Laura sat down still gazing at him, but did not reply. "How does my sister's maid come to be in this house?" she asked abruptly4.
"Your sister's maid?" he repeated, staring.
"Yes; Emily Doon. I saw her in the hall as the landlady5 let me in. As soon as she caught sight of me she vanished down the stairs to the basement. And those two men----"
"One question at a time, dear," said Arnold calmly. He had now quite recovered his composure, and was prepared to deal with the situation. "And I shall answer the last first. The men who left me are a Mr. Jasher and Professor----"
"Bocaros," cried Laura, striking her gloved hands together. "I thought I knew his face. I saw him once at Mrs. Baldwin's. He lives in a cottage across the meadow, and sometimes comes to borrow her paper. What a horrid6 face--what a detestable man!"
Arnold looked rather surprised at her vehemence7. "I certainly do not like the professor, and I met him to-day for the first time. It happens oddly enough that we are connected."
"Connected?" echoed Laura. "Wait; I have some sort of idea. The professor told Mr. Tracey that he was a cousin of this woman who was killed at Ajax Villa8----"
"Her mother was the aunt of Bocaros," explained Calvert.
"And you are a cousin of the dead woman?"
"She was Flora9 Calvert before she married Brand, the daughter of my uncle. Bocaros and I are connected in a way by marriage. As to Mrs. Fane's maid being here--we shall soon learn the reason," and he touched the button of the electric bell.
Mrs. Varney, with her majestic10 air and false smile, answered so rapidly that it would seem she had been watching, if such a stately female would descend11 so low. She smiled ingratiatingly on Laura, who, without waiting for Arnold to speak, put the question. "I saw my sister's maid, Emily Doon, as I entered," she said; "what is she doing here?"
"What eyes you have, miss, I declare," said Mrs. Varney in her deep voice. "Yes, miss, it is Emily. She is my younger sister. I was a Miss Doon before I became Mrs. Varney. Your sister kindly12 gave Emily permission to spend a happy day with me, and this afternoon we are going to a matinée--Hamlet," said the landlady in her most serious voice, "the whole of it--lasting five hours."
Having thus stated her case, Mrs. Varney waited in the attitude of a startled fawn13 for a reply. Laura apologised. "I beg your pardon for asking," she said colouring; "it is, of course, none of my business, but I was naturally surprised at seeing Emily here."
"Ah," Mrs. Varney cast a look at Arnold, "we know all, miss. Emily has told me. Juliet's garden--and the Forest of Arden----"
"We are engaged, Mrs. Varney," said Arnold, enraged14 by the impertinence of the landlady.
With her false smile she turned to the door. "Certainly, sir, but as Miss Mason is in the Forest of Arden I would like her to know that Emily is likewise there. That was why she was in the hall. She has an eye to Professor Bocaros," burst out Mrs. Varney with pride; "he admiring her greatly, and living in the vicinity of Ajax Villa. Good-day, miss, and----" the landlady looked as though she would have liked to add, "Bless you!" but an imperious glance from Arnold sent her rapidly out of the room. Stately as Mrs. Varney was, she loved to be bullied15 as all women in their hearts do. Arnold's imperious manner only made her admire him the more. Had he been a bully16 in addition, she would doubtless have adored him.
"I don't like it, Arnold," said Laura, starting to her feet when the door closed. "Professor Bocaros, in spite of his looks and poverty, is a gentleman. Why should he take notice of Emily, who is merely a servant? And she is here--oh, what does it mean?"
Arnold, amazed by this outburst, looked at her in surprise. "My dear, what does it matter?" he said, pressing her to resume her seat. "I don't care if Bocaros marries a laundress. He has nothing to do with me."
"He is a dangerous man, and you are in his way."
"Am I? What do you mean?"
"Can't you understand, Arnold? He told Mr. Tracey that his cousin and yours, Mrs. Brand, intended to leave him the money. I learned from Mrs. Baldwin, who heard it from the professor himself, that you have got the ten thousand a year. The professor is poor--from what Mrs. Baldwin told me he is wretchedly poor. Do you think such a man will tamely submit to the loss of a fortune? No, Arnold, no. He is dangerous. Take care. If Emily Doon has an eye to marrying the professor, she is not in this house for nothing."
Calvert tried to soothe17 the excited girl. "My dear, you are unduly18 suspicious. Mrs. Varney has given us the reason for the maid's being here. Bocaros cannot harm me in any way----"
"Are you so sure?" asked Laura sharply.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean that you will not be open with me. I love you. Have I not proved how I love you. Julia is against our marriage: but in spite of what she says I have remained true to you. Yet you will not trust me?"
"With what? I am quite in the dark."
He may have been. Yet there was a deep colour in his cheeks, and he looked uneasy. Laura saw these symptoms of emotion, and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Arnold," she said earnestly, "if you have any love for me you will speak out. Look at this!" she hastily drew from her pocket the stage dagger19. "This is yours?"
"It is," he admitted readily, and with a look of great surprise. "If you remember it was bought by me for the second act of this play. I showed it to you and----"
"You did. You showed it to me before the murder!"
Arnold looked at her in silence. "Perhaps you will permit me to explain," he said coldly, "as I really do not understand what you mean by such a speech. I lost that dagger----"
"You threw it into the dustbin after killing20 that poor woman!"
"Laura!" Calvert rose to his feet pale and trembling. From being a calm and resolute21 man he suddenly seemed to change into a coward. With white lips and a drooping22 figure, he stood in the middle of the room. "You will never say anything more cruel than that to me," he said in a low voice, and covered his face.
Laura looked with sudden joy overspreading her face. "You are innocent," she cried, running to throw her arms round his neck. "I knew it. I was certain. Dearest, I never believed--never. I said what I did say only to try you. But I know now that you did not kill this woman. I feel it in my heart. You forgive me--you forgive me--come, kiss me, Arnold--kiss me and make friends."
In a lifeless manner he kissed her, and then submitted to be taken to his former seat. "Now that we understand one another," said Laura, sitting down and keeping his hand imprisoned23 within her own, "we must have a long talk. You are innocent----"
"How can you be sure of that?"
"Because I am," she replied determinedly24. "No, Arnold. Even if you swore that you were guilty I would not believe it. I tried you by making what you truthfully call a cruel speech, and your reply, although it may sound nothing to other people, brought conviction into my heart. But if I trust you, other people don't. This dagger!"
"Where was it found?" asked Calvert, examining it, but still pale.
"In the dustbin. The cook found it. She brought it to Julia, who pretended that it was one she had worn at a fancy ball. Then Julia hinted at your guilt25, from the fact that you must have worn such a dagger in the second act of the play. I denied that this was so, and came to see you. Arnold, you must be plain with me. For some time, since the murder in fact, you must have seen how I have avoided you--how I have kept out of your way."
"Yes," he said with bitterness, "I saw that. When I called at the house on that day a week or so ago, you avoided me. You have hardly replied to my letters save in the coldest way. You suspect me----"
"No," answered Laura quickly; "I do not, though I have cause to."
Arnold looked at her keenly. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.
"Surely you remember the appointment you made with me?"
"What appointment?" he said, still eyeing her, and the colour again ebbing26 from his face.
"For the night of the 24th July at half-past nine--on the very night that poor creature was killed."
"Laura!" his voice was firmer now, and his looks expressed amazement27; "it was you who made the appointment. You sent me----"
"Wait, Arnold. One thing at a time. There is something terrible and mysterious about this. I suspect pitfalls28 and snares29 likely to bring us into danger. I say, and I can prove it, that you made the appointment. I have your letter in my pocket asking me to meet you at half-past nine on that night. I would have destroyed it so as to put away all evidence of your having been at Ajax Villa on that night, but I kept it, as I wished to show it to you, and to ask how you came to gain possession of Walter's latch-key!"
"You sent it to me!" he said, much astonished. "I have your letter also. The key was lost."
"You dropped it in the road when you spoke30 to the policeman?"
Arnold nodded. "But how did you guess that I was the man who left the house--the man for whom the police are searching?"
"Mulligan described your dress and said you had a
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