. She had come expecting that Squire Applebye had the gem safe in his keeping, and here, the very first thing, he asked her if she had it. "You have it, have you not ?" she faltered. "Father told me last night that it was here, and we came to beg you to give it back to Sir Vincent Davenport." " Indeed ! Are you aware, young lady, that this was 268 THE TEAR OF KALEE a stolen diamond ? Do you suppose I should give it back to the thief?" "Your words are hard, but they are true, sir," inter- posed Davenport. " I came to ask for this stone, that my wife and I might return it to its owners ; and in the doing of that, secure our own safety. We have done wrong, but we have been punished, bitterly punished, and our every hour is one of peril. The return of the Tear can alone give us any happiness ; and if you have it " " I have not got it," was the stern answer ; " and if I had, I am by no means sure that I should be justified, under any circumstances, in handing it again to you. You have not done much to inspire me with confidence, sir. But I have not got it I put it away in safety last night, and this morning it was gone." " The Hindoos had followed ! They broke into your house ! Ah, they are terrible ! " said Aimie. But he replied " No, madam ; something far more terrible than an open Hindoo enemy did this thing. A false friend stole it. My house was not broken into, no bolt or bar was meddled with. The thief was on the inside of the door. Only one man knew where I had placed the Tear, and where I had hidden my key. Only one man knew that I was under the influence of a sleeping draught. Only one man was seen to come creeping along the passages and enter my room. Only one man could have done this thing ; and though he denies it, there is the one man whom I mean ! " And the squire extended an accusing finger towards the chaplain. " Mr. Hamilton ! I am sure he would never have done such a thing ! " cried Constance. Hamilton turned, with a smile of thanks. " Thank you, Miss Linton. Those words have removed something of the pain of this hour, and left me for ever your debtor. God above knows that I am innocent of this thing ; but Squire Applebye has made up his mind, and there is no way of proving him wrong." " And Squire Applebye has made up his mind to more than that ! " came the squire's retort. " He has made up his mind that, until you confess your crime, you shall never DISAPPOINTED 269 darken these doors again. Go, Bruce Hamilton, and remember that I forbid you either to see or write to my daughter ! Should you persuade her to disobey me, remember that you have at the same time robbed her of her place in my affections, and brought her only my curse, for that is all she shall have if she dares to disobey me ! " "And that she shall never do through my influence," he replied. " Farewell, squire ! One day you will learn the truth, and then you will be sorry as sorry as only such natures as yours can be. Will you shake hands ? " He advanced as he spoke ; but Squire Applebye drew himself up, and, pointing to the door, he uttered the one word, "Go!" He took one last look at the senseless girl one last look at troubled Victoria. He raised his hat to Constance, and passed out into the sunshine that was darkness to him now. "There is no need of any farther conversation between us, Sir Vincent Davenport." And the squire turned to his visitors. " I am a plain man, and do not mince my words. Your presence here is unwelcome. Good day ! Constance, here is your father coming up the drive. You had better wait and go back with him." She crossed over to Victoria, her heart too full for words. She had seen such a bright gleam of sunshine, and now it had fled. The Tear was lost again, and with that the hope of Davenport taking his proper place was gone too. The truth had not been told, and the tangle was as bad as ever. Poor Constance ! What wonder that her eyes filled with tears of bitter disappointment ! All she had done was to earn her father's displeasure for her having had anything more to do with Davenport and his wife, though the doctor put it down to her desire to make peace between these two, and to help them to a better life, and therefore the reproof he gave her was but a mild one. And they two, retracing their steps to their cottage, how bitter were their hearts ! Strange to say, Davenport had no hesitation in accepting the squire's story. He measured other men by his own standard, and did not doubt that the chaplain, seeing his opportunity, had indeed availed himself of it, and secured the Tear for himself. And he registered 270 THE TEAR OF KALEE a bitter vow that Bruce Hamilton should reap no benefit from his possession while Kalee's vengeance and Kalee's priests could be put upon his track. Disappointment for each and all bitter, bitter dis- appointment ! TO RIGHT THE WRONG MIDNIGHT had struck, and all the village was wrapped in slumber and darkness. Only in one house could a light be seen, proclaiming that the occupant still kept lonely vigil. Who is this who thus wakes when all others sleep ? Is it pain or study that drives slumber from his chamber ? Pain yes ; but pain of heart, of soul, of mind, creating anguish far worse than any physical ill. Study yes ; but study of that deepest of life's problems how to undo the evil of a past and atone for it in the future ; for this sleepless man is Maurice Maplethorpe, the husband of Constance and the master of the Grange. He sits, his head resting on his hands, his eyes fixed upon the Bible before him. He knows that the only clear directions are to be found within its pages, and yet he reads in vain. He has determined that no real good can come while his lie is being lived, and yet he can find no means of altering it. To tell the truth is to betray his wife ; and better anything than that. The past few months have left their mark upon him. His face is thin and careworn ; his brown hair has some threads of grey mingling with its warmer tone j his form is bent, as though the weight of his sorrow were too great, and an air of settled melancholy pervades his person. An hour passes ; the village clock strikes one, and from the hall below the tidings are repeated. Another hour gone, another day born, and he has decided nothing done nothing. Only sat and waited in this maddening im- potence, so near the woman whose image haunts him, TO RIGHT THE WRONG 271 waking and sleeping, and from whom he is severed so immeasurably, so hopelessly. He shuts the Bible at last, and rises. He goes to the window, and, lifting the blind, stands looking out into the blackness. How dark it is ! Yet not so dark as the night which has settled upon his spl the night of hopelessness ! Above one clear star shines in silver purity ; so Constance shines in upon his darkness, and far as that star is from the poor world upon which it looks, so is she from him. " I must do something," he muses. " I cannot endure this life much longer ; and if it is thus bad for me, what must it be for her ? I must do something to right the wrong ; but what ? " He stands with his hands behind him, his eyes fixed upon that star, trying to solve that problem " WHAT r " " It would have been easy that way," he goes on, letting his thoughts trend back to the dark, dreadful impulse which had at first seized him. "It would have freed her, and I should have gone out of her life into ah ! into what r What lies beyond the darkness ? It would have been easy that way." He lets the blind down again, and goes back to the chair. " It is no use thinking of that again. I promised her, and the promise is sacred ; but I might make it seem that I had broken my word." He knits his brows. "The only thing that can help her is her freedom. Then she might link her life to that of some noble man perchance it would be Hamilton, for I think he loves her. What matters that she thinks me false again, if by that she gains ultimate happiness ? I cannot be worse in her eyes than I am ! Why not go and let them think me dead ? It could be easily done. What is one lie more or less r " He paces the room to and fro ; the clock strikes two ; then he halts again, and upon his face there is a look of determination ; for weal or woe his resolve is taken. " It will grieve her gentle heart at first," he says ; " but she will soon forget the dark past in the brightness of the 272 THE TEAR OF KALEE future. I will go to Africa, out of her life for ever ; it is all I can do, and / will do it ! " He crosses to his desk, and takes his pen. If the thing is to be done, let it be done at once he will write her his last letter. For some time he sits motionless, debating how to word it ; then at last he dips his pen in the ink and bends forward. "CONSTANCE,*' he writes, "I have been false to my word and to you in the past, that I might gain you for myself ; now I am going to be false to my word that I may free you from your fetters. You, in your goodness, made me promise that I would not do that which I now contem- plate ; but as I sit here pondering over your future, I see there is no other way. When you get this letter I shall have passed out of your life, and you will be a free woman. Whether you will proclaim the truth or not, I leave to you. People will think that Vincent Davenport is dead ; you can undeceive them if you will. Perhaps Mr. Hamilton will advise you. " Forgive me oh ! forgive me all the pain I have caused you, and the great wrong I did a wrong for which I am truly penitent now ; and in the future, when you have found the happiness which you deserve, and which I pray that you may have, try to think gently of the man who so wronged you, and who loved you so. ** God bless you, oh, my darling, " MAURICE MAPLETHORPE." He reads the letter through again and again, and a stifled groan escapes his lips. He is bidding her good-bye for ever ! " I came into >her life with a lie, and with a lie I leave it ! " he says bitterly. " Lies, lies all through ! an accursed crop springing from that one first falsehood, to be harvested by me in loneliness and exile." He pushes back the chair, and rises. " I must not stop to think, or I shall break down. Let me see how shall I get this letter to her ? Ah, send it enclosed in one to the chaplain that is the best way ! " TO RIGHT THE WRONG 273 His preparations are soon complete. He has thought of this before, and has kept a store of ready-money in the house. It is needful he should be well supplied if he is to leave the country at once. Letters addressed to the lawyers and to Hamilton he leaves upon the table, with a note that they are to be forwarded at once ; another one he takes with him, together with certain other things he has prepared. One last look round there is nothing to bind him to the place save the fact that Constance once stood there and he puts out the light, and goes out. Across the village road it is not the way, but it passes her house, and he will take one last look at the room where she rests. Ay, there it is the one with the blossoms clustering around the window ! There is a mist before his eyes, a strange, hot choking in his throat. He must go on he cannot spare more time. He crosses the silent wood, and emerges at length by the scolding, noisy weir. Why not end it really ? One plunge and then all would be over ! Why not end it ? For a moment the temptation seizes him, and he stands irresolute. Then he masters the evil ; he has given her the promise, and though she shall think he has broken it, he will keep his word. He lays the letter on the grass, carefully places his hat in the stream, securely held by the fork of a fallen bough it looks as though it had fallen there accidentally a coat and vest are flung down beside the letter, and all is done. " To right the wrong ! " he murmurs. Yet was ever wrong righted by being added to, or one lie killed by another being spoken ? Had he thought of that he might have hesitated ; but now he turns resolutely away, his back to Harleyford, upon the old life and upon Constance his wife. " To right the wrong ! " he murmurs, and vanishes into the darkness ; and the clock, in the village church, strikes four. ****** Safe ! Maurice Maplethorpe heaved a sigh of relief T 274 THE TEAR OF KALEE as he stood outside the London terminus. His plan had been successful ; he had seen no one whom he knew, and it would take more than a casual glance to distinguish in the roughly-clad, travel-stained man, with a three-days' growth of beard on cheek and chin, the spick-and-span owner of the Grange. For he had taken three days getting here, fearing to come direct by rail, lest some one might recognise him. He had walked a great part of the way, choosing cross- country lanes and shunning the main roads. He had pur- chased these rough clothes and suffered his beard to grow ; and now he looked like some mechanic seeking for work one of the many hundreds who are to be seen in London. At first he had intended avoiding the metropolis altogether, and going direct to Southampton ; but as he neared the familiar spot, and recognised one after another the old landmarks, looking upon him like familiar friends, a strange longing had come to him. He wanted to walk by the old house again the house of his childhood, the house where little Charley died, the house where his mother, his sister, and brother lived. And he wanted to go to that quiet cemetery where the paths were so clean and smooth, and the willows and aspens waved over the tombs ; where birds sang as though they knew the hallowed precincts they were in, and suited their notes to its surroundings. He wanted to go and see the place where Charley lay sleeping. He called himself weak ; told himself that it would only make him feel more lonely afterwards ; and yet he went. He could not resist the impulse and he went. There was the house. The last time he had been here Constance hung upon his arm and looked with loving eyes into his face. There was the house what were they doing in there ? Did they ever think of him now ? So away from the place, and on to the cemetery. Just outside, the rush and roar of the traffic resounded, and yet within the gates even the noise seemed strangely subdued. A hush hung over everything, as though Nature were whispering to the visitor to tread lightly, lest he should disturb the holy rest of those who slumbered there. TO RIGHT THE WRONG 275 A benison of peace filled the air and rested on the earth, and it seemed to get into his own weary, troubled soul and speak its message. They who were dead rested so calmly. Perhaps he would find that rest soon. Pray God that it might be so ! He wandered slowly on, staying now and again to read the epitaph on this or that tombstone lines, messages, texts all written when hearts were heavy and eyes tear-filled, and yet all speaking of hope and trust and rest beyond. And he was burying something too burying all that he had hoped for and loved. Not burying his past, for that must ever go with him, haunting him with its grim ghosts. Happy he if he could have buried that ! Nay, it was not the past, but his heart-hope that he was burying. And was there any text of hope that he could take ? Nothing nothing f For him there was no balm in Gilead, no salve for his hurt. He walked on, head bent, hands clasped behind him, till he came to it little Charley's grave. It had been well tended. A stone told the little fellow's name and age. A text of comfort, too, was there. But what was this printed at the bottom ? Surely a strange verse for a tombstone ? Little Charley's favourite song, just slightly altered " Way down upon the golden river, Far, far away, That's where my heart is turning ever, That's where the dear ones stay. All the world is sad and dreary, Everywhere I roam. Oh, Charley, how my heart grows weary, Waiting for the dear ones at home ! '' That was Hester's doing, he was sure ! It was like her, that. And now he must go. It was foolish to have come here ! He must go go to wander far from the dear ones, far from mother, sister, brother ; far from her, his wife, his darling ; far from all that is meant by that one magic word " home." It was here he had knelt, and here he knew the very spot she had knelt beside him, bidding him let the past be 276 THE TEAR OF KALEE past, and use the future for God, bidding him be brave, and whispering that she would help him. And how had he repaid her ? Oh, if he had only had the courage to have spoken openly and truly then ! Now, Heaven help him, it was all over, and he had nothing but the bitterness and the memory to carry into exile with him. He knelt there, and from his troubled heart a prayer went up to Heaven that she might be blessed and made happy ; and then he arose. He arose. Then he started back, for there before him silent, erect stood the form of a woman ; she had come upon him unheard, and was standing watching him as he knelt there. He recoiled and looked into that thin face, with the sorrow-lines of time so deeply furrowed in her brow, and with the silver hair peeping from the bonnet. He did not need to look twice, the first glance was enough ; and, sinking at her feet, Maurice Maplethorpe gasped out the one word " Mother ! " CHAPTER XXXIV MOTHER AND SON " MOTHER ! " By that one word which escaped his lips, ere he had time to consider what it would entail, Maurice Maplethorpe had betrayed himself irrevocably. The sense of his own sorrow and loneliness, the solemnity of the surroundings, and the totally unexpected appearance of his mother, had taken him off his guard, and he knelt there before her, confessed her prodigal son. And she his mother stood looking down upon him, a fierce conflict waging in her heart. This man had brought her the great sorrow of her life ; he had pierced her heart through and through with the biting sword of his disgrace ; he had left her to fight the battle in which he ought to have aided her ; he had been her black sheep, and she had sought to put his memory from her heart. She had said that if ever he came home she would close her door to him ; but, then, MOTHER AND SON 277 when she had heard the tidings of his death, she had repented, and had accused herself of having been too hard, and had wept in secret for her wandering Ishmael. And now he had returned. He was here, kneeling before her careworn, weary, troubled. Just for a minute the fight waged ; then the mother's heart rose superior to all, and she held out her arms, and cried " Maurice, my son, is it indeed you you whom I mourned as dead come back to me ? " Surely Heaven had had pity upon him ! and, while taking all else, had preserved for him this holy haven of comfort the heart-love of a mother. And the man bowed his head upon her shoulder, and wept tears which manhood need not blush to own. " My son, my son, calm yourself ! " she said. " Thank God He has given you back to me ! Come home, Maurice home once more ! Hester and George are there, and they will welcome you. Only one is missing little Charley." Then she paused, and a look of perplexity came into her face. Maurice had been kneeling by Charley's grave. Who had told him ? how did he know ? " Come home ! " The words recalled Maplethorpe to himself. What was this he had done he who was to be dead to the world ? How should he explain ? What would his mother say when he told her all ? " You knew of Charley's death ? " she was saying. " How was that, Maurice ? How did you come to hear ? " Then, as a sudden light broke in upon her, she continued : " Oh, you have seen Sir Vincent Davenport, and he has told you all!" For a moment the temptation to allow her to continue in error was strong upon him, but he put it aside. There had been enough of subterfuge with him, and though he dreaded the ordeal, he would confess all the truth, tell why he was now here, and beg his mother, for Constance's sake, to keep his secret. " I cannot explain to you here, mother," he said slowly. " I did know of Charley's death, and came here to look at his grave ere going away." " Going away ! " she repeated. " What, were you not 278 THE TEAR OF KALEE coming to see me not coming home ? Maurice, do you mean that, after all these years of absence, you were going to leave the country without one word to me, your mother ? " " Perhaps it would have been best for you, mother, had I done so," he replied. " I knew you thought me dead, and with my death you had forgiven me. Now I have come to tear open old wounds, to make fresh ones, to tell you that I am even worse than you thought me. Ah, mother, can you not see it would have been best for me, and kinder to you ? I came past the old house this morning. I looked up at every window to catch one glimpse of one of you, and then came on here." " But why, Maurice, why ? You may have sinned, but you are penitent. I found you kneeling in prayer. Why should you fear to come to me, your mother ? " " Mother," he said solemnly, " I will tell you a//, and then you will understand. Only this you must promise me you have thought me dead, the world now thinks me dead, and though you know the truth, the world must not learn it." " But, Maurice " "Mother, heed what I say the world must not be undeceived. So much am I in earnest, that were my secret made public, I think I should do what I am now supposed to have done, and take my own life." His words only served to increase his mother's bewilder- ment. Her son had been reported dead it had been said that he fell overboard when the Star of India was entering Southampton and now he was saying that people believed that he had taken his own life ! She could not solve the riddle ; and she only said "Come home with me, my son, and do as you have promised tell me all, and then I can judge." And he placed her hand upon his arm, replying " So be it, mother ; I will come." What a strange home-coming it was ! Maplethorpe called a cab as soon as they left the cemetery he would risk no more recognitions. And in a brief space he was once more at the home of his childhood. MOTHER AND SON 279 "I ,will go and tell the children," said his mother. " You wait in here." Her caution was wasted. Surprised at the unwonted appearance of a cab at the door, and somewhat alarmed at seeing her mother alight from it, Hester Maplethorpe came running up the hall before Maurice could be got into the little sitting-room. She saw her mother accompanied by a tall, rough-looking stranger. She glanced once, twice. She hesitated, and then recognition came, and the girl had her arms round his neck sobbing, and calling him " Dear old Maury," while the brother followed from the inner rooms, hands outstretched in no half-hearted welcome. And that is how Maurice Maplethorpe came home once more. It was sweet to this weary man to be thus welcomed, and yet it made his task the harder. Was it ever to be his fate that as soon as he had gained aught of love and affection he must himself destroy it, and wander on alone ? Such a welcome weakened his resolve. But he nerved himself afresh. He would not wait. He would tell his tale at once. "I did not think such a welcome would await me," he said sadly. " I do not deserve it. And when you know my story " "Don't tell it, Maury," said his brother. "Let the old past be past, and let us bury it, and turn to the future." He shook his head, and smiled faintly. " George, that is a vain philosophy. There is no past in the true sense of the word. Our yesterdays are the forces which make our to-days. My past must shape my present and my future. Nay, sit down and listen. I will tell all my tale, and you three shall be my judges." His manner was quiet and solemn. This Maurice was something different from the one whom they had known in days gone by j and the three sat down, waiting for him to. begin. A short silence. It was not an easy matter he had before him. Then he said slowly " I will preface my story with two confessions. It will be easier to tell the rest when that is done. Firstly, do you remember meeting a man in Grey and Coulson's a man 280 THE TEAR OF KALEE who said he was named Davenport when you called him Maurice Maplethorpe ? I was that man, and I lied to you. I was the man who stood by the bed of little Charley, who denied himself to his little dying brother. Do you hear me you, my mother, and you, my brother and sister ? This was no Sir Vincent Davenport. It was I Maurice Maplethorpe ! Now judge whether I deserve your love.*' He paused, and drew his hand across his brow with a gesture of despair, and brother and sister sat silent, not knowing what to say not knowing what this strange confession was to lead to. But she his mother spoke. A hectic flush was on her thin white cheeks, and her hands were clasped in her lap so tightly that the knuckles showed white beneath the strained skin. She was putting severe restraint upon herself, and she said, in low tones " From the first my heart told me that it was you, and you denied it. I said then that if you were speaking falsely I would never see your face again ; but Heaven has decreed that you should come here. Go on with your story. I will not judge till you have told me all. Did the woman who was with you know of your lie ? " " As there is a heaven above us, no ! " he cried vehemently. " Think no evil of her ! Bad as has been my treatment of you, 'tis nothing to the falseness I showed to her, the purest, the noblest and best woman on earth ! " She kept her eyes fixed upon his face while he spoke, saying shortly when he ceased " Very well ; let me hear your story." And then he kept his word, and told her all of his wanderings in India ; of the ill-fortune which attended his steps, and seemed to thwart all his efforts to retrieve the past ; of his first meeting with Davenport, and his subsequent idea of taking his place. Then he spoke of his meeting with Constance, and his voice faltered as he mentioned her name. "She came like an angel from heaven into my life," he said ; " and I felt that I could not give her up. I was wrong, I know, mother ; but, as heaven is above us, I had no thought of this at first." MOTHER AND SON 281 He told of the marriage ; and his sister's eyes were filled with tears of sympathy for his anguish and despair. He told of all that had followed, down to the time of coming away, ending with the question " Now do you see, mother, why it is that I must appear dead ? She is so honest that I have little doubt she will at once proclaim the truth ; and then Maurice Maplethorpe must be dead. It must be so ! " " And do you hope to undo the evil of one lie by making another ? " asked Mrs. Maplethorpe as he finished. " My son, you have not learnt your lesson yet the lesson which this woman whom you have so wronged has tried to teach you. Never did man atone for one lie by telling another ; the tree which is evil shall never bring forth good fruit. The work of Christ cannot be wrought with the methods of him who is the father of lies." " But what else can I do, mother ? " he pleaded. " You would not have me add to the evil, and condemn her to a life martyrdom ? It is not only that she regards me with the distaste which my conduct has inspired, but she may learn to love another and better man. I I think Mr. Hamilton loves her, and perhaps, now that he knows, presently he may make her his wife. Mother, I must do this. It is the only reparation I can make. Do not thwart me, I entreat you ! " " Maurice is right, mother," his brother put in. " There is no other way for him. It is more manly. He must go." She paid no heed to the words. She seemed to ponder the problem in her mind, and at last she said " And you betrayed this innocent girl into marrying you ? " Yes." " And gained her love ? " " Yes." "Then you are sure that you are not making a mis- take that shall at last only add to the evil ? Maurice, I have seen this woman who is your wife, and spoken with her. I believe her to be what you say a noble, true woman, and such a one does not easily change her love. Suppose she loves you still ? " 282 " Ah, mother, have pity. Do not put such a wild, impossible thing into my head. It only adds to my torture. How can she love me ? Could any woman love a man who had so deceived her ? No ! Let me go, mother. Keep my secret for me, and let me feel that I have done the only thing I could do relieved her of the horror of believing herself my wife. I promise you that, so long as I shall live, I will keep to that better way to which she first pointed me at little Charley's grave ; and if I fall it will be honourably fighting for my country, and facing the foe. Ah ! say that you forgive me, for I have been sore punished for my sin. Let your hand rest on my head, and give me your blessing to help me in my battle, and let me go, mother. George is right there is no other way." He knelt at her feet, and took her hand in his. " I have been a bad lot, and this is the first good thing I have done, mother. It makes me feel a little more like a man, and less like a cur. You will not hinder me, mother ? " " I will give you my blessing, and I will give you my pardon, Maurice, fully and freely. You have sinned, and are being punished, but God in His mercy is bringing you through the path of your suffering into His light. For the rest, be content to stay here to-night. I want to think and pray. To-morrow I will give you my answer." And with that he had fain to be content. And that night Maurice Maplethorpe went to his old room the room where little Charley had died ; the room in which she his wife had said to the little lad that she would do all she could to help his " Maury " to reach that Homeland Shore that lies beyond the veil of the Now. He could see her now, just as she stood then ; could still feel the spell of her presence, the peace of her unwaver- ing faith ; and now, now he should never see her more ! To her, to Hamilton, to all the world he had left at Harley- ford, he was a dead man ! He could not sleep. Hour after hour he sat there with his sorrow, till at last there came a knock at his door to rouse him to his surroundings. It was his mother. She, too, had not sought her bed. MOTHER AND SON 283 She had seen the light in his room, and now she had come to him. " You are sleepless, Maurice," she said, as she sat down beside him. " You look fevered." " It is nothing, mother ; I am all right." " Your forehead is burning " and she placed her hand upon his brow. " Poor boy, your trouble is great ! " " Don't ! don't ! " he gasped. " Don't speak so ! Curse me, blame me, scold me ; but don't pity me ! I I cannot bear it ! " His whole frame shook. He would force back the grief; it should not overcome him. She should not see the hidden heart-agony ! She should Vain, all vain ! That word and touch of sympathy, that old-time tenderness, had swept all reserve aside ; and he burst into tears hot, fierce tears the dreadful tears of a strong man's agony. " Oh, my God, what shall I do ? My punishment is greater than I can bear ! " "'Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' " Very softly the mother repeated the words the same words which had been written under the picture of the Christ on that painted window of the old church the words which had looked down upon him when he was left alone on that dreadful day ! Yes, He could give him rest ; He was bidding him come ; for surely Maurice Maplethorpe was very weary and heavy laden now ! " Listen, Maurice. I have thought of all you have told me, and I have prayed for guidance. I do not know if it is right in some ways I feel it is not ; but yet I think that God wishes me to let you go. I would have kept you here with me, but it may not be. Only, Maurice, pray for strength to keep close to Him ; and remember that if this world has been filled with bitterness, as were the waters of Marah for the host of Israel, yet beyond there is an Elim of rest and sweetness ; and there God will wipe away all tears, and there shall be no more sorrow and sighing. And now, my son, kneel with me, and let us seek comfort together from Him who never turned a deaf ear to my prayers yet. I trust you to Him, my son, and may He bless your every step." 284 THE TEAR OF KALEE He knelt by her side, just as he had done in those far-off childhood days ; and she offered up her heart's prayer for him. And surely that prayer was heard and answered, for to his soul there came a sense of peace ; and he rose from his knees calm and comforted. Then she left him, and he slept; but for her, the mother, sleep came not that night, and again and again she stole to the room of her firstborn, that she might gaze into his face. Surely it was hard, very hard, now that she had found him, to have to part from him again ; now that he had been given to her, as one come back from the grave, to have to send him into exile for ever ! Yea, surely it was hard. Yet she bore in patience and submission ; for all her life had been one long prayer, " Not my will, but Thine, be done." They were all calmer when they met at the morning meal. Mrs. Maplethorpe had announced her agreement with Maurice's plans ; and now they accepted the matter as settled, the only question being when he should start. There was no steamer for four days, so George found out upon inquiry, and as Maurice was less likely to be seen by any one who might recognise him if he remained with his mother, he decided to stay where he was, and not go to Southampton till the last minute. He felt no apprehension of his secret being discovered, and it gave his mother and sister time to prepare clothing for his journey. So two of the four days went by, quiet and without incident. The lamps were lit, and while Hester and his mother worked, busy with their labour of love, Maurice sat talking with his brother and discussing the probability of war soon breaking out. "If nothing happens at the Cape," he was saying, "I shall make my way to the Congo region and see if I can get something to do there. Don't think that I am going to throw away my life in sinful foolhardiness, George ; that would only be an underhand way of committing suicide. I shall not do that, but I shall embark upon a life of adventure, hoping that I may get wiped out doing my duty like a man. If ever you hear that I am dead well, in my desk upstairs you will find a letter addressed to Miss Linton. I want you MOTHER AND SON 285 to take it and give it into her own hands. Will you promise, old fellow ? " Yes, Maurice." "Thanks, I knew I could depend upon you you always were a good fellow ; not like me, and Hallo, what is that ? " A shrill scream, the cry of a woman in terror, broke upon the evening quiet, causing the ladies to start up in alarm, and the brothers to leap to their feet. There again it came ! " Help ! oh, help ! " George rushed to the door, Maurice, forgetting all caution, close behind him. A little knot of people, alarmed by the outcry, had gathered round a group of three people a woman struggling with two men, who were endeavouring to force her into a cab. " There is no need for alarm," they heard one of them say. "The poor creature is mad. She is one of our countrywomen. See, here we have the doctor's certificate. She escaped this morning, and we have been searching for her ever since." " No, no, no ! " cried the woman, in terror ; " it is not true ! I am not mad ! Oh, help me ! " " Poor creature ! " came the murmurs of pity ; but no one attempted to stir in her behalf. " Of course she would say she was not mad they all do that, poor creatures ! " observed one portly old gentleman. " There, go quietly, there's a dear soul." " I am not mad ! I am not mad ! " came the answer ; and the woman struggled desperately. And then Maurice gripped his brother by the arm, his face pale with surprise and excitement. " Mercy on me, George," he said hoarsely, " the woman is not mad ! That is Aimie Davenport, and those two fellows are a couple of the priests of Kalee ! Come what may, I must free her, or she will suffer all the hideous tortures of their vengeance ! " 286 THE TEAR OF KALEE CHAPTER XXXV u THIS MAN WAS MY HUSBAND ! " WHEN Bruce Hamilton left Squire Applebye's house, it was with the intention of shaking the dust of Harleyford from his feet, and leaving the place which had treated him so unkindly, for ever. But he remembered that he had promised to take the service for the vicar that very afternoon ; and though, in his then mood, he felt it would be impossible for him to do that, he would not go without first seeing his old friend and make some excuse. He could not tell him the truth, for the vicar knew nothing of the Tear being in the squire's house ; and Bruce had no desire to make the story of Madge's folly public property. He went to the inn, the only place of the kind which the village could boast of, and told the proprietor to send to the Manor House for his boxes, and keep them there till he returned ; and then he set off to the vicarage. Bitter indeed were his thoughts. It would have been bad enough to have been accused as he had been under any circumstances ; but there was something in this which, to his mind, made it far worse, for Bruce had not the least doubt himself as to what had become of the diamond. There was only one way in which it could have gone only one person, saving himself, who could have taken it and that person was Squire Applebye. Why should he not have done it ? Bruce knew, only too well, the fatal power which the Tear was capable of exercising upon men. True, the squire was one of those grand old fellows whom one would have thought would sooner die than do a dishonourable deed ; but then there had been men like that before, who had fallen, conquered before a sudden temptation. He had been, for years, cramped for money. His lands had been heavily mortgaged, and many an acre lost. There was nothing very remarkable in his yielding, when so many others had fallen. Besides, did not poor little Madge "THIS MAN WAS MY HUSBAND!" 287 mean that when she spoke ? She had inferred what she had not dared say that her father was the thief. And, having fallen, the proud old man, hitherto so honourable, would magnify his own offence, and so shrink from the prospect of exposure that he would be fain to cast the suspicion upon the only one who, besides himself, could be suspected. The fact that he had proposed taking the gem to the police went for nothing in Hamilton's eyes. When men contemplated such a thing as this, they were generally cunning enough to make it appear as though they would be the last in the world to do it. " It is the old curse of the Tear again. Wherever it goes it makes people selfish," he reflected sadly. " He is sacrificing my honour and Madge's happiness for the Tear of Kalee, and I cannot speak. I cannot accuse her father of being the thief. Had Madge wished that, she would have spoken herself. No, I must go and bear my cross as best I can. Perhaps one day the cloud will lift, and then I will come back for her." Then came the fierce desire to see Madge once more. He combated with it ; told himself that it would only grieve both her and himself ; but that desire grew yet stronger and stronger. He could not go away like this perhaps for years without once more pressing her lips to his own. Come what might he would see her. His visit to the vicar was but brief. He told the old gentleman that he was going away, and, without telling why, explained that the squire had forbidden his having anything more to do with his daughter. He rejected the old man's kindly-meant offers of peacemaker, and then came back to the inn, his mind made up. His boxes had arrived, together with a rather bulky letter the latter being brought by a messenger from the Grange, who had first gone to the squire's and then been sent on here. Hamilton took the letter and glanced at the writing. A letter from Maurice Maplethorpe ! What could he have to say to him ? However, he had something else to attend to for the moment. A note was penned to Madge, saying that he 288 THE TEAR OF KALEE was going away to London, and, perhaps, should leave the country and take up his work in India again, and asking her to try and see him once more. " He would be in the woods near the tower," he said, " this afternoon, and if she could come and bid him farewell, he would go with a lighter heart." He sent for one of the maids they all knew and liked him and asked her if she thought she could get this secretly to Miss Madge Applebye. The girl had heard some vague rumours of trouble, and her heart sympathised with the lovers. She made no trouble about it. The letter should be delivered, she said, and she would take care that no one knew it had been sent. That was done. Now to see what Maurice Maple- thorpe had to say. Poor fellow ! if he felt this parting from his wife half as much as Bruce felt his pain, he must be miserable indeed. How strange it was ! In Maplethorpe's case as well as in his own, it was this dreadful Tear which had severed him from his love, and in each case they were innocent of having had it. " I will see him before I go," he thought. " There is no reason why he should not know, for he will keep my secret, and " The chaplain paused in the very act of opening the letter, for, from without, came the voice of a rustic shouting excitedly to the innkeeper " Mister Simmonds ! Oh ! Mr. Simmonds, here be a awful thing ! Do 'ee look what I've found ! " " Hallo ! Now, what is it, Giles ? " demanded the inn- keeper. " What ha' ye found ? A good big mare's-nest, I'll be thinkin', by the look o' ye." " Mare's-nest ! 'Tain't no mare's-nest, Mr. Simmonds ; it's an awful tragedery ! Sir Vincent Davenport he's gone and drownded himself, that's what it is ! " "What?" shouted the innkeeper. "Sir Vincent Davenport ! Look here, man, what do you mean ? " "It's true," replied the rustic, half scared out of his wits. " It's true as gospel." Then catching sight of the chaplain as he came forward, he said again : " He's drownded, sir ! Sir Vincent, sir, he's been and drownded himself ! " "THIS MAN WAS MY HUSBAND!" 289 " Sit down, my man, and try and tell me quietly what you mean." And Bruce placed a firm hand on the man's shoulder. " Sit down, and why, what are these ? " For Giles held up, in mute testimony of his statement, a hat all soiled and wet, and a coat and vest. " I found coat and waistcoat on the bank near the weir, sir," he said, with a gasp of nervous excitement ; "and this 'ere letter, sir, which was open, or I wouldn't ha' been so bold as to read it, sir. And I remembered how when poor old Smith drownded hisself at that very place, when I was a bit of a boy, he left his coat and a letter just like that." The chaplain took the letter, all damp with the early dew, and read it. It was true. And he shuddered. Maurice Maplethorpe had drowned himself! Kalee's Tear had claimed another victim. He opened his own letter, and a second, addressed to Constance, fell out. Yes, it was true ; this confirmed it. Hamilton sat down, feeling sick and faint. For the moment his own trouble was forgotten before this dreadful thing. And this letter for Constance Linton ? The dead man had sent it to him asking him to deliver it. Well, he would accept the charge. There was one thing, it must bring relief to her, even though she might be shocked at the manner in which it came. He had better go at once, for the news would be spreading in every direction, and it would be kindest for her if she should hear it first from him. He had better go at once. " Simmonds, you had better take this man over to the squire's. He is the nearest magistrate " " Beg pardon, sir ; the doctor is a magistrate, sir." " I know j but he is likely to be out, and this requires attending to at once. Besides, I will go to Dr. Linton's myself." " He don't want to go to the squire's," reflected the innkeeper. " He's had a row with the old man, and wants to keep out of his way." And satisfied with this reflection, the man bundled Giles into his light cart and drove off; while the chaplain took the shorter journey, to the doctor's house. 290 THE TEAR OF KALEE Maplethorpe dead ! Driven to despair by his helpless love, and taken this awful step for the sake of Constance ! Oh ! if he had only had the least idea of what had been in this man's mind, perhaps he might have been able to have saved him from his madness ! He reached the house, and having made his request, was shown into the drawing-room, where, in a few moments, Constance joined him. Her eyes were red ; she had been weeping. Her disappointment and her father's anger had been hard to bear ; but she advanced with outstretched hand, and a smile of welcome. " Mr. Hamilton, I am glad you have come. I want to tell you how sorry I am for you. It is very hard to be wrongfully accused, as you have been." He took her hand in his own ; her words comforted him. This woman did not believe him guilty. " Miss Linton," he said gently, " it is very kind of you. I am thankful to find you believe me innocent." " How could I do aught else ? " she said. " Mr. Hamilton, I know you would not do such a thing." " God knows I would not, Miss Linton. The Tear of Kalee has never had any power over me. But it was not for that I came to see you. I I have a message for you." " For me ? A message ! Who is it from, Mr. Hamil- ton ?" Then, noting the grave look upon his face, she paused. What fresh trouble was this ? Her fingers clasped and unclasped nervously, and the chaplain noticed how white and thin they were. " Will you sit down ? " she said slowly, at the same time seating herself. " I am waiting to hear your message, Mr. Hamilton." " I am afraid it will shock you, Miss Linton," he went on gravely. " Will you try and be brave ? " "Yes." Her lips framed the word, but no sound came. A strange terror was gripping her heart. What was this he had to tell ? ** First let me explain one thing, Miss Linton," he said. "THIS MAN WAS MY HUSBAND!" 291 "The day I met you in London I had just come from another interview." " From another ? " she repeated, her eyes fixed on his face. "Yes," Bruce replied. "I had just been with the real Sir Vincent Davenport." Her lips pressed together for a moment ; then they parted with a slight smile, and a sigh of relief escaped her. So this was his news. He had found out that Maurice was not the rightful owner of the Grange. " Please go on," she said, as he waited for her to speak. " I went back to the Grange after I left you, to learn from its owner if you knew the truth." " Yes, I knew it," she said softly. " So I found out. Mr. Maplethorpe told me the whole story. And when I told him that you must be informed, he said you knew, and that you wished the secret to be kept. Was that so ? " " Yes, for the time." "Only for the time?" he said. "Did you intend to reveal it later, then ? " " II think I did. Yes." Hamilton paused. He was perplexed by her manner. Constance did not speak as though this marriage had been so hateful in her eyes. " You have not told me about the message, Mr. Hamil- ton. Who is it from ? " Then, as a sudden thought came, she added hastily, " It is from my husband ! Why has he sent to me ? Is he ill, or has he gone away ? " " He has gone away," he repeated, in troubled tones. " Gone away a long, long journey." The fingers did not move restlessly now, they were clasped very tightly. He had gone away ! Well, perhaps it was best ; and yet, oh, the sudden pain that came with those tidings ! He had gone, ignorant of her love. Gone away j and she would have given the whole world to have been able to say, " Husband, come back." " He was truly repentant for the injury he had done you. He wanted to undo the mischief if he could." " But he could not alter it by going away, Mr. Hamilton. He "-~ " 292 THE TEAR OF KALEE A long journey ! Oh, what was this fearful light that was coming ? A long journey ! He could not mean that he could not, Maurice had promised her. " You must not grieve, Miss Linton," Hamilton went on pityingly, noting the sorrow on her face. " You cannot blame yourself." " Oh, but I do I do ! " she moaned. " It was my pride that caused this. I ought to have told him to proclaim the truth at once, instead of bidding him keep silence." "That would not have aided him. He would only have felt the more grief. No, his trouble was great, and we can believe that God, who knows all things, has pardoned his offence. Heaven is merciful, Miss Linton." " Not that name ! " she cried. " If I kept it secret before, now I will speak the truth." " That must be as you will ! See, here is his letter. He sent it to me, and asked me to give it to you." " And you, ever kind and faithful, came at once ! It was good of you, when you had your own trouble to bear. I I am very grateful " The door behind them swung open noisily, and Dr. Linton, his face dark with anger, strode in. " Constance, what does this mean ? " he thundered. " How dare you grant an interview to this man, after you know what has happened ? " Hamilton turned to the angry man quietly. It was terrible that this poor girl should suffer this fresh outburst, with all her trouble weighing upon her. " Dr. Linton " he began ; but the doctor pointed to the door. " You leave my house, sir ! You have been turned out of my friend's, and I will not allow you to come within my portals ! It is an insult, sir ! " " I should not have come here, sir, had not an imperative duty brought rne. Do not fear that I shall again annoy you with my presence. But do not blame your daughter. She has enough to bear, and she is not at fault." " Sir, I will not suffer this ! My daughter's trials are due to her own folly and disobedience. As to whether she is to blame or not, of that I am the best judge. But stay " "THIS MAN WAS MY HUSBAND!" 293 he checked his passion " perhaps you will explain why you have honoured her with this visit. Was it with some message from the man who sought to make her undergo a mock marriage ? I should hardly think that even you would consent to carry out such a thing as that." She shuddered, and uttered a little cry as she heard her father speak. Little did he know how his words struck her. "Sir," came the grave answer, "perhaps it will make you moderate your anger when I tell you that the man you refer to is dead." Dead ! " The doctor paused and looked incredulously at the chaplain. " Dead, did you say r " " Yes," was the reply. " But but how ? He was alive and with his wife this morning. He was dead ! " Dr. Linton repeated the word. The news had shocked him, and he went on slowly " Had I known that I would not have said what I did just now." " I am sure of it, sir. I came to tell your daughter, and bring her a note from him." " You did wrong. No note from him should have come to her. You should have brought it to me. I will try and not speak harshly of the dead, but this man was " "Stop!" Constance had risen, and stood facing her father, her face firm and her form erect. " Stop, father ! It is time you should hear the whole truth. It has been kept a secret too long. Mr. Hamilton will confirm what I say. Here is the note you speak of; I have not read it yet, but I shall presently. No" as he held out his hand " my eyes and mine only shall see this. It is sacred, for this man was my husband ! " 294 THE TEAR OF KALEE CHAPTER XXXVI THEIR LAST FAREWELL YOUR husband ! " Doctor Linton repeated the words slowly, looking in bewilderment from his daughter to Hamilton, who, standing near the door, his hand upon the handle, awaited the issue of this announcement. " Your husband, did you say, Constance ? What do you mean ? Come, there has been enough and too much of this mystery ! Speak plainly, and tell me what you mean by saying that Sir Vincent Davenport was your husband." "Not Sir Vincent Davenport, father. Oh, has not the real truth ever dawned upon you ? This man was not Sir Vincent Davenport at all. He was the Maurice Maple- thorpe who was supposed to have been drowned. He came here to secure the inheritance of the man he thought to be dead, and though that compelled him to acknowledge the woman Aimie as his wife, yet there was really no obstacle to his marriage with me ; and / am legally his wife ! " The doctor passed his hand across his brow, as though to clear his thoughts. Usually quick enough to perceive even that which others might not observe, the suddenness of Constance's tidings had for the moment staggered him. He sat down, and then motioned to Hamilton to do the same. " You know of this ? " he said. And the chaplain bowed in assent. "Then you will oblige me by remaining, and confirm- ing my daughter's words. Am I to understand that the man who is living at the Grange is not its legal owner ? " "The man who was living," corrected the chaplain. "No, he was an impos not the real Sir Vincent. I found out that truth only a short time since. Perhaps it will be best if you will allow me to narrate his story to you." THEIR LAST FAREWELL 295 He paused, and the doctor nodded without speaking. This was something he had never dreamed of. And then quietly, briefly, Bruce Hamilton told the whole story, from the first meeting of the two men in Calcutta down to his own last interview with Maplethorpe. "I knew nothing of this man," he said in conclusion, " but I found him to be keenly sensitive to the wrong he had done your daughter, and only anxious to atone for it. Dr. Linton, he has atoned for it " and the chaplain spoke very solemnly "atoned for it in a dread manner. The man you saw was the real thief or, rather, his wife was. The man who has taken this step was innocent of ever having seen the Tear of Kalee. He was not now even in danger from her servants. He took this step that he might undo the wrong he had done, break her fetters, and set your daughter free. Judge him not. He has appealed to a higher tribunal than man's." The chaplain ceased, and the doctor turned to his daughter. "And how long did you know of this ? " he asked, "and why did you not tell me at once, so that I might take steps to set you free ? " "I knew of it from that day when I incurred your displeasure by going to the Grange," she said, "and I did not tell you because I did not desire freedom." " You mean because of the publicity," he answered, not dreaming that there could be any other reason. " You were wrong, Constance ; I could have done this very quietly. Well, there is no need now ; he is dead, and we will not judge him. But you, my daughter, never cease to thank God for the merciful deliverance from a fate so utterly dreadful, no matter by what means it has come to you." She did not answer him. To tell him the sorrow of her heart would neither mitigate her pain nor serve any useful end, so she held her peace, and he turned to Hamilton. " I owe you an apology for speaking as I did just now, Mr. Hamilton," he said. " We are under an obligation for your having brought these tidings so quickly. You will, however, not misunderstand me when I repeat that, at least 296 THE TEAR OF KALEE till the mystery of the Tear's disappearance is cleared up, it will be more pleasing to me if you do not call here." "I quite understand, doctor," was the steady answer. " Rest assured I shall not trouble you more." He made no attempt to offer his hand to the other ; but, as he turned, Constance came to him. " Good-bye, faithful friend," she said. " Do not despair ; your trouble will pass in the end, for God does not permit His children to be unjustly accused for ever. Farewell, Mr. Hamilton ! " And so he came away. His errand was accomplished, and, after he had bidden his poor little Madge good-bye, there was nothing to keep him in England. His heart was very heavy, and yet amidst the darkness of his sorrow those words of Constance's seemed to bring a light. God knew he was innocent, and He would surely clear him in His own time ? He walked on, absorbed in his own sad thoughts ; and yet three times did he pause and glance round carefully, with an uneasy feeling that he was being followed. Surely he could not be mistaken ; he had caught sight of a man stealthily gliding from one tree to another ; and there before him he could see another clearly. He hastened his steps. If there really were any of Kalee's servants here, he ought to be on the spot when Madge arrived the poor child must not be subject to another ordeal. He almost wished now that he had not asked her to come. But when he came into the little clearing in the midst of which the old ruin stood, Bruce Hamilton perceived that, so far as the man before him went, his fears were ground- less ; for standing, his back to the wall, his arms folded, and a dark frown upon his face, there he saw Sir Vincent Davenport himself. The baronet had seen him approaching, and noted his hesitation now with a slight sneer. ** What, Bruce Hamilton, you are not pleased to see me eh ? " he laughed bitterly. " Well, I am not surprised at that, all things considered. So the temptation has been too great for even you eh ? And when you got the chance. THEIR LAST FAREWELL 297 you could not refrain from taking Kalee's Tear, in spite of the danger which you say surrounds its possessor. How are the mighty fallen, Hamilton ! " And he laughed again. "And you called yourself my friend ! You came prating to me, in London, about speaking the truth and restoring the Tear ; and now, when you know that I would have really striven to regain my place among honourable men, you have taken the only means of my doing so away." Bruce listened to his words in silence. " I am not pleased to see you," he confessed, " but not for the reasons you think. I I " He hesitated, then he spoke boldly. " I do not know why I should hesitate to tell you. I came here to have one last interview with the woman I love, and from whom I am now separated " " Through having the Tear ! You have to make your choice, the one or the other ! " Just for the moment the chaplain's fist clenched, and he felt a strong desire to knock the other down ; but he mastered his anger, and said gravely " Not through having the Tear, but because I am suspected of having it." " A distinction without a difference this time." " A distinction and a difference. Davenport, that others should think me capable of taking this is not a matter of surprise ; but that you should, shows how far you yourself must have fallen ! Man man, did I ever, in all our lives, do a mean thing to you ? Look back. Is there one thing you can reproach me with ? " " No," admitted Davenport, with something of shame. " No ; but you had not been tempted by the Tear then." " And is that likely to tempt me ? Have you found it easy to get rid of the Tear r " " Too easy," laughed the other. " It went of itself." " You know what I mean. You could not sell it. The searchers are hard upon its track. It has only brought you misery. And I could have no better hope of success, even if I had contemplated taking the thing, which I never did." " You nev er did ! What, Hamilton, do you mean to say honestly that you have not got the Tear ? " 298 THE TEAR OF KALEE " I have not got it." " Why, then, the old gentleman over yonder must have it ! There is no one else." " Hush, Davenport ! For our old friendship's sake, hold your tongue, even though I have to bear the brunt of it. Yes, I believe the squire has it. I feel sure he has ; but he is my little girl's father, and I cannot expose him." Davenport was silent. He had left his wife to secure the Tear for himself; but Hamilton was leaving his love, that her stupid, proud old father might be safe from the Hindoos' vengeance. He held out his hand. " Hamilton, I am sorry ; forgive me. You always were a good sort, and I should have known better. I will clear out." " Where is your wife ? " " In that cottage yonder." And Davenport nodded in the direction of the Grange. " We are in a hole, you see. I had hoped to get enough money from that fellow Maple- thorpe to take Aimie and myself out to the Cape ; but he is missing, and we are waiting till he returns." " Waiting till he returns ! You have not heard, then ? " " Heard ! Heard what ? I have heard nothing ! " " Maplethorpe is dead. He committed suicide," said the chaplain. And Davenport started and blanched. " Committed suicide ! Do you mean that, or is it the work of those relentless Thugs ? " " No ; this is his own doing." " Driven to it by them, though ! Ah, there is no shaking them off; they are everywhere !" " They are in this wood, keeping an eye upon me," was the reply. " But Maplethorpe was not driven to this by them. Indeed, he had nothing to fear from them, for they quite knew who he was ; and I do not think that even his death will deceive them." " But why did he do this, then ? " "Because there was no other way of freeing his wife. It was for her sake." " But she did not desire freedom ! Why, man, she loves him!" " Loves him ! " Hamilton stood staring blankly at THEIR LAST FAREWELL 299 Davenport. "Are you sure you know what you are saying ? Did she tell you or your wife so ? " " Not in so many words," admitted Davenport. " And yet she conveyed the fact by her words. All her pleading was for him. I am sure she loved him." " I trust not ; not in that way, at any rate. But of yourself. What will you do ? Constance has already told her father the truth. The whole place will know that it is Maurice Maplethorpe who is dead, and that the real owner of the Grange is alive. You will have to face the danger if you try to take your place." " And what's to become of the place if I do not ? " " Maplethorpe thought of that. He has already written to your lawyers telling them the truth, and directing them to take charge of the place till they hear from you. If you want my advice, I should say let them put the estate in the market, and sell it to the highest bidder." " And, in the meantime, what am I to do ? " " Go, as you proposed, to Africa. They can send the money on to you." " You forget that I need money to go with." " True ; I forgot." Hamilton paused and pondered a little ; then he said, " Vincent, there is one way. I will let you have the money." You will ? " " Yes. I have it to spare, and if you never repay it, it is not a very great matter. I mean to leave the country myself. I shall go back to the old life, I think." " Why not come with us ? " cried Davenport. " Let us turn our backs on all the past, and seek happiness in another land. Come with us, Hamilton." " I will think of it. There is no reason why I should not do so, for I am not in the least particular where I go, and But leave me, Davenport. Here comes my poor little Madge." Yes, she came running through the woods, her arms out, her eyes full of tears, to throw herself sobbing upon his breast, and call him " her darling ! " to say he must not go, that she could not live without him, and to ask him why he did not hate her. 300 THE TEAR OF KALEE And he stood soothing her as one would soothe a sorrow- ful child stroking her bonnie hair, and whispering soft words of comfort. " He did not hate her. Why should he do that ? " he asked. " Why ? Had not she first taken that horrid Tear ? There would have been no trouble but for that. It was all through her wickedness." "You do not understand, dear. You tried to put it back, and could not. You should have trusted me, and I would have done it for you," he said. " I dared not ! I was too ashamed to do that, darling ! And now I am punished, and you are made unhappy ! " And she burst out crying again. " They shall not part us ! " she declared. " It is cruel, Bruce!" " It must be for the time, dear. Suspected as I am " " Suspected ! They have no right to suspect you ! Oh, darling, I know you did not take it ! I know, and yet I cannot speak ! Oh, Bruce ! do you not hate me for that ? " " No, Madge," he said gently ; " I do not hate you, for I know, too ; and I understand why you should keep silent. Indeed, I should wish you to do nothing less than you have done." She raised her head and looked at him in wonder. " You know ? " whispered she. " You know ? " " Yes, dearest." " Kiss me, beloved ! Listen. They shall not sever us. Bruce, you are not going away ? " " Yes, Madge, my darling, my heart's love, listen. I am going with a suspicion upon my name going to face new tasks and new hardships, perhaps. I do not know how things may go with me. It would be wrong to take you with me, unmanly and weak. Madge darling, you have a duty, and I have a duty ; and we must each be brave, and do our work. You stay here help Victoria and the squire ; and if it will comfort you to feel that you are being of service to me, keep watch. You may be able to help me more than you think. I want some one here who knows that I am innocent, and who will keep me informed as to how things THEIR LAST FAREWELL 301 are going. You stay, Madge mine ; and I promise you that if nothing transpires within a year, then I will come back and claim you openly. But for your sake and my own, dear, I will not take you in secret. Will you do this, Madge, and wait for me ? " " I will wait all my life, dear, if you wish it," she said. " Your way is best I know it. And yet oh, Bruce, I dread the thought of our being separated for so long ! Africa is so very far away, dear." " Only a few weeks' journey, dear. Come, be brave, darling mine ; and send me away with a strong heart, your voice in my ears, your image in my heart, and your love for my talisman and guiding star." Her head was bent upon his shoulder ; she was trying hard to be brave, but she could not manage it ; and he felt that parting would be hard indeed. " I want to to be brave, and do as you tell me," she sobbed. " I will try indeed I will, Bruce. I will wait patiently, and I will come to you whenever you send for me." " That is my brave girl. Now, give me one last kiss, and bid me farewell." One last kiss, one long lingering embrace, and he unclasped her arms from his neck. " Madge, I will come back with you," he said quietly. She thought that it was for the sake of the last few precious moments that he would walk back by her side, and he did not undeceive her. He did not tell her that even then he had caught another glimpse of a swart face and crouching figure close at hand. These priests were still there, and he would see her safely back, ere he went. And so they walked, she absorbed in her grief, and he with all his senses alert, ready for any sudden attack. But none came ; and at last they stood at the entrance to the squire's grounds, and there they parted. He stood and watched her go watched her turn and stand, with the sunlight kissing her, and dyeing her white dress with its radiance, watched her wave one last farewell, and then he turned and went. He must go and face the world alone ; their last parting was said. 302 THE TEAR OF KALEE And then from the shadow came that stealthy figure to stand looking at him, a grin of exultant triumph on his lips. " So the sahib goes with his friend. They will carry the Tear with them without a doubt ; and, unless we would have a long search in other lands, we must intercept them and regain the holy gem ere they can leave the land. It shall be done, Sahib Hamilton ! You struck me one blow, struck me like a dog ; but it will be for me to strike the next, and it shall be a sure one." And shaking his brown fist in the air, the man plunged into the woods, following the form of the retreating chaplain. CHAPTER XXXVII AIMIE TELLS HER STORY BEWILDERED by the utterly unexpected event which was being enacted before his eyes, Maurice Maplethorpe stood for some moments undecided how to proceed ; and his brother, albeit his English heart fired with indignation at the sight of a woman being thus forcibly carried off, awaited his decision, feeling that he could do nothing without Maurice's consent. Why should he take action ? The question flashed through the watcher's brain. It would undo, perhaps, all he had planned. Aimie might tell her husband, and so Constance might get to hear. Let her take her chance ; it was no business of his. But there would be very little chance for her. People are chary of interfering when confronted by such weighty evidence as an apparently properly-signed certificate of lunacy. And, indeed, the terrified woman's piteous outcry and her gestures of despair appeared very like the ravings of insanity. The gathering crowd evidently believed the story which the Hindoos told, and they shrank back from those vainly- extended, entreating arms as though they feared the victim AIMIE TELLS HER STORY 303 were a dangerous creature, who would rend them did she get the opportunity. Even the constable paid no heed to her frantic pleading ; he simply took the number of the cab, examined the document, asked a few questions, and made a few notes in his book ; then bidding the men get their patient into the cab as quickly as possible, he began to ^disperse the crowd with his official " Now then, pass along, please ! " " Maurice, what are you going to do ? " The question was whispered anxiously in his ear What was he going to do ? He repeated it to himself. Was he to stand by and see Aimie carried off ? He knew full well what her fate would be. Was he to allow that ? They had got her into the cab now, and her frantic screams had subsided into low moans of despair. The cabman was shaking his reins, and the crowd opening to allow the vehicle to start. Another minute and it might be too late ! What was he going to do ? What would Constance have wished ? The answer came as swift as the question. She would have told him to save Aimie ; and he would do it. " Keep by me, George," he said hurriedly to his brother ; and the next instant he sprang forward and seized the horse's head, crying " Stop ! Constable, this lady is not mad ; I know her well, and these men are trying to carry her off." A shriek from the interior of the cab " Mr. Maple- thorpe ! Oh, save me ! " which ended in a stifled gasp ; a cry from a boy near that the men were stuffing a handker- chief into the lady's mouth, and an angry murmur from the crowd. The constable jerked open the door, and glanced in sharply. " Stop that ! " he cried sternly. " Leave that woman alone ; and come out of it, all of you ! " There was nothing for it but to submit. They were defeated ; and the ring of angry faces around effectually prevented their attempting to use violence. 304 THE TEAR OF KALEE Then their Oriental cunning came to their aid, and they began protesting their entire in nocence of any design to hurt the lady. " She was very like the poor woman they wanted," they said " very like. They thought it was she ; but, of course, if the gentleman stated that he knew the lady, that made a difference ; but the lady did not seem to know him ! " " You were trying to drug her," replied the constable, suspiciously. " That is what is the matter with her ! You will all have to come to the station, and let the inspector hear your story. I cannot let any of you go. Here, Tommy, get me another cab sharp, there's a man ! " The boy addressed darted away, and soon the vehicle appeared, together with a second policeman. " Jim, you get into this cab with these two men, and " in lower tones "just keep a sharp eye on them, for they are slippery ones, I think." The first cab, with its passengers, drove off; and then the constable directed Maplethorpe and his brother to enter the second, into which he helped the still semi-unconscious woman. " Seems very heavy. Almost as though she was drunk," he said. "Drugged," responded Maplethorpe, simply. "I know something of their ways. She will be all right soon." " What's it all about ? What did they want her for r " " That we must wait to hear from her own lips, constable," was the reply. " But I rather fancy it is because they think she is implicated in the stealing of that great diamond you know there is such a large reward out for." " What ! the Tear of Kalee r " cried the man. " Is this the woman who they said stole it ? " And Maplethorpe replied "This is the woman." The constable whistled. u That is a queer start. Well, you had better tell it all to the inspector. Here we are, and here is the other cab." The other cab ! Yes, but without its occupants. There, senseless and limp, lay the constable ; a strange sickly odour seemed to cling to the cushions : but the two men were gone. AIMIE TELLS HER STORY 305 and the perplexed cabman declared that he had neither heard anything nor seen any one leave the vehicle. They carried the senseless man into the station-house and applied restoratives ; while the inspector, opening an official- looking book, took down the details of the other constable's story. " You say that they said she was mad, and showed you a doctor's certificate ? " " Yes, sir." " And this gentleman " indicating Maplethorpe " stopped them as they were driving off? " Yes, sir." Maplethorpe was thereupon questioned. " He knew the lady well," he said, " and was perfectly sure that she was 'not mad. There were reasons why these men should seek to harm her and hers." The inspector turned to Aimie. She was sitting like one dazed, and in her eyes she still had that vacant look. " She must have been very heavily drugged," he observed. "I should not have thought there was anything strong enough to produce such an effect by mere inhalation." " You are wrong. These men are skilled in the pro- duction of such things. Look at that constable ; and he is a strong man." The inspector glanced at the man. He was close upon six feet high, and broad in proportion ; but he lay back in the chair where they had placed him, helpless as a child. " H'm ! We had better have the divisional doctor in, and Be careful, the lady is reviving. Mind she does not fall." Slowly Aimie staggered to her feet, and pressed her hands upon her brow. " Where am I ? " she gasped. " What has happened ? " Then, as memory struggled back, she uttered a fearful scream. " Ah, save me ! save me ! Indeed, I am not mad ! " "Be calm, Mrs. Davenport," said Maplethorpe. And as he heard the name the inspector raised his brows. " You are quite safe now. The men are gone." " Gone ! gone ! Ah, yes, I remember ! They were x 306 THE TEAR OF KALEE taking me away, and you came. I heard your voice and cried out, and they pressed that handkerchief over my mouth. I remember ! And oh, my husband ! Mr. Hamilton ! They have got them ! They are going to kill them ! " " Kill them ! Kill Sir Vincent and Mr. Hamilton ! " cried Maurice in horror. The inspector came forward, and placed his hand upon Aimie's shoulder. "Listen to me, madam," he said shortly, but not unkindly. " You have been drugged, and you feel ill ; but you must try and pull yourself together. Just tell me, if you can, all that has happened. Come, it may be for your husband's life." "I will try I will try," she said. "Let me think. My head seems swimming round, and my temples are bursting ! Let me think." " Why did you leave Harleyford ? " asked Maplethorpe. "Perhaps, if you begin with that, you will be able to remember all the rest." "Yes, I remember now. My husband met Mr. Hamilton, and accused him of having the diamond." " What ! Mr. Hamilton ! Absurd ! " cried Maurice. " Excuse me, sir ; it will be best not to interrupt her," remarked the inspector. " Go on, madam. You are speak- ing of the Tear of Kalee, which Sir Vincent Davenport was accused of having stolen. You need not say anything about that," he added hastily. " I do not want to know whether he took it or not." " I do not mind who knows," she cried. " / stole it ! I thought it would bring him happiness ; but it has been a curse, and it was stolen from him afterwards. I stole it, and they tried to kill me." " Come, come, madam, I do not want to hear of that. You have no need to incriminate yourself or others. What about this business r " " I will tell you." She was recovering a little now, and could speak more clearly. " We came to London, all three of us, and we went to an hotel." " What hotel r " from the inspector. AIMIE TELLS HER STORY 307 "I I do not know. It was near a big square, with some lions and a fountain." "I know the place. There are lots of hotels there. Never mind ; go on, please." " We were going to leave England, and we went to see about the ship. We had to wait a few days, and went to the hotel ; and to-day, when I went to dress for dinner, I saw the figure of a man reflected behind me in the looking- glass a dreadful man ! " and she shuddered. " And before I could cry out, I felt something placed across my face ; and I remembered no more till I found myself in a cab, and being driven through the streets. My captors jeered at me, and told me they had got both my husband and the chaplain, and that when I joined them we should all three be sacrificed to Kalee, to satisfy her honour." " Do you think they have really secured your husband ? " " I do not know. Oh, I hope not I hope not ! " she wailed, wringing her hands. " They will kill him if they have ! " " And did you manage to get away again ? " the in- spector went on. But she shook her head. u No ; the men drove about for some time, it seemed to me j and then at last they stopped the cab, and told me to get out. There was another one waiting for us to get into." " Ah ! thought to throw any one off the scent by changing cabs. An old trick," said the inspector. "I think I know the rest, madam. You struggled and tried to get away, and that brought this gentleman to your aid ? " Yes," she said. But, oh, what shall I do ? If they have got my husband they will kill him ! " " We must find that out first," was the answer. " If I take you to the square you spoke of, do you think you could find your way to the hotel where you were staying ? " "Yes," she answered, confidently. "I know I could then. I do not know much of London," she added ; " that is why I am so ignorant of where we went to." The inspector touched a bell. "A cab," he said shortly. Then, noticing that his 3o8 THE TEAR OF KALEE stupefied subordinate was recovering his senses, he said to him, " Well, Smith, what has happened to you, eh ? " The man's story was simple. He had seated himself opposite to his charges, who had kept up a conversation in their own language, which he judged must have referred to himself, seeing the glances they kept casting towards him. He had kept a sharp eye upon them, though he did not expect that they meditated any real mischief ; but suddenly they had sprung forward, and while one had pinioned his arms, the other had pressed a handkerchief over his nostrils, after which he remembered nothing more. Such was his story. Clearly the man was not to blame for any carelessness in his duty ; and the inspector, having dismissed him, put on his cap, and, accompanied by Aimie and her two friends, entered the cab. Trafalgar Square was reached, and then Aimie led the way, without much hesitation, to one of the many hotels in its vicinity. Yes, it was the right one, so the clerk in the office declared ; but the two gentlemen were out. They had gone out with a dark gentleman, and had not returned. The inspector looked grave now. Aimie's worst fears were confirmed. Her husband and the chaplain were indeed in the hands of their enemies ; and, from what Maurice had explained, the inspector had very little doubt that those enemies were a desperate set of fanatics, ready to go to any extremes in the desire to avenge the honour of their goddess. But whither had they taken them ? Maurice came to the rescue. There was one house which, as he knew to his cost, was tenanted by the friends of these priests, if not directly by themselves personally. He told his story, and the inspector agreed that this was the most likely place to search. " You are quite sure you know where it is ? " he asked. And Maplethorpe laughed. " Quite sure. I have knocked about the world too long not to keep my eyes open. It is one of the houses in Park Lane. I do not know the number, but it is next door to AIMIE TELLS HER STORY 309 one with a magnificent pair of elms at the gateway ; and it has a large holly-tree in the centre of the front garden. I am quite sure that I can guide you to it." The inspector paused thoughtfully. "I dare say that your conjectures are right, and that your friends are there," he said ; " but the difficulty is how are we going to prove it ? We cannot proceed in any slipshod illegal fashion. We cannot even demand admission unless we have a warrant." "And if we did," said Maplethorpe, quietly, u we should find nothing. I propose taking Mrs. Davenport there," he said. And Aimie shivered at his words, while the inspector stared. " I shall take Mrs. Davenport, as the woman they want who escaped. I shall go as one of themselves. I speak their language like a native, and have no fear that they will discover the fraud. You must be within easy reach, and as soon as I have proof that the two are there I will summon you, and then you can claim their release. Once they are confronted by the representatives of the law, I think you will find them give way. These men will not resist you ; they will call it fate, and await their next opportunity." " Their next^ Mr. Maplethorpe ? " said the inspector. " Surely they will not try again" " And again, and again, and ever again, till they succeed, and the Tear of Kalee is in their hands once more. They will get it, inspector. It may take long, but they will get it." " And you propose to go alone with Mrs. Davenport ? " " No, I propose taking my brother with me. You leave the working of the internal business to me ; and be ready with your men to do your part, when I shall summon you " "It will be a risky business," observed the inspector, thoughtfully. " Yes ; both for myself and Mrs. Davenport. But if she is ready to risk it for her husband, I am ready to help her." " More than ready," she cried eagerly " more than 310 THE TEAR OF KALEE ready ! I will give life itself for Vincent. Oh ! Mr. Maplethorpe, let us go quickly, for it may soon be too late." " As soon as I have got my disguise, Mrs. Davenport," he replied. "You go back with my brother and the inspector ; and I will soon rejoin you. Keep a brave heart, for I feel sure we shall have both your husband and Mr. Hamilton safe again soon." CHAPTER XXXVIII THE RESCUE AND AFTER IN that same room where Maplethorpe had met the priests of Kalee and offered himself in the place of the woman he loved, were gathered, once again, the white-robed votaries of the Indian idol. Again the old priest was there in the chief seat of honour, and his assistants on either side of him, while the rank and file of the worshippers circled around and behind them. Again that rich curtain was drawn aside, revealing the inner shrine with its altar, its hideous image, and the ominous silken "roonal" at its feet. And again eyes, fierce with merciless cruelty, glared upon the prisoners standing there. But it was no weak woman this time Aimie's fears had been but too truly realised, and, firmly pinioned, Vincent Davenport and Bruce Hamilton stood side by side, confronting the chief of the priests. Hamilton was calm and unmoved, and his companion proud and defiant. Often had he been subject to coward fears the dread of these men hanging over him had seemed like a perpetual nightmare ; but now that the worst had come, and he was in their hands, he would show these " niggers " how an Englishman met danger and, if need be, death. The old priest rose slowly in his place, and spoke in stern accents. "Listen to me, ye twain," he said. "There is little need to tell ye why ye have been brought hither, for that ye do know." THE RESCUE AND AFTER 311 " We have been decoyed hither by lies ! " interrupted Davenport, scornfully. " Your messenger said that my wife was here, and that she sent for me. He gave me promises of safety, and this is how they are kept ! " " Does not that book which you profess to venerate say, 'With what measure ye mete it shall be meted to you again * ? " was the unruffled reply. " Even so shall it be cunning for cunning, and falsehood for falsehood. But learn that your wife should indeed have been here ; yea, and sjie shall yet be here, for she was the one who first took the Tear ; but she has escaped for the time. Those who had her in their care failed, and for their failure shall they pay the price." " Aimie escaped ! Thank God ! " cried Davenport. " I care not what you do to me now." There was a pause ; then the priest spoke again. "Though ye have both forfeited your lives, yet will we once more offer you freedom if ye will give back to us the holy Tear which ye have " " We have not got it, I tell you ! " shouted Davenport. And then Hamilton spoke " Listen unto me, ye men of Kalee. What my brother says is true. We have not this Tear. That this man had it is true, as ye know ; but from him it was taken. Fate would not suffer him to keep it. Again, in its wanderings, it was found by an innocent maiden who knew nothing of its value ; and she, being frightened, sought to destroy it. One of your number attacked her, and I myself rescued her ; yet did I not know, even then, what she held in her hand. Had I known, and had your servant but spoken, instead of striking, I would have given the Tear to him without hesitation." A murmur of incredulity went round as he spoke, and, from the crowd, one man stepped forward. "Your words are not true, sahib. Did we not go to the house where the maiden you speak of dwells, and there see her father, and did not he, in your own presence, accuse you of having taken it, and you denied it not ? " " Yes, your words are true ; and yet that old man spoke in error, That night the Tear did indeed go from the 312 THE TEAR OF KALEE house, of that there is no doubt ; yet I did not do this thing. And again I say that, had I the gem now, I would give it again into your hands." He ceased, and the leaders conversed apart ; while he turned towards his fellow-prisoner. "Vincent, old friend, I fear it is all over. These men have made up their minds to kill us ; and only the mercy of Heaven itself can save us. God bless you, old friend ! I can't shake hands. Keep a stout heart ! " "It is coming now. They have settled the matter," and as Hamilton spoke the priest once more addressed them "Listen, ye two. We have offered you life, and ye have refused. Kalee has waited too long ; her honour calls for your deaths, and your deaths she shall see. Nay, and not only yours, but the deaths of all who have had part in this. You, and all whom you love, shall fall, as the leaves of the forest fall when the frost comes and " The speaker was interrupted by a messenger, who, with a low obeisance, spoke a message in his ear. The old man listened, and a glow of triumph came into his cheeks as he cried in exultation "Yea; bring them hither at once. Listen, ye two! Vengeance is falling upon you ! Your wife, Sahib Daven- port, is here, after all." " My poor friend," whispered Bruce, as his companion uttered a groan of grief, " courage ! Face it like a man ! " " But Aimie here ! In their cruel hands, to be tortured as only such fiends can torture ! Oh, this is indeed the very dregs of the cup ! " They brought her in. She seemed half dazed, and hardly able to comprehend her position. Then, catching sight of her husband, she uttered a shriek, and, springing forward, flung her arms round his neck. " My Vincent ! Oh, my husband ! " They made no attempt to touch her ; she was entirely in their power, and there was time enough. They turned to the two men who had brought her in, and listened to the explanation that the elder one began to make. THE RESCUE AND AFTER 313 N It was a plausible tale the man commenced to tell, and they listened eagerly ; not noticing the three captives till a shout of surprise broke on the air, from one of the attendants. The two men were free ! That sobbing, clinging woman had cut the ropes that held them ; and, as if by magic, there appeared in the right hand of each, one of those sinister little weapons which they had so learnt to fear a revolver. Nor was this all, for those two gaunt, ragged men had suddenly sprung, one on either side of the captives, and they also were holding weapons of the same sort. A howl of rage went up ; but the four men the woman between them stood calm and unmoved, facing the crowd of excited Hindoos, and presenting those deadly weapons. And then the elder of those two spoke in clear tones, and in their own tongue " Keep back, all of you, and listen to my words. Fate is against you. We are not only armed, but there are outside, men ready to come to our aid the moment they hear a shot fired. If you do not believe, let one of your number go and see. The police are waiting, and by decoying these men here you have committed an offence against the laws of this land." Another howl rose, and some of the men edged in closer. They were meditating a rush ; but the old priest rose and commanded silence. " The stranger speaks truly. Fate is against us, and who shall seek to war against it ? But you, who are you ? " " Maurice Maplethorpe," was the unmoved answer. " I have been here before, you know." And something like a smile played round that firm mouth. " Maplethorpe ? Yes, you have been here before. Truly, your fate is woven with that of the Tear, for you have crossed our path again and again. In Calcutta you saved this man's life. On the ship you alone prevented our hands from striking. You threw us off the track here in London, when we had you arrested. You saved the other woman when we had her here. You all along have been crossing our path. You freed this woman even to-day. And now you are here." 314 THE TEAR OF KALEE "Very true," was the calm answer. "So, my friend, you see that it is no use making a trouble of it. For the time, at least, you are defeated." ** Yes, even so," was the philosophic reply. " Now, what do you want ? " " Well," answered Maplethorpe, " what do you want is more to the purpose. Do you want trouble ? I rarely miss my aim " his revolver was pointing directly towards the priest as he spoke. " The first shot will bring the police in, and trouble will follow. You know enough of our laws to be sure of that. You cannot do anything, not even give one of these three into custody for having taken the Tear ; while we, on our part, can have every one here arrested on a very grave charge. I do not think it is worth while having all that trouble." The old man pulled his beard thoughtfully. " You are a young man, but your words are wise ones. You mean that, if we suffer you all to depart unmolested, you on your part will do nothing." " That is it," answered Maurice, cheerfully. " It is no use making trouble about it. But you might remember this the two who really had the Tear have not got it now, and no one knows where it is ; and beyond that, every one of us are so heartily sick of it, that we should only be too glad to give it to you if we could find it. That is the plain truth, though, I suppose, you will not believe it ; and now we had better end this business at once, or those outside will be coming in, without waiting to knock." " So be it," was the priest's reply. " Go the fates are against us now, and you have triumphed. Go ! " " It was the easiest way," Maplethorpe remarked, as the five were once more standing in the open air. " Here is the inspector. I don't think he will like it much. It has too much the look of having made a compromise with an offence against the law." But the inspector did not mind anything like so much as Maplethorpe thought he would. Nobody had been harmed, nobody had any charge to prefer against any one else. . " It was the wisest way out of it," so he said ; and he shook hands with all the five, and allowed them to go their THE RESCUE-AND AFTER 315 own way, mentally resolving to do two things keep a sharp eye upon them, and upon that elegant-looking house in Park Lane. There was the Tear of Kalee behind all this ; and there were ten thousand pounds reward still awaiting the lucky man who could recover that famous gem. The inspector went back to his office, and determined that he would not lose that reward for want of being wide awake. Gratitude and surprise mingled in the greetings which the two rescued men gave to Maplethorpe ; but the latter hurried them on, saying that he would explain all when they reached his home. " It is impossible to talk here," he said ; " and we have a lot to say. Come with me, all of you." " But why not go back to our hotel at once ? " said Davenport. " My good sir, I and my brother ran out of doors a good three hours ago in response to a cry for help. My mother and sister are practically ignorant of what we are away for, and they naturally will be anxious ; added to which I could hardly come to any hotel in this garb." And he glanced down at his ragged dress. " No, if you will come back with me, we can all tell our adventures and talk of our future." And to this proposition they agreed. And that night, sitting round the fire, the whole story was told. How Aimie had been caught and rescued ; how the two men had been inveigled from their hotel under the impression that they were to go and fetch her from the priests ; and how Maplethorpe had planned to discover whether they were in the house to which they had been led. " There was really no great amount of danger for either Mrs. Davenport or myself," he said in conclusion, as they were thanking him afresh ; " but if you feel that I may ask a favour of you in return for what I have done, I have one all ready, and it is a very simple thing." " Name it," said the chaplain. " I think I can say for all three of us that it will be granted, if possible." " It is that you will not betray my secret. They think me dead at Harleyford. Let them still do so. It is the only 3i 6 THE TEAR OF KALEE way to free Constance from bondage ; and when death does come " " But suppose it should not ? " queried the chaplain. And Maplethorpe shook his head. He could not answer that question. " I think you have acted hastily," the chaplain went on gravely. " I did not send your letter to your wife ; I took it." " You took it ! " cried Maurice, eagerly. " Tell me, how did she receive it ? Was she very shocked ? " " Very. And more than shocked grieved. Mr. Maple- thorpe, I have been forced to ask myself if you are quite correct as to the feelings your wife entertains towards you. Suppose she loves you " " Loves me ! " cried Maurice. "Ton say that ! I I thought that you and she " Maplethorpe paused, as a rather sad little smile played round the chaplain's mouth. " My friend," said the latter, " set your mind at rest on that point. If ever I come back to England, there is but one woman I shall seek to make my wife, and that is Madge Applebye. I fear you are making a very grave mistake." " But you cannot mean that Constance retains any real affection for me ? " he cried. "That is impossible ! " "I do not think so, Mr. Maplethorpe," put in Aimie, softly. " I have no real reason for speaking, but I think she does." Maurice bent his head forward, and pondered ; then he looked up, a determined expression upon his face. "Whatever I may have done to help you," he said, " you have more than repaid it. I did not dream that this could be. I can hardly hope it is so now, but my course is clear." " And that is ? " " To do as I at first determined go abroad. I have done nothing to be proud of at present. I will go abroad, and instead of seeking death I will seek life. I will come back with a name that men can speak without blushing. I will make such reparation that she will not feel ashamed to own herself my wife," THE RESCUE AND AFTER 317 He ceased ; and his mother, sitting by his side, stretched out her hand and placed it in his. " But Maurice, my son, there is one thing must be done. Your wife thinks you dead, and she must be undeceived. Suppose that / go and see this dear girl, and tell her myself. She knows now that I am really your mother ; and who better than I to go and do this ? She will tell me the truth, Maurice " " God bless you, mother," he answered. " That is a good, kind suggestion. Yes, you go, mother ; and if in her heart there is one lingering spark of love for me, then my life shall be devoted to kindling that spark into life again. I will come back with clean hands and claim her ; and the hope of this shall be my guiding star through the days of my wandering." " You are still inclined to leave England ? " said the chaplain, turning to Davenport. " Yes. This last experience has been quite enough ; and it will be repeated. While the Tear is missing, the priests of Kalee will seek for our lives. They have no other way of avenging the loss. Oh ! if we only knew where it is ! " Hamilton sighed ! He knew where the Tear was, and yet he could not speak, and he must go into exile with sealed lips ! " Then there is no reason why we should not all start by this outgoing mail," he said. " If our minds are made up, there is nothing to be gained by delay." "Nothing," replied Maplethorpe. "Mother, do not look so sad. You should be glad, for my going this time is that you may have a son you can be proud of once more. Believe me, mother mine, it shall be so. For your sake, and for my wife's, I will make men be proud of me yet." " I know, my son, I know ; and yet it will be hard to let you go," she said. "I would not hinder you, even though my heart would fain keep you here." And then Hamilton said quietly " Let us commend ourselves and each other to God's care." And every one in that room knelt down. 318 THE TEAR OF KALEE And three days later, there slowly steamed out of South- ampton the good ship Natalia, and on board of her were Maurice Maplethorpe and those with whom his life had become associated. The sunlight was on their faces, and the light of hope in their hearts, for the Tear of Kalee, with its shadow, lay behind them now. Only Bruce Hamilton watched the land fade away with heavy spirit. For him there was no redemption to work out, no past to atone for only hopeless exile, the severance from the woman he loved, and a weight of sorrow. The cloud which was lifted from the others had fallen upon him, and his heart was very heavy. And when Mrs. Maplethorpe and her son returned to their modest little house, having seen the great steamer fade away into nothingness on the hazy horizon, they found to their surprise a fair woman clad in mourning seated talking with Hester a woman who, when she rose and held out her hands, Mrs. Maplethorpe recognised as Constance, her son Maurice's wife Constance come too late, come upon the very day upon which her husband had sailed ! CHAPTER XXXIX BEFORE THE WORLD, HIS WIFE WELL was it for Constance that she had learnt from whence to seek strength in her hour of weakness to whom she might go with her burden of grief when all earthly props were taken away when the broken cistern was dry, and the torch of hope extinguished. Surely she would have failed in her day of sorrow but for the strong faith which enabled her to say, like the afflicted Job, " Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Maurice was dead ! Ah, that was bad enough ; but the thought that he himself had brought about that death was tenfold worse ! He had promised her that he would never again think of such a dread thing, and he had failed to keep his word. BEFORE THE WORLD, HIS WIFE 319 And yet it was not he whom she blamed, but herself. She had tried him too much. She did not speak of her sorrow to any one, not even to her mother. She tried to be the same as hitherto, and went about her duties with a patience and gentleness new even to her ; and yet her face showed how sore was the heartache and how deep the wound. And added to this was the extra burden of conflict with her father, and the incurrence of his anger a burden heavy for her at all times, and doubly so now. The doctor was indignant with her. " She was foolish ; she was mad ! She had been freed from an odious marriage without the world knowing anything about it, and, instead of being glad, she must go about looking like a martyr ! " That is how the doctor spoke as he noticed the black dress in which Constance appeared shortly after Bruce Hamilton had brought her the news. " If you must be sorry," he said irritably, " cannot you be so without advertising it to all the world ? Cannot you be as sorry in a light dress as in that one ? People will ask who you are in mourning for, and what will you tell them?" "I shall tell them the simple truth," was her quiet answer, and it did not tend to mitigate her father's anger. " Tell them the truth ! " he shouted. " What ! Do you mean to infer that you are going to proclaim that you were the wife of that scound " " Father ! " Constance rose to her feet and confronted the angry old gentleman, her sad face as stern and resolute as ever his had been. "You are speaking of my dead husband," she said gravely. " There is surely no need to use such harsh terms, even though you may think them. He was my husband, and I loved him. Ah ! how much he will never know. I sent him to his death by my wicked pride ; and now the only poor reparation that I can make is to tell the world the truth, that at least they may understand the motive which induced him to die. I have ever tried to be a dutiful daughter to you, father, and to show my appreciation of all 320 THE TEAR OF KALEE your kindness to me ; but I must go my own way in this. And, even at the cost of your anger, I shall stand before the world as the wife of Maurice Maplethorpe." " But, why, girl ? Why, in the name of common sense ? What is to be gained by parading the truth like that ? " " What is to be gained by hiding it, and pretending a lie ? " she answered. " How much misery and sorrow has come into this place by trying to substitute the false for the true ! Father, you are a Christian. You do not really believe that a lie can be productive of good, do you r Do not be angry with me. I must do this ! I should be wronging the dead, and only increasing my sorrow. And that is heavy enough now, father, Heaven knows ! If I were to keep silent longer " She came and placed her hand on his arm, and brought her face close to his. " I know you love me, father. Yon have always been good and kind ; but you do not understand this pain, it is almost more than I can bear." He was a stubborn man ; he had ever been accustomed to have his own way in his household, but something made him falter now. He patted her cheek and kissed her brow, and instead of the sharp retort, there was only a little grumble. " There ! there ! My poor child, I do not want to add to your sorrow. You ought not to feel sorrow, you know. And I will not grumble at your dress ; it's very stupid of you to wear it. There ! there ! Go and tell your mother all about it ; she is the best one to comfort you." So the better feelings conquered, and a father's love proved stronger than his professional pride ; and in the end it was the doctor himself who told the truth as he drove from place to place, and heard how the owner of the Grange had laid hands upon his own life. For it was all over the place now ; and when the second story began to creep round, and when people gave the doctor himself as their authority, Doctor jLinton was the most inquired for man in the place ; and the number of people who found themselves in need of his professional aid grew to such an alarming height, that one might have BEFORE THE WORLD, HIS WIFE 321 thought pretty little Harleyford was either visited by some severe epidemic, or was the most unhealthy spot in England. The squire had driven over in red-hot haste, full of the news that Sir Vincent Davenport had committed suicide, only to sit mopping his face and ejaculating such words as : " Bless my soul ! " " Upon my life ! " " I never heard such a thing ! " as he listened to the doctor's narrative. There was nothing to be done. True, they had the man's letter, but the body had not been recovered ; and, as the squire remarked, they could not hold an inquest upon the letter. Constance kept much indoors ; for though she was glad that the world knew the truth at last, yet she shrank from the curious gaze and the well-meant but painful words of commiseration. People could not understand that she was anything but glad. They took her mourning dress as a sign of her very proper adherence to the requirements of the world, but as nothing more ; and she did not trouble to undeceive them, seeing that they would not have believed her had she done so. So four days went, and then suddenly came a desire, almost like an inspiration ; she would leave all this for a little while, and go to London. She would go and see Maurice's mother. Mrs. Maple- thorpe did not know the truth ; it should be her place to go and tell it ; to beg the mother to think gently of the dead son, and to tell her that she, his wife, who had been also wronged, forgave the wrong freely. Thus it happened that when Mrs. Maplethorpe returned from seeing Maurice off, she found the visitor had just arrived, and was sitting with her daughter, Hester. " Mother," said the latter, " this is Miss Linton. You remember her, mother. She only came a few minutes ago, and she wants to see you " then she added in lower tones " I have not told her anything. I thought it would be best for you to do it." " Quite right, dear." The mother came forward with outstretched hand as Constance rose to meet her. " My dear, if there were no other reasons for my doing so, the memory of your past kindness would make it a pleasure to see you here." 322 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Thank you, dear Mrs. Maplethorpe ! " was the girl's answer. "But what other reasons could there be, seeing we have not met since that day r " " Suppose we have a quiet cup of tea, first ? " suggested Hester ; " then you and Miss Linton can talk, mother. I am sure that you need one after your long journey, and I have just elicited from Miss Linton that she would like one also." Her suggestion was agreed to ; the tea was made and the meal partaken of, and then they drew their chairs closer to the fire, and Mrs. Maplethorpe spoke. " You have come to tell me something, my dear," she said, addressing Constance. " It has saved me a journey, for I was coming to Harleyford to see you." " To see me, Mrs. Maplethorpe ! " Constance repeated in surprise. " Why should you want to see me ? Ah, you have heard, then ! Perhaps he wrote to you. You know the truth ? " "Yes, dear," was the grave answer. "I know the truth. The man who came with you here, and the man who married you, was my son ; and you are legally his wife " " His widow," corrected Constance. " You have heard this much. Do you not know the end the sad, sad end Mrs. Maplethorpe ? How Maurice killed himself? " " Yes, I have heard." " It was my fault," continued Constance, wiping her eyes, in which the tears would gather. " I meant to watch him, and see if he really was sorry for the past, and if he was trying to be a better man. I let him think that I did not care for him ; but I did, Mrs. Maplethorpe ; and, now that he is gone from me, I know how much and how truly I loved him. And he he will never know now ! " " And so you really cared for my erring boy ? ' : Constance was in the mother's arms now, her head resting on her shoulder, and her tears flowing unchecked and unbidden. " Cared for him ! I loved him, Mrs. Maplethorpe ! I do not know why, but I loved him from the first. When I thought that he was Sir Vincent, I used to wonder why BEFORE THE WORLD, HIS WIFE 323 I loved him so much more than I had done in the past. I did love him, and I shall love him till I die ! " "But do you know that he thought you loved Mr. Hamilton r " Constance raised her head, and surprise checked her tears. "I loved Mr. Hamilton !" she repeated. "He could not think that, surely ? " " He did, my dear ; and that is what made him do what he did." Constance shuddered. What ! had a mistake such as this been the cause of it ? Ah, she understood now ! Maurice had thought that she and the chaplain were being kept apart by his life ; and so he had given that up, that she might be happy. Oh, the sad mistake the pitiably sad mistake ! " And he was wrong in his opinion r " Mrs. Maplethorpe went on interrogatively. " Wrong ! Oh, indeed he was ! " she sobbed. " Oh, why did he not speak, that I might have told him how wrong ! " " Listen to me, my dear," the mother said. " Maurice did think this; and that the only way to make you happy was to set you free from himself." " He was quite wrong," came the sobbing reply. " He also knew that he had given you a most solemn promise never to allow that wicked thought to have a place in his heart again. If he set you free he must break his word ; if he kept his promise, he must keep you bound." " Oh, that he had done so ! " from Constance, while Hester drew close to her, and placed one sympathetic hand in hers. ' The mother went on " There was one other way that seemed possible to him. Had he thought, he would have seen the difficulties it contained ; but he did not stop to reflect. He determined to keep his word to you, but to let you think do you understand, dear ? to let you think that he had broken the promise." " To let me think he had broken it ! " repeated 324 THE TEAR OF KALEE Constance, raising her face, and looking with eager eyes at the speaker. "To let me think, Mrs. Maplethorpe ! Do you mean that he is still alive ? Oh ! do not keep me in suspense, please. Is he still alive ? " She paused. She read the answer in the other's face. The mother's eyes told what her lips had not spoken. " He is alive ! he is alive ! I can see it in your face ! Oh ! Mrs. Maplethorpe, tell me where he is. Perhaps he is here now ! Oh, tell me where he is, and let us end all these miserable mistakes ! " She rose with outstretched, beseeching hands hands which Mrs. Maplethorpe took in her own as she answered her. " My dear, try and be calm. He is not here he is far away now. Had you come only yesterday, you might have prevented his going. His ship sailed this morning, and I and his brother are only just returned from seeing him off. Listen," she went on gently, as she saw the sorrow come into the girl's face again. " In the day of my trouble you told me God ever did for the best. Now, in your trouble, I am going to say the same thing. This is for the best, Constance. Before he sailed, Maurice had brought to him the possibility of your loving him. He knew that he had been in error as to Mr. Hamilton, and that perhaps you might still love him. That thought, Constance, has been his salvation, I believe. He has gone out, not as a hopeless man seeking for death, but as one who had slipped and erred in the past, and who is now turning to the future to retrieve what has gone before." " Yes, yes. Did he tell you that, Mrs. Maplethorpe ? " she asked. " He did indeed ; and he told his brother and sister also. Constance, you could write and recall him, but I think it would be unkind. Let him go on, and show the reality of his repentance. Write and tell him that you know tell him of your love and bid him be worthy and bring back an honourable name with him. Your love and our prayers shall keep him amidst all his wanderings, and be the harbour light to guide him back through the darkness. Shall it not be so, Constance, my dear daughter ? " BEFORE THE WORLD, HIS WIFE 325 She gathered the girl in her arms once more. And Constance, looking up through tears which were those of happiness now, replied softly " Yes, it shall be so, indeed, Mrs. Maplethorpe." And then in lower tones she corrected herself, and substituted for the last word another one. " It shall be so, indeed, mother" ****** " Well, what is the matter with you ? " It was the squire who asked this question, as Dr. Linton came stamping and fuming into his room. " What is the matter now ? " The doctor sank into a chair, banged his hat on the table, and glared at the squire. " Didn't you say that I might just as well humour Constance, and let people know that she was married to that man ? " he demanded. "Eh? Yes. What of it?" "And have not I been telling every one that it is so, and that I know the marriage was a perfectly legal one ? " " So it was ; you cannot get away from that. But what of it ? " " This of it ! " shouted the doctor frantically " this of it. The man is not dead, after all ! He's alive ! Constance says he is alive, and she is singing about the house, and looking as different as light from darkness. What is to be done, squire ? I've practically acknowledged the marriage when I thought the fellow was dead, and I can't go back on my word now that I find he is alive." The squire sat silent for a little. He rumpled his grey hair and stared at his friend, and then he slowly said " Alive," responded the doctor. " Gone to Africa." " Oh, well, there is room for hope, then. Perhaps he may get killed there." " And perhaps he may not. Meanwhile that girl is letting people know that she is by no means a widow. And what is to be done, squire ? " Then the squire rose and contemplated the other. " Nothing, doctor. You take my advice and do nothing. We are a couple of fools, and - " 326 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Eh ? " said the doctor, looking up. " Fools ? " " Decidedly. We have been trying to interfere with things we do not understand. I have sent that young fellow Hamilton off, and I believe it is killing that poor little Madge ; the child seems drooping like a wild flower on a dry day. Don't you do the same with Constance, doctor. She is a good, honest girl ; let her follow the dictates of her own heart, doctor. If He who has us all in His keeping sees fit to break this union, well and good j but if He preserves this man in the day of danger, and brings him back a chastened, penitent, honest soul, then leave Constance to do as she will. She is sensible and level- headed, and will only do what she believes right. Let her alone, doctor ; you take my advice, and let her alone." And then Dr. Linton rose, and picked up his hat. "Squire," he responded, "you're right for once in a way. I admit that you are right. I'll do as you say, squire, and leave the girl to her own way." And so the story spread, and was passed from one to the other, and grew into a nine days' wonder ere it was forgotten again. And Constance called herself Linton no longer, but signed her name Constance Maplethorpe, and stood before all the world as Maurice's wife. CHAPTER XL MADGE'S SECRET CONSTANCE had stepped into the light, and from her soul the clouds had been driven. Her father knew the truth, and, though he sometimes looked perplexed and grave, he no longer exhibited that stern resentment against Maplethorpe, and sometimes he even spoke of him to Constance asked her if she had written to him, and whether she had received any answer. Her mother was her greatest source of help and comfort. She seemed to know exactly how to sympathise, and joy needs as much sympathy as sorrow does. She talked with MADGE'S SECRET 327 her daughter of her hopes and fears, took the brightest side of things, whispered that the God who had done so much for them would surely bring Maurice back. She spoke of her to others as the wife of Maplethorpe, and often stood between her daughter and the curious questioning of visitors. The doctor had been right when he told the squire that she was quite a different girl. She went about her household duties singing softly to herself, her face lit with smiles, and her eyes full of happiness ; the same, yet different, as a meadow is the same and different when viewed bathed in the summer sunshine or covered with the winter's snow. No answer had come from Maurice yet, but that caused no anxiety. They had been compelled to send their letters to the office of the shipowners ; and, of course, there was the possibility that they might not be received by those to whom they were addressed. But while the sunlight was shining in the doctor's, it was far otherwise at the squire's. That household which had before been so bright and happy, where Madge had gone about singing as blithe and light-hearted as a wild bird, where the old man had sat smoking contentedly, listening to her song, or laughing with Victoria over some hunting episode. Ah, it was all changed now, and Madge was so white and woebegone that her father's heart ached as he looked upon her. All the colour had gone from her cheeks, all the light from her eyes, and only a strange, hungry yearning seemed to fill them. Great dark circles sure tokens of breaking health were slowly growing round those bonnie blue orbs, and the step which had been so light now dragged wearily. Madge was ill ill with a sickness that no remedy in the doctor's pharmacopoeia might assuage drooping and wither- ing beneath the touch of sorrow, as the early spring blossom withers beneath the breath of the late frost. Dr. Linton prescribed in vain. He had little faith in his own remedies in this case. And as he compared the white- faced Madge with the happy Constance, he felt reconciled nay, even thankful for that which had gone. But to the squire there was one thing even more heart- saddening than the sight of his daughter's suffering, and that 328 THE TEAR OF KALEE was her attitude towards him. Of old she had delighted to perch upon his knee, and laying her fair head on his shoulder, kiss and pat his cheek while she coaxed him to grant her some fresh indulgence. She used to meet him with a laugh and song, but now she shrank from him. She never kissed him, only impassively suffered him to kiss her cheek morning or evening. She seemed to shrink from his touch, though neither by word nor deed did she exhibit anything of anger. Nor could Victoria succeed better than he. To her Madge was gentle and tender, but the old sisterly union seemed broken ; something was wanting, some note was silent, and the hitherto perfect harmony was marred because of that one broken string. Vic tried her best to rouse the girl, sometimes by speaking of Hamilton's return and the clearing up of the mystery, sometimes by gentle rebuke at the grief she was causing her father. Only once did Madge display any animosity or spirit, and that was when she turned upon her sister after one of these little lectures, with the retort " I cannot help it ! If I am giving father pain, it is his own fault ; he could remove it if he would. And the sorrow I cause him is not half what he has caused me." " But, Madge, you are unreasonable," remonstrated her sister. " Perhaps I am. I cannot help it. Do not talk to me about it. You would not be able to understand, unless I told you all, and I cannot do that " " All what ? Madge darling, what is it that is making your life so miserable ? " " I cannot tell you. Don't ask me anything about it, Vic, or I shall I shall get desperate and say horrid, unkind things to you. Vic, you must let me alone. I have nothing to tell you, and you cannot help me in any way." " But poor old dad, Madge. You are breaking his heart. It seems as if you could not bear him to be near you." Madge made no answer. She sat, her hands clasped in her lap, and gave a little shudder. But she did not make any denial of Victoria's suggestion ; and the elder sister went on gravely. MADGE'S SECRET 329 "Madge, I do not want to pry into your secrets, if you will not let me help you. I do not know why you are changed to me, and I am very sorry that you are ; but I do mind very much to see your changed attitude to your father. He has always been so kind to us motherless girls ; and even if he acted hastily in sending Bruce away, he acted, as he thought, for the best. And everything was against Bruce " " It was not ! I will not hear you say that ! You ought to have known that my Bruce was incapable of doing such a thing. I will not hear you talk so ! " The words were panted out feverishly. And Madge rose, confronting her sister with clenched hands and spark- ling eyes, indignation quivering in every feature. But the light died out, the head drooped, and the voice quivered. And she lifted her hands with a gesture of despair. "I cannot help you, beloved," she wailed. "I must stand by and hear them speak of you thus, my darling. It is part of my punishment for having stolen that awful thing. It has brought a blight to both our lives, and sorrow to those who loved me." She turned and walked slowly away into the garden, her favourite place now, and Victoria watched her go, her heart heavy and her face grave. Whatever it was that was bringing all this trouble to Madge, one thing was certain : if the thing went on Madge would die. There was no mistaking that drooping of the head and bending of the shoulders, that weary gait and hopeless, listless air. Madge, pretty, merry Madge, was pining away before her very eyes, eating her heart out with her secret sorrow ; and Victoria, as she watched, echoed her sister's words the Tear had indeed brought blight and sorrow in its train. The doctor scolded and frowned, and told his patient that she wanted her ears boxed ; and then went home and told his wife and Constance " that the old squire had just about killed Madge by sending the chaplain away in the way he had done," overlooking the fact that he had been quite as ready to lay the guilt at Hamilton's door, and forbid him to come to his house. 330 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Constance," he said at last, " there is only one thing I can think of, and you will have to help me in it." " I help you, father ? " she answered, with a smile. " Why, you know that if there is anything I can do it shall be done." " Yes, I know, my dear ; I know. But this seems a rather underhand thing to do. I hardly like to ask you to undertake it ; but it seems the only way open to us." The doctor spoke so gravely, and seemed so troubled, that Constance looked up in surprise ; then she rose, and going to his chair, bent over him, one arm round his neck. " Father," she said, " I do not know what you want me to do ; but I do know this, that no matter what it may appear to be, you would never ask me to do anything mean or underhand. Will you tell me all about it ? " "It is this, my dear. Madge's illness is not so much of body as of mind." "Poor Madge," sighed Constance. She thought she knew what that sorrow was. " Poor Madge, indeed," responded the doctor ; " for that illness is the worst of all, and there are no medicines I possess potent enough to work a cure. But listen, my dear. You doubtless think that it is all due to her separation from her lover ? " " Yes, father, under the peculiar circumstances of that separation. It is not only being parted from Mr. Hamilton, but the fact that he is accused of stealing the Tear." The doctor shook his head. " I may be wrong," he answered, " but I think there is something more than that. There is some secret weighing on Madge's mind something that haunts her, and which she is afraid to speak about. Constance, you are a sensible girl, and will understand my idea. Madge's is a weak nature, very nervous and hysterical, and I firmly believe that this trouble that is weighing upon her is connected with the missing Tear." The doctor paused. Constance was listening with grave face, and she caught the drift of his thought. " You think, father, that Madge has the Tear herself r " she observed. MADGE'S SECRET 331 " I confess I do, my dear. I think that Madge was the thief, and that she still has the Tear. She is too weak to confess the truth ; and remorse and nervous dread of what will follow if she is found out, are killing her." " And what do you want me to do, father ? " " Find her secret out. If it remains a secret, one of two things will happen she will brood upon it till she becomes insane, or she will develop rapid consumption and die before our eyes. It is the secret that is killing her, not her grief at being separated from Hamilton. It is the secret that is making her shrink from those who love her, the morbid haunting fear that they will discover that she still has the Tear of Kalee. Constance, this secret must be got from her, by guile if by no other means. I want you to go to her, stay with her, or ask her to stay with you. She and you are firm friends. Work up to this one thing, get her to confide in you " " And betray that confidence. Oh, father ! " " It is the only way to save her from herself, my child, and I believe that it is justifiable, or I would not ask that you should do it. I have thought of everything I can, but this seems the only feasible plan. Do not tell Vic or the squire anything of this. They might spoil the only chance, did they even suspect. You go and work wisely and lovingly ; and if it is playing the spy it is to save your friend from suffering. Constance, you know how you felt when that letter came r " Constance nodded she knew what letter he referred to. "My child, I have known a person under the morbid influence of such a secret, do in very deed what you fancied your husband had done. If you can save Madge from such a fate, surely you are doing a meritorious action rather than something to be ashamed of. I do not insist. You must obey the dictates of your own conscience in this. But it is the only plan I can suggest." She hesitated no longer. Indeed, seen from this stand- point, the thing lost every aspect of being wrong. And Constance gave her father her promise, and prepared to visit poor Madge. It was very likely that she had the gem ; far more 332 THE TEAR OF KALEE likely than that Hamilton should have taken it. Victoria confessed that she had dropped off to sleep. Why should not Madge have taken advantage of that, and crept to her father's room ? It was more than possible it was probable. She wondered it had not been thought of before. And she went about her work, determined that if she could she would find some way of learning the real truth. The squire welcomed her gladly, and so did Vic. " It was like her to come," they both declared ; and even Madge seemed to brighten a little when she heard that Constance had come to stay with her. " I want a good long time with you," said the latter to her. " I am going to take you rambling with me, and try to bring some colour into your cheeks again." Madge smiled sadly, and murmured something about its not mattering about the colouring; but Constance would have none of that. " Oh, nonsense ! Of course it matters. What will Mr. Hamilton say when he comes back, to see you like this ? He will be so brown and you so pale, that it will seem like a study in black and white." " Don't try and laugh, Constance," was the pitiful reply, and Madge's lips quivered. " He will not come back." " Of course he will. Come back with my husband." And there was a lingering tenderness as she uttered that word. " They will both come back." " Ah ! but Mr. Maplethorpe will come back cleared, and the doctor will hold out his hand to him ; but poor Bruce will come back still under a cloud, and no one will speak a kind word for him." "Won't they? I will, for one ; for I know he never did such a thing as that." They were sitting together in one of the sheltered arbours, close to the front lawn ; and neither of the girls were aware that close behind them, and within hearing of all they said, was the squire himself. He had come there before they did, and thinking that Constance would cheer Madge up, and induce her to look on the bright side of things, he remained, waiting till they had gone rather than interrupt their conversation by moving. MADGE'S SECRET 333 " I know he never did such a thing as that," said Constance ; and then she went on, " I have thought it over thought of every one who could have taken it, and I have my own idea as to who was the thief." The squire bent forward breathlessly. If Constance did not suspect Hamilton, who did she think guilty ? Did her clear head perceive something which he, in his headstrong passion, had overlooked ? "I think I know who took the Tear," he heard Con- stance say again ; " and I think you know too y Madge, and it is this knowledge that is making you so miserable." " Hush ! hush ! hush ! " The words were jerked out in terror, and Madge had risen and fallen at her friend's feet, clutching at her arm and dress frantically. " Constance, don't speak it ! don't whisper it even ! How did you know ? Oh ! how did you learn it, the dreadful, shameful truth ? Constance, you will keep my secret ? Promise that you will keep my secret." Madge clung to her skirt, panting out the repeated entreaty " You will keep my secret, you will keep my secret ! " " Hush, hush, my Madge ! Come and sit down and listen to me." " No, no ; I will not move, and I will not let you go till you promise me." " But, Madge, listen. Do you know what keeping your secret means to you all, to Vic, to Mr. Hamilton, to your father ? Is it worth keeping ? Why not tell the truth at once ? " u The truth ! How can I tell the truth, Constance ? Do you know what the priests of Kalee would do to the man they thought had the Tear ? They tried to kill me ; they tried to kill Aimie and her husband and Bruce. You told me so yourself, and how Mr. Maplethorpe saved them. Constance, can you bid me tell the truth, and give my father up to them ? " " Your father ? " Constance started up. " Your father, Madge?" " Yes. Why why ? Who did you think it was ? Have I told you, when there was no need ? Constance, who did you think had the Tear ? " 334 THE TEAR OF KALEE " You yourself, Madge," she replied. And Madge burst into a wild laugh. " / / I have the evil thing, when I tried twice to get rid of it ? / have it ! Do you think I would have let my Bruce suffer the shame and accusation just to keep the Tear r Thank you, Constance, for your good opinion. And I have told you my secret ! " Her manner changed again to one of entreaty. " You will keep it, Constance ? You will not betray me ? I did not mean to tell you. You see now why I cannot speak, and why Bruce must suffer. I cannot betray my own father, can I ? " " And the squire has it ? Madge, are you sure ? are you sure you are right ? " ** Sure ! ah, too sure ! I saw him take it, Constance. I was awake. Vic had fallen asleep, and I lay there, and the door of my room was open, and I could see into the corridor." " Yes, Madge." " I saw father come softly by ; he looked into our room, and did not see that I was awake, and he had the Tear in his hand. I saw it quite plainly with the light of the lamp falling upon it, and making it look like a flame of fire. Constance, father took the Tear, and he has hidden it some- where ; and its awful power is making him let Bruce take the blame. How can I tell of him r but how can I love him when he is letting me suffer like this ; when he sees that it is killing me and I know it is doing that and still he will not speak ? " Then, from behind them, came a hoarse, gasping sound, and the squire staggered out from his hiding-place, his arms held out in entreaty. " Madge, Madge," he cried tremulously, " take back that accusation ! Tell me that you did not mean it ! Take it back, girl, for the sake of your dead mother, lest I forget you are my daughter, and curse the child who can so lie, and blacken her father's good name ! " He ceased he swayed to and fro his hands went up to his neck in the vain endeavour to tear the collar from his throat ; and then, with a groan which mingled with the girls' screams of terror, old Squire Applebye fell at their feet I ( 335 ) CHAPTER XLI THE DOCTOR'S EXPERIMENT " SHE said that I had taken the Tear, Linton ! My little Madge told your girl that lie about her old father ! I heard her myself she said that she saw me with it, and that I had shifted the blame upon young Hamilton's shoulders to save my own skin ! My little Madge told that lie about me ! " The poor old squire laid his hand upon his friend's arm, as he spoke ; and there were unchecked tears upon his cheek. The doctor had been summoned hastily by the startled girls ; but before he had arrived, the squire had recovered consciousness and had staggered to his room ; and it was here the doctor found him, upon his arrival. Madge had been terrified by her father's sudden appear- ance and illness, and Constance was still with her ; while Victoria, not having the least suspicion of what had caused her father's fit, told Dr. Linton that it must have been due to the worry about Madge and Hamilton. Very grave did the doctor look when the squire told him what had passed, and long did he ponder without making any comment ; then he looked up, and placed one hand upon the squire's arm. " My old friend," he said kindly, " I think you are making a mistake in supposing that Madge willingly told a falsehood about you " " But she said that she saw me go by with the Tear in my hand, Linton. I never woke from the time I got to bed till it was broad daylight ; she could not think she saw me " " Not unless she herself was delirious she might have been, you know ; but I do not think that " " Then what do you think ? Tell me, man, if you have any solution to this. Any explanation is better than having to think that my girl wilfully told this lie about me." " Rest assured she did nothing of the kind. If you only think, you will see that is not Madge's nature. Have you not said that she seemed to shrink from you of late ? " 336 THE TEAR OF KALEE " It is true," confessed the squire, slowly. " There has been something strange in her manner. She has been good and submissive, but there has been no confidence between us. What ! Linton ! Do you really think that she believes she saw me ? " " I am sure of that," answered the doctor, " and therefore the best thing to do is to have her here, and let her tell her story quietly. There is something more here than we can see at present. Shall I ring for Madge ? " " Yes, and for Victoria and your girl. We will all hear Madge's story together." The doctor complied, and the three girls were soon in the room Vic puzzled, Madge tearful, and Constance grave she did not know what this summons might portend. " Sit down all of you," directed the doctor ; " we want to hold a little family council, and I am going to be chairman. Girls," he went on, addressing the sisters, "there is some huge mistake in our midst, and it is responsible for a lot of trouble ; and we want to find out just what it is." " A mistake ! " echoed Victoria ; but Madge only shook her head and sighed. She did not think there was a mistake. " A mistake," repeated the doctor, adding somewhat sharply, " You ought to have known that, Madge ; no matter what appearances might seem to prove." "I do not understand," Victoria said. "What is the mistake about, doctor, and what has Madge to do with it ? " "I think we have all been making mistakes, Vic. But we will try to get to the end of it. Now, listen to me, all of you. I want to go back to that night when the Tear of Kalee was stolen from the safe ; and I want to begin with the squire here. You were very restless, and I gave you a sleeping draught ? " " Yes," nodded the squire. " And you went to sleep at once ? " " No, I could not sleep at first. I could not get that Tear out of my head. I kept thinking that some one would get in and find it." " And how long did you stay awake eh ? " THE DOCTOR'S EXPERIMENT 337 " About half an hour. I got up and took a couple of pills." "P/7/5/" ejaculated the doctor. "That is the first I have heard of pills." " What was the good of talking of them, in face of this trouble ? " sighed the squire. " I can't say. It may be a great deal of use talking of them. What pills were they ? and why did you take them ? " "They were some you sent me last winter, when I suffered so from insomnia." " Stop a bit." The doctor had his note-book out, and was rapidly turning over the leaves. " Here we are : Applebye, insomnia hum er ha ! And you took two of those pills on top of the draught I gave you eh ? " "Yes," was the reply. "And then I fell asleep." " I should think you did," was the dry retort. " If you look at the directions on that box you will see that one pill was a dose ; you took two on top of a strong soporific. I begin to see daylight here. Well, you went to sleep. Did you dream at all r " " No. Slept like a top till I woke in the morning." " Very well. That is all you have to tell. Now you, Vic you were awake till daybreak that night r " " Yes, doctor," she replied. " I fell asleep after it was daylight." "You saw Bruce Hamilton going to your father's room, and heard him say, ' He is sound asleep j he will never know'?" "Yes." " And Bruce explained that by saying that he had found the squire in a state of stupor ? " " Yes," she said again. " Well, I think we may dismiss Bruce from the inquiry. The man who had taken all that opium would be very heavily drugged indeed. I don't think that Bruce had any hand in the business." " You don't ! " The squire started up feverishly. " What are you saying, Linton ? You heard all the evidence before, and you agreed with me that no one but he could have been guilty." 338 THE TEAR OF KALEE "I beg your pardon, squire. I did not hear all the evidence. I did not hear of the pills," was the doctor's reply. "I think we have been very unjust to Hamilton. Here, that will do ! " as Madge began to develop hysterical symptoms. " Now, you have got to pull yourself together, and just tell us plainly all you saw after you woke up. How dare you?" as Madge shook her head. "You do as you are told, instantly." "Madge," said the squire, gravely, "a short time ago I thought that you were deliberately telling a base falsehood concerning me. Now, though I do not understand things, I gather that you may really believe that you saw what you stated. Come and sit by my side, little one, and tell me plainly all that you saw, and all that you thought, on that morning." He held out his arms, and she ran across the room and threw herself into them with a little cry. "Oh, Daddie, Daddie, I am so miserable so very miserable ! " " There, there ! Perhaps it is all coming right now. Poor little girl ! So you thought your father had taken the Tear, and you were suffering your sweetheart to be taken from you, rather than betray me, eh ? " Victoria stared harder than ever, as she listened. This was the first time she had heard of the squire being suspected. The doctor remained silent for a little, then he said "Come, Madge, tell us all the story. What did you see?" " I saw father go by my room door. It was wide open, and I could see into the corridor." " Yes. Go on ! " from the doctor, as she hesitated. "He had the Tear in his hand. I saw it quite plainly." " You are quite sure, Madge ? " " Quite sure, doctor. It was getting quite light then ; but our lamp was burning, and I saw the gleam of its rays reflected from the Tear. Daddy was looking at it, and he stopped at our door and looked in. His eyes were wide open, and he looked first at Victoria, and then at me." " Yes." THE DOCTOR'S EXPERIMENT 339 "Then he passed on. And that is all." A pause. The doctor turned to his friend. " Well, what have you to say to that ? " The squire shook his head. "I do not know. I remember nothing of it, I swear by " Two pills and a sleeping draught. No other testimony is needed," interrupted the doctor. "The mystery is solved, or, at least, the first part of it." " You mean that I took the Tear, in my sleep ? " queried the squire, in low, troubled tones. The doctor nodded. "Precisely. Vic, can you remember, my dear, what I said to you that evening about staying with your sister ? " "Perfectly, doctor. You said that the action of the drug you had given her was very erratic, and that she might get out of bed if left alone while under its influence." " And that is what has happened with your father ; only in his case he supplemented the drug by a double dose of almost pure opium. You were under the influence of the drug, squire. It is one of the peculiar effects of opium under certain conditions. You fell asleep, your head filled with this Tear, and the drug did the rest. You yourself have hidden the Tear, and it is probably lying safe just where you put it, though where that is, Heaven only knows." " I did it myself! Oh, my poor little Madge^my poor little Madge ! " " Don't worry any more, Daddie. It will all come right now. It was my wicked taking the Tear that brought all the trouble ; but we will hunt for it and get it back to its owners, and then we can send for Bruce, and tell him all about it." It seemed as though a cloud had suddenly been lifted from the household. Madge smiled a little more like her old self, the squire looked cheerful, and Vic felt that her anxiety was getting pretty well over. The only question now was where had the squire hidden the Tear while under the influence of the drug ? 340 THE TEAR OF KALEE Every likely place was searched, and many an unlikely one as well, but all without avail. " Indeed," the doctor remarked to his friend, " there is no telling where you may have placed it." "It is worse than looking for a needle in a bottle of hay," he remarked at last, after a week of vain search had elapsed. " We shall never find it, I am afraid." That made the squire angry. " He would find it if he had to pull down every brick in the place ! " he declared, and the doctor laughed, and replied " And then you would not find it, squire ! It is no good worrying any more." " Doctor, why are you trying to irritate the dad ? " It was Victoria who asked that question, as she quietly let the doctor out ; and he stopped and smiled. "You think I am trying to irritate him, then?" he queried. " Yes, I am sure you are. Why is it ? " she answered. " Well, I will tell you, Vic. You have got your head screwed on the right way, so I will take you into my con- fidence. There is only one way to find the Tear, and that is to make your father show us where he hid it." " But can you do that ? " she asked. " Please explain, doctor." " I think I can, under certain circumstances. Firstly, he must be made as nervous and irritable as he was at the first that is why I am deliberately keeping him annoyed. Then, when he is quite dominated by the one thought, I propose to very quietly give him a second dose of opium, about the same quantity as he had before." " To what end, doctor ? Do you think that under its influence he will tell you where the Tear is hidden ? " " I hope that he will show me where he put it," was the answer. " It is only an experiment, but it can do no harm ; and there is the chance that it may succeed. If it does not, I confess that I have little hopes of ever discovering the hiding-place of the Tear of Kalee. Now, keep this to yourself, Vic, and we will see what we can do. Good-bye, my dear ! " THE DOCTOR'S EXPERIMENT 341 " Good-bye, doctor ; and thank you for all your kind- ness ! " she responded gratefully. " Even if the experiment does not succeed, your kindness is the same." Would it succeed ? That was the question which Dr. Linton asked of himself again and again. Would it succeed ? Even if the erratic influence of the drug induced the squire to revert to the loss of the Tear, would it lead him to disclose where it was hidden ? It was a chance, only a bare chance, and for one possibility of its success there were a dozen of its failure. For a week the doctor worked. He kept suggesting all manner of hiding-places, rousing the squire's hopes, and dashing them to the ground again. He contradicted, and argued, and crossed his friend at every turn, till old Squire Applebye came nearer to quarrelling with his lifelong friend than he had ever done since they were boys and fought over the proceeds of a midnight raid upon a neighbour's orchard. He watched his patient carefully. The squire was beginning to get wakeful of nights. He declared that he could not sleep for thinking of the Tear. The doctor thought that the time had come. He told the squire he would send him a little medicine to ensure a good night's rest ; and the squire grumbled and growled about " not having had all this worry if it had not been for his horrid drugs." So far, what the doctor wanted had occurred. The squire at once connected the proposed sleeping draught with the disappearance of the Tear. Only Vic knew of his plans ; and she had her in- structions from him. Between them they had managed to get the squire into a thoroughly irritable state, so much so that he declared he would not take the draught at all. They had expected that it was part of their plan and when Squire Applebye had tumbled and turned in bed for a little while, to his surprise, Victoria walked into his room, glass in hand. " You had better take it, Dad," she said. " To-morrow we will have a good look, you and I together ; but you make sure of a night's rest." 342 THE TEAR OF KALEE The squire grunted, and took the dose. "I don't think it is very strong," she said. "The doctor is so frightened of over-dosing one, that he errs on the wrong side. If it was not that he forbade you to have them, I would have given you a couple more of those pills." "Eh ? He forbade me to have them, did he ? That is like his impudence ! I'll have what I like ! " ** No, no, Dad, you must not ! You must do as you are told." " Hold your tongue, Vic ! " shouted the squire, sitting up in bed. " I say / will have a couple of those pills ! They made me sleep before ; and there is no Tear to hide away now. Give me the box, Vic." Victoria could scarcely repress a smile as she complied. How exactly the doctor had foreseen what would occur ! "If he does not ask for the pills, I must leave you to persuade him to take them," he had said. '* I want him to have just the same quantity as he did before." Those had been his instructions, and she had carried them out to the letter. The squire took the pills and sank back upon the pillows again. " That's right. Good-night, Vic. Get to bed, my girl." Vic, however, sat on the edge of his bed it was all part of her task and began to talk of the Tear, and where it was, and of the way in which the priests would still be looking for it. " I wonder they have not been to trouble us again," she said. "I should not wonder if they are still watching " " Think so " up sat the squire. " Think so, Vic ? " " Yes " she spoke in a level, low voice. " Yes, I think they are still on the watch. They will not give up. Good-night, Dad." And she got up and went out. " Well ? " Doctor Linton, down in the smoking-room, asked the question implied in that one word, and she smiled. " He would take the pills ; and his mind is full of the Tear, and the priests still looking for it. I feel a terrible conspirator, doctor." A STRANGE SEARCH 343 "It is for a good cause, Vic." " I know. What are we to do now ? *' "Nothing for a little while, till we may reasonably suppose that he is under the influence of the drug. It is very likely we shall have a long wait before us, Vic. It must have been daylight before anything happened last time, and it is most likely that he will go as long this time that is, if the drug acts in anything like the same way again." CHAPTER XLII A STRANGE SEARCH IT was weary work waiting. The doctor sat, an illustrated weekly in his hand, but his thoughts were far away. He was thinking of all the strange events which had followed one upon another, since the Tear was first stolen by Aimie Davenport. He thought of Maplethorpe and the fact that he was married to Constance ; of Madge and Hamilton ; of each and all who had been mixed up in this strange tangle of events. An hour passed ; a second went to add its story to the great What-has-been ; and then the doctor rose, and, followed by Vic, went softly upstairs, to peep into the squire's room, the girl looking over his shoulder. The old gentleman was lying on his back, breathing heavily ; a slight perspiration shone on his forehead, and his eyes were half unclosed and glazed. The doctor stooped, and looked at the pupils ; then he shook his head. " It will be a failure, I fear," he whispered. " The dose has been too powerful, and the brain is torpid. We must wait and see." Vic felt terribly disappointed. Somehow she had built her hopes on the success of the experiment ; but she made no reply. Hush ! What is that r " They had reached the smoking-room again, when the 344 THE TEAR OF KALEE doctor paused and spoke. From somewhere below had come the sound of breaking glass, sounding painfulJy clear in the silence of the night. They stood there listening. Again it came ; and Victoria glanced at her companion in some alarm. There could be little doubt of it, some one was trying to force an entry into the place. Dr. Linton placed his finger on his lips, and, entering the smoking-room, took the heavy poker from the grate a formidable weapon at any time, but doubly so now, seeing that it had been allowed to remain between the ""bars, and had become red-hot. He took the lamp in his left hand, and quietly descended into the servants' quarters, from which the noise had come, Victoria following close in his rear. Outside the door he paused and listened again, and from within was plainly heard the sound of stealthy footsteps. " Throw the door open suddenly, Vic," he whispered. And the girl obeyed ; the doctor stepping forward with upheld lamp and uplifted weapon. With one swift glance he took in the scene the shutter forced back from the window, the broken pane, and the two men standing side by side surprised by the sudden inter- ruption of their nefarious work. The doctor took it all in at a glance as he strode forward ; but he also saw something else, which arrested his steps, and caused him to stand regarding the burglars with almost as much surprise as they showed ; for in the lamplight he saw that these men were two of those very Hindoos whom Vic had told the squire she was sure would still be on the watch. The true word spoken in jest was all fact now, and the men were here. Dr. Linton made up his mind quickly ; the men had not moved, but with their Oriental stoicism they stood awaiting what should next transpire. The doctor set the lamp on the table, and regarded the pair in silence. One, at any rate, was a tall, imposing man, with regular and handsome features, and a pair of large, dark eyes, which were now fixed in watchful inquiry upon his face. A STRANGE SEARCH 345 The other one was of distinctly lower type lean, gaunt, tigerish. He stood, his hand at his side, waiting the com- mands of his companion ; and the doctor could have sworn that that hand held a very business-like-looking knife. It was a strange scene. The great kitchen where the shadows lurked everywhere save in the immediate neighbour- hood of the doctor's lamp, the two swarthy, silent Hindoos, surprised in their task, the clean-shaven, determined old doctor, and the startled face of Victoria behind him. So they stood for some brief space ; then the doctor spoke. " You understand English r " he asked quietly, and the answer came : "We do." " Good ! Will you follow me ? Vic, you must trust me in this. I think it a very good thing that these men are here" this to the girl as she made some little protest. " Come, you need not fear anything. I know your business at least, I think so and will talk with you about it." A quick, questioning glance from one man to the other. They did not understand his manner, and were evidently suspicious. While they were close to that window the chance of escape was theirs, but if they left it who could tell what might happen ? The doctor understood they did not trust him ; and he was particularly anxious that since Fate had brought these two here, they should hear all he wanted to tell them. A salt-cellar stood upon the table, and Dr. Linton took it up. He touched the contents with his finger, and placed that to his lips ; then offered it to the men, saying " You know nothing about me, I admit ; but I know what you seek, and am willing to aid you all I can. Will you eat salt with me ? " Another pause, another searching glance, and then the two tasted the salt, and followed the doctor to the smoking- room. " Now sit down, and listen to what I have to tell you," he said. "But wait. First tell me you would know a man who was drugged with opium if you saw one ? " The question surprised them evidently ; but the answer came : 346 THE TEAR OF KALEE "Assuredly, sahib." " Good ! Then follow me but quietly, please." The doctor conducted the pair to the squire's room, Victoria still following. A change was taking place, slowly but surely. The pupils of the eyes were becoming bright. The doctor's heart beat more quickly. Perhaps he would succeed, after all ! The two looked on in silence, and he beckoned them to come away. " That man is under the power of opium ? " he questioned, when the smoking-room was reached once more ; and the taller of the pair replied "Assuredly he is, sahib. But what of this? Why have you shown us this man, the father of the girl who had the Tear ? It is to seek for that we have come, while others of our number search over the sea. Their search will be in vain, we fear, for if the Tear was taken from this land, it is beyond all reach now." " How do you mean ? " asked the doctor . " They who left went in the Natalia ? " they queried. " Yes, that is so." " Has the sahib not heard the tidings, then ? " they asked ; and the doctor shook his head. "The Natalia foundered with all hands," they said. " The news came to-day. And if the Tear was on board of her, it is gone for ever." " The Natalia foundered ! " repeated the doctor, in shocked tones. " Poor little Madge, and poor Constance ! " he added. Then he turned to the Hindoos. "I do not think the Tear ever was on board that ship," he said. " Listen, gentlemen, to my story, and you shall see why I showed you that man drugged with opium. Listen, and you shall see that of those who dwell beneath this roof, none can be blamed in any measure for the loss of the Tear of Kalee, save, perhaps, the foolish girl who found it by accident, and who was too terrified to give it up." Then, beginning at the discovery by Madge, Doctor Linton recounted all that had transpired as far as he knew, bidding his visitors question him upon any point which they did not understand. A STRANGE SEARCH 347 He told how the Tear was lost again, and how they believed that the squire had himself taken it while under the influence of the narcotic ; and the two listened in silence, feeling that this man was speaking the truth, and would only be desirous of helping them regain possession of their treasure, if the chance came. " It is strange that of all nights you should have come here to-night when we are making this experiment," he said in conclusion. " I dare say that it seems a strange one to you." " By no means, sahib," they answered. " These things were known to our people many ages back ; and opium has been used to make people tell their secrets. If the old man did hide the Tear, 'tis likely that he will do as you think, and tell where it is." "I hope so," was the doctor's answer. "Suppose we go and look at him again. Vic, you need have no alarm," he added in a whisper. " It has been a good thing to let these fellows know the truth. Anyway, they will not molest you again, after this." Quietly they entered the room of the sleeper, and now even Victoria could see that a change was taking place. The doctor looked and held his hand in warning. " Keep quite still," he breathed, rather than spoke. " If we are to succeed it will be soon, now. The action I hoped for is taking place." The squire was tossing and muttering ; his eyes were wide open and glittering with a strange brightness, under the influence of the drug ; his mind was dwelling upon the Tear he was thinking that the priests would come for it. " I'll make sure," he said. " Best put it somewhere where it will be safe." He slowly left his bed he felt under his pillow and stood, seeming puzzled. Doctor Linton, watching, uttered a muiHed exclamation ; he had forgotten one thing. The squire had the key beneath his pillow that night ; he should have seen that it had been placed there again, and that something to represent the diamond had been put in the safe. What would happen now ? No one could foresee. ."Where is the key ?" 348 THE TEAR OF KALEE Squire Applebye spoke quite clearly now ; it almost seemed impossible that he was asleep. He lifted the pillow aside and felt all round ; he walked to the safe and tried the handle ; then shook his head again, and stood as though thinking. What was coming ? The doctor forgot every- thing but the professional interest ; Vic looked on in intense anxiety ; and even the two impassive Hindoos showed signs of the excitement they felt. The squire frowned he seemed to be trying to re- member where he had put the key. Now he turned, he was The doctor felt a thrill of disappointment the squire had got into bed again. Something like a sigh left the lips of the watching group the interest was almost painful and in the doctor's mind arose the question, would the man sink into the heavy lethargic stupor, or would the brain still remain active ? Another pause the moments seemed like hours ; now he moved again, he was still thinking of the Tear. " Vic said they would still be looking for it," he said aloud. " I wonder if they saw me hide it. I can't sleep till I know it is safe. I I must look." The doctor felt his lips twitch, so intense was his excite- ment ; he had hard work to control himself. His old friend had got out of bed again and thrown his dressing-gown around himself. He was out in the corridor, and moving with firm, unhesitating steps ; the four watchers in his rear. Where will he take them to ? The sitting-room ? No. The smoking-room ? No. The picture gallery, then ? Still no. Ah ! he passes into the conservatory ! No wonder they could not find the hiding-place, if he put it there. But the squire does not stop even here he unfastens the doors and descends into the grounds ! He had hidden it some- where out-of-doors, that is very clear. The doctor was beside him, and Vic close at his heels ; while the two others, keeping close beside him, showed by their quivering nostrils and compressed lips how intense was their excitement. They had searched so long and patiently. Their hearts had sunk when they had heard of the loss of that ship upon which they thought the Tear might have been. They had A STRANGE SEARCH 349 come down to Harleyford for one last determined search, prepared to risk anything and to do anything to gain some tidings of the diamond. And now they were to succeed ! To not only learn of it, but to recover it ! They would return to their people, covered with glory ! The two favoured ones who had recovered the holy Tear of the dread goddess ! Where had the squire hidden it ? He went from one terrace to another. Surely they were not to be disappointed at last. Surely this was not some new development of the drug's powers. It was so uncertain, that no man could be quite sure of the same result twice running. Some latent memory of other days might be roused to activity, and, mingling with the other thought concerning the Tear, might take the squire off at a tangent. The doctor knew it ; but there was nothing to be done but follow, and trust to the reward being theirs. " If we do not get there soon we shall not get there at all," he thought, as he noted the way in which the squire was staggering. Again and again he halted and stood sway- ing from side to side. He no longer spoke clearly, but with a thick incoherence, like a man in liquor. The drug was rapidly approaching the third stage of its action, the heavy lethargic condition from which nothing could arouse the patient. If they had to go much farther, the squire would pass into that third state, and their last chance would be gone. But that was not to be. He had led them to the lower terrace where, surrounding the gardens, were a number of large stone vases. Now, what was the man doing r He had sunk upon one of the seats, and was sitting inert and heavy. Dr. Linton shook his head. It was no use ; the drug was fast overcoming him, and the squire was failing. Not all the powers of science could rouse him again. " It is no use, Vic," he said to the girl, " your father has led us thus far. We can say we know something of the direction in which to look for the Tear, but that is the utmost we have succeeded in discovering. Gentlemen, I fear we are to be disappointed." " Stay," the principal of the two Hindoos spoke. " The 350 THE TEAR OF KALEE sahib will know his daughter's voice best. Will the mem sahib place her hand on her father's head, so that is it," as Victoria complied with his directions. " Now stoop, and speak in his ear. Speak loud, as if in alarm. Bid him show you where the Tear is, as we are taking it away." Victoria bent forward as the man ceased speaking. Her father seemed to be utterly unconscious. It was surely of no use to try and rouse him ; but she did as she was re- quested, and, raising her voice, she cried in his ear " Dad ! Dad ! Where is the Tear ? Is it quite safe ? They are after it ! " The squire opened his eyes. He started to his feet, and something like a yell escaped his lips, as he stumbled forward towards one of the vases. He reeled up to it, and thrust his arm into its damp, yawning mouth. " It's all safe in here, I put it in here, I took I " His words became inaudible, his grasp relaxed, and he slipped to the ground helpless and limp, while Vic bent over him ; and the doctor, pointing to the vase, cried " Gentlemen, you will find the Tear of Kalee in that vase." They were there ere he had finished speaking ; clamber- ing up and peering into the great stone cup, thrusting their arms in, and pulling out great handfuls of mouldering fallen leaves j leaning over and plunging both arms down again and again ; their eyes gleaming with strange unnatural light, so intense was their excitement. Where is it ?, Where is it ? It is not here ! The vase is empty ; and it is not here ! See if it has fallen among the leaves yonder ; scatter them this way and that, lest it be overlooked ! No. Nothing here ! Nothing. The vase is empty, and nothing is here ! Stay, what is that gleaming there ? A pearl ! A pearl, pear-shaped and pure ! One of those which had been used to adorn the Tear. They pounce upon it with wolfish hands. The old man has led them right, after all ! He did hide the Tear here, and this pearl proves it ; but, oh the bitter, bitter disappointment, as the truth flashes upon them ! THE DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION 351 Victoria, bending over the squire, looks up from her task in surprise and fear ; the doctor stands silent and pale ; and the two throw themselves down and cast the earth over their heads. Oh ! the bitter, bitter truth ! Some one has discovered the sacred Tear ; perchance watched the old squire as he hid it there ; and they have taken it away ! It is gone lost again, almost hopelessly ! for the vase is empty, and only the pearl is to be found ! The Tear has been stolen again ; and that was the result of the doctor's experiment. CHAPTER XLIII THE DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION " LOOK here, squire, it's no use beating about the bush, and I am going to speak my mind freely. If you don't take that girl away she will go mad. What with her grief at the loss of her lover, her remorse that she herself was in a great measure to blame for his going, and the haunting fear that she will still fall a victim to those Hindoos, her brain is nearly turned. You take her away, or you will be sorry for it when it is too late." And as Dr. Linton delivered this opinion, he tapped the lid of his snuff-box and deliberately helped himself to a pinch. " I am not exaggerating matters now. Madge is ill more ill than you think. Take her for a long sea-voyage." The squire sat listening gravely. He too could see the change in Madge, and his heart ached for his younger daughter. He knew she was pining away ; that her sorrow for the loss of her lover was killing her. Poor Hamilton was dead. Of that he had no doubt. The news of the loss of the Natalia, first broken to the doctor by the Hindoos on that night, a month before, when he had made his experiment, had been confirmed by inquiry at the office of the ship-owners. The Natalia had been caught in a heavy gale off 352 THE TEAR OF KALEE Delagoa, and had gone down with the loss of nearly all on board. Constance had taken the news quietly. To her, the sure knowledge of her Saviour's love was a strong tower and a refuge ; but Madge had neither her faith nor experience, and she drooped under the blow, and would have failed altogether had it not been for her companion in sorrow. For the common grief had drawn these two yet closer together, so that they were rarely separated from each other ; and Constance had quite taken the place Victoria used to hold in Madge's life. Not that Vic minded ; she knew and valued Constance's quiet influence, and was glad that her sorrowing sister had such a friend to rely oa. " Take her for a long voyage," advised the doctor, and the squire pondered over his words. " I suppose that there is no hope of young Hamilton being alive ? " he said. And his friend shook his head. " Humanly speaking, I fear not. Of course one cannot tell. He may have got picked up and carried off by a passing vessel. He may even be in Africa, but I should think it very unlikely. Certainly not likely enough for you to speak of it to Madge." " And you think she must go away ? " " Most emphatically I do," was the reply ; " and the sooner she goes the better. It won't do you any harm either, old friend," he went on ; " you look anything but right." " I am all right," answered Squire Applebye, almost impatiently. " Or at least I should be, if I could only find out what became of that wretched diamond. It makes me feel as if I had a hand in its theft " " So you had ; but an innocent one. Come, squire, you have no need to reproach yourself for anything there, beyond taking a dose of medicine without leave. Most likely some passing vagabond saw you, and helped himself to it immediately afterwards." "But what can he have done with it ?" Doctor Linton shrugged his shoulders. " My dear squire, I have something else to do than trouble my head THE DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION 353 about that. I don't care what he did with it, or what the other rascals did to him. But I do care about Madge, and what are you going to do ? " " Do ? I don't know I'll see." " You will do nothing of the kind. You will make up your mind now. I know you better than you know yourself, Applebye. Now, where will you go to ? and when will you start?" Doctor Linton planted himself directly in front of his friend as he spoke. " Come on, make up your mind," he said. " Really, doctor, I don't know when I can get away," the other protested ; but the doctor would not be put off. " Nonsense ! you told me only the other day that, in view of possible troubles at the Cape, you would have either to go to, or send to your agents at, Colenso." " Yes," admitted the squire ; " but surely you would not have me take the child there ? " " Why not ? A splendid voyage ! What could you wish better ? " " But the journey up country ? " " Railway all the way." " But the troubled state of the place ? " " Pooh ! All rumour ! Nothing will come of it. Besides, if you find things going wrong when you get there, turn round and come home again ; or leave Madge in Durban while you go on. That's settled, then ; you take Madge to South Africa, and you start at once." " But, doctor " protested the squire, rumpling his hair, as was his wont when perplexed. " But, doctor " and the doctor cut him short, with an " It's all settled, Madge goes with you to the Cape." But it was not all settled. Madge herself had a word to say ; and she refused point-blank to go. " She did not want to go, and she would not go ! " she said ; nor could the doctor or Victoria shake her resolution. Doctor Linton went home, wrathfully declaiming against obstinate girls, and told his grievance to Constance somehow he always did tell his troubles to her now and she generally had some suggestion to offer to help him out of them. She had in the present instance. 2 A 354 THE TEAR OF KALEE " I think I can persuade Madge to go," she said, " that is, if you are willing to part with me for the time." " Eh ! Part with you ? You are not going to the Cape." "I shall have to, if Madge is to go," she answered. "Why, father, you do not think she would go alone, do you ? Instead of being cheered up, she would be brooding all the voyage through ; and suppose that the squire had to leave her at Durban, whatever would the girl do there all alone, in the hotel ? No, either Vic or I will have to go with her." The squire was consulted. "Vic could not possibly go," he said. "She would have to remain at home, looking after things in his absence." " She is quite as good as I am," declared the squire. "Vic and I cannot be away together; but if Constance could go, I really think Madge would make no more objections. Of course it would be dull for the child, without a companion, and she and Constance are such old friends. Will you spare her to me, Linton, for the time r " And the doctor shook his friend's hand and agreed. So Constance went to Madge to talk things over with her, and she soon gained her friend's consent. " She wanted to go herself," so she said. " She hoped that Madge would agree to go, because then the doctor would allow her to accompany her friend." That was the method Constance adopted, and Madge Applebye soon was conquered. " I will do anything you wish, Constance," she said. " Tell your father that I will go, and that I hope he will let you come with me. I shall not mind so long as I have you near me." So it was settled ; and boxes were packed and berths secured. And then, one fine September morning, the squire and his daughters stood with Dr. Linton and Constance on the deck of the beautiful ocean greyhound in Southampton Dock. It was an animated scene ; sailors and stewards hurrying to and fro ; passengers taking last farewells of friends who had come to see them off; officers super- intending the taking on board of the last batch of cargo, THE DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION '355 just arrived by the London mail. Noise, shouting, laughter, bustle, such as made Madge stare and keep close to her father's side. , " Well, time is up," said the doctor, at last. " Now, Madge, I expect you to look after Constance and bring her back safely ; and I expect you to come back with good honest roses in your cheeks. Squire, mind that neither of them go tumbling overboard. Sharks are not particular, you know." The doctor spoke in cheery tones ; but his eye was moist and his voice shook, as he took his daughter in his arms, and pressed a last kiss upon her cheek. "Good-bye and God bless you, Constance, my daughter !" he said softly. " And may He in His wisdom heal the heartache, and bring peace to you." It was a long time since the doctor had spoken in that way to her, and even in her pain she felt she could thank God, who had used the trouble to bring her and her father so truly together in love and sympathy. " Take care of the mater, father," she said. " Vic, you will spare time to go and chat with her sometimes, won't you, dear ? " " Of course," replied the good-natured Vic. " You need not fear ; I shall be compelled to do that. Now that Madge and you are off, there will be no one to mend my rents and tears for me, unless I can persuade Mrs. Linton to take pity on me." And then they all laughed heartily, for Vic's dislike to needle and thread was proverbial. And now a blue flutter is seen at the mast's head, bells ring, and syrens scream. And with last handshakes and farewells, the visitors flock ashore to stand watching, and waving hats and handkerchiefs, as the great vessel moves slowly and proudly from her berth. " God bless them ! " said the doctor softly, as he turned away with Vic. And she answered quietly, Amen ! " And on the deck they stand, watching the receding shore, as the vessel churns her way through the crowd of shipping that is in Southampton Water. 356 THE TEAR OF KALEE Then there is a general going below to cabins, to arrange things in something like order for the voyage ; there is a general introducing and shaking of hands ; and at last the dinner-bell rings, and everybody flocks to the saloon, where, after the meal, success to the voyage is drunk ere the ladies withdraw. And the day wanes, and the evening closes in, and still on and on the great ship goes, leaving behind her a broad track of hissing, gleaming foam, far as the eye can reach a ghostly road, emblematic of that which we make as we cross the sea of life from the shores of the " What-has-been " on to the mystic, veiled " Unborn." Then, with a shimmering of opaline and silver, the moon rises on the horizon, and the stars shine out above ; while, like stars of dimmer lustre, the parting lights of old England grow fainter and more faint astern. On goes the ship, the brilliancy of her electric lights casting a strange, unnatural reflection on the bosom of the darkening sea ; and presently the squire calls the girls to his side, and points astern to one twinkling light that fades and reappears as the ship rises and falls to the swell. " Do you see that light ? " he asks ; and they reply in the affirmative. " It is the last farewell of England ; it is the light of the Lizard." And even as he speaks the tiny spear of light fades away, and reappears no more ; and the ship is rolling on the long, swelling waves of the mighty Atlantic. CHAPTER XLIV THE MEETING ON THE VELDT u DADDIE, what do you think they will do to us ? " It was Madge Applebye who spoke, but a Madge in far different surroundings to those in which she was last seen. The handsomely-furnished saloon of the steamer was now exchanged for an uninviting, bare room in a corrugated iron THE MEETING ON THE VELDT 357 building ; the luxurious divans and seats for rough home- made stools and table. No longer the blue Atlantic stretched to the horizon all round, but in its stead the yellow, dusty veldt was to be seen ; for Madge, Constance, and the squire were prisoners, prisoners in the hands of the Boers. That was bad enough to the squire's English pride ; but it was added to by the knowledge that he had no one but himself to thank for it. When they had reached Durban, the air was full of dark rumours of trouble, and the squire was strongly advised not to attempt the journey to Colenso. But Squire Applebye could not bring himself to believe that there was any real danger, or that what he termed " a parcel of discontented farmers" would ever dare to invade English territory, no matter what they might do in their own state. The railway ran to Colenso ; there was no reason why they should not go on ; and on they went. Colenso reached, the squire was jubilant. " He knew there was no danger ; all this talk of invading Natal was mere rubbish ! " Alas for his opinion : before his business was done, and he was ready to return, there came the tidings that a strong force of Free Staters had crossed the frontier and seized the line, and that bodies of armed men were being poured into Natal from the north and west ! The squire fumed. Here was a pretty pass, to be shut up, with two girls, in an African town, and to have to endure the experience of a siege ! He demanded if there was no chance of getting back by road, and was advised, again, to stay where he was at any rate, until reinforcements from the south should have opened the line once more. Again he rebelled. A few adventurous spirits were going to try and reach Durban, avoiding the roads and towns, and crossing the veldt upon Cape ponies. They offered the squire to escort his party, and laughingly assured him that there was no real danger, and Squire Applebye accepted the offer. Both Madge and Constance were good horsewomen, he reasoned. To remain where they were was to risk a great deal ; while to journey to the south was each day to 358 THE TEAR OF KALEE put so many miles between them and the scene of opera- tions ; added to which they might be able to take the train farther on. The squire said they would go. The more experienced shook their heads, and told him it was more than folly it was sinful to risk the girls falling into the hands of the enemy. To which he replied that, so far as he could see, there was nothing else before them if they stayed where they were. It must be owned that both Madge and Constance urged him to make the attempt, for they viewed with dismay the prospect of being in the immediate vicinity of a possible battle. And so the old gentleman had purchased ponies for himself and charges, and, accompanied by the half-dozen young men who were making the journey, had set out. For the first twenty-four hours there had been nothing to disturb their peace ; but, ere another day had gone, the squire had reason to bitterly repent his obstinacy. There had been a sudden volley, a horrible falling from saddles of wounded men, a swift rush of shouting horsemen, and then he and his companions were surrounded and marched off, prisoners in the hands of these despised Boers. That galled the squire as much as anything ; though he had to confess that their captors treated them with a certain amount of rough consideration, when they found that they were only English travellers ; contenting themselves with hurrying them across the mountain, and leaving them prisoners in the Free State. " Daddie, what do you think they will do to us ? " The squire looked up, with a grunt, and knocked the ashes from his pipe. " Do ? Nothing, I suppose. Keep us here for the time, and then let us go. What can they do to us ? Where is Constance ? *' ** She said she would be back in a few minutes I think she has gone to see that poor man that they shot. They brought him back with us, you know, and he has been lying here with his arm all broken, and " " Eh ! " The squire started up. " Did the girl set this fellow's arm ? " THE MEETING ON THE VELDT 359 " She got one of the Boers to help her, and I heard her say how glad she was that she had assisted her father at home, so that she knew what to do now. Hush ! here she is." Constance entered as Madge spoke, and behind her came a man, pale, gaunt, with a fortnight's growth of beard upon his cheek, and one arm resting in a roughly improvised sling. " Squire," she said, " I have brought a fellow-prisoner to see you. His name is Mr. Manners, and he has had his arm broken by a bullet." " Glad to see you, Mr. Manners," said the squire, heartily, "though I wish it could have been under more pleasant circumstances. But surely you were not one of the party who accompanied us from Colenso ? " The man had touched his hat in half-military fashion, and sunk on to a box ; but while the squire was speaking, he kept his eyes fixed upon him with a bewildered expression a look, first of uncertainty, and then of amazement. Neither Madge nor her father noted the expression ; but observant Constance did, and it only increased the difficult problem in her own mind. Who was this man ? He did not seem to recognise her ; but somehow she thought his face familiar ; whilst though the squire did not know him, he, on his side, certainly appeared to have seen the old gentleman before. Constance was perplexed, but she said nothing. "I was not with you, sir," the man answered. " I was brought in before you came." " Got wounded, I see, though ? " " Not by them " and there was a ring of bitterness in the tone of the speaker. " My own friend did that God forgive him ! He's dead now, and I don't want to bear malice. He and I came up together. We had not been here long. We quarrelled I need not say what about it don't make any difference and he shot at me from behind my back, and then bolted with with my share of the things, and left me to die like a dog, on the veldt." " The scoundrel ! " cried the squire, indignantly. " I should like to meet him." " You never will. / met him 4 and he is dead*" 360 THE TEAR OF KALEE " You killed him ! " cried Constance, in horror ; but he shook his head solemnly. " No, miss. Bad as I am, I have not got that on my soul. He was dead the Boers had swooped down on him." " And they found you, and brought you here ? " " Yes. At least, I found them, and gave myself up. It was better than dying out there ; and that is what it would have come to." The man ceased. And then, once again, Madge repeated the question she was so constantly asking : " I wonder what they will do to us ? " " Oh ! never mind about that," said Constance, trying to cheer her friend up. " Come outside and look at the funny little black babies. There are three of them, with their mother, just come in." The two girls went out, leaving the men chatting over their pipes. A loud outcry interrupted their conversation. From without came the sharp cracking of a whip, the screaming of a girl in agony, the sound of mocking laughter, and then, Constance's voice, quivering with indignation, " You coward ! You miserable coward ! " Out rushed the squire, followed by his companion, to see a sight which set his blood boiling. There, evidently in great pain, cowered a native girl of about sixteen, trying to protect, with her own body, a little child from the blows of the cruel sjambok, which a great, black-bearded giant was showering upon her ; and between the man and his victim stood Constance, her face white, her eyes blazing, while Madge was trembling and struggling in the grasp of another man. Mr. Manners' left arm was broken, but his right shot out like a bolt from a bow, and the man with the whip fell in a heap against the wall ; while at the same time, the fellow who held Madge was ignominiously seized and kicked by the squire. A hubbub of voices arose, and the consequences might indeed have been serious for the two Englishmen, but at the critical moment a stern-faced man strode among the crowd and shouted " Hold ! " and at the sound of that voice, silence fell upon the mob of fighting men. " What does this noise mean ? You, Hans, consider THE MEETING ON THE VELDT 361 yourself under arrest. Silence, sir ! Report yourself to the commandant." " But, veldt-cornet " " Obey, sir. You, also, Pete Poinser, may accompany him. Have I not ordered that there shall be no acts of violence, and no molestation of prisoners ? While I am here, my orders shall be obeyed. Drive those black cattle off, and see the prisoners back to their place." And turning on his heel, the field-cornet stalked off again. " He was only just in time," muttered Mr. Manners, when the four were once more in the room. " A little later, and we should have been dead men. As it is, we have made two enemies who will not easily forget, and who will never forgive." " And you have made a friend who will not forget," said the squire heartily ; and so the incident ended. But three days later, Mr. Manners drew the squire on one side, and imparted to him the rather startling tidings, that if he and the two girls liked to risk it, they would make a bid for freedom that night. Mr. Manners had not been either idle or unobservant, it appeared. He had found the Zulu girl whom Constance had befriended ; and she apparently had a lover who was willing to repay the obligation, if possible. Cape ponies were to be in readiness, and the Zulu would be there to guide them.* Their captors, not dreaming of the possi- bility of escape, and having very lax military discipline, took but little precaution to keep their prisoners secure. Mr. Manners said it could be done ; and once across the frontier, they might fall in with the British troops, and be safe. The squire pondered and consulted the girls ; and the result was that the attempt was determined upon. Fortune favoured them the night was moonless and dark the sentry, who should have been on guard, was not there. There was a free-and-easy way, a general absence of military order among the soldiers, which made their escape comparatively easy. Mr. Manners had made himself intimately acquainted with the locality ; and about ten o'clock, the four prisoners contrived to slip their way 362 THE TEAR OF KALEE unperceived to the rear of the place, where their dusky friend was awaiting them. "It's all right, baas," he whispered in guttural tones. " Most the commando is gone, and the men here are drunk. M'wembo will lead you safe, since you were good to Nystula. Come ! " He led the way cautiously till they arrived at the back of the buildings, where the girl stood guarding four stoutly- built horses. " Mount," she said shortly ; " the way is clear." And the four prisoners obeyed, the Zulu running on in front with as little exertion as they themselves exhibited. Would Constance ever forget that ride ? On through the darkness, where they had to trust to the instinct of the beasts they rode to avoid the holes in the ground and the rocks that littered the way. On, with the tall form of the Zulu flitting noiselessly and phantom-like before them. On till they entered the wild kloof between the rugged hills. On till they descended the other side of the nek and were in the plain, on British territory. On, till A sudden cracking of rifles and bright flashes of flame ! The Zulu, who was close to Constance's pony, uttered a strange, gurgling cry, and, leaping up high into the air, he fell headlong forward, while Mr. Manners reeled in his saddle, as if he would fall. But he recovered himself and gripped the bridle of Constance's pony, calling to the squire to do the same with his daughter's. " On ! on ! " he cried. " They must go for all they are worth ! Their patrols have discovered us, and it means death if they can get a clear sight. On ! on ! " The ponies started forward with necks stretched and ears laid back, as if they also knew their danger. On, while the wind whistled in their ears, and from behind, came again and again the sharp "crack" "crack" of the rifles. On, not knowing whither they went ; riding blindly a mad, wild race for life and liberty, till from the very ground at their feet dark shadows seemed to rise,, and a sharp challenge came. THE TEAR IS FOUND AT LAST 363 Halt ! Who goes there ? " A challenge in English ! Had ever music sweeter note than those hoarse tones ! " Friends ! English prisoners ! The Boers are pur- suing ! " A bugle rang out sharp, short notes ; men loomed shadow-like, and went cantering out, to be swallowed up in the blackness of the veldt ; and then friendly hands led the fugitives towards a camp fire. " Look out ! He's been hit ! " comes a warning, as Mr. Manners reels and falls. "Bear a hand, men, and " Why does the speaker pause and stand staring stupidly ? and why do the two men who are with him seem struck helpless ? Why ? The firelight flickers and dances, and casts strange, weird shadows around ; and its light falls on their faces, and upon those of the people they have rescued. From the distance comes the rapid reports of rifles ; but for the moment they heed not, for standing before Con- stance and Madge are three men, Bruce Hamilton, Vincent Davenport, and Maurice Maplethorpe. They whom they thought dead, alive ! and meeting them thus on the veldt ! CHAPTER XLV THE TEAR IS FOUND AT LAST A POOR little village surrounded by rude, hastily-con- structed defences ; a handful of grim, stern men ; a few patient, courageous women ; and over all a ragged flag, fluttering gaily in the breeze a poor, discoloured, ragged flag, the sight of which makes their eyes light up and their bosoms swell ; and every man of that company will be lying silent and stiff in death ere that ragged flag shall be lowered and the Transvaal Vierkleur shall take its place. A poor little village ; and, surrounding it on all sides, 364 THE TEAR OF KALEE the enemy cluster on the kopjes ; biding their time, as the vultures surround some dying lion, which they desire, yet fear, to attack. There are sad hearts in that little village ; and yet for some there is a great joy which o'ermasters even the sorrow. For Madge has her Bruce once again ; and the squire and the chaplain have clasped hands in friendship, and there is no shadow of suspicion between them now. And Constance and her husband are hand in hand, all subterfuges and secrets over ; each knowing the love of the other, even in the face of danger. And Aimie and her husband are there, bound close together now, and having learnt many lessons in their trouble. Strange had been their experience ! In that wild storm, when the Natalia had gone down, they had been cast with a few others upon a deserted and barren shore, the boat in which they had found this haven being broken to pieces by the surf. Thence they had wandered, till they found that they were in Portuguese territory ; and when, after much of hardship and some danger, they had arrived in Natal, it was to find the war had actually commenced. The three companions volunteered for service, and were enrolled in one of the troops of irregular horse that were being rapidly raised, and thus it was that they had been among those who rescued the squire's party on the night of their escape. They had taken the girls to this village, which was for the time the headquarters of their company, and suddenly they had found that, instead of the reinforcements that should have arrived, fresh bodies of the enemy came, and they were shut up here with one of two alternatives, either to yield or die ; and, with the bulldog stubbornness of their race, they chose the latter. But they could not hold out long ; they knew that help must be got at once, or their case was hopeless. Every man volunteered to run the gauntlet and go for relief. They agreed to draw lots, and it fell to Vincent Davenport. Maurice would fain have changed places with him, but Vincent would not have it so. THE TEAR IS FOUND AT LAST 365 "I'll carry it through if it can be done," he said; "I have not shone before, but I will do the right thing now." And he went to make his preparations for the dangerous ride. The three girls had much to do; and though, in one way, their presence added to the cares of the defenders of the village, yet, in another, it was a blessing ; for they tended the wounded with unwavering devotion, and Con- stance's knowledge of surgery, though crude, was of inestimable service, while her quiet, patient faith calmed and strengthened many a sufferer in his hour of weakness. But there was one patient whom Constance took under her especial care, and that was Manners. The Boer bullet had done its work all too well, and he was dying. All through that long night ride he had held her up, guiding her horse, and enduring the agony of his wounds. But the strain had proved too much for a constitution already weakened by his former injuries, and Manners was dying. Constance was with him in the cottage they had turned into a hospital, sitting by his side, and reading in low tones from her little worn Bible, when Davenport came in to bid her good-bye. "I am going soon, Mrs. Maplethorpe," he said "as soon as it gets dark ; and I may not be able to see you again. You will be good to Aimie for me, will you not ? Try and help her, if if I don't come back." "I will treat her as my own sister, Vincent," she answered, using the old name now that they might be parting for good in this world. " And for your safety I will pray also. Good-bye." And again he said " Good-bye, Mrs. Maplethorpe," and left her. " Maplethorpe ! Why did he call you Maplethorpe ? " The question was panted from the bed of the dying man, and Constance turned to him again. " Because that is my name," she said gently. " I am Constance Maplethorpe." " Ah ! I knew a Maplethorpe once a Maurice 366 THE TEAR OF KALEE Maplethorpe. I treated him badly, and sent him on a wrong road. He is dead now. Perhaps he knows I am sorry." " Maurice Maplethorpe ! " she said in wonder. " Why, that is my husband ! See ! here he comes." And as she spoke Maurice entered the room. " So Davenport is going to-night " he began, but his wife checked him. " Maurice, this poor man is dying. He helped me when we escaped from the Boers, and was shot in protecting me. You have not had time to speak to him before ; but he says he knows you, that he wronged you once, and is sorry for it now, and wants your forgiveness." Maplethorpe approached the bed, and looked down upon the dying man. " I don't know you," he said at last. " No. Time and sickness alter one greatly. You also are changed ; I should not have known you with that beard. So you have forgotten Jim Booly ! " " Booly ? " repeated Maplethorpe, in surprise. " You Jim Booly ! Ay, I see it now that I look in your eyes ! ' " And you will shake hands ? I am dying now. Where is your wife ? I got your husband to forge a cheque for me once, Mrs. Maplethorpe. He was only a young fellow, and my junior, and I had him in my power. I thought to get him to join us, but he would not. He bolted to India ; I'm sorry now, very sorry. I did hear that you were dead. I met a chap in London once I thought he was you ; but he told me you were drowned." Then a light broke upon Constance. She knew now why this face seemed familiar. This was the man who had accosted her and Maurice that morning in the park when he was going to the lawyer's. Maurice sat down by the bed and took the dying man's hand. "Jim," he said softly, "from my heart I forgive you whatever wrong you did to me. The man you spoke to in the park was myself; I was taking another man's place, and all my fear was being recognised." Something like a smile passed across the face of the listener. THE TEAR IS FOUND AT LAST 367 " I knew it," he murmured. " I said all along it was you. That's why I went down to Harleyford. I was sure you were the man " A pause. Then he spoke again " Were you not mixed up somewhat with the stealing of that big diamond, the Tear of Kalee ? " " No ; I passed for the man who had taken it. It was he who was here just now." " Eh ? I remember now ; the name was the same, Davenport. Strange that we should all meet here, when death is so near to us ! " Another pause, then " Will you tell me all about that Tear I " " It is a long story," said Constance. " Do you think it worth while ? You are very weak." " You mean that I am so near death, Mrs. Maplethorpe, that I had better employ my thoughts with other matters ? " he said quietly. " It is because I know how near the end is that I want to hear this. Will you not tell me " " Hush " from Maurice ; " Aimie is coming." And she entered, her eyes red with tears, to kneel at Constance's side, and say softly " Pray for him ; he is gone." " Aimie, this man wants me to tell him a story. It is the story of the Tear of Kalee. Do you mind if I do so ? " " No. The terrible Tear ! All our trouble came with that Tear. We might have been so happy, so very happy, but for that ! I think that God forsook me when I did that wicked thing " " < I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,' " repeated a quiet voice, and Hamilton, accompanied by Madge and the squire, stood in the doorway. Constance beckoned them in. " It is right that you should come. We are going to tell the story of the Tear of Kalee ; and now every one that had part in it is here, except Sir Vincent." So they came in, wondering much why this story should be told to the dying man ; and they sat there, in the gathering shadow, listening while Constance told the tale of the fatal Tear and the sorrow it had brought to them all. 368 THE TEAR OF KALEE And he, the dying man, listened in silence till all the tale was done, and then he spoke " And the Tear was not found in the vase ? " " No. Some one must have been watching and stolen it." " And if you had it, you would restore it to its owners ? Restore it, when it must be worth so much ! Do you mean that ? " " I mean it. We all mean it," she said. " It was come by wrongfully, and it can never bring aught but a curse." " Never bring aught but a curse ? " he repeated dreamily ; then, with a burst of fierce energy : " Ay, it is true ! Only a curse and murder and death ! You have told me this story, but there is another chapter to it, a chapter you do not know, and which I alone can tell. Shall I tell it, and make the tale complete ? " " Be calm," pleaded Constance, fearing the result of this sudden outburst. " Oh, be calm ! " " It matters little, gentle angel, too good for such as I to have near me. Listen ! I thank God for one thing I can do a little to bring happiness to you and the man I wronged in his youth. Listen ! But first raise me. See, there is a ribbon round my neck. Take it off." Constance complied ; and the rest stood round, waiting in silent wonder for what should follow. A little bag of dirty cloth came away with the ribbon ; a little bag carefully tied round with string. "Put it in my hand," panted the sufferer. "Put it here." And he held out one weak, trembling palm. " Now listen, all of you," he continued aloud. " I, Jim Booly, being about to go into the presence of my Maker to answer for my many sins, give this into the hands of Constance Maplethorpe, and charge her to do as she has said, and deliver it up to those to whom it by right belongs." He held the bag towards her j and she in silent wonder took it. The shadows grew deeper, and the light of the lamp shone upon the faces of those there ; upon Aimie, kneeling by Constance's side ; upon Madge, holding Hamilton's hand, and standing between him and her father, in the JUST IN TIME 369 doorway ; upon Maplethorpe, behind his wife's chair ; and upon the dying man on that rough bed. " Open it," he panted, pointing with one trembling finger. " Open it, and let me see it once more in all its accursed beauty ! Let me see it, the vile thing that can steal men's wills and hearts ! Let me see it, and then put it away and do with it as you have said. Only, if aught prevents your restoring it, then destroy it as you would some deadly thing that worked naught but evil. Open the bag, and let me see it ! " With trembling fingers she undid the knot, and took from the bag that which it held ; and there, as beautiful as of yore, with all its fatal glamour and sheen, the Tear of Kalee lay sparkling in her white palm. CHAPTER XLVI JUST IN TIME THE Tear of Kalee lay in the hand of Constance ! For a brief space surprise drew the attention of all there from the dying man, who had fallen back, gasping for breath, upon the pillow. But in a few moments Constance was kneeling by the bed, supporting his head, and holding a restorative to his lips ; while Hamilton and Maplethorpe stood one on either side of his couch. Booly touched the restorative with his lips, and motioned the glass away. The end was very near, and the man made one last desperate effort to rally and tell his story. " Raise me up," he said faintly, and the men stooped and lifted him into a sitting posture, holding their arms behind him. " Lay it there" and he pointed to the bed. "I would see it before me while I tell my tale. Would it were alive that it might hear how I hate it ! A dozen times I have determined to destroy it, but its accursed spell ever seemed 2 B 370 . THE TEAR OF KALEE to hinder me. So" as Constance placed the Tear on the bed " now listen and hear the last chapter of the tale. " On that day when I met you, Maplethorpe, in the park, I was sure that your story was false. You called yourself Davenport, and that name was soon in every one's mouth as that of the man who held the famous Indian diamond, for which such a great reward was offered. " That set me thinking. I knew you had been in India, and I supposed that you had stolen the thing, and brought it home. I found out that you were living in Harleyford, and came down, my object being to get the diamond, and so earn the reward ; or, failing that, to blackmail you to the last penny. " The first time you were not at home. The second time, as I was about to enter your house, I came face to face with another man, your very image, who yet I knew was not you. I knew that because he stopped, quite uncon- cernedly, and asked me for a light. That threw me off the scent ; and when I asked a labourer if he knew who it was, the fellow answered that it was Sir Vincent Davenport. I tell you I was perplexed. I tried to work it out, but could not get to the bottom of it. I wondered whether you were working in partnership. The likeness bewildered me, and I could do nothing but lay low and watch. I wanted the diamond ; and if I had made a false move, I might have lost every chance." Booly paused, and again Constance held the glass to his lips. " I kept on and off for months, following you about sometimes to London even but I was no nearer my object than I was at first ; and, besides, I was getting low in funds. I could not bring myself to give up the search. Even then this thing had me in its power. " At last, one morning I had been sleeping under a hedge that night I determined to break into one of the houses in the locality, and so replenish my purse. I had chosen the place, and was hanging about waiting for evening again to put my plan into -execution, when I saw an old gentleman come out and go down into the grounds. I made sure that he would see me, for he looked straight at JUST IN TIME 371 me. But he passed on, and I saw he was walking in his sleep. But I saw more I saw such a diamond in his hands as could only be the very one I was searching for. I laughed to myself, as I followed. Fortune, I thought, had smiled upon me at last ! I saw where he put it ; and he had not gone a dozen yards, before the Tear was in my possession, and I was running from the spot. How I ran, mile after mile, till I could run no more, till I came to a wood, and here I stopped and examined my treasure ! Would I had never seen it ! It maddened me I laughed at the idea of giving it up. It was worth twenty times the reward, I thought. I kissed it, I shouted, I danced I was mad y I think ! Then I hurried on. " Maplethorpe, from that hour my punishment began. Every one seemed to know that I had the Tear. I feared to rest anywhere. If I slept, it was to dream that I was being robbed, and to wake screaming. I got to London, but I feared to go among my friends ; and at last went to one man whom I thought I could trust. " One night I awoke to find him bending over me. I do not know what he was there for. But one thought came to my mind he wanted to steal the Tear ! I sprang at him. We rolled over and over, till the string which held the bag round my throat broke, and the Tear came away in his hand. I shouted with fury, and, springing up, seized a heavy stick that lay in the corner, and struck again and again ! " " Friend," said the chaplain gravely, " if you want to finish this confession, you must be calm " for Booly was terribly excited now. " Yes, yes ; I will try. I came away, leaving him there silent and still. I fled to the country once more, only to be haunted by a double terror, which drove me back to town again. I went then to the only being in all the world who was faithful to me a woman who loved as only a woman can and she begged me to be content with receiving the reward offered. I laughed I wanted all the Tear would bring. I went to one who received stolen property. I thought he would not dare to betray me I knew too much ! He saw the Tear, and promised to help me dispose of it. 372 THE TEAR OF KALEE " Elated at my success, I returned to my poor Nance and told her, and she entreated me to distrust the fellow, and go into hiding. If in three days no search had been made, I might come back and sell the Tear, she said. I went, she agreeing to write to me each day. The first day a letter came saying all was well. The second another came, with the same story. The third no letter came, and I went back to find the street full of the news of a mysterious murder. Nance's room had been entered, its contents were strewn in all directions, and she herself was found dead ! " How I cursed the diamond then ! I feared to remain, for I knew the * fence ' had betrayed me. I made my way to Southampton, often having to beg on the road, and yet having a king's ransom in my possession. "Then I determined to get out of England where, I cared not. I got a job on a trading vessel, and came out here, and then bolted. My idea was to get to the diamond- fields, and see if I could not get one of the big men there to offer a fair sum, and ask no questions. " I had to tramp it, for I had no money now, and I fell in with a poor chap, dying, as I thought, with fever. I don't know what made me pity him. He reminded me of my brother, who died years before, and that made me take to him. I nursed him and begged for him, and got him well. Then, like a fool, I told him my tale, and showed him the Tear, and " Booly paused, and drew his hand across his brow. " It was the same story again," he went on, " the same evil spell. The man I had nursed back to life, for whom I had conceived a kinder feeling than I felt for the rest of the world, tried to kill me and take the Tear from my senseless body. I had my arm broken, and I might have starved to death. " For four days I wandered on the veldt, neither know- ing nor caring whither I went ; and then I came upon him once more, dead, shot through and through, and the Tear still hung round his neck, for he was so ragged and poor that no one would have thought it worth while to search him. A curse it has been ever since I held it, a bitter curse ! Take it away take it " JUST IN TIME 373 He fell back, half fainting, yet he held out one feeble hand to Constance. " Pray for me, you gentle angel of goodness and mercy, for surely your prayers shall be heard." Then Constance knelt and prayed ; and it came to pass that, even as she prayed, Jim Booly died. They covered him with the bedclothes, and went out, awed and silent, Constance with the Tear still in her hand. And as they stepped into the open air, there came a roar of rifle-fire, a spattering of bullets, and the quick summons of bugles. " Quick ! Quick ! Every man to his place ! The enemy are attacking in force ! " How quick the transition ! One moment in the solemn presence of the dead, with every feeling subdued, and hearts nearer to heaven than earth ; and the next, hurrying forward amidst shouting and cheering, intent upon but one object to get at the foe who were shooting their comrades down. Constance and her companions got their simple prepara- tions made. They knew by sad experience how soon their services might be needed. And all around in the darkness comes the sharp ring of the rifles ; and ever and anon the deeper, hoarser roar of a gun or the scream and bursting of a shell. And ever that little company of men crowd to their defences and hurl back the attack panting, breathless, bathed in perspiration, grimed with smoke, but unconquered and defiant while still overhead that tattered flag flies, free as the wind that displays its faded colours. And the night fades and the day comes. A shell has struck the cottage where the girls are at work, and it is in flames. Men hastily carry the wounded to another, and let this one burn out as best it may. The dawn deepens, and the sun rises as beautiful here, above this accursed work, as it does over the lanes and hedgerows of dear old England. And still the flag flutters, and still the men keep their places and fire from the very gaps the enemy's shells have made. The foe are perplexed ; they have lost heavily in the attack. It is madness of these rooineks to hold out longer ; but it is a madness that is 374 THE TEAR OF KALEE common with them and their countrymen ; and when the sun is in the zenith, still the flag is there. And then the word goes round that ammunition is failing, and that if help does not arrive soon the end must come. And again the firing comes, the day fades, and night spreads over the veldt, and help has not yet come ! ****** There is a lonely rider out on the veldt, urging on his way with whip and spur ; while the dull thud, thud, of the horse's hoofs come with monotonous regularity, and the yellow dust rises in miniature whirlwinds as he goes galloping by. On he goes, with nothing but the stars to guide him ; not daring to slacken rein, yet dreading every minute that his horse would set his foot in some hole, the burrow of ant- bear or rat, and come crushing with him to the earth. On ; for the lives of many, and the honour of his flag are in jeopardy, and only he can succour them ! He is bareheaded, his left arm hangs limp by his side, and every stride of his horse seems to rack his weary body with agony ; and yet as he rides there is an exultant feeling of triumph in Vincent Davenport's heart, for he is conscious that he is playing a man's part. Playing ! He has played it, if ever a man did. In the first mad rush from the village, with bullets hissing in his rear and sending spurts of dust all around him ; in the fierce charge through the patrol, sabre in one hand, revolver in the other, hacking through the circle of horsemen, and forcing a way out to the wide plain again ; in the long pursuit, with the enemy straining behind and firing again and again ; and in the loneliness and pain when he had shaken them off and rode with broken arm, weak but resolute. In all this has Vincent Davenport played the man ; and for this, should fortune bring him safe through, shall the coveted V.C. rest on his breast, even though there be an empty sleeve to match it. It is harder riding now, though, than when the enemy were at his heels ; for then excitement kept off the horrible faintness that seems creeping over him now j but he bites his lip and rides forward. On and on, faint, sick, reeling with all around wrapped JUST IN TIME 375 in one confused blur of dust and blood on. He reels at last from his saddle in the British camp among wondering and friendly men, and pants out his message ere sense, feel- ing, will, all go mingling into one black unconsciousness. Then orders are given, and men spring to saddle and go riding off in orderly squadrons, as calmly as though they were but going to a review instead of to engage in the deadliest, evilest of all engagements, from which perchance they might never return. ****** The last cartridge ! It was the squire who fired it ; and, as the single report rings out, he looks across to Maple- thorpe, and says " That is the last of them ! " It has been a desperate business ; and the numbers of the defenders are sadly diminished ; but still they hold out, and still the flag flies above them. The day has gone, and darkness falls once more, and under its cover the last bout must be fought. If the Boers only press the next attack home, the fight is lost and won, and that old flag must come down. Madge has broken down at last, and is lying half asleep, half fainting, when the squire and Hamilton come in. They do not rouse her, but grip Constance's hand and go out again in silence ; and she and Aimie stand at the door and look after them. Now it is coming ! They can hear the tread of the advancing feet, and there is no death-dealing fire to drive them back. The defenders are waiting, with set teeth, gripping their rifles, and ready to meet them with the bayonet ; when suddenly out of the darkness comes a volley ! another and another ! a loud ringing cheer, and the thundering gallop of charging squadrons. The relief! The relief! And men laugh and cheer, ay, and cry, sobbing with the reaction of nerves that have been strung to their utmost tension. The relief ! The relief ! Thank Heaven ! On they sweep with resistless force, and the foe is fleeing fast and far from the wrath of the British sabre and the might of the British arm. 376 THE TEAR OF KALEE Then into the wrecked village they come, to grasp hands with the few grimy, wounded men who are awaiting them, and to cheer again and again. They have come just in time ; and still o'erhead proudly flaunting, in spite of ragged, frayed edge, and discoloured, faded body that brave old flag is flying. CHAPTER XLVII THE RESTORATION IN a private room in one of the London hotels a rather large party were gathered, the greater part of whom seemed to be nervously waiting for something or some one to arrive. The squire and his daughters, Victoria and Madge, were there ; Dr. Linton and his wife ; Sir Vincent Davenport and Aimie ; Constance, her husband, and his mother ; Bruce Hamilton ; and, to complete the party, the solicitors, Messrs. Grey and Coulson. The squire paced restlessly up and down, and consulted his watch again and again. He was nothing like as calm now as he was in face of death in Africa. " Constance," he said, pausing in his walk, " you are sure you have it all safe ? You have not dropped it, or been robbed ? I wish you had handed it over to these gentlemen to take care of." And he waved his hand towards the lawyers. " Indeed, it is quite safe, squire," she replied. " I have not parted with it since it first came into my possession." Mr. Grey coughed slightly. " I hope I shall not be mistaken," he said, " but I should like to see this famous diamond once, before it is given up," and he glanced inquiringly towards Constance. " So should I," frankly confessed his partner. " Highly unprofessional and curious, I admit, but true nevertheless." She smiled, and**drew out the bag in which she still kept the Tear. THE RESTORATION 377 "I do not mind, so long as it does not leave my hand. You must not be offended ; but I gave a promise to a dying man, and I cannot break it." And with this explanation, she took out the Tear and held it up. Those who had never seen it uttered exclamations of wonder at its beauty ; but Madge shuddered, and Aimie drew nearer to her husband, as though she feared even the sight of that glittering stone. " It is very beautiful and immensely valuable," was the lawyer's verdict. " Beautiful ! " repeated Hamilton, quietly. " Yes, as men count beautiful things. What material for a sermon it would afford ! Only a piece"! of useless carbon ; it can render its owner no real benefit. It sparkles and reflects, but so does the commonest of prisms. It is a type of all the earthly treasures, for which men will barter the eternal riches of heaven ! There, put it away, Mrs. Maplethorpe ; it is an evil thing at the best ! " " Yes, put it away," added the squire ; " I declare I shall not be easy till it is in the hands of its rightful owners." She complied ; and then, looking into her husband's face, sat beside him and placed her hand in his. He had not spoken, and his heart was troubled. Now that Davenport was to take his own place, what was he to do ? He had neither money nor position ; how was he to ask Constance to share life with him ? Up to the present, since their arrival in England, he had spoken but a few words to the doctor ; presently he must interview him and hear his verdict ; and what would that verdict be ? Suppose he refused to sanction the marriage ; how could he ask Constance to leave her home of ease, and share poverty with him ? Nay, sanction or not, that made no difference. He was poor, and could not find her a home. What wonder that Maurice Maplethorpe was sad at heart as he sat there waiting for the votaries of Kalee, who were coming to meet them. Sometimes there arose a half-formed wish that he might have retained that dangerous treasure. It seemed terribly hard now to have to part with all. No, not with #//, for 378 THE TEAR OF KALEE her hand was on his own, and her love was his, a treasure better far than Kalee's Tear, a talisman to lead upward, not a snare to drag down. Presently the door was opened, and four men entered, assisting between them an old, old man, whom they treated with the greatest reverence, and led to a seat. He was clad in the white flowing robes of an Indian priest ; but the others were dressed in ordinary attire, though their faces proclaimed them countrymen of the old man's. Those in the room had risen at their entry ; and Aimie, as she caught sight of the old man, gave a gasp of terror her face blanched, and she cowered close to her husband's side, while he placed his arm round her waist, and drew her to him. There was a pause. Then one of the men spoke, addressing himself principally to Bruce Hamilton. " Sahib, we came here yesterday in answer to the message sent to us that the holy Tear of Kalee should be restored to our keeping." " That is true," he answered. "These sahibs" glancing in the direction of the lawyers " declared that some proof should be given that we were entitled to take the Tear ? " " That also is true. There are many of your country- men in our land, and some of them are evil, as some of every nation are. They would know of the value of the Tear, and might come and gain possession of it. It was wise of these sahibs to make such demand, and you said you could produce such proof." " And we can," the reply came. " Seest thou yonder reverent, holy man ? His hair is white with the weight of years, and his eyes are dim with seeing many days. His years have been spent in holy meditations and fastings. He is our proof." All eyes were turned to the object of this speech, as if in silent question how he could furnish the proof needed. And the Hindoo spoke again " The Tear of Kalee was stolen from Kalee's shrine by one then known as Aimie Serasti ? " . THE RESTORATION 379 "That is true also," returned Hamilton, while Aimie trembled still more violently. " And that," continued the speaker, pointing towards her, " is the woman ? " "It is." "Aimie Serasti, now wife of Vincent Davenport, stand forward and look upon these aged features. Say, have you ever seen them before ? " " Yes " the word was faintly articulated " yes." " And where hast thou looked upon the face of the high priest of Kalee ? " " In the shrine, that awful night." " Even that night when you stole the Tear from this aged man, who would have prevented this holy thing falling into your hands. Speak, is it not so ? " " Yes, yes mercy ! " she cried, falling on her knees, while the squire began to fidget and mutter. " Mercy, sayest thou ! Dost thou know that, for thine unhallowed deed, this holy man was compelled to leave the shrine, to cross the sea, and lose caste thereby ? That all the work of a lifetime of penance and fasting was brought to nought ! Dost know what that means to one of his caste ? And dost still ask for mercy . ? " And the speaker's eyes seemed to flash fire as he stood with extended hand before the kneeling woman. " What mercy should be yours ? " he said again. Davenport, with an angry exclamation, placed him- self between the speaker and Aimie, and lifted his wife up. " If you think " he began. But Hamilton stopped him. " Leave me to speak ! " said the latter ; and turned to the Hindoo. " We are satisfied. From this aged man the Tear was taken, and to him it shall be given again. But, first, there is something to be done." " The sahib would remind us of the money to be paid. Fear not ; we shall not fail to keep our word." " I would not remind you of the money ; there are other conditions, which your words just now have rendered doubly necessary, servant of Kalee. Now, look ! There stand the 380 THE TEAR OF KALEE woman and the man who most have merited your anger- - Aimie and Vincent Davenport, her husband ! " " It is so." And a rather malignant scowl was cast upon the two as the reply came. " There also " pointing to Madge " is one who had the Tear, and may dread Kalee's wrath. I also am another, since I interfered 'twixt her and him who would have harmed her. That aged sahib " indicating the squire " was one who had the Tear, even though he knew it not. We five, then, are those who have offended. The sahib doctor has eaten salt with you, and Maplethorpe sahib has not done aught to offend, save that he aided us to escape when you would have slain us." "All this is true," replied the other, waiting, with the patience of his race, to see what this should lead to. "Good! Then this memsahib, the daughter of the sahib doctor, has words to speak words which you shall heed well. If you agree to them, then this day shall the Tear of Kalee be given by the memsahib to the priest there ; but if you agree not, then the Tear shall not be given, but shall be cast into the flames and consumed utterly." The faces of those before him worked as they listened ; but they said nothing, and waited. "Now, Mrs. Maplethorpe," Hamilton went on, "you can tell them the terms upon which you will restore the Tear." And then Constance stepped forward, going up to the aged priest, and standing between him and his attendants. " Does he understand English ? " she asked ; and the answer came " Nay, he knows not thy tongue." "Then will you tell him what I say?" she said. "I think he ought to know, as well as the rest." "I will repeat your words," said the Hindoo, and he spoke to the old priest. Slowly the aged head was raised, and a pair of burning eyes were fixed upon her face, as though their owner would read for himself the thoughts which were expressed in an unknown tongue. " Tell him, then, first, that I am sorry for all he has suffered." THE RESTORATION 381 " Nay," came the answer, " the priest of Kalee cares little for that ! Speak of that which we seek the holy Tear and I will tell him your words." " Be it as you will. Yet I would he should have known that I would willingly have restored the Tear to him and made no stipulations, had not the lives and happiness of my friends been in danger. Will you tell him this ? " "Yes." The words were translated, and the answer given " Kalee's priest bids me say : Tell him what your demands are, and he will answer you." " They are very simple. I demand that, if I give you the Tear unharmed, you shall also promise me that you will not seek to harm, and that you will not seek to have others harm, any of these my friends ; and, most of all, either Aimie or Vincent Davenport. This is all I ask, but this you must promise to me." " You ask for no money for nothing but the safety of others?" " For that only." " When will you restore the Tear, and where ? " " I have it with me. I will give it to you now." A strange, eager light came into the eyes of the listening Hindoos ; and Maplethorpe, watching, knew that, were she alone, they would have sprung at her, and dragged the treasure from her grasp. They gathered round the old priest and spoke rapidly, and he, as he listened, staggered to his feet and came towards the girl, with outstretched hands. "The words you have spoken we will accept," the spokesman said, hastening to the old man's side. " Give us the Tear of Kalee, here and now, unharmed, and no hand shall be lifted by us, or by ours, against any of your friends. From Kalee's wrath and from Kalee's servants shall they go scatheless. Restore the Tear of Kalee." The old man knew not what he said, but he caught the import of the words as he caught their sound, and from his trembling lips there came a cry, almost of entreaty a shrill, high-pitched cry, " Restore the Tear of Kalee ! " And it was into his trembling, eager hands that Constance Maplethorpe put the great shimmering diamond, and watched, 382 THE TEAR OF KALEE with something of awe, as he kissed it and wept over it. There was something which appealed to her in the spectacle. It was by no vulgar avarice that this man was moved. His was real worship; and she wondered much. Would any modern Christian show as much concern and rejoicing at anything connected with his faith ? He spoke some few words to his friend, and they were translated gravely to her. " Rah-Abdur-Poor, high priest of the great goddess, Kalee, says to the English memsahib thus : ' An old man's thanks, and an old man's blessing be yours, and with yours, to enrich you and give you plenty.' " Then, with grave salaams, the men aided the priest from the room ; and the last view that any there had of the fatal Tear which had brought such trouble into their lives was of its being pressed against his forehead, and gleaming there like the fiery eye of a Cyclops. Then it was gone, and in this world they saw it no more. They stood in silence for a little after the Hindoos had departed, the spell of the scene still upon them ; then Constance heaved a sigh of relief, and went up to her husband, putting her hands into his, and smiling into his face. " There," she said. " Thank God that we have done with the Tear of Kalee for ever ! " And Bruce Hamilton answered "Thank God, indeed." CONCLUSION UNSEALED "THE point is, squire, putting aside all sentiment, what ought I to do in the matter ? What is best for my girl's welfare ? " Dr. Linton asked the question, the day after the Tear was restored to the priests of Kalee. The squire gazed thoughtfully into the fire. UNSEALED 383 " Tou say," continued the doctor, seeing that his friend had no intention of speaking, "that Maplethorpe proved himself a splendid fellow." "So he did," was the emphatic answer; "and so did Davenport ! " " But, squire, proving himself a splendid fellow won't put bread-and-butter into their mouths. Suppose I let the past be past, as I do not mind owning I feel inclined to do, what about the future ? Constance has been brought up in comfort ; she has never had to know anything of the need of money ; and as this man's wife she will have to face trouble. Now, what would you do if she were your girl?" " Let her go to the man of her choice," was the reply of the squire, " and make two lives happy instead of miserable. Mind, she is his wife, and I believe she will go to him, anyhow. You had better let her go, happy in your love." " He has written to tell me he will come in this morn- ing. That is why I sent for you, to ask your advice first. I want to do right, but I do not just see what the right will be." There was a pause, and both gentlemen remained looking into the fire, absorbed in their own thoughts ; then the doctor said suddenly " What are you going to do about Hamilton ? " " Do ? let him marry my Madge ! Bruce has already settled to stay here and help the vicar ; the poor old fellow is nearly past it, and it will do a lot of good in the place to have an energetic young fellow at work." Another pause, then the doctor rose. "There he is," he said, as a knock resounded a firm, decided knock, as though the one who gave it had made up his mind. " Shall I go ? " said the squire. And Dr. Linton replied in the negative. " Not unless he wishes to see me in private." " Very well. Hear what he has got to say first, and then you have your say. " The door opened, and Maurice Maplethorpe entered ; and as he did so, the squire rose with outstretched hand he 384 THE TEAR OF KALEE had fought side by side with this man, in the face of death, and could not be stiff with him now. " Glad to see you, Maplethorpe. Thought you would have been round to the Hall before this." " Thank you, squire," was the quiet answer ; and then Maplethorpe turned and looked inquiringly at the doctor, as if he would ascertain how he was to regard him as friend or enemy. The doctor imitated the squire's action. " Mr. Maplethorpe," he said, " I am going to speak plainly. I have not very much cause to regard you as a friend^ but I want to deal honestly and rightly with you now. There is my hand now let us talk as honest men ; and if you would rather we were alone, the squire will leave us." " There is no need, doctor," was the reply. " I thank you for your words, and will respect your confidence. I have come to see you about the future, about myself and my wife." He paused, as though he rather expected some protest from the other, but the doctor only nodded, and said, Precisely." " That I married her by fraud, you know," Maplethorpe continued " and did you choose to do it, and had her consent, you might easily separate us." Yes." " I make no excuse for what I did. There is none that could be made. It was the meanest thing a man could do, but I loved her, as I had never loved any living being. I thought the truth would never be known ; I hoped that she would help me to a nobler life. You know how that ended, and what I was thought guilty of. Thank God I was not so bad as that ! " he added. " How soon remorse came I need not tell you ; but I did repent, as truly as man ever did ; and my one thought was how to set Constance free. It was with that in view I went to Africa, hoping to find a soldier's death. I did not hope that she could love me ; I did not know the depth of her dear heart then, but, doctor, she does love me ; and that alters the whole of the case, and makes it at once my duty and my privilege to spend the rest of the life she has helped to redeem, for her." UNSEALED 385 He paused. The squire sat still, keeping his eyes on the fire, and nodding his head in appreciation of the words he heard ; and the doctor again repeated the one word " Precisely." " Now comes the difficulty, doctor. Constance is my wife, and I ought to take her and provide for her. I cannot give Constance anything like the comfort she has known here. Indeed, I can only take her at present to my mother's home, and find her shelter there till I can gain one for her. Doctor, I do not want to do that." " Eh ! " grunted the squire, looking up. "How can I ask her to make such a sacrifice and consent ? Doctor, will you let her stay here ? " " Here," repeated Dr. Linton. " And you " " I will go away, and work as never man worked before. I will send her half of what I earn ; and as soon as I have a home ready, I will send for her." The two friends looked at each other, and the doctor asked " Have you told Constance what you propose ? " " No. Not till I had seen you could I tell her anything definitely." " Hum ! Well, squire, what shall I do ? " asked the doctor. " Send for his wife ! " growled the squire. " She ought to have a word in this matter." She came in answer to the summons, and, without hesitation, walked to her husband's side and took his arm, an act which caused the squire to say " You needn't take hold of him so tight, we are not going to take him away from you." " Constance," said the doctor, gravely, " I want to consult you as to the future. Your husband has made a proposition to me. What do you say to it r " And he repeated what Maplethorpe had said. " There, now let me hear your verdict," he said in conclusion. " I say, no ! " The words were spoken without the least hesitation, and their effect on the squire was magical. 2 C 386 THE TEAR OF KALEE The frown vanished ; a smile came. He wheeled round in his chair, banged his fist on the table, and roared out "She says No!" " Do you realise what you are saying, Constance ? " asked her rather. " Yes perfectly. You must not think me ungrateful, father. When I found out the truth I asked myself what I should do ; and I determined that if my husband showed by his future life that he was in earnest, and determined to do right, then I would take my place by his side " " D'ye hear ? by his side ! " put in the squire in an undertone. " Take my place by his side, and help him fight life's battle ; and that I will do. My husband " and she turned to Maurice " do not fear that I shall shrink from it. Let me be with you, and share it with you, and you shall never hear murmur or reproach from me." And then he caught her in his arms, and pressed a kiss upon her fair brow, murmuring brokenly " My wife ! My blessed wife ! I have not deserved such love." " Deserved it ! Of course you have not ! " from the squire. " Linton, don't look like that ! You heard what the girl said." " That she would face poverty with her husband. Well, I will not hinder her." "But I will!" roared the squire. "I'll set 'em up myself." " I do not want that, squire," smiled the doctor. " And since Constance has made her choice " "Which you approve of. Say you approve of it." " Which I approve," obediently repeated the doctor. " I shall make it my business to see that neither she nor her husband suffer these dreadful pinches of poverty which they seem to contemplate ; and here, Maplethorpe, here is my hand." " God bless you, sir ; and you too, squire," Maurice said huskily. " I have not deserved your kindness ; but " " I beg your pardon. Have I come at an inopportune UNSEALED 387 moment r " And with this question, Bruce Hamilton entered, a sealed packet in his hand. " Mrs, Maplethorpe," he said, " I have been com- missioned by our Indian friends to place this in your hands, sealed as it is- " " From the Indians ! " she said, taking the parcel. " Where did you see them, Mr. Hamilton ? " " In London. I only came down last evening. The old priest was then going to re-embark for his native land, and he himself handed me this with a message for you. * Tell the Englishwoman,' he said, * that while Kalee's priests know how to remember and repay a wrong, they know also how to remember and repay the right.' That was all ; but I think I can guess what the packet contains " " What ? " she asked. And he said, " Nay, open it and see." They gathered round her while she cut the string and unsealed the covering, and then an exclamation broke from her lips. " Oh, Mr. Hamilton, I cannot take this ! " For there lay roll upon roll of new Bank of England notes. " It is the reward that was offered for the recovery of the Tear. There is no reason why you should not keep it " " But I did nothing to earn it ; that poor man " " It was his legacy to you. The one who first led your husband on to the downward road, now has made it possible for him to tread the better way. Yes, if in no other way, you can take this as Jim Booly's legacy." " Husband, what do you say ? " she said, turning to him. " He has nothing to say in the matter," interrupted the squire. " Keep the money, Constance ; it will enable you to make a start, have a little butter on your bread, and not have to undergo the mortification of being under an obligation to any one." Then she placed the roll in her husband's hands. " Take it," she said " take it, Maurice, my husband." ****** 388 THE TEAR OF KALEE Christmas had come and gone, and up at the Hall a merry party are gathered to watch the passage of the old year. But they are to do more than that they are to await the arrival of bride and bridegroom from their short honeymoon ; for Bruce and Madge are married, and to-night they will return. A joyful party, with never a shade of care on any face. And, if some of them are rather quiet, they are none the less happy. The fire flames and leaps, and the great log burning on the hearth sends showers of sparks dancing up the wide chimney. A rattling of wheels and trampling of horses. They have come. And, with a " Here they are ! " there is a race to the door, and a clasping of hands and showering of kisses. And if there is a little shedding of tears, who shall be surprised, for joy has its tears, and they are holy ones. " I say, Bruce, here is a letter waiting for you," said Vic, handing it to him. " It only came last night, and so we did not send it on." " From India, eh ! Some of the old friends, I suppose." Bruce broke the seal as he spoke. " No ; it is from old Mr. Geary. You remember him, Davenport ? " He glanced over the contents. " This will interest you," he said ; but the squire interrupted. The letter could wait till after supper, he declared. And so the whole party agreed to postpone the reading. But when the meal was over, and once again they all gathered round the big fire, Madge called upon her husband to redeem his promise, and Hamilton drew the letter from his pocket and read aloud " MY DEAR HAMILTON, "I am back in harness once more working among the bazaars, and do not mean to leave again while life and strength last. You were somewhat interested in the loss of the famous Tear of Kalee, I think. Perhaps you would like to hear the sequel to that incident. The other day a message for our doctor arrived, and he being on his UNSEALED 389 hack with fever, I went in his stead, and to my surprise I found the patient was the old high priest of Kalee, a man greatly reverenced by the natives, as you doubtless knew. He was the man who was wounded when the Tear was stolen, and he sacrificed all his caste privileges, and himself went in search of it. I understood that he had been successful ; but as penalty for having crossed the sea, he condemned himself to the most terrible self-torture, among other things vowing never to speak again till death came. It did not take long coming. I knew the end was near as soon as I saw him, and I told the people so. "The poor old fellow understood, and he had evidently given his instructions, for as soon as I had spoken, the attendants lifted him bodily and bore him away, and I followed the rest. " Judge of my surprise when I found that it was to the shrine of his goddess, Kalee, they carried him, and laid him on the ground before her image. "I need not go into a description of the place. All these shrines are much the same, and you know them as well as I do. But I did notice that hanging upon the breast of the image there shone one tremendous diamond, the finest I have ever beheld, flashing with wonderful inward fires in the torchlight. I could not examine it closely, for my attention was occupied with the dying man ; and though he was a heathen, worshipping a vile idol, I could not help admiring his intense devotion. He lay there, his eyes fixed upon that great diamond, his lips moving mutely. Then suddenly he raised himself and spoke one word in his own tongue, ' Unsealed, and fell back, dead. "The others told me afterwards that he meant that death had unsealed his lips. Hamilton, would to Heaven we could turn these people to Christ ; for if they are so faithful to the false, what would they be if they knew the true God ? " The chaplain ceased reading, and looked up. Aimie was resting her head on her husband's shoulder ; and her thoughts were far away in that shrine to which she had once gone. Maurice, the doctor, Constance, the squire, 390 THE TEAR OF KALEE each sat there, not caring to break the silence ; and then, faintly coming through the quiet night air, the bells of Great Harleyford were heard pealing ringing for the New Year that was dawning. Then Constance rose, and going to the piano seated herself before it, and ran her fingers over the keys singing her favourite anthem : " O Lord, open Thou our lips, And out of our mouths Thy praise shall flow," and they all arose and joined in the words. Thus we leave them, singing the praise of Him who had dealt mercifully with them, with a New Year of hope dawning, not one of them now fettered by sin, or embittered by avarice, or walking with sealed lips. THE END PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES. ' UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 000137459 4