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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c202c44 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #56081 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/56081) diff --git a/old/56081-8.txt b/old/56081-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e8f6e9d..0000000 --- a/old/56081-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11071 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Traitor in London, by Fergus Hume - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Traitor in London - -Author: Fergus Hume - -Release Date: November 29, 2017 [EBook #56081] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TRAITOR IN LONDON *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (Library of Congress) - - - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - 1. Page scan source: Google Books - (Library of Congress) - - 2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. - - - - - - -A TRAITOR IN LONDON - -BY -FERGUS HUME -Author of - -"The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "Hagar of the Pawn Shop," -Etc., Etc. - - - - -F. M. BUCKLES & COMPANY -9 AND 11 EAST SIXTEENTH STREET, NEW YORK -LONDON--JOHN LONG - - - - - - -COPYRIGHT, 1900 -BY -F. M. BUCKLES & COMPANY - - - - -_A Traitor in London_ - - - - - - -A Traitor in London. - - - - -CHAPTER I. -CUPID IN LEADING STRINGS. - - -"It's an infernal shame!" - -"I call it common sense!" - -"Call it what you please, Malet. I deny your right to keep back my -money." - -"Right? Your father's will gives me every right. If I approve of your -marriage, the money will be paid down on your wedding day." - -"But you don't approve, confound you!" - -"Certainly not. Brenda Scarse is not the wife for you, Harold." - -"That's my business." - -"Mine also--under the will. Come, come now; don't lose your temper." - -The elder speaker smiled as he proffered this advice, knowing well -that he was provoking his cousin beyond all bounds. Harold Burton was -young, fiery-tempered, and in love. To be thwarted in his love was -something more than exasperating to this impetuous lover. The -irritating request that he should keep his temper caused him to lose -it promptly; and for the next five minutes Mr. Gilbert Malet was -witness of a fine exhibition of unrestrained rage. He trembled for the -furniture, almost for his own personal safety, though he managed to -preserve a duly dignified outward calm. While Harold stamped about the -room, his burly cousin posed before a fireless grate and trimmed his -nails, and waited until the young man should have exhausted this -wholly unnecessary display of violence. - -They were in the library of Holt Manor. It was a sombre, monkish room; -almost ascetic in its severity. Bookcases and furniture were of black -oak, carpet and curtains of a deep red color; and windows of stained -glass subdued the light suitably for study and meditation. But on this -occasion the windows were open to the brilliant daylight of an August -afternoon, and shafts of golden sunshine poured into the room. From -the terrace stretching before the house, vast woods sloped toward -Chippingholt village, where red-roofed houses clustered round a -brawling stream, and rose again on the further side to sweep to the -distant hills in unbroken masses of green. Manor and village took -their Teutonic names from these forests, and buried in greenery, might -have passed as the domain of the Sleeping Beauty. Her palace was -undoubtedly girdled by just such a wood. - -But this sylvan beauty did not appeal to the pair in the library. The -stout, domineering owner of the Manor who trimmed his nails and smiled -blandly had the stronger position of the two, and he knew it well--so -well that he could afford to ignore the virile wrath of his ward. -Strictly speaking, Captain Burton was not a ward, if that word implies -minority. He was thirty years of age, in a lancer regiment, and -possessed of an income sufficient to emancipate him from the control -of his cousin Gilbert. Still, though possible for one, his income was -certainly not possible for two, and if Gilbert chose he could increase -his capital by twenty thousand pounds. But the stumbling-block was the -condition attached to the disposal of the money. Only if Malet -approved of the prospective bride was he to part with the legacy. As -such he did not approve of Brenda Scarse, so matters were at a -standstill. Nor could Harold well see how he was to move them. Finding -all his rage of no avail, he gradually subsided and had recourse to -methods more pacific. - -"Let me understand this matter clearly," he said, taking a seat with a -resolute air. "Independent of my three hundred a year, you hold twenty -thousand pounds of my money." - -"To be correct," replied Malet in a genial tone, "I hold forty -thousand pounds, to be equally shared between you and your brother -Wilfred when you marry. The three hundred a year which you each -possess I have nothing to do with." - -"Well, I want to marry, and----" - -"You do--against my wishes. If I do not approve of your choice I need -not pay you this money. I can hold it until I die." - -"And then?" asked Harold, sharply. - -Gilbert shrugged his burly shoulders. "Then it goes to you and Wilfred -direct. There is no provision made for my handing it over to another -trustee. You are bound to get your share in the long run; but I am not -thinking of dying just yet, my dear Harold." - -"I can't imagine what possessed my father ever to make so foolish a -will." - -"Your father was guided by experience, my boy. He made a miserable -marriage himself, and did not want you or Wilfred to go and do -likewise. He had evidently confidence in my judgment, and knew that I -would stand between you and folly." - -"Confound your impudence," shouted Harold, his dark face crimson with -anger. "You're only fifteen years older than I am. At the age of -thirty I am surely capable of selecting my own wife!" - -"I hardly think so, when you select Miss Scarse!" - -"What the deuce have you against her?" - -"Nothing, personally. She is a nice girl, a very nice girl, but poor. -A man of your extravagant tastes should marry money. Brenda is well -enough, for herself," continued Malet, with odious familiarity, for -which Harold could have struck him, "but her father!--Stuart Scarse is -a Little Englander!" - -Captain Burton was taken aback at the irrelevancy of this remark. -"What the devil has that to do with her or me?" he demanded bluntly. - -"Everything, if you love your country. You belong to a Conservative -family. You are a soldier, and the time is coming when we must all -rally round the flag and preserve the Empire. Scarse is a member of -that pernicious band which desires the dismemberment of our -glorious---- - -"Oh, I'm sick of this!" Harold jumped up and crammed on his cap. "Your -political ideas have nothing to do with my marriage. You have no -reason to object to Miss Scarse. Once for all, will you pay me this -money?" - -"No, I will not. I shall not agree to your marrying the daughter of a -Little Englander." - -"Then I shall throw the estate into Chancery." - -Malet looked uneasy, but sneered. "By all means, if you want the whole -forty thousand to go to fee the lawyers! But, before you risk losing -your money, let me advise you to make sure of Miss Brenda Scarse!" - -"What do you mean?" - -"Ask Mr. van Zwieten, who is staying with her father." - -"Oh!" said Harold, contemptuously, "Brenda has told me all about him. -Her father wants her to marry him, and it is true he is in love with -her; but Brenda loves me, and will never consent to become the wife of -that Boer! - -"Van Zwieten is no Boer. He is a Dutchman, born in Amsterdam." - -"And a friend of yours," sneered Captain Burton. "He is no friend of -mine!" shouted Malet, somewhat ruffled. "I detest the man as much as I -do Scarse. If----" - -"Look here, Gilbert, I don't want any more of this. I trust Brenda, -and I intend to marry her." - -"Very good. Then you'll have to starve on your three hundred a year." - -"You refuse to give me the money?" - -"Absolutely." - -"Then I'm glad I don't live under your roof and can tell you what I -think of you. You are a mean hound, Malet--keep back, or I'll knock -you down. Yes, a mean hound! This is not your real reason for refusing -to pay me this money. I'll go up to town to-day and have your -trusteeship inquired into." - -Gilbert changed color and looked dangerous. "You can act as you -please, Harold; but recollect that my powers are very clearly defined -under the will. I am not accountable to you or to Wilfred or to any -one else for the money. I have no need to defend my honor." - -"That we shall see." Harold opened the door and looked back. "This is -the last time I shall enter your house. You meddle with my private -affairs, you keep back money rightfully belonging to me on the most -frivolous pretext, and, in fact, make yourself objectionable in every -way; but, I warn you, the law will force you to alter your behavior." - -"The law cannot touch me!" cried Gilbert, furiously. "I can account -for the money and pay it when it should be paid. Out of my house----!" - -"I am going--and, see here, Gilbert Malet, if the law affords me no -redress, I shall take it into my own hands. Yes, you may well turn -pale. I'll make it hot for you--you swindler!" and Captain Burton, -banging the door, marched out of the house, furious at his helpless -position. - -Left alone, Malet wiped his bald forehead and sank into a chair. -"Pooh!" he muttered, striving to reassure himself. "He can do nothing. -I am his cousin. My honor is his honor. I'm in pretty deep water, but -I'll get ashore yet. There's only one way--only one!" Then Mr. Malet -proceeded to cogitate upon that one and only way, and the obstacles -which prevented his taking it. His thoughts for the next half hour did -not make for peace of mind altogether. - -Meanwhile, Captain Burton, fuming with rage, strode on through the -green woods to the lady of his love. They had arranged to meet and -discuss the result of this interview. As Mr. Scarse did not approve of -his attentions toward his daughter, the cottage where she dwelt was -forbidden ground to Harold. He was compelled, therefore, to meet her -by stealth in the woods. But the glorious summer day made that no -hardship. He knew the precise spot where Brenda would be waiting for -him--under an ancient oak, which had seen many generations of -lovers--and he increased his pace that he might the sooner unburden to -her his mind. As he left the park and made his way through the -orchards which surrounded Chippingholt, he saw Mr. Scarse no great -distance away. - -"That's a queer get-up the old man's got on," muttered Harold, -perplexed at the wholly unusual combination of a snuff-colored -greatcoat and a huge black scarf. "Never saw him in that rig before. I -wonder what it means!" - -As he came up within a dozen paces of the thin, white-haired figure, -he was more than ever puzzled, for he noticed that the black scarf was -of crape--there must have been several yards of it wound round the old -man's neck. It was undoubtedly Mr. Scarse. There was no mistaking that -clean-shaven, parchment-like visage. Burton took off his cap in -greeting, but did not speak. He knew the old man was not well-disposed -toward him. Mr. Scarse looked blankly at him and pressed on without -sign of recognition; and even though he had half expected it, Captain -Burton felt mortified at this cut direct. - -"Brenda and I will have to marry without his consent," he thought; -"never mind!" - -But he did mind. To marry a girl in the face of parental opposition -was all against his inclinations. The future looked dismal enough to -him at the moment, and his spirits were only further depressed as the -sky began to blacken over with portentous clouds. Impressionable as he -was, this endorsement of nature was full of meaning for him in his -then pessimistic frame of mind. The sunshine faded to a cold grey, the -leaves overhead shivered, and seemed to wither at the breath of the -chill wind; and when he caught sight of Brenda's white dress under the -oak, her figure looked lonely and forlorn. The darkling sky, the -bitter wind, the stealthy meeting, the solitary figure--all these -things struck at his heart, and it was a pale and silent lover who -kissed his sweetheart under the ancient tree. His melancholy -communicated itself to Brenda. - -"Bad news, dear--you have bad news," she murmured, looking into his -downcast face. "I can see it in your eyes." - -They sat silent on the rustic seat. The birds had ceased to sing, the -sun to shine, and the summer breeze was cold--cold as their hearts and -hands in that moment of sadness. - -They were a handsome couple. The man tall, thin-flanked, and soldiery -of bearing; dark eyes, dark hair, dark moustache, and a clean-cut, -bronzed face, alert, vivacious, and full of intelligence. Brenda was a -stately blonde, golden-haired, blue-eyed, and passionate as one of -those stormy queens of the Nibelungen Lied, to whom love, insistent -and impassioned, was as the breath of life. Both were filled with the -exuberant vitality of youth, fit to overcome all obstacles, greatly -daring and resolutely courageous. Yet, seated there, hand in hand, -they were full of despondency--even to cowardice. Brenda felt that was -so, and made an effort to rouse herself and him. - -"Come, dear," she said, kissing her lover, "the sun will shine again. -Things can't be so bad as to be past mending. He has refused?" - -"Absolutely. He won't give me the money." - -"On the ground that he does not approve of me!" Harold nodded. "He -tried to make out that you were in love with Van Zwieten!" - -"Oh! he is so ready to stoop to any meanness," said Brenda, -scornfully. "I always disliked Mr. Malet. Perhaps my dislike is -hereditary, for my father detests him." - -"On political grounds?" - -"Of course. But those are strongest of all grounds for hatred. -Religion and politics have caused more trouble and more wars than--" -she broke off suddenly. "Of course you don't believe this about Mr. -van Zwieten." - -"Need you ask?" said Burton, tenderly. "The fellow is staying with you -still?" - -"Yes. He has been here for the last two days talking politics with -father, and worrying me. Thank goodness, he goes to-morrow!" - -"Glad of it," growled Burton. "He is the Beast mentioned in -Revelation. By the way, Brenda, who is Van Zwieten?" - -Miss Scarse looked puzzled. "A friend of my father's." - -"Yes; but what is his position--where does he come from--how does he -make his income? There is something mysterious about the fellow." - -"He comes from Holland--he is a friend of Dr. Leyds--and he is shortly -going out to fill some post under the Transvaal Government. That's all -I know about him." - -"He seems to have plenty of money." - -"Yes, he spends a good deal, to judge from what I saw of him in town -last season. Then he is a popular cricketer, you know." - -"I know. But the idea of a foreigner playing cricket!" - -"Well, Mr. van Zwieten does, and very well too. You must have seen -about his play in the papers. He is a great man at Lord's." - -"All the same, he is a mystery; and he is too much mixed up with the -Boers to please me. If there is a war, I hope he'll be with them that -I may have a shy at him." - -Brenda laughed, and pressed her lover's arm. "You silly boy, you are -jealous." - -"I am, I am. Who wouldn't be jealous of you? But this is not war, -Brenda dear. Let us talk about ourselves. I can't get this twenty -thousand pounds until Malet dies. I see nothing for it but to marry on -my three hundred a year. I dare say we'll scrape along somehow." - -"I have two hundred a year of my own," cried Brenda, vivaciously; -"that makes ten pounds a week. We can easily manage on that, dear." - -"But your father?" - -"Oh, he wants me to marry Mr. van Zwieten, of course," said she, with -great scorn. "So I must just do without his consent, that's all. It -sounds wrong, Harold, doesn't it? But my father has never done his -duty by me. Like most men who serve the public, he has sacrificed his -all to that. I was left to bring myself up as best I could and so I -think I have the right to dispose of myself. My father is nothing to -me--you are everything." - -"Dearest!" He kissed her. "Then let us marry--but no--" he broke off -abruptly. "If war should break out in South Africa I would have to -leave you!" - -"But I wouldn't be left," said Brenda, merrily. "I would go out with -you--yes, to the front!" - -"I'm afraid you couldn't do that." - -"I could and I would. I would go officially as a nurse. But, Harold, -why don't you see your lawyer about this money? He may find means to -force Mr. Malet to pay it to you." - -"I intend to see him to-morrow, dearest. I am going up to town by the -six train this evening, though I confess I don't like leaving you with -this Van Zwieten." - -"I think I can undertake to keep Mr. van Zwieten at his distance," -said Brenda, quietly, "even though my father encourages him." - -"I believe your father hates me," said Harold, gloomily, "He cut me -just now." - -"Cut you, dear; what do you mean?" - -"Just what I say, Brenda. I met you father, and he cut me dead." - -She stared at her lover in amazement. "You can't possibly have seen my -father," she said decisively. "He is ill with influenza, and hasn't -left his room for two days!" - - - - -CHAPTER II. -A SHOT IN THE DARKNESS. - - -After many and fervent farewells, the lovers embraced and went home. -It was understood that Harold should go to London that evening by the -five o'clock local from Chippingholt, which connected with the express -at Langton Junction, some twenty miles away. After seeing his lawyer, -he was to write her a full account of the interview, and arrange -definitely the details for their marriage. Meanwhile, to set his mind -at rest, Brenda promised to see as little of Van Zwieten as possible. - -As her father was ill, she was compelled to play the part of -hostess--an ungrateful one enough toward a guest she so disliked--but -as the Dutchman had arranged to leave next morning, she hoped for so -short a time to obey the laws of hospitality, and at the same time -keep him at his distance. But even so the situation was a trying one, -and Brenda relished it little. - -The cottage was an unpretentious little place on the borders of -Chippingholt, where the orchards began to stretch toward the woods. -Scarse was not well off, and had been fortunate enough to obtain it at -quite a nominal rental. He kept a cook and one housemaid, both of whom -Brenda looked after; and despite his slender means, his style of -living was in every way refined. The largest room in the house had -been turned into a study, and here Brenda now found her father buried -in blue-books, pamphlets and newspapers. - -Scarse was a lean, tall anĉmic-looking creature. His hair was quite -white, his pallid and wrinkled face clean-shaven, and his whole aspect -was one of peevishness and querulousness. In spite of the warmth he -had ordered a fire to be lighted, and, wrapped in a llama wool -dressing-gown, he crouched over it with the _Daily Mail_ spread out -upon his knees. He looked ill and cross, and seemed terribly feeble. -Brenda was more than ever certain, now that she saw him, that Harold -had been mistaken in thinking it was he whom he had met. He looked, -she thought, more fit for bed than for walking. - -"Come in, come in," he said in his thin, cantankerous voice. "Shut the -door, Brenda; there is quite a draught." - -"Are you no better, father?" she asked, coming toward him and taking -his hand. Scarse snatched it away. - -"Not a bit, my dear. This thing has a hold of me--I am aching all -over. Of course it comes just to prevent my speaking at the Trafalgar -Square meeting next week!" - -"You can send an excuse." - -"I can't and I won't," snapped her father. "This paper shows me how -necessary it is for all men to protest against this unjust war, which -has been forced upon the Boers. I must speak in favor of that honest, -God-fearing band of farmers, who are in danger of being crushed by a -capitalist war. I want to see Van Zwieten about this article. It is -perfectly scandalous. Where is he?" - -"I don't know. I've not seen him all the afternoon." - -"Is that the way you attend to your guests?" - -"He is no guest of mine," cried Brenda, indignantly. "I can't bear the -man. His mere presence is most objectionable to me." - -"You are a foolish, strong-headed girl, Brenda. Van Zwieten wants to -marry you, as I have told you, and he is---- - -"I won't marry him. I detest the man." - -"And you fancy you are in love with that scamp of a Burton?" said -Scarse, frowning. - -"Harold is not a scamp, father. He is noble and honest, and everything -that is good. I will marry no one but him." - -"I shall never give my consent--never!" - -"Then I must do without it," replied Brenda, determinedly. "I do not -want to behave otherwise than as a daughter should, father, but I love -Harold, and I hate Van Zwieten." - -"Don't be silly," said the M.P., querulously. "Van Zwieten is well -off. He is a good match for you. He can give you a good position." - -"In the Transvaal, I suppose," scoffed Brenda. - -"Yes. And where could you live better than in a new land, where the -vices of civilization have not penetrated! I don't speak of -Johannesburg, that sink of iniquity, but of Pretoria, and of those -towns where the Boer element exists pure and simple, With your husband -in the Government you can help him to build up an ideal state." - -"I don't want to build up anything. Harold and I can be happy by -ourselves." - -"You shall never marry the scamp, I tell you," cried Scarse, angrily. -"Let alone his character, which is bad, he is the cousin of that -scoundrel Malet, who is a bigoted Imperialist--one who is doing his -best to ruin this country by advocating annexation of all and -everything. He is one of those who are urging on this war. I hate the -man." - -"Only because you differ from him in politics." - -"No, on other grounds which do not concern you. I know Malet--none -better--and I would gladly see him dead." - -"Father!" Brenda was amazed at the savage energy of the old man. "What -has Mr. Malet done to you that you should hate him so?" - -"Never mind! I hate him and I hate that young Burton." - -"Well, father," said Brenda, quietly, "you need not have shown it -quite so plainly to-day. Harold said you met him this afternoon and -cut him." This was a tentative remark, as Brenda was certain her -father could not have been out. - -"Met Burton!" said he, raising himself angrily. "What do you mean, -child?" - -"Were you not out to-day?" - -"No, I have not left this room." - -"But Harold said he saw you with a snuff-colored coat and a crape -scarf round your throat. Father!" Brenda shrieked, "what is it?" - -She might well ask. Scarse was always pale, but now he was deathly -white. He reared himself out of his chair with a look of terror in his -eyes. It was in broken sentences he spoke. "Did . . . Harold Burton -. . . see me . . . with a crape scarf . . . to-day?" - -"Yes, yes; but was it you, father? Why did you wear----" - -"Hush! Say no more, Brenda. Go away." - -A faint color was coming back to his face, and he began to look more -like himself, less like a corpse. Brenda was about to demur at leaving -him, but he stopped her with a peremptory gesture. "Go away, Brenda, I -say." - -"But won't you explain----" - -"There is nothing to explain; go away." - -She was obliged to obey, and reluctantly she left the room. She could -not understand her father's emotion, nor could she understand the -presence in Chippingholt of this man with the crape scarf, who so -nearly resembled him as to be mistaken for him by Harold. So far as -she knew her father had no relatives. But he had always been very -reticent about his family affairs. She knew nothing of his connections -or his past life. Her mother she could scarce remember. She had died -when Brenda was a tiny child, and ever since that time she had been -brought up by strangers far away from home. Up to the age of twenty -she had been at a boarding-school, and there she had seen next to -nothing of her father. A casual visit on his part, and a few casual -questions as to her welfare--her mental welfare chiefly--that -represented Brenda's experience of the domestic affections and a -father's love. When she had come of age Scarse had sent for her, and -had established her in the cottage at Chippingholt, giving her -occasionally a week in London during the season. He retained his -bachelor chambers in Start Street, Piccadilly, but never took her -there, and ever kept her at arm's length when she hungered for -sympathy and love. No wonder, then, that in the all-important matter -of her marriage she felt no inclination to obey the man who had been -to her but a father in name: and no wonder she had fallen in love with -Harold Burton, and was bent now on linking her life with his. He was -the one human being who had held out to her affection and sympathy, -and from him she determined no earthly power should part her. Her -father treated her as a pawn on the chessboard of life, to be moved -about as best suited his own purpose. She regarded herself as a human -being, with the right to consider her own happiness, and to work out -her own destiny. - -"Never will I marry Van Zwieten," she reiterated to herself as she -dressed for dinner. "The man is a tyrant and a brute. Father has done -nothing for me that I should sacrifice myself so for him. Together -Harold and I will shape a new life for ourselves. If father's neglect -has done nothing else for me, it has at least made me self-reliant." - -As she expected, her father did not appear at dinner, alleging his -megrims as the reason for his non-appearance. But Brenda had a very -shrewd idea that the appearance of this unknown man, who so resembled -him, had more to do with it. She felt sure there was some sort of -mystery. Her father's life was altogether so secretive. But she did -not let it disturb her, and dismissed it from her mind, until a chance -remark from Van Zwieten again roused her curiosity. - -The Dutchman was tall of stature--well over six feet, and stout in -proportion. A well set-up figure assuredly, and what would be termed a -fine animal. His hair and beard were of an ochre color, and his sleepy -blue eyes, although seeming to observe nothing, on the contrary took -in everything. His complexion was delicate as a woman's, and he was -slow and soft of speech and movement. A casual observer might have set -him down as lethargic and small-brained. But Brenda knew that he -possessed a fund of energy and cunning and dogged determination which -could be exerted to the detriment of those whom his sleepy looks -deceived. Those blue eyes could sparkle with fire, that soft, low -voice could ring out like a trumpet, and that huge frame could be -active and supple as any serpent. Waldo van Zwieten he was called, and -he had lived in London now for the past five years. - -He spoke three or four languages, especially English, with wonderful -purity and fluency. He appeared to have plenty of money, and for the -most part devoted himself to cricket as an exhilarating pastime for an -idle man. In the capacity of a crack batsman he was highly popular. No -one deemed him anything but a lazy foreigner--good-natured, and loving -England and the English sufficiently well to become an English subject -in all but an official sense. But he had never taken out letters of -naturalization. - -He was correctly attired now in evening dress, and took his seat at -the table in his usual sleepy fashion. His blue eyes rested with a -look of admiration on Brenda, whose blonde beauty was more dazzling -than ever in her dinner dress of black gauze and silk. She apologized -for her father's absence, and winced at Van Zwieten's compliments. - -"You leave me nothing to desire, Miss Scarse," said he. "I could wish -for no more delightful position than this." - -"Please don't," replied Brenda, annoyed. "I'm sure you would rather -talk politics to my father than nonsense to me." - -"I never talk nonsense to any one, Miss Scarse; least of all to you. -Thank you, I will take claret. By the way, it was rather unwise of Mr. -Scarse to go out to-day with this cold upon him." - -"He was not out to-day." - -"Indeed, I think so. I saw him and spoke to him." - -"You spoke to him? Had he a snuff-colored coat and a crape scarf on?" - -"No; he was dressed as usual in his tweed suit." - -Brenda looked at him sceptically. Her father had denied being out. Yet -this man said he had actually spoken with him, but according to him he -was not dressed like the man, Harold had described. Could two men be -so much alike? And why had her father been so moved when she had -related Harold's experience? - -"Are you sure it was my father you spoke to?" she asked, after a -pause. - -Van Zwieten flashed a keen glance at her puzzled face, and was -evidently as puzzled himself. "I am certain it was Mr. Scarse," he -said quietly. "I had no reason to think otherwise. Why do you doubt my -word?" - -"My father denies having been out." - -"In that case I should have said nothing. Mr. Scarse evidently has -some reason for his denial. But cannot we select a more pleasant -subject of conversation?" - -"Such as what?" demanded Brenda, wondering at this sudden change. - -"Yourself or Captain Burton. I saw him to-day." - -"That is very likely," she replied, quietly divining Van Zwieten's -intention. "Captain Burton is staying at the 'Chequers Inn.' At least -he _was_ staying there, but he left for London at five." - -"Oh, indeed! He must have changed his mind then, for it was after six -when I saw him." - -"I suppose he is privileged to change his mind," said Brenda. All the -same she was puzzled to account for Harold's remaining at -Chippingholt. - -Thwarted in this direction, Van Zwieten tried another. He was bent on -making Brenda confess an interest in Burton, so as to lead up to an -explanation of his own feelings. "It is strange," said he, slowly, -"that Captain Burton does not stay at the Manor." - -"Why do you think it strange, Mr. van Zwieten?" - -"Ach! is it not strange? His brother Wilfred stays there--he is there -now. Mr. Malet is Captain Burton's cousin, and he is hospitable--not -to me," added he, with a sleepy smile; "Mr. Malet does not like me." - -Brenda ignored this last remark. "If you ask Captain Burton for his -reasons I have no doubt he will gratify your curiosity," she said -coldly. - -"Oh, I do not care; it is nothing to me." Van Zwieten paused, then -resumed very deliberately, "I do not like Captain Burton." - -"Really! The loss is his." - -"I do not like Captain Burton," repeated Van Zwieten, "because he -likes you." - -"What has that to do with me?" asked Brenda, injudiciously. - -"Everything. I love you--I want to marry you!" - -"You told me all about that, Mr. van Zwieten, and I told you I was -unable to marry you. It was agreed that we should drop the subject." - -"Captain Burton loves you and wants to marry you," pursued the big -man, doggedly, "and so I do not like Captain Burton." - -The situation was becoming embarrassing, but the man was evidently -acting and speaking with a set purpose. "Please say no more, Mr. van -Zwieten," said Brenda, trying to control her temper. Still he went on -resolutely. - -"When we are married we will see nothing of Captain Burton." - -"That will never be. I shall never marry you." - -"Oh, yes; your father is willing." - -"But I am not." Brenda rose with a glance of anger. "How dare you take -advantage of my father's absence to insult me?" - -"I do not insult you," went on the Dutchman, with a quiet smile. "One -does not insult one's future wife." - -"I would rather die than marry you!" She walked to the door. "You have -no right to speak to me like this. I refuse to see you again, and I -shall tell my father of your behavior." - -She swept out of the room in a fury, feeling herself helpless in the -face of the man's persistency. Her departure, however, did not ruffle -him in the least. He went on eating and smiling as though the -interview had ended entirely to his satisfaction. After a good meal he -lighted a cigar and went along to Mr. Scarse's study. The door was -locked. He knocked, but there was no answer. - -Van Zwieten was puzzled. There were matters connected with Mr. Scarse -which he did not understand, and which he wished very much to -understand. After pondering for a few moments, he put on a greatcoat, -in spite of the warmth of the night, a smasher hat of the Boer style, -and stepped out by the front door. Thence he passed round to the -French windows which lighted the study. The blinds were down, and the -yellow lamplight shone through them from within. Van Zwieten tried the -catch of one window. It yielded, and he slipped into the room. The -lamp, fully turned up, was on the table; some papers were spread out -on the blotting-pad on the desk, but there was no one in the room. He -glanced at the papers, but could gather nothing from them to account -for the absence of Scarse. He reflected, and recollected what Brenda -had said. - -"A snuff-colored coat; a crape scarf!" he mused. "So!" Then he left -the room, closed the window after him, and vanished stealthily as a -cat into the blackness of the night. - -Meanwhile Brenda had gone to her room furious with Van Zwieten and her -father--with the former because he would persist in his attentions, -with the latter because he exposed her to their annoyance. Not knowing -that the Dutchman had gone out, she decided to remain upstairs, so as -to avoid meeting him in the drawing-room. But her bedroom was so -small, the night so hot, and she felt so restless, that eventually she -decided to go up to Holt Manor and see Lady Jenny. - -Gilbert's wife was a pretty, frivolous woman, with a good heart, a -long tongue, and an infinite capacity for wasting money. Malet was -devoted to her, and it was common talk that she could twist him round -her finger. If she interested herself in the matter there might be a -chance still of Harold's getting the money. Lady Jenny always -declared, in her exaggerated way, that Brenda was the sweetest girl in -the world, so, putting on her hat and cloak, Brenda determined to -learn whether Lady Jenny really was her friend or merely a society -acquaintance. - -The night was moonless, hot, and almost without air. What the Scotch -call uncanny. All day clouds had been rolling up from the south, and -now the sky was an immense mass of bluish-black vapor hanging low over -the dry and gasping earth. No breath of wind, no sound of life, human -or animal. The earth lay dumb under that tent of gloom. Brenda felt -stifled as she took the short way through the orchards. Knowing every -inch of the ground, she made no mistake, and was occasionally aided by -a vivid flash of lightning, which ran in sheets of sudden flame from -east to west. - -With her nimble feet and her knowledge of all the short cuts, it -took her only twenty minutes to arrive at the Manor. She noted the -time--nine o'clock--for the village chimes rang out as she halted at -the porch of the great house. Here she was doomed to disappointment, -for Lady Jenny--as the servant informed her--had gone to the Rectory -with Mr. Wilfred Burton. - -"Mr. Malet went out for a stroll too, miss," said the butler, who knew -her very well; "but any message----" - -"Oh, no message, Roberts," said Brenda, hurriedly; "that is--I will -call on Lady Jenny to-morrow. Good-night." - -"Won't you have an umbrella, miss? It looks stormy." - -"No, thank you; I shall no doubt reach home before the storm breaks. -Good-night." - -But she was wrong in thinking so. Hardly had she left the park gates -when the storm came. A blue zig-zag flared across the dark sky, there -was a crash of thunder, and on the wings of a bitterly cold wind came -the rain. The storm was tropical in its suddenness and fury. The wind -struck Brenda like a solid mass, and she had to grasp the trunk of an -apple-tree near by to keep her feet. With a hiss and a shriek the rain -shot down--one deluge of water, as though the windows of heaven were -opened as in the days of Noah's flood. A furious wind tore at the -tree-tops, rending boughs, clashing the branches together, and sending -a myriad leaves flying abroad like swarms of bees. The drenching rain -spattered and drummed on the woods, and in the open was driven in -slanting masses of water by the force of the blast. Anxious to get -under shelter, and terrified by the fierce lightning, Brenda kilted up -her skirts and ran blindly through the trees at the risk of breaking -her head. Her feet squelched in the soaking grass, and she was shaken -and driven like a leaf by the furious gusts. Still on she stumbled in -a dazed condition. It was a witch storm, and the powers of hell rode -on the flying clouds. - -Suddenly her foot tripped, and she fell full length on the grass, -which was more like a morass. As she struggled to her knees the -heavens overhead broke out in one dazzling sheet of flame, which for -the moment threw a noonday light on the scene. There, under a tree, -but a short distance away, Brenda saw a tall, dark, bulky figure -standing. Hardly had the darkness shut down again when she heard a -startled cry. Then a shot rang out with terrible distinctness, and -then again the roaring of the tempest. Hardly knowing what she was -doing, Brenda got on her feet, shaking and terrified. She ran forward. -A second flare of lightning lighted the orchards with hell-fire, livid -and blue. Almost at her feet she saw the body of a man. There came -another deafening crash of thunder, and she staggered. A moment later -and she lay senseless across the body of the unknown man shot in the -darkness by an unknown hand. - - - - -CHAPTER III. -THE NAME OF THE VICTIM. - - -The cook at Mr. Scarse's cottage was in a great state of alarm. She -did not mind an ordinary tempest of respectable English character -coming at its due and proper season. But this gale, at the close of a -quiet summer day, arriving with so little warning and raging with such -fury, had frightened her beyond measure. As a precautionary measure -against the frequent lightning, she concealed the knives, covered up -all the mirrors and reflective surfaces generally, and threw the -fire-irons into the garden. Having thus safeguarded the cottage -against the bolts of heaven, Mrs. Daw--so she was called--insisted -that the housemaid, a whimpering orphan of meagre intelligence, should -go round the house with her to see if any one or anything had been -struck. They found dining-room, drawing-room and bedrooms deserted, -and the door of their master's study locked. - -"Lor'!" said Mrs. Daw, her fat face ashen pale, "an' 'e may be lyin' a -corp in there, poor dear!" - -"Oh, no, he ain't," responded the shaking housemaid; "I 'ear voices. -Jus' put your eye to the key-hole, cook." - -But the cook's valor did not extend thus far. She also heard the -murmur of voices, and, thinking her master and his friend the Dutchman -were within, knocked at the door to bring them out for company. "We -may as well go to 'eaven in a 'eap," said Mrs. Daw, knocking steadily -like a woodpecker. - -The door opened so suddenly that the two women recoiled with shrieks -against the wall of the passage. Scarse, looking pale and upset, -stepped out and closed the door after him. Judging him by themselves, -they attributed his scared appearance to fright at the storm, and were -ready to receive any amount of sympathy. But it soon appeared that -their master had none to give them. - -"What's all this? Why are you here?" he demanded, angry and -suspicious. - -"It's the storm, sir," whimpered Mrs. Daw, holding on to the -housemaid. "I'm that feared as never was. Miss Brenda's hout, sir, and -Mr. van Zwieten's with you, and me an' Tilda's a-shakin' like jelly." - -"Miss Brenda out!" repeated Scarse, starting. "Oh, yes, I recollect -she said something about going to the Rectory." This was untrue, but -he seemed to think it necessary to make some excuse even to the -servants. "I dare say Miss Brenda has been storm-bound there, and, as -you say, Mr. van Zwieten is with me. There is nothing to be afraid of. -Go back to the kitchen." - -"The 'ouse may be struck, sir! - -"The house won't be struck," said Scarse, impatiently. "Don't be a -fool. It is almost ten o'clock--go to bed," and stepping back into the -study, he closed and locked the door. Cook and housemaid tottered back -to the kitchen. - -"I'll give notice to-morrer," wailed the former. "It ain't right for -two lone women to be without a manly arm. If 'e only kep' a footman or -a coachman it 'ud be a 'elp. 'And me the Church Service, Tilda, an' -we'll pray as we may not be took." - -"Ow, ain't it orful!" yelped Tilda, as a fiercer blast than usual -shook the cottage. "Turn up the Berryial Service, cook." - -This request the cook hurriedly obeyed, and the two were soon -cheerfully employed in drawing what comfort they could from this -somewhat depressing selection. The clock struck ten, and so unstrung -were their nerves that they simultaneously jumped and shrieked. - -Tilda declared that the candle burned blue; that a coal in the form of -a coffin had jumped out of the kitchen range; and meanwhile the storm -raved and howled without, shaking the house, tearing at doors and -windows as though twenty thousand demons were trying to force an -entrance. In their terrified frame of mind Mrs. Daw and her factotum -actually believed that such might be the case. - -But they soon had further cause for alarm. The kitchen door was tried, -but Mrs. Daw had locked it. Immediately there came a furious knocking, -insistent and incessant. Tilda shrieked, and scrambled under the -table. Mrs. Daw dropped the Church Service, and grasped the poker with -a trembling hand. There was a crash of thunder which went grinding -over the roof--then the battering at the door again. - -"Quick! Quick! Let me in!" wailed a voice, thin, high-pitched and -terrified. - -"Don't, don't!" shrieked Tilda, grovelling under the table. "Oh, lor', -wot a bad girl I 'ave been." - -But Mrs. Daw, somewhat recovered from her terror, thought she -recognized the voice, in spite of its accent of pain. "Yer's a fool, -Tilda. It's Miss Brenda!" and she unlocked the door, still grasping -the poker in case she should be mistaken. As the door flew open a wild -blast tore into the kitchen, and Tilda shrieked again. Mrs. Daw, too, -uttered an exclamation, for Brenda fell forward, flung into her arms. -The girl was soaking wet, wild-eyed and white-faced with terror. She -could hardly speak, and clung, choking and shaking, to the terrified -cook. The door banged to with a crash. - -"Murder! Help!" gasped Brenda, hoarsely. "Oh, my God! he is dead!" - -"Dead! Murder!" shrieked Mrs. Daw, dropping the poker, and Tilda -wailed in sympathetic chorus. "Lor', miss! Who's 'e?" - -"I don't know--he is dead--shot--in the orchards," said Brenda, and -fell down in a dead faint for the second time that night. Usually she -was not given to such feminine weakness, but the terrors of the night -had proved altogether too much for her. - -Having something human to deal with, Mrs. Daw recovered her presence -of mind and unloosened Brenda's cloak. "Poor dear! she's frightened -out of her wits, an' no wonder. Tilda, tell 'er pa there's murders and -faintings. Look sharp!" - -Tilda crawled from under the table and across the floor. She raised -herself with a sudden effort of will, and was soon hammering at the -study door. - -"Master--sir! 'Elp--murder--perlice! Oh, sir," as Scarse came out -hurriedly, "Miss Brenda's in the kitchen, an' there's murder!" - -He seized her wrists with an ejaculation of alarm. "Who is murdered? -Speak, girl!" - -"I don't know. Miss Brenda sez as there's murder. Oh, lor', what will -become of us!" - -Scarse shook her so that her teeth chattered. "Go back to the -kitchen," he said sternly. "I'll follow directly," and Tilda found -herself hurled against the wall, with the study door closed and -locked. Her surprise at such treatment overcame even her terror. - -"Well, 'e is a father!" she gasped, and her wits being somewhat more -agile now that she was less afraid, she flew to the dining-room and -snatched the spirit-stand from the sideboard. With this she arrived in -the kitchen and found Brenda regaining her senses. - -"Ain't 'e comin'?" asked Mrs. Daw, slapping Brenda's hands violently -as a restorative measure. - -"In a minute. 'Ere, give 'er some brandy. Where's a glarss? Oh, a -cup'll do. Oh, ain't it all dreadful; just 'ear the wind!" - -"Hold your tongue and lock the door," said Mrs. Daw, snatching the cup -from Tilda. "Come, miss, try and drink this." - -She forced the strong spirit down Brenda's throat. The girl gasped and -coughed, then the color slowly mounted to her cheeks, and she raised -her head feebly. - -"What is it?" she asked faintly. Then she shuddered and covered her -face. "Ah! the murder! Shot!--shot--oh, God, how terrible!" - -"Don't you be afraid, miss; the doors are all locked, an' nothin' or -no one can git in." Then a shriek from Mrs. Daw followed a sudden -clanging of the bell. "Whatever's that?" - -"Front door," replied Tilda, casting a glance at the row of bells. -"I'll answer; give 'er more brandy, cook." - -As the housemaid left, Brenda moaned and struggled to her feet. "Oh, -the terrible darkness--the body--his body--in the wet grass! Father! -Where is my father?" - -"'E's a comin', dearie," said Mrs. Daw, giving her more brandy. "Take -another sup, dearie. Who is it as is murdered, miss?" she asked in a -scared whisper. - -"I don't know. I could not see--the darkness--I fell over the body. I -saw nothing. Oh!" She started up with a shriek. "Oh, if it really -should be Harold!" Then she was overcome with anguish, and Tilda -darted back to the kitchen. - -"Would you believe," cried she to Mrs. Daw, "it's the furriner! An' -master said as 'e was in 'is study talkin' to 'im!" - -"Lor', so 'e did!" said Mrs. Daw, awestruck at having detected her -master in a lie. "And 'e was out all the time! What does Mr. van -Zwieten say, Tilda?" - -"Van Zwieten!" shrieked Brenda, who was clinging to the table. "Has he -been out? Ah! he hated Harold--the dead man--oh!" her voice leaped an -octave, "he has killed my Harold!" - -"What!" shrieked the other woman in turn, and Mrs. Daw, throwing her -apron over her head, began to scream with the full force of her lungs. -Tilda joined in, losing all remnant of control, and Brenda sank in a -chair white-faced and silent. The conviction that Harold had been -murdered stunned her. - -At this moment there was heard the sound of foot-steps coming rapidly -nearer. Scarse, with an angry and terrified expression, appeared on -the scene. Close behind him came Van Zwieten, who seemed, as ever, -quite undisturbed and master of himself. Brenda caught sight of him, -and darting forward, seized the man by the lapels of his coat. -"Harold!" she cried, "you have killed my Harold!" - -"Harold--Burton!" replied Scarse, aghast. "Is he dead?" - -"Dead--murdered! Oh, I am certain of it. And you killed him. You! -You!" - -Van Zwieten said not a word, but remained perfectly calm. He saw that -the girl was beside herself with terror and grief, that she knew not -what she was saying or doing. Without a word he picked her up in his -strong arms and carried her moaning and weeping into the drawing-room. -Scarse rated Mrs. Daw and Tilda sharply for so losing their heads, and -followed the Dutchman. But before leaving the kitchen he was careful -to take with him the key of the back door. "No one leaves this house -to-night," he said sharply "I must inquire into this. Give me that -spirit-stand. Now go to bed, you fools." - -"Bed!" wailed Mrs. Daw, as her master left the room. "Lor', I'll never -sleep again--not for weeks any'ow. I daren't lie alone. Oh, what an -'orful night. I'll give notice to-morrow, that for sure!" - -"So'll I," squeaked Tilda. With this the two went shivering to a -common couch, full of prayers and terror, and prepared to die--if die -they must--in company. - -In the drawing-room Brenda was huddled up in a chair, terrified out of -her wits. Van Zwieten, calm and masterful, stood before the fireplace -with his big hands clasped loosely before him. His trousers were -turned up, his boots were soaking, and there were raindrops in his -curly hair. For the rest he was dry, and the storm had not made the -slightest impress on his strong nerves. When Scarse entered he threw a -steely and inquisitive glance at the old man, who winced and shrank -back with an expression of fear on his face. Van Zwieten, ever on the -alert for the signs of a guilty conscience, noted this with secret -satisfaction. - -"Now then, Brenda," said her father, recovering at last some of his -presence of mind, "what is all this about? You say that Burton is -dead--that Mr. van Zwieten killed him." - -"Ah!" interposed the Dutchman, stroking his beard, "I should like to -know how I managed that." - -"You hated him!" cried Brenda, sitting up straight with a sudden -access of vigor. "You told me so to-night at dinner!" - -"Pardon me; I said I did not like Captain Burton. But as to hating -him--" Van Zwieten shrugged his shoulders; "that is an extreme word to -use. But even if I did hate him you can hardly deduce from that that I -should kill him!" - -"He was shot, shot in the orchards, not far from the Manor gates. You -were out----" - -"That is scant evidence to justify a charge of murder," interposed -Scarce, angrily. "You are unstrung and hysterical, Brenda. How did you -come to be out yourself in such a storm?" - -"I went to see Lady Jenny at the Manor, about--about Harold's money. -She was not in, so I came back by the short cut through the orchards. -A flash of lightning showed him to me there, standing under a tree. -Then there was a shot and a cry, and I ran forward, and fell over his -body." - -"Whose body?" - -"I don't know--at least, I think it was Harold's body. Mr. van Zwieten -hated him." - -"It may not be Harold at all," said her father, impatiently; "you are -jumping to conclusions--the wildest conclusions, Brenda. Did you see -his face?" - -"No; how could I? It was dark." - -"Then how on earth do you know it was Captain Burton?" - -"I am not sure, of course; but I think so. Oh, father, do you -think---- Oh, perhaps, after all, it may not have been Harold." - -Scarse shook off her clinging hands. "I think you're a fool," he said -sharply, "and this wild talk of Burton's being dead is pure -imagination on your part." - -"I hope so--oh, how I hope so!" and Brenda shivered. - -Van Zwieten, who had been listening with a cynical smile on his face, -burst into a laugh, at which Brenda looked angrily at him. "Excuse me, -Miss Scarse," he said politely, "but it is my opinion no one is dead -at all. The shot and cry were no doubt the outcome of a thundercrash. -You were upset by the storm, and it seemed to you like--what you say." - -"But a man is dead," protested Brenda, rising. "In my anxiety for -Harold I may have been mistaken in thinking it was he. Still, some one -was shot--I fell over the body and fainted." - -"The man may have fainted also," suggested her father. - -"If I may make a suggestion," said Van Zwieten, with strong common -sense, "we are all talking without any reasonable sort of basis. -Before we assume that a crime has been committed, I would suggest that -we go to the orchards and see if we can find the body." - -"No, no," cried Scarse, shrinking back. "Impossible at this hour, and -on such a night." - -"The storm is dying away," said the Dutchman, derisively. "However, if -you don't care to come, I can go myself." - -"I will go with you," cried Brenda, springing to her feet. - -"For you, Miss Scarse, I think it is hardly wise. You are very much -upset. Had you not better go to bed?" - -"I couldn't sleep with this on my mind. I must know if it is Harold or -not. If it is, I am certain you shot him, and until I know the truth I -don't let you out of my sight." - -"Very good." Van Zwieten bowed and smiled. "Come, then, and guide me." - -"Brenda, you can't go out now. I forbid you--it is not fit or proper." - -"What do I care for propriety in such a case as this?" cried Brenda, -in a passion. "Come with me then, father." - -"No, I can't--I am too ill." - -Van Zwieten cast an amused look at Scarse, and the old man winced -again. He turned away and poured himself out a glass of brandy. -Without taking any further notice of him, Brenda put on her wet cloak -and left the room, followed almost immediately by the Dutchman. Van -Zwieten had many questions to ask his host, for he knew a good deal, -and guessed more; but this was not the time for cross-examination. It -was imperative that the identity of the deceased should be -ascertained, and Van Zwieten wished to be on the spot when the -discovery was made. As he left the room he heard the glass in Scarse's -trembling hand clink against the decanter, and the sound made him -smile. He guessed the cause of such perturbation. - -The rain had ceased for the moment, but the wind was still high, and -dense black clouds hurtled across the sky. A pale moon showed herself -every now and then from behind the flying wrack, and fitfully lighted -the midnight darkness. - -As she was with Van Zwieten, Brenda took a wide circle through the -village street. There were many people about in spite of the bad -weather--some with lanterns--but Brenda could not gather from the -scraps of conversation she heard whether the report of the dead man -lying in the orchards had got abroad. - -In silence Van Zwieten strode along beside her, apparently indifferent -to anything. His attitude irritated the girl, and when the wind lulled -for a moment she demanded sharply where he had been on that night. - -"You will be surprised to hear, Miss Scarse, that I went to see -Captain Burton." - -"And why?" asked Brenda, taken aback by this answer--the last she had -expected to hear. - -"To warn him," replied Van Zwieten, coolly. "Warn him--about -what--against whom?" - -"About my engagement to you--against myself." - -"I am not engaged to you, but to him," said Brenda, almost with a cry -of despair. - -It seemed impossible to make this man understand how she hated him. - -"I think you are engaged to me," said the Dutchman, deliberately. "You -say no, but that is girl's talk. I am not to be beaten by a girl. I -always get what I want, and I want you." - -The wind rose again, and further conversation was impossible. Brenda -walked on, praying for strength to escape this terrible man. She could -not rid herself of the idea that the dead man was her own true lover. -Van Zwieten might have seen him, as he said, might have quarreled with -him and shot him. The fear chilled her heart, and when next the wind -fell she again taxed Van Zwieten. "You killed him?" she cried. - -"You will insist on that, but you are wrong. I never saw Captain -Burton. He was not at the inn when I called." - -"He had gone to town," said Brenda, breathless with joy. - -"No, he had gone to the Rectory." - -Brenda stopped short. Lady Jenny had gone to the Rectory also. Perhaps -Harold had seen her, and had asked for her aid. While she was -wondering if this might be so, there was a great shouting, and in the -distance she saw the blaze of torches borne by many people. The wind -made them flare furiously. - -"Ach!" said Van Zwieten under his breath, "they know now." - -In the high wind Brenda did not hear him. Guessing that the concourse -meant the discovery of the body, she flew along the road like a -lapwing. The procession was coming toward the Manor gates from the -direction of the orchards. Some men were shouting, some women -screaming, but the solid group surrounded by the red, smoking lights -remained silent. Van Zwieten followed noiselessly, and reached the -group almost as soon as Brenda. - -"You see," he breathed in the girl's ear, "he is alive!" - -Brenda gave a cry of joy and flung herself into the arms of the -foremost man. - -"Harold! Harold! Thank God you are safe!" - -"Brenda! What are you doing here? Go back! go back!" - -"No, no. Tell me who--who is dead. Who has been murdered?" - -Seeing she knew so much, Harold signed to the men carrying the body to -stop. They set down the gate on which it rested. - -"Malet!" cried Brenda, as she recognized the features of the corpse. -"It is Mr. Malet!" - - - - -CHAPTER IV. -A STRANGE PIECE OF EVIDENCE. - - -Next morning there was great excitement in Chippingholt. That a murder -should have taken place in that peaceful hamlet was bad enough, but -that the victim should be the lord of the Manor himself was terrible -beyond words. The body was carried up to the house, and the rural -constable, not feeling himself competent to deal with so unusual an -incident, sent for instructions to the police station at Langton. - -Toward midday an inspector and constables came over to investigate. -The inspector proceeded at once to the Manor and interviewed Lady -Jenny. Her coolness and powers of endurance in such trying -circumstances amazed even this stolid official. - -She was a small, slightly-built woman, with a sylph-like figure, dark -blue eyes and dark hair. Her rose-leaf skin was wonderfully delicate -of tint and texture, and she looked fragile enough to be blown away by -a breath of wind. She was said to be both frivolous and emotional, a -shallow creature, fond of nothing but pleasure and spending money. In -this emergency every one expected her to relapse into hysteria, and to -be quite incapable of any control over her feelings; but, to their -surprise, she was all the opposite of this, and shed hardly a tear. -She received the news of the death almost apathetically, directed the -body to be laid out in the bed which her husband had occupied when -alive, and herself calmed the emotions of the household. - -Indeed, Wilfred Burton was far more upset about the murder than was -Lady Jenny. He expressed his amazement at her wonderful self-control. -He was lying on the sofa in her morning-room when he spoke to her on -the subject. - -"Some one must manage things," said the brave little woman, "and I -know well enough you're incapable, poor dear! Harold could be of use, -I know, but I don't want him just now. When I do, I'll send for him." - -"He was here this morning, Jenny." - -"I know he was; I saw him before you were up. He told me about the -finding of poor Gilbert's body." - -"Who found it?" - -"Branksom, the lodgekeeper. He was coming home from the village about -ten last night, and took the short path through the orchards. He -stumbled over a body in the dark, and lit a match to see who it was, -thinking it was some drunken man. The match blew out, but he -recognized Gilbert, and saw the blood on his face, so he ran back to -give the alarm. Harold, who was at the 'Chequers,' heard of the -murder, and came with a man to remove the body. In fact, he was the -first to arrive, and he examined the corpse before the rest came up." - -Wilfred, a pale-faced, delicate-looking young man, with large, dark -eyes, and a hectic flush on his face, shuddered at the calmness with -which Lady Jenny went into these details. "I don't know how you can do -it!" he gasped, putting his hand to his throat like a hysterical -woman. "It is terrible. And I thought you were so fond of Gilbert." - -"Yes, I was fond of him," said Lady Jenny, with emphasis, "but I -learned something about him lately which rather checked my fondness." - -"What?" - -"Something that concerned our two selves only. Wilfred. Poor Gilbert! -He is dead, so I suppose I must forgive him." - -"I wonder who killed him?" said Wilfred. - -"I wonder. Of course Gilbert made many enemies." - -"Political enemies?" - -"Yes, and private ones also. My dear Wilfred," said Lady Jenny, laying -her hand on the young man's arm, "I wish to speak well of the dead, -especially as the dead was my husband, but Gilbert was not a good -man." - -Wilfred looked at her doubtfully. "You speak as though you knew -something." - -"So I do; but that something has nothing to do, with the murder. I -have no more idea who killed him than you have." - -This conversation was interrupted by a message from Inspector Woke -asking to see Lady Jenny, so she left the room at once. Mr. Inspector, -a fat, stolid little man, much flurried by the unusual responsibility -resting on his shoulders, had already seen the doctor and those who -had found the body. He set about opening up the matter in his own way. - -"I have seen the doctor, my lady," he said, wiping his face and -breathing hard. "He tells me the deceased must have been murdered at -about half-past nine last night. The wound is on the right temple, and -as the skin and hair are burned and blackened with gunpowder, the shot -must have been fired at close quarters. Death must have come very -speedily, my lady. We can find no bullet, as it passed right through -the deceased's head, and no weapon, although we have searched the -orchards. All the evidence, my lady, must be circumstantial. We must -find out who had a grudge against the deceased, or who had an interest -in his death." - -Lady Jenny arranged the ruffles of crape round her neck--she was in -mourning for her father, and had been for some weeks--and laughed -coldly. She thought very little of this elaborate explanation, and -less of the man who made it. The inspector she took to be a man of the -smallest intelligence, and one wedded to the red-tapeism and -stereotyped routine of criminal procedure as conducted by the police -generally. - -"Mr. Malet had many enemies," she said quietly. "He was a politician, -and at one time--not so long ago--was connected with the War Office." - -"Can you tell me the names of any who had a grudge against him, my -lady?" - -"No; he told me he had enemies, but gave no explanation. Nor did I -seek any. But this is a circumscribed neighborhood, Mr. Woke, and not -over-populated. If a stranger came down to murder my husband, we -should have no difficulty in getting a description of him." - -Woke pricked up his ears. "Does your ladyship, then, suspect some -stranger?" - -"It is only an idea of mine," replied Lady Jenny, coldly. "I have no -reasonable grounds for making a definite assertion. Still, my husband -was popular to a certain extent in Chippingholt, and I know no one, I -can think of no person--likely to desire his death." - -"It might have been a stranger," mused Woke. "Rural murders do not use -revolvers as a rule, and if they did it would hardly be at such close -quarters as this. Can you inform me of the movements of this household -last night, my lady?" - -"Certainly. We dined at seven as usual. The night was hot and airless -before the storm, so my husband said he would go out for a walk. He -put a light coat over his evening dress, and strolled through the -park. It was after eight when he went out." - -"He did not say where he was going?" - -"No, merely remarked that he would like a breath of fresh air. That -was the last I saw of him. After eight I received a message from -Captain Burton asking if I could call and see him at the Rectory." - -"Why did he not wait on your ladyship here?" - -Lady Jenny changed color, and her hands became restless. "He was not -on good terms with my husband. They quarrelled over some family -matter, and Captain Burton refused to enter this house again." - -"Oh!" said Woke, significantly. "And where was Captain Burton last -night?" - -"He stayed at the 'Chequers,' but, as of course I could not meet him -at a public-house, he asked me to go to the Rectory. The rector is a -mutual friend." - -"Did you go?" - -"I left shortly before nine o'clock with Mr. Wilfred Burton." - -"Who is he, my lady?" - -"My husband's cousin--Captain Burton's brother. He is staying at the -Manor, and has been here for the last month." - -"Oh!" grunted Woke again--it seemed to be his method of expressing -satisfaction--"then Mr. Wilfred Burton was not on bad terms with the -deceased?" - -"No. They were excellent friends. Mr. Burton is rather nervous and -delicate, and my husband was careful of his health. I asked Mr. Burton -to go with me to the Rectory, and he agreed. We left this house -shortly before nine o'clock. On the way Mr. Burton stumbled and -twisted his ankle, so he returned to the house, and I went on alone. -Before I got to the Rectory the storm burst, and it was so violent -that I grew afraid. I was taking a path through the woods, and got -under a tree for shelter. As I was nearer the Manor than the Rectory I -determined to return, and explain to Captain Burton in the morning. It -was ten o'clock when I got back, soaking and tired out. I was waiting -a long time under the trees for the rain to go off, and so it was late -when I returned. Then I went to bed, but was awakened about midnight -by the news of my husband's murder." - -"And Mr. Burton? - -"He did not get back until ten either--in fact, we arrived almost at -the same time, for his foot became so painful that he could walk only -with great difficulty. He also was caught in the storm." - -"Oh!" said the inspector again, "I should like to see Mr. Burton." - -"Certainly." Lady Jenny rose. "Is there anything else you would like -to ask me? - -"Not at present, my lady. I will examine your household first." - -As Wilfred's foot was sprained, the inspector was shown into the -morning-room. It was a case of the mountain coming to Mahomet--Mr. -Woke being a veritable mountain of official dignity. - -He looked curiously at the pale young man lying on the sofa, and -seeing he was in pain, examined him as gingerly as possible. Wilfred -was quite ready to give an account of his movements, although he -expressed some surprise that such information should be required. - -"Surely you don't suspect me of complicity in this dastardly crime, -Mr. Inspector?" - -"Dear me, no, certainly not," replied the jovial Woke, rubbing his -hands, "but I am examining the whole household. It is wonderful what -evidence may be gathered by such means. Indeed, I have got some -evidence already. It may bear on the case, or it may not." - -"What is it?" asked Wilfred, listlessly, and winced as his foot gave a -twinge. - -"I'll tell you later, sir. First relate your movements, please, last -night." - -Young Burton gave an account coinciding with that of Lady Jenny. "My -foot must have got twisted," he said, "for it grew very painful, and -the ankle is a good deal swollen, Otherwise I should not have let Lady -Jenny go on alone; but she was anxious to see my brother and insisted -on going. It was a few minutes past nine when she left me. I tried to -walk, but could not. Then the rain came on, and I dragged myself under -a tree. I got soaked through, and thinking I should probably catch a -severe chill--I am not strong, Mr. Woke--I set my teeth to it and -hobbled home. I found a stake, which I used as a crutch; but the pain -was so great that I could only walk very slowly. No one was about who -could help me--it was so late. I got home after ten, and the butler -helped me in. Then I went to bed, and put cold water bandages on my -foot. It is easier now." - -"You should get the doctor to see it, Mr. Burton." - -"The doctor has been too busy examining poor Malet's body," said -Wilfred. "I shall see him soon." - -"Have you any idea who murdered Mr. Malet, sir?" - -"Great heavens, no! The whole case is a mystery to me." - -"Mr. Malet had many enemies I believe." - -"He said he had, but I think he spoke generally rather than of any -particular person or persons. So far as I know he had no enemy who -specially desired his death." - -The inspector looked grave and a trifle ill at ease. "Mr. Burton," he -said at length, "are you aware that your brother was on bad terms with -Mr. Malet?" - -"They were not friendly," admitted Wilfred, looking anxious. "There -was a disagreement about my brother's marriage. But, come now, my -brother hasn't anything to do with the affair?" - -"Well," said Woke, pinching his chubby chin, "it's just this way, sir. -I have been making inquiries, and I find that your brother and the -deceased had a violent quarrel yesterday afternoon in this house." - -"I know that, but a quarrel does not mean murder. Confound it, sir, I -won't listen to your insinuations." - -Mr. Woke went on coolly and deliberately. "I questioned Roberts, the -butler," he said, "and the man admitted that Captain Burton had used -threatening language." - -"How did Roberts know?" - -"He overheard Captain Burton at the open door of the library. He spoke -loud enough for the whole house to hear, so Roberts says, but there -happened to be nobody else about." - -"Go on," cried Wilfred, flushed and impatient. "Let me hear what my -brother said." - -"He called Mr. Malet a swindler, and said he would make it hot for -him." - -Wilfred smiled derisively. "Really! And on such words, used in a -moment of anger, you would accuse my brother of a brutal crime?" - -"I don't accuse him, sir," retorted Woke, hotly; "but I should like an -explanation of his words." - -"I dare say he will furnish you with one." Wilfred forgot his sprained -ankle now, and sat up filled with indignation. "And let me tell you, -Mr. Woke," he went on, "the explanation will be such as to clear my -brother wholly from all suspicion. He is the best fellow in the world, -and I would as soon believe myself guilty of this thing as him. -Suspect whom you please, but not my brother." - -But the phlegmatic officer was quite unmoved by this outburst. -"Natural enough," he said. "Oh, I don't blame you for standing up for -the captain, sir; and I dare say, for that matter, he may be able to -furnish an _alibi_, as he was at the Rectory waiting for her ladyship. -All the same, I am bound to inquire further into this quarrel. I don't -accuse him, mind"--Mr. Woke shook his forefinger--"but I can't help -having my suspicions." He paused, and asked suddenly, "Who is Miss -Scarse, sir? - -"The daughter of Mr. Scarse, M.P., and the lady to whom my brother is -engaged to be married. Mr. Malet disapproved of the marriage. That was -the reason he and Captain Burton quarrelled." - -"Scarse--Scarse," repeated the inspector, rising. "I've heard of him. -He's the gentleman that's always writing and talking tall about the -Boers, isn't he?" - -"I believe he is what is called a Little Englander." - -"An unpopular part at present, Mr. Burton. I am an Imperialist myself. -H'm! so Miss Scarse is engaged to Captain Burton, is she? She called -here at nine last night and asked for Lady Jenny, Roberts tells me." - -"Perhaps you'll accuse her of the murder next!" said Wilfred, -contemptuously. - -"I accuse no one as yet, sir. But I must have my facts quite clear, -and I go to get them. Good-day, sir," and Mr. Woke departed to call in -at "The Chequers," with Captain Burton still the central figure in his -mind. - -But Harold was not at the inn. Late in the morning he had called at -the cottage to see Brenda, and discuss with her the very stirring -events of the previous might. She received him in the drawing-room, -and, thankful to find that he was alive and well, embraced him more -than ever affectionately. The poor girl looked ill and pale, for all -this trouble had shaken her nerves more than she cared to confess. And -in truth Harold himself did not feel much better, although he showed -it less markedly. Mr. Scarse being shut up as usual in his study, they -had the room to themselves. Van Zwieten had gone out. - -"I had no chance, dear, of speaking to you last night," said Harold. -"Tell me how you came to hear about this murder?" - -"Harold, dear, I saw it committed!" - -The man turned pale. "You saw it committed?" he repeated. "Why, -Brenda, who did it?" - -"I don't know. I had gone to the Manor to see Lady Jenny. I thought -she might be able to help you about this money and on my way home I -was caught in the storm. In a vivid flash of lightning I saw Mr. Malet -sheltering under a tree. I did not know then that it was Mr. Malet. -After that I heard a cry, and then a shot. I ran forward, and stumbled -over the body. Then I fainted, I think, but as soon as I was able I -made my way home. It was only when I met you that I knew that Mr. -Malet was the victim. Oh, Harold, dearest, I thought all the time it -was you!" - -"What on earth put such an idea as that into your head?" he asked in -amazement. - -"I don't know. Van Zwieten had told me he hated you, and I am afraid -of Van Zwieten. He told me he went to see you at the inn, and I -thought you might have quarrelled, and----" She threw out her hands. -"Oh, dearest, it is only because you are so much to me, I suppose, -that I thought it must be you. Oh, Harold, the thought nearly drove me -mad." - -"But why did Van Zwieten want to see me?" - -"To insist that you should give me up." - -"Give you up? Confound his Dutch impertinence!" said Harold, angrily. - -"Dearest, I am afraid of that man," said Brenda, clinging to him. -"Yes, terribly afraid. He will not leave me alone. He speaks as though -he were perfectly certain I should have to marry him." - -"In that case, the most effectual method of putting an end to his -presumption will be for you to marry me, dear, and that at once. -Remember the twenty thousand pounds comes to me now!" - -"Harold!--the money is yours? But how?" - -"Malet's control of the fund died with him. Now that he is dead, -nothing can prevent my getting it. We can be married straight away, -dear." - -"We should have done that in any case, Harold. But now---- Oh, do let -us go to London at once; for, until we are really married, I shall not -be able to shake off my fear of this man. I know I sha'n't." - -"Nonsense, Brenda! He can be nothing to you, Why, you told me you -detested the man." - -"So I do. I loathe him. But he is so determined and wicked, and so -unscrupulous, that somehow I fear him, I----" - -"Is he here now?" - -"Yes; but I believe he goes this afternoon. He may meet us in London, -Harold, and give us trouble there. Believe me, he is dangerous." - -"Give me the legal right to protect you, Brenda," said Harold, "and -you need not fear Van Zwieten. He is a brute. I don't know how your -father can tolerate him." - -"Simply because Mr. van Zwieten is going out to the Transvaal -Government, and father has taken up the Boer cause." - -"If Kruger goes on as he is doing, there won't be any Transvaal -Government at all in a few months. Don't you bother about Van Zwieten, -dear. As soon as poor Malet is buried I shall go up to London and see -about the money." - -"There will be an inquest, I suppose." - -"Of course. The police are at the Manor now. I went over to offer my -services to Jenny, but she did not want me, and sent out to say so. -Poor little woman! I don't see how she's going to manage matters. I -hope she'll have enough to live on." - -"Why! I thought Mr. Malet was rich!" - -"He was. But he spent money freely, and gambled a good deal." Harold -looked uneasy. "I tell you what, Brenda, I sha'n't be easy in my mind -until I know that my money and Wilfred's is safe. Malet had supreme -control over it, and for all I know he may have made ducks and drakes -with it." - -"Well, if he has, we'll have to do without it, that's all," replied -the girl. "By the way, dear, why didn't you go to town last night as -we arranged?" - -"I changed my mind. It struck me that Jenny might manage to succeed -with Malet where I had failed. I didn't go up to the house, because I -didn't want to meet him; so I sent her a note asking her to come to -the Rectory. You know Mr. Slocum is one of my oldest friends." - -"How strange," said Brenda, wonderingly. "I had exactly the same idea; -that was why I went to the Manor last night. When I got there they -told me Lady Jenny had gone to the Rectory." - -"I didn't see her," said Harold, grimly. "I waited till nine, and as -she hadn't turned up then I went back to the inn. There, later on, I -heard of the murder, and went to look at the body. Although we had -quarrelled I felt sorry for the poor devil when I heard of his violent -death." - -"Poor Mr. Malet," sighed Brenda; "I wonder who killed him, and why?" - -"Well, I can't say why, dear, but I have an idea who it was that shot -him." - -"Who? Who?" - -"That man I mistook for your father." - -Brenda turned pale, remembering her father's agitation. - -"Impossible! Why do you think so?" - -"I examined the body first, before the others came up. I found the -right hand was clenched, and by the light of the lantern I opened it. -It was grasping a scrap of crape!" - -"A scrap of crape! But what has----" Brenda's voice died in her -throat. - -"Don't you remember my description? That old man wore a crape scarf!" - - - - -CHAPTER V. -VAN ZWIETEN SHOWS HIS TEETH. - - -This unexpected piece of evidence caused Brenda no little uneasiness. -She reflected that the man with the crape scarf had so closely -resembled her father as to be mistaken for him, and then she -remembered how her father had refused to give any information -concerning this double of his. There was also the fact of his avowed -hatred of Malet. Do what she would, she could not rid herself of the -idea that through this third person, so like himself, her father was -in some way connected with the murder. And little as she loved him, -the thought of it shocked and terrified her. She told Harold what had -passed between them in the study, and unbosomed herself of her -suspicions to him. In reply he asked her a few straightforward -questions. - -"Did your father refuse to speak of this man, Brenda?" - -"Absolutely. He sent me out of the room." - -"He was uneasy?" - -"More than uneasy," said the girl, with emphasis; "he was terrified. -There is great mystery in all this, Harold. In some way my father is -connected with this man. For all I know, he may be a relative. I am -very ignorant of my family history." - -"H'm! Have you seen your father this morning?" - -"No. He did not come to breakfast, and I did not go to his study, -knowing that he dislikes to be disturbed." - -"Well, we must go to his study now," said Harold, rising, "for I am -sure that the man with the crape scarf killed Malet, and your father -may be able to throw some light on the subject." - -"Harold, you don't think my father----" - -"Who can tell? Brenda, we must face the facts, and see him. In any -case I am the only person who knows about this scrap of crape, and I -shall keep the information to myself. Now, come along, dear, and let's -hunt him up." - -When they reached the study they found it empty. On the table lay a -note for Brenda in her father's handwriting. It informed her very -curtly that he had gone up to London for the day and would return that -same evening. Harold looked grave, and Brenda was perplexed. It was so -unexpected. Mr. Scarse seemed to be doing all he could to heap -suspicion on his own head. - -"Does he usually go off in this sudden fashion?" asked Captain Burton. - -"Yes and no. Sometimes he tells me, sometimes he leaves a note. After -all, Harold, we may be altogether mistaken. Perhaps father knows -nothing at all about it." - -"I hope so, Brenda. But from what you say he certainly knows this man, -and it is strange there should be such a striking resemblance between -them. The scrap of crape might easily have been torn off the scarf in -the struggle." - -"But there was no struggle," said Brenda, eagerly. "I saw Mr. Malet -for one moment when the lightning flashed; the next I heard a cry, and -it was followed at once by a shot. There was no time for a struggle." - -"You heard the cry first, and then the shot?" - -"Yes. The shot must have killed the poor man at once. He did not cry -again." - -Harold reflected. "I saw Dr. Lincoln this morning at the Manor," he -said slowly. "He deduces from the blackened skin and singed hair that -the shot must have been fired at close quarters. Now, if the murderer -saw Malet by that lightning flash, and was close at hand, he no doubt -sprang forward and clutched the poor devil's arm while he placed the -muzzle of the weapon at his temple. In that case Malet would utter a -cry and the next moment drop dead. In his agony he might have gripped -at the crape scarf, and have torn off the piece I found clenched in -his hand." - -"That is all purely hypothetical," said Brenda, fighting against her -doubts. - -"I know it is. But it seems to me the only way to account for your -hearing the cry first, and for this piece of crape being in the hand -of the corpse. Depend upon it, Brenda, your father can throw some -light on the subject. Well, as he's gone to town, there's nothing for -it but to wait till he comes back. Meanwhile I won't say anything -about the piece of crape to any one." - -"And what are you going to do now?" she asked, as he moved toward the -study door. - -"Return to the inn. I should like to know if any one else saw this -stranger, and if they mistook him, as I did, for your father." - -"Harold, Harold, do be careful," implored Brenda; "we may be -misjudging father altogether, dear. Don't, I beg of you, get him into -any trouble." - -"On the contrary, dear, my object is to get him out of trouble. If I -don't succeed in arriving at some explanation of this queer confusion -of identities the police may take it up. Then it would be dangerous. -Good-bye, dear; I shall be back shortly." - -Brenda waved her hand as he left her, and returned to the study. She -was filled with ominous foreboding, and trembled at the thought of -possible complicity on the part of her father. His pronounced hatred -of Malet, his agitation at the mention of the stranger, the odd idea -of the crape scarf worn by the supposed criminal, and the morsel of it -in the dead man's hand--these things collectively formed a mystery -which Brenda could not fathom. - -She looked again at the note which intimated that her father had gone -to town, and from the straggling, scratching character of the -handwriting she gathered that he must have been greatly agitated when -he wrote it. Afterward she went to the kitchen, and skillfully -questioned Mrs. Daw and Tilda about their master's departure. Both -declared that he had said nothing to them about it. It seemed likely, -then, that he had made up his mind on a sudden impulse and gone off in -a hurry. - -Brenda wondered vainly what it could all mean, and then rebuked -herself severely for her suspicions. After all, her father would no -doubt be able to give good reason for his hurried departure when he -returned; the surrounding circumstances, strange as they were, might -prove to be all that was natural and obvious in the light of what he -would have to say. - -The dawn had brought wisdom to Mrs. Daw and the housemaid too, for -they no longer spoke of giving notice. They were chattering like -parrots about the murder, many exaggerated and wholly imaginary -details of which had been supplied by butcher, baker and milkman. But -Brenda learned that as yet no one was definitely suspected of the -crime, and that the villagers were hopelessly bewildered at its -committal. - -About the stranger no word was said; and somewhat relieved in her -mind, Brenda gave her orders for the day, and returned to the study. -She sat down before the fire--which was lighted, as usual, in spite of -the summer warmth--and gave herself up to thoughts of Harold. These -were pleasant enough, but occasionally there would come the -recollection of Van Zwieten and his calm insistence that she should be -his wife. Then she shuddered, for the man fascinated her as a serpent -fascinates a bird. There were moments when it came upon her that he -might get his way in spite of her repulsion. - -Idly looking into the fire, she noticed a fine white ash under the -grate, disposed in a regular line. At first she took no heed of it, -but presently she became aware that this was no coal _débris_, and her -eye travelled along the line until she found an unburnt piece of the -material, the remainder of which was ash. Growing pale, she bent down -and picked up a tiny piece of crape. Undoubtedly it was crape--there -was enough saved from the burning to swear by. Brenda turned faint; -from the long narrow outline of the white ash, from the scrap of -material she held in her hand, it was certain that her father had -flung a crape scarf under the grate, and had set fire to it. And she -guessed that the scarf was the one worn by the stranger--the scarf -from which the morsel in Harold's possession had been torn. Motionless -and terrified, she pondered over the meaning of this destruction. - -Before she could come to any conclusion, there was a shadow thrown -across the floor, and Brenda, her nerves shaken, jumped up with a -slight scream to see Van Zwieten step into the room through the French -window. He looked unusually well pleased with himself, and smiled -blandly when he saw her. In fact, she detected an exulting expression -in his blue eyes, which vaguely terrified her. With the instinct to -conceal the discovery of the burnt scarf, she thrust the scrap into -her pocket, and turned to welcome Van Zwieten with a smile. - -He looked at the fire, at her action, and seemed to connect the two. -But he said nothing. No doubt he thought she had been about to burn -something, and that he had interrupted her. - -"Aha, Miss Scarse," he said politely, "I have been walking in the -orchards to have a look at the spot where I murdered that man." - -Brenda was annoyed at his satire, and rather foolishly showed her -annoyance. - -"You should make allowance for my state of mind last night," she said -irritably. "I spoke without thinking. Besides, I accused you of -killing Harold, not poor Mr. Malet." - -"Quite so. But you might as well say I killed the one as the other. -Pardon me, I will say no more. I have been to the place where the poor -man was murdered, and I have made discoveries. Ah, you English, you -have no eyes! Dozens of people have been round this morning, but they -have seen nothing. I have seen much." - -"What have you seen--what have you discovered?" asked Brenda, -anxiously. - -Van Zwieten clicked his heels together in foreign fashion, and bowed. -"Miss Scarse, I am a wise man," he said, smiling; "wise men never -talk. But if you will be wise also, and give me the right to tell you -what I know, why then----" - -"How can I give you the right?" - -"By accepting me as your future husband." - -"No, a thousand times, no. I am engaged to Captain Burton." - -"Ah, Captain Burton! I quite forgot that young gentleman. I have -something to say to him. He is, no doubt, still at his hotel. I will -call." - -"If your object is to make him give me up, you may save yourself the -trouble of calling," said Brenda, quietly. "We are engaged, and -nothing you can say or do can break our engagement. - -"Ah! I think otherwise." - -"Mr. van Zwieten, will you understand once and for all that I refuse -to have anything to do with you. I refuse to marry you." - -Van Zwieten shook his head. "I cannot accept your refusal. I have made -up my mind that you shall marry me, and marry me you must. I have a -strong will, Miss Scarse." - -"I also, and so has Captain Burton. You can't bully me into being your -slave." - -"Pardon me, I should be the slave," said the Dutchman, blandly. "As -for Captain Burton, poof! I will sweep him from my path. When he is in -South Africa, I shall be there also." - -"He is not going to South Africa." - -"Oh, yes, I think so. He is a soldier, and your soldiers will have -much to do in South Africa shortly." - -"Mr. van Zwieten, I believe you are a Boer spy." - -"Indeed! Why do you believe so?" - -"You seem to be so certain of the war. You are going out to the -Transvaal----" - -"I am. You too, Miss Scarse--as my wife. Ah, do not look angry. You -must accept the inevitable with a good grace. As to my being a spy, -there is no need for me to act so low a part as that. I think there -will be war because I read the sign of the times. Europe is with -us----" - -"Did your friend Dr. Leyds tell you so?" she asked scornfully. - -"Perhaps. But this is idle talk. I am not what you think me. When the -time comes you will know--what I intend you to know. So sure am I that -you will be my wife, that I am content to return to London this day -and leave you with Captain Burton." - -"The sooner you go the better pleased I shall be." - -"Ach! What English hospitality! How charmingly said!" - -Brenda turned on him with tears of rage in her eyes. "You force me to -be rude," she said, almost breaking down in the face of this -persistence. "I have never been spoken to as you speak to me. An -English gentleman can take 'no' for an answer." - -"But I love you too much to accept such an answer." - -"If you loved me, you would not worry me so. Please go, Mr. van -Zwieten. Oh! I wish my father were here to protect me!" cried poor -Brenda, keeping back her tears with difficulty. - -"Call him, Miss Scarse. He has not gone out to-day, has he?" - -"He has gone to London." - -Clever and self-possessed as Van Zwieten was, this intelligence -disconcerted him. He started and frowned. "To London!" he repeated. -"He was here a couple of hours ago." - -Brenda handed him the note left by her father, and turned away. "You -can see for yourself. I suppose you will go after luncheon." - -Van Zwieten read the note and frowned again. "Yes, I will go after -luncheon," he said. "In the meantime I will see Captain Burton, I -think; oh, yes, I think I shall come to terms with that young -gentleman. Till luncheon, Miss Scarse," and, bowing with a mocking -smile, he stepped out of the window, leaving Brenda puzzled and -uneasy. - -Meanwhile, Harold was talking with Inspector Woke at the inn. He had -found that official waiting for him on his return from the cottage, -and had at once consented to his request for a private conversation. -He had no idea that Woke suspected him in any way, and answered his -questions with the utmost frankness. - -"I went to the Rectory last night to see Mr. Slocum, who is an old -friend of mine," he said, "and left here about eight o'clock. It was -shortly after nine when I returned." - -"At what time did you arrive here?" asked Woke, watching his -companion's face. - -"About ten o'clock." - -"Oh! and you left the Rectory at nine. Did it take you an hour to walk -a quarter of a mile?" - -Captain Burton stared, and his dark face flushed. "I don't know why -you wish me to answer you so precisely," he said haughtily; "but it so -happened that I was caught in the storm, and stood under a tree for -some time." - -"The storm again," murmured Woke, rubbing his chin. "Lady Jenny Malet -and your brother were both caught in the storm." - -"I know that," retorted Burton, impatiently. "Lady Jenny was coming to -the Rectory to see me on business. This morning I learned that she was -caught in the storm and turned back. My brother sprained his foot. I -know all this. Well?" - -"Mr. Malet was murdered at half-past nine." - -"So the doctor told me. Well?" - -Harold was so unsuspicious that the inspector felt uncomfortable, and -did not know very well how to put his doubts into words. "Did you see -Mr. Malet last night?" he asked. - -"No, I did not." - -"Oh! If you had, would you have spoken to him?" - -"What the devil do you mean?" asked Captain Burton, sharply. - -"Only this. That I have been informed at the Manor--by Roberts the -butler, if you want to know--that you and Mr. Malet had a quarrel -yesterday." - -"We had, over family business. That has nothing to do with you." - -"I'm not so sure about that," said Woke, drily. "You used threats. You -said you would make it hot for him." - -Captain Burton jumped up with clenched fists. "Are you trying to make -out that I murdered Malet?" he asked savagely. "If so, put your -meaning more clearly, and I shall know how to defend myself." - -"I don't say you murdered him," protested Woke, soothingly; "but you -quarrelled with him, you threatened him, and you were out of doors -between nine and ten, during which time he was killed. The position is -suspicious--don't be angry, Captain Burton, I am only doing my duty. -Of course you can prove an _alibi_." - -"I can give you my word that I did not see Malet last night. I saw his -body after I had been informed of his murder. As to an _alibi_, no one -saw me after I left the Rectory, so far as I know. I stood under a -tree for a time; then I walked round by Mr. Scarse's cottage." - -"Had you any particular reason to do so?" - -Captain Burton flushed and bit his lip. "I could refuse to answer that -question," he said at length; "but as you suspect me I will be as -candid as possible. I am engaged to Miss Scarse, and I went round with -the intention of seeing her on the same matter about which I went to -the Rectory. However, I concluded it was too late, so I returned -here." - -"You answer frankly, Captain Burton," said Woke rather disconsolately, -"and I say again, I don't accuse you of the crime." - -Harold bowed ironically. "Have you any idea who committed it? - -"No," replied Burton, keeping his own counsel, "I have not." - -Woke rose to go. Then he looked at Harold and hesitated. Finally he -spoke in a confidential tone. "Do you know if Mr. Scarse is mad?" was -his strange question. - -Burton suppressed a smile. "Not that I know of," he replied -wonderingly. "Why?" - -"Because he was seen in the village yesterday afternoon with a yard or -two of crape around his neck--crape, Captain Burton--a strange -material for a scarf!" - -"Very strange," replied Burton, keeping strict guard on his tongue. He -saw that other people besides himself had mistaken the stranger for -Scarse; but he did not correct the inspector lest he might say too -much. For Brenda's sake it would not do for that subject to be gone -into too minutely. "You had better see Mr. Scarse yourself about the -matter," said he at length; "he has gone up to town, but may return -this evening." - -Woke nodded and withdrew. He had not gained much by his conversation. -Harold was evidently guiltless; or, at all events, there seemed to be -no evidence to connect him with the crime. The poor inspector, -accustomed to open murders of the poker or hatchet order, was wholly -at a loss how to deal with the intricate criminal problem presented to -him. He could not find the weapon with which the crime had been -committed; he could gain no tangible intelligence likely to fasten the -crime on to any one person. At last, utterly perplexed, he took -himself off. - -Harold watched him go with some sense of relief. He saw that the case, -handled by a man of such inexperience and meagre intelligence, would -come to nothing, and for Brenda's sake he was glad. He could not help -thinking that Scarse was in some way connected with the matter. Much -would depend upon the explanation he had to give regarding his -"double." Until that mystery was solved, nothing could be done. - -He was still pondering over the pros and cons of it all when he was -interrupted by the waiter with the intelligence that Mr. van Zwieten -wished to see him. Wondering what his rival could have to say to him, -he directed that he should be shown in. When Van Zwieten appeared, -Harold received him coldly. He did not offer to shake hands. - -"You wish to see me?" was all he said. - -"Ach, yes!" replied Van Zwieten, with a beaming smile. "You will let -me sit down." He threw himself lightly on the sofa. "Thank you. Yes, -Captain Burton, I have come to see you about a lady." - -"I know whom you mean," said Harold, his voice tremulous with rage, -"and I must ask you to leave that lady's name unspoken. I refuse to -discuss the matter, you have come about." - -"It will be better for you to agree," said Van Zwieten, with a steely -gleam of his blue eyes. "I come to see you about more than Miss -Scarse." - -Harold sat down suddenly. It flashed across him that the Dutchman knew -something connected with the crime, so significantly did he speak. -Resolved to know the worst, he decided to let him have his say, -although he winced at the idea of Brenda's name on the lips of the -man. However, there was no help for it. The position was dangerous, -and this was not the time for squeamishness. - -"Say what you have to say and go then," he said, holding himself in -hand. - -"I can say that in a few words," said Van Zwieten; "you are engaged to -be married to Miss Scarse." - -"Yes," assented Burton, breathing quickly. - -"Know then that I love her, Captain Burton, and I wish to marry her." - -"Miss Scarse has consented to marry me. You have--oh, damn you, get -out, or I'll kick you! How dare you talk about Miss Scarse--about my -private affairs?" - -The young man was on his feet, furious with rage. It wanted little to -make him hurl himself on Van Zwieten; but the Dutchman never flinched, -never ceased to smile. "You must give up Miss Scarse to me!" - -"I'll see you at the devil first," was the fierce reply. - -"In that case I _must_ talk of your private affairs." - -"You have done so--you are doing so." - -"Not yet. But now--Captain Burton, I hold you in the hollow of my -hand." - -"What do you mean?" asked the startled Harold. - -Van Zwieten bent forward and spoke low for a few moments. When -he had finished, Captain Burton's face was grey and drawn and -terror-stricken. - -The Dutchman continued to smile. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. -WHAT MR. SCARSE ADMITTED. - - -For the next week Brenda lived in a state of bewilderment. Everything -seemed to go wrong. Her father did not return, but wrote that his -things were to be sent on to London, and that Brenda herself was to -leave the cottage in charge of Mrs. Daw, and come up in a fortnight's -time. Van Zwieten bowed himself out of Chippingholt without having -told her of his interview with Harold. With his usual cunning, he had -left Harold himself to do that; but Harold, leaving a message for -Brenda that he was suddenly recalled to his regimental duties, had -himself left by a later train, without either explanation or word of -farewell. - -Brenda was hopelessly at a loss to understand her lover's action, and -in her despair sought Lady Jenny. - -It was a week after the inquest, and the two women were seated in Lady -Jenny's boudoir, a pleasant rose-hued room which looked out on to a -Dutch garden. The usual verdict of willful murder against some person -or persons unknown had been brought in by the usual opaque country -jury, directed by a not over-intelligent coroner. Gilbert Malet's body -had been laid away in the family vault, and Lady Jenny was utilizing -for her husband the mourning she had worn for her father. - -Brenda was paying her now a visit of condolence; but Lady Jenny showed -clearly by her manner and curt speech that she stood in no need of -sympathy. It was amazing to see the change that had taken place in her -since her husband's death. Formerly she had been a gay, frivolous -little woman, with ever a smile on her face; now Brenda found her a -small image of stone, as hard, and every whit as cold. She could -scarcely believe it was the same woman. - -Finding that her sympathetic references to the dead man were received -with coldness, Brenda tactfully changed the conversation. She -mentioned her own anxiety about Harold's abrupt departure, and found -Lady Jenny quite ready to talk on that subject. She loved Brenda and -admired Harold, and wished to see them married. Consequently she was -only too glad to smooth down Brenda's feathers, which were a good deal -ruffled by her lover's strange behavior. - -"My dear, you know a soldier's time is not his own," she said. "I -expect Harold got a telegram, and had just time to pack and catch the -first train." - -"He should have sent for me," said Brenda; "I should have seen him off -at the station." - -"Well, I've no doubt he will explain his reasons when you meet in -town. You go there next week, and Harold is only at Aldershot. He has -written to you?" - -"Several times, and always fondly. But he has never explained his -leaving without seeing me. It's no good, Lady Jenny; I confess I am -angry. Yet he may have avoided seeing me on account of the murder." - -Lady Jenny looked up sharply. "Why should he?" Brenda hesitated. She -was thinking of Harold's suspicions regarding her father, and did not -want to tell them to the dead man's widow. For the moment she had -forgotten to whom she was speaking. But, having committed herself so -far, she was obliged to get out of the difficulty as best she could. - -"You know Inspector Woke suspected Harold?" she said, nervously -avoiding Lady Jenny's sharp black eyes; "he said----" - -"I know--I know. Woke told me of his suspicions. He's a fool--to -suspect Harold of killing Gilbert just because they had a few words is -ridiculous, and I told him so. Nobody will ever know who killed -Gilbert." - -"You speak very confidently," said Brenda, amazed at her hard tone. - -"Because I feel confident," retorted the other. "There is not a scrap -of evidence against any one. All that could be said was said at the -inquest. Woke and his police have been doing their best to get at the -truth, and have failed. The revolver was not found; no one knew why -Gilbert went out walking on that night, or whom he met, and--oh, the -whole thing is over and done with. It is only one more of the many -undiscovered crimes." - -"Do you suspect any one?" - -"Not a soul. Why should I? Gilbert had many enemies--so he said--but I -don't know any of them, and I don't suppose any one of them would have -gone the length of murder." - -"The police here are such sillies," put in Brenda. "Why don't you get -a clever detective down from London?" - -"Because I think the case is hopeless, my dear," said the widow, -gloomily, "and because it would cost a great deal too much money. I -have not yet gone into the affairs of the estate, but I am afraid I -shall not be over well off. Gilbert would play, and I suppose I was -extravagant. We lived far beyond our means. This place is mortgaged -heavily." - -"What--the Manor?" asked Brenda, startled. - -"Yes, all our property is mortgaged. I expect I shall be left with -nothing but the ten thousand pounds for which Gilbert's life was -insured. Fortunately it was settled on me at the time of our marriage, -so his creditors can't touch it. I hate being poor," cried Lady Jenny, -viciously; "and, so far as I can see, I shall be--very poor." - -"I had no idea things were so bad." - -"Nor had I until six months ago, when Gilbert told me. We have lived -from hand to mouth since then. All Gilbert's efforts have been -directed to staving off ruin." - -Brenda's heart sank within her. "What about Harold's money?" - -"Oh, Harold and Wilfred are all right," said Lady Jenny, hastily; "at -least, I suppose so. Gilbert always said that he took good care of -their money, and I think he did. He was not the man to place himself -within reach of the law by appropriating trust monies--at least, I -can't believe he would do such a thing. But next week the whole matter -will be gone into. Then I suppose you and Harold will get married." - -"Of course. In any case--money or no money--we shall be married." - -"Oh, I don't know. It's absurd marrying on nothing. Gilbert was well -off when I became his wife, or I shouldn't have married him; had I -known he was a gambler, I should have refused him. He made a nice mess -of his life." - -"I thought you loved him." - -"I did, a deal better than he deserved," said Lady Jenny, bitterly. -"But--but--oh, what is the use of talking! He was a bad man--another -woman--his fault--and I--my dear, don't you trust Harold. All men are -bad." - -"I always understood Mr. Malet was devoted to you." - -"So did I--until I found him out. It came about in the strangest -way--the discovery, I mean." Lady Jenny paused, as though considering -whether to speak out or not. Finally she decided to hold her tongue. -"But then these things concern only myself," said she, abruptly. "He -deceived me--I was jealous--that is all you need know. But I cannot -say that I sorrow for him now that he is dead." - -"Oh, how can you speak so?" - -"Because I am a woman, and jealous. When Harold deceives you, Brenda, -you will feel as I do--feel that you could kill him with your own -hand." Lady Jenny looked suddenly at the girl's blonde beauty. "But -no! you are a cold Saxon girl, with little such spirit in you. I--my -father was Irish, my mother Italian, and I have in me all the fire of -Celt and Latin. It was well for Gilbert that he died when he did," she -said between her teeth; "I don't know what I should have done!" - -The bitterness and passion with which she spoke were both new to -Brenda, who had never suspected her of such depth of feeling. Being in -the dark, more or less, concerning its cause, she hardly knew what to -say, so she held her peace. She felt that nothing she could say would -alter her friend's feelings, and might possibly even aggravate them. -After a turn up and down the room, the widow resumed her seat, and -seemed to become calmer. - -"Where are you going to stay in town, Brenda?" - -"With my aunt, Mrs. St. Leger, in Kensington. My father always lives -in his own rooms, you know. He doesn't want to be troubled with a -grown-up daughter." - -"He won't be troubled long if Harold is to be believed." - -"You mean our marriage? No! But you know my father doesn't approve of -it. He wants me to marry Mr. van Zwieten." - -"That Dutchman! Horrid creature! I never could bear him. Gilbert liked -him, though." - -"Indeed!" said Brenda, rather surprised. "Mr. van Zwieten told me he -and Mr. Malet were not friendly." - -Lady Jenny laughed in a way not good to hear. "Very likely. Van -Zwieten is cunning--slim, as his countrymen call it. I know more about -him though than he thinks." - -"Do you know who he is?" - -"Yes, I know who he is, and how he makes his money, and why he is in -England." - -"How did you find out?" asked Brenda, breathlessly. - -"Oh, _that_ I mustn't tell you--suppose you were to tell Van Zwieten?" - -"Tell him!" repeated Miss Scarse, her face crimson, her eyes bright. -"Why, I hate him more than any man I ever knew. He wants to marry me, -and won't take a refusal. My father supports him, and, for Harold's -sake, I have to fight them both." - -"And you are not afraid of so formidable a foe?" said the widow, -seeing her eyes droop. - -"Not of my father, but I am afraid of Mr. van Zwieten. He is a -terrible man, and has so powerful a will that he can almost impose it -on mine. There is something hypnotic about him, and I feel scarcely -mistress of myself when he is near me." - -"Nonsense! You are fanciful, child." - -"Indeed--indeed I am not," protested the girl, eagerly. "But you don't -know how strong and obstinate he is. He never loses his temper, he -just looks and looks with those terrible eyes of his, and repeats his -desire--his will--his intentions--over and over again. I feel like a -rabbit in the presence of a snake. And that's why I want Harold and me -to be married soon, because I feel, if we are not, Mr. van Zwieten -will compel me in spite of myself." - -Lady Jenny bent forward and caught Brenda's wrists. "My dear, if Van -Zwieten tries these pranks on, you send for me. If any one can save -you from him, I can." - -"But how?" - -"That is my affair. Van Zwieten may be all you say, but I can make him -afraid of me. Now you must go, my dear. I have a lot of letters to -write." - -Brenda went off much puzzled over Lady Jenny's attitude toward Van -Zwieten. Evidently she knew something to the man's disadvantage. But -Brenda was doubtful whether her friend could use her knowledge -sufficiently cleverly to crush the Dutchman. His resource was -extraordinary, and he was clever and unscrupulous enough to be able to -defend himself in an emergency. However, she felt it was no use trying -to forecast the future. She resolved to keep out of Van Zwieten's way -and get Harold to marry her as soon as possible. Once she was Mrs. -Burton, the Dutchman would be obliged to cease persecuting her. - -For the next few days Brenda was fully occupied with her packing. As -Harold was in London, or rather so near London that he could come up -there quickly, she was glad to be going. She felt she must see him and -have from him an explanation, and an understanding as to when their -marriage could take place. At her aunt's she would be safe from Van -Zwieten, since Mr. St. Leger did not like him; but Brenda knew well -that for his own ends--whatever these might be--her father would, as -ever, insist on her favoring Van Zwieten. - -The only way to put an end to the intolerable situation was to marry -Harold. With that, her father would no doubt wash his hands of her, -but at least she would be relieved from the persecutions of the -Dutchman, and would have some one to love and protect her. So it was -with thankfulness that Brenda left the cottage. - -In the train she found a travelling companion whom she did not -expect--none other than Harold's brother. Wilfred's foot was now quite -well, and he looked better in health than when Brenda had last seen -him. He joined her at Langton Junction, and they travelled up in the -same carriage, which they were fortunate enough to have to themselves. -She was pleased that it was so, for she wanted to talk confidentially -with Wilfred. They were the best of good friends. - -"I am so glad your foot is all right again, Wilfred," she said -cheerfully. "It is such a painful thing--a sprain." - -"Yet for all that I am not sorry I sprained it," said Wilfred, turning -his thin white face toward the girl. - -"Not sorry! What do you mean?" - -"Oh, it's an ill wind--you know." - -"Yes, I suppose it is. But it's difficult to see what sort of 'good' -one can look for from a sprained ankle!" - -"Well, in this instance I fancy it did me a good turn. You see it -rendered me physically helpless for the time being." - -"My dear Wilfred--I confess you puzzle me." - -"Do I? Well, I'll tell you what I mean. The night, almost the hour, I -sprained my ankle, poor Malet was shot. So no one can possibly accuse -_me_ of having shot him!" - -"But who _would_ dare to accuse you of such a thing?" - -"Oh, I don't know; that fool of an inspector was quite prepared to fix -his beastly suspicions on Harold--told me as much." - -"I know; but then you see Harold and Mr. Malet quarrelled. That was -the reason Mr. Woke was suspicious. But of course Harold laughed at -the idea." - -"I should think so. I confess the whole thing licks me. I can't -imagine who can have done it." - -"No one knows. Lady Jenny says no one ever will know!" - -"I suppose not. It seems to be relegated to the list of undiscovered -crimes. Do you know, Brenda, I _have_ had my suspicions!" - -A cold hand clutched the girl's heart. She immediately thought of her -father. "Have you?" she faltered. "Of whom?" - -"Well, I wouldn't tell every one, as I have really no sort of basis -for them. They are the purest suspicions. But I suspect that big -Dutchman who was staying at your place." - -"Van Zwieten!" Brenda's mind ran over the events of that terrible -night. The Dutchman had been out; he had come in after her. But again -her father had told the servants that Van Zwieten was in the study -with him--a distinct falsehood. Whichever way she looked at it, her -father seemed to be mixed up in the matter. "Yet what possible motive -could Van Zwieten have had to impel him to such a crime?" she asked -Wilfred. - -"It might be a political crime," said the young man, his face lighting -up as it invariably did when he talked politics. "Gilbert was an -Imperialist--always preaching and writing against the Boers. Van -Zwieten is Dutch, and is going out to an appointment at Pretoria; also -he is an intimate friend of Dr. Leyds. He might have wished to get -Gilbert out of the way because he was dangerous to his schemes." - -"Surely he wouldn't have gone the length of murder for such a reason." - -"Oh, I don't know. If he could without being found out, I am certain -he would. I don't say Van Zwieten fired the shot himself, but he might -have hired some one to do it." - -"What makes you think that, Wilfred?" - -"Well, I was talking to the station-master at Chippingholt. He said -that a man in a dark overcoat with a soft hat pulled over his eyes -went to Langton Junction by the 10:30 train--the last train on that -night. Van Zwieten saw him off at the station. He was seen to follow -the man to the compartment and put his head through the window. There -was evidently an understanding between them. Now you know, Brenda, few -strangers come to Chippingholt, for there is nothing to see there. It -was odd, to say the least of it, that Van Zwieten should have seen -this fellow off. Moreover, he just left after the murder was -committed." - -"I don't see though how you are justified from this in thinking that -either Van Zwieten or the other man is implicated in the murder," said -Brenda after a pause. "They might simply have met on business." - -"What sort of business?" - -"I can't say, I am not in Mr. van Zwieten's confidence." - -Wilfred's eyes flashed. "I wish I was!" he said emphatically. "I -believe the fellow is a Boer spy!" - -"I thought so too, and I told him so." - -"What did he say?" - -"He denied it. Wilfred, did any one see the face of this stranger?" - -"No. He kept his coat collar turned up, and his hat well over his -eyes. Why?" - -"Nothing, I was only wondering." Brenda dreaded lest she should hear -that the stranger was he who so closely resembled her father. She -wondered, too, whether it was possible her father could have assisted -this man to escape after he had shot Mr. Malet, for that the crime had -been committed by the same man who wore the black crape scarf seemed -conclusively proved by the presence of that piece of it in the -victim's hand. - -"I intend to keep a pretty close watch on Mr. van Zwieten," went on -Wilfred. "In fact, that is why I have come up to town. If, as I -suspect, he is a spy, the authorities must know of it. In the event of -hostilities breaking out between this country and the Transvaal, he -would of course be arrested at once." - -"But you cannot prove his complicity in this matter, Wilfred?" - -"I intend to have a shot at it any way," replied the young man, -grimly. "But come, Brenda, here we are at Victoria. Let me put you in -a hansom." - -"Do come and see me, Wilfred. I'm at Mrs. St. Leger's." - -"Thanks; I will. I may ask you to help me too in my pursuit of this -Dutchman." - -"How you seem to hate Mr. van Zwieten, Wilfred," she exclaimed. "Have -you any especial reason to dislike him?" - -"I hate him because he is the enemy of my country." - -As the cab drove away, Brenda mused on the fervent patriotism of the -man. Frail, neurotic, frequently ailing, a prey to chronic -melancholia, yet he was of the stuff of which such men as Hampden, Pym -and Cromwell are made. He believed in the greatness of England as he -did in the existence of God. Her every triumph sent a thrill through -him, her lightest disaster cut him to the quick. It was as if he were -ever under the influence of a fixed idea. But if he were, the idea was -at least a noble and an elevating one. His spirit was strong as his -body was weak, and through his body he paid dearly for his patriotic -emotions. - -It had been Brenda's intention to drive at once to Kensington, but -when she recalled all that Wilfred had said, she felt she must see her -father, if only to clear her mind of suspicion. Had he assisted--as -seemed probable--in the escape of the unknown man, he must have known -that the creature was a murderer, since there could be no other reason -for such a hurried and secretive flight. She felt she could not rest -until she had the truth from his own lips. Hence she told the man to -drive to his chambers in Star Street. - -Fortunately the old man was in. He looked leaner and whiter, she -thought, than ever. He was buried in the evening papers, from which he -was cutting out slips, which he proceeded to paste into a large book. -It was from these clippings of editorial opinion and collected data -that he constructed his speeches, throwing in as flavoring a dash of -his own dogmatic optimism, and some free expression reflecting the -true humanity of other nations as compared with that of his own brutal -country, of which, in truth, he had little to say that was not -abusive. - -As usual, he received Brenda coldly, and wondered why she had not -driven at once to her aunt's. She soon explained to him her reasons. - -"Father, I am worrying myself to death about that man with the crape -scarf." - -Scarse colored and averted his eyes. "Why, pray?" he asked. - -"Because I can't get over his resemblance to you. Is he a relative?" - -"No." Scarse cleared his throat and spoke. "The fact is, Brenda, I -wore that crape scarf and snuff-colored coat myself. I am the man -Harold saw." - - - - -CHAPTER VII. -AUNT JUDY. - - -For a while Brenda did not grasp the full significance of her father's -admission. She stared at him blankly. Then the recollection of that -morsel of crape in the dead man's hand, and all that it meant, came -upon her with overwhelming force. She could not cry, but a choking -sensation came at her throat. Her father was the man who had worn the -crape scarf--then her father was the man who had murdered Gilbert -Malet! - -"What is it, Brenda? Why do you look at me like that?" he asked -nervously. - -He stood beyond the circle of light cast by the lamp on the table, and -she could not see his face, but by the tremor of his voice she guessed -that he was badly frightened. She pulled herself together--what the -effort cost her no one but herself knew--and came at once to the gist -of the thing. - -"Father, did you shoot Mr. Malet?" - -"I? No. Are you mad, girl, to say such a thing? How dare you--to me, -your father?" Indignation apparently choked further speech on the part -of Mr. Scarse. - -"God help me! yes, you are my father," wailed Brenda. She threw -herself face downwards on the sofa and sobbed bitterly. There was that -in her father's nervous denial which impelled her to believe that her -suspicions were correct. If he had not himself killed Malet, at least -he knew who had. But at the present moment Brenda firmly believed that -his own hand had fired the fatal shot. - -"Brenda, listen to me; you speak foolishly; we must understand one -another. What grounds have you for making such a terrible accusation -against me?" - -The old man's voice was now steady, and he spoke harshly. He poked the -fire and expanded his thin, dry hands to the blaze. It was a haggard -face which the spurting flames illumined; but the mouth was firmly -set, and there was a hard, dogged expression in the eyes. As Brenda -made no reply, and still continued to sob, he cast an impatient glance -at her prostrate figure and went over to the sideboard. Thence he -returned with a glass of wine. - -"Drink this, Brenda, and don't be a fool. I did not murder the man." - -The girl sat up and slowly drank the wine. Her father crossed over to -the door and locked it, upon which the girl laughed contemptuously. - -"Do you think I have the police in waiting?" she said. - -"That is not the way to speak to your father," snarled he, sitting -down. - -But the wine had put new life into Brenda, and she was regaining -courage with her returning color. Not by this man--the father who had -been no father to her--was she to be daunted. With a quick movement -she removed the lampshade, and the sudden spread of the light showed -her Mr. Scarse biting his nails with anything but a reassuring -expression on his face. At that moment Brenda felt she hated the -author of her being. - -"You are my father in name, nothing more," she said coldly. "In no way -have you ever attempted to gain my affection. You kept me at school as -long as you could, and only when it was forced upon you did you take -charge of my life. I have no love for you, nor have you for me; but I -always respected you until now." - -Scarse winced, and his parchment-like skin grew pink. "And why don't -you respect me now?" - -"Because I am certain that, even if you did not kill him, you had -something to do with the death of Mr. Malet!" - -"That is untrue," replied he, composedly. - -Brenda looked at him keenly. "The murderer wore a crape scarf. Of that -I have direct evidence. I also know that you burnt that scarf." - -"How do you know that?" he snapped. - -"I found the ashes under the grate, and I picked up a scrap of the -crape. Nevertheless, in spite of your admission, I am not certain now -in my own mind that it was you who wore it. Father, you were not the -man whom Harold met." - -"I am--I was," insisted Scarse, doggedly. "I put on that old coat -because I couldn't find the one I usually wear. As to the scarf, I -wore it in token of my sorrow for the way in which this country is -being ruined by its statesmen." - -But Brenda declined to accept this explanation. - -"You are not mad, father," she said quietly; "and only a madman would -wear yards of crape round his neck in mourning for the delinquencies -of his country's leaders; and only a madman would have killed Mr. -Malet!" She paused, and, as he made no reply, continued: "The man -Harold mistook for you was seen by other people, who also made the -same mistake. What he came to Chippingholt for I know as well as you -do. He came with the full intention of killing Mr. Malet." - -"Go on, go on," jeered her father; "you are making out a fine case -against me." - -"Not against you, but against this relative of yours. Ah! you wince. I -am right. He _is_ a relative. No person who wasn't could bear so -strong a resemblance to another. He is some relation of whom you are -ashamed--a twin brother, for all I know. He was in your study that day -when you said it was Van Zwieten who was with you." - -"He was not!" retorted Scarse, angrily. "How dare you make me out a -liar? Van Zwieten was with me. I locked the door of the study because -we had quarrelled. He insisted on leaving the room, and, as I refused -to open the door, he stepped out of the window, and went round and -rang the front-door bell for admittance." - -"That is an ingenious, but a far-fetched explanation, father." - -"It is the true one. You can take or leave it." - -"I leave it, then," said Brenda, calmly. "You had the stranger in your -study, and you afterwards sent him off by the 10:30 train. He was seen -at the station!" - -Scarse started. "By whom?" he asked hurriedly. - -"By Van Zwieten and the station-master!" - -"Van Zwieten?" repeated Scarse, irritably. "He saw--who told you all -this rubbish?" - -"Wilfred. The station-master told him. Besides, it is not rubbish. Oh, -father, why won't you be frank with me? We have not much feeling for -one another, but still I am your daughter, and I want to help you; so -does Harold----" - -"What has he to do with it?" asked Scarse, sharply. - -"It was Harold who searched the corpse before it was taken to the -Manor," replied Brenda, speaking slowly. "In the clenched right hand a -morsel of black crape was found. Father, it was torn off that scarf!" - -"You cannot be certain of that." - -"How otherwise could so strange a material as crape come to be in the -dead man's hand? He cried out before he was shot; I heard him. He must -have clutched at his assailant and torn a piece from his scarf." - -"Did you see me shoot Mr. Malet?" - -"I saw no one shoot him; but I am certain it was that man." - -Scarse rose and paced up and down the room. "I was the man, I tell -you, who wore the scarf," he said for the third time, "and I never -even saw Malet on that night. I have no brother, no relatives of any -kind, save your aunt, Mrs. St. Leger." - -"You won't trust me?" said Brenda, sadly. - -"There is nothing more to say," replied her father, his features set -hard as a flint. "It is useless my giving you the facts if you won't -believe them. I have no idea who the man was who was seen at the -station. Van Zwieten said nothing to me about it. I am the man -Harold took for a stranger, and I cut Captain Burton because I -dislike him very much. I did not see Mr. Malet--certainly I did not -kill him--and--and I have no more to say." - -"How do you account for that piece of crape in the hand of----" - -"Brenda!" interrupted he, turning on her, "I could give you an -explanation of that which would amaze you; but I will rest content -with saying that the scrap you refer to was not torn off the scarf -I wore. I burnt the scarf after I had had it on once, because I -thought--well, because I thought it was foolish of me." - -"Father, I am certain you are not speaking openly." - -"No, I am not. If I did, you would at once see that you were wrong in -suspecting me of this crime. I am not guilty of it." - -"No, I don't think you are," said Brenda; "but you are shielding some -one." - -"Perhaps I am," replied he, smiling sourly; "but not the stranger you -have invented--he does not exist." He paused, and then asked abruptly, -"Has Burton mentioned this matter to any one?" - -"Only to me. For your sake he keeps silent." - -"Oh!" Scarse smiled sourly again. "I suppose he thinks he'll force me -into consenting to your engagement that way. But he won't. You shall -marry Van Zwieten." - -Brenda rose and drew her cloak around her. "I have told you I will -marry no one but Harold," she said coldly. "There is no need to -discuss the matter further. My cab is waiting, so I'll drive on to -Aunt Judy's." - -"With your mind somewhat more at rest, I trust," said he, as she -unfastened the door. - -"Yes, so far as you personally are concerned. But you know who -murdered that man, and you are shielding him." - -"I deny that!" Then, as she went out of the door, he ran after her, -and said in a loud whisper, "Think if there is no one else who wears -crape at Chippingholt?" - -Before she could make reply to this he closed the door. She did not -pay much attention to it, because she had made up her mind about the -stranger, whom she felt convinced her father was shielding. She went -down the stairs and got into her cab. In a few moments she was again -in Piccadilly on her way west. There at Aunt Judy's she felt sure at -least of a warm welcome. - -A stout, good-natured woman was Mrs. St. Leger. She conceived it to be -her one duty in life to keep her husband in a good temper. And -experience had proved to her that the only means of performing this -was by a strict attention to his diet--no easy task, seeing that he -was a peppery old Indian colonel with a liver and a temper. He had -long since retired from the army after a career of frontier -skirmishing in Northern India, and now passed his time between his -home in Kensington and his military club. In both places he was -greatly feared for his hectoring manner and flow of language, which -was well-nigh irresistible. Mrs. St. Leger was always thankful when -the meals passed off without direct conflict, and she spent most of -her day reading cookery books for the unearthing of delicacies, and -having unearthed them, in consulting the cook how to prepare them for -the fastidious palate of her lord and master. - -The old couple were fond of Brenda--Aunt Judy because the girl was a -comfort to her in some vague sort of way which she could not define, -and Uncle Bill because Brenda was not in the least in awe of his -temper, and gave him every bit as good as she received. - -To each other Colonel and Mrs. St. Leger were always Julia and -William; but Brenda from her earliest childhood had known them as Aunt -Judy and Uncle Bill, and to those fond appellations she still clung. -Had any one else dared to address the colonel so, he would assuredly -have taken an apoplectic fit on the spot, being so predisposed and of -"full habit"; but Brenda he graciously permitted to be thus familiar. -To sum up the worthy colonel's character, it may be stated that he -hated Mr. Scarse as bitterly as he hated cold meat; and to any one who -knew him the comparison would have been all sufficient. - -"Dear, dear child," cooed Mrs. St. Leger as Brenda sipped her cup of -tea in the drawing-room, "how good it is to see you again. -William----" - -"Very glad, very glad," rasped the colonel, who was glowering on the -hearthrug. "I want to hear all about this iniquitous murder. Poor -Malet! Clever chap, but always contradicting--good fellow all the -same. Wrote and talked well against these damned Little Englanders. -Gad! I'd forgive Judas Iscariot if he did that!" - -"Have they caught the murderer, dear?" asked Aunt Judy, with a beaming -smile on her fat face. - -"No," replied Brenda. "Nor do I believe they ever will catch him." - -"Him!" roared Uncle Bill, chuckling. "Egad! and how d'you know it's a -'him'? Might be a 'her.' Eh, what? I suppose in these days a woman can -fire a revolver as well as a man, eh?" - -"A woman!--why a woman?" - -"Eh, why? I don't know. Why should the poor devil have been killed at -all?" - -"Yes, why should he have been killed at all, that's what William and I -want to know," bleated Aunt Judy. "How does Lady Jenny take it, -Brenda, dear?" - -"Oh, very quietly. She is much less grieved than I had expected her to -be." - -"H'm!" rasped the colonel, in a parade voice. "I dare say she is -pleased for that matter. Most of 'em are when they bury their -husbands. I can fancy Julia smiling when I toddle." - -"Oh, William, how can you? By the way, has Lady Jenny been left well -off, Brenda?" - -"No, I am afraid not. She says Mr. Malet was terribly extravagant." - -"He was a gambler," shouted the colonel, "well known round the clubs. -When he wasn't dropping it at Monte Carlo, he was running amuck on -'Change. Always had bad luck that chap," added he, rubbing his nose; -"lost thousands. The wonder is he didn't go under long ago. Shouldn't -be surprised to hear Lady Jenny had been left without a sixpence." - -"Oh, no, uncle; she has ten thousand pounds at least; her husband's -life was insured for that, and she says his creditors can't touch -that." - -"Perhaps not, but hers can. I knew old Lord Scilly--no end of a -spendthrift, and his daughter's like him, or I'm mistaken. Women are -all spendthrifts----" - -"Well, I'm sure, William----" - -"Oh! you're all right, Julia. There are worse than you. Nice little -woman Lady Jenny, though, all the same--good sporting sort, shoots -jolly straight, and all that." - -"A thing I highly disapprove of," said Mrs. St. Leger, shaking her -head mildly. "I'm glad, dear child," turning to Brenda, "that you -don't do that sort of thing. It is so unladylike, I think." - -"Perhaps it's a pity I don't, aunt. If I go to the front with Harold I -might be all the better for knowing how to pull the trigger of a gun -or a revolver." - -"Harold!--what, young Burton!" growled the colonel. "Are you going to -marry him? Is it settled? It is! Well, he's not a bad young fellow; -but as a soldier! pooh! there are no soldiers nowadays. The army's -going to the dogs." - -"But, Brenda, dear child, what would you be doing at the front?" asked -the old lady. "There is no war." - -"Not yet; but every one says there is going to be war in South -Africa." - -"Of course there will be," snapped the colonel. "Do you think we're -goin' to be defied by a couple of punny little Republics? Damnable -insolence, I call it. They ought to be whipped, and they will be. Your -father supports the beggars, Brenda, and he's a----" - -"William! Her father--my brother!" - -"Beg pardon, Julia; but he is, and you know he is. Going against his -own country. Ha! here are the evening papers. We'll see what further -rubbish these pro-Boer idiots have been talking. Julia, please see -that dinner is punctual. And, Brenda, don't you be late. I hate -waiting for my meals!" - -Thus saying, the colonel plunged out of the room, and Mrs. St. Leger -took Brenda upstairs. The old lady was delighted at the news of her -engagement to Harold, and congratulated and embraced the girl with -much effusion, and insisted upon her asking Captain Burton to dine; -all of which Brenda received with the best of good grace, -notwithstanding that she was in no mood for conversation and longed to -be alone. At last Mrs. St. Leger left her. - -Then she fell to thinking of the subject which was all the time -uppermost in her mind. That last remark of her father's forced itself -upon her. Who else was there in Chippingholt who wore crape? Then -suddenly it flashed across her mind that Lady Jenny did. Of course, -she was in mourning for her father. Then came the colonel's words--She -was a good shot! - -Trembling all over, she sat down and wrestled with these two facts. -They were all significant. - -"Could it--could it really be Lady Jenny?" she asked herself. - -But to that question she could find no answer. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. -BAD NEWS. - - -So Brenda was in London again, and found the great city in an uproar -over the possibility of a war in South Africa. Negotiations were -constantly passing between England and the Transvaal concerning the -franchise for the Uitlanders. History was being manufactured at the -rate of a sensation a week; Leyds was weaving his plots and spreading -his nets in Europe; while at Pretoria Paul Kruger numbered his -burghers, dispensed arms, and intrigued with the President of the Free -State. Few believed that a war was inevitable, that a small state of -farmers would defy a mighty empire. But there were others who knew -from rumors and hints that real strength lay behind the apparent -weakness of those two diminutive Republics. Meanwhile zealots like -Scarse preached ever the fable of the wolf and the lamb. Chamberlain -was the wolf and good Oom Paul the lamb--somewhat overgrown perhaps, -but still a lamb. - -A pro-Boer meeting was announced to be held in Trafalgar Square, and -Scarse was to speak in favor of the honest, God-fearing -agriculturists, who, his imagination led him to believe, inhabited -Pretoria. He and his following were dead against the war, and asserted -that so many were the people of their opinion that only the big square -could hold them. So they rejoiced at the prospect of their convention, -which was going to force England into repeating the cowardly policy of -the Liberals after Majuba--a policy miscalled magnanimous, and out of -which all these present troubles had arisen. In Amsterdam, astute Dr. -Leyds rejoiced also on the assumption that a house divided against -itself could not stand. His President had provided him with that text, -and the mere fact of this mass meeting seemed to prove the force of -it. - -Meanwhile he scattered money broadcast--Uitlander money--that the -honorable Continental Press might yelp and clamor like jackals at the -heels of the lion their respective countries dare not attack. It is -only just to say that none of Leyds' guineas found their way into -Scarse's pocket. If misguided, he was at least honest. - -But Brenda took little notice of the question of the day, burning as -it was. She concerned herself only with Harold, and had the fate of -the Empire been at stake--as it seemed likely to be--she would still -have thought of him. Instructed by Aunt Judy, she duly invited him to -dinner. He refused on the plea of regimental duty. He would be in -town, he said, toward the end of the week. Brenda imagined she could -read a nervous fear in every line of his letter. But having no one to -consult, she was obliged to wait his coming. He alone could explain -much that was mysterious to her. - -Meanwhile she resolved to see her father, and ask upon what grounds he -suspected Lady Jenny. His hint about the crape referred unmistakably -to that lady. And it was true; Lady Jenny had stated very plainly that -she did not love her husband, and that because of his connection with -some other woman. But she had said nothing on which Brenda could -fasten now even in the light of suspicion; certainly she was in -mourning for her father and wore crape usually. And it was probable -that she wore it on the night of the murder. She had been out, too, -about the hour when it took place. Then there was the fact that she -was an accomplished shot; but all this evidence was purely -circumstantial, and could in no way bring home the guilt to her. Yet -she might have a motive, and Scarse might know that motive, so Brenda -sought out her father two or three days after their last interview. -Come what would, she intended to force him to speak plainly. - -That Harold's name might be cleared from the suspicions cast upon it -by Inspector Woke, it was necessary that the guilt should be brought -home to the right person. Now Brenda wished to be at rest about her -father's connection with the strange man whose existence he denied. - -But on the occasion of this second visit to Star Street she was -unfortunate. Mr. Scarse was not at home, and the porter of the -mansions did not know when he would be in. Brenda went upstairs to -wait, and was admitted into the chambers by her father's old servant, -a staid ex-butler who had been with him for years. This man brought -her some tea, gave her an evening paper, and left her alone in the -study. It was between four and five, so that the chances were that Mr. -Scarse would soon return. One of his virtues was punctuality. - -Leaning back in the deep armchair by her father's everlasting -fire--quite superfluous on this warm evening--Brenda sipped her tea -and fell to thinking of Harold. - -She was physically tired, having been shopping all the morning with -her aunt. The warmth of fire and atmosphere soothed her nerves and -made her feel drowsy. In a very few minutes she was fast asleep and -dreaming of her lover. At least so concluded her father's butler when -he peeped in to see if she required anything. - -From her slumber Brenda was awakened by the touch of a hand on her -shoulder. Then, as she languidly opened her eyes, a man bent over her -and kissed her. - -"Harold," she murmured, drowsily, "my darling----" - -"I win the gloves, Miss Scarse," said a quiet, calm voice. The man -stepped back as she sprang to her feet. - -"Mr. van Zwieten!" she cried, with a sense of suffocation. "You!" - -"I," answered Van Zwieten, removing the lampshade that he might see -her more clearly. - -Then she realized that she must have been sleeping a long time, for -the lamp had not been lit when she sat down. - -"You coward!" she panted, with flashing eyes--"you contemptible -coward!" - -Cool as he was, Van Zwieten winced at the hatred in her voice. But the -more she loathed him the more determined he was to make her his wife. -He recovered his calmness with a laugh, and stood by the table -masterful and handsome in his smart town dress. No dandy could have -been better turned out than the big Dutchman. - -"Ach! I have touched the proud lips of little red Schefen," said he, -quoting from Heine. "Come, Miss Scarse, when am I to have my gloves?" - -"If I were a man I would kill you!" - -"In that case--in any case--I am glad you are a woman. Why are you -angry? I am only anticipating my right." - -"Oh!" cried Brenda, clenching her hands, "will no one deliver me from -this man?" - -"No one," said Van Zwieten, slowly and determinedly. "You are -mine--you always were. That kiss makes you doubly so." - -Brenda, seeing it was useless to speak, cast on him one look of scorn -and stepped toward the door. Before she reached it he spoke again. -What he said made her pause. - -"Wait and listen to me, Miss Scarse--for your father's sake. Ah! you -are wise. Come, here is a chair. Sit down; we have much to talk -about." - -"I prefer to stand. Tell me, what do you mean?" she burst out. - -"What I say. Listen to me, for your father's sake. Or, if you care so -little for him that you can get him into trouble without seeking to -avert it, why the door is open." - -In answer to this speech Brenda sat down and looked steadily at the -man. He met her gaze frankly, and throughout conducted the interview -with his usual politeness. "I know you do not love me," said he, in -his deep voice; "but I love you, and I am content to win your -affection after marriage." - -"I will never marry you. Take that answer once and for all." - -"In that case you leave me free to deal with your father." - -"I don't understand you." - -"Then I explain--not everything, for I never trust women, not even -you. But I know the truth about this murder--so does your father." - -Brenda preserved her coolness. "Do you accuse him of the crime?" - -"Perhaps," replied Van Zwieten, with a singular smile, "should you not -agree to give up Captain Burton and marry me. I know who killed -Malet." - -"So do I," said Brenda, quietly. "It was the man you saw at the -station on the night of the murder." - -Van Zwieten smothered an ejaculation of surprise. "What do you know of -him?" - -"I know that he killed Mr. Malet--that my father shielded him, and -sent him away. You dare not accuse my father of the murder." - -"You are willing to risk that by refusing to marry me?" - -"Yes; you can do your worst." - -The Dutchman seemed rather disconcerted. He had not expected to be -defied like this. - -"I don't want to proceed to extremities, Miss Scarse," he said -doubtfully; "but I know much that may damage your father should it -become public. And if you do not care for him, there is Burton to be -considered. I can get him also into trouble." - -"On what grounds?" - -"I won't tell you. Ask him yourself. Ask him why he left Chippingholt -so suddenly." - -Brenda started, for the remark confirmed her suspicions that Harold -was troubled in some way about this crime. - -"I shall ask him. Have you anything more to say?" - -"No; that will do for the present. Only," said Van Zwieten, -menacingly, "I give you one last warning. If you marry Captain Burton, -he is lost, your father is lost, and you will be a wretched woman all -the rest of your days." - -Up to the present Brenda had controlled her feelings very well. Now -the feminine desire to speak her mind got the upper hand, and she rose -to defy the Dutchman. - -"You speak very boldly and confidently," she said; "but you do not -speak plainly. You hint at my father's guilt, at some link connecting -Captain Burton with this crime. I don't believe you have the knowledge -you say you possess. I am not to be terrified by vain threats, Mr. van -Zwieten--you are not dealing with a child." - -"When the time comes I shall speak out," replied the man, sullenly. - -"Speak out now--if you can--if you dare!" - -"No. I will do nothing in a hurry. But ask your father--ask Captain -Burton--what they did on the night of the murder." - -"You villain! I believe you killed the man yourself." - -"Oh, certainly," mocked Van Zwieten, "if it pleases you to think so." -He took a turn up and down the room, then approached her with a grave -smile. - -"Miss Scarse," said he, entreatingly, "this is not the wooing I care -for. I love you, and I will have you to be my wife, but it is not my -desire to gain you by force. Why cannot you accept me? I am a richer -man than Captain Burton, and I will make you a better husband. Come -with me to the Transvaal, and you know not what height I may raise you -to. There will be war--I am certain there will be war. Afterward----" - -"The Transvaal will cease to exist, Mr. van Zwieten." - -"By Heaven! not so!" swore the Dutchman, growing red. "Ah, you do not -know how we are tricking these English fools. I am Dutch, born in -Holland, but I have thrown in my lot with the Boers. I and Leyds and -Kruger and Steyn are set upon building up a new nation in South -Africa. As the English, a century ago, were driven out of America, so -will they be driven from the Cape. They will go to war, thinking it -will be an easy task. They do not know--they do not guess--we have -more burghers, more arms, more friends than they think. They are less -well prepared for war than we are. Wait--wait--all the world will be -astonished before the year is out. Brenda, I could say much, but I -dare not. Trust me, love me, marry me, and you will be great, even as -I shall be great. Come with me and assist me to build up this new -nation." - -"At the expense of my own country!" cried the girl. "I would rather -die! You are a Boer spy, a Boer liar; but all your intrigues, all your -lies, will come to nothing. If there is a war, your Republic will be -crushed, and your rebellion punished. Is it to me, a loyal -Englishwoman, that you speak? Marry you! Betray my country! I defy -your threat. I treat with contempt your boasts of conquest. Let me -pass, Mr. van Zwieten. Never dare to speak to me again." - -With a vigorous movement she thrust him back, and swept out of the -door before he could recover his presence of mind. It was just as well -she had gone, for Van Zwieten, baffled and scorned, gave way fully to -his rage. He did not dare to follow and make a scandal, lest it should -lead to inquiry about him and his doings. But he strode up and down -the room, swearing volubly in Dutch and English. Furious with Brenda, -furious with himself, he could not contain his anger. He had played -his last, card, and had lost. - -"No matter," he said, with a mighty oath, "I'll make her heart ache -yet!" Though how he intended to do this was not clear even to himself. - -Van Zwieten was involved in a maze of intrigue; but he was doubtful -how to use it to his own advantage. He had ample material to -manufacture trouble in connection with this crime, but for want of -certain missing links in the chain he was puzzled how to act. To -Brenda he had spoken with less than his usual caution. He had been -carried away by his feelings. He was madly in love with her, and the -more she scorned him, the more he worshipped her. If he could not win -her by fair means, he would do so by foul. Without waiting for the -return of Mr. Scarse, he left the chambers to think out some plan -whereby he might net Brenda in his toils. As yet he could not see -clearly ahead. But in time he might hope to accomplish much that now -appeared to be impossible. - -Brenda returned to Kensington with a feeling of dread. It was apparent -that Van Zwieten knew something detrimental to her father, but she had -grave doubts whether he could use his knowledge. He would have used it -before, she thought, had it been a weapon of any strength. As to -Harold, she could not conjecture what Van Zwieten's threat implied. He -certainly had not killed Malet, nor, on the face of it, did he know -anything about the matter. She looked forward anxiously to his arrival -with the intention of warning him against his enemy. Only if there was -perfect confidence between him and herself could they hope to baffle -the wicked schemes of the Dutchman. - -But Harold seemed to avoid her, and as he had apparently something to -conceal, she could not assure herself that he would confide everything -to her. In that case Van Zwieten might succeed in implicating him, for -she deemed him no match for the Dutchman single-handed. - -The days passed, and she counted every hour, anxious for that one -which would bring her lover to her arms. At length he came one -afternoon. She found him looking pale and haggard as with mental -torture. She uttered no word of reproach, but threw herself into his -arms. He strained her almost fiercely to his breast and covered her -face with kisses. They were alone in the drawing-room, as Mrs. St. -Leger was out shopping and the colonel was holding forth at his club. - -For some minutes neither of them spoke. It was Brenda who first broke -the silence. - -"My darling, how glad I am to see you again," she said, looking -tenderly into his dark face. "Oh, why did you leave me so cruelly--so -suddenly, at Chippingholt?" - -"I thought you'd ask that," replied he, with an effort to appear gay. -"Well, dear, it was for two reasons; in the first place, I was -recalled suddenly by my colonel, and besides that I had bad news and -did not dare to tell you." - -"Oh, Harold, as though I could not bear anything for your sake. From -whom did you have bad news?" - -"Fran Van Zwieten, strange to say." - -She withdrew herself suddenly from her lover's arms, and a feeling of -terror came over her. Van Zwieten again--the man seemed to be her evil -genius. - -"What is the bad news?" she asked faintly. - -"Malet gambled away my twenty thousand pounds. I have nothing but my -small income!" - - - - -CHAPTER IX. -MRS. ST. LEGER IS DISCREET. - - -"Is that all?" asked Brenda, drawing a breath of relief. "Oh, you -stupid boy, did you run away because you were afraid to tell me that?" - -Captain Burton stared and drew a breath also--one of amazement. "Well, -it's hard to understand a woman," he said, half smiling, half annoyed. -"I made sure you'd cry your eyes out when you heard. Don't you -understand, Brenda, what it means? If we are to marry at all, it must -be on our five hundred a year?" - -"And why not?" was her answer. "I am ready if you are, Harold. How -_could_ you give me all this anxiety for such a trifle? I want you, my -dear, not the money. But I thought you must have had some other reason -for going away." - -"What other reason could I have had?" asked Burton, quickly, and -waiting apprehensively for her reply. - -"Never mind. I'll tell you later. Only the twenty thousand pounds! -Well, after all, I'm not surprised to hear of the loss." - -"_I_ was very much astonished, and very wretched when I heard it. I -can't take the loss of all that money as quietly as you seem to do, -Brenda. And not only mine has gone, but Wilfred's too. Forty thousand -pounds, and all his own fortune! Great Scot! the man must have played -day and night to get rid of it. What folly for my father to leave it -so completely in his power. If there had only been another trustee to -pull him up. I don't want to speak evil of the dead," cried Harold, -wrathfully, "but I could find it in my heart to curse Malet." - -"No, don't, Harold. His terrible death was punishment enough. How was -it that Mr. van Zwieten came to know of this?" - -"I can't say. He refused to tell me. But he did know, and he tried to -make me give you up on that account. Of course I told him--well, never -mind what I said--it was strong and to the point. Brenda, we have a -dangerous enemy in Van Zwieten." - -"I always knew we had. And now that this crime has been committed he -is more dangerous than ever." - -"How do you know that?" Harold looked anxiously at her. - -"He threatened me the other day." - -"Threatened you!--the hound! What did he say?" - -"He told me, if I did not give you up and marry him, he would get my -father into trouble over Mr. Malet's murder." - -"Does he suspect your father?" - -"Yes, and no. He insists that father was cognizant of the murder, but -I think he puts the actual deed down to the man with the crape scarf." - -"That may be true. Remember what I found!" - -"I remember. I also made a discovery," and Brenda told him how she had -found the crape scarf burning in the grate of her father's study at -Chippingholt, how her father had asserted that he was the man seen by -Harold, and many other things. Indeed, she told him all she knew, -including her conversations with Lady Jenny, with Wilfred, with Van -Zwieten and with her father. Chin in hand, Harold listened -attentively, putting in a word now and then. When she had finished, he -looked utterly perplexed. - -"It's all such a muddle I can't get at the rights of it," he said. "No -one will speak out straight, and every one seems to have something to -hide. Bad as Van Zwieten is, I don't believe he killed Malet. I don't -see what motive he could have had." - -"Unless, as Wilfred says, it were for political reasons." - -"Oh, Wilfred's crazy about politics," replied Harold, testily. "He -thinks of nothing else. It is a perfect mania with him. But Van -Zwieten would not be such a fool as to risk his neck because Malet -took up the cudgels against the Boers. No, Van Zwieten is innocent -enough." - -"What about Lady Jenny?" - -Captain Burton changed color, and commenced to pace up and down the -room. "She wouldn't have done it. She is half an Italian, I know, and -fearfully passionate, but I think she'd stop short of that. Besides, -although she is a jolly good shot, I doubt very much if she could hit -a man in the dark like that so square as to kill him outright." - -"But remember, Harold, the shot was fired at close quarters." - -"I don't believe she'd have had the nerve for that. Of course it's -quite possible she may be guilty, but there's not a scrap of evidence -against her as far as I can see." - -"What about the crape? Lady Jenny wore crape!" - -"That doesn't prove that this scrap was torn from her dress. The crape -trimmings on that would lie close to the dress; it wouldn't be so easy -for a man to make a clutch at them and tear a piece off as at a scarf, -with the ends floating freely. My belief is that the morsel of crape -was torn from the scarf." - -"Well, it was not worn by my father, in spite of what he says." - -"No. I dare say that man who left Chippingholt by the late train is -the man who fired the shot. But your father knows all about it, -Brenda. Otherwise he would not insist that he had worn the scarf, nor -would he have burnt it as he did. I think with you that this unknown -man is a relative of your father's, and that your father is shielding -him to avoid the disgrace of having a criminal in the family." - -"Aunt Judy would know him if he is a relative." - -"That is very probable; you had better ask her." - -"Harold, do you think Van Zwieten knows the truth?" - -Captain Burton hesitated. "It would seem so," said he, "but I don't -think he is very sure of the truth, or else he would speak out." - -"He threatens you, dear." - -"I know he does. He threatened me at Chippingholt. Brenda, I don't -deny that the man is dangerous, and that he knows more than I like him -to know. It is in his power to harm me, and if I marry you he will do -his best against me. But that sha'n't stop us, Brenda. We'll get -married and defy him." - -Miss Scarse signified her full approval of this course of action; but -she saw that her lover was keeping something back. - -"Harold, what else did Van Zwieten say to you at Chippingholt?" - -"Oh, nothing of any consequence," replied her lover, uneasily. - -"My dear!" Brenda slipped her arm round his neck and drew him down on -the sofa beside her. "If you love me, you must trust me. If you think -me a sensible woman, you must be honest with me. I know you had some -other reason for leaving Chippingholt so suddenly--it was not -altogether because you were afraid of telling me about the loss of -your money. Van Zwieten told me he could get you into trouble, and now -you say the same thing. Tell me what hold he has over you?" - -"He has no hold over me," whispered Harold. But she saw that his -forehead was beaded with perspiration. - -"Tell me--tell me?" she repeated. - -"Brenda--I cannot--I dare not." - -"Then there _is_ something?" - -Captain Burton cast a glance round the room and nodded. "I am not a -coward," he groaned; "I hope I am not a coward, but there are some -things which make the bravest man afraid. Van Zwieten is a devil!" - -"Does he accuse you of the murder?" - -"No, he doesn't go so far as that, and yet--Brenda," he cried, taking -her hand and holding it so tightly that she could have screamed, -"don't ask me any more; it is not my own secret." - -"Has it anything to do with my father?" - -"Partly; but you need not be anxious about that. He is in no danger. -Leave me to fight it out with Van Zwieten. I shall get the better of -him yet. No, no, Brenda, don't ask me any more questions; you cannot -help me; I must go through with this matter alone. Trust me if you -love me." - -"I ask you to do that with me," said Brenda, sadly, "and you refuse." - -"I don't refuse. I cannot tell you now; I will tell you when you are -my wife. Listen! we must get married quietly." - -"Why quietly?" - -"Because I am afraid of Van Zwieten. Yes, you may well look -astonished. I, who have never known fear before, fear him. He knows -too much, and if he plots against me I cannot counterplot him--at all -events for the present. We must marry!" - -"When and where you please, darling." - -"You trust me?" - -"Yes, on the understanding that when I am your wife you tell me -everything--everything!" - -Burton nodded again. "I will tell you before if I can, Brenda. It is -good of you, and like your dear self, to trust me. We can be married -at St. Chad's, at Brighton. I'll get a special license. Down there we -shall be free from interference by Van Zwieten." - -"He would not dare----" - -"Oh, yes, he would--if he knew. He would take some means of preventing -our marriage." - -"And you would let him do that?" - -"I--I might, and I might not." Captain Burton sighed wearily. "If it -were only myself I would not mind, but--but there are others whom I -_must_ consider." - -"Harold, you are shielding some one!" - -"Yes--no. Brenda, dearest, for Heaven's sake don't question me." - -She was perplexed by his indecision--annoyed by his reticence. But she -had given her promise, and she would abide by it. "You will not let me -help you?" she said plaintively. - -"You cannot help me, dear; I must go through with this matter -alone--unaided." - -"But I can help you," she insisted. "Van Zwieten is our enemy. Well, -then, Lady Jenny can help me to crush him." - -He started nervously. "What are you saying? Lady Jenny can do -nothing." - -"Indeed she can, Harold. She told me that if Van Zwieten ever proved -troublesome I was to see her, and that she would thwart him." - -Harold made no reply, but looked more than ever puzzled and perplexed. -Then a light broke in upon Brenda. - -"Harold! it is Lady Jenny herself you are shielding?" - -"I won't--I cannot tell you," he replied desperately. "Brenda, I'll -see Lady Jenny myself at once. If she knows anything about Van -Zwieten, I may be able to make use of her knowledge. Come, say -good-bye." - -"When shall I see you again?" - -"In three or four days. Promise me, Brenda, you won't see Jenny until -I do." - -"I promise. But if you fail with her, then I must see her." - -"Yes, if I fail, but I won't fail. You have put a weapon into my hand. -After I have seen her, I will tell you the whole miserable business. -We will get the better of Van Zwieten yet, my darling." - -Captain Burton was picking up his spirits. He went away in a more -cheerful frame of mind. Brenda felt certain that his refusal to speak -was in the interest of Lady Jenny. Could she have fired the shot? But -that seemed impossible. If she herself were guilty, how could she -silence and thwart Van Zwieten, who appeared to know so much about the -crime? What with her father's denials, Harold's silence, and Van -Zwieten's threats, Brenda was quite bewildered. What would be the -outcome of it all? she wondered. - -Having promised Harold not to see Lady Jenny, Miss Scarse cast about -in her mind as to who else could assist her in thwarting Van Zwieten. -From her father no help could be obtained. He was wholly on the -Dutchman's side, and, it would appear, under his thumb. Then she -thought of Wilfred and his openly-expressed hatred of Van Zwieten. -Could she not make use of that? In the present state of popular -feeling a Boer spy would have a bad time if found in London. If -Wilfred could discover that Van Zwieten really was on the Secret -Service Staff of the Transvaal, he could force the Dutchman to leave -England under threat of denouncing him to the authorities. - -No sooner had she come to this conclusion than she acted upon it, and -wrote a note to Wilfred's London address asking him to call. Having -posted it, she returned to the drawing-room to make tea for Aunt Judy, -who had just got back from her shopping. The colonel was still absent, -so the two ladies settled themselves down to the discussion of -chiffons. If there was one thing Mrs. St. Leger was fond of it was -dress. As for Brenda, her mind was too much preoccupied with her own -troubles to care much for fashions or bargains. But strive as she -might to hide her indifference, it did not take her aunt long to see -that her interest was assumed. But that she put down to her lover's -visit. - -"Why didn't he stay to tea?" she asked, putting away her purchases. - -"Because he had to get back to Aldershot," replied Brenda, pouring out -the tea. "They are very busy down there." - -"Oh, Brenda, do you think there will be war? How glad I am that -William has retired." - -"That is not the speech of a true soldier's wife, Aunt Judy." - -"My dear, it's all very well talking," replied Mrs. St. Leger, -testily, "but you don't know what war is. I don't mean these little -frontier skirmishes, but a real war--that is truly terrible. I -remember the Crimea." - -"I don't think this will be so bad, auntie. The Transvaal is not -Russia." - -"All the same I fancy they are better prepared than, we think. William -says so. He has heard all kinds of rumors at the club. Well, if it's -got to be it's got to be. You will have to lose your Harold for a -time, dear." - -"In a good hour be it spoken," cried Brenda, hastily, to avert the -omen. "Don't say I'll lose him, aunt. Of course he will go to the -front; but don't speak of losing him." - -"Well, you never know, my dear. Oh, Brenda, I do wish your father were -not going to speak at this mass meeting. There is sure to be trouble." - -"I don't think he'll mind that," said the girl. "My father and those -who think with him are doing all they can to bring about the war by -confirming Kruger in his obstinacy." - -"Stuart always was wrong-headed and obstinate," sighed Mrs. St. Leger. -"I'm sure I tremble when he comes here. William and he do nothing but -wrangle." - -"Aunt Judy," said Brenda, thinking the present a good opportunity, "do -you know I am deplorably ignorant about my family?" - -"Ignorant, my dear? how do you mean? Your mother, I know, was a sweet -woman, and died all too young. If she had only lived Stuart might have -been very different." - -"I was thinking more of my father, aunt. Is he your only brother?" - -Mrs. St. Leger almost dropped her cup. She looked scared and her face -blanched. "Why do you ask me that, Brenda?" she asked in a faltering -voice. - -"Because I have seen a man so like my father as to make me think he -must be some relative--possibly a brother." - -"Where did you see him?" - -"At Chippingholt. Aunt Judy, tell me, who is he?" - -Mrs. St. Leger recovered herself. "My dear Brenda, how should I know -who the man is? You have been misled probably by a chance -resemblance." - -"The resemblance was too strongly marked to be mere chance. And my -father--" Brenda checked herself. "Auntie, surely you can answer a -simple question?" - -"What is it you want to know?" asked the old lady, nervously. - -"Have you two brothers?" - -"No. Your father is my only brother," said Mrs. St. Leger, but by the -way in which she said it Brenda knew that she spoke falsely. - - - - -CHAPTER X. -THE MASS MEETING. - - -The better day, the better deed. Acting on the advice of this proverb, -those responsible for the pro-Boer meeting convened it on a Sunday, -that all those engaged on other days in earning their bread might -attend. And so far as numbers went, the crowded state of Trafalgar -Square seemed to justify this course. Nelson's Column soared from a -dense mass of people, which even overflowed into the streets -approaching the great open space. On all sides the windows were filled -with curious spectators, who, apprehensive all the while of trouble, -gazed forth expectantly over the sea of heads below. But they need -have had no fear. The mob was on its best behavior--good-natured and -roughly jocular as an English crowd ever is--amenable to law and -order, and ever ready to be controlled by the police. - -Platforms for the convenience of the orators had been erected round -the grand column--the symbol of an Empire which these well-meaning -busybodies were so anxious to dismember and destroy. Below, crowded -laborers, artisans, shopkeepers, traders of all kinds; and on the -fringe of the mob, hard by the National Gallery, were lines of hansom -cabs, surmounted by clubmen from Pall Mall and St. James' Street who -had come to see the fun. There were plenty of women, bringing with -them their children, when they could not leave them at home, and a -sprinkling of redcoats and bluejackets. These, as the visible symbol -of England's fighting power, were idolized by the mob. For, alas for -Mr. Scarse and his supporters, the voice of the people was dead -against their philanthropic efforts. Instead of the Boer National -Anthem, "God Save the Queen" and "Rule Britannia" were being sung. The -Little Englanders were doing their best to laud Kruger and damn their -own Government; but the temper of the mob was all the other way. In a -word, the Imperialists were in the majority. - -On the parapet, near the National Gallery, Brenda, very plainly -dressed, was holding on to Wilfred's arm. He had been lunching at Mrs. -St. Leger's, and afterward Brenda had persuaded him to escort her to -the meeting. She feared for the safety of her father, and dreaded lest -his speech should draw on him the anger of the mob. The colonel had -declined to come, swearing in true military style that he would attend -no meeting meant to belittle England. - -"Is Mr. van Zwieten here?" asked Brenda, looking over the sea of -heads. - -"I don't think so," replied Wilfred, whose pale face was flushed with -excitement. "He is too clever to sympathize openly with the cause he -advocates. No! his task is to condemn the Boers in public and to -support them in private." - -"Have you found out anything about him, Wilfred?" - -"Yes. He lives ostensibly in Duke Street, St. James; but he has other -rooms in Westminster, where he passes under another name. There he -receives all kinds of queer people--especially at night. - -"Spies?" asked Brenda, so low as not to be heard by those near her. - -"I believe so. He calls himself Jones, and a good many spies go up to -see Mr. Jones. The scoundrel! To plot treason almost in the shadow of -the Clock Tower! But I do not blame him so much as those who are -betraying their country. After all, Van Zwieten is a foreigner, and -naturally hates us; but there are Englishmen, Brenda--Englishmen born -and bred--who are selling secrets for Transvaal gold. I'd hang the lot -if I could!" - -"Hush, Wilfred, don't speak so loud. Can you prove that Van Zwieten is -a spy?" - -"Not yet; but I have a plan in my head to trap him." - -"He will not be easily trapped." - -"No; he is a cunning beast, but I'll get the better of him yet. When I -tear his mask off he'll be forced to leave London. Hullo! there's your -father!" - -Brenda turned pale as that familiar lean figure appeared on the -platform. He was saluted with a groan. Several Union Jacks were waved -defiantly in his face, and a few bars of "God Save the Queen" were -sung with lusty strength. A small knot of people stood round him. -Taking off his hat, he advanced to the edge of the platform. A few -expressions, such as "God-fearing farmers," "greedy capitalists," "the -Jingoism of Chamberlain," "the treachery of Rhodes," caught Brenda's -ear, and then her father's voice was drowned in a roar of cheering and -singing. In vain did Mr. Scarse hold up his hand for silence; in reply -he was assailed with insults, and a lifeguardsman was shouldered and -passed along the heads of the crowd, a red spot of color amid the -neutral tints. Union Jacks were waved, "Rule Britannia" was sung. Many -a groan was there for Kruger; many a cheer for "Joe"; and the -close-locked crowd, maddened by the sound of its own voice, rolled and -swung like a stormy sea. - -"Pore thing! pore thing!" said an old woman near Brenda, "I 'ope they -won't chuck him into the fountings." - -"Oh, Wilfred!" gasped the girl, terrified for her father's safety. - -But the suggestion met with the approval of the crowd, and passed from -mouth to mouth until it reached those immediately under the fountain. -A roar went up to the sky, and several enthusiasts endeavored to -clamber up the platform. The police beat them back, and order was -restored for the moment. Then, as an appeal to the chivalry of the -mob, a grim-looking female with a black bag came forward to speak. She -commenced a highly abusive harangue, but it was drowned in laughter -and a recommendation, in terms purely colloquial, that she should go -home and tend any young offspring she might chance to have. The -pro-Boers began to look disconsolate. Each effort they made to speak -was abortive. A sailor jumped on the parapet opposite Morley's Hotel -and waved a Union Jack. The mob saw and cheered, and roared out the -National Anthem. Some threw apples and oranges at the orators on the -platform, who promptly dodged behind the Column and endeavored to -obtain a hearing on the other side, but with even less success. - -On losing sight of her father, Brenda wanted to try and follow him; -and Wilfred, the patriot, although he hated Scarse, and would gladly -have seen him ducked, could not but sympathize with the girl's -anxiety. So, extricating themselves from the crowd, they struggled -downward toward the lower part of the square. There a knot of talkers -attracted their attention. - -"Wot I say is, Why does Rhodes want to fight a lot of 'ard-working -coves like them Boers?" said one begrimed ruffian. "They're the same -as us, ain't they?" - -"No, they ain't," grunted his neighbor. "They won't give Englishmen -votes, an' we made their bloomin' country, we did." - -"I 'old by Gladstone, I tell you----" - -"Garn! you and your Gladstone; he'd ha' given away Windsor Castle if -he cud." - -"Ho! Wot price Majuba!" - -"Ah! we must wipe out that disgrace," said a clearer and apparently -more highly-educated speaker. - -Then the fun began. Some abused Gladstone as the cause of all the -trouble, others made extensive demands upon their vocabulary for a due -definition of Mr. Chamberlain. It speedily became apparent that none -of them knew what they were talking about. Wilfred laughed, and the -begrimed one straightway resented his laughter. - -"We don't want no tall 'ats 'ere," he yelped. - -"No, you want sense," retorted Burton. But, unwilling to involve -Brenda in a row, he pushed on. As they passed away they heard a -scuffle, and looked back to see that the dirty man had at last his -heart's desire, so far as to have found an antagonist. But even thus -early in the game he was getting the worst of it. At length, having -apparently had enough, he gave forth a lusty yell for "police," and -was duly rescued in a battered condition, and still arguing. Brenda -felt anxious. The mob all round was showing signs of restiveness. - -In another part of the square some pro-Boer orators spoke with more -chance of a hearing. They drew the usual picture of a small toiling -community, of unscrupulous capitalists, the worship of gold, the -rights of the Boers to arrange affairs in their own house, and the -iniquity of a mighty Empire crushing a diminutive State, wholly unable -to defend itself. - -Furious at the falsehoods which he heard all around him, Wilfred lost -his head altogether, and, despite all Brenda's entreaty, got up on the -parapet and raised his voice. - -"Lies, lies! all lies, I say. All that we demand are equal rights for -the white man and kindly treatment of the black. The Boer is a brutal -bully. He beats the black man, and treats him like a dog. Kruger and -his gang have accumulated millions through the industry of those to -whom they refuse the franchise. It is they who want war, not England; -and if we refuse their challenge, then will they try to drive us out -of Africa. It is not the Transvaal Republic which is in danger, but -the Empire. Continental Powers, who hate us, are urging these -misguided people to do what they dare not do themselves, hoping to -profit took place. At length the police, as in the former by their -folly and attack us when we are hampered in South Africa. Don't -believe these liars, men! They betray their own country, and a good -half of them are paid with Transvaal gold for doing so. Spies! -Traitors, all of them. Duck them here in the fountains." - -Then, having thus relieved his feelings, Wilfred took the girl's hand -and pushed on hurriedly; and soon they were lost to view in the crowd. - -But the effect of his words was immediate. The pro-Boer champions, -trying to make good their cause, were not allowed speech. As quickly -as they opened their mouths the mob shouted them down. Some ugly -rushes were made in their direction, and they were hustled roughly. A -couple of men and women, beginning to see they were in danger of being -chucked, shouted for the police of the very Government they had been -abusing. A body of constables forced itself through the crowd and -formed a cordon round these political martyrs. They were escorted to -the fringe of the mob, looking pale and nervous--anything, in fact, -but heroic. And the language with which they were saluted was not such -as need be set down here. - -Meanwhile their friends at the Column were faring badly enough. The -police began to see that the temper of the mob was rising, and -insisted that the speaking--or rather the attempts to speak--should -stop. The orators refused, and stuck to their platform they were -driven off from one side and they climbed up the other. Missiles began -to fly, the crowd to growl, and some rough-and-tumble fights took -place. At length the police, as in the former case, marched them away -down Northumberland Avenue. The crowd which followed was so excited -that the martyrs, afraid of the storm which, by their own folly, they -had raised, tried to enter one of the hotels. But the porters here -were prepared, and drove them back, and the wretched creatures--Scarse -amongst them--were beaten to and fro like tennis balls. Finally, they -managed to gain the shelter of a clubhouse, where they held an -indignation meeting on their own account. But nothing on earth and -above it would have convinced them that they had got just what they -deserved. - -Brenda was in a great state of alarm for her father. But Wilfred -consoled her as well as he could. "He will be all right," he said -cheerfully; "the police will look after him." - -"He may be hurt." - -"He should have thought of that before he played the fool. But he will -not be hurt; those sort of people never are. I beg your pardon, -Brenda. After all, he is your father." - -"He honestly believes in the Boers, Wilfred." - -"I know he does. He'd find out his mistake if he went to live amongst -them. I wish I could have had half an hour at them, Brenda," he said, -with sparkling eyes. "I would have done but for you." - -"You said quite enough, Wilfred. I was afraid the police would arrest -you." - -"Arrest me! Come, that's good, seeing I spoke for the Government. What -about your father and his wretched friends who are abusing their own -country?" - -"There are two sides to every question." - -"Not to this one," replied Wilfred, who was easily excited on the -subject. - -Brenda decided that it was best not to contradict him. He was so -highly strung that in moments of this kind he was not altogether -accountable either for his speech or actions. He would flash into a -rage on the slightest provocation, and contradict every one around -him, like some hysterical woman. No doctor could call him insane, -since he knew well how to conduct himself, and was not the prey of any -hallucination. But his brain was delicately balanced, and worry or -persistent irritation brought him very near the borders of insanity. -For this reason he led a quiet life, and saw but few people. The -magnitude and whirl of London always overwrought him, and Brenda -regretted now that she had argued with him at all. - -"Have it your own way, Wilfred," she said, taking his arm. "But I hope -my father is safe. I have seen enough, so you might take me home." - -"All right. Don't be angry with me, Brenda. But the silly views your -father takes annoy me." - -"I am not angry with you, Wilfred. Come along; let's get back now." - -"About time too," said he. "The whole thing's a farce." - -"Ah! I agree with you there, Mr. Burton," said a voice, and Brenda -turned with a start to find Van Zwieten at her elbow. "How are you, -Miss Scarse?" he asked quietly, as though nothing unusual had passed -between them at their last meeting. "And what do you think of this -silly business?" - -"I think it just what you call it--silly," replied Brenda, coldly. -"But I did not expect to hear you say so." - -"You ought to be pleased that your friends are fighting your battles," -said Wilfred. - -Van Zwieten flicked a grain of dust from off his frock coat and raised -his eyebrows. "My friends!" he repeated. "Oh, none of those who spoke -are my friends, unless you refer to Mr. Scarse. But of course I don't -agree with his views. I am an Imperialist," he said smoothly. - -Remembering the disclosures he had made to her, Brenda was astounded -at the effrontery of the man; but Wilfred understood. - -"Of course you are an Imperialist," he said; "it pays better!" - -"Quite so," assented Van Zwieten "it pays better--much better. But you -talk in riddles." - -"Do I? I think you can guess them then," retorted Wilfred, "and I -don't think you will find Oom Paul will benefit by this meeting. It -will show him how very much of one mind the English people are, and -how they are determined to teach him a lesson." - -"Oh, a lesson, eh?" Van Zwieten laughed. "It is to be hoped Oom Paul -will prove an apt pupil; but I fear he is too old to learn." - -"And Leyds--is he too old? He pulls the strings!" - -"What strings?" asked the Dutchman, blankly. - -"The strings to make you dance!" - -In spite of Van Zwieten's command of his temper, Wilfred was making -him angry. This of itself Brenda did not mind in the least; but she -did mind a quarrel, and toward that she could see these two were fast -drifting. Moreover, owing to the raised tones of Wilfred's voice, a -crowd was collecting. Mr. van Zwieten did not look altogether -comfortable. He despised Wilfred as a mere boy; but even so, boy or -not, this young fellow, with his fearless nature and frantic -patriotism, might put highly undesirable notions into the heads of -those around. And most of them were more or less inflammable just -then. The fountains, too, were close at hand. - -"Come along, Wilfred," said Brenda. "Do let us get home." - -But before he could reply, a hubbub arose amid the crowd not far -distant, and they turned in that direction. From out the jeers and -laughter an angry voice could be heard holding forth in abuse of the -Government and in praise of the Boers. - -Then the crowd parted, surged along, and Brenda saw advancing a tall, -thin man. He wore a snuff-colored coat, and a yard or so of crape -wrapped round his throat like a scarf. And his face--how like it was -to that of her father! - -"Oh!" she cried, grasping Wilfred's arm, "that is the man who----" - -"Hush!" Van Zwieten whispered fiercely. "Don't accuse him in public!" - - - - -CHAPTER XI. -A STARTLING DISCOVERY. - - -In her anxiety to solve the mystery which surrounded this man, so like -her father, Brenda would, but for the publicity of the position, have -rushed forward and questioned him. Moreover, he began at once to speak -loudly in abuse of the Government and in defence of the Boer Republic. - -"It is the capitalists who want this war," he cried excitedly; "Rhodes -and Beit and all that gang of scoundrels. Chamberlain is merely -playing into their hands. Their villainous scheme is to take the gold -mines from these unoffending people, and they are prepared to massacre -them in their greed for gold. Kruger is----" - -"Shut your mouth!" shouted a big, scowling man, thrusting himself -forward. "We'll make you if you don't." - -"I'm not afraid--I'm ready to stand by the truth," screeched the man -with the crape scarf. "I mourn for England--the victim of a corrupt -set of time-serving scoundrels. I wear black for her. Woe to her, I -say, and her greed for gold--woe to her vile Government----" - -With a fierce growl the mob flung forward. Brenda cried out. It was as -though her father himself were being attacked. With a bound she placed -herself before the old man. - -"Leave him! Don't touch him!" she cried. "He's mad!" - -"I'm not mad," cried the man. "I protest against tyranny and the -cursed greed that would destroy a nation. You crouch at the feet of -those who will drain your blood--cowardly hounds all of you!" - -"'Ere! Let me get at 'im. Stand away, laidy!" - -"No, no, he is old and weak. Oh, Mr. van Zwieten, save him." - -Seeing an opportunity of posing as a hero at a small cost, the -Dutchman placed the old man behind him, and stood between him and the -mob which was closing in. "Leave him to me--I'll see to him!" - -"He's a furriner!" yelped a small man. "Hit his head!" - -"I'm a naturalized Englishman," shouted Van Zwieten, "but I won't let -you touch this man!" - -"Woe--woe to the wicked Government who are about to dye their garments -in the blood of a just people!" shrieked the old man, waving his arms -wildly. - -Then Wilfred took hold of him and hurried him away. "Hold your -tongue," he said roughly. "You'll get into trouble." - -"I will seal my protest with my blood!" - -"Stand back!" shouted Van Zwieten, opposing those who would have -followed. "Hi, constable!" - -"Why, it's Van the cricketer," cried the big man, joyfully. "He's all -right, boys. Seen 'im carry 'is bat out many a time, I 'ave." - -"Hooray for Van!" roared the fickle crowd, and as half-a-dozen -policemen were pushing their way toward the centre of disturbance, it -veered round to cheering Van Zwieten. - -"Spy! Spy! He's a spy!" shouted a voice that sounded to Brenda -uncommonly like Wilfred's. - -The crowd growled again, and darted forward. But the police were now -pushing right and left. Van Zwieten, who had changed color at the cry, -stepped back and was swallowed up by the concourse of people. Wilfred -had let the old man go, and the zealot was again raging, waving his -crape scarf like a banner. - -Brenda, terrified at finding herself alone in the midst of the mob, -kept close to the big Dutchman. - -Suddenly Wilfred, appearing, as it were, from nowhere, caught her arm. - -"Come away! come away! There may be trouble," he cried, drawing her -aside on to the steps by St. Martin's Church. Afar off she could see -Van Zwieten leading the old man down a side street, and the little -band of constables fighting with the mob, who were now inclined to -resent any interference. Brenda was in despair. - -"I want to ask that old man who he is," she cried. But Wilfred held -her back in spite of her efforts to follow the Dutchman. - -"Brenda! don't be foolish. It's dangerous. The people are getting -their blood up." - -"But that old man killed Mr. Malet. I _will_ know who he is." - -"Van Zwieten will find out." - -"I dare say," said Brenda, tartly. "But he won't tell you or me." - -"It's too late now to think of that. Come up here, and let us get a -hansom. If you got into trouble, Brenda, Harold would never forgive -me!" - -And Brenda knew that this was so, and she guessed too that Wilfred was -chafing under his responsibility for her safety. She therefore stepped -into a hansom with him. When they were rattling along Piccadilly she -asked him if it was he who had called out that Van Zwieten was a spy. - -"Yes, it was I," admitted Wilfred, in a fiery tone. "And I should have -liked to see the crowd go for the big brute." - -"I don't like Van Zwieten myself, as you know," Brenda said; "all the -same, Wilfred, it is only fair to say he behaved very well over that -old man." - -"He knew there was no danger, that the police were about. He wanted to -show up as a hero in your eyes, Brenda. For my part, I wish he had -been lynched for a spy. I hate the man." - -"People don't lynch now in England, Wilfred." - -"They would have done it to-day on small encouragement. It was lucky -for Van Zwieten that he is a popular cricketer, and that they -recognized him as such. Otherwise he would not have got off so easily. -But I'll catch him yet!" - -"How you do hate him, Wilfred!" - -"Hate him! Of course I do. Here he is accepting the hospitality of -England, and spying out all our weak points to use them against us -should there be a war. I suspected him long ago from some words he let -fall, and I have kept a watch on him ever since. He has haunted -Woolwich, Portsmouth and Erith, and has made friends with privates and -officers alike, and he has half a hundred creatures at his beck and -call, who are poking and prying about. I dare say out at Pretoria they -know more about England and her resources than those here whose duty -and business it is. They will await the right moment, then they'll -strike; and unless I'm much mistaken they'll strike pretty hard." - -"But we are not unprepared, Wilfred." - -The young man shook his head gloomily. "I myself have talked with many -of our officers," he said, "and we are not so well armed as we should -be. Since the Crimea, we have had no big war; and the number of easy -victories we have had have made us over-confident. Of the valor of -Englishmen I have no fear. They can fight as their fathers fought with -true bulldog courage. But nowadays science as well as grit is needed -for victory, and our War Office is so sleepy and tied up with red tape -that it doesn't keep our armaments up to the mark as it should do. The -Boers are armed with the Mauser rifle. Our troops--but there is no -need to talk technically to you, Brenda. I can only say that if we -have a war, it won't be the military promenade to Pretoria that many -people expect it to be." - -"But the Transvaal is quite a small state, Wilfred." - -"I know. Still it is more than probable that the Orange Free State -will join them. Also all over Cape Colony and Natal there are hordes -of disloyal Dutch ready to rise at the first chance. Besides, Leyds is -stirring up the Continent against us, and here Van Zwieten is -gathering information and sending it in cypher to Pretoria. Oh, -there's trouble ahead, Brenda. The Uitlander business is only a -pretext for war. If we don't proclaim war, Kruger and Steyn will." - -"Let them. We will crush them and punish them." - -"I should think so," cried Wilfred, his dark eyes blazing with fervor. -"I have never any fear for England. Though the world were against her, -she would conquer--all the world was against her at the end of the -last century. But we shall have our Waterloo over again. God bless -England!" - -"If there were war, Wilfred, would you go out?" - -"As a newspaper correspondent," he replied. "I have made all my -arrangements with _The Morning Planet_. Oh, yes, I'll go to the front, -and if I die it will be for our country. Harold of course will go." - -"I am proud that he should--yes, even though he should never -return--and he is all in all to me!" - -"He could have no nobler death," said Wilfred, coldly. - -"Oh, but it would be terrible, Wilfred--terrible. Remember I am only a -woman and it takes a great deal of courage----" - -"You are an Englishwoman, and Englishwomen are always bravest when -there is danger at hand. Don't cry, Brenda. I should not talk like -this. My feelings carry me away. Let me be quiet for a time, or Mrs. -St. Leger will be alarmed if I arrive in such a state of excitement." - -Not another word would he speak on the way to Kensington, but he -curled himself up in the corner of the cab, his eyes feverishly -bright, and his face pale with emotion. The patriotic fire which -consumed him was wearing out his frail body. Brenda could not -understand this "man with one idea." Her love for her country was -great, but it was not to her the one devouring passion. To Wilfred -England was as a well-beloved woman--a creature of flesh and blood. -Every blow levelled at her made him quiver and turn pale. For her sake -he would willingly have died. He hated the Continental nations, but -most of all he hated Van Zwieten, who was working darkly for her ill. -If war were proclaimed, Wilfred promised himself that he would be in -the fighting. Van Zwieten, who was no coward, would be there also, and -if perchance they met, why England would be revenged if he had to shed -his life blood to avenge her. He changed his mind about calling on -Mrs. St. Leger, and kept the cab waiting while he said good-bye to -Brenda at the door. - -"If you find out anything about Van Zwieten, you'll let me know?" she -entreated, as they shook hands. - -"Yes; but I may be a week or two preparing my plans. He is so -infernally clever, that it will take a lot to trap him. But why are -you so anxious to know about him, Brenda?" - -"He means harm to Harold." - -"Nonsense. This isn't the Dark Age. He is powerless to hurt Harold." - -"I'm afraid he can, Wilfred! On the night of Mr. Malet's murder Harold -was out of doors. Mr. van Zwieten has more than hinted to me that he -can and will accuse him of it!" - -An angry fire glittered in Wilfred's eye. "I'll soon put a stop to -that," he said between his teeth. "If I can prove Van Zwieten is a -spy, he will have enough to do to look after himself without troubling -about other people." - -"I'm sure of that. And, Wilfred--see if you can find my father; and -tell him to come and see me. I am so anxious about him." - -"Oh, he's all right." Wilfred really could not bring himself to be -sorry for Mr. Scarse, tainted as he was with the heresy of Little -England. - -"I'll call at his rooms, Brenda, and leave a message if you like. But -I can't see him; I might be tempted to tell him my mind. Good-bye." - -He jumped into the cab so as to give Brenda no opportunity for further -argument. It was natural that she should be anxious about her father. -But for her, indeed, he would have rejoiced had the mob succeeded in -ducking Mr. Scarse. Bad as was Van Zwieten, Mr. Scarse was, to his -thinking, worse, for he was betraying his own country with his rotten -politics. It was strange and inconceivable to Wilfred that a man born -an Englishman should bring himself to abuse and condemn the very land -he should have been proud of. - -Strangely enough, he met the object of his thoughts as his cab turned -into Star Street. The old man, looking ill and unhappy, was stealing -homeward, his eyes fixed on the ground before him. Wilfred was pleased -to see that the failure of the meeting had gone home to him. He only -hoped he would keep the memory of it by him for future guidance. The -cab pulled up with a jerk, and he leaned out. - -"Mr. Scarse, can I speak with you?" - -Scarse looked up irritably, and recognizing Wilfred, came to the edge -of the pavement. He knew the young man's passion for politics, and -looked but sourly upon him. - -"What is it?" - -"Brenda thinks you might have got into trouble, and is anxious to hear -that you are safe. Please send her word." - -"Thank you," said Mr. Scarse, loftily, "there is no cause for alarm. I -will attend to the matter. Were you at the meeting to-day?" - -"I was," retorted Wilfred, shortly, "and I was glad to see it was a -failure. Drive on, cabby," and before the older man had recovered from -his anger, the hansom was swinging round the corner. - -"Rude young man," muttered Mr. Scarse, wearily mounting the steps to -his chambers. "Never shall I consent to Brenda marrying his brother!" - -In his study he poured himself out a glass of brandy. The events of -the afternoon had tried him severely, and he looked older and more -frail than ever. He was deeply mortified by the discovery that the -popular feeling was all against the Boers, and he recognized that war -was certain. Still he hoped that if England were the one to proclaim -it Europe might intervene, and for his own part resolved to throw all -possible obstacles in the way. Scarse was a true patriot. He could not -have loved England more had he been born a German or a Frenchman! - -He lay down for an hour. The sleep refreshed him, and he awoke with a -clearer brain. On returning to his study he set about writing a letter -to the Press, alleging that the failure of the meeting was due to a -Jingoistic conspiracy. While engaged on this precious epistle, Van -Zwieten was announced, and Mr. Scarse came forward with outstretched -hands. - -"Ah, my dear fellow! I am so glad to see you. What a terrible -afternoon it has been! A conspiracy, Van Zwieten--a conspiracy! The -voice of the people has been stifled, my dear friend." - -"It didn't sound like it this afternoon," said the Dutchman, drily. -"They all called for war. Well, if they want it, they shall have it. -And won't they be sorry when they get it." - -"No war--no war. I shall protest----" - -"Oh, your protests won't do any good," said the other, rudely; "the -tide runs too strong for you to drive it back with a mop. But I didn't -come here to talk politics, Mr. Scarse." - -"In that case I must ask you to go." Mr. Scarse was offended. "I have -much to do." - -"You will have to lay it by then for the time being. I called to tell -you that I met a friend of yours to-day--yes, at the meeting." - -"Who?" - -"That is what I want to hear from your lips. I know who he is from his -own. He wears a yellow coat and a crape scarf." - -Mr. Scarse's face became grey, and he fell against the wall with -staring eyes and extended hands. "I don't know him--I assure you I -don't!" he said hoarsely. - -"I think you do. He is the man who was in your study at Chippingholt -on the night of the murder--the man whom you sent away by train. In a -word, Mr. Scarse, he is your brother--your twin brother!" - - - - -CHAPTER XII. -A STORY OF THE PAST. - - -The old man sprang up with the light of fury in his pale eyes and -flung himself on Van Zwieten. For an instant he was more than a match -for the big Dutchman. - -"How dare you--I have no brother," he gasped. Then as suddenly this -strength, born of anger, went out of him, and he became weak as a -child. Van Zwieten picked him up like a baby and flung him roughly -into a chair. - -"Sit there," he said sternly. "I mean to know the whole of this -story," and he busied himself lighting the lamp. - -"There is--no--no story." - -"There is, and, what's more, you will tell it to me." - -"I won't," cried Mr. Scarse, shivering and forgetting his previous -denial. "You can't force me to speak." - -"I can--I will," said the Dutchman, grimly. Then, the lamp being -lighted, he sat down in an armchair on the other side of the fireplace -opposite to his host and produced a cigar. "Begin, please." - -Scarse staggered to his feet--he was shaken by his own nerves and Van -Zwieten's rough treatment--and moved slowly toward the door. The -Dutchman rose and ran past him with a lightness and speed surprising -in so heavy a man. He reached the door before Mr. Scarse did. The next -moment it was locked and the key in Van Zwieten's pocket. "Go back to -your seat, please," said Van Zwieten, politely. - -"I won't--I am master here," cried the old man, his voice shrill with -anger. "What do you mean by treating me like this? I'll call the -police." - -The Dutchman pulled out the key and held it toward Scarse. "As you -please," he said with a sneer. "Call the police and I'll give you in -charge." - -"Give me in charge, you villain!--for what?" - -"For murdering Gilbert Malet. Aha, my dear friend, you did not count -on my knowing that, did you? You are quite unaware that I followed you -from your cottage into the orchards, where you----" - -"I did not--I did not!" wailed Scarse, shrinking back. - -"No, you did not," retorted Van Zwieten, "but you were near the spot -where Malet was killed, and near it about the time he was shot. You -will find it difficult to refute my evidence if I am compelled to give -it. On the whole, Mr. Stuart Scarse, I think you had better sit down -and talk sensibly." - -Scarse glared like an angry cat. But physically and morally the -Dutchman was too much for him. With an attempt at dignity he returned -to his seat. - -"I am at a loss to understand this extraordinary behavior, Mr. Van -Zwieten," he said, in his most stately manner, "and I deny the -shameful accusation you have made. Perhaps you will be kind enough to -apologize and leave my rooms." - -"My dear friend, I shall do neither." Van Zwieten carefully lighted -his cigar. "I am waiting to hear the story." - -"What story?" asked the other, willfully misunderstanding. - -"The story about your brother and his visit to Chippingholt--to murder -our dear friend. I know some of it from your brother, but----" - -"I have no brother, I tell you!" - -"Oh, yes, I think so. A twin brother named--Robert--Robert Scarse." - -"He is dead to me." - -"Ah, that is quite another thing. He has come to life for the purpose -of throwing some light on this mystery. Indeed, I think you had better -tell me why he murdered Gilbert Malet." - -"He did not murder him." - -"Oh, yes, he did; and I should like to have details, please--his -motive and all that." - -"I refuse to give them to you." - -Van Zwieten rose and buttoned his coat. "Very good," said he; "then I -shall see a magistrate and tell him all I know." - -"What do you know?" - -"Sufficient to have Robert arrested for the murder, and you as his -accomplice." - -Mr. Scarse shivered again, and bit his lip. Then he seemed to make up -his mind. - -"Sit down. Don't be in a hurry. I will tell you all I can. Of course -you will keep secret what I tell you." - -"Of course! I never talk without good reason. So you have a twin -brother?" - -"Yes; Robert. He is--he--he is not in his right mind." - -"So I should think from his talk and his extraordinary apparel. A -black crape scarf is quite original. By the way, your daughter saw him -to-day." - -"Brenda?" cried Scarse, horrified. "Then she knows----" - -"Nothing--except that Robert is wonderfully like you. I got him away -before she could speak to him. This I did for your sake--and my own!" - -"You wish to make quite sure of getting Brenda--to force me!" - -"Not exactly that," smiled Van Zwieten, "since I know that you are -already quite willing she should marry me. But I wish to use the -knowledge to force her into giving up Burton and becoming my wife." - -"You would tell her of Robert's existence?" - -"Not if I could help myself," said the Dutchman, politely. "Believe -me, my dear friend, I am very discreet. You can safely confide in me." - -"It seems I am forced to," grumbled Mr. Scarse, ungraciously. "What is -it you particularly wish to know?" - -"The whole story about your brother, and why you deny him. I am sure -it will be most interesting. Go on, please, I am waiting." - -Mr. Scarse looked at his tyrant savagely. He would dearly have liked -to refuse, but he realized that he was on perilous ground. Van Zwieten -knew just enough to be dangerous. He must not be allowed to make use -of his knowledge, even if he had to be told more. Besides, Mr. Scarse -was satisfied that for Brenda's sake he would keep quiet. Therefore he -made a virtue of necessity and launched at once into a family history, -of which in no other circumstances would he have spoken to any living -soul. It was the very fact of the Dutchman's having it in his power to -force his confidence that angered him. No man likes to be coerced. - -"I don't think the story will interest you much," he said, sulkily; -"but such as it is, I will relate it. Robert Scarse is my twin -brother, and is as like me as it is possible for one man to be like -another. His appearance deceived young Burton and the Chippingholt -folk." - -"I know they took him for you. And on account of that scarf they paid -you the compliment of thinking you were out of your mind." - -Mr. Scarse shrugged his shoulders. "As if I cared," he said -contemptuously. "My speeches in the House prove that I am sane enough. -Well, Robert is my brother, and I was--I am--very fond of him. My -sister Julia--Mrs. St. Leger, you know--never liked him, and when we -cast him off she made up her mind to regard him as dead. She never -even admits that she has a brother. I am her only relative--at least -the only one she acknowledges." - -"And why, pray, was Robert cast off thus, and by his affectionate -twin?" - -"Don't be sarcastic, Van Zwieten, it does not suit you," snapped -Scarse. "My brother was a bad lot. At school and college he led the -authorities a devil of a dance until he was expelled. When he came to -London he took to gambling and drinking. I was never like that. My one -desire was to get into Parliament, where my father had been before me, -and serve my country. My sister married St. Leger--he was a subaltern -then--and went out to India. My mother died, and there was no one to -check Robert's pranks. My father paid his debts so often that we -became quite impoverished. That is why I am so poor." - -"Are you poor?" asked Van Zwieten, thinking regretfully that -Brenda--sweet as she was--would have no dowry. - -"As poor as a church mouse. I married a woman with six hundred a year, -and out of that Brenda has two hundred a year. I can't touch it. What -with the other four hundred and my own money I have but a thousand a -year all told--little enough for a man of my position. Of course, when -I die, my thousand a year will go to Brenda." - -"Ah!" said Van Zwieten, with much satisfaction. He was sufficiently -Dutch to be very fond of money. - -"You needn't look so pleased, Van Zwieten. Even if you _do_ marry -Brenda--which I doubt since she hates you so--you won't get my money. -I'll live a long time yet, and, in any case, I'll settle it on her so -that her husband--whoever he may be--can't touch it." - -"Quite right, Mr. Scarse. But about Robert? Please go on." - -"Well, Robert crowned his pranks by committing forgery, and my father -had to pay I don't know how many thousands to hush the matter up. You -can make no use of this admission, Mr. van Zwieten, since the man -whose name was forged died long ago and the papers are all destroyed. -Robert went abroad after that, and my father cut him off with a -shilling. He forbade his name to be mentioned, and declared he was no -son of his. Mrs. St. Leger acted in the same way, and I followed suit. -I could do nothing else--if I had, my father would have disinherited -me." - -"Most affectionate twin!" - -"Don't talk like that," cried Mr. Scarse, angrily. "Who are you to -judge me? I still love my brother--after all, he is my own flesh and -blood, and nearer and dearer to me than it is possible for you to -imagine. But he is supposed to be dead these thirty and more years, -and why should I bring him forth into the world only to be disgraced? -I allow him a small income, and under another name he is as happy as -ever he will be. By the way," he broke off suddenly, "how did you find -out his real name?" - -"Oh, I saw the resemblance and made use of my knowledge of his being -in Chippingholt to force him into confessing the truth. I will tell -you about that later on. Go on with your story, which is truly -remarkable." - -"Truly criminal, I think," Mr. Scarse said gloomily; "a nice family -history for a sedate English gentleman to have. I wonder what my -constituents would say if they heard it? Ah, there is a skeleton in -every house. In a way it is a relief to me to talk of it even to you, -Van Zwieten. Mrs. St. Leger will never mention or listen to the -subject." - -"Well, well, my friend,"--Van Zwieten was becoming impatient of this -digression,--"what did your brother do when he was cut off from his -family?" - -"You'll never believe it when I tell you. Strange to say, he mended -his ways. On the Continent--in Switzerland, I fancy--he came into -contact with some Socialists and imbibed their ideas. He put away all -his fine clothes and extravagant tastes and became quite humble and -simple." - -"Because he had no money to do otherwise." - -"There is something in that. Well, he lived among these Socialists for -many a long year. He went to Russia and saw Tolstoi, knew Karl Marx, -and threw himself headlong into schemes whereby the human race was to -be saved by all manner of devices, having as their basis the equitable -division of property. Then he married a young girl--a Swiss, the -daughter of one of his socialistic friends--and returned to England. -He was poor, so I helped him." - -"Out of your poverty!--how noble!" sneered Van Zwieten, lighting a -fresh cigar. - -"Oh, I was richer then. I was married and my wife had money. Then she -died a few years after Brenda was born, and I put the child to school -as soon as she was of an age. She was brought up away from me," he -went on sadly; "that is why I have such small influence over her." - -"You will have influence enough to make her marry me, my friend." - -"I doubt it--I doubt it. Well, my brother lived in a poor way, having -but little money, besides which, his ideas were all against luxury. -His wife was beautiful and frivolous and had no love for him. She -coveted money and position, neither of which he could give her, and -would not if he could. That was ten years ago." - -"Ah! and what happened then?" - -"My brother's wife met Malet. He was handsome, rich, and a scoundrel, -and he ran away with her." - -Van Zwieten appeared astonished. "He wasn't then married to Lady -Jenny?" - -"No, he married Lady Jenny later. But he ran off with my brother's -wife to Italy. And the shock of his wife's treachery gave poor Robert -brain fever." - -"He loved her then?" - -"He worshipped her. She was his life--he lived only to make her happy. -Well, he had his recompense! She deceived him, deserted him. Without a -word she eloped with that scoundrel. Robert lost his reason, and I had -to put him in an asylum. There he was for two years. When he came out -he went in search of his wife, for he still loved her. Malet by that -time had come back alone, and shortly afterward he married Lady Jenny. -The reptile! do you wonder that I hated him? For Robert's sake I saw -him and forced him to tell the truth. I threatened to inform his wife -of his past if he did not." - -"But all that was before the marriage. No woman would care if----" - -"Lady Jenny would. She is half Italian and of an extremely jealous -disposition. She loved Malet--God only knows why--and had she found -out the truth then she would have left him. But Malet told me where to -find my brother's wife, and I held my tongue." - -"Did Lady Jenny ever learn this story?" - -"You shall hear. Robert found his wife and took her back. She was a -complete wreck and terribly unhappy. They lived at Poplar under -another name on the small income I could allow them. For years I saw -very little of Robert. Then he took it into his head to pose as a -prophet of evil, predicting woe to England. He assumed that -snuff-colored coat and wore the crape scarf as a symbol of his -mourning. He was frequently in trouble with the police, and several -times I helped him out of his scrapes." - -"Why don't you shut him up again?" - -"Ah! my friend, how could I take the poor fellow from his dying wife? -All those years she was bedridden and dying slowly. I could not part -them. Latterly he used to come now and again to see me at -Chippingholt, usually at night and in ordinary dress. On one occasion -he arrived in the daytime and met Lady Jenny. He knew her by sight, -and he told her the truth about his wife and her husband. That was a -year ago. Lady Jenny was furious, and I believe she quarrelled with -her husband. After that they were never the same to one another. She -loved him once, but after that she must have hated him. Robert was -foolish to have told her. It could do no good." - -"Well--what then?" - -"He went away, and for months I saw nothing of him. The next I heard -was when Brenda told me Harold Burton had met a man like me with a -crape scarf round his neck. From the description I recognized Robert, -and knew that his mind must be more than ever unhinged for him to have -come down in what he called his prophetic robes. I knew he would not -come to see me till dusk, and I waited anxiously. But he did not -appear, so I went out to look for him. It struck me that he might be -lurking round the Manor gates to see Gilbert Malet, and perhaps to do -him an injury. I searched for a long time, and was caught in the -storm. Then I found Robert in the orchards and led him home. He told -me his news." - -"What was his news?" - -"His wife was dead, and he had come to tell Malet." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. -THE END OF THE STORY. - - -"His wife was dead," repeated Van Zwieten, without showing much -sympathy, "and he came down to tell you!" - -"No, he came to tell Malet." - -"And kill him?" - -Scarse shook his head. "I am telling you the truth," he said. "If -Robert were guilty I should admit it. The poor fellow is crazy, as you -know, and at the worst can only be put away in an asylum again. I am -not afraid for him, but I fear a public scandal, which might shake my -position and force me to resign my seat. No, Robert did not kill the -man. But he met him and told him the truth." - -"About what hour was that?" - -"Shortly after nine o'clock. I met Robert wandering in the orchards at -a quarter past, and I took him home with me. Malet, according to the -doctor's evidence, was shot about half-past nine. At that time Robert -was conversing with me in my study." - -"But he met Malet," insisted Van Zwieten, rather disappointed at this -statement, which he had every reason to believe was true. - -"Yes, he met Malet, and told him that his victim was dead. Malet -grossly insulted Robert, and there was a quarrel. Unable to restrain -his anger, Robert threw himself on Malet, but being an old man and -feeble, he was easily overpowered and thrown to the ground. Robert -told me this, and I believe it is the truth, because I found his crape -scarf was torn--no doubt in the struggle. Malet left him lying on the -wet grass and went off. He must have been shot almost immediately -afterward." - -"By whom?" asked Van Zwieten, keenly. - -"Ah! that is the question. I have my suspicions, but I may be wrong. -But when Brenda came home with the news of a murder I guessed that the -victim was Malet. The servants came to my study door and found it -locked. Robert was with me then, and I had locked the door because I -did not want him to be seen. They thought it was you I was talking to, -and I said it was you. When afterward you came in by the front door -they knew, of course, that I had lied. Brenda asked me about that, and -I still declared that you had been with me, but that you had gone out -of the study window to the front door. I told her also that I was the -man seen by Harold Burton." - -"Why did you do that?" - -"Can't you guess? To save Robert. He had a grievance against Malet, he -had been struggling with him, and there was every chance that he might -be accused of the murder. There was only my evidence to prove his -_alibi_, and as I was his brother I dreaded lest my word should be -insufficient. While the servants were with Brenda in the kitchen I -went back to my study, put a coat of my own on Robert, and gave him a -soft hat to pull down over his eyes. Then I gave him money, and told -him to catch the ten-thirty train from Chippingholt to Langton -Junction." - -"Which he did," said Van Zwieten. "I was watching all that business -through your study window. I followed Robert, wondering who he was, -and watched him go off by the train. Then I came home to the house and -was admitted, as you know." - -"Why did you not speak to me?" - -"It was not the proper moment to speak. I did not know who Robert was, -and until I entered the house I knew nothing about the murder. I also -guessed the victim was Malet, and I thought you must have hired this -man to kill him, and having finished with him, had got him safely out -of the way." - -"Ah! you were anxious to trap me!" cried Mr. Scarse, angrily. "Well, -you know the truth now, and you can do nothing. I burned the crape -scarf and I told Brenda I was the man Harold had seen. If you choose -to make a scandal, I shall tell my story exactly as I have told it to -you, and prove Robert's innocence. At the worst he can only be put -under restraint again." - -"I don't wish to make any scandal," said the Dutchman, mildly, "more -especially seeing that your daughter is to be my wife. You can rely on -my silence if only on that account. But I'm glad I have heard this -story now. I want to know who killed Malet." - -"That I can't say," said Mr. Scarse, gloomily. "But I suspect the -wife!" - -"Lady Jenny!--and why?" - -"Robert had a note written to her saying his wife was dead--he brought -it with him. He sent it up to her by a boy that same evening. Of -course the boy thought that Robert was me." - -"I see!" cried Van Zwieten, with a shout. "Robert wanted to stir up -Lady Jenny into killing her husband. He is not so crazy, to my -thinking. But I don't see how the intelligence of the wife's death -would achieve it," he added, shaking his head gravely. "Lady Jenny -knew all about the matter, and hadn't harmed her husband. There was no -reason why she should do it on that particular night." - -"That is what puzzles me," replied Mr. Scarse. "Lady Jenny was out on -that night. She did not go to the Rectory to see Captain Burton as she -had intended. For that she gave the very unsatisfactory reason that -she was caught in the storm. Is it not probable that she met her -husband and killed him?" - -"No. She would not carry a revolver. If they had already met and -quarrelled about this dead woman, then it is possible she might in her -jealous rage have made an attack upon her husband with anything to her -hand. But a revolver would argue deliberation, and there was nothing -sufficiently strong in the note your brother had prepared for her to -urge her to deliberate murder." - -"Burton found a piece of crape in the dead man's hand," argued Scarse, -"and Lady Jenny was wearing crape for her father. There might have -been a struggle, and the piece might have come off in his hand." - -"Nonsense, Scarse. Ladies don't do that sort of thing. Besides, your -brother wore crape too, and it is more likely that it was torn from -his scarf. Malet might have kept it in his hand, without being -conscious of it probably, when he went to his death." - -"Then you think Lady Jenny is innocent?" - -"It looks like it," Van Zwieten said with a queer smile; "but I'll let -you know my opinion later on," and he rose to go. - -"You will keep my secret," entreated Scarse, following his visitor to -the door. - -"Assuredly. I can make no use of it. I thought to find your brother -guilty, but it seems he is not. The mystery deepens." - -"But Lady Jenny?" - -"True--Lady Jenny. Well, we shall see," and with this enigmatic speech -the Dutchman withdrew. - -Mr. Scarse went back to his chair, and until midnight sat looking -drearily into the fire. But he was sufficiently thoughtful to send a -letter to Brenda telling her of his safety in spite of the Trafalgar -Square mob. - -For the next few days he went about like a man in a dream. Although he -knew very well that Van Zwieten would hold his tongue--for he had -nothing to gain by wagging it--he blamed himself for having been -coerced into a confession. To him the Dutchman was almost a stranger. -He had been drawn to the man because he was going out to the Transvaal -as an official, and Mr. Scarse had always sympathized with the little -state in its struggle for independence. The Dutchman had drawn so -pathetic a picture of that struggle, had spoken so feelingly of the -Boers as a patriarchal people who desired only to be left tending -their flocks and herds, that the English politician was touched. He -had sworn to do all in his power to defend this simple people, had -become extremely friendly with Van Zwieten, and in proof of that -friendship had asked him down to Chippingholt. There the Dutchman, by -spying and questioning, had learned so much of his family secrets as -to have become his master. As such he had forced him into a -confession, and Mr. Scarse felt--if a scandal was to be avoided--that -he was at the man's mercy. - -Of course Brenda would be the price of his silence. Formerly Scarse -had been willing enough that his daughter should marry Van Zwieten. It -would be a noble work for her to aid him to build up a new state in -South Africa. But now he saw that the Dutchman was by no means the -unselfish philanthropist he had supposed him to be. He was tricky and -shifty. His was the iron hand in the velvet glove, and if he became -Brenda's husband it was by no means improbable that he would ill-treat -her. It did not seem right to force her into this marriage when she -loved another man. After all, she was his daughter--his only daughter; -and Scarse's paternal instinct awoke even thus late in the day to -prompt him to protect and cherish her. If he felt for poor Robert and -his woes, surely he could feel for the troubles of Brenda. - -Musing thus, it occurred to him that he might frustrate any probable -schemes of Van Zwieten by telling the whole truth to Brenda. Then let -her marry Harold and defy the man. At all events he determined that -Brenda should be introduced to the family skeleton, and accordingly -one afternoon he drove to Kensington. Mrs. St. Leger was out, so was -the colonel, and he found his daughter alone. - -When he entered--for all the world like an old grey wolf--for his -troubles had aged him--Brenda came forward with a look of astonishment -in her eyes. Usually her father was not so attentive as to pay her a -visit; and she could not conjecture the meaning of the tender -expression on his face. As a matter of fact Mr. Scarse was realizing -for the first time that this tall, beautiful girl was his daughter. -But she could not divine this, and her welcome to him was, as usual, -quite cold. - -"How are you, father?" she said, kissing him in a conventional way. "I -am glad to see you, but I expected Harold, and was quite astonished -when you came in." - -"And disappointed too, I suppose," said Scarse, in a low voice. - -Something in his tone struck her sensitive ear as unusual. "No, I am -glad to see you," she repeated, "but--but--but, you know, father, -there was never much love lost between us." - -"Ah, Brenda, I fear that too much love has been lost. I wish to speak -openly and seriously to you, Brenda"--he looked at her piteously--"but -I don't know how to begin." - -"Are you not well, father?" - -"Yes, yes, I am quite well," he replied, leaning on her shoulder as -she led him to the sofa. "But I'm worried, dear, worried. Sit down -here." - -"Worried--what about?" She sat down, but could not as yet grasp the -situation. It was so novel, so unexpected. - -"About you--about myself. My dear, I have not been a good father to -you." - -Brenda stared. Were the heavens going to fall? So astonished was she -by this wholly unexpected show of tenderness that she could make no -answer. He looked at her anxiously and continued, "I fear I have been -so engrossed by my duty to my country that I have forgotten my duty to -you, my child. I should not have left you so long at school away from -me. No wonder you have so little affection for me. I am not much more -than a name to you. But I see now how wrong I have been, Brenda dear, -and I want to do my best to make amends to you. You will let me?" - -"Father!" she cried, all her warm and generous heart going out to him -in his penitence. She threw her arms round his neck. "Don't say any -more, dear. I have to ask your forgiveness too, for I have not been -all a daughter should be to you." - -"Ah, Brenda, it is my fault. I kept you from me. But that shall not be -now, dear. I have found my daughter and I will keep her. Kiss me, -Brenda." - -She kissed him, and her eyes filled with tears. In that moment of joy -in finding her father she forgot even Harold. These words of -tenderness were balm to her aching heart, and, too deeply moved -to speak, she wept on his shoulder. Henceforth she would be -different--everything would be different. And the man himself was -scarcely less moved. - -"How foolish I have been, Brenda. I have lost the substance for the -shadow." - -"No, no, father. I love you. I have always loved you. But I thought -you did not care for me." - -"I care for you now, Brenda. Hush, hush, do not cry, child." - -"You won't ask me to marry Mr. van Zwieten now, father?" - -"No," replied he, vigorously. "I intend to have nothing further to do -with that man." - -"Ah!" she exclaimed, raising her head. "At last you have found him -out!" - -"No, dear, I have not exactly found him out, but I have come to the -conclusion that he is double-dealing and dangerous. You shall not -marry him, Brenda. You love Harold, and Harold shall be your husband. -But I must not lose my daughter," he added tenderly. - -"You shall not, father. You shall gain a son. Oh, how happy I am!" and -laying her head upon his shoulder she wept tears of pure joy. - -For some moments he did not speak, but held her to him closely. He, -too, was happy--had not felt so happy for years. How he regretted now -having kept this warm, pure affection at arm's length for so long. But -time was passing, and Mrs. St. Leger and the colonel might be back at -any moment, and he had much to tell her. - -"Listen to me, Brenda dear," he said, raising her head gently. "Do you -remember the man so like me whom Harold saw?" - -"The man with the crape scarf? Of course I remember him, father." She -looked steadfastly at him, expecting a revelation since he had so -unexpectedly introduced the subject. "I saw him in Trafalgar Square on -the day of the meeting." - -"And you knew that it was not me?" - -"Yes; but he was so like you, that had he not been on the platform I -might easily have mistaken him for you, like Harold did." - -"Had you spoken to him you would have found out your mistake," sighed -Scarse. - -"I wanted to, but Mr. van Zwieten took him away." - -"I know--I know. Brenda, I deceived you about that man for your own -sake and for mine. I took his sins on my shoulders that he might not -get into trouble." - -"What?" Brenda's voice rose almost to a shriek. "Did he kill Mr. -Malet?" - -"No, no," replied her father, eagerly. "I can prove to you that he did -not. But, Brenda, do you not wonder why he is so like me, and why I -take so deep an interest in him?" - -"I do wonder. I thought he might be a relative. But you denied it, and -Aunt Julia said she had no relative but you." - -Mr. Scarse drooped his head. "Julia? Ah, she is still bitter against -poor Robert!" - -"Robert?--who is he?" - -"My twin brother, Brenda--your uncle!" - -"Oh!" Brenda threw up her hands in surprise. "And I never knew." - -"No one knows but your aunt and myself, and she denies him--and Van -Zwieten knows." - -"Oh, father! How can he know?" - -"I told him," replied Mr. Scarse, quietly. "I was forced to tell him, -lest he should imagine the truth to be worse than it is. And he might -have got me into trouble--and not only me, but poor, mad Robert." - -"Mad! Is my uncle mad?" - -"Yes, poor soul. Now I will tell you what made him mad--the same story -that I was forced to tell Van Zwieten." - -Brenda looked anxiously at her father and placed her hand in his. -Grasping it hard, he related the sad family history he had told the -Dutchman, suppressing nothing, extenuating nothing. Brenda listened in -profound silence. At times her eyes flashed, at times she wept, but -never a word did she say. When her father had finished her sorrow -burst forth. - -"My dear father, how good you are! To think I have been such a bad -daughter, and you with all this worry on you! Oh, forgive me, forgive -me!" and she threw herself sobbing into his arms. - -"My dear, there is nothing to forgive. I have told you why I bore this -trouble in silence--why I told Van Zwieten." - -"Thank God you don't want me to marry him," sobbed Brenda. "Harold and -I are going to be married quietly at Brighton." - -"Better wait a while yet," said Scarse, nervously; "it will drive Van -Zwieten into a corner if you marry now, and you don't know what he may -do then." - -"He can't do anything, father. If he does attempt it I have only to -tell Lady Jenny; she can manage him. Harold has gone to see her about -it." - -Somewhat astonished at this, Scarse was about to ask what way Lady -Jenny could control Van Zwieten when the door opened and Captain -Burton walked in, looking considerably more cheerful than when Brenda -had seen him last. He pulled up short at the amazing sight of the girl -in her father's arms. - -"Harold!" she exclaimed. "Oh, how glad I am you have come! I have so -much to tell you; and father--father----" - -"Father has just discovered that he has a dear daughter," said Scarse, -holding out his hand to the astounded young man. "Yes, Harold, and I -consent to your marriage gladly." - -"But what about Van Zwieten?" gasped Captain Burton, utterly at a loss -to understand this sudden change of front. - -"He shall never marry Brenda. I'll tell you all about it." - -"Wait one minute, father," cried the girl. "Harold, did you see Lady -Jenny?" - -"Yes, Brenda, I have seen her. It is all right; she can manage Van -Zwieten. No, I won't tell you now. She particularly wishes to do that -herself." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. -WHAT VAN ZWIETEN KNEW. - - -The clever criminal who wishes to escape the law does not seek -provincial neighborhoods or foreign climes. He remains in London; for -him no place is so safe. There a man can disappear from one district -and reappear in another without danger of recognition by unwelcome -friends. Of course the pertinacity of the police may do much to -complicate matters, but the history of crime goes to show very clearly -that they are by no means infallible. But about them Van Zwieten -troubled himself very little. Certainly he changed his name to Jones, -for his own, in those anti-Dutch times, smacked overmuch of Holland. -But for the rest his disguise was slight. From St. James's he changed -his address to a part of Westminster where none of his West End -friends were likely to come across him; and as Mr. Jones he carried on -his plotting against the Empire with every sense of security. And in -such security he saw only a strong proof of John Bull's stupidity. An -Englishman would have seen in it a glorious example of freedom. - -In a side street Van Zwieten, _alias_ Mr. Jones, dwelt on the first -floor of a quiet house let out in lodgings by the quietest of widows. -And Mrs. Hicks had a good opinion of her lodger. It is true he was -somewhat erratic in his movements. For days he would go away--into the -country, he said--and even when in town would be absent for many hours -at a stretch. But he paid well and regularly, was not exacting about -either his food or attendance, and behaved altogether in the most -becoming manner. He certainly saw a great number of people, and they -called on him principally at night, but Mr. Jones had kindly informed -her how he was writing a great book on London, and how these people -were gathering materials for him. Had Mrs. Hicks known the kind of -materials they were collecting, she might or might not have been -astonished. Certainly she would have been but little the wiser. - -A decent, if narrow-minded little person, Mrs. Hicks knew little of -politics and still less of spies. These latter--on those few occasions -when they had presented themselves to her mind--she pictured as -foreign persons given to meeting by candlelight with mask and cloaks -and daggers. That the kind gentleman who was so polite to her and so -kind to her fatherless children should be a spy assuredly never -entered Mrs. Hick's head. - -Van Zwieten--it is more convenient to call him so--sat in his rooms -one night in the second week in October. His face wore a satisfied -smile, for a great event had taken place. Free State and Transvaal, -under the sapient guidance of their Presidents, had thrown down the -gage of defiance to England, and the Federal armies were overrunning -Natal. Scarse and his following were dreadfully shocked at this sample -of simplicity on the part of their "innocent lamb." It was all out of -keeping with Mr. Kruger's pacific intentions as extolled by them. -Indeed, they found it necessitated a change of tactics on their part, -so they right-about faced and deplored that war should thus have been -forced on an honest, God-fearing man. In all sincerity they tried to -divide the country on the question of the war; and in Brussels Leyds -was doing his best to hound on the Continental Powers to attacking -England. Altogether Van Zwieten was very well satisfied with the -outlook. What with the unprepared state of the British in Natal, Leyds -on the Continent, Scarse and his friends in London, it seemed as -though the Boers, by treachery and cunning and the due display of -armament--as formidable as it was wholly unlooked for--would come -safely out of the desperate adventure to which they had committed -themselves. Van Zwieten's part was to send off certain final -information to Leyds for transmission to Pretoria, and then to leave -England. - -But Van Zwieten was not going out to fight for his adopted country. -Oh, dear, no! He had ostensibly thrown up his appointment in the -Transvaal--which in truth he had never held--in great indignation -before the war began. Proclaiming himself as a neutral person anxious -to reconcile the English and the Boers, he had solicited and obtained -the post of war correspondent on a Little England newspaper called -_The Morning Planet_. This paper, whose columns were filled with the -hysterical hooting of Scarse and his friends, was only too glad to -employ a foreigner instead of an Englishman, and Van Zwieten received -good pay, and an order to go to the front at once. - -Now he was occupied in burning a mass of papers, gathering up the -loose ends of his innumerable conspiracies, and looking forward to a -speedy departure. All his spies had been paid and dismissed. He had -one more letter to despatch to the patriotic Leyds, and then he was -free to turn his attention to his private affairs. - -These were concerned chiefly with an attempt to force Brenda into -giving up Burton and accepting his hand, by threatening to denounce -her father and his brother. He had never for a moment intended to keep -the promise he had made to Scarse. He was too "slim" for that. He -possessed knowledge which would serve him to his own ends, and he -intended to use it for that purpose. Burton, too, was to leave with -his regiment next day, and was already at Southampton. And once he was -parted from Brenda there would be a better chance of bringing her to -see reason. Van Zwieten smiled sweetly as he thought on these things, -and gave himself up to the contemplation of that rosy future when the -Republics conquered England, as they assuredly would. He forgot that -very significant saying that man proposes and God disposes. But Van -Zwieten was a heathen, and had very little belief in an overruling -Providence. - -He knew how to make himself snug did this Dutchman. His room was -large, and comfortably if not luxuriously furnished. Wall paper, -carpet and curtains were all of a dark green tone. Two windows led on -to a light iron balcony, but at present these were closed and the -curtains were drawn. The firelight--he had lighted a fire because the -evening was chilly--shed its comfortable glow on the two easy-chairs -wherewith he had supplemented the furniture of Mrs. Hicks. To him -belonged also a tall press with pigeon-holes filled with papers, and a -knee-hole desk with many drawers and brass knobs. On this latter the -lamp was placed, and its crimson shade shut off the light beyond the -immediate circle cast on the desk. On the mantel glittered a gimcrack -French clock, and three extraordinary ornaments with brass pendants. -But altogether the room was decidedly comfortable, and as Mr. van -Zwieten did not pay for it out of his own pocket, maybe he enjoyed it -all the more on that account. - -At the present moment he was shifting papers from the pigeon-holes -into an iron box, destroying some, and burning others, and executing -the business with ease and despatch. - -While he was thus employed a timid knock came at the door. He knew the -knock well, and he knew that behind it was Mrs. Hicks. He did not -desist from his occupation because he held her of but small account. -It would have been otherwise had the knock been sharp and peremptory. - -"Well, Mrs. Hicks," he said graciously as the pale widow glided in, -"what is it?" - -"If you please, Mr. Jones, there is a man waiting to see you." - -"A man--a gentleman? - -"A common person, sir, in a rough coat, and a cap and big boots. I -don't think he's a gentleman, as he speaks rough like, and his black -hair and beard look very untidy, Mr. Jones. I was once a lady's maid, -sir, so I ought to know a gentleman when I see him." - -"Show him up," said Van Zwieten, curtly; then, as she left the room, -he made certain preparations. He closed the press doors and the lid of -his iron box, seated himself at his desk, and glanced into a drawer to -be sure that his revolver was handy. In Van Zwieten's walk of life it -was necessary to be forearmed as well as forewarned. - -The man who shortly afterward came tramping into the room fully bore -out Mrs. Hicks's description. He was of medium height and rather -stout, and was roughly dressed in coarse blue serge, and had a tangle -of black curls and a heavy black beard. He was not a prepossessing -object. In response to Van Zwieten's invitation he shuffled into an -armchair by the desk, and pushed it well back into the shadow. The -act, though skillfully done, roused the Dutchman's suspicions. But he -was accustomed in his delicate profession to deal with curious -customers, and he showed no surprise. He did not even shift the shade -of the lamp. But very much on the alert, he waited for the stranger to -state his business. - -"Is your name Jones?" asked the man, in a gruff, surly voice. - -"Yes, that is my name. And yours?" - -"Dobbs--Augustus Dobbs. I should have brought a letter to you, but I -didn't. It's better to do my own business off my own hook, I reckon." - -"Are you a Yankee?" asked Van Zwieten, noting the expression and a -slight twang. - -"I guess so. I come from N'York City, I do; and I fancy a run out to -the Transvaal to have a slap at the Britishers." - -"Indeed!" said the Dutchman, staring blankly at his visitor, "and what -have I to do with your ambitions in that direction?" - -The man drew the back of his hand across his mouth, and Van Zwieten -noted that the hand was white and well cared for. This, in contrast to -the rough dress and harsh voice, made him more circumspect than ever. -He began to suspect a trap, and wondered which of his enemies--for he -had many--could have set it. - -"Do you know a man named Mazaroff?" asked Mr. Dobbs, after a pause. - -"No," replied Van Zwieten, lying cheerfully; "never heard of him." - -"He's a Russian." - -"The name sounds like it." - -Dobbs looked disappointed and turned sullen. "He knows you, Mr. -Jones!" - -"Indeed, that is not improbable. Did he send you to me?" - -"Yes, he did." Dobbs had dropped his American accent by this time, and -only used it again when he recollected himself. "Mazaroff said you -paid well for certain information." - -"What kind of information?" - -"About the war." He leaned forward and spoke in a gruff whisper. "What -would you say to a plan of the whole campaign against the Boers?" - -Van Zwieten smiled blandly. "Of what possible interest can that be to -me?" - -"Mazaroff said you would be prepared to pay well for such -information." - -"He knows me then better than I do myself," replied Van Zwieten. -"Better than I know him, for indeed I have no knowledge of your -Russian friend. But this plan of campaign, Mr. Dobbs, how did it come -into your possession?" - -Dobbs looked round mysteriously, and rising in his chair, leaned -toward Van Zwieten. "I stole it," he said softly, "and I am willing to -sell it--at a price. Think of it, Mr. Jones, a plan of campaign! -Symons's plans! The Boers would be able to frustrate it easily." - -Van Zwieten looked his man up and down with a smile. His gaze alighted -on those well-kept hands, which his visitor had placed on the desk to -steady himself as he leaned forward. On the third finger of the left -hand was a ring, and Van Zwieten recognized it. It was a gold signet -ring with a crest. - -The moment he set eyes on it, the spy jumped to a conclusion, which -happened to be the right one. He knew now who his visitor was, and he -played him as a skillful angler plays a trout. Not a muscle of his -face moved, not a flush or a look betrayed his newly-gained knowledge. -But he smiled behind his golden beard to think that he was master of -the situation. - -"So Mr. Mazaroff told you that I bought such things?" he said -negligently. - -"Yes, and that you paid a large price for them." - -"Ah! and what would you call a fair price for these papers?" - -"Say a thousand pounds." - -"That is a very large price indeed. Too large, I fear, for me," said -Van Zwieten, most amiably. "Perhaps you can see your way to make it -lower?" - -The visitor could not refrain from a movement of satisfaction, which -was duly noted by the astute Dutchman. - -"Well," he said, "I will do what I can to meet you." Van Zwieten -smiled. He saw that the man was growing excited, and that in his -excitement he would probably betray himself. - -"That is accommodating of you, Mr. Dobbs. But how can I be certain -this plan is genuine?" - -"You can be perfectly certain, for I stole it from the War Office!" - -"Indeed. That is certainly first hand. But how did you, an American, -get into the War Office?" - -"I have been a porter there for some time," said Dobbs, glibly. "I am -allowed access to all the rooms. I saw those papers on a desk, and I -took them. Mazaroff told me you paid well, so--well, I came to you. -Come, now, you shall have them for five hundred pounds." - -"Too much, Mr. Dobbs." - -"Three hundred," said the man, trembling with eagerness. - -"Ah, that's more reasonable. Have you the papers with you?" - -"No, but if you will come to my lodgings I will give them to you. But -I must have the money first." - -"Certainly. Will a check do?" - -"Oh, yes, a check will do right enough." - -Van Zwieten produced a check-book and bent over it to hide a smile. He -drew the check, but before signing it looked up. "Of course this -rather inculpates you," he said. "I suppose you know what it means if -you were caught at this game?" - -"I'm willing to take the risk," said Dobbs, nervously. - -"Quite so. Just see if I've got your name correctly. Burton, isn't -it?" - -"What do you mean?" - -"Wilfred Burton." - -"I--I--don't understand----" - -Van Zwieten deftly twitched the beard off the face of his visitor and -snatched the shade off the lamp. "Do you understand now?" he said, -laughing. "Look in the glass, sir, and see if Augustus Dobbs is not -Wilfred Burton?" - -Wilfred was ghastly pale, but more with rage at the failure of his -scheme than with fear. With a cry of anger he sprang up and whipped a -revolver out of his pocket. But Van Zwieten, on the alert for some -such contingency, was quite as quick. He also snatched a revolver from -the drawer, and with levelled weapons the two men faced one another. -Van Zwieten was as calm as the other was excited. - -"You are very clever, Mr. Burton," he said mockingly; "but when you -are in disguise you should not wear a signet ring. I observed your -crest on the letters written to Miss Scarse by your brother. Come! how -long are we to stand like this? Is it a duel? If so, I am ready." - -Wilfred uttered an oath and slipped his weapon into his pocket. With a -laugh Van Zwieten tossed his into the drawer again, and sat down quite -unruffled. - -"I think we understand one another now," he said genially. "What -induced you to play this trick on me?" - -"Because you are a spy," replied Wilfred, fiercely; "and if I had my -way I would put a bullet through you." - -"Well, and why don't you?" mocked an Zwieten. "Do you see that iron -box?--it is full of papers which might be of the greatest interest to -you. Shoot me and take possession of it. Your Government would reward -you--or hang you!" - -"They'll hang _you_ if they learn the truth. We are at war with the -Boers, and you are a Boer spy. A word from me and you would be -arrested." - -"I dare say. There are enough documents in that box to hang me. I dare -say you bribed Mazaroff and learned my business, also my address here -as Mr. Jones. But I am not afraid--not that!" Van Zwieten snapped his -fingers "You can walk out and call up the police if you like." - -"And what is to prevent my doing so?" - -"Two things. One is that I leave immediately for the Transvaal. Oh, -yes, my work here is done, and well done. I have found out how -unprepared you English are for this war. You talk big, but there is -nothing at the back of it." - -"Confound you!" cried Wilfred, his white face flushing, "you'll find -out what is at the back of it when we hoist the British flag at -Pretoria. What is the second thing?" - -"Your brother. You love your brother, no doubt, Mr. Burton. He sails -to-morrow with his regiment from Southampton. Quite so. Well, Mr. -Burton, it is a good thing he is going. It is better he should be shot -than hanged." - -"Hanged!" Wilfred sprang from his seat with a bound. - -"The morning after the murder," continued Van Zwieten, without taking -any notice, "I examined the place where Malet was shot. Ah! you blind -English, who see nothing even when it lies under your nose. I am -Dutch. I am sharp. I looked--and looked--and I found this!" He slipped -his hand into the open drawer of the desk and produced a heavy -revolver of the army pattern. "This, Mr. Burton--with which your -brother shot Mr. Malet." - -"You--you can't prove it is Harold's," said he, white but calm. - -"Easily. Here is a silver plate on the butt with his name. Now, what -do you say?" - -"That my brother is innocent. The revolver is his, but some one else -fired the shot." - -Van Zwieten shrugged his shoulders. "I am afraid you will find it -difficult to get a jury to take that view, Mr. Burton. Your brother -quarrelled with Malet--he was overheard to threaten him--he was out in -the storm and could not account for his time--and here is his -revolver. With all that evidence I could hang him. But you know--well, -I'll be generous. Hold your tongue and I'll hold mine. What do you -say?" - -Wilfred looked piercingly at Van Zwieten, who had dropped his -bantering tone and was in earnest. "Harold is innocent," said he, -"but--I'll hold my tongue." - - - - -CHAPTER XV. -THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND HIM. - - -When Wilfred had taken his departure, Van Zwieten drew a breath of -relief. He had only escaped a great danger by virtue of his ready -resource and the excitability and hot-headed impulsiveness of his -adversary. - -Without doubt Wilfred's plan--and a harum-scarum plan it was--had been -to decoy him into an ambush of police, on the pretence of selling him -the so-called State papers, and when he had irretrievably betrayed -himself, to have had him arrested as a spy. Thanks only to his skill -in penetrating the disguise of his visitor, Van Zwieten had evaded -this peril; but he had been in greater danger than even Wilfred knew. - -The papers in the iron box were sufficient to prove him a spy ten -times over. Had Wilfred only been astute enough to have procured a -search warrant on the evidence of Mazaroff, and with the assistance of -the police to have raided the premises of the so-called Mr. Jones, -these papers would have been discovered, and Mr. van Zwieten's little -games put an end to for the time being. - -But Wilfred had let the golden moment go by, and the Dutchman was safe -from his worst enemy--that is from the one who wished him most harm, -and who knew most to his disadvantage. - -There was no doubt that Wilfred was now powerless to move against him. -By skillfully suggesting that Harold had committed the murder,--which -was untrue--and producing the revolver inscribed with Harold's name, -which had been found near the scene of the murder,--which was -true--Van Zwieten had effectually stopped the mouth of Mr. Wilfred -Burton. If that young man now denounced him to the authorities he -would do so at the risk of having his brother arrested. And in the -face of such evidence it might be that Harold would be found guilty. -In any case he would be prevented from sailing for South Africa. But -Van Zwieten, while looking after himself, had no wish that things -should go thus far. He was most anxious that Captain Burton should go -to the front, for if chance did not aid him, he had quite determined -to have him specially shot in action. - -At present things were going as he wished. Wilfred was coerced into -silence, he himself was safe, and Harold was about to go to his death -in Natal. There remained only Brenda to deal with, and with her Mr. -van Zwieten hoped to come to an understanding very shortly now. - -The rest of the night he spent in burning such papers as he did not -require and in packing the remainder in the iron box. It was of no -great size this box, and one man could carry it away with ease. Van -Zwieten locked it, and then stowed it away on the top of the tall -press, in a hollow formed by the ornamentation of the crest. Into this -the precious box just fitted; and thus carelessly deposited, he took -it to be far safer than any more elaborate attempt at concealment -could make it. A thief would assuredly make for the safe first and -foremost, so would the police, while neither would think of looking on -the top of the press. Not that Van Zwieten expected either thieves or -police, for that matter; but it was his habit to place the box there, -and what had happened in no way caused him to depart from his usual -custom. - -Having thus finished his work, he went to bed and slept for a few -hours. And as he closed his eyes his thoughts were altogether -pleasant. - -"I shall go down to Southampton to-morrow," they ran, "and see Burton -off for the front. I sha'n't exactly relish being witness of his very -tender leave-taking with Brenda but it will be some satisfaction to -know it's for the last time. She won't see him again. We'll be married -at once and I'll follow close on his heels. If he only knew! If _she_ -only knew! But that is what shall be. I, Van Zwieten, have spoken. -Then, once in the British camp, I can both serve these brave little -Republics and make sure that Captain Harold Burton is made short work -of. That will be very easily done. And then when all is over, and -these British hogs are driven into the sea, I'll come and fetch my -little wife, and there, amid the glorious expanse of the veldt, we -shall live together happily ever after." A beautiful little castle of -cards truly, but one which, had he only known, was destined to be very -much knocked about by Fate, over which not even he, Van Zwieten, had -control. - -Next morning he was up betimes, and handing the key of his rooms to -Mrs. Hicks with strict injunctions to admit no one, he set off for -Waterloo Station. He knew that he could trust his little landlady, and -he judged it wiser to do so than to lock up and take the key in his -pocket, for of that even she might have been suspicious. - -On his way to the terminus he again relapsed into a gentle and wholly -self-congratulatory reverie; and with a religious zeal worthy of a -follower of Oom Paul he fished from the deep recesses of his memory a -text bearing on the destruction of the unrighteous--to wit, in this -instance, Messieurs Wilfred and Harold Burton. - -The ancient town of Southampton was gay with flags, crowded with -people, and bubbling over with excitement and bustle. Through the -streets marched the troops in khaki, with resolute faces and swinging -tread, while those whose rights they were going to defend cheered -them, poured blessings on them, and sought to enliven them with -frequent snatches of patriotic song. Not since the days of the -Crimea--a dim memory even to the older generation--had there been -such excitement. And the great transport lay there--a floating -barracks--ready and impatient to carry these brave fellows overseas to -vindicate the name of Britain as a civilizing and protective power. -Oom Paul had been given rope enough; now he was going to hang himself, -or be hanged, as he assuredly deserved to be. - -Maybe Van Zwieten thought otherwise. He surveyed the excited throng -with his usual bland smile, and pushed his way through their midst -down to the quay. Knowing, as no one else did, the true power of the -Republics, he smiled grimly as he thought how soon all this joy would -be turned into mourning. But what Mr. van Zwieten did not know--what -he could not realize--was that the more terrible the danger -threatening a Britisher the more does he set his back to the wall, and -set his teeth to meet it and to conquer. - -In the bright sunlight the troops embarked, speeches were made, -healths were drunk, and many a hand gripped hand. On board the -transport the officers were busy looking after their men and -superintending the horses being taken on board. Brenda, quietly -dressed, and doing her best to keep up her spirits, was leaning on the -arm of her father, and longing for a few last words with Harold. But -Captain Burton--a fine, soldierly figure in his khaki uniform--was on -duty, and could not be spared for the moment. - -Much as Mr. Scarse disliked the war and reprobated the causes which -had led to it, he had come down with Brenda to see the last of Harold; -but in the face of all this he could not but lament inwardly that the -good offices of the peace party had not prevailed. This stir and -military activity was surely out of all proportion to the business in -hand--the subjugation of a mere handful of farmers! But Mr. Scarse -forgot that wasps are not so easily crushed--that the larger the fist -that tries to crush them the greater the chance of its being stung. -While thus meditating on the iniquity of his country, he felt his -daughter start, and when he looked at her he saw that she was white -and trembling. - -"What is it, Brenda?" he asked nervously, for he had not been the same -man since his interview with the Dutchman. - -"I have seen Mr. van Zwieten," she replied faintly. "He is yonder in -the crowd. He smiled in that horrible way of his when he caught my -eye." - -"Never mind, Brenda. Van Zwieten can do no harm now; and shortly we -shall be rid of him altogether. He is going out to the Cape." - -"To Pretoria, you mean." - -"No, I mean to the Cape," returned her father. "Rather to my surprise, -I hear he has given up his appointment in the Transvaal, and has -thrown in his lot with this misguided country. He goes with Lord -Methuen as the correspondent of _The Morning Planet_--to report the -massacre of his unfortunate countrymen, I suppose." - -"I don't believe he is on our side," Brenda said vehemently. "At heart -he is a traitor, and has been living in London spying for the benefit -of the Boers--so, at least, Wilfred tells me." - -"Wilfred is an excitable boy. Can he prove this wild charge?" - -"Not now; but he intends to do so later." - -"He never will. Believe me, I don't like Van Zwieten, and I regret -very much that I ever made a friend of him, but I don't think he is a -spy." - -"I'm sure he is!" - -"How _can_ you be sure?" - -"Because I hate him," replied Brenda, with true feminine logic. "And -if he is going to the front, I'll tell Harold to keep a sharp eye on -him." - -"It might be quite as well, dear," replied her father, "forewarned is -forearmed; and when he learns the truth about you, it is quite -possible he might attempt some plot against Harold." - -"I'm not afraid. Harold can protect himself even against such a -scoundrel as Van Zwieten. Here is Harold, father. How splendid he -looks!" - -Brenda might well be excused for her enthusiasm. Captain Harold Burton -did make a most striking and soldierly figure in his close-fitting -khaki uniform. He was trim and natty in his dress, bright and ardent, -and full of enthusiasm for the work before him. Brenda would have had -him a trifle more subdued since he was about to leave her; but she had -no cause to complain when he said good-bye. He felt their parting as -much as she did, even though as a man and a soldier he was more able -to conceal his emotions. - -"Come down to my cabin, Brenda," he said, taking her arm, "I have got -ten minutes to spare. We start in half an hour." - -"I won't come," Mr. Scarse said, waving his hand. "Take her down, -Harold, and get it over." - -The two went below amongst the busy throng of stewards who were -darting about getting the cabins in order. Into one on the starboard -side Captain Burton led his wife. He shared it with a brother officer, -who was at that moment on duty. Harold closed the door. The girl was -crying bitterly now. He took her in his arms. - -"Don't cry, dear little wife," he said tenderly. "Please God, I'll -come back to you safe and sound." - -"Oh, Harold, you will, I know you will!" she said earnestly. "Nothing -will happen to you. I dreamed it did, Harold, and dreams always go by -contraries, you know. Dearest, if only I were coming with you, I -wouldn't mind." - -"Dear Brenda, it is better as it is; besides, I should have had to -leave you at Cape Town. You could not have come to the front. No, -dear, you stay with your father, and pray for a speedy end to the war. -Remember you are my wife now, Brenda, so I have no fear of any harm -coming to you through that scoundrel Van Zwieten." - -"He is here, Harold. I saw him among the crowd. I have no fear for -you, dear, there at the front; but--well, I am afraid of Van Zwieten's -treachery." - -"But he is in England, dearest; he can't hurt me out there." - -"He is leaving for the Cape almost immediately. Father told me so." - -"Well, then," laughed Harold to comfort her, "if I see him in the -ranks of the enemy I'll shoot him before he can take sight at me. Will -that do?" - -"Harold, he won't be in the ranks of the enemy." - -"Why not? The fellow is a Boer--or to all intents and purposes will be -when he takes up his Transvaal appointment." - -"That's just it. He has given up the appointment and is going out as -correspondent to _The Morning Planet_." - -Captain Burton wrinkled his forehead. "I don't like this sudden -conversion," he said decisively. "Wilfred believes the fellow is a -spy." - -"And so do I, dearest--from the bottom of my heart." - -"Well, if he's going to hang about our camps for the spy business I'll -make short work of him." - -"Be careful, Harold--oh, be careful. He is a dangerous man." - -"I shall know how to manage him out there. Wilfred is coming out, you -know, in a week or so, and I'll get him to tell me all he knows about -Van Zwieten. If he is a spy, we'll watch him and have him slung up. -I'll keep my eyes open, Brenda. And if he tries on any games before he -leaves England, just you see Lady Jenny." - -"What can she do?" - -"A great deal. She wouldn't tell me how she meant to manage him, but -she told me she would bring him to his knees. That was why I -determined to marry you before I left. Now that you are my wife, Lady -Jenny will look after you. You must promise me, dear, that you'll go -at once to her if he should cause you the least uneasiness." - -"I promise, dearest, for your sake. Oh, Harold, how I wish I was -going!" - -"Yes, dear, I know you do. But you are a soldier's wife now, and they -do their work at home. I have made my will leaving all I have to you, -Brenda and if I don't come back"--his strong voice trembled--"you will -have enough to live on. At all events, your father has the will." - -"Harold! Harold!" she cried, weeping on his breast, for this parting -was very bitter to her, "how can I bear it, darling? Dearest, be -careful of your dear life for my sake--for me, your wife." - -"Hush, dear, hush, I am in the hands of God." He pressed her closely -to him and kissed her in silence. Then he looked upward and said a -silent fervent prayer. They clung to each other with aching hearts, -too deeply moved, too sorrowful for words. Then the tramping of feet -overhead, the sound of cheers, the shrill voice of the bo'sun's -whistle, made them start up. "Brenda," whispered Harold, pressing her -again to his heart, "good-bye, my own dearest." - -"Oh, Harold! Harold! Good-bye, darling! God bless you and bring you -back to me." - -On deck he led her to her father who was standing by the gangway, and -placed her in his arms. "Take care of her, sir," he said in a low -voice, then hurried away at the call of duty. - -Father and daughter descended the gangway to the wharf. She stood as -in a dream, with streaming eyes, among other women, and looked at the -great ship. The shouts of the crowd, the glitter of the sunshine, the -many-colored bunting, seemed like a cruel mockery to her aching heart. -Her Harold was gone from her--and God knew when he would return. And -everywhere the women wept and strained and ached at parting with their -dear ones. - -The transport was like a hive at swarming-time. The soldiers were -hanging over the bulwarks and clinging to the rigging. Hats and -handkerchiefs waved, women wept and men cheered. Then amidst all -the noise and movement the blades of the screw began slowly to -churn the water. As the seething white foam swirled astern, the band -struck up "Auld Lang Syne," and the great ship swung majestically into -mid-stream, her engines throbbing, and black smoke pouring through her -funnels from the newly stoked furnaces below. Brenda, for weeping, -could hardly see the grey monster gliding over the glittering waters; -nor, strain as she would, could she make out her Harold's dear face -amongst those hundreds of faces turned shoreward. The band changed the -tune: - - - "I'm leaving thee in sorrow, Annie, - I'm leaving thee in tears." - - -"My God!" exclaimed Brenda, almost hysterical now as she clutched her -father's arm. - -"Miss Scarse," said a voice at her elbow. - -Brenda looked up with a tear-stained face, and a look of horror came -into her eyes as she saw Van Zwieten's hateful, calm face. "You! you! -Ah, Harold!" - -"Go away, sir, go away," said Mr. Scarse, curtly. Then he began to -push through the crowd with Brenda clinging to his arm. - -"I must speak to Miss Scarse," insisted the Dutchman, following. - -The old man turned on him like a wolf. "There is no Miss Scarse," he -said firmly. "My daughter is now Mrs. Harold Burton." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. -THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. - - -As the full meaning of those words came upon him, Van Zwieten paled. -His wicked eyes flashed fire, and he uttered an oath which, being in -Dutch, was happily unintelligible to those around him. For the moment -he could neither move nor speak; and seeing his momentary -helplessness, Mr. Scarse, with Brenda on his arm, hurried on through -the crowd. - -Before the Dutchman could recover his presence of mind, there were -already two or three lines of people between him and those whom he had -fondly thought his victims. They had tricked him in spite of all his -caution; even Scarse, whom he had been so sure of, had turned against -him. But he would be revenged, and that speedily. Conjecturing that -they would probably go to the railway station, Van Zwieten hurried -thither. If he did not find them in the London train, then he would -wait till he did. In any case he swore to get at the truth about this -marriage. Their punishment should follow. - -On his part, Mr. Scarse, seeing the devil which looked out of the -Dutchman's eyes, knew that the man thus baffled was prepared to go to -any lengths; and that being so, he was only too anxious to escape from -so dangerous a neighborhood. - -Taken up with her own sorrow, Brenda had paid no attention to the -presence or foreboding glance of Van Zwieten, but submitted blindly to -be guided through the crowd. All she longed for was to get to some -quiet place where she could give way unrestrained to this grief that -shook her whole being. And her father instinctively divined what she -desired and said no word to comfort her, but hurried her on to the -station, and by the judicious bestowal of half a sovereign secured a -carriage to themselves. The man touched his hat, and after locking the -door, walked off to see if any other person's sorrow would take such -tangible and wholly excellent form. - -There in the corner of the carriage Brenda lay back and wept for her -lost husband, whom--it might be--she would never see again. But she -had a great belief in dreams and in the contrariness of this -particular dream and something told her he would come safe and sound -out of the hurly-burly of battle. Nevertheless, life seemed very blank -to her just then. She wept on unrestrained. Her father paid no -attention to her. He was leaning out of the window watching for Van -Zwieten. His mind travelled quite as quickly as that of the Dutchman, -and he guessed that he would come on to the station on the chance of -finding himself and Brenda in the London express. - -The inspector came along, unlocked the door, and tried to hustle a -couple of weeping women into the carriage but Mr. Scarse gave his name -and whispered that he had engaged the carriage, whereupon the -inspector promptly conducted the mourners to another compartment. In -his hurry he did not lock the door, which, as it turned out, was -unfortunate. - -With great anxiety Mr. Scarse watched the minute hand of the station -clock crawl round to the hour at which the train was timed to start. -He turned hot and cold at the thought that Van Zwieten might come. He -had a very shrewd idea of the Dutchman's present mood. But there was -no sign of him. And the bell was ringing now for the departure of the -express. - -"Thank God!" cried Mr. Scarse, throwing himself back into his seat. -"We have escaped that villain for the time being at any rate." - -Vain congratulation! It was as if he had tempted the gods. Hardly had -the train commenced to move when the door of the carriage was dashed -open, and Van Zwieten hurled himself into the compartment like a -charging buffalo. Brenda uttered a cry of alarm; her father swore--a -thing he very seldom permitted himself to do; and the Dutchman, now -quite master of his vile temper, smiled blandly and subsided into a -seat. He cleared his throat to explain himself. Brenda cast on him one -look of ineffable contempt, although she was far from feeling -contemptuous, and did so merely out of bravado. Then she drew her veil -down and glanced out of the window. If she was forced to travel with -him, she was not forced to speak to him; and besides she felt quite -safe having her father to protect her, and knowing how different now -was his attitude toward the Dutchman. Van Zwieten smiled unpleasantly. -He knew well how to rouse her out of that indifference, and he would -do so when he judged the proper time had come. Meanwhile he explained -himself to the enraged Scarse, whose blood was on fire at the -creature's insolence. - -"Notwithstanding the very elaborate pains at which you were to reserve -this carriage, Scarse, I trust you are sufficiently hospitable not to -mind my joining you," he said coolly. - -"I mind very much, sir!" cried the other. "How dare you thrust your -company where it is not wanted? My daughter and I can dispense with -your presence." - -"I dare say!" sneered the Dutchman, although he looked surprised at -this unexpected resistance on the part of the hitherto meek M.P.; -"but you see I have a great deal to say to you and Miss Scarse." - -"Mrs. Burton, if you please," Brenda said in a cutting tone. - -Van Zwieten bowed his fair head in a cruelly ironical manner. "I beg -your pardon, I did not know I was a day after the fair. But it seems -to me most strange that you should be married when your father -promised me that I should be your husband." - -"I did nothing of the sort," said Mr. Scarse, bluntly. - -"I promised to consent to your marrying my daughter if she chose to -have you. But as she had a very distinct preference for Captain -Burton, I agreed to that. And I'm glad of it!" he cried with energy; -"at least she has married an honorable man!" - -"I also am an honorable man. I have kept your secret--up to the -present----" - -"My secret?" cried the other, contemptuously. "Oh! tell it to whom you -please." - -Van Zwieten bit his lip to prevent an exhibition of the surprise he -felt at this unexpected defiance. "In that case I had better begin -with Miss Sca--I beg your pardon--with Mrs. Burton. She would like to -know----" - -"She does know," interrupted Brenda, in her clear voice. "There is -nothing left for you to tell, Meinherr van Zwieten!" - -"Ach! You make me out to be Dutch, then! You are wrong--I am English." - -"Quite so; until it suits you to become a Boer." - -"We shall see. Oh, you will not have it all your own way in this war, -you English. But enough of this," he went on imperiously. "You know, -then, that your father and his twin brother killed Mr. Malet?" - -"I know nothing of the sort," retorted Brenda, with spirit. "You had -better take the case into court and prove your assertion." - -"Think of the scandal!" - -"I can face all that," cried Mr. Scarse, sharply. "If you think to -blackmail me, Van Zwieten, you have come to the wrong person. So far -as what I told you is concerned, you are harmless; you can do -nothing." - -"Perhaps not. I won't even try. But the arrows are not all out of my -quiver yet. For you, old man, I care nothing, you cross not my path, -so I can spare you; but as for Brenda----" - -The girl turned fearlessly upon him. "I will thank you, sir, to -address me by my proper name, which is Mrs. Burton!" - -Van Zwieten winced. He felt his position intensely, though he put a -brave face on it. Brenda saw this, and realized the strain he was -putting on himself to keep down his temper. - -"Mrs. Burton! Well, let it be so for the present--until you change it -for Mrs. van Zwieten." - -"That will be never!" - -"Oh, yes--when you are a widow." - -Brenda shuddered, and fell back on her cushions; but her father leaned -forward and shook his fist at the Dutchman. "I am an old man," he said -hoarsely, "and you are young and strong, but if you insult my daughter -I will strike you! In any case, you will leave the carriage at the -next station." - -"It is yet a quarter of an hour away," sneered Van Zwieten, looking at -his watch, "so that will be time enough to say what I have to say. I -do not think you will ask me to go when you hear all?" - -"I am not afraid," said Brenda, coolly, "my father is here to protect -me. And we are in England, Meinherr van Zwieten, not in your barbarous -country of the Transvaal." - -"Ah, you English will find it sufficiently civilized in warfare," said -the man, savagely. "But I will come to the point. You are married to -this Captain Burton. Is that true, or is it not?" - -"True? Of course it is true." - -"Let me speak, father," put in Brenda. "Yes, it is true. We were -married at St. Chad's Church, Brighton, four days ago." - -"Just time for a honeymoon--a very short honeymoon," sneered Van -Zwieten; but the perspiration was on his face, and the girl could see -that he was suffering. She was glad to see it, and continued to speak, -knowing that every word she uttered caused the villain intense pain. -Callous as Van Zwieten was in most things, he was a true lover, and -suffered only as a strong man like himself could suffer. - -"If you like to go to the church you can see the register," she went -on carelessly. "My father was present, so was Lady Jenny Malet." She -looked him full in the face as she mentioned the name, but he did not -flinch. Whatever power Lady Jenny might have over him, he was -apparently ignorant of its existence. - -"It is a pity you did not ask me," he said, clenching his hands. "I -should have completed the happy family party. Well, Burton has escaped -now. We shall see if he will be so fortunate in the future." - -"Ah! you would murder him--I know it!" said Brenda, scornfully. "But -he can take care of himself." - -"Very likely, Mrs. Burton; but can he protect himself from the law?" - -"What do you mean? That you are going to accuse my husband of Mr. -Malet's murder? You are quite capable of it." - -"I am; and I can prove that he is guilty." - -Mr. Scarse cast an angry glance at the man. "You are a liar, Van -Zwieten," he said savagely. "I wonder how I ever came to believe in -you. You accuse first me of the crime, then my brother; now it is -Harold Burton you would ruin. We are all three innocent." - -"Two of you, we will say. But the third is guilty." Van Zwieten spoke -slowly, looking at Brenda the while. "I found the pistol with which -the murder was committed. It has a name on the butt. And the name is -that of Harold Burton!" - -The girl grew deathly pale and clasped her hands. "I do not believe -it," she said bravely. - -"Well," drawled Van Zwieten, throwing himself back, "I can prove it by -showing you the pistol--it is at my rooms in Duke Street. If you -choose to come there--with your father, of course--you can see it. -Yes, you may look and look; but your husband and no other killed -Malet." - -"It is false. There was no reason why Harold should kill Mr. Malet." - -"Oh, pardon me, I think he had a very good reason," corrected Van -Zwieten, blandly; "at least Captain Burton thought it a sufficient -reason when I told him what I knew at Chippingholt." - -"Ah!" flashed out Mrs. Burton, "so this was what you told Harold to -make him leave without saying good-bye to me!" - -"It was. I showed him the pistol, and he admitted that it was his----" - -"But not that he had used it!" - -"You are very sharp, Mrs. Burton; but that is just what he did -confess." - -"I don't believe it!" cried the girl. - -"Nor I," joined in Mr. Scarse. "You are speaking falsely." - -Van Zwieten shrugged his mighty shoulders. "As you please," said he. -"If I show it to the lawyers you may find that what I say is true. If -it was not true how could I have made Harold Burton leave -Chippingholt? Why did he keep his marriage with you a secret? Because -he feared what I had to say about him. I had decided not to betray him -if he left the lady to me. As it is, I shall speak." - -"As you choose!" said Brenda. "You can prove no motive for such a -crime. Harold left Chippingholt because you told him that Mr. Malet -had gambled away his twenty thousand pounds, and the poor dear did not -want to tell me of his loss." - -"Oh, yes, I told him that also. I knew more of Malet's private affairs -than you think. But Burton did not know the money was lost at the time -he murdered Malet. He murdered him to get it." - -"You speak very confidently," returned Brenda, ironically. "You will -now of course put the matter into the hands of the police." - -"Well, no; I shall not do that just now. However, as I see you do not -believe me, I should like to give you an opportunity of changing your -mind. Come with your father to my rooms in St. James's to-morrow and I -will show you the revolver." - -"I dare say you have the weapon," put in Mr. Scarse; "but how do we -know where you found it?" - -"I can prove that. Come to-morrow and convince yourselves. Then I will -make my terms." - -"Your terms?" - -"Yes. My silence must be bought--but not with money. You, Mrs. Burton, -must give me your promise to marry me when you become a widow." - -"I am not a widow yet," said Brenda, trying hard to keep up her -courage, "and, please God, I shall never be!" - -"Amen!" sneered Van Zwieten, as the train slowed down, "we shall see. -But I hold the winning card, and I intend to play it for my own -benefit. Here we are, so I will leave you now. To-morrow at three I -shall be at my rooms. If you do not come I will see the police about -the matter." - -"Very good," said Brenda, much to her father's surprise. "I will be -there." - -"Come now, you are sensible!" sneered Van Zwieten, "I shall make -something out of you yet, Mrs. Burton." - -"Get out!" shouted Mr. Scarse, fiercely, "or I'll throw you out!" - -"Ah, bad temper, Scarse. Keep that for those who are fighting our -Republics. _Au revoir_ until to-morrow," and Van Zwieten, jumping -lightly out of the compartment, made for a smoking-carriage. - -"Why did you agree to meet the blackguard?" fumed Mr. Scarse when the -train was moving off again. "You know he is lying!" - -"No, I don't think he is." - -"What? do you believe your husband guilty?" - -"I wouldn't believe it if an angel from heaven told me so!" flashed -out Mrs. Harold Burton. "But Van Zwieten has this revolver with -Harold's name on it or he would not dare to speak so confidently. I -will find out where he got it. He might have stolen it from Harold, or -he might have had the name put on the silver plate. Harold is not here -to contradict him. To-morrow we will take Wilfred with us. He will -know if the revolver is Harold's or not. In the meantime I will see -Lady Jenny. Harold told me to go to her if Mr. van Zwieten made -himself disagreeable. The time seems to have come." - -"But what can she do?" - -"I don't know; but that is what I must find out. We will baffle this -man yet. Oh, father, and to think that you once wanted me to marry -him!" - -"I was wrong, my dear, very wrong," Mr. Scarse said penitently; "but at -any rate you are married now to the man of your choice." - -"Harold, my darling!" Brenda's tears burst out afresh. "God knows if I -shall ever see him again!" She wept bitterly. Truly, poor Brenda was -hard beset. - -Meantime Van Zwieten was swearing at his own stupidity in not having -kept a sharper eye on Harold. But he had not expected the young -man--whom he had regarded as his victim--to display such daring. - -At Chippingholt he had warned him that if he married Brenda he would -denounce him. Well, he had married Brenda, and was now well beyond -reach on his way to Africa. More than ever was Van Zwieten determined -that he should pay for what he had done. He had but exchanged the -gallows in England for a Boer bullet in South Africa. Then, when he -was no more, his widow should become Mrs. van Zwieten. That he swore -should be. He had failed once, he would not fail again. From Waterloo -he went to Westminster, to get the revolver and take it to his rooms, -that he might have it ready for production on the morrow. - -On arrival there he was met by Mrs. Hicks. She was in the greatest -distress. "Oh, sir!" she cried, "a policeman's been here, and has -taken a box from your room--an iron box!" - -For the moment Van Zwieten stood stunned. Then he rushed upstairs and -looked on the top of the press. The box was gone! - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. -CHECKMATED. - - -Strong man as he was, Van Zwieten reeled half-fainting against the -wall. It was true--the box was gone! In a flash he realized his peril. -For that box held little that was not of a highly compromising nature. -Once its contents were seen by the authorities--as it would seem they -must be--he would be arrested as a spy, imprisoned, perhaps hanged. No -ingenuity or lying on his part could explain away the damning evidence -of the papers. They spoke for themselves. - -What a fool he had been not to have forwarded them to Leyds in the -morning as he had intended to do. Now it was too late, and nothing -remained but to fly to Pretoria and to throw in his lot openly with -his employers. Useless now to think of going out as correspondent to -an English newspaper, even were he able to manage his escape from -London. Those in command at the front would surely be advised of his -true character by the home authorities; and not only that, but he -would be unmasked in a country under military law, where a spy such as -he would receive but short shrift. Fly he must, and that at once. He -must get to the Continent, and take ship for Delagoa Bay. The game was -up in England; there remained now only the Transvaal. - -After the first emotion of terror had passed, Van Zwieten collected -his wits and set to work to find some way out of the difficulty. Had -he been in Russia or France he would have given himself up to despair, -for there the authorities were lynx-eyed and relentless. But here in -England he was amongst a people so firmly wedded to their -old-fashioned laws as to freedom and justice that they might fail to -take the strong measures which the situation, so far as they were -concerned, demanded. He would baffle these pig-headed islanders yet, -and, with a courage born of despair, he set himself to the -accomplishment of this design. - -Mrs. Hicks, pale and tearful, had followed him into the room and had -been witness of his despair. The poor woman was too much agitated to -speak. This unexpected invasion of her quiet house by the police had -been altogether too much for her. Van Zwieten made her sit down, and -proceeded to question her. With many tears and lamentations that she -had no husband to protect her, she gave him all the necessary details, -and he listened with feverish anxiety to every word. - -"It was about midday, Mr. Jones," said Mrs. Hicks; "yes, I will not -deceive you, sir, the clock was just on twelve when I heard a ring at -the door. I left Mary Anne in the kitchen and went to see who it was. -There was a hansom at the door, sir, and standing on the mat there was -a policeman and a lady." - -"A lady?" put in Van Zwieten, looking rather puzzled, for he could not -guess what woman could have interfered with his affairs. He had always -kept himself clear of the sex. "What lady?" - -"I don't rightly know her name, Mr. Jones, for, to be plain with you, -she never gave it to me. She was a short lady, sir, with black hair -and eyes--as black as your hat, sir." - -"Dressed in mourning?" asked the Dutchman, with a sudden flash of -intuition. - -"As you say, sir--dressed in mourning, and beautifully made it was, -too. She asked if Mr. Jones lived here, and if he was at home. I said -you did lodge with me, sir, having no reason to hide it, but that you -were out. The lady stepped into the passage then with the policeman." - -"What was the policeman like?" - -"Tall and handsome, with big black eyes and a black beard. He was -something like the gentleman who came to see you last night. I beg -pardon, did you speak, sir?" - -But Van Zwieten had not spoken. He had uttered a groan rather of -relief than otherwise. The thing was not so bad after all. In the lady -he recognized the wife of Mr. Malet, though why she should have come -to raid his rooms was more than he could understand. The policeman he -had no difficulty in recognizing as Wilfred Burton in a new disguise. -Without doubt it was he who had brought Lady Jenny Malet to the -Westminster rooms. And Wilfred knew, too, of the existence of the box -with its compromising contents, of which Van Zwieten himself had been -foolish enough to tell him on the previous night, out of a sheer -spirit of bravado--bravado which he bitterly regretted when it was too -late. He swore now in his beard, at his own folly, and at Wilfred's -daring. - -However, now that he could feel tolerably sure that the authorities -had nothing to do with the seizure of his papers, he felt more at -ease. After all, these private enemies might be baffled, but of this -he was not so sure as he had been. The several checks which had -recently happened to him had made him feel less sure of himself. - -"Well, Mrs. Hicks," he said, rousing himself from his meditations, -"and what did these people do?" - -Mrs. Hicks threw her apron over her head and moaned. "Oh, sir!" she -said, in muffled tones, which came from under her apron, "they told me -that you were a dangerous man, and that the Government had sent the -policeman to search your rooms. The lady said she knew you well, and -did not want to make a public scandal, so she had brought the -policeman to do it quietly. She asked me for the key, and said if I -did not give it up she would bring in a dozen more policemen--and -that would have ruined me, sir!" - -"And you believed her?" cried Van Zwieten, cursing her for a fool. - -Mrs. Hicks whipped the apron off her head and looked at her lodger in -wide-eyed amazement. "Of course I did," she said; "I'm that afraid of -the police as never was. Many a time have I feared when I saw poor -Hicks--who is dead and gone--in the hands of the constables for being -drunk, poor lamb! I wouldn't resist the police; would you, sir? - -"Never mind," he said, seeing it was useless to argue with her. "You -let them into my rooms, I suppose?" - -"As you may guess, sir, me being a law-abiding woman, though the taxes -are that heavy. Yes, sir, I took them up to your room and left them -there." - -"Ach! what did you do that for?" - -"I could not help myself, sir. The policeman ordered me to go away, -and it was not for me to disobey the law. I left them there for twenty -minutes, and then I came up to see what they were doing. The policeman -had gone and so had the cab, though I swear to you, Mr. Jones, that I -never heard it drive away. The lady was sitting, cool as you like, at -your desk there, writing." - -"What was she writing?" - -"That, sir, I don't rightly know, as she put her letter into an -envelope, and here it is." - -He snatched the letter Mrs. Hicks produced from her pocket, and said -something not very complimentary to that good woman's brains. She was -indignant, and would fain have argued with him, but he silenced her -with a gesture, and hurriedly read the letter. As he had already -guessed, the writer was Lady Jenny Malet; and she merely asked him to -call at her house in Curzon Street for explanations. So she put it, -somewhat ironically perhaps, and Van Zwieten swore once again--this -time at the phrase. He put the letter in his pocket, determined to -accept the invitation, and to have it out with this all too clever -lady. Meanwhile Mrs. Hicks rose to make a speech. - -"I have to give you notice, sir," she said in her most stately tones, -"as I have not been in the habit of letting my rooms to folk as is -wanted by the police. You will be pleased to leave this day week, -which, I believe, was the agreement." - -"I intend to leave this day," retorted her lodger. "I told you I was -going, and I have not seen fit to alter my decision. I will send for -my furniture this afternoon, and I will pay your account now." - -"Thank you, sir. I shall be most obliged, and I think you should pay -me extra for the disgrace you have brought on my house. Oh," wailed -Mrs. Hicks, "to think I should have lodged murderers and forgers!" - -Van Zwieten started at the word "murderer," but he recovered himself -quickly. He dismissed her with a shrug. "Go down and make your account -out," he said. "You have done mischief enough already." - -"Oh, indeed!" cried the woman, shrilly. "I do like you, sir, -disgracing my honest house, and then turning on me! I have been -deceived in you, Mr. Jones; never again will I let my lodgings to -mysterious gentlemen. And when they put you in the dock, sir, I'll -come and see you hanged!" and with this incoherent speech Mrs. Hicks -tottered out of the room. - -Left alone, Van Zwieten lost no time in vain lamentation. He had been -beaten by his enemies for the present; he could only wait to see if -the tide of war would turn. It would be necessary to make terms with -Lady Jenny and Wilfred, for they now possessed the evidences of his -employment in England. But on his side he could use his knowledge of -the murder and of Harold's connection with it--as witness the -revolver--to keep them quiet. If they could bite, so could he. - -Meanwhile he gathered together his personal belongings and packed -them; he left the drawers of his desk empty, and he put the clothes of -Mr. Jones into a large trunk. By the time Mrs. Hicks arrived with her -bill he was quite ready. Nor had he left any evidence which would -identify Mr. Jones of Westminster with Mr. van Zwieten of St. James's. -Beaten he might be, but he would retreat in good order. - -"This is my bill, sir," said Mrs. Hicks. "I have charged nothing for -the disgrace to my house!" - -"Just as well," retorted he. "You would gain nothing by that. There is -the money--in cash. I suppose you would prefer it to my check." - -"Well, sir," said Mrs. Hicks, softened somewhat by the gold, "you have -always paid up like a gentleman, I will say, and I hope they won't -hang you!" - -"Thank you," said Van Zwieten, drily, as he fastened his glove; "that -is very kind of you. I will see after my furniture this afternoon. Is -there a cab at the door? All right. Send the man up for my luggage. -And, Mrs. Hicks"--he turned on her, as Mrs. Hicks described it -afterward, like a tiger--"it will be as well for you to hold your -tongue about this business. By the way, how did you know the policeman -took away my box?" - -"Mary Anne was watching on the stairs, sir, and she saw the policeman -come down with it," said the landlady, with dignity. "Oh, I won't say -anything, sir, you may be sure. I only want to keep away from the law. -I hope you'll be as lucky!" and Mrs. Hicks bowed her suspicious guest -out of the house. She was immensely relieved when she saw his cab -drive round the corner. - -In another ten minutes Mr. Jones was transformed into Mr. van Zwieten, -and was established in his rooms in Duke Street, St. James's. But he -had no intention of staying there long. The place was evidently too -hot to hold him, or would be unless he could threaten and bully Lady -Jenny and Wilfred into surrender of that precious box. In any event, -his great desire was to go south. His work in England was done, and -well done. Even Leyds acknowledged that. But for Van Zwieten's report -of the rusty condition of the British army; the out-of-date ordnance; -the little way these islanders had of putting incompetent men in -office, to be rendered still more incompetent by an antiquated system -of red-tapeism; and the inconceivable folly practiced of allowing the -civil power to override the opinion of military experts; but for all -these things the Republics--well armed though they were--would not -have declared war. The world was amazed at their daring. But their two -Presidents knew what they were about, and so did Leyds. His business -it was to spread reports which would gain the sympathy of the -Continental Powers; that of the burghers to hurl themselves on the -British, all unprepared as they were through the folly of the peace -party. Now that the glove had been thrown down, Van Zwieten was all -eagerness to get to the front. How useful he could be to his adopted -country at this juncture! But were he in the British camp as war -correspondent to an English newspaper, his usefulness would be -trebled. And now it seemed as though his enemies were to upset all -these plans by this one coup! - -However, there was nothing for it now but to face them bravely and -learn the worst. Then he could take what steps were possible to -frustrate them. - -Meanwhile Brenda was pouring out her troubles to Lady Jenny Malet and -telling her all about Van Zwieten and his threats. She had gone there -full of anxiety to enlist the little widow's sympathies, and of -indignation at the charge made by the Dutchman against Harold. Having -made herself as clear as she knew how, and having related all the -facts, she waited with some impatience for Lady Jenny's opinion, which -was not immediately forthcoming. Indeed, it was some time before she -spoke. - -The drawing-room was both tastefully and extravagantly furnished. Lady -Jenny might be a spendthrift, but she was also an artist, and alas! -her period of splendor was drawing to a close. Already Chippingholt -Manor had been sold to gratify the greedy creditors of its late owner. -The house in Curzon Street was her own property under her marriage -settlement, and this with ten thousand pounds from the insurance -office was all she had in the world. So by the advice of her lawyer -she had invested the money and let the house furnished. Now she was -going abroad to practice economy in some continental town. All her -plans were made; and this was the last week of her prosperity. She -only lingered in England at the express request of Wilfred, who had -made her promise to help him all she could to trap Van Zwieten. Brenda -had come on the same errand; and now Lady Jenny sat and pondered how -much she could tell her about the man. - -"Do speak to me," said Brenda. "I am so afraid for Harold." - -"You need not be," replied the widow, and her visitor noticed how -worried and haggard she looked. "He is perfectly safe, I assure you. -Van Zwieten shall not harm him!" - -"But he accuses him of committing the murder!" - -"So you said. But that doesn't matter. Whoever killed poor Gilbert it -was not Harold Burton." - -"Tell me how Harold's revolver came to be found on the spot?" - -"I have an idea, but I cannot tell you--at all events, not just yet. -Wait till I have seen Van Zwieten." - -"Are you going to see him?" - -"I think so--to-night, about nine o'clock. At least I left a note at -his rooms which I think will bring him. I can only say that if he is a -wise man he will come. Then I will settle him once and for all as far -as Harold is concerned." - -"Lady Jenny, tell me who do you think killed your husband?" - -She looked at the girl sharply. "Did your father ever tell you he had -a brother?" she asked. - -"Yes, he told me all about it; and how your wicked husband ran away -with his wife! I beg your pardon, I should not speak so of Mr. Malet." - -"You need not apologize," the widow said bitterly, "Gilbert deserves -all the names you could have called him. He was a bad man; and even -though he is dead, and though he was punished by a violent death, I -have not forgiven him." - -"Oh, don't say that; it is wrong!" - -"I know it is, but I can't help it. I have southern blood in my veins, -and I never forgive. I am glad your father told you the truth--it -saves me from having to repeat a very painful story. That poor uncle -of yours told me all about it, and how Gilbert had deceived and -ill-treated his wife. I asked my husband, and he denied the story; but -I saw the woman myself and made certain it was true. Then I hated -Gilbert. Not for that only--there were other things. Before he married -me, and after, he deceived me. I could have taken his punishment into -my own hands, but I felt sure that Heaven would check his wicked -career. But to go on with my story. That night I got a note from your -uncle telling me that his wife was dead. I saw Gilbert in the library -and showed him the letter. It was just before he went out. I reminded -him that the man--and a madman at that--was hanging about the place. -The boy who brought the letter had told me so, and I warned him -against going out. He laughed at me, and was most insulting. Then he -went, and I never saw him again until his body was brought in. I knew -then that the vengeance of Heaven had fallen!" - -Brenda looked at her with a white face. "What do you mean?" she asked -in a whisper. - -"Child, can you not guess? It was Robert who had killed him!" - -"Impossible!" cried Brenda. "My father found my uncle and took him -home with him. At the time of the murder Uncle Robert was in our -cottage." - -"Is this true?" said the widow, and a bright color came into her face. -"Then who was the man talking to Gilbert in the library? There was -some one with him just before nine o'clock. I was going to the Rectory -to meet Harold about your business, and I went to the library to see -if Gilbert had come back. I was afraid of Robert Scarse and of what he -might do, half crazed as he was by his wife's death. Little as I loved -my husband, I did not want that to happen. The door of the room was -locked, but I heard voices. I went out without thinking any more about -it. Oh, I swear to you, Brenda, that I have always believed it was -your uncle who killed him! Who was it then? The revolver!--ah! and Van -Zwieten has it!" She jumped up and clasped her hands. "I see! I know! -I know!" - -"What?" asked the girl, rising in alarm. - -"Never mind--never mind. I will tell you soon. Go now, Brenda, and -leave me to see Van Zwieten. Oh, I know how to manage him now!" - -"Is it him you mean? - -"He is worse than a murderer," Lady Jenny cried. "He is a spy!" - -"I was sure of it. But how do you know?" - -"I know; and I can't tell you how. As to the murder, he has to do with -that too. I believe he did it himself." - -"But how do you know?" repeated Brenda. "How do you know?" - -"No matter. I am sure he fired that shot, and I can prove it." - -"Prove it, and hang him!" cried Brenda, and there was bitter hatred in -her voice. - -The little widow sat down again, and the fire died out of her -eyes. "No, I cannot hang him, even though he is guilty. There are -things--oh, I can't tell you. The man must go unpunished for the sake -of--go away, child, and leave it all to me." - -"But I want to know the truth--I must save Harold!" - -"_I_ will save Harold. He is safe from Van Zwieten. As to the truth, -you shall know it when once he is out of the country." - -Brenda had to be satisfied with this, for her friend absolutely -refused to tell her any more. But she left feeling that her husband -was safe from the intrigues of the Dutchman, and that was all she -cared about. - -Left alone, Lady Jenny clenched her hands. - -"If I could only hang him!" she muttered. "But that is impossible!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. -EXIT VAN ZWIETEN. - - -As Lady Jenny had expected, Mr. van Zwieten proved himself to be a -wise man by presenting himself in her drawing-room at the appointed -hour. He was in evening dress, calm and composed as usual, and greeted -her with a low bow. She could not help admiring his self-possession. -His reputation, his liberty even, was at stake, and yet he never -turned a hair. And with these feelings uppermost, she received him -more kindly, perhaps, than she would otherwise have done. The -Dutchman, taking his cue from her, that the conversation, despite its -probable sensational character, was not to be conducted on -melodramatic lines, reciprocated her politeness. Any one seeing the -pair might have imagined that they were discussing nothing of more -importance than "Shakespeare and the musical glasses," rather than a -subject which, to one of them, at least, meant life or death. - -The hostess, in a black silk dinner dress, with a few well-chosen -jewels, looked unusually pretty in the light of the lamps, and Van -Zwieten was an admirer of pretty women, and knew well how to make -himself agreeable to them. Had the subject-matter of their -conversation been only less serious, he would have enjoyed himself. As -it was, he did not find the hour he spent with her irksome. For a few -moments the two antagonists discussed general topics, and then Lady -Jenny came suddenly to the point. The man watched her warily. Pretty -she might be, but that was no reason why he should allow her to get -the better of him. It was a duel of words, and the combatants were -well matched. - -"Well, Mr. van Zwieten," began the widow, "I suppose you were somewhat -astonished at my invitation." - -"I cannot deny that I was, my dear lady. It is, perhaps, a trifle -disconcerting to find one's rooms robbed, and then to receive an -invitation from the robber!" - -"Oh, come, that is rather harsh, is it not? It was what I should call -simple justice." - -"Indeed!" replied the other, dryly. "It would interest me to learn how -you make that out." - -"Oh, easily. I can give you two reasons. In the first place, you -threatened--did you not?--to accuse a man of a crime which you knew he -had not committed. In the second, you are a spy, to put it plainly, -and both Wilfred Burton and I felt it was our duty to secure proofs of -your guilt. We are not _all_ fools in this country!" - -"That is a charge one would hardly bring against you," returned Van -Zwieten, with emphasis, "nor against that young man. Had I suspected -him of so much cleverness, I should have taken more elaborate -precautions." - -"Ah! you should never undervalue your enemies! Well, I suppose you -know that you are in my power?" - -"And in Wilfred Burton's also!" - -"No. I can manage him. He has left the decision of this matter in my -hands. I am sure you ought to be pleased at that!" - -"I am. Because I see you mean to let me off." - -"That depends!" she said, and shot a keen glance at him. "I asked you -to come here because it was necessary that I should see you, sir--but -I despise you none the less for that. You are a spy!--the meanest of -all created creatures." - -Van Zwieten held up his hand. He was quite unmoved. "My dear lady, let -us come to business. Believe me, preaching of that kind has very -little effect on me. I might defend myself by saying that I have every -right to use craft on behalf of the Transvaal fox against the mighty -English lion, but I will content myself with holding my tongue. I -would remind you that I have very little time to spare. I intend to -leave this country to-morrow morning." - -"How do you know that I shall allow you to go?" - -"You would hardly have invited me to this interview else," Van Zwieten -said cunningly. "You have something you want from me. Well, I will -give it in exchange for my safety--and that includes, of course, your -silence." - -"It is clever of you to put it that way," responded the widow, coolly. -"It so happens that you are right. I intend to make a bargain with -you." - -"Always provided that I agree." - -"Of course," said she, airily; "but in this case I really think you -_will_ agree." - -"I am not so sure of that." Van Zwieten narrowed his eyes and blinked -wickedly. "You forget that I also know something." - -"For that reason I asked you here. Let me advise you not to pit -yourself against me, my good man, or you may get the worst of it. A -word from me and you would be kicking your heels in jail this very -night." - -"Probably." Van Zwieten had too much to gain to notice her threat. -"But you will never say that word." - -"You can't be quite sure of that yet. Well, let us get to business. I -am not anxious to spend any more time in your company than is -necessary." - -"I assure you the feeling is mutual. May I ask how you found my rooms -in Westminster?" - -"I think you know that very well after the visitor you received last -night. I was told about them and you by Mr. Wilfred Burton. He knew -long ago that you were a spy, and he has been watching you for many -months." - -"He is not so very clever then. All these months--and yet he has got -no further than this!" - -"How much further do you want him to go? He has the box with all your -papers--your treasonable papers--your orders from Dr. Leyds. Really, -Mr. van Zwieten, you should have taken a little more care of that box! -The top of a press was hardly a safe place to hide it. But perhaps you -had been reading Poe's story of the 'Purloined Letter.'" - -"Never mind what I read," he said, evidently annoyed at her flippancy. -"Let us confine ourselves to business. The idea of the disguised -policeman was yours, I suppose?" - -"Yes, sir, it was. I felt sure that the landlady would not let us -enter your room to make the search unless she was thoroughly -frightened, so I suggested that he should get himself up as a member -of the force. Our little stratagem succeeded to perfection. Mrs. -Hicks--that is her name, I believe--was terrified and let us in at -once. Then we found your box, and I sent Wilfred away with it while I -stayed and wrote my note to you. Oh, what a time we had over your -papers! You really are very clever, Mr. van Zwieten. What a lot the -Foreign Secretary would give to see what we saw and, as it happens, he -is a personal friend of mine. I might sell it, you know," she went on -coolly. "I am poor enough now, and they would give me a good price." - -"Not such a price as would recompense you for what I could say about -your husband," retorted the Dutchman. - -She laughed gaily. "Oh, that? My good man, I know all about that! Do -you think I should have taken the trouble to talk to you if I had not -known that my husband had been doing all your dirty work?" - -"Yes, he did my work," Van Zwieten said viciously. "He was my -creature--paid by me with Transvaal gold. You call _me_ a spy, Lady -Jane Malet. Your own husband was one--and not only a spy, but a -traitor!" - -"I know it," she said, and her face was very pale, "and for that -reason I am glad he is dead, terrible though his end was." - -"I dare say you helped him out of the world!" sneered Van Zwieten. - -"That is false, and you know it. I had no idea of what my husband was -until I found his papers after his death. Had I known that when he was -yet alive, I _might_ have killed him!" She clenched her hand. "Yes, I -might have shot him, the mean, cowardly hound! He spoke against the -Boers, and yet he took their money!" - -"Oh, you must not blame him for that. That was my idea." - -"It is worthy of you. Oh!"--she started up and paced the room in a -fury--"to think that I should have been married to such a creature! To -think that I should have lived on gold paid for the betrayal of my -country! The cur! The Judas! Thank God he is dead." And then, turning -abruptly on the Dutchman, "How did you gain him over to your side?" -she asked. "Gilbert was a man once--a man and a gentleman. How did you -contrive to make him a--a--thing?" - -"Easily enough," he said placidly. He could not understand why she -made all this fuss. "Two years ago I met him at Monte Carlo. I watched -him gamble and lose. I heard he was in the War Office, or had some -connection with it, so I made his acquaintance and induced him to play -still higher. We became intimate enough to discuss money matters--his, -of course--and he told me that he was very hard up. He blamed you." - -"I dare say," returned Lady Jenny, coldly. "Go on." - -"Well, I put the matter to him delicately. I asked him to find out -certain details connected with your military organization, and I told -him he would be well paid for the information. I am bound to say he -kicked at first, but I went on tempting him with bigger sums; and he -was so desperately hard up that he closed with me in the end. He soon -did all I wanted, and, once in my power, I trained him to be most -useful, but I kept on paying him well--oh, yes, I paid him very well." - -He made this villainous confession in so cool a tone that Lady Jenny -could have struck him. It was horrible to think that she had been the -wife of so degraded a creature as Van Zwieten now described her -husband to have been, and, "Thank God he is dead!" she cried again. -"It would have been worse for both of us if I had known it while he -was alive. It might have been I, then, who would have fired the shot. -But after all, I suppose it was better that he should fall by your -hand!" - -The Dutchman started from his seat. "I am a spy, Lady Jenny," he -cried, "but I am not a murderer. I leave that sort of thing to you!" - -"To me? Do you accuse me of the murder of my husband?" - -"I do. Captain Burton, while staying at your house at Chippingholt, -left his revolvers behind. You found them; you took one and stole -out after your husband and shot him. I found the weapon. Do you take -me for a fool? Where were you when you pretended to go to the -Rectory?--out in the orchards tracking your husband! You killed him -because he was in love with Mrs. Scarse. Deny it if you can!" - -"I do deny it. It was all over between him and Mrs. Scarse before he -married me. He cared so little for the poor woman that he did not go -to her when she was dying. That madman, her husband, came down to tell -Gilbert of her death. They met and had a struggle. I thought it was he -who had killed him; and indeed, if he had, I should not have blamed -him. As it was, you were the man--you, who wanted to get rid of your -tool!" - -Van Zwieten threw himself back in his chair with a laugh. "You talk -nonsense," he said roughly. "Why should I want to get rid of a man who -was useful to me? No one was more sorry than I when poor Malet died. -Not from any sentimental point of view--oh, dear no!--but because he -had become quite a necessary person to me. I found the revolver in the -grass, but it was not I who had used it. If I had," he added -cynically, "I should have no hesitation in telling you." - -"You _did_ murder him!" insisted Lady Jenny, fiercely. "I know where -you found the revolver--not, as you say, on the grass--no! it was in -the library on the night of the murder. Gilbert had been shooting at a -mark in the afternoon; and at night--at nine o'clock--I heard voices -in the library. It was you who were with him; you, who came to take -away treasonable papers from my unhappy husband. You got what you -wanted, and you got the weapon, and he went back with you to Mr. -Scarse's cottage. You wanted to get rid of him without danger to -yourself; you tried to lay the guilt on Harold Burton to rid yourself -of a rival! You shot Gilbert in the orchards, and you threw away the -revolver to implicate Harold and walked back to the cottage; you--you -murderer!--you Cain!" - -She stopped, half choked by her emotions. Van Zwieten seized the -opportunity to deny once again the truth of her accusation. - -"I tell you I did not kill Malet!" - -"Then who did?" - -"I don't know. I thought it was Captain Burton; upon my soul I did!" - -"Have you a soul?" Lady Jenny asked with scorn. "I should doubt it. -However, I stick to my opinion--I believe that you killed my husband. -Oh, you need not look alarmed, I am not going to give you up. I have -done all I wanted--I have married Harold to Brenda by telling him I -could keep you from accusing him of the murder!" - -"And can you?" sneered Van Zwieten. He was fighting every inch. - -"I am sure I can. I have your box, remember. For my husband's sake I -spare you now. I don't want an honorable name to be smirched through -him. I don't want to be pointed at as the widow of a spy and a -traitor, otherwise I would denounce you as the spy and the murderer I -truly believe you to be. This is my bargain, Mr. van Zwieten. You -leave England at once, cease to persecute Captain Burton and his wife -and I will hold my tongue." - -"And if I refuse?" he asked sullenly. - -"If you refuse I will have you arrested as you leave this house. You -think I can't do that, but I can. I have made all my preparations. I -have left nothing to chance. One does not leave things to chance in -dealing with a man like you, Mr. van Zwieten," she sneered. "Wilfred -Burton is outside with a couple of policemen. I have only to whistle -and they will come up." - -But Van Zwieten was not so easily bluffed. "On what grounds, may I -ask?" he said. "If you wanted to keep this matter quiet for the sake -of your husband, you would not have told the police." - -"I have told them nothing about your spying business," she said -calmly. "You will be arrested on a charge of being concerned in the -murder of my husband, and I can assure you that if you are so arrested -I will press the charge. On the other hand, if you agree to my terms, -I will let you go free. I can easily make things right with the police -by telling them that I have been mistaken. Oh, all this is not -regular, I know; but I have some little political influence, and I am -using it for my own benefit--and for yours, if it comes to that." - -He looked at her savagely. Had he obeyed his inclinations he would -have wrung her neck. It was gall and wormwood to him to be beaten so -thoroughly by a woman. But being in England, and not in a country like -the Transvaal, where such a trifling matter as murder would be winked -at, he had to suppress his homicidal desires. Quickly reviewing the -situation, he could see nothing for it but to yield to the superior -power of the enemy. Twist and wriggle as he might, there was no chance -of escaping from the trap she had prepared for him. The game was up -and there remained only the Transvaal. - -"Well!" Lady Jenny asked imperiously, "what have you to say? Will you -give me your promise to leave Brenda and her husband unmolested and to -leave England at once, or will you allow yourself to be arrested and -have all the world know what manner of life yours has been?" - -"If you had me exposed, you also would suffer." - -"My husband's name would be smirched. I know that, but I am prepared -to run that risk. If I had the misfortune to be the wife of a -scoundrel, that was not my fault. But I am getting tired of all this. -I give you five minutes to make up your mind." - -Van Zwieten assumed a cheerful demeanor. He would take the sting of -this defeat by accepting it with a good grace. "There is no need for -me to consider the matter, dear lady," he said, "I am willing to -accept your terms." - -"Very good. Then you leave England----" - -"To-morrow morning." - -"And you will make no further accusations against Captain Burton?" - -"No. It would appear that he is innocent." - -"And you will not annoy his wife?" - -"Since she is his wife, I will promise that also." - -"In that case I need detain you no longer, Mr. van Zwieten." - -"One moment. My papers; what about them? Am I not to have them?" - -The audacity of this demand took away the little woman's breath. "No! -Certainly not," she replied sharply. "I should lose my hold over you -if I gave them up. Besides, you have given quite enough information to -your friend Dr. Leyds. You shall not give any more if I can help it." - -"Then what security have I that you will let me go free?" - -"You have my word. And, after all, there are no guarantees on either -side. What security have I for your silence save the holding of these -papers? I know very well that as soon as you think you are safe you -will do what injury you can to Captain Burton. But I can thwart you -there too, Mr. van Zwieten. Your wish is to go to the British camp as -a war correspondent. You would betray all our plans to the enemy. -Well, sir, I forbid you to stay with my countrymen. If I hear--as I -assuredly will hear that you are in our camp, I will at once disclose -the contents of the box, and instructions shall be sent to the front -for your arrest. I can checkmate you on every point." - -"What about Captain Burton's life? You can't protect that. If you -drive me to join the Boers, I can easily have him shot." - -Seeing there was no more to be said, he rose to go. At the door he -paused. "You have forced me to consent to what you wished," he said, -"as I can do nothing against the power you have unlawfully gained over -me by stealing my papers. But I give you fair warning that I love -Brenda madly, and that I intend to make her my wife in spite of -Captain Burton. Once in the Transvaal, I shall join hands openly with -my adopted country. Then let Burton look to himself, for I will do my -best to make his wife a widow." - -"The future is in the hands of God," Lady Jenny said solemnly. "You -can go, Mr. van Zwieten." - -He bowed ironically and went without another word. He was glad to have -escaped so easily; for, after all, he could do as he liked when he was -beyond the reach of pursuit. Once he was in the Transvaal, Lady Jenny -might show the papers as much as she wished. Had she been wise, he -thought, she would have kept him as a hostage. But she had let her -chance slip, and he was free to plot and scheme. Needless to say, he -intended to keep none of the promises he had made. - -Then he went out into the night, slipped past three men, whom he -recognized as Wilfred and the constables, and so took his departure -like a whipped hound. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. -A TERRIBLE LETTER. - - -Then succeeded a period of waiting and heart-breaking expectation, -which Brenda, in common with many of her fellow-countrymen, bore with -quiet heroism. Glencoe, Elandslaagte, Rietfontein were fought, and -victory crowned the British arms; but the triumphs were only achieved -at a bitter cost. - -The eyes of the world were eagerly fixed on this first example of -modern warfare since the Franco-German campaign; and the military -experts of Europe were anxious to learn how the use of scientific -weapons of terrible destructive force would affect the warfare of the -future. It was soon seen that battles would resolve themselves into -artillery duels, since no human beings could stand up against the hail -of shot and shell hurled incessantly from repeating machines such as -the Mauser, Nordenfelt and Maxim. That the British troops should brave -the fury of this death-storm proved to the onlooking world how -brightly the valor for their sires burned in their hearts. Even the -grudging critics of the Continent could not withhold their tribute of -admiration at this matchless daring. - -Mr. Scarse had taken a small house, and Brenda lived with him. They -had been very happy together since their reconciliation--as happy, at -least, as they could be while Harold was at the front. He was with -Buller, who, sheltered behind the Tugela River, had not yet commenced -to move. How eagerly Brenda scanned the papers through those days of -suspense! Wilfred had gone out as a war correspondent, and when his -brilliant letters appeared, with what delight she read them over and -over again. Mr. Scarse still denounced the war as an unjust one, and -unnecessary to boot, and said so in public when he could. Seeing it -was useless to attempt to alter her father's views, Brenda never -mentioned the subject; and so they got on very well together. -Occasionally there came a letter from Harold; then Brenda was happy -for the day, for he always wrote full of hope and courage. - -Lady Jenny Malet still lingered in England. She had let her Curzon -Street house and was staying at a quiet hotel. Knowing, as she did, -that Van Zwieten was not wholly crushed, she did not feel inclined to -leave the country until she felt tolerably certain that Harold was -safe from him. His box she kept in her own possession and showed to no -one. Only in the event of Van Zwieten playing the traitor in Natal -would she produce them. For no other reason would she smirch the -memory of her husband. She had arranged with Wilfred that, if the spy -were found in the British camp, information should be sent to her at -once. Then she would see the authorities, and he should be dealt with -according to martial law. She explained this to Brenda. - -"Wilfred is with Harold," she said, "and he will look after him. Van -Zwieten knows that on the first sign of his breaking his promise I -shall not spare him." - -"But how will that affect him out there?" the girl asked dolefully. - -"It won't affect him if he is openly on the side of the enemy; but if -he is spying in the British camps he will be taken and shot. I don't -think he can be with General Buller or Wilfred would have denounced -him. He is probably at the Modder." - -"But he may be with the enemy?" - -"He may be. I have heard nothing of him since he left London. He went -over to the Continent--so Wilfred found out--and sailed in a German -liner for Delagoa Bay. Yes, he might be with the Boer forces, but I -doubt it." - -"Why do you doubt it?" - -"My dear, Van Zwieten can do no harm to your husband except by -treachery. Of course he might shoot him, or have him shot in open -battle; but, after all, there would not be the same amount of -certainty about that as there would be if he were to get rid of him by -underhand means." - -"It is terrible!" cried Brenda, wringing her hands. "I don't mind -Harold fighting as a soldier should--all the other men are doing the -same--but to have a private enemy like Van Zwieten is dreadful." - -"I don't think he will find it so easy to do Harold any harm. After -all, Brenda, your husband is no fool, and he is on his guard." - -"I do wish I could go out to the front." - -"With what object? You could do nothing to protect him, and he would -only worry about you. Better stay at home, my dear, and try to possess -your soul in patience. It is hard, I know; but remember you are not -the only one." - -Brenda took the advice, and strove to calm herself by constant -occupation. She made every sort of comfort she could think of for her -husband, and sent him everything that might by the remotest chance be -useful to him. This was her great solace, and her father, seeing how -it cheered her, gave her every encouragement. But it was a terrible -time. Every day brought some fresh sorrow. The Belmont and Graspan -victories cheered the nation somewhat; but a period of gloom -succeeded, and news came of Gatacre's reverse and the failure of -Buller to cross the Tugela. It was then that the suspense became -almost too much for Mrs. Burton, for Harold was in the thick of the -fighting, and on the very scene of the disasters. - -But the long-expected blow fell in due time, and, as usual, when least -anticipated. - -One morning Mr. Scarse came down first to breakfast, and, as usual, -eagerly scanned the papers. When his daughter entered the room she saw -at once that something dreadful had happened. - -"What is it, father?" she asked, and held out her hand for the _Daily -Mail_. - -"Nothing, my dear--nothing!" was his answer. But he kept the paper in -his hand. "Only the usual disasters. Oh, this unholy war!" - -"Harold--oh, father, tell me the truth--he is wounded--dead! Oh, -Harold, Harold!" - -"No, no," cried her father, with eagerness, "he is not wounded." - -"Then he is killed!" shrieked Brenda. - -"Not at all; if he were I should tell you." - -She snatched the paper from his hand and spread it out; but tears -blinded her, and she could not read a word. "For God's sake, tell me -the worst!" was her cry. "Is my darling--is Harold----" - -"He is missing!" Mr. Scarse said roughly. "Don't look like that, -Brenda. He may have been taken prisoner, and then he would be all -right." - -"Missing!" echoed the poor young wife. "Oh, poor Harold, pray God he -is not dead!" - -"Of course he's not. His name would be amongst the killed if he were. -He is missing--that is all. He was taken prisoner, no doubt, at the -passage of the Tugela. Hope for the best, Brenda." - -"Van Zwieten," she said faintly. "I hope this is none of his work." - -"Not it. If he had been in the neighborhood Wilfred would have let us -know. This is only one of the ordinary chances of war. You should be -thankful, my dear, that he isn't on the list of killed or wounded. The -chances are that he is a prisoner, and in safety." - -"I hope so! I hope so! But, father, let us go down to the War Office!" - -"The War Office will know no more than is in this paper." - -"I want to make certain of that. Come, father." - -"My dear child, you have eaten nothing. You must have some breakfast -first." - -"I can't eat." - -"You must. Bear yourself as an Englishwoman should, Brenda. Think how -many women there are at this moment mourning over the death of their -dearest. You, at least, have hope--it might have been far worse." - -Brenda, agitated as she was, could not but admit the truth of this, -and she forced herself to eat. She would need all her strength to bear -up against this cruel blow. After all, as her father had very rightly -said, things were far from being as bad as they might have been. Her -husband's name might have been on the list of those killed or -dangerously wounded. As it was he was only missing. News of him might -come at any time. She reproached herself with ingratitude toward a -kind Providence. In a more cheerful frame of mind she finished her -breakfast and got ready to go down to the War Office with her father. -There she had an object-lesson in seeing the endurance of women whose -news was as bad as it could be. If her own trouble was hard to bear, -how infinitely harder was the lot of those whose dead lay on the -stricken field. - -"Father! father!" she whispered, "I should not repine. I am so much -better off than these poor things!" - -The news of the Tugela disaster had brought a large crowd to the War -Office, and a vast number of people had collected in the street. Men -and women were scanning the fatal lists, and many a heartrending sight -did the girl see as she stood there waiting for her father, who had -gone into the office to see if he could gain any definite news about -his son-in-law. Outside, a proud old lady sat waiting in her carriage. -She bore herself with dignity, but her face was ashen white. And as -Brenda stood there, she saw a girl come out and stagger into the -carriage. No word was spoken, but in a storm of weeping she threw -herself on the old lady's breast. And the older woman neither wept nor -cried out, but drove silently away with the distracted girl beside -her, and she was a woman who had given her country of the best she had -to offer--the life of her son. - -"Oh, poor woman! poor woman!" wept Brenda. - -There was a silence as of death in that crowded office, save for now -and again a low whisper or a stifled sob. And still the people came -and went and came again. Brenda waited with sinking heart. When would -her father come? Would he bring good news or bad? She braced herself -up to bear the worst. - -"It is all right, Brenda," she heard him say at last--he had come up -behind her as she stood watching the crowd outside. "Harold is safe!" - -"Oh, thank God for that!" she gasped, clinging to his arm. "He is not -wounded, is he?" - -"No! He is a prisoner. He was out with a detachment of his men on -patrol duty, and the Boers captured the whole lot. I expect he will be -sent to Pretoria, so you need not be anxious now, my dear." - -"I don't--I don't know," she cried feverishly. "If Van Zwieten is -there he won't escape so easily." - -"Nonsense! Van Zwieten is not omnipotent, as you seem to think. Thank -God that your husband is safe, child, and don't go out to meet your -troubles." - -"I do--I do. I am grateful. Oh, the poor women! The poor fatherless -children! Oh, father, what a terrible thing war is!" - -"It is indeed," sighed Mr. Scarse. "I remember the Crimea and all the -misery it brought. That is why I was so anxious to avert this war. But -we are in the midst of it now and we must go through with it. At all -events, Brenda, your husband is safe. There will be no more fighting -for him." - -"I'm sorry for that," she said, much to his surprise. "Harold will eat -his heart out now. I would rather he were fighting." - -"You are not easy to please, my dear," said her father, drily. "So far -as his safety is concerned, he is in the best position. You need not -be afraid to look at the papers now." - -"I am foolish, I know, father. But I wish he had not been taken. I -don't want him to be wrapped up in cotton wool while other men are -fighting." - -"He would agree with you there. However, you must look upon it as the -fortune of war. He will have to stay where he is till peace is -proclaimed, and God knows when that will be in the present temper of -this misguided nation. Come home now." - -So home they went and did their best to take a cheerful view of -things. It was a sad Christmas for Brenda, and for hundreds of other -women who had suffered far more severely than she had done. To hear of -"peace and goodwill" was like mockery in her ears. She knew that the -war was a just one; that it had been forced upon England by the -ambition of an obstinate old man and that in going through with this -terrible business the country was fulfilling, as ever, her appointed -mission of civilization. But even so, it was terrible to open the -papers and read sad tales of grief and disaster. Hundreds of young -lives--the flower of British manhood--were being sacrificed to the -horrible Moloch of war; and the end was not yet in sight. - -Toward the end of December the nation had been somewhat cheered by the -news of General French's victory at Colesberg, but the year ended in -gloom and sorrow and the wailing of Rachel for her children. And on -the Continent the enemies of freedom and honest government rejoiced at -the blows an enlightened Government was receiving. Truly, in those -dark hours, Britannia was the Niobe of nations. But she set her teeth -and fought on. - -No letter had come from Wilfred about his brother's disappearance; -neither did he mention it in the columns of the paper of which he was -correspondent. The first news which Mrs. Burton received, other than -from the War Office, was a letter which arrived one morning with the -Transvaal postmark. In fear and trembling she opened it, thinking it -contained an announcement from some kind soul in Pretoria that Harold -was dead. To her astonishment and horror it proved to be from Van -Zwieten, and was addressed to her, "care of" Mrs. St. Leger. She -opened it, and was found later on by the parlor-maid in a dead faint. -The first thing she did on regaining consciousness was to read it -again. As she got to the end, she heard her father's step. In a tremor -of excitement she ran to him. - -"Oh, father, look at this it is from Van Zwieten--written from -Pretoria." - -Mr. Scarse was astonished. The Dutchman was the last person in the -world from whom he expected to hear. But the cool insolence of the man -seemed to be beyond all bounds. Putting on his glasses he read the -letter. Brenda sat beside him, trying to control her excitement. And -this was what he read: - - -"DEAR MRS. BURTON,--Your husband has been taken prisoner by our -burghers, and is now in Pretoria, and more or less in my charge. I -write to you to say that unless you come out to me here, at once, I -will have your husband shot as a spy. There is plenty of evidence to -allow of this being done. I hope, therefore, that you will save his -life by obeying my orders. If not, you may expect to hear of his -death. You know I never speak vainly.--Yours with all love, - -"WALDO VAN ZWIETEN." - - -"Father!" cried Brenda, when he had finished reading this cold-blooded -letter, "what is to be done? My poor boy!" - -"It is a trick to get you out there and into his power," said Mr. -Scarse, in a tone of decision. "I don't believe he can do it--no, not -for one moment." - -"But I am quite sure he can. You know how vindictive he is. Oh, how -can we save Harold?" - -"By seeing the authorities. I will get a request sent out to Kruger; -he is a God-fearing man and would not permit this atrocity." - -"It will do no good," the girl said, shaking her head sadly. "No, -father, I dare say if such a request were cabled to the President he -would do his best; but Van Zwieten would try and kill Harold in the -meantime, and if he succeeded--as he would succeed--he would say it -was an accident." - -"I believe he is capable of anything. But what else is to be done? You -cannot obey this insolent demand!" - -"I must--to save Harold!" - -"Go out to Pretoria?--impossible!" - -"I don't see that," she said fervently. "I can go to Delagoa Bay by -some German ship--the German ships go there, don't they?--and from -there I can take the train to Pretoria. It is quite simple. Then I -will see Van Zwieten and trick him into letting Harold be under some -one else's care for a time. Then I shall speak to the President and -tell him all. I am sure he will help me, and I shall be able to take -Harold away. Then Van Zwieten won't have a chance of shooting him, as -he would have if a cable were sent. Leave the matter to me, father. I -am a woman, and Van Zwieten is in love with me. I can blind him and -trick him." - -Her father looked at her in astonishment. She had evidently made up -her mind to go out and get the better of the Dutchman, as she said. - -"It is a mad scheme, Brenda!" - -"It is the only scheme I can think of by which I can save my husband." - -"But, Brenda, listen to reason. Think what a scoundrel Van Zwieten -is!" - -"All the more reason that I should save Harold from him." - -"He might insist, as a condition of you husband's safety, that you and -he be divorced. These things can be arranged, you know. And then he -would marry you himself. He is capable of making the most impossible -demands." - -"I dare say. I know he is capable of any villainy. But you leave the -matter to me, father, and I will think of some scheme by which I can -get the better of him. One thing is certain--I must go at once to -Pretoria." - -"But, Brenda, you cannot travel alone." - -"Lady Jenny will come with me. If she will not, then I shall go alone. -Do you think I care for appearances when Harold is in danger of his -life? I will plead with Kruger--with his wife--I am sure they will -help me." - -"H'm! Remember, Kruger is not omnipotent, and Van Zwieten is powerful. -The President may not care to offend him. Besides, you can see for -yourself, from this letter, that the man is still in love with you. -Once he got you into his power he would stick at nothing that would -make you a free woman." - -"In that case I would die with Harold. But I don't believe the Boers -are so uncivilized. Kruger will help me--I feel sure of it. You say he -is a good man." - -"He is," Mr. Scarse said. He was one of the few people who had fallen -into this error. "Yes, if anything can be done, Kruger is the man who -will do it." - -"Then, dear father, will you make inquiries for me about a German -ship? I want to go as soon as possible." - -"Not alone, Brenda--not alone," said her father. "I will go with you. -Yes, child, I will myself see the President. He knows how I have -advocated his views in this country, and he will not refuse me this. -We will go together." - -She threw her arms round his neck. "Darling father," she murmured, -"how good you are. Yes, we will go, and save my darling from that -wicked man. Lady Jenny outwitted him, so I will do the same. Oh, how -astonished Harold will be to see me at Pretoria!" - - - - -CHAPTER XX. -ON THE TRACK. - - -Brenda Burton was a singularly obstinate young woman. Once she had -decided upon a scheme she never rested until she had carried it -through. And being thus minded toward the affairs of everyday life, -how much more obstinate was she likely to be touching a matter -concerning the safety of her husband. Leaving Mr. Scarse to make his -arrangements--and he had much to do--she herself ascertained full -particulars as to the route, and the cost of the journey. - -"We can make for the Canary Islands to-morrow," she told her father. -"There is a Castle liner leaving in the afternoon. There we can pick -up the German boat, _Kaiser Fritz_, which goes on to Delagoa Bay." - -"Can't we go straight to the Cape in an English boat and get a steamer -there to the bay?" - -"Oh, yes, but the other way will be quicker, I think. The day after we -arrive at the Canaries we can pick up the German boat, and we sha'n't -have to transship at the Cape. I don't think we can do better." - -"Well, as you please," said he. "I should like to go in the _Kaiser -Fritz_ myself; it would afford me an excellent opportunity for -learning the true opinions of the Germans about this--to my -thinking--most unjust war." - -Brenda shrugged her shoulders. "I dare say they will be disagreeable," -she said. "They are so jealous of us, and if our country went -to the wall--which she never will do," interpolated she, -patriotically--"Germany would be in a very bad position. She would -not be the overwhelming power she hopes to be with France and Russia -at her heels. But don't let us talk politics. All I want is to make -use of their boat to reach Delagoa Bay. Give me a check, father, and I -will take the passages. To-morrow you must be ready to get as far as -Southampton." - -So, like the quick-witted woman she was, she attended to all the -business, and her father found, to his astonishment, that he had -nothing to do but step on board the liner. Lady Jenny Malet came to -see them off. She could do nothing against Van Zwieten at present; but -there was no knowing what he might do at any moment, and they must be -prepared to checkmate him. So she gave Mrs. Burton a registered -address, in case she might have to communicate with her, and did her -best to cheer her. - -"I feel sure you will find him all right, dear," she said, as she -kissed the girl. "He is not the man to be shot by a scoundrel like Van -Zwieten. And you can coax Kruger into doing what you want. You are -pretty enough to do what you like with him." - -Brenda smiled faintly--the first smile for many day's. "I don't think -that will have much influence with a man like Kruger," she said. - -"Nonsense, my dear. He is a man, and men are always susceptible. I'm -sure you have had enough experience of that," sighed Lady Jenny. "All -your troubles have arisen out of that horrid Van Zwieten being in love -with you." - -Brenda was not much comforted by this view of the situation. She hoped -rather to move Mr. Kruger by an appeal to his religious convictions, -though these were of the stern cast of the Old Testament. However, it -was in a very hopeful frame of mind that she went on board the liner, -and she cabled to Wilfred at Spearman's Camp telling him that she was -coming out. In the hope of making things as safe as possible for her -husband, she cabled also to Van Zwieten. Surely, when he received -that, he would do nothing at all events, until he had seen and come to -terms with her. What those terms would be she could not guess. But she -imagined they would include a suggestion that she should obtain a -divorce from Harold. He was, as she well knew, quite as obstinate as -his respected President--and with none of his morality or his -religion. In fact, Brenda was going to Pretoria without any sort of -definite idea save one--that somehow or other she would save her -husband from this man. That was her sole object, and achieve it she -would by hook or by crook; and she had every confidence in her own -capacity to outwit the Dutchman, wily as he was. And the days of calm -and peace on board the boat afforded her ample time for conjecture and -reflection. She had grown now to hate this man with a hatred that -would only be appeased by his destruction. - -They made a quick run to the islands, and the sea air did her the -world of good. There were many passengers on board; but to no one of -them did she in any way confide. Sad at heart, she kept very much to -herself, and either read or indulged in her own thoughts. Her -father was, socially speaking, anything but popular among his -fellow-passengers. Air his Little England opinions he would, with the -result that the majority of the passengers, having relatives at the -front, gave him a wide berth. He made not a single convert; and all -those whom he tried to argue round to his own way of thinking were -glad enough when he got off at Madeira. - -The _Kaiser Fritz_ came up to time and Brenda soon found herself on -the way south. She did not much fancy the foreign boat--officers, crew -and passengers being all pro-Boer to a man. They were polite enough to -the English lady, but they took no trouble to disguise their real -opinions. The captain expressed some surprise that she should be going -to Delagoa Bay, and seemed inclined to suspect some political -significance in her doing so, though it was difficult to see what -grounds he could have had for such an absurd idea. And Mrs. Burton did -not enlighten him, but left the matter to her father. Mr. Scarse -intimated that his daughter was going to Pretoria to nurse her wounded -husband, an explanation which seemed to appeal to the sentimental -Germans. After that they were increasingly polite to her. But she -preferred her own cabin. Her father was more companionable; but even -he found but scant pleasure in their outspoken opinions on the subject -of England, and her inevitable downfall, as they put it. Even he, with -his Little England proclivities, felt his patriotism awake in the most -alarming manner at the way these foreigners jeered and scoffed. -Smarting under the insults, he developed quite a Jingo feeling, much -to his daughter's amusement; and he ended by withdrawing himself as -much as possible from the society of all on board. Father and daughter -were a good deal together, and both looked forward eagerly to the end -of a disagreeable voyage. - -One night, when they were south of the Line, they were on deck -together. The heavens were bright with stars, and the great grey -circle of the sea lay round them like a trackless desert. Most of -those on board were down below, and the two had the deck to -themselves. Brenda was disinclined for conversation. Her mind was, as -usual, full of thoughts of her husband, and the only feeling she -seemed cognizant of was one of joy in the thought that every day was -bringing her nearer to him. Mr. Scarse broke the silence. - -"Brenda," he said, "did Lady Jenny say anything about that murder?" - -"Very little. She said that Van Zwieten had accused her of the crime, -and that she was innocent. Of course I told her that I had never -dreamed of such a thing, and never would have credited it for one -moment." - -"H'm! At one time I thought myself that she might be guilty," he said. -"But I know now that I was wrong. That piece of crape certainly was -suspicious. But poor Scarse told me that in his struggle with Malet -the scarf had been torn. I never noticed it myself when I burned it. I -suppose that Malet kept it in his hand without being aware of it." - -"Very likely. At all events, I am sure Lady Jenny is innocent--as -innocent as my uncle. He is happy, I hope?" - -"In the asylum? Yes, poor fellow, he is as happy as he can be -anywhere. He has every comfort, and kind treatment. But I fear he will -not live long. Van Zwieten gave him a fright by threatening to -denounce him for the murder, unless he told his sad story. Some of it -he did tell, but not all. I was foolish enough to relate the rest of -it to Van Zwieten. But I had no alternative at the time. He was quite -capable of making a scandal. Brenda, who did kill Malet? Every day the -thing seems to become more obscure." - -"Well, father, I can't help thinking it was Van Zwieten. Lady Jenny -thinks so too." - -"You don't say so? But the revolver--it was Harold's." - -"Harold left them--that is, he left a case of two revolvers behind -him, and both were in the library--in Mr. Malet's library on that -night. Van Zwieten came to see him, and took one of them with him--at -least, that is what Lady Jenny thinks." - -"Brenda, that sounds improbable. Why should he kill Malet? He hardly -knew him, child." - -"Indeed, you are wrong there, father," she said, "he knew him only too -well. Listen!" and she related the story the widow had told her -concerning her husband's treachery toward his own country. Mr. Scarse -was deeply indignant and indulged in language unusually strong for -him. Little Englander though he was, and misguided on many points -though he might be, he was an honest and an honorable man; and he -could not understand how a man in Mr. Malet's position could have so -deliberately played the part of traitor. When he was in possession of -all the facts, he quite agreed with Brenda that Van Zwieten was the -culprit. - -"Then we'll bring him to book," he said angrily. "I will force him to -confess." - -"That will do no good, father. The truth cannot come to light without -the story of Mr. Malet's treachery being known; and Lady Jenny is more -than anxious to avoid that. No, Van Zwieten must be left to the -punishment of his own conscience." - -"I don't think that will trouble him much," Mr. Scarse said grimly. -"How I have been deceived in that man! I am sure, when I tell Kruger -his true character, he will have nothing to do with him." - -Brenda did not contradict this statement, although she felt pretty -certain that the foxy old President was very little better himself. -How her father could reconcile the opinion he held that Kruger was an -honest, harmless old man with the fact that he had forced this -terrible war upon England was more than she could understand. She -wondered if, when her father got to Pretoria, his discovery of the -true aims of the Transvaal Government would be at all modified. But of -this she had her doubts. He was the most obstinate of men, and an -angel from heaven could not have altered his opinion once it had been -formed. Knowing this, she never argued with him. It was absolutely -futile, and only caused trouble. - -At the Cape the vessel stopped for a time. Brenda did not go ashore. -She felt too sad and heavy at heart to take any interest in the sight -of new scenes and new people. She sat on the deck and looked at the -smiling land, at the glitter of the water as it danced in the hot -tropical sun. The azure of sky and sea, the transports, merchant -ships, and men-of-war, the whiteness of the city set in groves of -green, the whole lying under the shadow of Table Mountain, all went to -form a picture unsurpassable in its peculiar beauty. It was her first -sight of Africa. But it might be Harold's grave, and she hated it for -its very beauty. She would have had all Nature mourn for her dear one. - -Mr. Scarse went on shore and returned with the latest war news. The -tactics seemed to be mostly of a defensive order. General French had -driven back a Boer force which had attacked Colesberg, and the gallant -Ladysmith garrison had repelled a terrible assault. The Cape Town -people were in high glee over this last success, anticipating, as they -did, that the Boers would now be disheartened. And no doubt it might -have had this effect for a time; but the Teutonic race is not so -easily beaten or discouraged. Mr. Scarse remarked on this when they -left for Delagoa Bay. - -"The difficulty of this war," he said, "is, that for the first time -Teuton is fighting against Teuton. The very dogged courage which has -enabled us to win so many battles against the Latin nations is being -used against us by the Boers. We do not know when we are beaten -either. But this will not be the easy task we thought, and the -struggle will go on till one or other of the combatants is utterly -crushed." - -"Oh, England will win!" Brenda said confidently. - -"I believe she will. I can't imagine England being beaten. But, as I -said before, it will be no easy task. By this time they have found -that out. My wonder is that they could not see that England had met a -foe with courage and determination equal to her own. If she conquers, -it will be one of her greatest achievements." - -"She _will_ conquer," his daughter repeated, and she refused to -discuss the subject further. That Britain could fail never entered her -head. - -The _Kaiser Fritz_ did not stop at Durban, somewhat to the -astonishment of Mr. Scarse, as he had understood that it was -customary, and on applying to the captain he received a gruff and -discourteous reply. The man seemed anxious, and was always sweeping -the sea with his glass. There was one other Englishman on board, and -Mr. Scarse asked him if he could make out what all this anxiety and -incivility meant. - -"Perhaps she's got contraband goods on board. Ammunition and guns," -was the reply. "These boats usually call at Durban! My own opinion is -that the captain does not want to have his ship searched." - -"But, my dear sir, Germany is neutral." - -"I dare say," the young fellow said with a grin. "Germany is anything -that suits her book. If she can smuggle in ammunition to assist the -Boers you may be sure she will do it. My good sir, what with -mercenaries in the Boer army, bread-stuffs, ammunition, guns and -rifles being imported, we are fighting, not only the Transvaal, but -the entire Continent of Europe. The Powers would give their ears to -see us smashed!" - -This was a somewhat new view to take of the matter, and one which did -not commend itself to Mr. Scarse. He had looked upon the Boers as a -handful of honest, God-fearing farmers--his favorite expression when -speaking of them--struggling for their freedom against the -overwhelming power of Great Britain. That they had colossal armaments, -hundreds of mercenaries, and clever agents scheming for them all over -the world, had never entered his head. In further conversations with -this young Englishman he received considerable enlightenment, and he -began to modify his views somewhat as to the absolute guilessness of -Oom Paul and his gang. But he kept his opinions to himself. - -The _Kaiser Fritz_ did not slip past Durban as her captain had -expected. When at dawn she was almost abreast of that port she was -brought to by an English cruiser. There was a polite signal to "Heave -to!" and the German captain, with much bad language, felt himself -forced to comply with the request. The news travelled quickly through -the ship, and every one came on deck, amongst the foreigners being -Brenda and her father and the young Englishman. The Germans were -savage, and talked a great deal about the insult to the flag of the -Fatherland. Abuse of England was rife, and as she listened Brenda felt -her blood boil. - -Under the saffron sky of the dawn lay the menacing form of the -cruiser, displaying the glorious flag of England. Across the deep blue -of the sea came a large boat manned by the bluejackets, and no sooner -were they alongside than a smart officer jumped on deck with a request -to see the papers of the _Kaiser Fritz_. The captain blustered and -swore in high and low Dutch; but the officer, though scrupulously -polite, was quite firm. At last the papers were produced and examined, -but no contraband goods appearing on the manifest, the vessel was -allowed to proceed on her way, to the unbounded delight of the -captain, whilst the English officer swore under his breath. The latter -felt confident that there were guns and ammunition on board, and that -the manifest was false. However, he had to appear satisfied, and -prepared to return to his ship. But before leaving, he asked if Mr. -Scarse and Mrs. Burton were on board. - -"I am Mr. Scarse," said that gentleman, a good deal surprised to hear -his name suddenly spoken by this stranger, "and this is Mrs. Burton. -But how did you know we were here?" - -"I will explain that when you are on board our boat, sir." - -"But we are going on to Delagoa Bay," said Brenda. - -"In search of Captain Burton?" returned the lieutenant. "In that case -there is no need for you to go further. Captain Burton has escaped, -and is now at Durban." - -Poor Brenda nearly fainted at this joyful and unexpected news; but the -eyes of the ship--envious foreign eyes--were upon her, and she -struggled bravely to keep herself in hand. The officer repeated his -information, and asked them to get their things together with all -speed as the German was anxious to proceed. Hardly believing the -joyful news that Harold was out of the power of Van Zwieten, father -and daughter went below, hastily got together their belongings, and -were soon on their way to the cruiser. The Germans gave vent to an -ironical "Hoch!" - -"Brutes!" muttered the lieutenant. "Give way, men! Are you -comfortable, Mrs. Burton?" - -"Quite--thank you," she said; "but how did you know I was on board -that _Kaiser Fritz?_ How did Captain Burton escape? How did----" - -"You will get answers to all these questions on board the _Juno_, Mrs. -Burton. But I may tell you that we expected to find you and Mr. Scarse -on board the _Kaiser Fritz_. Of course we came in search of -contraband; but we were able to kill two birds with one stone by -picking you up as well. I am very glad of it too!" and the young man, -who had the true sailor's eye for beauty, looked as though he meant -what he said. - -The boat slipped under the grey bulk of the cruiser, and they were -assisted up the side--a matter of some difficulty in mid-ocean--and -were received by the captain. Then he anxiously asked for his -officer's report concerning the suspected contraband. It was evidently -a disappointment to him, and full steam ahead for Durban was then -ordered. The boat was swung on the davits, the screw revolved, and in -a few moments the _Juno_ was getting along at a great rate. Then the -captain took Brenda by the arm and led her down to a cabin. - -"You know that your husband has escaped, Mrs. Burton?" he asked, -smiling. - -"Yes, but how did he get away? I feel so bewildered at all----" - -"Will you walk in there, please?" was the reply. "Some one is waiting -to explain." - -Brenda began to tremble. Something told her what she might expect. As -she entered, she saw a man in khaki, tall and slim, waiting for her -with outstretched arms. She uttered a cry of joy. "Oh, Harold! Harold! -my darling boy! At last! at last!" - -And she fell into her husband's arms. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. -IN SOUTH AFRICA. - - -It was indeed Harold--thinner, perhaps, than when he had left England, -but bronzed and hardened, and fit in every way for the arduous work of -the campaign. Brenda clung to him as though she would never let him -go. She looked upon him as one who had been snatched from the jaws of -death; and assuredly he would have found a grave in Pretoria had he -been left to the tender mercies of Van Zwieten. He, on his side, was -delighted and moved beyond words at her tenderness, and at her pluck -in undertaking a toilsome and dangerous journey to be near him. It was -some time before husband and wife recovered themselves sufficiently to -exchange confidences. Brenda cried in spite of her brave spirit, for -the joy of this unexpected meeting had shaken her nerves. When she had -regained her composure, and was able to speak, it was to congratulate -her husband on his escape from Pretoria, and from the dangerous -custody of Van Zwieten. He laughed outright. - -"That is just where you make the mistake, my love!" he said. "I never -was in or near Pretoria, and I have seen nothing of Van Zwieten since -I left England. What on earth makes you think so?" - -She sat down and looked at him in astonishment. "I don't understand -you," she said. "You were reported missing. I went to the War Office -myself and made certain that the report was correct." - -"That is true enough. I was out on patrol duty with a small force -while the General was trying to force the passage of the Tugela. A -party of Boers took us by surprise and captured us; but after a week -in their custody I was lucky enough to escape. I'll tell you all about -it later. What I want to know now is how you come to be out in these -parts." - -"Don't you know? Van Zwieten wrote to me saying that you were at -Pretoria and under his charge, and that he would have you shot if I -did not come out to see him. Father and I set off at once, and we were -on our way to Pretoria to see the President and implore him to save -you from that man." - -"Brenda, are you sure of what you are saying? It is all new to me." - -"Here is his letter. I always carry it with me. I was going to show it -to Kruger when I saw him." - -Harold took the letter, which his wife produced from her pocketbook, -and read it with a frown. "Well, he is a scoundrel!" he remarked as he -gave it back to her. "Of course, it is a trap, and a very clever one. -I suppose he heard that I was missing, through the Boer spies, and he -turned the information to his own advantage. Don't you see, Brenda, he -wanted you to come out to the Transvaal so that you might be in his -power." - -"The beast!" cried she, crimson at having been so tricked. "I assure -you, Harold, I believed the letter was written in all good faith. The -War Office said you were missing, and I thought you would be -transferred with the other prisoners to Pretoria. That Van Zwieten -should be there, and that you should be in his power, did not surprise -me in the least. I never dreamed for a moment that it was a trick. Oh, -how lucky it was that you were able to stop me! How did you know I was -on board the _Kaiser Fritz?_" - -"Easily enough. You cabled to Wilfred telling him so. He was at -Spearman's Camp at the time, and so was I. When he showed it to me I -could not understand at first how it was that you were going to -Pretoria; but it struck me that, as I was reported missing, you might -think that I had been transferred to the Transvaal capital. I made up -my mind that I would stop you at Cape Town. My first idea was to -wire to meet you there; but the General wanted some one to send down -to Durban about some business, and I contrived to have myself selected -for the task. There I heard that the _Kaiser Fritz_ was suspected of -having contraband on board, and that she would be stopped by the -_Juno_. I knew the captain, and I told him all about you and your -journey out here. He was good enough to have me on board; and so it -all came about. Oh, my dear wife!" he cried, clasping her in his arms, -"how thankful I am that you are safe. If I had heard that you were at -Pretoria, and in the power of that villain, it would have driven me -silly." - -"He is a bitter enemy," she said. "I should have killed him if he had -done you any harm." - -"I was never in any danger of my life, dearest--at least, not from -him." - -"No; I see it now." She paused, and then went on. "After all, I can -find it in my heart to forgive him, even for this trick, since it has -brought me to you. I won't go home again until you do." - -"But, my darling, I must go to the front. I leave Durban to-morrow. -You can't come with me." - -"Yes, I can--and I will," she insisted. "Oh, I know what you would -say, that it is not a woman's place; but it is a woman's place, and -her duty, to nurse the wounded, and that is what I shall do. I know a -good deal about nursing, and I'm sure the doctors will let me help; -they can't refuse." - -"But think of the terrible hardships!" - -"It is far more hardship for me to have to sit at home when you are in -danger. At least, I shall be near you; and perhaps, if Van Zwieten -does any more of his plotting, I may be able to frustrate him. It is -no use your looking at me like that, Harold; I won't leave you again. -You are all I have in the world. If you were to die I should die -also." - -"There is your father." - -"Yes, father is very dear to me, now that we understand one another, -but he is not you. Oh, my love, my love, don't send me away again! It -will break my heart to leave you!" She paused, then added, defiantly, -"I won't go, there!" - -He laughed, and he tried to persuade her to stay at Durban or -Pietermaritzburg, where she would be in comfort and safety; but he -might have saved his breath. To the front she would go, and nothing -would move her. In the end--as might have been expected--she got her -own way, and her husband promised that she should go with him up the -Tugela, if he could procure passports for her and her father. He -admired her spirit more than a little, and he was only too glad to -have her with him; but it was against his better judgment that he -consented. However, there was this to be said--she would be in no -greater danger from the intrigues of Van Zwieten at the front than she -would be at Durban. After all, it might be as well, with such an -enemy, that she should be beside her husband. - -"Then that's all right," she said, taking this hardly-earned consent -quite as a matter of course. "And now tell me how you managed to -escape from the Boers?" - -"Well, it came about in this way. As you may guess, when we found -ourselves surrounded we made a hard fight for it. We killed a few of -the enemy. A boy of seventeen rushed at me; he fired, but missed, and -I had him at my mercy. I raised my revolver, but I could not bring -myself to shoot so young a lad. When he was about to fire again--for I -was turning away--I managed to knock him down. Then we were -overpowered and had to lay down our arms. The lad I had spared proved -to be the son of the Boer leader, a fine old fellow called Piet Bok. -He was so pleased with me that he offered to let me go free; but I -could not leave my men. Then, when we were about to be sent on to -Pretoria, he renewed his offer. I had by this time been separated from -my men, so I accepted. He had kept me all the time under his own -charge, and had treated me very well. So one night he led me out of -their camp, gave me a horse and gun, and sent me on my way." - -"God bless him!" cried Brenda, fervently. - -"I was in the Tugela district," he continued, "somewhere in the -neighborhood of a place called Spion Kop, which has been very -strongly fortified by the Boers. The country was swarming with the -enemy, and it was difficult enough to find my way back to camp; then -my map--thanks to our Intelligence Department--was all wrong. By day I -hid in gullies and behind kopjes, and kept my eyes open. I managed to -fetch the river, but I could not get over at first. Then one night I -determined to make the best of a bad job, so I made my horse swim for -it. The current was strong, and it was pretty hard work to keep on at -all; but at last I was forced to let go, and I was swept by the -current on to the further side. I kept myself hidden all through that -day, and got on when night came. I reached our camp about dawn, and -was very nearly shot by a sentry. However, I made myself known, and -got in safely. I was dead beat too." - -"My poor Harold, how you have suffered!" - -"Nonsense. Don't make a fuss over a little thing like that. You must -be a true soldier's wife and laugh at these things. But now that I -have told you everything, and we have settled what is to be done, I -must see your father." - -They found Mr. Scarse on deck with the captain. He received Harold -with unaffected pleasure. - -"I am thankful to see you alive," he said. "The captain has been -telling me all about your miraculous escape." - -"I am glad to be able to strike another blow for Old England, sir; but -I have to thank you for your kindness in coming out. You were going -into the very jaws of the lion to find me!" - -"To Pretoria--yes," he said simply. "But I am glad there is no need to -do that. And yet I should have enjoyed meeting Kruger." - -"You shall see him when we take the capital," Harold said. "Brenda has -made up her mind to stay until the end of the war." - -"Brenda?--what nonsense!" - -"Oh, I must, father--if only to protect Harold from Van Zwieten." - -"Ah! Van Zwieten! What about that letter, Harold?" - -"A trap, Mr. Scarse; a trap to catch Brenda!" - -"Why, the man's a villain!" - -"He is all that. I hope to get a shot at him some day; I have a long -score to settle with the brute!" - -"I agree with you. I hope you will," Mr. Scarse said emphatically. -"Punish the scoundrel! Do you know that it was he who murdered Malet?" - -"No, really?--I suspected as much; but he accused me, you know, at -Chippingholt. That was why I went away so suddenly. I could not face -Brenda with that hanging over me." - -"You should have trusted me, Harold," she said somewhat reproachfully; -"I never would have believed you guilty." - -"I was wrong, I know dear, but for the moment I lost my head. You see -he had got my revolver, and with that apparently the murder was -committed." - -"It was, and by Van Zwieten himself. You left the revolver at the -Manor." - -"I did, the last time I stayed there. I left two in a case." - -"The case was in the library, and he must have taken one of them out." - -"Why--in Heaven's name?" - -"Ah, that is a long and painful story," Mr. Scarse said significantly. -"You tell it, Brenda." - -And so Brenda related the story of Malet's treachery, and the reasons -which had led Lady Jenny to conceal the dead man's shame. - -Harold could hardly contain his indignation when he heard that an -Englishman had acted so base a part. To be bought and sold by a -scoundrelly Dutchman; to be the creature of a foreign power; and all -the while to be acting the _rôle_ of Judas toward the land which had -borne him--these things were almost beyond the soldier's -comprehension. - -"I'd have shot him with my own hand," he cried, striding to and fro, -"the low blackguard! The most honest action Van Zwieten ever did in -his life was to kill the wretch." - -"Don't talk so loud, Harold!" said his wife; "we must keep this to -ourselves for Lady Jenny's sake." - -"Yes, you are right, Brenda; and I will make quite sure of the silence -of Van Zwieten by shooting him at sight. I am certain to come across -him, and when I do I'll finish him; not because he murdered Malet, but -because he tempted him to be a traitor!" - -When at last his indignation had cooled down somewhat, Harold -introduced his wife to the captain and the other officers. Without -revealing too much, he related how, hearing he had been taken -prisoner, and that he was at Pretoria, she had started out in search -of him, when she had been intercepted by the _Juno_. And she received -so many compliments on her pluck that she blushed as she had never -before blushed in her life. Her beauty was greatly admired by the -susceptible tars; and Harold was considered a lucky fellow to have so -charming and clever and brave a wife. Mr. Scarse, after all he had -recently heard of the Boers, was not inclined to champion them quite -so openly, and therefore he got on well enough. On the whole, the -short voyage was most enjoyable, and recompensed Brenda for all that -she had suffered on board the _Kaiser Fritz_. Indeed, it was with -great regret that she left the _Juno_ at Durban. And she vowed ever -after that sailors were the finest and most delightful of men. Harold -reminded her laughingly that she belonged to the junior branch of the -Service. When they were leaving, the captain gave Captain Burton a -parting word of warning. - -"See here!" he said, with a broad smile, "don't you lose any more of -our guns or I'm blest if we won't take up the war ourselves," whereat. -Harold laughed, though in truth the shaft went home. - -He parted excellent friends with his hosts, and as for Brenda, the -officers gave her three hearty cheers as she stepped off the _Juno_ at -Durban; and the bluejackets grinned and thoroughly endorsed their -officers' good taste. - -They found out the best hotel in the place, and took up their quarters -there for the short time they had to spend in Durban before leaving -for the front. Harold went off to see if he could get a permit for his -wife and her father to accompany him. Meanwhile, they wandered about -the town together. This was Brenda's first experience of Africa, and -she enjoyed it. It was as though she had dropped on to a new planet. -The wide streets, with the verandas before the shops, the troops, the -throng of Kaffirs, and the brilliant color of the whole scene amused -and delighted her beyond words. The air was full of rumors of what was -doing at the front. False reports and true came in frequently, so -there was no lack of excitement. Even Mr. Scarse caught the fever and -was not half so eager in his denunciation of the Government as he had -been. Moreover, he was beginning to find out that the Boers were not -the simple, harmless creatures Dr. Leyds in Europe was representing -them to be. In the smoking-room of the hotel he heard stories about -them which made what remaining hairs he had stand upright with horror. -On mature consideration it seemed to him that if the Government handed -back South Africa to the Boers, as the Little England party wished, -the clock of time would be put back a hundred years, and the black -races would be exterminated. In his dismay at this idea, Mr. Scarse -could not help revealing something of what he was feeling to his -daughter. She was delighted at his return to what she called a sane -state of mind, and she openly expressed her pleasure. - -"I wish you could bring out a dozen men or so, father--men of your -party, I mean. It might teach them that England is not so invariably -in the wrong as they seem to think." - -"My dear," he confessed with some show of penitence, "I fear our race -is too insular; we have many things to learn." - -"We have not to learn how to colonize or how to fight, father," she -said, with true imperial spirit. "It is my belief that Providence gave -us those gifts that we might civilize the world. If our Empire were to -dwindle to nought it would be a bad day for the world." - -"Yes, my dear, it would. After all, we are the only nation that thinks -twice before we do anything." - -In short, Mr. Scarse was rapidly turning his back upon the old narrow -views to which he had so long clung, and with a broadening mind the -true meaning of the Imperialistic policy was becoming apparent. -Discarding the parish politics of Clapham, he took to looking around -him well; and in doing so he found much to occupy his thoughts. Old -and crusted ideas cannot easily be dislodged, and--to use Oliver -Wendell Holmes's image--Mr. Scarse had been polarized for years. - -Harold succeeded in getting the permit for his wife and father-in-law -to go to the front, and it was arranged that they should start the -next day. In the morning Captain Burton went about his military -business--for he had to carry a report concerning some stores back to -his general--and Mr. Scarse being occupied in a political discussion -with a South African whom he had met at the hotel, Brenda thought she -would take a stroll. She bought a few things she wanted, explored the -principal streets, and--as she had ample time--turned her attention to -the suburbs. It was very hot, and she walked slowly under the blaze of -the African sun. The red dust rose in clouds; there was a drowsy hum -of insects all around, and patient oxen toiled along the dusty roads. -There were plenty of Colonials about, and a good deal of attention was -attracted to Mrs. Burton both on account of her great beauty and her -dress. Now and again a body of soldiers in khaki would march through -the streets followed by a crowd of people. The Kaffirs lined up under -the verandas, and grinned from ear to ear as the "rooibaatjes" went -by, although they missed the red coats which had procured them that -name from the Boers. From what she could gather Brenda learned that -these Kaffirs were all in favor of the English cause, for they both -hated and dreaded the Boers. And small wonder, considering how they -were terrorized by the inhuman sjambok. - -At length, getting tired of novelty, Brenda turned her steps back to -the hotel. It was drawing near midday, and she wanted something to -eat before they left. As she took a turning up a side street which led -into the principal thoroughfare, she saw a man standing under a -veranda--a tall, bulky man with golden hair and golden beard, and he -was coolly watching her. - -A shiver passed through her as she caught sight of him. For it was her -enemy, Van Zwieten. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. -AT THE FRONT. - - -Van Zwieten's sins had evidently made no difference in his fortunes. -He appeared to be flourishing like the proverbial green bay tree. He -was dressed in a smart riding suit, with long brown boots, and a -smasher hat of the approved Boer type. Quite unabashed at sight of -Brenda, he crossed the road with an impudent smile and held out his -hand. She shot one glance of indignation at him, and drew aside as -though to avoid contact with an unclean thing--a proceeding which -appeared to cause the man some shame, although he tried to assume an -air of unconcern and amusement. - -"You won't shake hands with me, Mrs. Burton?" he said, quite jauntily. - -"How dare you speak to me?" she said, drawing back. "I wonder you are -not ashamed to look me in the face after that trick about the letter." - -"Ah! that was what the Boers call 'slim,'" he said, wincing, -nevertheless, at her open contempt for him. "All's fair in love and -war, you know, but your husband has been rather in advance of himself -on this occasion, and the plot has failed. Yes, you see I admit that -it is a plot, and I admit that it has failed." - -"I have nothing to say to you," said Brenda, coldly, "except to tell -you that if you attempt to molest either my husband or myself further -I shall have you arrested as a spy." - -He looked uneasily down the road and at the stern, set faces of the -passing soldiers. He knew that from such men as they he might expect -precious little mercy once the word spy had gone out against him, -followed by damning evidence of his complicity. Boer treachery had to -be avenged; there had been plenty of it about, and he did not fancy -being a scapegoat for others. - -"My dear Mrs. Burton," he went on calmly, "I wonder you spare me at -all. Why not have me arrested now and have done with it? I am -completely in your power, am I not? You have but to raise your voice -and the thing would be done. Indeed, I am not at all sure that I -should reach the jail alive. They hate spies here, and it is true -they have good reason to. You may not have such a chance again, so cry -out upon me now and revenge yourself on me once and for all for my -crime--my crime of loving you." - -"No, I will not," replied Brenda, firmly; "but I give you fair -warning, Mr. van Zwieten, that if you do not leave this place -immediately I shall at once inform the authorities about you. In -luring me to Pretoria you made one mistake; you thought I should come -unprepared. I did no such thing. I have ample evidence with me to -prove that in London your occupation was that of a spy. Lady Jenny -gave me the papers." - -"I'm very much obliged to Lady Jenny, I'm sure," he said, with a bow. -"At Pretoria--for Oom Paul--you could hardly have brought credentials -calculated to speak more highly in my favor. He would be quick to -appreciate my services." - -"Why did you wish me to come to Pretoria? You know I am married." - -"Yes, I know you are married; but marriage can be severed as all else -is severed--by death," he said significantly. "If you had come to -Pretoria--but there is no need to talk about that," he broke off -impatiently. "I was duly informed that your husband was missing, but -he escaped before I could reach the Tugela and myself take him to -Pretoria, where he would have been completely in my power. I wrote the -letter thinking you would really find him there. But he escaped and -got your telegram--the one you sent to Wilfred Burton. I followed him -down here, and learned how he intended to intercept the _Kaiser -Fritz_. You see I am well informed, Mrs. Burton." - -Brenda was astonished at the extent of the man's knowledge and the -dogged fierceness with which he seemed to follow her and Harold. She -wondered if it would not be wise to have so dangerous an enemy -arrested at once. But the thought of Lady Jenny and the shame which it -would bring upon her through the deeds of her late husband--which Van -Zwieten would assuredly reveal in such a contingency--prevented her -from deciding upon so severe a course. Later on she had reason -bitterly to regret that she had not acted upon her first impulse. Had -she done so it would have saved both her husband and herself endless -trouble. Van Zwieten half guessed what was in her mind, but he made no -move, and seemed quite content to abide by her decision. There was -even a smile on his face as he looked at her. Villain as he was, his -courage was undeniable. The pity was that such a virtue should not -have been linked to others. But then that was the man all over. He was -a belated Conrad the Corsair. "A man of one virtue and ten thousand -crimes." Yet another virtue might be added. He loved Brenda, and he -loved her honestly. - -"I see you know your business as a spy, Mr. van Zwieten," she said -coldly. "But all your work is thrown away. If you succeeded in -killing my husband, as you seem anxious to do, I should kill myself!" - -Van Zwieten turned a shade paler. For once he was moved out of his -attitude of sneering insolence. "No, no," he said hoarsely, "do not -think of such a thing! I won't harm your husband, on my honor----" - -"Your honor! The honor of a spy?" - -"The honor of a man who loves you!" he said with some dignity. - -She shrugged her shoulders. She had not much belief in a love which -was so selfish in its aims and so unscrupulous in the carrying out of -them. But she would not argue further with him, she thought. The -conversation was taking a turn of a personal character highly -repugnant to her, and she moved away. "Well, Mr. van Zwieten, I have -warned you! If you don't leave British territory I shall inform the -authorities of your London career. Good-bye!" - -"Good-bye," he said. He took off his hat with a grand bow as she left -him. Nor did he make any attempt to stay her; he knew already that she -was going to the front with her husband, and he had every intention of -following. That she would reveal his true character he did not for one -moment believe. There he had her in his power, for he would at once -make known Gilbert Malet's conduct, and that would mean shame and -trouble for Lady Jenny, from which Brenda was more than anxious to -shield her, as he well knew. She had been a good friend to the girl, -and had indirectly done a great deal to bring about the marriage. This -Dutchman had more knowledge of a woman's nature than most of his sex, -and he found it of no little service in the profession which he had -taken up. - -Brenda found her husband impatiently awaiting her. He had made all -arrangements for the journey; and after a hasty meal they went down to -the station. She was in high spirits. With Harold beside her, and the -prospect of a novel and busy life in her capacity of nurse, she was -perfectly happy. And he, still more of a lover than a husband, thought -he had never seen her look more beautiful. - -Concerning the journey there is very little to say. There was -considerable monotony about it. Some of the scenery was beautiful, -particularly when they got amongst the mountains, but for the most -part the plains extended on all sides, grey and dreary, the kopjes -humping themselves everywhere amongst the karoo bushes. The -dust-storms, too, were altogether disagreeable, and in spite of her -veil and cloak Brenda arrived at the camp in a very gritty condition, -and thoroughly worn out. Her husband saw the doctor at once and told -him of his wife's desire to nurse the wounded. Her offer was -gratefully accepted, for Brenda had had a certain amount of -professional experience which stood her in good stead now. So next day -she took up her quarters in the hospital and went to work in earnest. -Mr. Scarse, having been introduced to the authorities, amused himself -by wandering about the camp and enjoying the novelty of his -surroundings. To a home-staying man such as he, the round of daily -life at the front proved most amusing. - -Indeed, father and daughter were equally delighted with this new -experience. Mrs. Burton proved herself a most capable nurse, and paid -every attention to those under her charge. Her husband chafed somewhat -at first. He did not like the idea of his wife doing such work; but -when he saw that she really enjoyed it, and that she was anxious to be -of use in her own way to those who were fighting for Queen and -country, he made no further opposition. Moreover, he had his own -duties to attend to, and upon the whole, husband and wife saw very -little of each other. The few moments they did have were therefore all -the sweeter. And the knowledge that Brenda was near him and safe from -the machinations of Van Zwieten was a supreme satisfaction to Harold. -He had yet to learn that the Dutchman was as active as ever, and bent -upon getting her into his power. - -Since his failure to cross the Tugela, General Buller had been -reconstructing his plans, and was taking ample time over the -preparations. As he himself said, there should be no turning back this -time. The garrison at Ladysmith was holding out bravely; but the -messages showed that they were anxiously expecting relief. The -soldiers, held like hounds in a leash, were longing to get at the foe -and wipe out their first failure. But the days passed and no move was -made. On this side of the Tugela all was safe; but on the other the -Boers swarmed, although they kept at a safe distance from the British -position. To Brenda, the mere fact of living in a camp in time of war -was sufficiently exciting. - -Shortly after their arrival, Captain Burton was ordered on patrol duty -to scour the neighboring country on this side of the Tugela. He said -good-bye to his wife and went off in high spirits. But it was with a -sinking heart that she watched him go off on this dangerous duty. The -arrival of Wilfred, however, served to cheer her somewhat. - -As has been stated, young Burton was acting as war correspondent for -one of the London papers, and had been gathering information about the -country around. He had been absent, therefore, when his brother's -party arrived; but when he came back the first thing he did was to -look up Brenda at the hospital. She was struck at once by his healthy -appearance. He seemed less nervous and hysterical than he had been in -London, for the outdoor life and the vigorous exercise was telling -upon him. But his big black eyes flashed as feverishly as ever; nor -did they lose their restlessness when Brenda told him of her meeting -with Mr. van Zwieten at Durban. To Harold she had never mentioned it, -knowing too well his impulsive nature; but with his brother she felt -it was different. He already knew so much about the man that a little -information more or less did not matter. But he was inclined to blame -her for having shown the spy any mercy at all. - -"What could I do?" expostulated Brenda in dismay. "You know that if I -had had him arrested he would have revenged himself by telling all he -knew of Mr. Malet's life, and then think how terrible it would have -been for Lady Jenny!" - -"She must take her chance," he said gloomily. "She must be prepared to -suffer all for her country. Van Zwieten will pick up all sorts of -knowledge at Durban, and he may be able then to hamper our plans!" - -"I don't think he will stay there, Wilfred. I told him that if he did -not leave I would give information to the authorities. He daren't face -that! And I don't think he will be very long in following us here!" -she added with a flush of anger. "He will follow us everywhere. I -should not be surprised if he were across the river now in the hope of -taking me prisoner when the camp is moved." - -"Directly the advance begins, Brenda, you must get back to Durban. It -will never do for you to remain here. There's going to be some pretty -hard fighting." - -"Yes; but not here. I shall be perfectly safe behind the British -lines." - -"Perhaps; I hope so." Wilfred looked gloomy and bit his nails -abstractedly, a habit with him when he was annoyed. "I tell you what -it is, Brenda," he burst out. "I'm very doubtful about the wisdom of -this advance. Buller's idea is, I believe, to cross the Tugela and try -and pierce the Boer centre. I'm afraid he won't succeed." - -"Oh, Wilfred! Have you no more faith in the British soldiers than -that?" - -"I have every faith in the rank and file--yes, and in many of the -junior officers, but I confess candidly that I don't feel altogether -the same amount of trust in our leaders. The mere fact of this -advance having been decided upon goes to prove to me that they don't -know their business! The country between this and Ladysmith is -precipitous--I know nothing like it outside Switzerland or the -Rockies--and it seems to me to be a mad thing to lead an army over it -with heavy transport and all that unless that army is in overwhelming -superiority to the opposing force--which we know it isn't. The whole -place is strongly fortified, and the positions that will have to be -stormed are almost impregnable. These Boers know only too well what -they are about. They have chosen their ground well. Mark my words, -there will be great loss of life if not a great disaster. It is -throwing away lives to attempt campaigning in this district." - -"But Ladysmith must be relieved!" - -"I know; but it will never be relieved in this way. Even the valor of -the British soldier is powerless against the hail of bullets which -will rain down on him from these natural fortresses, and ten to one he -won't see a single Boer to shoot at in return. They are devilish -clever at keeping out of sight; of course, I am only a civilian and -don't intend to set my opinion against that of the professional -soldier; but there is such a thing as common sense, and we have not -had enough of it about in the conduct of this campaign." - -Brenda was impressed in spite of herself. "What do you think ought to -be done, Wilfred?" - -"Fall back on Durban and reconstruct the plan of campaign. Buller's -original idea of invading the Free State was by far the best. If we -took the capital we should cut the rabbits off from their burrows, and -ten to one the Free Staters would be disheartened. Then again, in that -country we should have had more open fighting, and man[oe]uvring would -have been child's play to what it is here. It is sheer madness hurling -line after line against these impregnable fortresses. Even if they are -taken it can only be at terrible loss. Believe me, Buller's original -plan was the best--the only one. But I hear he was overruled. But you -can take my word for it--if Buller makes this move there will be a -terrible disaster." - -Brenda seemed disturbed at this view of things. She could not believe -that a soldier of General Buller's experience could be capable of so -grave an error of judgment. And yet, as Wilfred put it, this advance -did seem to be of an unduly hazardous nature. But there again, Wilfred -was always so pessimistic. He was not the man to look at anything -hopefully when he could do the opposite. The men themselves were all -full of confidence, she knew, and were looking forward to relieving -their gallant comrades in Ladysmith within a very short time now. -Wilfred must be wrong, she argued; it was more than likely that the -General had some information up his sleeve that no one knew anything -about. At all events, she was not going to look on the black side of -things. Thus she comforted herself somewhat. - -Harold returned from his patrolling, but only for a short while. Again -and again he was sent out, sometimes into the enemy's country, and he -was in the saddle from morning till night. Brenda saw but little of -him, and had to put up with his continued absence as best she could. -She had, as it happened, plenty of work to distract her. She was an -excellent nurse, and did good service in the hospital, not sparing -herself in any way. Indeed, so constantly was she employed, that the -doctor insisted upon her taking a sufficient amount of exercise, and -strongly advised her to ride. This commended itself to her, for she -rode well and was never happier than when in the saddle. She managed -to obtain a habit from a colonial lady who was also in the camp. Her -husband managed to procure for her a capital little animal--one of -those active little ponies used by the Boers. And so she came to make -frequent excursions into the surrounding country. - -"You must keep on this side of the river, Mrs. Burton," said the -doctor. "As long as you do that you are quite safe, even beyond the -camp lines. But don't cross the Tugela. Directly you do that you run -risks. I can't afford to lose my best nurse, you know." - -Brenda looked at the sullen waters of the stream rolling through the -melancholy veldt, and laughed. "I should be a clever woman to cross -that river, doctor, even if I wanted to. You may depend upon my taking -every care of myself. I shall keep on the right side from sheer -inability to get on the wrong one." - -But it was not often that Brenda was allowed to ride alone. She was -not the sort of woman to have to seek a cavalier. But as the time drew -near when the General intended to make his move, his juniors found -they had very little leisure, and she had perforce to ride alone. But -even so she had no fear, though her father worried a good deal about -her. But as she always returned safely, even he grew gradually -accustomed to see her go off unattended. - -Every now and again there came upon her a feeling that she was being -watched. She would look round and see a Kaffir staring fixedly at her. -This happened on several days in succession. Yet she could not be sure -that it was always the same man. The natives were all so very much -alike to her that it was impossible to distinguish one from another. -However, this espionage was in nowise aggressive; on the contrary, if -espionage it were, it was done very skillfully. It might be even pure -fancy on her part, for ever since that meeting with Van Zwieten in -Durban her nerve was anything but steady. At all events, she decided -not to say anything to her husband about it lest he should forbid her -excursions altogether, and now that she had taken to riding again she -was very loth to give it up. - -She wondered if it might be possible that Van Zwieten was about. It -was possible--just possible, but she thought not probable. He would -know that Wilfred was in the camp, and that he would have no -hesitation in denouncing him as a spy; and for that reason she did not -think he would be so foolish as to trust himself within the British -lines. At least so long as she kept on this side the Tugela he could -not molest her. He was no fool to risk his life in a mad attempt which -would mean certain failure. So she comforted herself. But the feeling -of being watched still remained with her. - -At last the order to advance was given, and the men, tired of -inaction, joyfully obeyed. Harold had been absent two days on scout -duty this time across the river which Warren's brigade were preparing -to negotiate. He had been sent out with a small force to make a -reconnaissance in the enemy's country. She was beginning to feel -rather anxious for his return. Despondent and full of vague foreboding -as she was, she fancied that a ride would do her good, and she set out -as usual, somewhere about sundown. She intended to go only a short way -and return before it grew dark. The Kaffir who saddled her horse -watched her ride out of the camp and grinned evilly. - -Behind the rugged mountains the sky was a fiery red, and was barred -with black clouds. The air was hot and sultry, and there was promise -of a storm in those heavy masses lying in the east. Under the crimson -glare the veldt looked grim and ominous. The kopies stood up like huge -gravestones; and where the grass failed, the sandy karoo, even more -barren, took its place. Here and there were farmhouses with red walls -and corrugated outbuildings, and the dull red light bathed the -lonesome scene as if in blood. The oppressive feeling in the air -recalled to Brenda's mind that memorable night at Chippingholt when -Malet had been done to death. Just such another storm was impending. -She began to feel nervous as the recollection came upon her and she -decided to return. - -For some time her pony had been restive, tossing his head and champing -his bit. He was usually so quiet that she could not understand it, but -just then, as she had made up her mind to return, he grew even more -distressed and finally he bolted. She let him have his head and in -nowise lost hers. She would be able to pull him up after a few miles. -On he galloped, the bit between his teeth, raising the loose red sand, -and taking her further and further away from the camp; past kopjes, -past Kaffir huts, stone walls, sheep kraals, he tore. She made several -attempts to check him, but in vain. Suddenly he put his foot into a -hole, stumbled, and sent her flying over his head. She lay on the -ground half stunned. The pony, relieved of his burden, scampered off. -She was able to realize that she was there alone--on the karoo, far -from the camp, and with night just upon her. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. -A DUTCH LOCHINVAR. - - -Dusty and draggled from her fall, and with a swimming head, Brenda sat -on an ant-hill, wondering how she could extricate herself from so -unpleasant a position. The pony was far away, lost in the shadows of -the karoo, and she was miles and miles from camp. It might be that the -animal would find its own way home, and that they would send out in -search of her, but busy as they were with the hurry and bustle of the -advance, it was very possible that her absence would not be noticed. -Had her husband been there--but she knew that he was far away in the -enemy's country taking stock of the Boer movements and waiting for the -division to come up. Wilfred was but a scatter-brain. She could not -trust him. On the whole, she thought it was most unlikely that any one -would trouble about her, or, in the confusion, even miss her. She was -lost in the veldt. - -Fortunately she had plenty of courage; and when her brain had steadied -from the shock she began to look about her. One thing was certain, she -would not, and could not, remain in the veldt all night. If it was -fine perhaps there would be no great hardship in that, in spite of the -cold, but a heavy storm was coming on, and she would be drenched to -the skin. The red sun sank down behind the hills; dark clouds labored -up from the east; and the wide plain around her was swallowed up in -the gloom. The place and the time were eerie; and the girl felt a -superstitious thrill as she rose painfully to her feet, trying hard to -collect her thoughts. At first it was the cause of the disaster which -puzzled her. - -Why had the pony run away? She had ridden him frequently, and there -was not an ounce of vice in the little beast. That he should suddenly -bolt without rhyme or reason was quite incomprehensible. Perhaps, had -she looked back and seen the evil grin on the face of the Kaffir who -had saddled him, she would not have been at such a loss to explain the -little pony's freak. - -But something she must do. She would walk on till she came to a Boer -farmhouse, and get them to take her in for the night. Then she would -get a horse and return to the camp in the morning. Perhaps she might -even chance on some English people, seeing that she was in an English -colony and one loyal to the Queen. That there were rebels there it was -true, but not on that side of the river. Having a wholesome dread of -their foes at close quarters, they would not dare to cross. So far, -then, she felt safe; what she needed was food and shelter. Kilting up -her riding skirt she went forth in the fast-gathering darkness in -search of them. - -It was weary work plodding over the loose sand, and after the first -quarter of a mile she was quite worn out. It seemed as though she -would have to pass the night on the open veldt. Then it occurred to -her that if she shouted some one might hear and come to her rescue. -And if by chance she did fall into the hands of the enemy they would -surely treat her kindly. Whatever his faults, the Boer was too -religious to be wholly a scoundrel. Assistance she must have, so -straightway she hollowed her hands and shouted through them. Her long, -shrill cry pierced the air time after time, but there was no response. -The echo died away and the quiet shut down again, and she heard the -desert talking to itself--the faint murmur of the wind rustling over -the sand, the gurgle of the river, and at times the wail of a solitary -bird. Again and again he shouted with a courage born of despair. All -was silent, silent as the grave. Then a sound fell upon her ears. It -came nearer and nearer until it took shape and defined itself as the -steady gallop of a horse. - -For a moment she was afraid; but luckily she had with her a small but -serviceable revolver which Harold made her carry. She drew it from her -belt. She was prepared to use it if necessary against an enemy; even -against herself. But perhaps it was some well-meaning and kindly Boer, -or, better still, an Englishman. She resolved to risk attracting his -attention. Anything was better than a night alone on that desolate -waste. Taking her courage in both hands, she cried again, and the -galloping of the horse was now close upon her. Then a man's voice -shouted. She replied and ran forward to meet her preserver, as she -prayed he might prove to be. Already she thanked God for her -deliverance. She came up close with him, and peered anxiously through -the lowering light to take in his features. Instantly she recognized -them. Her blood seemed to freeze in her veins as she did so. Those -features she knew only too well; there was no mistaking that stalwart -figure. That it should be he of all men!--Waldo van Zwieten! - -"What! Mrs. Burton?" he said politely, as he swung himself off his big -black steed. "Well, I am surprised. This is indeed an unexpected -pleasure." Brenda shrank back and fumbled for her revolver. Brave as -she was, the man's mocking suavity terrified her. She said not a word, -but looked at him as he stood, strong and tall and masterful, beside -his horse. - -"Can you not speak?" he said impatiently. "How comes it that I find -you here?" - -"My horse ran away with me and threw me," said Brenda, keeping at a -safe distance from the preserver Fate had so ironically sent her. -"Will you please to conduct me back to the camp, Mr. van Zwieten?" - -"What! and run the chance of arrest? No, thank you. But there is a -Boer farmhouse a couple of miles away, near the river. I can take you -there if you like." - -"Can I trust you?" asked Brenda, in a tremulous voice. - -"You can trust the man who loves you." - -"If you talk to me like that I won't go with you." - -"Then I am afraid you will have to pass the night on the veldt." - -"Mr. van Zwieten," she said with dignity, "an accident has placed me -in your company, but not in your power. I have a revolver, and if you -attempt to insult me I shall----" - -"Kill me, I suppose." - -"No, but I will kill myself!" - -His face twitched. He knew she would do what she said, and his love -for her was so great that he would prevent that, even at the cost of -his own life. "You need have no fear, Mrs. Burton," he said in a low -tone; "I will treat you with all respect. Get on my horse and we will -make for the farmhouse I speak of." - -Unpleasant as it was, there seemed nothing for it but to accept his -offer. The position could not be worse, and it might be made better. -So far, she thought, she had the upper hand; but she was puzzled by -his politeness, and mistrusted it. However, she had no time to analyze -her sensations, for the darkness was coming on apace, and the sooner -she reached human habitation the better. - -"I will go with you," she said bravely; "I will accept your offer. I -do not think you are a good man, and I have used hard words to you, I -know; still, I will trust you now." - -Van Zwieten bowed. He said no word, but held the stirrup for her to -mount. With his assistance she swung herself into the saddle, and -being a good horse-woman, she settled herself comfortably on it -without much difficulty. - -In silence he began to lead the horse across the veldt. All the while -she kept a tight grasp on her little revolver and a sharp eye on his -every action. For some time they proceeded thus without a word. Then -Van Zwieten laughed in a low, musical way. "What a fool I am!" he said -slowly. "I love you madly; I have you in my power, and yet I do not -take so much as a kiss. I am a coward!" - -Her face burned in the darkness, but she gave no sign of fear. - -"You call yourself a coward," she said calmly. "I call you a brave -man." - -"Oh, I am a spy!" he cried scornfully. - -"You are a spy and, for all I know, a murderer; but you are a brave -man, Mr. van Zwieten, all the same, for you can rule yourself. I never -thought of you as I do at this moment." - -"You say that because you wish to conciliate me," he retorted angrily, -"not because you think so. I am not a good man. I know myself to be -bad; but I love you too well to harm a hair of your head. All the -same, I intend to marry you." - -"That is impossible. I am married already, and if Harold were to -die--well, you know what I said." - -"That was only supposing I killed him," argued Van Zwieten. "But -suppose he were killed fighting, as he may easily be?" - -"Then I would remain a widow for the rest of my days. I love my -husband. I should always remain true to his memory. You could never be -anything to me. Not until this moment have I ever been able to feel -the faintest glimmer of respect for you." - -"Even if that is so, I wonder that you choose to speak like that to -me, situated as you are now. It is calculated to scatter the good -intentions of a better man than I." - -"I cannot help it. I have told you I am not in your power. I am not -afraid to die. That I prove by not shooting you as you stand there. As -it is! I keep these little bullets for myself." - -Van Zwieten groaned. "To think of this woman being wasted on a -worthless fool like Burton!" said he. - -"He is not a fool." - -"You may not think so. You cannot expect me to agree. Oh, if you had -only listened to me, only given me a chance, I would have been a -better man!" - -"I think you are a better man, or you would not have behaved as you -are doing now. You are a strange mixture of good and bad." - -He shrugged his shoulders. "It often happens so," he said. "Those who -think to find a bad man all bad or a good man all good are invariably -disappointed. I have met the best of men, and hated them for their -meanness, just as I have met the worst and loved them for some -delightful incongruity. We are a pie-bald lot indeed." - -Then again for a few moments they went on silently. In the distance -now could be seen a light, and on the wind came the barking of dogs. -The murmur of the river continued all the while like the drone of the -bagpipes. - -"You see, I have not deceived you," he said. "There is the farm. There -are women there. The men are out with their commandoes--rebels, you -call them. I suppose you wonder what I am doing here on this side of -the Tugela?" - -"I do, considering Wilfred Burton is in the camp, and it would be very -easy for him to denounce you. You are not the man to run unnecessary -risks, as a rule." - -"The risk I am running is for your sake. No, I won't explain myself -now. If necessary, I must show a clean pair of heels. That, -fortunately, I am well able to do. But here we are at the farm. That -is Tant' Trana on the doorstep." - -He lifted her from the horse, and she saw the stout woman whom he -called Tant' Trana waiting on the door to receive them. The look she -gave Brenda was by no means one of kindly welcome. Rather was it full -of hostility. But she seemed to fear Van Zwieten, and she set herself -to do her best to make the English lady comfortable. When he had gone -out to look after his horse, Tant' Trana set the best she had in the -way of food before Brenda. But the girl was utterly exhausted, and -could not eat. She drank a cup of coffee, and the Boer woman watched -her dourly as she drank it. Then it appeared that Tant' Trana spoke -English. - -"I am no child," she said. "No; I have lived long, and the dear Lord -has watched over me. But never did I expect to see an Englishwoman at -my table. Beloved Lord, Thy wrath is heavy upon me!" - -"I am very sorry," said Brenda, considerably taken aback by this -outburst. "I won't trouble you long--only till morning." - -But Tant' Trana continued without heeding her. She was so fat that it -took her some time to recover her breath. "The dear Lord gave this -land to us--to the chosen of Israel. And you English--you seed of -Satan come to take it from us!" She shook her great fist in Brenda's -face. "But never fear, our burghers shall drive you into the sea. Oom -Paul is our Moses. Two sons and a husband have I fighting for the land -of milk and honey. We have two thousand morgen and you would take it -from us. Beloved Lord, let our Moses and his hosts smite the ungodly -Amalekites!" - -How long the old woman went on raving thus Brenda did not know. She -began to feel sleepy: the face of Tant' Trana seemed to grow larger -and more red then it receded and her voice seemed to grow more -faint--to come from far away, although the woman was talking her -loudest. Brenda had just grasped the idea that her coffee had been -drugged when she lost her senses. With one last effort she pulled out -her little revolver. It dropped from her hand as her head fell back. -The Boer woman picked it up and cursed like Deborah. Senseless and -white, Brenda lay in the big chair, Tant' Trana looking on and raving -the while. Then Van Zwieten entered the room. A smile of satisfaction -flitted across his face. - -How long she remained thus insensible Brenda knew not. She came -gradually to herself. Then she wondered if she could be on board ship. -There was a rocking motion, and she felt as though she were -imprisoned. Then her senses grew more clear, and she awoke to the fact -that she was on horseback--in the arms of Van Zwieten. He held her -steadily in front of him on the saddle, and the horse was trotting -steadily over the grass, and a thunderous black sky was overhead. She -uttered a cry, and gave herself up for lost. Once again she felt for -her revolver. Van Zwieten guessed what she was after, and laughed -cruelly. - -"No, it's not there, Mrs. Burton," he said. "I had to arrange that. -I'm glad, though, you've woke up. I want to have a talk with you." - -"Put me down! put me down!" gasped the girl. - -"Put you down?" repeated he, clasping her the tighter. "Hardly, after -all the trouble I have had to get you here. That is too much to ask, -dear Brenda." - -"Your promise--you promised to treat me well." - -"And I have done so. As I told you, I would not harm a hair of your -dear head. And I have not done so, and I will not do so. I had to drug -your coffee because I knew that by no other means should I be able to -get you away. All's fair in love and war, you know. This is both love -and war. I told you that in Durban; don't you remember?" - -"Where are you taking me?" - -"To the Boer lines: We have crossed the river; yes, there is a ford -hard by the farmhouse. That, of course, was the reason I took you -there. In another hour we shall be safe amongst my own people. Thence -you will go to Pretoria, and then--and then, when the war is all over, -you will marry me!" - -"I will die first," she screamed, trying to struggle. - -"You will not be allowed to die. The little revolver looked pretty, -ah, so pretty! in your hands, but it was dangerous. I love you too -well to lose you like that. And now that I have you wholly in my -power, you cannot say that I am behaving badly." - -"Oh, put me down, do put me down! Dear Mr. van Zwieten, don't spoil -your good action in saving me on the veldt by----" - -"Saving you! Saving you!" exclaimed the Dutchman. "How innocent you -are, child! Why, you don't think our meeting was accidental, do you? I -had you brought there. I knew exactly what would happen, and my -calculations were not very far out, were they?" - -"You!--you!--oh, how can you tell me such a thing? I don't believe it. -It is a lie." - -"Gently, please, gently," said he, restraining her tenderly. She was -struggling to free herself from his grasp, even, as she knew, at the -risk of life and limb. "I can be cruel as well as kind. I tell you it -was I who brought you on to the veldt. The Kaffir boy who attended to -your horse is my servant. I knew how you rode every day, for I -followed you up from Durban, and have watched you constantly. I told -the boy to prepare a special bit for your horse; one that would burn -his mouth after a while. Oh, that is an old trick which I learned in -your virtuous England. When the little beast began to feel the burning -he naturally bolted. What else would you expect him to do? I did not -anticipate he would throw you, though; that was not included in my -plans! The rest you know." - -Again she tried to struggle free from his grasp. "For God's sake, let -me down!" she cried. She felt she would go into hysterics every -moment. - -"That is the one thing I will not do. I have you at last, and I keep -you. You are mine now, husband or no husband. Not if I can help it -shall you ever see him again." - -She strove to pierce the black darkness that was all around. She -strained and strained her eyes, but there was nothing. Then she -thought she saw a light. But she could not be sure. On the vain chance -that somebody might hear she screamed loudly once, and then again and -again. - -"Be quiet, I say," roared Van Zwieten, savagely. "Understand that I -won't lose you--that I shoot you first, and myself too, for that -matter." - -He spurred his horse; they were not yet beyond the territory under -British patrol. He seemed to know perfectly well where he was making -for. She began to feel sick and faint with the motion and the fierce -clutch of the man. The horse was galloping hard now with his double -burden. She felt he could not last long at that pace. But Van Zwieten -had set his teeth hard to it, and urged him on and on, speaking not a -word. - -"Oh, God, save me from this man!" she cried. - -As though in answer to her prayer there was a terrible clap of -thunder. A flare of lightning overspread the sky, and by its light she -could see his face was deadly pale, and oh! so cruel. Before he could -swear--for his horse shied at the crash--before even she could cry -out, the rain came down with a hiss and a swirl, almost a solid mass -of water. Once again her thoughts went back to that night long ago -when Malet had been murdered. Was _she_ about to meet death too? - -Then, with an oath, he drove the spur into the animal, and, terrified, -it made another bound forward. The rain lashed their faces; they were -already drenched to the skin. Then came another fearful thunderclap. -She felt as though her head must burst. There was a gleam far away -there in the distance--the light from some farmhouse, probably. - -"Help, help!" she screamed. "Oh, Harold!--Harold!" - -Van Zwieten swore loudly, but his oaths were drowned in the thunder -overhead. The horse reared, snorting with terror. Then she felt the -Dutchman's arms lessen their grip, and in a paroxysm of fright and -despair she flung herself to the ground. She fell into a kind of -morass, and she could hear Van Zwieten's cry of rage as the animal -sprang forward. The next moment, half stunned and dazed as she was, -she was up and running for dear life toward the light now not far -distant. - -In vain did Van Zwieten struggle with his terrified horse. The animal -plunged and reared, and every peal of thunder increased its state of -frenzy. He heard the girl shriek, and by a lightning flash he saw her -tearing across toward the light. In the distance a farmhouse showed up -black in the glare. Then, as once again he dug his spurs and turned -his horse's head, he heard a shot. It was followed by another and -another, and the next flash showed him several figures in front of the -house. - -Once again Brenda screamed for help. A lusty British cheer was her -reply. It reached the ears of the horseman, and he knew well what it -meant. He galloped off through the roar and conflict of the elements -like a madman. He had lost her! For the second time she had escaped -him! - -Her heart bounding, she ran forward with redoubled energy, shouting -ever her husband's name. There was another shot and another flash of -lightning across the sky. It seemed to her that the very heavens were -open. She threw up her arms and fell against the farmhouse fence. Then -she heard a voice give out some order. - -It was her husband's voice! - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. -AN UNEXPECTED MEETING. - - -Brenda's reasoning power was not at fault in that moment of -excitement. Harold, with his small patrol party, had crossed the -river. She, too, was across the river--Van Zwieten had told her that. -It was Harold's voice she had heard; she could not be mistaken. It was -no matter of the wish being father to the thought. It was his voice -she had heard--the voice of her own husband. He was there in the -farmhouse with his party. - -"Thank God!" she cried, raising herself with difficulty. - -Where Van Zwieten was she did not know. He could not harm her now; -Harold was there to protect her. Clinging to the stones of the fence -in the drenching rain, she cried his name aloud again. There was -silence, then the sound of many voices and the tramp of feet. - -"Who goes there?" asked a gruff, military voice. - -"I--an Englishwoman--Mrs. Burton--let me in." - -The gruff voice uttered an exclamation of astonishment, and there -sounded the dull thud of a rifle being grounded. Immediately afterward -she heard a light footstep on the veranda of the house, and her -husband's voice, surprised and incredulous. - -"Brenda!" - -"Oh, Harold, Harold, it is I! Let me in--let me in!" - -The gate in the wall was pushed open and several privates emerged. -Someone carrying a lantern swung it so that the light fell on her pale -and haggard face. Then, with a low cry of astonishment, her husband -picked her up in his arms and carried her into the house. - -"Good God! Brenda, what are you doing--how did you come here?" - -She could not speak--she was sobbing on his breast. He placed her -gently on the hard sofa. Then she found her voice. But she could think -of nothing--say nothing. She could only rejoice in having found him. - -"Oh, Harold, Harold! Thank God, I have been led to you!" - -"My poor girl, you are cold and wet and exhausted. Here, drink this -brandy, and I'll get something cooked for you. Don't exhaust yourself -more by trying to explain. That will come after." - -He had thought of her far away--safe and sound in Spearman's Camp. -Even now he had some faint notion that Van Zwieten had something to do -with this, though how he could have managed it he couldn't for the -life of him conjecture. - -She smiled lovingly at him, and submitted to be wheeled in the chair -to the fire. Her habit was soaking wet, and steaming now in the heat. -He knelt beside her and took her hand. - -The room was of no great size. It was furnished quite roughly with a -few chairs and a sofa, and a table of unpainted deal. Pictures from -the _Illustrated London News_ and the _Graphic_ were on the walls; -there was a portrait of President Kruger, looking even more grim than -usual, over the mantelpiece; from its presence she judged that the -owners of the place were rebels. Outside, the rain still came down in -torrents, and in a room close by she could hear the men keeping up -their spirits and doing their best to make all gay within. Making her -take off her soaking habit, her husband wrapped her in his military -cloak. He asked no questions, for he saw that she was not in a fit -state of mind to answer them. She began once or twice to try and tell -him, but he would not listen. - -"When you have something to eat, dear, and have got these wet things -off, then I am ready to listen to all the miracles you have to tell -me, for I can't conceive how you came here in this plight except by a -miracle." - -Then a woman--who so far belied the traditions of Boer female beauty -as to be exceeding lean instead of stout--entered the room with a tray -of smoking dishes. She was a kindly creature, and smiled pleasantly. -She spoke nothing but low Dutch, and answered to the name of Tant' -Wilhelmina. If she were at heart a rebel she showed no sign of -hostility outwardly. She bustled Brenda into another room, and there -supplied her with garments, dry certainly, but of the most wonderful -design and colour. - -Clothed in these things--which were in truth the Boer woman's Sunday -finery--Brenda came back to the sitting-room. Even such garments could -not take away from her beauty, though they effectually concealed every -line of her figure. She sat down to the table and ate. Harold had gone -to see his men. Then she sipped a little of the brandy and sat herself -down by the fire. She felt as though she would never be warm. But -after all she had undergone, this peace and rest was heavenly. - -"Well, dearest," said her husband, entering quickly, "how do you feel -now?" - -"Better--much better. Come and sit by me, Harold, and I will tell you -how I come to be here. You are just dying to know, and trying not to -show it for my sake!" - -He unbuckled his sword and drew a chair beside his wife. "I am very -much astonished," he said, taking her hand in his, "but I have an idea -before you say a word. Is it Van Zwieten?" - -"Yes! I thought you might guess as much. I left the camp for a ride, -and my pony bolted. Mr. van Zwieten, it appears, through the agency of -a Kaffir, arranged it all by tampering with the bit. I was thrown; -there I lay alone on the veldt. He came up and carried me off on his -horse. When the storm burst I managed to wrench myself free and ran -toward the lights in the house. But I never, never expected to find -you here, dearest! It is God's mercy that has led me to you." - -"I have only been here a few hours," he explained. "Warren's division -had started, and we are to remain until it comes up. How strange that -we should meet here. So Van Zwieten is at his tricks again! The brute! -How I wish I could get a shot at him. Did he come near the house with -you?" - -"No. When he heard the shots he rode away; at least, I think so. But I -am safe with you, Harold!" - -"For the time being, Brenda. But it is just as likely as not Van -Zwieten, knowing where you are, will return with a Boer force and try -to take the house. This is the enemy's country, and they have not yet -retired before the advance. I expect the division about dawn; but -there will be time for Van Zwieten to attack before then." - -"Harold! promise to shoot me before I fall into his hands." - -The perspiration broke out on the young man's forehead. "If the worst -comes, Brenda, I will," he said solemnly, "but I hope to shoot him. Of -course, he may not bring any Boers up after all. They must know of -Warren's advance, and I dare say they'll be afraid to linger outside -their entrenchments. How did Van Zwieten find you on the veldt?" - -"He watched the camp and followed me. Oh Harold, the whole thing was a -scheme of his own to get possession of me. When I escaped he was -taking me to the Boer camp; and he intended to send me to Pretoria." - -"To marry you, I suppose, after I was shot! How did he treat you, -Brenda?" - -Mrs. Burton met her husband's gaze fearlessly. "With all courtesy," -she said. "If I had been his sister he could not have treated me -better. And I had my revolver, you know, until he took it from me. - -"The scoundrel! I am glad you were well treated. I have to thank him -for so much consideration. But if he had not----" Harold clenched his -fist. - -"I would have killed myself!" said his wife, with equal fierceness. -"You can trust me, Harold. You don't suppose anything--anything, even -torture, could change me?" - -"No, dear; I know you are the bravest little woman in the world. I -have the utmost faith in you. I should be a cur if I had not. Tell me -more about this brute's plotting." - -This she did, omitting no detail from the time when Van Zwieten had -picked her up on the veldt to the time of her meeting with him, her -husband. He ground his teeth as he listened; yet he was relieved to -find things were no worse. In spite of the Dutchman's villainy, he was -inclined to think better of him than he had hitherto done. -Dishonourable as he was, he had at least treated a defenceless woman -with respect. At the conclusion of the story he kissed her again for -her bravery. - -"Dearest, you have been splendid! I am a lucky fellow to have so -plucky a little soul for my wife. Curse the man! I long for the moment -when I shall be face to face with him. He deserves nothing better than -a bullet; and he'll get it if I can shoot straight." - -"No, don't shoot him," said Brenda; "he behaved well to me. He is a -spy and a scoundrel, but he is not a brute. And, Harold, I really -believe he loves me truly!" - -"Who would not love you, my own?" said her husband, tenderly. "Yes, I -can see he loves you. It is the best feeling in his black heart. All -the same, I wish he would transfer this chivalrous affection to some -other quarter and leave you alone." - -"I am afraid he will never leave me alone until he dies!" - -"Then he must die!" cried her husband, fiercely. "I shall protect you -from these insults at any cost. Curse him, I wish I had shot him at -Chippingholt when he accused me of murdering Malet. But we will talk -of this another time, Brenda. You are worn out. Lie down on the sofa, -dear, and try to sleep. Let me put my cloak over you." - -"But you, Harold?" - -"I must keep my eyes about me. I have an idea that Van Zwieten will -bring his Boers up before dawn." - -"If you think so, would it not be better to retreat towards the -advancing column?" - -"No. I have my orders to stay here; though, of course, no attack was -anticipated. Here I'll stay, Brenda, and do my duty. I have a dozen -men, and in this house I daresay we can hold out until our advance -guard arrives. I am not afraid for myself, but for you." - -"Dearest, do not be afraid for me. I would rather be here than in the -camp. If we are to die, we die together." - -"I won't die; neither shall you. We'll baffle Van Zwieten yet! So far, -fortune has been on our side. Now go to sleep. I must attend to my -duty!" - -Brenda obeyed. She was worn out with emotion and fatigue; so much so -that she could not sleep. She lay flat on her back on the hard sofa, -staring at the whitewashed ceiling, on which the flicker of the dying -lamp made the shadows dance. Harold had taken away the lamp in case -the steady light should attract attention from the outside. If Van -Zwieten was about it was not improbable that he would fire where he -saw a light. Brenda hoped with all her soul that he would not return. -She could not bear to think that she had been the means of bringing -Harold and his men into peril. But she sadly feared that, knowing -where she was, the Dutchman would bring up some of the enemy, who were -not far away, and would try to capture the farmhouse before the -advance column came up. Full of the thought of it, worn out by anxiety -and excited by the novelty of the situation, she could not close her -eyes, but tossed and turned on her hard couch, longing for the -daylight. The suspense was almost unbearable. - -The hours passed slowly. Now and then Harold would come in to give her -a word of comfort; and she always replied with a bright smile and a -cheerful word. - -The men in the other parts of the house relieved each other in -watching. Captain Burton had honestly told them what they might -expect. There was nothing to be gained in minimising matters. Each -man--there were a dozen of them--had his rifle and revolver with a few -rounds of cartridges. It was obvious they could not hold the place -against any prolonged attack on account of their shortness of -ammunition. But if the Boers did not commence operations until dawn, -as it was improbable they would do, they on the other hand, would not -have much time. Warren's column was on the march, and would be there -betimes in the morning, and then the enemy would be forced to fall -back on their entrenchments among the mountains unless they chose to -run the risk of capture by the superior force. On the whole, Harold -felt sanguine that he and his men would come out of it all right. And -there was always the chance that Van Zwieten might not bring up his -force, or that he might make overelaborate preparation, and thus delay -the attack if he did. At worst, he could rely upon the arrival of the -column very shortly. - -He determined that, when all was safe, he would send Brenda back to -the camp. That done, he could march forward to the relief of Ladysmith -with a light heart. Twice Brenda had escaped this man. She should do -so a third time. - -Toward dawn the rain ceased and the thunderclouds rolled away, leaving -a clear and starry sky. There was no moon, but the surrounding objects -were faintly outlined in a kind of luminous twilight. The animals -about the house commenced to wake and sniff the morning air. Burton -went on to the veranda and looked out on the wild waste veldt, uncanny -in the cold light of early dawn. He could discern no sign of an -approaching enemy. Nevertheless, he felt anything but easy in his -mind, and determined on a definite course of action. If Van Zwieten -did come he would find the bird he wanted to capture flown beyond his -reach. Captain Burton returned to the sitting-room and woke Brenda -from the uneasy slumber into which she had fallen. - -"Dearest!" he said, sitting down and drawing her to him, "I have a -presentiment that Van Zwieten will attack this house, and I want to -put you beyond his reach. I will send you forward with one of my men. -There is a horse here which I can get from the Boer woman. He will -take you to the advancing column and you will be sent back safely to -the camp." - -But she flatly refused to do this. "I won't leave you here to be shot. -I know you can't come yourself, and I won't go without you. I suppose -we could not all leave the place?" - -"No. I have my orders to remain here until the column comes up. I -can't disobey, Brenda. You must go." - -"No, no, don't send me away! I will----" - -There was a shout outside and Harold sprang to his feet. "I hope to -God it is not too late!" he cried, and hurried out. - -But it was too late. Across the veldt a large body of Boers were -riding. The east was saffron colour, and everything for a considerable -distance could be seen clearly. The sentry who had shouted pointed -out the advancing column to his captain. And Harold went round the -house and gave orders to bolt and bar all the windows. Then he -returned to his wife and insisted that she should leave with one of -the men. - -"I must send a messenger back to tell them we are being attacked, and -hurry them up. You must go, Brenda." - -"No, no! A thousand times no!" - -"God help us then," he groaned, and went off to despatch his -messenger. The enemy was riding at a canter across the grass. He took -one of his lancers round by the back where the horses were picketed, -and told him to ride with all speed to the advancing column, and -report the danger. - -The man took his horse and stole quietly away, taking a wide detour to -avoid the lynx eyes of the Boers. So he was away and out of sight -before they reached the farmhouse by the front. Brenda could see them -coming, could see Van Zwieten leading--she knew him by his golden -beard. She ran to change her things, and by the time the Boers had -dismounted near the fence running round the house, she was back in her -riding-habit. She got a revolver from her husband, and by his orders -remained in the sitting-room as the safest place. Then he kissed her -fondly and went out. His men, posted at doors and windows, were all on -the alert--coolly courageous, as the British soldier always is in time -of peril. For the rest they were in God's hands. - -The yellow in the east changed to a fiery red, and all the earth was -bathed in roseate hues. From the verandah Captain Burton could see the -wide veldt rolling in grassy waves to the foot of the distant -mountains, and a gleam of the winding river, crimson in the glare. The -enemy were grouped some distance away from the fence, and he went out -with two men to ask their intentions. Of course he knew too well what -they were, but even in war there is a certain etiquette to be -observed. After a while Van Zwieten, with a white handkerchief at the -end of a stick, came forward also with two men, and stopped at -the fence, whence he could talk to the English officer. - -"Well, you scoundrel!" Captain Burton said fiercely, for his soul -loathed this man who was trying so hard to take his wife away from -him, "what do you want?" - -"I want Mrs. Burton, and I want you!" - -"You shall have neither--or, at best, our dead bodies." - -The other man changed colour. "Don't be a fool, Burton," he said. "I -have a number of men here, and you must give in. Surrender, and I -promise you that you shall go free." - -"And my wife?" - -"I can't let her go," Van Zwieten said sullenly. "I have risked too -much for her sake to do that. She must come with me!" - -Captain Burton stepped forward a pace, but he still kept on the -verandah. His orderlies stepped forward, also stolid and courageous. -"You villains," said Burton, savagely, "how dare you make such a -proposal to me? If it were not for the flag you carry I would shoot -you where you stand. If I were only one of your lot I should do so in -spite of it! I hope to God that I shall kill you! And I will some day. -You have insulted my wife for the last time, you scoundrel!" - -"I never insulted Mrs. Burton, as she will tell you herself," the -Dutchman said coolly. "And she will not be your wife long. I shall -claim her as mine over your corpse." - -"Do so if you can! But I want no more talk. Retire your men." - -"Surrender to the President of the Transvaal Republic!" was the -counter demand. - -"I hold this house for Her Majesty the Queen. I refuse to surrender." - -"Your blood be on your own head, then!" Van Zwieten turned as though -to retire. Suddenly he sprang aside and flung up his hand. The Boers -with him instantly had their rifles to their shoulders, and -two shots rang out. Harold had just time to throw himself down, but -one of his men was shot. The poor fellow flung up his arms with a cry. -It had not died away before a volley came from the British -soldiers within the farm; but by this time Van Zwieten and his -companions had decamped and, expecting the return fire, had thrown -themselves down. The larger body of Boers fired; and under cover of -this the three scoundrels rolled, and afterwards ran into safety. -Harold sprang back through the door, whither the other soldier had -preceded him. He picked up the dead man in his arms, and, with -bullets pattering about him like rain, carried the body indoors. Then -the door was closed and the siege began. As the first shots came ping, -ping against the red stone walls, the sun uprose in a blaze of glory, -and all the veldt was flooded with golden splendour. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV -BESIEGED - - -The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took -advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the -trunks of the red gums. Even then the besieged had the advantage, for -they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot -without exposing themselves. To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not -having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was -very great. Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the -soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the -custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death. Now, however, -there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could -arrive. By all his gods he swore that Brenda should be his. - -Mrs. Burton herself remained in the sitting-room, revolver in hand. -Far from being afraid, the girl, much to her own surprise, was filled -with the terrible joy of battle; indeed, she was in the highest -spirits. The Boers fired at the windows and wherever they saw a puff -of smoke. As the bullets sang, and the smell of powder became -stronger, Brenda could hardly contain her excitement. The Boer woman -was on her knees in a back room praying with all her might that the -accursed _rooineks_ would be taken and killed. Her husband and sons -were with the armies of the Republic, and her whole heart was with her -countrymen outside. How gladly, had she dared, would she have opened -the door to them! - -Harold ordered his men to reserve their fire. His aim was not so much -to score a victory as to hold the house until help arrived. On their -side the enemy were equally careful, and the fight progressed but -slowly. There were thirty Boers, more or less, and of these three were -already dead, while two were wounded. Of those in the house only the -man shot under the white flag was dead. Van Zwieten, looking anxiously -over the plain, fearing every moment to see some sign of the British -advance, cursed the slowness of the affair. At last he picked some men -and sent them round to try and get at the horses of the besieged; but -Harold had got them under shelter in a shed, with five men in front to -guard them. The Boers creeping round the corner were met by a volley -which killed four and wounded two. They fled swearing, and Captain -Burton rejoiced. - -"Reserve your fire, men! We shall hold out after all!" - -"By Heaven we will, sir!" one of the men answered. "We'll fight to the -last rather than an English lady should fall into the hands of these -dirty rascals. Ho! Give 'em beans, you beggars!" - -And this the beggars in question proceeded to do. - -Then Van Zwieten sent forward a dozen men on to the verandah with a -rush. Their advance was covered by a steady fire from the rear, though -not one of the besiegers showed himself. Simultaneously another body -attacked the back shed wherein the horses were housed, and in spite of -the British fire succeeded in effecting their entrance to the yard. -Then they rushed the shed, which was an open one. Two Englishmen fell, -and there was no one to fill their places, for their comrades were -fighting desperately on the verandah in front. - -Van Zwieten, seeing his advantage, led the remainder of his force to -the other side of the house, where there was a wide window. It opened -into the room where the Boer woman was kneeling. She flung open the -shutters. Van Zwieten jumped in, followed by half-a-dozen of his men, -and the first those within knew of it was when they found themselves -attacked in the rear. They right about faced, put their backs to the -wall, and fought like men. Then, as a reward for her treachery, a -stray bullet pierced the brain of the Boer woman. - -Meanwhile, the men who forced entrance into the yard were steadily -gaining ground. But hearing the firing within the house they turned -back by the front again, in order to come to the rescue of their -comrades. The party on the veranda broke through the door and hurled -themselves forward. Boer after Boer fell before the British fire, for -Harold had now concentrated his men--what there were left of them. -Gradually he was driven back to the sitting-room. A shout of triumph -from outside announced that those who had remained had succeeded in -capturing the horses. - -Within, the whole place was dense with smoke. Brenda, in obedience to -her husband's orders, was lying flat on the floor beside the sofa. She -gave up all for lost, but determined she would not be taken alive. She -was only waiting until her husband fell. In the midst of it all she -could discern Van Zwieten. Rifles were useless now. It was hand to -hand work. The end was near. - -There, in the little room, Harold stood with three of his men beside -him. The others were either dead or dying. But the Boers had got off -by no means cheaply. At least twenty of them had been done for. The -four Englishmen, with their backs to the wall, fought on, using -revolver, muzzle and butt-end, until at last their cartridges gave -out, and they threw down their weapons with a curse and surrendered. -There was nothing for it. Van Zwieten gave vent to a yell of triumph. -His men threw themselves on Burton. But the Englishman was too quick -for them. He stepped back quickly and levelled his revolver. He had -one chamber loaded. - -"I have just one left," he said hoarsely "stand up to it, Van Zwieten, -for I am keeping it for you!" - -"Finish him, men!" roared the Dutchman. - -"No, no," cried Brenda, and before a man could move she had flung her -arms around her husband and stood between him and them. "The last -shot, dear, is for me!" she said. - -There was a pause. They held back. Harold never flinched. His wife -clung to him desperately. His face was streaming with blood from the -graze of a bullet. But he was determined to make good use of that last -shot. - -Beside Van Zwieten stood a huge man with a white, flowing beard. At -last the Dutchman made a dash forward and attempted to take Brenda -from her husband's arm. - -"You are mine," he cried madly, "mine! You shall not die!" - -"Coward!" hissed Burton, "take your lead like the dog you are!" He -fired. But she, struggling to free herself from the Dutchman's grasp, -fell heavily against his right arm and spoilt his aim. The bullet -whizzed overhead. He threw down his weapon and prepared for the worst. -He put her behind him. Sobbing, she fell on her knees and clasped her -arms around his legs. She felt for her revolver that she might be sure -of death when he died. - -"Fire!" rang out from Van Zwieten. "Spare the woman, kill the man!" - -Two Boers levelled. But the old man with the white beard rushed -forward and struck them aside. They fell wide. "Hold!" he cried, "let -no man fire!" - -"Damn you, Piet Bok, what do you mean?" asked Van Zwieten, savagely. - -"Ah! Piet Bok!" cried Harold, seeing a chance of life and of saving -his wife, "I am your prisoner again. I yield to you." - -"Fire, men!" shouted Van Zwieten. "Fire, I tell you!" He was seething -with rage at the fear lest his prey was going to escape him. Then -turning to the old man he said, "Piet Bok! this is my business!" - -"It is the business of the Republic," retorted Piet, coolly, and at -the same moment he struck down a Boer who was about to fire. "I'll -shoot the first man who disobeys my orders," he said. "Clear the room. -I am in command here!" - -It was done. Then they set to work to drag out the bodies of the dead -and tend the wounded. - -Soon Harold and his wife, Piet Bok and Van Zwieten, were left alone. -For the third time the Dutchman had been baffled. The man whom of all -others he would have had dead still lived. - -Harold, knowing well that Piet Bok would stand his friend, said -nothing for the moment, but wrapped his arms round Brenda and faced -the two men. The issues of life and death were in their hands. - -"Will you sit down, Englishman?" said Piet Bok. "I see you are -wounded." - -"A mere scratch!" replied Harold; "but my wife will sit with your -permission!" - -"Your wife!" echoed the Boer leader, who spoke English well enough. -"You never told me she was the _rooinek's_ wife!" he added, turning to -Van Zwieten. - -"I did not think it was necessary," growled the other; "besides, I -thought that would have ceased to be by now!" - -"Yes, I can well believe that!" cried Brenda, with sudden energy. -"Mynheer Bok, do not believe what this man says. He tried to carry me -off from my husband last night; and when I escaped to this place he -brought you and your men up with the sole object of having my husband -shot. He would shoot him now if he dared!" - -"That he shall not do whilst I am here!" cried Piet Bok. "You are both -prisoners of the Republic, and as such you shall be treated." - -"Nothing of the sort!" cried Van Zwieten, mad with rage. "I demand -that the man be shot and the woman be given to me!" - -Piet Bok signed to Harold to remain silent. "On what grounds?" - -"On the grounds that this woman was engaged to marry me with the -consent of her father, and that this man has married her against her -father's will." - -"Is this true?" asked the Boer leader. - -"No!" cried Brenda, "it is not true. At one time my father, deceived -by this wicked Van Zwieten, did wish me to marry him. But when he -found out his true character he consented to my marriage with Captain -Burton. I never was engaged to him! I always hated him. This is my -husband!" She laid her hand on Harold's shoulder. "Give me to that man -and I will kill myself." - -"She raves!" said Van Zwieten. "He has turned her against me." - -"That is another lie," said Harold, fiercely. "You don't believe him, -Piet Bok?" - -"No, I don't believe him," replied the big man, quietly. "I believe -the lady. My friend," he added, turning to Van Zwieten, "can you wish -to marry a woman who openly declares hatred for you? Besides, she is -already the wife of this English soldier, and she loves him." -The Dutchman winced. "I demand his death!" he cried. - -"On what grounds?" - -"He is a murderer." - -"That is untrue," Brenda said quietly, "and you know it, Mr. van -Zwieten." - -"Oh, I wish I could meet you face to face and fight it out!" Harold -said, between his teeth. "Only death will stop that cursed tongue of -yours." - -"A murderer!" repeated Piet Bok, looking at Captain Burton. "That is a -serious matter. State your case, Van Zwieten." - -Glibly enough he complied. He related the events which had taken place -at Chippingholt, the death of Mr. Malet, the finding of the revolver -belonging to Harold, and ended by stating his conviction that the -crime had been committed by Captain Burton. "And he killed Malet -because he was on our side, because he was supplying information about -the accursed English to me for the use of the Republic. He---- - -"It is wholly untrue, Piet Bok!" cried Harold, furious at the man's -audacious mendacity. "I did not kill Malet; I did not know at that -time that he was betraying his own country to Van Zwieten. This man's -one idea is to get me put out of the way that he may marry my wife, -who hates him; and he cares not how he achieves his desire so long as -he does achieve it." - -"I hate him!--oh, how I hate him!" cried Brenda. "I will kill myself -rather than have anything to do with him. If my husband dies I will -die too. Oh, Mynheer Bok, save me; save my husband from that man!" - -"If you do not shoot the murderer," Van Zwieten said in his turn, "you -are no friend to the Republic, Piet Bok!" - -The big Boer turned round and cursed him for his words. - -"I am a true burgher of the Transvaal," said Piet Bok, with vehemence, -"and you are an outlander; one of those rats who want to creep into -our corn rick and grow fat. The whole of the war is the doing of such -as you. What do you know about me in connection with my own country? -Nothing. And what you say about these people is untrue. The woman -hates you. You would kill her husband to marry her against her will. -As to the _rooinek_, he is not the kind of man to murder. With my own -eyes I saw him spare my boy, Hans. You shall harm neither of them." - -"What will you do, then?" shouted Van Zwieten, furiously. - -"Send them to Pretoria as prisoners. Yes; but not in your charge, mark -you. You would kill them on the road. I command here, Van Zwieten. Go -out, mynheer, and get your men together. The British are advancing and -I have no fancy for being trapped. Go!" - -"But these two!" said the other. - -"I will be responsible for these two," thundered Piet Bok. "Do you -want to be shot yourself? That you will be, unless you obey -instantly." - -Very unwillingly Van Zwieten turned and went, and they heard his voice -outside shouting to his men. Brenda sprang forward and kissed Bok's -hand. "Thank you, mynheer, for your goodness. God bless you!" - -"Piet Bok, you are a brick!" cried Harold, enthusiastically; "and -since it seems my fate to be a prisoner, I would rather be your -prisoner than anyone else's." - -"You spared my boy's life, man," was the answer, "and I am not -ungrateful. I know Van Zwieten is a bad man, but he is powerful with -our Oom Paul. He will make trouble when you are sent to Pretoria." The -old man bent forward and whispered, "If I can help you to escape I -will. Hush! not a word, my children. I hate Van Zwieten. He is one of -those who have ruined our country. Come, now we must go." - -Considerably cheered by the friendly spirit displayed by the old man, -Brenda and her husband went out on to the verandah. Here they found -the Boers--they had buried their dead and had secured the other -prisoners--ready to start. The English dead were left unburied, much -to Harold's wrath, and he begged Bok to let him and his surviving -fellows bury them before leaving. But the permission was refused. - -"We must get away; there is not time. Your column will be upon us -immediately, I know. Mount, Englishmen. And you, lady--see, we have -found a saddle for you. Ah! you cannot say we burghers are not -civilised. No!" - -There was no help for it. Brenda mounted, and found the saddle -comfortable enough. As it afterwards transpired, Van Zwieten had -brought it on a spare horse, so sure had he been of capturing Brenda. -How he had managed to procure it in the there Boer entrenchments it -was impossible to say, but it was, and Brenda on it now, but not--as -the Dutchman had no doubt fondly pictured to himself--_his_ captive. -With an expression black as thunder he was riding at the head of the -troop. Piet Bok remained in the rear between Brenda and her husband. -As they left the house, Harold looked in vain for any sign of General -Warren's division. - -Prisoners they were, and prisoners they seemed likely to remain, with -every probability of being sent on to Pretoria, where they would be at -the mercy of the intrigues of Van Zwieten once again. But Piet Bok saw -the heavy glower of the Dutchman, and had his own views as to the -reason for it. - -"You expected your column to come up?" he said in a low tone; "so did -we. Our spies have kept us correctly informed. But it seems there is -some delay in crossing the Tugela." - -"Are you disputing the passage?" - -"No, we are not. We intend to offer no resistance to your reaching the -mountains." - -"Why? Surely you should dispute the river passage." - -"No! We are about to--never mind. We know what we are doing. Your men -are very brave--oh, yes; but your generals--ah, well! the dear Lord -has shown them what they should do--for the benefit of the burghers." - -Not another word would Piet Bok say; but Captain Burton gathered from -his looks and speech that the division was being led into a trap. The -Boers were past masters in the art of ensnaring their enemies; and on -this occasion they were quite capable of entrapping the whole of -Buller's army amongst the mountains. If Harold had only been alone he -would have made a dash for freedom and hastened to warn his commanding -officer. But as he was placed that was impossible. He could not risk -his wife's safety even for that of his division. He could only comfort -himself with the thought that the British generals had been rendered -more wary by their late reverses, and trust that they would succeed in -avoiding this especial trap. - -For some hours the little troop trotted over the veldt and drew nearer -to the mountains in which the Boers had their entrenchments. Hitherto -Van Zwieten had kept away from Brenda, but now he ranged up beside her -while Harold was in front with Piet Bok. The man looked pale, while -his eyes burned like fire. Brenda shuddered as she glanced at him and -turned her horse away. - -"You are not safe from me yet," he said, noting the action. "And -though you shrink from me now, you will come to me later. I have -finished with kindly methods. Now I will be your master. Your husband -shall die! yes, in spite of that old fool. And when he is dead I will -marry you. Don't think you have beaten me--or ever will!" - -"I am not afraid of you, though you threaten me ever so often," she -replied calmly, "for I see that God is thwarting all your wicked -schemes. Twice before I escaped you: this is the third time. You are -strong, Mr. van Zwieten, but you are not so strong as God!" - -"Bah! Why do you preach to me? I know what I am doing." - -"You do not," she said steadily, "but I do. You are marching to your -death. Yes, it is true. I believe firmly that you will die in the -midst of your wickedness." - -"You talk like a child," said he, uneasily, for he was inclined to be -superstitious, and her solemn tone of conviction made him uneasy. - -"You can laugh at me if you please, but I am certain that what I say -is true. You will die--die in----" - -But before she could finish her dismal prophecy Van Zwieten, -thoroughly dismayed by her words, had put spurs to his horse and -ridden away at full speed. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI -IN CAPTIVITY - - -After the excitement of that day and night came five days of -quiet--quiet at least for Captain and Mrs. Burton, held prisoners as -they were in a Boer house on the slope of a rocky hill sparsely -covered with grass. It was the homestead of a sheep farm and the -animals fed amongst the hills, and, when the seasons served, down on -the plain. The stone house was solidly built; it was of one storey, -with a roof of corrugated iron, and was comfortable enough after the -Dutch fashion, so that on the whole Brenda and her husband were not -unpleasantly situated. More over they were allowed to be together--a -privilege which they valued highly. Indeed, it was the sole thing -which rendered this captivity tolerable. - -As it happened, Piet Bok was unable to send them to Pretoria as he had -wished. The Boers were now engaged with Buller's division, and -were falling back to a hill called Spion Kop, a name hardly known at -that time, but fated in two or three days to be spoken of all over the -world. Not a burgher could be spared to escort them to the capital, -but, strangely enough, a sufficient number were told off to -guard the farm house. Harold was somewhat suspicious of this -arrangement--suspicious that somehow Van Zwieten had had to do with -it; but he had no means of making certain. The Dutchman had never come -near them, but they feared him all the more now that he was out of -sight, and fully expected some fresh trouble. As he had warned Mrs. -Burton, he had not done with them yet. - -Occasionally they were visited by Piet Bok, and the old man still -seemed as kindly disposed as ever, but as yet he could do nothing to -help them; so for five days they had to make the best of their irksome -captivity. Not even a book or a paper could they find. However, -putting aside the constant dread of Van Zwieten, they were not -unhappy. The house stood so high that there was a splendid view of a -large plain, and on the left a huddle of hills. Beyond these the -fighting was going on, and the prisoners could hear the boom of the -cannon and the shriek of shells. At times they could see the smoke of -the battle afar off. Harold hoped that the advance of the army would -bring them help at last, but the fighting was in a more westerly -direction, and the hoped-for help never came. - -"If we could only escape, Brenda!" he said for the hundredth time. "It -is maddening to be shut up here and to listen to all that! We must -make one desperate attempt to get away. You are not afraid, I know?" - -"I am not afraid," replied his wife, "but we must not be rash. We have -no weapons, no horses, no food. I don't see how we are to manage it." - -"Nor do I, unless Piet Bok will help us. These men outside would give -us no quarter if we tried to get away. They are just dying to get rid -of us." - -Brenda shuddered. "Harold, don't! It is terrible to think of. I feel -sure all will come right in the end." - -"It won't if Van Zwieten can help it." - -"He will have enough to do to look after himself. Harold, that man -will die!" - -"How do you know? Do you mean a violent death, and that soon?" - -"Yes, that is just what I do mean. My mother was a Highland woman, and -had what they call second-sight. I have not got it myself, I suppose, -because I am not a pure Celt. But I have enough of the seer in me to -have a presentiment about that man! I feel certain that he will die by -violence, and that shortly. I can't explain myself more clearly." - -"One never can explain a feeling of that sort. You told this to Van -Zwieten himself?" - -"Yes, and I frightened him. Perhaps that is why he has not been near -us." - -"I should not have thought he was superstitious, Brenda; nor you -either, for that matter." - -"I am not, as a rule," was her reply, "but I feel that what I say is -true. Van Zwieten will die!" - -Harold, sturdy, stolid Englishman as he was, tried to argue her out of -this idea, but he gave it up as hopeless. She had made up her mind -that their enemy was a dead man, or would be dead within a few days. -Strange to say, it was on that very day that he paid them his first -visit. He looked as handsome and as burly as ever. Going by -appearances, he had a good many years of villainy before him yet. - -He came up to the veranda and saluted Mrs. Burton with a low bow of -which she took no notice. - -"You are surprised to see me?" he said, with his usual cool insolence. - -"I cannot say that I am surprised at anything you do," was Harold's -disdainful reply. "But if you have come to make the same proposition -you made before, I warn you that I shall not listen to it so -patiently." - -The Dutchman cast a quick glance at the slender figure of the -other man. "I am not afraid of you," he sneered; "you have no -weapons--neither sword nor revolver." - -"I can use my fists even on such a big bully as you!" - -"As you please. But I don't see much chance of delivering my message -until you moderate your tone." - -"What is your message?" asked Brenda, speaking for the first time. - -"I come to offer you freedom." - -"On what conditions?" - -"There are none. I love you still. If I had my way I would kill your -husband and marry you. But unfortunately," said Van Zwieten, with a -sneer, "I am amongst a very moral people. Piet Bok has told the Boer -generals about what they are pleased to call my wickedness, and I have -been informed that if I persist in my plans I may say good-bye to -all advancement amongst the godly Boers. Now I am a poor man, and -cannot afford to lose all I have gained. Ambition for me must be -stronger than love. So, Mrs. Burton, I give you up!" - -"Thank God!" cried she, clasping her hands; adding, as an -afterthought, "If I could only believe you!" - -"Oh, you can believe me," he said gloomily. "If I were only a rich -man--rich enough to give up my position here--I would never rest until -you were mine. But the choice lies now between you and my position. I -choose to lose you. From this moment you need have no fear of me. You -can go with your husband where you will. You do not love me--I know it -now--but him you do love--unworthy though he is----" - -"That is a lie!" Captain Burton cried, starting up. - -"Hush, Harold! Is it worth while arguing about? Let him go on. Well, -Mr. van Zwieten, you have come to tell us this. What else?" - -"I have come to offer you my assistance to escape." - -"Oh! That is what I hardly expected to hear you say. And you must -pardon me if I don't believe you." - -"As you please," he said again. "But you can escape to-night if you -will. The men here now I shall take away with me shortly. Two horses -will be left behind--food is in the house; and here are a couple of -revolvers--one for you and one for Burton." - -They took the weapons in silence. Could this be Van Zwieten? They did -not know him in this new _rôle_ of self-abnegation, and the suspicions -of both husband and wife were thoroughly aroused. But the revolvers -were good ones, and they were loaded. Could it be that he spoke truly -and that he was anxious now to retrieve his past, to give up his -plotting and spying and to live a virtuous life amongst the too-moral -Boers, who had indeed, perhaps, forced him to do this thing? - -Still Brenda looked doubtfully at him, for compulsory righteousness -was somewhat hard to credit. - -"I see you don't believe me," he said, after a pause. "Well, perhaps -you are right. It is rather late in the day for me to turn saint. But -you may be sure I should not do this unless I had some very strong -inducement. If you are taken to Pretoria you will only remain to vex -my eyes, and I want to get you out of sight. That is my reason for -giving you your freedom. To-night I will send a messenger who will -guide you to the British outposts. They are not so far off as you -think. Buller has advanced almost to Spion Kop, and he has taken -several of our positions. If he gets Spion Kop--and I understand -Warren intends to capture it if he can--he will have the key to our -position and will march on to Ladysmith. But"--he shrugged his -shoulders--"there is many a slip, you know. Well, I will go in and get -my men. Will you follow my messenger?" - -"I can't say yet," Captain Burton said bluntly. "You speak fair -enough, but this may be a trick for all I know." - -"How should I benefit by a trick?" Van Zwieten asked. "If I wanted to -kill you I could do it now, and no one would be the wiser. The Boers -here would shoot you with pleasure. But if I killed you and took Mrs. -Burton, why, then, good-bye to my chance of becoming President of the -Confederate States of South Africa. No, I will let you go; it suits me -better. Love, as I said, must yield to ambition. But if you do not -believe me, stay here. My messenger shall come at eight o'clock -to-night. Follow him or not as you please. Good-bye, Mrs. Burton. You -little know what it is to me to give you up; but you must say I afford -you every chance of being happy with your husband." - -Brenda looked at him. She began to think he was acting in good faith -after all. - -"I am not ungrateful," she said gently. "We will follow your -messenger. Good-bye," and she held out her hand to him. - -Van Zwieten bent over it and kissed it. Then he drew himself up, -looked at Harold steadfastly and turned away in silence. - -"Do you believe in him?" asked Brenda after a pause. - -"I don't know. Upon my soul, I don't know. He is such a scoundrel. I -wonder you could let him kiss your hand, Brenda!" - -"Craft must be met by craft," she replied in a whisper. "You silly -boy, you don't mean to say you are jealous of that? Can't you see that -I wanted to disarm his suspicions so that we might get away safely?" - -"Then you don't believe in him? - -"No; he has some scheme in his head. Hush, it's not safe to talk about -it now--when he's gone. Meanwhile, let him think we accept his offer." - -It would really seem as though Van Zwieten were acting -straightforwardly for the first time in his life. The Boers who had -been guarding the place got their rifles, saddled the horses, and, -headed by Van Zwieten, took themselves off down the mountain-side, and -were shortly afterward to be seen riding across the veldt in a -northerly direction. Captain Burton, still suspicious, could not -believe in his good fortune. With Brenda he proceeded to explore the -house. It was empty. They searched the orchard, the sheep kraals, the -Kaffir huts--in fact, the whole domain, but they could find no trace -of a single soul. No weapons had been left, but they had the -revolvers. In the stable were two horses already saddled. Harold -pointed this out to his wife. - -"Ready, you see, for the journey!" said he. "Van Zwieten is evidently -very sure that we shall accept his offer." - -"Well, we'll not disappoint him so far as the horses are concerned," -replied Brenda; "but as to waiting for his messenger, I don't think -we'll do that." - -"Why, Brenda, what do you mean? We don't know an inch of the country." - -"Probably this messenger of Van Zwieten's will know it rather too well -for our liking. I don't trust the arrangement in the least. Believe -me, dear, he will only lead us into some trap and we shall be -prisoners again." - -"I don't see that Van Zwieten need have given himself the trouble to -do that--we were his prisoners already." - -"I can't see through it at present either. But, nevertheless, I'm sure -there's something at the back of his ostensible generosity." - -Captain Burton was at a loss how to interpret it. On the whole, he was -inclined to trust to his wife's instinct. He had no sort of premise on -which to argue against it. - -So they had something to eat and decided to leave at sundown. Beyond -the hills they knew the British were engaging the enemy, so if they -made due west they had every hope of coming up with the outposts of -the advancing column. There was, of course, always the chance that -they might not get even so far safely, but that they preferred to risk -rather than trust in Mr. van Zwieten. - -Their horses were wiry little animals enough, and, if put to it, could -show a very pretty pace. They fed and watered them now preparatory to -their start. On the whole they were sanguine. - -Then came a surprise. As they were making their own meal they heard -from outside a voice hailing them in English. Harold rushed to the -door and returned shortly with Piet Bok. The old man looked anxious, -and hurried forward to shake Brenda by the hand. - -"Thank the dear Lord you are safe," he said with emotion. "I feared it -might be otherwise--that you had fallen into that man's snare." - -"Then it was a snare!" cried Brenda, at this confirmation of her own -feelings. "Tell us, Mynheer Bok, what was his plan?" - -"Ach! is it not to tell it you and save you from it I am here?" He -rubbed his hands. "I will show Van Zwieten that others can be slim as -he. Beloved Lord, he is the seed of Satan, that man." - -"He took away the guards, but he has left us the two revolvers and a -couple of mounts all ready saddled." - -"Quite so; and he is to send a messenger soon, is he not, to lead you -to the British camp?" - -"Yes, yes." - -"Believe him not. That messenger will not lead you to your camp, but -to an ambuscade of Boers headed by Van Zwieten himself. Then your -husband here will be shot and you will be carried off." - -"The scoundrel! The double-dyed villain! But why all this, mynheer? We -were in his power already." - -"No, you were not. You must understand that I have power with the -burghers; yes, and I told them your story, and they were amazed at the -wickedness of this man, and he was told to go out from amongst us lest -the dear Lord should send evil on the host. Then he said he would -desist from his wicked schemes and send you on to Pretoria to be dealt -with by the President. But I overheard his conversation with the -messenger whom he intends to send to you, and I know his plan. You are -to be carried off, as I have told you, and in durance vile kept until -the war is over. Your husband will be shot, probably by Van Zwieten -himself. But of all this he will say not a word to the burghers, and -thus he will maintain his place amongst them. You see why he does not -act openly? - -"I see," said Brenda, her color rising. "Now what are we to do?" - -"Come with me at once," said Piet Bok. "I will lead you by another -route to your outposts, and so shall we thwart this son of the pit. -But you must come at once, there is not a moment to lose." - -"But the messenger?" - -"Of course we do not wait for him. It would mean death to you or to -him." - -"Right you are, then; let's get off straight away. It's getting dark -already." - -"Ach, yes! that is well. Come along, then." - -Their trust in the old man was implicit. He had always proved a friend -hitherto. The sun was setting in floods of gold over the mountain-tops -as they rode down the path which descended to the veldt. Heavy rains -had rendered the ground sodden. Piet Bok headed for a point in the -hills where he said there was a pass other than the one in which Van -Zwieten was waiting. Unluckily, as they started across the veldt, they -saw a horseman coming toward them at full speed. - -"The messenger!" cried Brenda. "What are we to do now, mynheer?" - -The old man unslung his gun. "Kill him," he said quietly, "else he -will ride on and tell Van Zwieten. If he sees me with you he will -guess the truth. It is well known in laager that I am the enemy of Van -Zwieten." - -"Must he really be killed?" asked Brenda, with a shudder. It was -terrible to her that this man should be shot in cold blood. - -"It is his life or mine, dear," said her husband, pulling out his -revolver to be ready if Piet Bok should fail. - -But the approaching Boer was not going to trust himself at close -quarters. He circled round them and held out a white flag in token of -friendship. Harold laughed grimly as he recognized the old trick. Piet -Bok sighted, and fired. But the fellow flung himself flat down on his -horse's neck and the shot missed him. - -He rode off with a defiant whoop. A big Dutch oath escaped from the -lips of Piet Bok, and he caught Brenda's horse by the bridle. - -"We must ride for it," he said. "The man recognized me, and you too. -He will hasten back to Van Zwieten, and they will be after us in no -time. We must make for the hills." - -"How can I thank you, Bok?" said Harold, gratefully. - -"Almighty, that is right! you spared my boy Hans." - -By this time the messenger was a mere speck on the horizon. He was -riding like the wind to take this news to his chief. - -The three fugitives made a straight line for the pass, urging their -horses to their best. The sun had dropped behind the mountains and the -shadows were gathering fast on the veldt. For several hours they tore -on until they reached the mouth of the pass. There they pulled up to -give themselves and their animals breath. - -"I think we can count ourselves safe now," said Piet Bok, wiping his -brow. "But we must push on through the pass. At the other side let us -hope we shall come up with your men." - -The track was narrow and winding and full of mud, which fouled the -horses and made the climbing doubly hard. It was quite dark there, but -Piet knew every inch of the path, and rode on ahead fearless and -confident. In about an hour they emerged. There were the lights of the -British camp twinkling a mile and a half away. - -As they commenced the descent they heard a shot ring out, and Brenda -gave a cry of dismay. Piet Bok had fallen from his saddle. - -"Ride, ride for your lives!" cried the old man. "He has come round by -the other pass." - -And so it was. Van Zwieten, instead of following at their rear, had -pushed through the other pass and had cut them off. But he had made -one mistake. He had allowed them to get out of the pass on to the -higher ground instead of cutting them off from the camp. As shot -followed shot, Harold caught Brenda's horse by the bridle. Headlong -they tore down toward the plain. - -The light, or rather the dark, was all against the pursuers. They gave -up firing and made to overtake them. But the sound of the muskets had -already been heard in the camp, and they could hear the bugles ringing -out. Whether the brave old Boer who had saved them was dead or not -they did not know. It was beyond their power to aid him. They urged -their horses on and on, for in their speed lay the only hope of -escape. - -"Courage, Brenda!" cried Harold. "Stick to it; they've heard the -firing in camp." - -"I will, dear--I will." - -Then her husband looked round, and an exclamation of mingled relief -and triumph came from him. They had given up the chase. - -"They've had enough of it, hurrah!" he cried. - -They were now within a short distance of the camp, and could hear the -commands being given consequent on what evidently had been taken for -the commencement of a surprise on the part of the Boers. Those behind -them had turned and fled now in the opposite direction--all of them -save Van Zwieten. - -He stood up and fired twice. But his shot fell wide. Then Harold -turned and tried what his revolver would do at that range. Van -Zwieten's arm fell useless. Then he galloped off, none too soon, for a -squadron of mounted infantry came on the scene just at the moment. - -"What's all this?" shouted the captain in command. - -"We have escaped!" shouted Harold--"Burton and Mrs. Burton." - -"What, is it you, old man?" cried a friendly voice--a voice they knew -well. - -For the fourth time Brenda had escaped her enemy. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. -NEMESIS. - - -Having no ambition toward enacting the _rôle_ of heroine of an -Adelphi melodrama, Brenda was beginning to weary of this game of -hide-and-seek. However, she was safe for the time being, as even the -redoubtable Van Zwieten could hardly be expected to take her from the -midst of the British army. Harold reported the mishap which had led to -the loss of his men, and afterward rejoined his company. He wished his -wife to go back to Spearman's Camp; but she begged so hard to remain -that at last he consented. Permission was obtained from the -authorities, and Brenda betook herself to her old task of nursing the -wounded. She related to her friend the doctor as much of her -adventures as she could without trenching too closely on her private -affairs; and great surprise was expressed at her perils and her lucky -escape. But to Wilfred, who came to see her and his brother as soon as -he heard of their rescue, she related everything in detail. - -"By Jove! what a scoundrel that fellow is!" said that young man. "I -wonder when he intends to leave you alone." - -"Never, I fear," replied Brenda. "Unless he is killed I shall never be -safe from him." - -"I'll shoot him myself if I get a chance. He is a danger to -society--it must be some one's business to put him out of the way. You -have had a bad time, Brenda; but I don't think you need fear the man -any more." - -"What makes you say that?" - -"I have an idea that he has come to the end of his tether." - -"So have I," she said. "And I told him so. But, Wilfred, tell me about -my father?" - -"He has gone back to Durban, as you know, to see the authorities about -your disappearance. He thinks you have been taken prisoner by the -Boers, and that you are at Pretoria by now. He is going to try and get -you exchanged." - -"There is no need for that, thank God!" said Brenda, cheerfully. "I -must let him know at once." - -"That will be difficult unless you send a message from Ladysmith." - -"When do you think we shall be there?" - -"If the luck holds good, in a couple of days. We have taken most of -the Boer positions; now Warren intends to try for Spion Kop to-night. -If he captures it, we shall hold the key to the Boer position." - -"Ah, you see Wilfred, your forebodings are all wrong." - -"We are yet in the wood, not out of it," replied he, significantly. -"However, I will give Buller and Warren all praise. They have done -well. All the same, I still condemn this plan of campaign. Only a -miracle can render it successful." - -"Well, we shall see what happens when Spion Kop is taken. Do try and -look on the bright side of things, Wilfred." - -But the young man departed, still shaking his head. There was no doubt -that he was very depressing company. His face wore a look of settled -gloom most painful to behold; and he was always prognosticating -calamity in the face of the most promising operations. At the same -time he invariably refrained from pessimism in his letters to his -newspaper, which were usually cheerful and full of devoted praise of -the behavior of both troops and officers. - -It was anxious work waiting in the hospital while Harold was in the -field. But Brenda had not much time for thought. She was nursing the -wounded with all her heart and soul, and was an angel of light amongst -the weary, wounded soldiers. The doctor called her his right hand, as -well he might. She deprived herself of rest and food to be by her -patients. Only when compelled to, did she lie down; and then it was in -her clothes, ready to be up and doing at the call of duty. Her best -qualities came out in this most arduous work. - -The grand attack on Spion Kop was to be made at night, in order to -effect a surprise. All day long the operations went on in the field. -Toward sunset Harold's company had to dislodge a number of Boers who -had entrenched themselves on the slope of the mountain. The position -was taken and the enemy fell back; but not without considerable loss -of life on both sides. Amongst the wounded was Harold, who was shot -through the lung. It was dark when the news was brought into the camp, -and the ambulance bearers started under a rising moon for this -miniature battlefield. - -Quite unaware of her husband's mishap, Brenda was busy attending a -dying man. But he was beyond her aid, and died within a very short -time of his being brought in. She was closing his eyes with a sigh at -the horrors of war when one of the doctors told her that she was -wanted. With a presentiment of bad news she went out and found Wilfred -waiting to speak to her. He was greatly agitated and took her hand as -if to give her courage. - -"Brenda, I have bad news for you!" - -"It is Harold!" she cried, pale to the lips. - -"Yes, it is Harold. I have only just heard." - -"He is dead?" - -"No. I hope not--I don't know but he fell while leading the attack on -one of the small kopjes. They are just going out to bring in the -wounded. I thought----" - -"Yes, I'll come," said Brenda, anticipating his speech. "Is it far?" - -"No, not very. Make haste. God grant we may find him alive!" - -She needed no second bidding, but hastily gathered together some -medical comforts, wrapped herself in a cloak and came out. In silence -they walked toward the fatal spot which had been pointed out to -Wilfred by a private who had seen Harold fall. She did not weep. Her -emotion was too deep for tears. The moment which she had been dreading -all these months had arrived--unexpectedly, as all such moments do. -Now she felt that the actual event was not so terrible as the -expectation had been. There was a chance that he might be alive. He -was wiry, healthy, clean-blooded and clean living, and the Mauser -bullets, as Brenda had seen, inflicted a clean wound. Full of silent -prayer she walked on. Had she heard of this in England she would have -been distracted; but somehow, since she was on the spot and would soon -be with him, it did not seem quite so terrible. At all events he had -fallen in the forefront of battle, doing his work, and not by the -treachery of Van Zwieten. If he died he could not die more gloriously. -There was comfort in that thought. - -"I saw Van Zwieten to-day," said Wilfred, suddenly. - -"You did? Where? When?" asked Brenda, wondering if after all the -scoundrel could have had anything to do with this mishap to her -husband. - -"On the lower slopes. I was looking through my field-glass and saw him -quite plainly riding about on a big black horse. I recognized him by -his long golden beard. I am certain it was he; that was why I wanted -you to come with me to see after Harold." - -"I don't understand----" - -"Because as Van Zwieten is about the place he is bound to hear that -Harold has been shot. He has spies everywhere; and from one of our -prisoners I heard that he had described Harold's appearance to several -Boer sharp-shooters, that the poor chap might be picked off." - -"Do you know the prisoner's name?" - -"Yes; and he's a fine old fellow who did good service to you--Piet -Bok!" - -"Then he was not killed at the time we escaped?" - -"No, only touched on the right arm. He was taken prisoner this -morning. I would have come and told you, but I couldn't get away. I -saw him by chance, and he recognized me from my resemblance to Harold. -I told him he was wrong and then he informed me of Van Zwieten's new -villainy. By this time the man who picked off Harold has, no doubt, -told Van Zwieten, and has received his reward. And that scoundrel will -probably come down to see if the news is true." - -"What?" shrieked Brenda. "Oh, don't, Wilfred! If he finds Harold still -alive he will kill him." - -"That's what I thought; and that's why I got you to come with me. I -feel certain that the brute will be there." - -She uttered a cry of mingled terror and pain. "Oh, Wilfred, do not let -us lose a moment. Harold, my darling!" She began to run. - -"Come, Brenda, keep as quiet as you can. You'll need all your -strength!" - -A glorious moon filled the world with its pale radiance. The shadows -of the mountains and kopjes were black as Indian ink in the white -light. Here and there were points of fire, and in the distance a -glimpse of the white tents of the camp. To the right rose the great -mass of Spion Kop, with its flat table top dark and menacing. But a -few hours and there would be a deadly struggle on that pinnacle. -Already the generals were maturing their plans for the assault. -Occasionally the boom of a gun could be heard, for the Boers had not -yet desisted from firing, in spite of the lateness of the hour. Brenda -paid no heed to all this. She strained her eyes toward the rising -ground they were approaching. Was he dead or alive? All her life was -bound up in the answer to that question. - -The Indian bearers swung along at a slow trot, and she followed -closely on Wilfred's arm. He felt her shiver although the night was -warm, and did his best to console her. And she never forgot his -brotherly kindness at that terrible hour. - -They climbed up the slope which earlier in the day had been swept by -rifle fire. Now the Boers had retreated to another point of vantage, -and the position was held by a small force of our men. As the -ambulance party approached it was challenged and the word was given. -In a few minutes the bearers were within the entrenchments. - -"Glad you've come," said the officer in charge; "there are many poor -fellows here who require your attention. The enemy are removing their -dead now." - -He addressed these remarks to the doctor, but he saluted when he saw -Brenda, whom he knew. "I expected you, Mrs. Burton. Your husband is -over yonder. We have made him as comfortable as possible." - -"Then he is not dead?" gasped Brenda, turning faint. - -"Oh, no," he said cheerily, "he is worth a dozen dead men. You'll soon -pull him round. Over there." - -He pointed to the left and she hurried away. Wilfred lingered behind -to speak to the officer. "Have you noticed a particularly tall man -with the Boers?" he asked, "a man with a golden beard?" - -"Yes. He asked after Burton. It seems he was a friend of his before -the war." - -"Has he seen him?" asked Wilfred, turning pale, for well he knew the -reason of Van Zwieten's inquiries. - -"No, I think not. But he intends to look him up shortly. I think your -brother will pull through, Burton," and he hurried away to attend to -his duties. Wilfred stood still and meditated. He grasped his -revolver. "The man has lived too long," he murmured; "I must do it!" - -Then he moved toward the group round his brother. Brenda was -supporting his head, and a doctor was examining the wound in the poor -fellow's chest. "We must wait till we get him to the hospital," he -said. "Have him put into the ambulance, Mrs. Burton." - -"Has he a chance, doctor?" she asked with quivering lips. - -"I can't say yet. The bullet has pierced the lung. Hope for the best." - -Then he hurried away with his attendants, and Brenda was left alone -with her husband and Wilfred. Harold was quite unconscious, but -breathing faintly, and as she bent over him, with an agonized face, -she prayed that God would spare his life. Wilfred stood beside her and -looked down silently on that countenance waxen in the light of the -lantern. As he stood there, as Brenda placed Harold's head on her -knees, both heard a mocking voice beside them. - -"Well, Mrs. Burton, you are a widow at last!" - -She gave a cry of horror at the ill-omened words, and Wilfred turned -with a bound to clutch Van Zwieten by the throat. - -"You hound!" he cried. "You miserable dog!" and he hurled the big man -to the ground. - -Taken by surprise, the Dutchman had fallen; but he rose to his feet -with an ugly scowl, cursing bitterly. "I'll pay you out for this!" he -said menacingly. "At present my business is with Mrs. Burton." - -"I refuse to speak to you," cried she. "You are a wicked man, and God -will punish you." - -"I rather think that it is you who have been punished," he sneered. -"Your husband is dead, or pretty near it. Now it is my turn." - -"He is not dead. He will live when you are lying in your grave. Leave -me; you have done harm enough!" - -"But he has not paid for it!" cried Wilfred, savagely. - -"No, nor will he pay!" cried Van Zwieten, defiantly. - -Wilfred pulled out his revolver. "I will make you pay!" he said. "You -shall fight me!" - -The Dutchman was no coward, but he drew back from the terrible -expression on the young man's face, accentuated as it was in the -strong moonlight. - -"I refuse to fight with you," he said sullenly. "This matter has -nothing to do with you. If I choose to marry your brother's widow, -that is my business. Mind your own!" - -"You shall marry no one," said Wilfred, harshly, "for I intend to kill -you." - -Brenda did not speak. She listened absently while the two men -wrangled. Van Zwieten looked at her for a moment, then he turned his -back on Wilfred. - -"I will not fight you," he repeated. - -The other man sprang forward and struck him on the cheek with his -fist. "Will that make you fight?" - -With a roar of rage Van Zwieten turned and flung himself forward. He -caught the younger man in his arms like a child and threw him on the -grass. Then he drew out his revolver and fired at the prostrate man. -But Brenda had looked up, and seeing his intention had sprung to her -feet and grasped his arm. The shot went wide, and in his rage Van -Zwieten struck her--the woman he loved--struck her to the ground. And -before he could recover himself sufficiently to fire a second time, he -fell with a hoarse cry, shot twice through the breast by Wilfred -Burton. - -"Nemesis has come up with you at last," said the young man, picking up -Brenda in his arms. - -The sound of the shots had attracted the attention of the men near at -hand. "Good God, Burton, what have you done?" cried an officer. - -"Killed some vermin," was the reply. "Here, bring the ambulance along -and put Burton into it." - -"Wilfred!" shrieked Brenda, who had recovered her breath, "is he -dead?" - -"No," said Van Zwieten, faintly, "not dead--but dying--I have lost!" - -No one attempted to molest Wilfred. "I can explain myself to the -commanding officer," he said. "He will approve of what I have done." - -By this time the other Boers had taken their departure, or there might -have been trouble at this violation of the armistice. Brenda aided the -men to place Harold in the ambulance, and when she had made him -comfortable, returned to the side of Wilfred, who was explaining his -conduct to the officer in command. Van Zwieten heard her footstep--or -he must have felt her presence near him. He opened his eyes. "I am -done for," he said. "I suppose it is just, but I loved you, Brenda!" - -Much as she hated him, she could not see him die there without making -an effort to save him. She tried to staunch the wound, but it was -impossible. The doctor had long since taken his departure. Seeing that -all human aid was useless, she moistened the man's lips with brandy. - -"Thank you," he said faintly. "Will you forgive me?" - -"Yes, I forgive you," she whispered, "but you must ask forgiveness of -God." - -Van Zwieten shook his head feebly. "It is too late for that. Ask -Burton to forgive me. He has punished me. He can afford to be -generous." - -Wilfred overheard the words. "I forgive you the ill you have done my -family, but I do not forgive you for seeking the hospitality of my -country and betraying it. Come, Brenda!" - -"I can tell you something about that," said Van Zwieten, in a weak -voice. "Come near." - -Quite unsuspicious, Wilfred knelt down beside him. In an instant Van -Zwieten raised his revolver and shot him through the throat. He fell -back with the blood pouring from his mouth. - -Van Zwieten laughed. "Quits!" he said. Then he fell back dead. - -All was confusion. Brenda knelt beside her brother-in-law, and took -his head in her lap, while the others crowded round Van Zwieten's dead -body. Wilfred opened his eyes, saw Brenda's eyes bending over him, and -whispered, "Bend down, quick!" - -She put her ear to his mouth, and heard him whisper in broken words, -"In my breast-pocket--look yourself--packet--confession. I shot -Malet." - -"You--oh!" gasped Brenda. "Why?" - -Wilfred Burton raised himself up with one last expiring effort. "For -England!" he cried. "For England--God bless Eng----" Then he too fell -back a corpse. Brenda fainted. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. -CALM AFTER STORM - - -Two weeks later Mrs. Burton was in Maritzburg, by the sick-bed of her -husband. As prophesied by Wilfred, the attempt to relieve Ladysmith by -storming the impregnable positions of the enemy had failed. Certainly -Warren had been so successful as to have seized Spion Kop, but only to -abandon it on finding the position untenable. Then Buller very wisely -had fallen back on his original line of defence across the Tugela; and -the retreat had been conducted in a masterly fashion, without the loss -of a man or a gun. Brenda and her wounded husband had gone back also -to Spearman's Camp, and later on had gone on to Maritzburg. Wilfred -was left in his lonely grave under the shadow of Spion Kop, where also -lay the body of Van Zwieten. - -Harold's wound was dangerous, but had not proved fatal. He had been -invalided home by the doctors; and so soon as he might be able to -travel he was to sail for England. But when that would be it was -difficult to say. For some days he had hovered between life and death; -but now he had turned the corner and was gradually winning his way -back to life under the loving and skillful care of his wife. He was -out of danger and on a fair way to recovery, but it would be many a -long day before he would be able to fight again. - -In the meantime, Mr. Scarse, hearing that his daughter was safe and -sound, had now returned from Durban, and was staying at the same -hotel. He was thankful to know that at last she was to be spared the -persecutions of Van Zwieten, whose death he openly rejoiced in. He was -greatly astonished at the news that Wilfred had killed Malet, but he -hardly censured him so severely as a Little Englander might have been -expected to do in the circumstances. But, indeed, Mr. Scarse was by no -means so virulent against his country now as he had been in the past. -His visit to South Africa had opened his eyes to the other side of the -question, particularly to the many failings of the Boers. He had -learned from experience that England was not invariably wrong; that -however she might blunder, she had usually right on her side. In fact, -both as a father and a politician, Mr. Scarse was a reformed -character. - -Harold was terribly distressed to hear of the death of his brother. -For a long time Brenda kept the news from him, fearing its effect in -his weak state. But the day came when it could no longer be withheld, -and she was obliged to tell him the truth. - -It was a glorious tropical morning. Her father had gone out, and she -was seated by her husband's bed, holding his hand in her own. His -beard had grown, he was thin and haggard, but his eyes were bright and -full of intelligence. He was anxious, and able now to hear all that -had to be told. And she told him everything. He was amazed. - -"Wilfred killed Malet!" he said, hardly believing his ears. "But he -had a sprained ankle on that night. It is impossible!" - -"His sprain was feigned to protect himself," replied Brenda, sadly; -"it is all in his confession." - -"He left a written confession?" - -"Yes, he wrote everything as it happened on that night, and carried -the statement about with him, to be placed in the hands of you or -myself when he died. Hush, Harold, dear, you must not speak. Here is -my father." - -Mr. Scarse entered on tiptoe to inquire how the invalid was getting -on. He brought in some fruit--always a welcome gift to the -convalescent. He had heard enough to acquaint him with the subject -under discussion. So busy had Brenda been in nursing her husband that -she had not found time to tell the whole story to her father. Now he -asked her for details, and she went over them again for his benefit. - -"But why did Wilfred kill the man?" he asked. - -"From sheer patriotic feeling," answered his daughter. "He found out -that Mr. Malet was supplying information about our defences to Van -Zwieten, and he remonstrated with him. Malet laughed at his scruples -and denied his complicity. Then Wilfred searched Mr. Malet's desk and -found papers which proved conclusively his treachery. Then it was he -decided to kill him to save the honor of the family." - -"Well," said Scarse, reflectively, "murder is a terrible crime; but if -ever it is excusable, surely it is in such circumstances as these." - -"So I think," chimed in Harold. "A man who betrays his country should -not be allowed to live. In his place I would have acted just as -Wilfred did. It was not a murder; it was well-deserved extermination." - -"It is terrible, nevertheless. Read the confession, Brenda," said Mr. -Scarse. - -"No. I can tell you the story better. Harold must not be wearied, and -the confession is long. Wilfred has stated at great length the reasons -which led him to this act, and sets out a strong defence of it. He -never regretted it at all events." - -"Go on, Brenda, dear child. I am anxious to hear how he did it." - -She glanced at Harold to see if he was listening, and began: "I need -not weary you with his own defence," she said. "As I have told you, -from papers in Mr. Malet's desk he found out that he was a traitor, -and was supplying Van Zwieten with information concerning the plans of -the Government, the number of men and guns which we could place in the -field, and many other things which the Transvaal authorities wished to -know. Had Kruger and his gang not known that we were wholly -unprepared, they would not have dared to defy Great Britain and -risk this war. Mr. Malet, it appears, is responsible for a great -deal--indeed, for the whole war!" - -"The scoundrel!" Harold said weakly. "I am glad, indeed, that Wilfred -shot him. I would have done so myself." - -"To ward off suspicions from his doings, Malet posed as an -Imperialist. He saw Van Zwieten only at intervals. It was to obtain -possession of some papers from Malet that Van Zwieten came down to -Chippingholt, and for that reason he extorted an invitation from you, -father." - -"I thought he was anxious to come," Mr. Scarse said. "Now I can see it -all." - -She continued: "Wilfred heard that Van Zwieten was at the cottage, and -kept a sharp eye on Malet. He found out that he was to meet Van -Zwieten on that night and give him some documents. He then made up his -mind to kill him, to save--as I have said--the honor of the family, as -well as to punish him for his wickedness in betraying his own country. - -"Shortly before nine o'clock, Van Zwieten came to the Manor and -entered the library by one of the French windows. It was his voice -that Lady Jenny heard when she went to see if her husband was back -from his walk. Indeed, it was Malet who brought Van Zwieten to the -library to give him the papers. When Lady Jenny was on her way to the -Rectory to see you, Harold, Wilfred escorted her. She mentioned that -she had heard voices in the library, and wondered with whom her -husband had been speaking. Wilfred guessed at once that the man was at -his scoundrelly work, and was more than ever determined to put a stop -to it. To get away from Lady Jenny without exciting her suspicion, and -also to prove an _alibi_ in case he shot the man, he pretended to -sprain his ankle. Lady Jenny was quite unsuspicious, and went on to -the Rectory alone. As you know, she never reached it, having been -stopped by the storm. As soon as she was out of sight, Wilfred -hastened back to the house with the intention of confronting both men, -and killing Malet if he did not take the papers back from Van Zwieten. -He also entered the library by the French window, so the servants -never saw him come in. He found the room empty, as Van Zwieten had -gone away, and Malet with him--I suppose it was to receive further -instructions. Wilfred saw the revolvers belonging to Harold on a -side-table, for Mr. Malet had been using them that afternoon. He took -one, found that it was loaded, and hastened after the pair. Knowing -that Van Zwieten was at our cottage, he went first in that direction; -but for a long time he could see neither of them. At last he caught -sight of Malet in the orchards, just before the storm. He was talking -with a man whom Wilfred took to be you, father." - -"My brother, I suppose?" - -"Yes," replied Brenda. "It was Uncle Robert. He heard high words -between the two and saw the struggle." - -"That was when the crape scarf was torn?" - -"Undoubtedly. Malet must have torn it and held it in his hand without -thinking. Well, Wilfred saw Malet throw the other man to the ground -just when the storm broke, and hurry away to get back to shelter in -the Manor; but the storm was so violent that he took shelter instead -under a tree. Wilfred crept up to him and waited, but it was so dark -that he could not see him plainly enough to shoot straight, and he -was, of course, unwilling to risk failure. Then a flash of lightning -revealed Mr. Malet. Wilfred sprang forward and grasped him by the -shoulder. He cried out. I heard him myself. I was only a short -distance away. When the darkness closed down again, Wilfred put the -muzzle of the revolver close to his head and blew his brains out. Then -he ran away, and in the darkness tripped over a stump. The revolver -flew out of his hand, and he lost it." - -"Van Zwieten found it?" - -"Yes. Wilfred was a good deal troubled about it, for he knew that -Harold's name was on it, and he feared lest he should on that account -be accused of the murder." - -"As I was, indeed, said Harold. - -"Yes, dear, I know; but not officially. If, for instance, you had -been arrested on the charge, then Wilfred would have come forward and -have told the whole story. As it was, he kept silence." - -"And what did he do after he had killed Malet?" asked Mr. Scarse. - -"He went back to the place where Lady Jenny had left him, and waited -for some time in case she should return. You see, to exonerate himself -he thought it well to keep up the fiction of the sprained ankle. Then, -as Lady Jenny did not return, he went home, and gave out that his -ankle was sprained." - -"But didn't the doctors find out the truth?" - -"No; he took good care not to show his foot to any one. He wrapped it -up in wet cloths and made a great fuss about it, but, in the -excitement over the inquest, the doctor took no notice of it." - -"I wonder Lady Jenny didn't find out the fraud," said Harold. - -"In that case, Wilfred would have owned up to it and confessed the -whole thing. And I don't believe she would have minded much, if she -had known what a traitor her husband was." - -"No; I dare say she would have applauded Wilfred. She is a true -patriot is Lady Jenny," said Harold, with a feeble laugh. "Besides, on -account of Robert's wife, she and her husband had become estranged for -many a long day. But did Van Zwieten never guess?" - -"No," said Brenda, reflectively, "I don't think he did. He believed -Lady Jenny herself had done it out of revenge; but he could not prove -that, and, under the circumstances, lest his own affairs should come -out, he thought it wiser to hold his tongue. Well, that is the story, -and a very painful one it is. I am sure that Wilfred acted for the -best, and did what he conceived to be his duty both to his country and -his family; but it is dreadful to think he should have stained his -hands with blood." - -"I don't altogether agree with you, my dear," said Mr. Scarse, -energetically. "If Malet had been detected in his treasonable -dealings, under martial law he would have been shot openly. As it was, -Wilfred executed the sentence privately. I am not one to defend -murder, you know, but I cannot bring myself to look upon this as -murder." - -"Wilfred was insane on the subject of patriotism," said Harold. "He -was hardly responsible for his actions when he shot Malet. I don't -blame him. The reptile deserved his punishment; and Van Zwieten -deserved his fate. Wilfred did no more than was right, and he rid the -world of two scoundrels." - -"You forget, Van Zwieten fired first," put in Brenda. "Wilfred only -defended himself. I can't pretend I am sorry that Van Zwieten is dead, -because so long as he lived he would never have ceased to persecute -me. But let his evil die with him, Harold." - -"So far as that goes I never want to hear his name!" - -"Now you are overtaxing your strength talking, dear," said Brenda, -arranging the bedclothes. "You must be quiet and try and rest." - -"Yes, do," said Mr. Scarse. "I want to have a few words with Brenda." - -So Harold lay back, and, after a time, fell into a sleep. His wife -told off one of the nurses to stay beside him, and herself went out -with her father. When they had gone a short distance he explained why -he wished to speak privately with her. - -"Brenda," he said, "a will was found on Van Zwieten. It seems that -there is a sum of some five thousand pounds standing to his credit at -one of the London banks." - -"Really, father; I never thought he was so well off. Evidently spying -paid. To whom has he left it?" - -"To you, my dear!" - -"To me?" She could hardly believe her ears. "I would not take it if I -were starving. I hated the man. How could I touch his money?" - -"But, Brenda, think for a moment; is it not foolish to throw it away? -Five thousand pounds is a large sum." - -"No, no, no!" repeated the girl, vehemently. "I will not touch it, I -tell you. That money was made out of spying and working evil against -England. I am sure Harold would think as I do about it." - -And so Harold did think. Later on, when she returned, she found him -just awakened out of a refreshing sleep, and she told him of Van -Zwieten's strange bequest. He refused at once to accept it, and -commended her for having forestalled him in the decision. - -"We can live on our own means, small as they are, dear; and, when the -war is over, I will beat my sword into a ploughshare and come out here -and turn farmer." - -"That is if we are successful," said his wife smiling. - -"Oh, I have no fear as to that. In a month or two there will be equal -rights for white man and black from the Zambesi to the Cape. But, in -any case, there'll be no more fighting for me, Brenda. I shall never -be the same man again." - -"Who says so?" she asked quickly. - -"The doctor. He says this wound will always trouble me, and that I -shall never be able to stand the English winters. Here the air is -balmy and the climate mild." - -"In that case we'll do just as you suggest, dearest. There is nothing -to keep us in England. My father is wrapped up in his politics, and my -aunt and uncle care only for themselves. Yes, you are right, as you -always are, Harold. When the war is over we will settle here." - -"We shall never think less of dear old England because we are exiles, -eh, Brenda?" - -"Exiles! We shall not be exiles here. This is part of the British -Empire. Wherever the map is colored red there is England. Harold, -dear, do you know, I cannot get poor Wilfred out of my thoughts. In -his own way he was a true hero. He gave his life for his country." - -"Yes, Brenda, I agree, just as much as many another man is doing here -at this moment. I cannot help feeling relieved that the mystery of -Malet's death is cleared up, and I am not ashamed now that I know it -was my brother who fired the shot. May such justice ever be done to -traitors!" - -She knelt beside the bed and took his hands soothingly in her own. -"Don't talk any more about these things, dearest. They excite you. I -shouldn't have mentioned it. Let the past lie buried. All I know, and -all I care for, is that you are alive, and that I have you wholly to -myself. We will never be parted, Harold. We may be poor in the world's -goods, but we are rich indeed in love." - -"And that is the best of all riches, dearest." - -"Amen," she said and kissed her husband tenderly. - - - - -THE END. - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Traitor in London, by Fergus Hume - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TRAITOR IN LONDON *** - -***** This file should be named 56081-8.txt or 56081-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/6/0/8/56081/ - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (Library of Congress) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Buckles & Company."> -<meta name="Date" content="1900"> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> -<style type="text/css"> -body {margin-left:10%; - margin-right:10%; background-color:#FFFFFF; - text-align: justify} - - -p.normal {text-indent:.25in; text-align: justify;} - -p.right {text-align:right; margin-right:20%;} -p.center {text-align: center;} -p.continue {text-indent: 0in; margin-top:9pt;} - -h1,h2,h3,h4,h5 {text-align: center;} - - -.t0 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0em; margin-right:0em;} -.t1 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:1em; margin-right:0em;} -.t2 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em;} -.t3 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:3em; margin-right:0em;} -.t4 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:4em; margin-right:0em;} -.t5 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:5em; margin-right:0em;} - - -span.sc {font-variant: small-caps; font-size:110%;} -span.sc2 {font-variant: small-caps; font-size:90%;} - -hr.W10 {width:10%; color:black; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt} - -hr.W20 {width:20%; color:black; margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt} - -hr.W50 {width:50%; color:black;} -hr.W90 {width:90%; color:black;} - -p.hang1 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:-3em;} -p.hang2 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:0em;} - -</style> - -</head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Traitor in London, by Fergus Hume - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Traitor in London - -Author: Fergus Hume - -Release Date: November 29, 2017 [EBook #56081] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TRAITOR IN LONDON *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (Library of Congress) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="hang1">Transcriber's Notes:<br> -1. Page scan source: Google Books<br> -(Library of Congress)</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>A TRAITOR IN LONDON</h3> -<br> -<h5>BY</h5> -<h4>FERGUS HUME</h4> -<h5>Author of<br> -"The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "Hagar of the Pawn Shop,"<br> -Etc., Etc.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>F. M. BUCKLES & COMPANY<br> -<span style="font-size:smaller">9 AND 11 EAST SIXTEENTH STREET, NEW YORK<br> -<span style="font-size:smaller">LONDON--JOHN LONG</span></span></h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5>COPYRIGHT, 1900<br> -BY<br> -<span style="font-size:larger">F. M. BUCKLES & COMPANY</span></h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h5><i>A Traitor in London</i></h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<table cellpadding="10" style="width:90%; margin-left:5%; font-weight:bold"> -<colgroup><col style="width:20%; vertical-align:top; text-align:right"><col style="width:80%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left"></colgroup> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><h3>CONTENTS</h3></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>CHAPTER.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_01" href="#div1_01">I.</a></td> -<td>CUPID IN LEADING STRINGS.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_02" href="#div1_02">II.</a></td> -<td>A SHOT IN THE DARKNESS.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_03" href="#div1_03">III.</a></td> -<td>THE NAME OF THE VICTIM.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_04" href="#div1_04">IV.</a></td> -<td>A STRANGE PIECE OF EVIDENCE.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_05" href="#div1_05">V.</a></td> -<td>VAN ZWIETEN SHOWS HIS TEETH.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_06" href="#div1_06">VI.</a></td> -<td>WHAT MR. SCARSE ADMITTED.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_07" href="#div1_07">VII.</a></td> -<td>AUNT JUDY.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_08" href="#div1_08">VIII.</a></td> -<td>BAD NEWS.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_09" href="#div1_09">IX.</a></td> -<td>MRS. ST. LEGER IS DISCREET.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_10" href="#div1_10">X.</a></td> -<td>THE MASS MEETING.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_11" href="#div1_11">XI.</a></td> -<td>A STARTLING DISCOVERY.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_12" href="#div1_12">XII.</a></td> -<td>A STORY OF THE PAST.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_13" href="#div1_13">XIII.</a></td> -<td>THE END OF THE STORY.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_14" href="#div1_14">XIV.</a></td> -<td>WHAT VAN ZWIETEN KNEW.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_15" href="#div1_15">XV.</a></td> -<td>THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND HIM.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_16" href="#div1_16">XVI.</a></td> -<td>THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_17" href="#div1_17">XVII.</a></td> -<td>CHECKMATED.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_18" href="#div1_18">XVIII.</a></td> -<td>EXIT VAN ZWIETEN.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_19" href="#div1_19">XIX.</a></td> -<td>A TERRIBLE LETTER.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_20" href="#div1_20">XX.</a></td> -<td>ON THE TRACK.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_21" href="#div1_21">XXI.</a></td> -<td>IN SOUTH AFRICA.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_22" href="#div1_22">XXII.</a></td> -<td>AT THE FRONT.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_23" href="#div1_23">XXIII.</a></td> -<td>A DUTCH LOCHINVAR.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_24" href="#div1_24">XXIV.</a></td> -<td>AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_25" href="#div1_25">XXV.</a></td> -<td>BESIEGED.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_26" href="#div1_26">XXVI.</a></td> -<td>IN CAPTIVITY.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_27" href="#div1_27">XXVII.</a></td> -<td>NEMESIS.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td><a name="div1Ref_28" href="#div1_28">XXVIII.</a></td> -<td>CALM AFTER STORM.</td> -</tr></table> - - - -<h3>A Traitor in London.</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_01" href="#div1Ref_01">CHAPTER I.</a></h4> -<h5>CUPID IN LEADING STRINGS.</h5> -<br> - -<p>"It's an infernal shame!"</p> - -<p>"I call it common sense!"</p> - -<p>"Call it what you please, Malet. I deny your right to keep back my -money."</p> - -<p>"Right? Your father's will gives me every right. If I approve of your -marriage, the money will be paid down on your wedding day."</p> - -<p>"But you don't approve, confound you!"</p> - -<p>"Certainly not. Brenda Scarse is not the wife for you, Harold."</p> - -<p>"That's my business."</p> - -<p>"Mine also--under the will. Come, come now; don't lose your temper."</p> - -<p>The elder speaker smiled as he proffered this advice, knowing well -that he was provoking his cousin beyond all bounds. Harold Burton was -young, fiery-tempered, and in love. To be thwarted in his love was -something more than exasperating to this impetuous lover. The -irritating request that he should keep his temper caused him to lose -it promptly; and for the next five minutes Mr. Gilbert Malet was -witness of a fine exhibition of unrestrained rage. He trembled for the -furniture, almost for his own personal safety, though he managed to -preserve a duly dignified outward calm. While Harold stamped about the -room, his burly cousin posed before a fireless grate and trimmed his -nails, and waited until the young man should have exhausted this -wholly unnecessary display of violence.</p> - -<p>They were in the library of Holt Manor. It was a sombre, monkish room; -almost ascetic in its severity. Bookcases and furniture were of black -oak, carpet and curtains of a deep red color; and windows of stained -glass subdued the light suitably for study and meditation. But on this -occasion the windows were open to the brilliant daylight of an August -afternoon, and shafts of golden sunshine poured into the room. From -the terrace stretching before the house, vast woods sloped toward -Chippingholt village, where red-roofed houses clustered round a -brawling stream, and rose again on the further side to sweep to the -distant hills in unbroken masses of green. Manor and village took -their Teutonic names from these forests, and buried in greenery, might -have passed as the domain of the Sleeping Beauty. Her palace was -undoubtedly girdled by just such a wood.</p> - -<p>But this sylvan beauty did not appeal to the pair in the library. The -stout, domineering owner of the Manor who trimmed his nails and smiled -blandly had the stronger position of the two, and he knew it well--so -well that he could afford to ignore the virile wrath of his ward. -Strictly speaking, Captain Burton was not a ward, if that word implies -minority. He was thirty years of age, in a lancer regiment, and -possessed of an income sufficient to emancipate him from the control -of his cousin Gilbert. Still, though possible for one, his income was -certainly not possible for two, and if Gilbert chose he could increase -his capital by twenty thousand pounds. But the stumbling-block was the -condition attached to the disposal of the money. Only if Malet -approved of the prospective bride was he to part with the legacy. As -such he did not approve of Brenda Scarse, so matters were at a -standstill. Nor could Harold well see how he was to move them. Finding -all his rage of no avail, he gradually subsided and had recourse to -methods more pacific.</p> - -<p>"Let me understand this matter clearly," he said, taking a seat with a -resolute air. "Independent of my three hundred a year, you hold twenty -thousand pounds of my money."</p> - -<p>"To be correct," replied Malet in a genial tone, "I hold forty -thousand pounds, to be equally shared between you and your brother -Wilfred when you marry. The three hundred a year which you each -possess I have nothing to do with."</p> - -<p>"Well, I want to marry, and----"</p> - -<p>"You do--against my wishes. If I do not approve of your choice I need -not pay you this money. I can hold it until I die."</p> - -<p>"And then?" asked Harold, sharply.</p> - -<p>Gilbert shrugged his burly shoulders. "Then it goes to you and Wilfred -direct. There is no provision made for my handing it over to another -trustee. You are bound to get your share in the long run; but I am not -thinking of dying just yet, my dear Harold."</p> - -<p>"I can't imagine what possessed my father ever to make so foolish a -will."</p> - -<p>"Your father was guided by experience, my boy. He made a miserable -marriage himself, and did not want you or Wilfred to go and do -likewise. He had evidently confidence in my judgment, and knew that I -would stand between you and folly."</p> - -<p>"Confound your impudence," shouted Harold, his dark face crimson with -anger. "You're only fifteen years older than I am. At the age of -thirty I am surely capable of selecting my own wife!"</p> - -<p>"I hardly think so, when you select Miss Scarse!"</p> - -<p>"What the deuce have you against her?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing, personally. She is a nice girl, a very nice girl, but poor. -A man of your extravagant tastes should marry money. Brenda is well -enough, for herself," continued Malet, with odious familiarity, for -which Harold could have struck him, "but her father!--Stuart Scarse is -a Little Englander!"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton was taken aback at the irrelevancy of this remark. -"What the devil has that to do with her or me?" he demanded bluntly.</p> - -<p>"Everything, if you love your country. You belong to a Conservative -family. You are a soldier, and the time is coming when we must all -rally round the flag and preserve the Empire. Scarse is a member of -that pernicious band which desires the dismemberment of our -glorious----</p> - -<p>"Oh, I'm sick of this!" Harold jumped up and crammed on his cap. "Your -political ideas have nothing to do with my marriage. You have no -reason to object to Miss Scarse. Once for all, will you pay me this -money?"</p> - -<p>"No, I will not. I shall not agree to your marrying the daughter of a -Little Englander."</p> - -<p>"Then I shall throw the estate into Chancery."</p> - -<p>Malet looked uneasy, but sneered. "By all means, if you want the whole -forty thousand to go to fee the lawyers! But, before you risk losing -your money, let me advise you to make sure of Miss Brenda Scarse!"</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Ask Mr. van Zwieten, who is staying with her father."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" said Harold, contemptuously, "Brenda has told me all about him. -Her father wants her to marry him, and it is true he is in love with -her; but Brenda loves me, and will never consent to become the wife of -that Boer!</p> - -<p>"Van Zwieten is no Boer. He is a Dutchman, born in Amsterdam."</p> - -<p>"And a friend of yours," sneered Captain Burton. "He is no friend of -mine!" shouted Malet, somewhat ruffled. "I detest the man as much as I -do Scarse. If----"</p> - -<p>"Look here, Gilbert, I don't want any more of this. I trust Brenda, -and I intend to marry her."</p> - -<p>"Very good. Then you'll have to starve on your three hundred a year."</p> - -<p>"You refuse to give me the money?"</p> - -<p>"Absolutely."</p> - -<p>"Then I'm glad I don't live under your roof and can tell you what I -think of you. You are a mean hound, Malet--keep back, or I'll knock -you down. Yes, a mean hound! This is not your real reason for refusing -to pay me this money. I'll go up to town to-day and have your -trusteeship inquired into."</p> - -<p>Gilbert changed color and looked dangerous. "You can act as you -please, Harold; but recollect that my powers are very clearly defined -under the will. I am not accountable to you or to Wilfred or to any -one else for the money. I have no need to defend my honor."</p> - -<p>"That we shall see." Harold opened the door and looked back. "This is -the last time I shall enter your house. You meddle with my private -affairs, you keep back money rightfully belonging to me on the most -frivolous pretext, and, in fact, make yourself objectionable in every -way; but, I warn you, the law will force you to alter your behavior."</p> - -<p>"The law cannot touch me!" cried Gilbert, furiously. "I can account -for the money and pay it when it should be paid. Out of my house----!"</p> - -<p>"I am going--and, see here, Gilbert Malet, if the law affords me no -redress, I shall take it into my own hands. Yes, you may well turn -pale. I'll make it hot for you--you swindler!" and Captain Burton, -banging the door, marched out of the house, furious at his helpless -position.</p> - -<p>Left alone, Malet wiped his bald forehead and sank into a chair. -"Pooh!" he muttered, striving to reassure himself. "He can do nothing. -I am his cousin. My honor is his honor. I'm in pretty deep water, but -I'll get ashore yet. There's only one way--only one!" Then Mr. Malet -proceeded to cogitate upon that one and only way, and the obstacles -which prevented his taking it. His thoughts for the next half hour did -not make for peace of mind altogether.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Captain Burton, fuming with rage, strode on through the -green woods to the lady of his love. They had arranged to meet and -discuss the result of this interview. As Mr. Scarse did not approve of -his attentions toward his daughter, the cottage where she dwelt was -forbidden ground to Harold. He was compelled, therefore, to meet her -by stealth in the woods. But the glorious summer day made that no -hardship. He knew the precise spot where Brenda would be waiting for -him--under an ancient oak, which had seen many generations of -lovers--and he increased his pace that he might the sooner unburden to -her his mind. As he left the park and made his way through the -orchards which surrounded Chippingholt, he saw Mr. Scarse no great -distance away.</p> - -<p>"That's a queer get-up the old man's got on," muttered Harold, -perplexed at the wholly unusual combination of a snuff-colored -greatcoat and a huge black scarf. "Never saw him in that rig before. I -wonder what it means!"</p> - -<p>As he came up within a dozen paces of the thin, white-haired figure, -he was more than ever puzzled, for he noticed that the black scarf was -of crape--there must have been several yards of it wound round the old -man's neck. It was undoubtedly Mr. Scarse. There was no mistaking that -clean-shaven, parchment-like visage. Burton took off his cap in -greeting, but did not speak. He knew the old man was not well-disposed -toward him. Mr. Scarse looked blankly at him and pressed on without -sign of recognition; and even though he had half expected it, Captain -Burton felt mortified at this cut direct.</p> - -<p>"Brenda and I will have to marry without his consent," he thought; -"never mind!"</p> - -<p>But he did mind. To marry a girl in the face of parental opposition -was all against his inclinations. The future looked dismal enough to -him at the moment, and his spirits were only further depressed as the -sky began to blacken over with portentous clouds. Impressionable as he -was, this endorsement of nature was full of meaning for him in his -then pessimistic frame of mind. The sunshine faded to a cold grey, the -leaves overhead shivered, and seemed to wither at the breath of the -chill wind; and when he caught sight of Brenda's white dress under the -oak, her figure looked lonely and forlorn. The darkling sky, the -bitter wind, the stealthy meeting, the solitary figure--all these -things struck at his heart, and it was a pale and silent lover who -kissed his sweetheart under the ancient tree. His melancholy -communicated itself to Brenda.</p> - -<p>"Bad news, dear--you have bad news," she murmured, looking into his -downcast face. "I can see it in your eyes."</p> - -<p>They sat silent on the rustic seat. The birds had ceased to sing, the -sun to shine, and the summer breeze was cold--cold as their hearts and -hands in that moment of sadness.</p> - -<p>They were a handsome couple. The man tall, thin-flanked, and soldiery -of bearing; dark eyes, dark hair, dark moustache, and a clean-cut, -bronzed face, alert, vivacious, and full of intelligence. Brenda was a -stately blonde, golden-haired, blue-eyed, and passionate as one of -those stormy queens of the Nibelungen Lied, to whom love, insistent -and impassioned, was as the breath of life. Both were filled with the -exuberant vitality of youth, fit to overcome all obstacles, greatly -daring and resolutely courageous. Yet, seated there, hand in hand, -they were full of despondency--even to cowardice. Brenda felt that was -so, and made an effort to rouse herself and him.</p> - -<p>"Come, dear," she said, kissing her lover, "the sun will shine again. -Things can't be so bad as to be past mending. He has refused?"</p> - -<p>"Absolutely. He won't give me the money."</p> - -<p>"On the ground that he does not approve of me!" Harold nodded. "He -tried to make out that you were in love with Van Zwieten!"</p> - -<p>"Oh! he is so ready to stoop to any meanness," said Brenda, -scornfully. "I always disliked Mr. Malet. Perhaps my dislike is -hereditary, for my father detests him."</p> - -<p>"On political grounds?"</p> - -<p>"Of course. But those are strongest of all grounds for hatred. -Religion and politics have caused more trouble and more wars than--" -she broke off suddenly. "Of course you don't believe this about Mr. -van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"Need you ask?" said Burton, tenderly. "The fellow is staying with you -still?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. He has been here for the last two days talking politics with -father, and worrying me. Thank goodness, he goes to-morrow!"</p> - -<p>"Glad of it," growled Burton. "He is the Beast mentioned in -Revelation. By the way, Brenda, who is Van Zwieten?"</p> - -<p>Miss Scarse looked puzzled. "A friend of my father's."</p> - -<p>"Yes; but what is his position--where does he come from--how does he -make his income? There is something mysterious about the fellow."</p> - -<p>"He comes from Holland--he is a friend of Dr. Leyds--and he is shortly -going out to fill some post under the Transvaal Government. That's all -I know about him."</p> - -<p>"He seems to have plenty of money."</p> - -<p>"Yes, he spends a good deal, to judge from what I saw of him in town -last season. Then he is a popular cricketer, you know."</p> - -<p>"I know. But the idea of a foreigner playing cricket!"</p> - -<p>"Well, Mr. van Zwieten does, and very well too. You must have seen -about his play in the papers. He is a great man at Lord's."</p> - -<p>"All the same, he is a mystery; and he is too much mixed up with the -Boers to please me. If there is a war, I hope he'll be with them that -I may have a shy at him."</p> - -<p>Brenda laughed, and pressed her lover's arm. "You silly boy, you are -jealous."</p> - -<p>"I am, I am. Who wouldn't be jealous of you? But this is not war, -Brenda dear. Let us talk about ourselves. I can't get this twenty -thousand pounds until Malet dies. I see nothing for it but to marry on -my three hundred a year. I dare say we'll scrape along somehow."</p> - -<p>"I have two hundred a year of my own," cried Brenda, vivaciously; -"that makes ten pounds a week. We can easily manage on that, dear."</p> - -<p>"But your father?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, he wants me to marry Mr. van Zwieten, of course," said she, with -great scorn. "So I must just do without his consent, that's all. It -sounds wrong, Harold, doesn't it? But my father has never done his -duty by me. Like most men who serve the public, he has sacrificed his -all to that. I was left to bring myself up as best I could and so I -think I have the right to dispose of myself. My father is nothing to -me--you are everything."</p> - -<p>"Dearest!" He kissed her. "Then let us marry--but no--" he broke off -abruptly. "If war should break out in South Africa I would have to -leave you!"</p> - -<p>"But I wouldn't be left," said Brenda, merrily. "I would go out with -you--yes, to the front!"</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid you couldn't do that."</p> - -<p>"I could and I would. I would go officially as a nurse. But, Harold, -why don't you see your lawyer about this money? He may find means to -force Mr. Malet to pay it to you."</p> - -<p>"I intend to see him to-morrow, dearest. I am going up to town by the -six train this evening, though I confess I don't like leaving you with -this Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"I think I can undertake to keep Mr. van Zwieten at his distance," -said Brenda, quietly, "even though my father encourages him."</p> - -<p>"I believe your father hates me," said Harold, gloomily, "He cut me -just now."</p> - -<p>"Cut you, dear; what do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Just what I say, Brenda. I met you father, and he cut me dead."</p> - -<p>She stared at her lover in amazement. "You can't possibly have seen my -father," she said decisively. "He is ill with influenza, and hasn't -left his room for two days!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_02" href="#div1Ref_02">CHAPTER II.</a></h4> -<h5>A SHOT IN THE DARKNESS.</h5> -<br> - -<p>After many and fervent farewells, the lovers embraced and went home. -It was understood that Harold should go to London that evening by the -five o'clock local from Chippingholt, which connected with the express -at Langton Junction, some twenty miles away. After seeing his lawyer, -he was to write her a full account of the interview, and arrange -definitely the details for their marriage. Meanwhile, to set his mind -at rest, Brenda promised to see as little of Van Zwieten as possible.</p> - -<p>As her father was ill, she was compelled to play the part of -hostess--an ungrateful one enough toward a guest she so disliked--but -as the Dutchman had arranged to leave next morning, she hoped for so -short a time to obey the laws of hospitality, and at the same time -keep him at his distance. But even so the situation was a trying one, -and Brenda relished it little.</p> - -<p>The cottage was an unpretentious little place on the borders of -Chippingholt, where the orchards began to stretch toward the woods. -Scarse was not well off, and had been fortunate enough to obtain it at -quite a nominal rental. He kept a cook and one housemaid, both of whom -Brenda looked after; and despite his slender means, his style of -living was in every way refined. The largest room in the house had -been turned into a study, and here Brenda now found her father buried -in blue-books, pamphlets and newspapers.</p> - -<p>Scarse was a lean, tall anĉmic-looking creature. His hair was quite -white, his pallid and wrinkled face clean-shaven, and his whole aspect -was one of peevishness and querulousness. In spite of the warmth he -had ordered a fire to be lighted, and, wrapped in a llama wool -dressing-gown, he crouched over it with the <i>Daily Mail</i> spread out -upon his knees. He looked ill and cross, and seemed terribly feeble. -Brenda was more than ever certain, now that she saw him, that Harold -had been mistaken in thinking it was he whom he had met. He looked, -she thought, more fit for bed than for walking.</p> - -<p>"Come in, come in," he said in his thin, cantankerous voice. "Shut the -door, Brenda; there is quite a draught."</p> - -<p>"Are you no better, father?" she asked, coming toward him and taking -his hand. Scarse snatched it away.</p> - -<p>"Not a bit, my dear. This thing has a hold of me--I am aching all -over. Of course it comes just to prevent my speaking at the Trafalgar -Square meeting next week!"</p> - -<p>"You can send an excuse."</p> - -<p>"I can't and I won't," snapped her father. "This paper shows me how -necessary it is for all men to protest against this unjust war, which -has been forced upon the Boers. I must speak in favor of that honest, -God-fearing band of farmers, who are in danger of being crushed by a -capitalist war. I want to see Van Zwieten about this article. It is -perfectly scandalous. Where is he?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. I've not seen him all the afternoon."</p> - -<p>"Is that the way you attend to your guests?"</p> - -<p>"He is no guest of mine," cried Brenda, indignantly. "I can't bear the -man. His mere presence is most objectionable to me."</p> - -<p>"You are a foolish, strong-headed girl, Brenda. Van Zwieten wants to -marry you, as I have told you, and he is----</p> - -<p>"I won't marry him. I detest the man."</p> - -<p>"And you fancy you are in love with that scamp of a Burton?" said -Scarse, frowning.</p> - -<p>"Harold is not a scamp, father. He is noble and honest, and everything -that is good. I will marry no one but him."</p> - -<p>"I shall never give my consent--never!"</p> - -<p>"Then I must do without it," replied Brenda, determinedly. "I do not -want to behave otherwise than as a daughter should, father, but I love -Harold, and I hate Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"Don't be silly," said the M.P., querulously. "Van Zwieten is well -off. He is a good match for you. He can give you a good position."</p> - -<p>"In the Transvaal, I suppose," scoffed Brenda.</p> - -<p>"Yes. And where could you live better than in a new land, where the -vices of civilization have not penetrated! I don't speak of -Johannesburg, that sink of iniquity, but of Pretoria, and of those -towns where the Boer element exists pure and simple, With your husband -in the Government you can help him to build up an ideal state."</p> - -<p>"I don't want to build up anything. Harold and I can be happy by -ourselves."</p> - -<p>"You shall never marry the scamp, I tell you," cried Scarse, angrily. -"Let alone his character, which is bad, he is the cousin of that -scoundrel Malet, who is a bigoted Imperialist--one who is doing his -best to ruin this country by advocating annexation of all and -everything. He is one of those who are urging on this war. I hate the -man."</p> - -<p>"Only because you differ from him in politics."</p> - -<p>"No, on other grounds which do not concern you. I know Malet--none -better--and I would gladly see him dead."</p> - -<p>"Father!" Brenda was amazed at the savage energy of the old man. "What -has Mr. Malet done to you that you should hate him so?"</p> - -<p>"Never mind! I hate him and I hate that young Burton."</p> - -<p>"Well, father," said Brenda, quietly, "you need not have shown it -quite so plainly to-day. Harold said you met him this afternoon and -cut him." This was a tentative remark, as Brenda was certain her -father could not have been out.</p> - -<p>"Met Burton!" said he, raising himself angrily. "What do you mean, -child?"</p> - -<p>"Were you not out to-day?"</p> - -<p>"No, I have not left this room."</p> - -<p>"But Harold said he saw you with a snuff-colored coat and a crape -scarf round your throat. Father!" Brenda shrieked, "what is it?"</p> - -<p>She might well ask. Scarse was always pale, but now he was deathly -white. He reared himself out of his chair with a look of terror in his -eyes. It was in broken sentences he spoke. "Did . . . Harold Burton -. . . see me . . . with a crape scarf . . . to-day?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes; but was it you, father? Why did you wear----"</p> - -<p>"Hush! Say no more, Brenda. Go away."</p> - -<p>A faint color was coming back to his face, and he began to look more -like himself, less like a corpse. Brenda was about to demur at leaving -him, but he stopped her with a peremptory gesture. "Go away, Brenda, I -say."</p> - -<p>"But won't you explain----"</p> - -<p>"There is nothing to explain; go away."</p> - -<p>She was obliged to obey, and reluctantly she left the room. She could -not understand her father's emotion, nor could she understand the -presence in Chippingholt of this man with the crape scarf, who so -nearly resembled him as to be mistaken for him by Harold. So far as -she knew her father had no relatives. But he had always been very -reticent about his family affairs. She knew nothing of his connections -or his past life. Her mother she could scarce remember. She had died -when Brenda was a tiny child, and ever since that time she had been -brought up by strangers far away from home. Up to the age of twenty -she had been at a boarding-school, and there she had seen next to -nothing of her father. A casual visit on his part, and a few casual -questions as to her welfare--her mental welfare chiefly--that -represented Brenda's experience of the domestic affections and a -father's love. When she had come of age Scarse had sent for her, and -had established her in the cottage at Chippingholt, giving her -occasionally a week in London during the season. He retained his -bachelor chambers in Start Street, Piccadilly, but never took her -there, and ever kept her at arm's length when she hungered for -sympathy and love. No wonder, then, that in the all-important matter -of her marriage she felt no inclination to obey the man who had been -to her but a father in name: and no wonder she had fallen in love with -Harold Burton, and was bent now on linking her life with his. He was -the one human being who had held out to her affection and sympathy, -and from him she determined no earthly power should part her. Her -father treated her as a pawn on the chessboard of life, to be moved -about as best suited his own purpose. She regarded herself as a human -being, with the right to consider her own happiness, and to work out -her own destiny.</p> - -<p>"Never will I marry Van Zwieten," she reiterated to herself as she -dressed for dinner. "The man is a tyrant and a brute. Father has done -nothing for me that I should sacrifice myself so for him. Together -Harold and I will shape a new life for ourselves. If father's neglect -has done nothing else for me, it has at least made me self-reliant."</p> - -<p>As she expected, her father did not appear at dinner, alleging his -megrims as the reason for his non-appearance. But Brenda had a very -shrewd idea that the appearance of this unknown man, who so resembled -him, had more to do with it. She felt sure there was some sort of -mystery. Her father's life was altogether so secretive. But she did -not let it disturb her, and dismissed it from her mind, until a chance -remark from Van Zwieten again roused her curiosity.</p> - -<p>The Dutchman was tall of stature--well over six feet, and stout in -proportion. A well set-up figure assuredly, and what would be termed a -fine animal. His hair and beard were of an ochre color, and his sleepy -blue eyes, although seeming to observe nothing, on the contrary took -in everything. His complexion was delicate as a woman's, and he was -slow and soft of speech and movement. A casual observer might have set -him down as lethargic and small-brained. But Brenda knew that he -possessed a fund of energy and cunning and dogged determination which -could be exerted to the detriment of those whom his sleepy looks -deceived. Those blue eyes could sparkle with fire, that soft, low -voice could ring out like a trumpet, and that huge frame could be -active and supple as any serpent. Waldo van Zwieten he was called, and -he had lived in London now for the past five years.</p> - -<p>He spoke three or four languages, especially English, with wonderful -purity and fluency. He appeared to have plenty of money, and for the -most part devoted himself to cricket as an exhilarating pastime for an -idle man. In the capacity of a crack batsman he was highly popular. No -one deemed him anything but a lazy foreigner--good-natured, and loving -England and the English sufficiently well to become an English subject -in all but an official sense. But he had never taken out letters of -naturalization.</p> - -<p>He was correctly attired now in evening dress, and took his seat at -the table in his usual sleepy fashion. His blue eyes rested with a -look of admiration on Brenda, whose blonde beauty was more dazzling -than ever in her dinner dress of black gauze and silk. She apologized -for her father's absence, and winced at Van Zwieten's compliments.</p> - -<p>"You leave me nothing to desire, Miss Scarse," said he. "I could wish -for no more delightful position than this."</p> - -<p>"Please don't," replied Brenda, annoyed. "I'm sure you would rather -talk politics to my father than nonsense to me."</p> - -<p>"I never talk nonsense to any one, Miss Scarse; least of all to you. -Thank you, I will take claret. By the way, it was rather unwise of Mr. -Scarse to go out to-day with this cold upon him."</p> - -<p>"He was not out to-day."</p> - -<p>"Indeed, I think so. I saw him and spoke to him."</p> - -<p>"You spoke to him? Had he a snuff-colored coat and a crape scarf on?"</p> - -<p>"No; he was dressed as usual in his tweed suit."</p> - -<p>Brenda looked at him sceptically. Her father had denied being out. Yet -this man said he had actually spoken with him, but according to him he -was not dressed like the man, Harold had described. Could two men be -so much alike? And why had her father been so moved when she had -related Harold's experience?</p> - -<p>"Are you sure it was my father you spoke to?" she asked, after a -pause.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten flashed a keen glance at her puzzled face, and was -evidently as puzzled himself. "I am certain it was Mr. Scarse," he -said quietly. "I had no reason to think otherwise. Why do you doubt my -word?"</p> - -<p>"My father denies having been out."</p> - -<p>"In that case I should have said nothing. Mr. Scarse evidently has -some reason for his denial. But cannot we select a more pleasant -subject of conversation?"</p> - -<p>"Such as what?" demanded Brenda, wondering at this sudden change.</p> - -<p>"Yourself or Captain Burton. I saw him to-day."</p> - -<p>"That is very likely," she replied, quietly divining Van Zwieten's -intention. "Captain Burton is staying at the 'Chequers Inn.' At least -he <i>was</i> staying there, but he left for London at five."</p> - -<p>"Oh, indeed! He must have changed his mind then, for it was after six -when I saw him."</p> - -<p>"I suppose he is privileged to change his mind," said Brenda. All the -same she was puzzled to account for Harold's remaining at -Chippingholt.</p> - -<p>Thwarted in this direction, Van Zwieten tried another. He was bent on -making Brenda confess an interest in Burton, so as to lead up to an -explanation of his own feelings. "It is strange," said he, slowly, -"that Captain Burton does not stay at the Manor."</p> - -<p>"Why do you think it strange, Mr. van Zwieten?"</p> - -<p>"Ach! is it not strange? His brother Wilfred stays there--he is there -now. Mr. Malet is Captain Burton's cousin, and he is hospitable--not -to me," added he, with a sleepy smile; "Mr. Malet does not like me."</p> - -<p>Brenda ignored this last remark. "If you ask Captain Burton for his -reasons I have no doubt he will gratify your curiosity," she said -coldly.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I do not care; it is nothing to me." Van Zwieten paused, then -resumed very deliberately, "I do not like Captain Burton."</p> - -<p>"Really! The loss is his."</p> - -<p>"I do not like Captain Burton," repeated Van Zwieten, "because he -likes you."</p> - -<p>"What has that to do with me?" asked Brenda, injudiciously.</p> - -<p>"Everything. I love you--I want to marry you!"</p> - -<p>"You told me all about that, Mr. van Zwieten, and I told you I was -unable to marry you. It was agreed that we should drop the subject."</p> - -<p>"Captain Burton loves you and wants to marry you," pursued the big -man, doggedly, "and so I do not like Captain Burton."</p> - -<p>The situation was becoming embarrassing, but the man was evidently -acting and speaking with a set purpose. "Please say no more, Mr. van -Zwieten," said Brenda, trying to control her temper. Still he went on -resolutely.</p> - -<p>"When we are married we will see nothing of Captain Burton."</p> - -<p>"That will never be. I shall never marry you."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes; your father is willing."</p> - -<p>"But I am not." Brenda rose with a glance of anger. "How dare you take -advantage of my father's absence to insult me?"</p> - -<p>"I do not insult you," went on the Dutchman, with a quiet smile. "One -does not insult one's future wife."</p> - -<p>"I would rather die than marry you!" She walked to the door. "You have -no right to speak to me like this. I refuse to see you again, and I -shall tell my father of your behavior."</p> - -<p>She swept out of the room in a fury, feeling herself helpless in the -face of the man's persistency. Her departure, however, did not ruffle -him in the least. He went on eating and smiling as though the -interview had ended entirely to his satisfaction. After a good meal he -lighted a cigar and went along to Mr. Scarse's study. The door was -locked. He knocked, but there was no answer.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten was puzzled. There were matters connected with Mr. Scarse -which he did not understand, and which he wished very much to -understand. After pondering for a few moments, he put on a greatcoat, -in spite of the warmth of the night, a smasher hat of the Boer style, -and stepped out by the front door. Thence he passed round to the -French windows which lighted the study. The blinds were down, and the -yellow lamplight shone through them from within. Van Zwieten tried the -catch of one window. It yielded, and he slipped into the room. The -lamp, fully turned up, was on the table; some papers were spread out -on the blotting-pad on the desk, but there was no one in the room. He -glanced at the papers, but could gather nothing from them to account -for the absence of Scarse. He reflected, and recollected what Brenda -had said.</p> - -<p>"A snuff-colored coat; a crape scarf!" he mused. "So!" Then he left -the room, closed the window after him, and vanished stealthily as a -cat into the blackness of the night.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Brenda had gone to her room furious with Van Zwieten and her -father--with the former because he would persist in his attentions, -with the latter because he exposed her to their annoyance. Not knowing -that the Dutchman had gone out, she decided to remain upstairs, so as -to avoid meeting him in the drawing-room. But her bedroom was so -small, the night so hot, and she felt so restless, that eventually she -decided to go up to Holt Manor and see Lady Jenny.</p> - -<p>Gilbert's wife was a pretty, frivolous woman, with a good heart, a -long tongue, and an infinite capacity for wasting money. Malet was -devoted to her, and it was common talk that she could twist him round -her finger. If she interested herself in the matter there might be a -chance still of Harold's getting the money. Lady Jenny always -declared, in her exaggerated way, that Brenda was the sweetest girl in -the world, so, putting on her hat and cloak, Brenda determined to -learn whether Lady Jenny really was her friend or merely a society -acquaintance.</p> - -<p>The night was moonless, hot, and almost without air. What the Scotch -call uncanny. All day clouds had been rolling up from the south, and -now the sky was an immense mass of bluish-black vapor hanging low over -the dry and gasping earth. No breath of wind, no sound of life, human -or animal. The earth lay dumb under that tent of gloom. Brenda felt -stifled as she took the short way through the orchards. Knowing every -inch of the ground, she made no mistake, and was occasionally aided by -a vivid flash of lightning, which ran in sheets of sudden flame from -east to west.</p> - -<p>With her nimble feet and her knowledge of all the short cuts, it -took her only twenty minutes to arrive at the Manor. She noted the -time--nine o'clock--for the village chimes rang out as she halted at -the porch of the great house. Here she was doomed to disappointment, -for Lady Jenny--as the servant informed her--had gone to the Rectory -with Mr. Wilfred Burton.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Malet went out for a stroll too, miss," said the butler, who knew -her very well; "but any message----"</p> - -<p>"Oh, no message, Roberts," said Brenda, hurriedly; "that is--I will -call on Lady Jenny to-morrow. Good-night."</p> - -<p>"Won't you have an umbrella, miss? It looks stormy."</p> - -<p>"No, thank you; I shall no doubt reach home before the storm breaks. -Good-night."</p> - -<p>But she was wrong in thinking so. Hardly had she left the park gates -when the storm came. A blue zig-zag flared across the dark sky, there -was a crash of thunder, and on the wings of a bitterly cold wind came -the rain. The storm was tropical in its suddenness and fury. The wind -struck Brenda like a solid mass, and she had to grasp the trunk of an -apple-tree near by to keep her feet. With a hiss and a shriek the rain -shot down--one deluge of water, as though the windows of heaven were -opened as in the days of Noah's flood. A furious wind tore at the -tree-tops, rending boughs, clashing the branches together, and sending -a myriad leaves flying abroad like swarms of bees. The drenching rain -spattered and drummed on the woods, and in the open was driven in -slanting masses of water by the force of the blast. Anxious to get -under shelter, and terrified by the fierce lightning, Brenda kilted up -her skirts and ran blindly through the trees at the risk of breaking -her head. Her feet squelched in the soaking grass, and she was shaken -and driven like a leaf by the furious gusts. Still on she stumbled in -a dazed condition. It was a witch storm, and the powers of hell rode -on the flying clouds.</p> - -<p>Suddenly her foot tripped, and she fell full length on the grass, -which was more like a morass. As she struggled to her knees the -heavens overhead broke out in one dazzling sheet of flame, which for -the moment threw a noonday light on the scene. There, under a tree, -but a short distance away, Brenda saw a tall, dark, bulky figure -standing. Hardly had the darkness shut down again when she heard a -startled cry. Then a shot rang out with terrible distinctness, and -then again the roaring of the tempest. Hardly knowing what she was -doing, Brenda got on her feet, shaking and terrified. She ran forward. -A second flare of lightning lighted the orchards with hell-fire, livid -and blue. Almost at her feet she saw the body of a man. There came -another deafening crash of thunder, and she staggered. A moment later -and she lay senseless across the body of the unknown man shot in the -darkness by an unknown hand.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_03" href="#div1Ref_03">CHAPTER III.</a></h4> -<h5>THE NAME OF THE VICTIM.</h5> -<br> - -<p>The cook at Mr. Scarse's cottage was in a great state of alarm. She -did not mind an ordinary tempest of respectable English character -coming at its due and proper season. But this gale, at the close of a -quiet summer day, arriving with so little warning and raging with such -fury, had frightened her beyond measure. As a precautionary measure -against the frequent lightning, she concealed the knives, covered up -all the mirrors and reflective surfaces generally, and threw the -fire-irons into the garden. Having thus safeguarded the cottage -against the bolts of heaven, Mrs. Daw--so she was called--insisted -that the housemaid, a whimpering orphan of meagre intelligence, should -go round the house with her to see if any one or anything had been -struck. They found dining-room, drawing-room and bedrooms deserted, -and the door of their master's study locked.</p> - -<p>"Lor'!" said Mrs. Daw, her fat face ashen pale, "an' 'e may be lyin' a -corp in there, poor dear!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, no, he ain't," responded the shaking housemaid; "I 'ear voices. -Jus' put your eye to the key-hole, cook."</p> - -<p>But the cook's valor did not extend thus far. She also heard the -murmur of voices, and, thinking her master and his friend the Dutchman -were within, knocked at the door to bring them out for company. "We -may as well go to 'eaven in a 'eap," said Mrs. Daw, knocking steadily -like a woodpecker.</p> - -<p>The door opened so suddenly that the two women recoiled with shrieks -against the wall of the passage. Scarse, looking pale and upset, -stepped out and closed the door after him. Judging him by themselves, -they attributed his scared appearance to fright at the storm, and were -ready to receive any amount of sympathy. But it soon appeared that -their master had none to give them.</p> - -<p>"What's all this? Why are you here?" he demanded, angry and -suspicious.</p> - -<p>"It's the storm, sir," whimpered Mrs. Daw, holding on to the -housemaid. "I'm that feared as never was. Miss Brenda's hout, sir, and -Mr. van Zwieten's with you, and me an' Tilda's a-shakin' like jelly."</p> - -<p>"Miss Brenda out!" repeated Scarse, starting. "Oh, yes, I recollect -she said something about going to the Rectory." This was untrue, but -he seemed to think it necessary to make some excuse even to the -servants. "I dare say Miss Brenda has been storm-bound there, and, as -you say, Mr. van Zwieten is with me. There is nothing to be afraid of. -Go back to the kitchen."</p> - -<p>"The 'ouse may be struck, sir!</p> - -<p>"The house won't be struck," said Scarse, impatiently. "Don't be a -fool. It is almost ten o'clock--go to bed," and stepping back into the -study, he closed and locked the door. Cook and housemaid tottered back -to the kitchen.</p> - -<p>"I'll give notice to-morrer," wailed the former. "It ain't right for -two lone women to be without a manly arm. If 'e only kep' a footman or -a coachman it 'ud be a 'elp. 'And me the Church Service, Tilda, an' -we'll pray as we may not be took."</p> - -<p>"Ow, ain't it orful!" yelped Tilda, as a fiercer blast than usual -shook the cottage. "Turn up the Berryial Service, cook."</p> - -<p>This request the cook hurriedly obeyed, and the two were soon -cheerfully employed in drawing what comfort they could from this -somewhat depressing selection. The clock struck ten, and so unstrung -were their nerves that they simultaneously jumped and shrieked.</p> - -<p>Tilda declared that the candle burned blue; that a coal in the form of -a coffin had jumped out of the kitchen range; and meanwhile the storm -raved and howled without, shaking the house, tearing at doors and -windows as though twenty thousand demons were trying to force an -entrance. In their terrified frame of mind Mrs. Daw and her factotum -actually believed that such might be the case.</p> - -<p>But they soon had further cause for alarm. The kitchen door was tried, -but Mrs. Daw had locked it. Immediately there came a furious knocking, -insistent and incessant. Tilda shrieked, and scrambled under the -table. Mrs. Daw dropped the Church Service, and grasped the poker with -a trembling hand. There was a crash of thunder which went grinding -over the roof--then the battering at the door again.</p> - -<p>"Quick! Quick! Let me in!" wailed a voice, thin, high-pitched and -terrified.</p> - -<p>"Don't, don't!" shrieked Tilda, grovelling under the table. "Oh, lor', -wot a bad girl I 'ave been."</p> - -<p>But Mrs. Daw, somewhat recovered from her terror, thought she -recognized the voice, in spite of its accent of pain. "Yer's a fool, -Tilda. It's Miss Brenda!" and she unlocked the door, still grasping -the poker in case she should be mistaken. As the door flew open a wild -blast tore into the kitchen, and Tilda shrieked again. Mrs. Daw, too, -uttered an exclamation, for Brenda fell forward, flung into her arms. -The girl was soaking wet, wild-eyed and white-faced with terror. She -could hardly speak, and clung, choking and shaking, to the terrified -cook. The door banged to with a crash.</p> - -<p>"Murder! Help!" gasped Brenda, hoarsely. "Oh, my God! he is dead!"</p> - -<p>"Dead! Murder!" shrieked Mrs. Daw, dropping the poker, and Tilda -wailed in sympathetic chorus. "Lor', miss! Who's 'e?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know--he is dead--shot--in the orchards," said Brenda, and -fell down in a dead faint for the second time that night. Usually she -was not given to such feminine weakness, but the terrors of the night -had proved altogether too much for her.</p> - -<p>Having something human to deal with, Mrs. Daw recovered her presence -of mind and unloosened Brenda's cloak. "Poor dear! she's frightened -out of her wits, an' no wonder. Tilda, tell 'er pa there's murders and -faintings. Look sharp!"</p> - -<p>Tilda crawled from under the table and across the floor. She raised -herself with a sudden effort of will, and was soon hammering at the -study door.</p> - -<p>"Master--sir! 'Elp--murder--perlice! Oh, sir," as Scarse came out -hurriedly, "Miss Brenda's in the kitchen, an' there's murder!"</p> - -<p>He seized her wrists with an ejaculation of alarm. "Who is murdered? -Speak, girl!"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. Miss Brenda sez as there's murder. Oh, lor', what will -become of us!"</p> - -<p>Scarse shook her so that her teeth chattered. "Go back to the -kitchen," he said sternly. "I'll follow directly," and Tilda found -herself hurled against the wall, with the study door closed and -locked. Her surprise at such treatment overcame even her terror.</p> - -<p>"Well, 'e is a father!" she gasped, and her wits being somewhat more -agile now that she was less afraid, she flew to the dining-room and -snatched the spirit-stand from the sideboard. With this she arrived in -the kitchen and found Brenda regaining her senses.</p> - -<p>"Ain't 'e comin'?" asked Mrs. Daw, slapping Brenda's hands violently -as a restorative measure.</p> - -<p>"In a minute. 'Ere, give 'er some brandy. Where's a glarss? Oh, a -cup'll do. Oh, ain't it all dreadful; just 'ear the wind!"</p> - -<p>"Hold your tongue and lock the door," said Mrs. Daw, snatching the cup -from Tilda. "Come, miss, try and drink this."</p> - -<p>She forced the strong spirit down Brenda's throat. The girl gasped and -coughed, then the color slowly mounted to her cheeks, and she raised -her head feebly.</p> - -<p>"What is it?" she asked faintly. Then she shuddered and covered her -face. "Ah! the murder! Shot!--shot--oh, God, how terrible!"</p> - -<p>"Don't you be afraid, miss; the doors are all locked, an' nothin' or -no one can git in." Then a shriek from Mrs. Daw followed a sudden -clanging of the bell. "Whatever's that?"</p> - -<p>"Front door," replied Tilda, casting a glance at the row of bells. -"I'll answer; give 'er more brandy, cook."</p> - -<p>As the housemaid left, Brenda moaned and struggled to her feet. "Oh, -the terrible darkness--the body--his body--in the wet grass! Father! -Where is my father?"</p> - -<p>"'E's a comin', dearie," said Mrs. Daw, giving her more brandy. "Take -another sup, dearie. Who is it as is murdered, miss?" she asked in a -scared whisper.</p> - -<p>"I don't know. I could not see--the darkness--I fell over the body. I -saw nothing. Oh!" She started up with a shriek. "Oh, if it really -should be Harold!" Then she was overcome with anguish, and Tilda -darted back to the kitchen.</p> - -<p>"Would you believe," cried she to Mrs. Daw, "it's the furriner! An' -master said as 'e was in 'is study talkin' to 'im!"</p> - -<p>"Lor', so 'e did!" said Mrs. Daw, awestruck at having detected her -master in a lie. "And 'e was out all the time! What does Mr. van -Zwieten say, Tilda?"</p> - -<p>"Van Zwieten!" shrieked Brenda, who was clinging to the table. "Has he -been out? Ah! he hated Harold--the dead man--oh!" her voice leaped an -octave, "he has killed my Harold!"</p> - -<p>"What!" shrieked the other woman in turn, and Mrs. Daw, throwing her -apron over her head, began to scream with the full force of her lungs. -Tilda joined in, losing all remnant of control, and Brenda sank in a -chair white-faced and silent. The conviction that Harold had been -murdered stunned her.</p> - -<p>At this moment there was heard the sound of foot-steps coming rapidly -nearer. Scarse, with an angry and terrified expression, appeared on -the scene. Close behind him came Van Zwieten, who seemed, as ever, -quite undisturbed and master of himself. Brenda caught sight of him, -and darting forward, seized the man by the lapels of his coat. -"Harold!" she cried, "you have killed my Harold!"</p> - -<p>"Harold--Burton!" replied Scarse, aghast. "Is he dead?"</p> - -<p>"Dead--murdered! Oh, I am certain of it. And you killed him. You! -You!"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten said not a word, but remained perfectly calm. He saw that -the girl was beside herself with terror and grief, that she knew not -what she was saying or doing. Without a word he picked her up in his -strong arms and carried her moaning and weeping into the drawing-room. -Scarse rated Mrs. Daw and Tilda sharply for so losing their heads, and -followed the Dutchman. But before leaving the kitchen he was careful -to take with him the key of the back door. "No one leaves this house -to-night," he said sharply "I must inquire into this. Give me that -spirit-stand. Now go to bed, you fools."</p> - -<p>"Bed!" wailed Mrs. Daw, as her master left the room. "Lor', I'll never -sleep again--not for weeks any'ow. I daren't lie alone. Oh, what an -'orful night. I'll give notice to-morrow, that for sure!"</p> - -<p>"So'll I," squeaked Tilda. With this the two went shivering to a -common couch, full of prayers and terror, and prepared to die--if die -they must--in company.</p> - -<p>In the drawing-room Brenda was huddled up in a chair, terrified out of -her wits. Van Zwieten, calm and masterful, stood before the fireplace -with his big hands clasped loosely before him. His trousers were -turned up, his boots were soaking, and there were raindrops in his -curly hair. For the rest he was dry, and the storm had not made the -slightest impress on his strong nerves. When Scarse entered he threw a -steely and inquisitive glance at the old man, who winced and shrank -back with an expression of fear on his face. Van Zwieten, ever on the -alert for the signs of a guilty conscience, noted this with secret -satisfaction.</p> - -<p>"Now then, Brenda," said her father, recovering at last some of his -presence of mind, "what is all this about? You say that Burton is -dead--that Mr. van Zwieten killed him."</p> - -<p>"Ah!" interposed the Dutchman, stroking his beard, "I should like to -know how I managed that."</p> - -<p>"You hated him!" cried Brenda, sitting up straight with a sudden -access of vigor. "You told me so to-night at dinner!"</p> - -<p>"Pardon me; I said I did not like Captain Burton. But as to hating -him--" Van Zwieten shrugged his shoulders; "that is an extreme word to -use. But even if I did hate him you can hardly deduce from that that I -should kill him!"</p> - -<p>"He was shot, shot in the orchards, not far from the Manor gates. You -were out----"</p> - -<p>"That is scant evidence to justify a charge of murder," interposed -Scarce, angrily. "You are unstrung and hysterical, Brenda. How did you -come to be out yourself in such a storm?"</p> - -<p>"I went to see Lady Jenny at the Manor, about--about Harold's money. -She was not in, so I came back by the short cut through the orchards. -A flash of lightning showed him to me there, standing under a tree. -Then there was a shot and a cry, and I ran forward, and fell over his -body."</p> - -<p>"Whose body?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know--at least, I think it was Harold's body. Mr. van Zwieten -hated him."</p> - -<p>"It may not be Harold at all," said her father, impatiently; "you are -jumping to conclusions--the wildest conclusions, Brenda. Did you see -his face?"</p> - -<p>"No; how could I? It was dark."</p> - -<p>"Then how on earth do you know it was Captain Burton?"</p> - -<p>"I am not sure, of course; but I think so. Oh, father, do you -think---- Oh, perhaps, after all, it may not have been Harold."</p> - -<p>Scarse shook off her clinging hands. "I think you're a fool," he said -sharply, "and this wild talk of Burton's being dead is pure -imagination on your part."</p> - -<p>"I hope so--oh, how I hope so!" and Brenda shivered.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten, who had been listening with a cynical smile on his face, -burst into a laugh, at which Brenda looked angrily at him. "Excuse me, -Miss Scarse," he said politely, "but it is my opinion no one is dead -at all. The shot and cry were no doubt the outcome of a thundercrash. -You were upset by the storm, and it seemed to you like--what you say."</p> - -<p>"But a man is dead," protested Brenda, rising. "In my anxiety for -Harold I may have been mistaken in thinking it was he. Still, some one -was shot--I fell over the body and fainted."</p> - -<p>"The man may have fainted also," suggested her father.</p> - -<p>"If I may make a suggestion," said Van Zwieten, with strong common -sense, "we are all talking without any reasonable sort of basis. -Before we assume that a crime has been committed, I would suggest that -we go to the orchards and see if we can find the body."</p> - -<p>"No, no," cried Scarse, shrinking back. "Impossible at this hour, and -on such a night."</p> - -<p>"The storm is dying away," said the Dutchman, derisively. "However, if -you don't care to come, I can go myself."</p> - -<p>"I will go with you," cried Brenda, springing to her feet.</p> - -<p>"For you, Miss Scarse, I think it is hardly wise. You are very much -upset. Had you not better go to bed?"</p> - -<p>"I couldn't sleep with this on my mind. I must know if it is Harold or -not. If it is, I am certain you shot him, and until I know the truth I -don't let you out of my sight."</p> - -<p>"Very good." Van Zwieten bowed and smiled. "Come, then, and guide me."</p> - -<p>"Brenda, you can't go out now. I forbid you--it is not fit or proper."</p> - -<p>"What do I care for propriety in such a case as this?" cried Brenda, -in a passion. "Come with me then, father."</p> - -<p>"No, I can't--I am too ill."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten cast an amused look at Scarse, and the old man winced -again. He turned away and poured himself out a glass of brandy. -Without taking any further notice of him, Brenda put on her wet cloak -and left the room, followed almost immediately by the Dutchman. Van -Zwieten had many questions to ask his host, for he knew a good deal, -and guessed more; but this was not the time for cross-examination. It -was imperative that the identity of the deceased should be -ascertained, and Van Zwieten wished to be on the spot when the -discovery was made. As he left the room he heard the glass in Scarse's -trembling hand clink against the decanter, and the sound made him -smile. He guessed the cause of such perturbation.</p> - -<p>The rain had ceased for the moment, but the wind was still high, and -dense black clouds hurtled across the sky. A pale moon showed herself -every now and then from behind the flying wrack, and fitfully lighted -the midnight darkness.</p> - -<p>As she was with Van Zwieten, Brenda took a wide circle through the -village street. There were many people about in spite of the bad -weather--some with lanterns--but Brenda could not gather from the -scraps of conversation she heard whether the report of the dead man -lying in the orchards had got abroad.</p> - -<p>In silence Van Zwieten strode along beside her, apparently indifferent -to anything. His attitude irritated the girl, and when the wind lulled -for a moment she demanded sharply where he had been on that night.</p> - -<p>"You will be surprised to hear, Miss Scarse, that I went to see -Captain Burton."</p> - -<p>"And why?" asked Brenda, taken aback by this answer--the last she had -expected to hear.</p> - -<p>"To warn him," replied Van Zwieten, coolly. "Warn him--about -what--against whom?"</p> - -<p>"About my engagement to you--against myself."</p> - -<p>"I am not engaged to you, but to him," said Brenda, almost with a cry -of despair.</p> - -<p>It seemed impossible to make this man understand how she hated him.</p> - -<p>"I think you are engaged to me," said the Dutchman, deliberately. "You -say no, but that is girl's talk. I am not to be beaten by a girl. I -always get what I want, and I want you."</p> - -<p>The wind rose again, and further conversation was impossible. Brenda -walked on, praying for strength to escape this terrible man. She could -not rid herself of the idea that the dead man was her own true lover. -Van Zwieten might have seen him, as he said, might have quarreled with -him and shot him. The fear chilled her heart, and when next the wind -fell she again taxed Van Zwieten. "You killed him?" she cried.</p> - -<p>"You will insist on that, but you are wrong. I never saw Captain -Burton. He was not at the inn when I called."</p> - -<p>"He had gone to town," said Brenda, breathless with joy.</p> - -<p>"No, he had gone to the Rectory."</p> - -<p>Brenda stopped short. Lady Jenny had gone to the Rectory also. Perhaps -Harold had seen her, and had asked for her aid. While she was -wondering if this might be so, there was a great shouting, and in the -distance she saw the blaze of torches borne by many people. The wind -made them flare furiously.</p> - -<p>"Ach!" said Van Zwieten under his breath, "they know now."</p> - -<p>In the high wind Brenda did not hear him. Guessing that the concourse -meant the discovery of the body, she flew along the road like a -lapwing. The procession was coming toward the Manor gates from the -direction of the orchards. Some men were shouting, some women -screaming, but the solid group surrounded by the red, smoking lights -remained silent. Van Zwieten followed noiselessly, and reached the -group almost as soon as Brenda.</p> - -<p>"You see," he breathed in the girl's ear, "he is alive!"</p> - -<p>Brenda gave a cry of joy and flung herself into the arms of the -foremost man.</p> - -<p>"Harold! Harold! Thank God you are safe!"</p> - -<p>"Brenda! What are you doing here? Go back! go back!"</p> - -<p>"No, no. Tell me who--who is dead. Who has been murdered?"</p> - -<p>Seeing she knew so much, Harold signed to the men carrying the body to -stop. They set down the gate on which it rested.</p> - -<p>"Malet!" cried Brenda, as she recognized the features of the corpse. -"It is Mr. Malet!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_04" href="#div1Ref_04">CHAPTER IV.</a></h4> -<h5>A STRANGE PIECE OF EVIDENCE.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Next morning there was great excitement in Chippingholt. That a murder -should have taken place in that peaceful hamlet was bad enough, but -that the victim should be the lord of the Manor himself was terrible -beyond words. The body was carried up to the house, and the rural -constable, not feeling himself competent to deal with so unusual an -incident, sent for instructions to the police station at Langton.</p> - -<p>Toward midday an inspector and constables came over to investigate. -The inspector proceeded at once to the Manor and interviewed Lady -Jenny. Her coolness and powers of endurance in such trying -circumstances amazed even this stolid official.</p> - -<p>She was a small, slightly-built woman, with a sylph-like figure, dark -blue eyes and dark hair. Her rose-leaf skin was wonderfully delicate -of tint and texture, and she looked fragile enough to be blown away by -a breath of wind. She was said to be both frivolous and emotional, a -shallow creature, fond of nothing but pleasure and spending money. In -this emergency every one expected her to relapse into hysteria, and to -be quite incapable of any control over her feelings; but, to their -surprise, she was all the opposite of this, and shed hardly a tear. -She received the news of the death almost apathetically, directed the -body to be laid out in the bed which her husband had occupied when -alive, and herself calmed the emotions of the household.</p> - -<p>Indeed, Wilfred Burton was far more upset about the murder than was -Lady Jenny. He expressed his amazement at her wonderful self-control. -He was lying on the sofa in her morning-room when he spoke to her on -the subject.</p> - -<p>"Some one must manage things," said the brave little woman, "and I -know well enough you're incapable, poor dear! Harold could be of use, -I know, but I don't want him just now. When I do, I'll send for him."</p> - -<p>"He was here this morning, Jenny."</p> - -<p>"I know he was; I saw him before you were up. He told me about the -finding of poor Gilbert's body."</p> - -<p>"Who found it?"</p> - -<p>"Branksom, the lodgekeeper. He was coming home from the village about -ten last night, and took the short path through the orchards. He -stumbled over a body in the dark, and lit a match to see who it was, -thinking it was some drunken man. The match blew out, but he -recognized Gilbert, and saw the blood on his face, so he ran back to -give the alarm. Harold, who was at the 'Chequers,' heard of the -murder, and came with a man to remove the body. In fact, he was the -first to arrive, and he examined the corpse before the rest came up."</p> - -<p>Wilfred, a pale-faced, delicate-looking young man, with large, dark -eyes, and a hectic flush on his face, shuddered at the calmness with -which Lady Jenny went into these details. "I don't know how you can do -it!" he gasped, putting his hand to his throat like a hysterical -woman. "It is terrible. And I thought you were so fond of Gilbert."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I was fond of him," said Lady Jenny, with emphasis, "but I -learned something about him lately which rather checked my fondness."</p> - -<p>"What?"</p> - -<p>"Something that concerned our two selves only. Wilfred. Poor Gilbert! -He is dead, so I suppose I must forgive him."</p> - -<p>"I wonder who killed him?" said Wilfred.</p> - -<p>"I wonder. Of course Gilbert made many enemies."</p> - -<p>"Political enemies?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, and private ones also. My dear Wilfred," said Lady Jenny, laying -her hand on the young man's arm, "I wish to speak well of the dead, -especially as the dead was my husband, but Gilbert was not a good -man."</p> - -<p>Wilfred looked at her doubtfully. "You speak as though you knew -something."</p> - -<p>"So I do; but that something has nothing to do, with the murder. I -have no more idea who killed him than you have."</p> - -<p>This conversation was interrupted by a message from Inspector Woke -asking to see Lady Jenny, so she left the room at once. Mr. Inspector, -a fat, stolid little man, much flurried by the unusual responsibility -resting on his shoulders, had already seen the doctor and those who -had found the body. He set about opening up the matter in his own way.</p> - -<p>"I have seen the doctor, my lady," he said, wiping his face and -breathing hard. "He tells me the deceased must have been murdered at -about half-past nine last night. The wound is on the right temple, and -as the skin and hair are burned and blackened with gunpowder, the shot -must have been fired at close quarters. Death must have come very -speedily, my lady. We can find no bullet, as it passed right through -the deceased's head, and no weapon, although we have searched the -orchards. All the evidence, my lady, must be circumstantial. We must -find out who had a grudge against the deceased, or who had an interest -in his death."</p> - -<p>Lady Jenny arranged the ruffles of crape round her neck--she was in -mourning for her father, and had been for some weeks--and laughed -coldly. She thought very little of this elaborate explanation, and -less of the man who made it. The inspector she took to be a man of the -smallest intelligence, and one wedded to the red-tapeism and -stereotyped routine of criminal procedure as conducted by the police -generally.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Malet had many enemies," she said quietly. "He was a politician, -and at one time--not so long ago--was connected with the War Office."</p> - -<p>"Can you tell me the names of any who had a grudge against him, my -lady?"</p> - -<p>"No; he told me he had enemies, but gave no explanation. Nor did I -seek any. But this is a circumscribed neighborhood, Mr. Woke, and not -over-populated. If a stranger came down to murder my husband, we -should have no difficulty in getting a description of him."</p> - -<p>Woke pricked up his ears. "Does your ladyship, then, suspect some -stranger?"</p> - -<p>"It is only an idea of mine," replied Lady Jenny, coldly. "I have no -reasonable grounds for making a definite assertion. Still, my husband -was popular to a certain extent in Chippingholt, and I know no one, I -can think of no person--likely to desire his death."</p> - -<p>"It might have been a stranger," mused Woke. "Rural murders do not use -revolvers as a rule, and if they did it would hardly be at such close -quarters as this. Can you inform me of the movements of this household -last night, my lady?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly. We dined at seven as usual. The night was hot and airless -before the storm, so my husband said he would go out for a walk. He -put a light coat over his evening dress, and strolled through the -park. It was after eight when he went out."</p> - -<p>"He did not say where he was going?"</p> - -<p>"No, merely remarked that he would like a breath of fresh air. That -was the last I saw of him. After eight I received a message from -Captain Burton asking if I could call and see him at the Rectory."</p> - -<p>"Why did he not wait on your ladyship here?"</p> - -<p>Lady Jenny changed color, and her hands became restless. "He was not -on good terms with my husband. They quarrelled over some family -matter, and Captain Burton refused to enter this house again."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" said Woke, significantly. "And where was Captain Burton last -night?"</p> - -<p>"He stayed at the 'Chequers,' but, as of course I could not meet him -at a public-house, he asked me to go to the Rectory. The rector is a -mutual friend."</p> - -<p>"Did you go?"</p> - -<p>"I left shortly before nine o'clock with Mr. Wilfred Burton."</p> - -<p>"Who is he, my lady?"</p> - -<p>"My husband's cousin--Captain Burton's brother. He is staying at the -Manor, and has been here for the last month."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" grunted Woke again--it seemed to be his method of expressing -satisfaction--"then Mr. Wilfred Burton was not on bad terms with the -deceased?"</p> - -<p>"No. They were excellent friends. Mr. Burton is rather nervous and -delicate, and my husband was careful of his health. I asked Mr. Burton -to go with me to the Rectory, and he agreed. We left this house -shortly before nine o'clock. On the way Mr. Burton stumbled and -twisted his ankle, so he returned to the house, and I went on alone. -Before I got to the Rectory the storm burst, and it was so violent -that I grew afraid. I was taking a path through the woods, and got -under a tree for shelter. As I was nearer the Manor than the Rectory I -determined to return, and explain to Captain Burton in the morning. It -was ten o'clock when I got back, soaking and tired out. I was waiting -a long time under the trees for the rain to go off, and so it was late -when I returned. Then I went to bed, but was awakened about midnight -by the news of my husband's murder."</p> - -<p>"And Mr. Burton?</p> - -<p>"He did not get back until ten either--in fact, we arrived almost at -the same time, for his foot became so painful that he could walk only -with great difficulty. He also was caught in the storm."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" said the inspector again, "I should like to see Mr. Burton."</p> - -<p>"Certainly." Lady Jenny rose. "Is there anything else you would like -to ask me?</p> - -<p>"Not at present, my lady. I will examine your household first."</p> - -<p>As Wilfred's foot was sprained, the inspector was shown into the -morning-room. It was a case of the mountain coming to Mahomet--Mr. -Woke being a veritable mountain of official dignity.</p> - -<p>He looked curiously at the pale young man lying on the sofa, and -seeing he was in pain, examined him as gingerly as possible. Wilfred -was quite ready to give an account of his movements, although he -expressed some surprise that such information should be required.</p> - -<p>"Surely you don't suspect me of complicity in this dastardly crime, -Mr. Inspector?"</p> - -<p>"Dear me, no, certainly not," replied the jovial Woke, rubbing his -hands, "but I am examining the whole household. It is wonderful what -evidence may be gathered by such means. Indeed, I have got some -evidence already. It may bear on the case, or it may not."</p> - -<p>"What is it?" asked Wilfred, listlessly, and winced as his foot gave a -twinge.</p> - -<p>"I'll tell you later, sir. First relate your movements, please, last -night."</p> - -<p>Young Burton gave an account coinciding with that of Lady Jenny. "My -foot must have got twisted," he said, "for it grew very painful, and -the ankle is a good deal swollen, Otherwise I should not have let Lady -Jenny go on alone; but she was anxious to see my brother and insisted -on going. It was a few minutes past nine when she left me. I tried to -walk, but could not. Then the rain came on, and I dragged myself under -a tree. I got soaked through, and thinking I should probably catch a -severe chill--I am not strong, Mr. Woke--I set my teeth to it and -hobbled home. I found a stake, which I used as a crutch; but the pain -was so great that I could only walk very slowly. No one was about who -could help me--it was so late. I got home after ten, and the butler -helped me in. Then I went to bed, and put cold water bandages on my -foot. It is easier now."</p> - -<p>"You should get the doctor to see it, Mr. Burton."</p> - -<p>"The doctor has been too busy examining poor Malet's body," said -Wilfred. "I shall see him soon."</p> - -<p>"Have you any idea who murdered Mr. Malet, sir?"</p> - -<p>"Great heavens, no! The whole case is a mystery to me."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Malet had many enemies I believe."</p> - -<p>"He said he had, but I think he spoke generally rather than of any -particular person or persons. So far as I know he had no enemy who -specially desired his death."</p> - -<p>The inspector looked grave and a trifle ill at ease. "Mr. Burton," he -said at length, "are you aware that your brother was on bad terms with -Mr. Malet?"</p> - -<p>"They were not friendly," admitted Wilfred, looking anxious. "There -was a disagreement about my brother's marriage. But, come now, my -brother hasn't anything to do with the affair?"</p> - -<p>"Well," said Woke, pinching his chubby chin, "it's just this way, sir. -I have been making inquiries, and I find that your brother and the -deceased had a violent quarrel yesterday afternoon in this house."</p> - -<p>"I know that, but a quarrel does not mean murder. Confound it, sir, I -won't listen to your insinuations."</p> - -<p>Mr. Woke went on coolly and deliberately. "I questioned Roberts, the -butler," he said, "and the man admitted that Captain Burton had used -threatening language."</p> - -<p>"How did Roberts know?"</p> - -<p>"He overheard Captain Burton at the open door of the library. He spoke -loud enough for the whole house to hear, so Roberts says, but there -happened to be nobody else about."</p> - -<p>"Go on," cried Wilfred, flushed and impatient. "Let me hear what my -brother said."</p> - -<p>"He called Mr. Malet a swindler, and said he would make it hot for -him."</p> - -<p>Wilfred smiled derisively. "Really! And on such words, used in a -moment of anger, you would accuse my brother of a brutal crime?"</p> - -<p>"I don't accuse him, sir," retorted Woke, hotly; "but I should like an -explanation of his words."</p> - -<p>"I dare say he will furnish you with one." Wilfred forgot his sprained -ankle now, and sat up filled with indignation. "And let me tell you, -Mr. Woke," he went on, "the explanation will be such as to clear my -brother wholly from all suspicion. He is the best fellow in the world, -and I would as soon believe myself guilty of this thing as him. -Suspect whom you please, but not my brother."</p> - -<p>But the phlegmatic officer was quite unmoved by this outburst. -"Natural enough," he said. "Oh, I don't blame you for standing up for -the captain, sir; and I dare say, for that matter, he may be able to -furnish an <i>alibi</i>, as he was at the Rectory waiting for her ladyship. -All the same, I am bound to inquire further into this quarrel. I don't -accuse him, mind"--Mr. Woke shook his forefinger--"but I can't help -having my suspicions." He paused, and asked suddenly, "Who is Miss -Scarse, sir?</p> - -<p>"The daughter of Mr. Scarse, M.P., and the lady to whom my brother is -engaged to be married. Mr. Malet disapproved of the marriage. That was -the reason he and Captain Burton quarrelled."</p> - -<p>"Scarse--Scarse," repeated the inspector, rising. "I've heard of him. -He's the gentleman that's always writing and talking tall about the -Boers, isn't he?"</p> - -<p>"I believe he is what is called a Little Englander."</p> - -<p>"An unpopular part at present, Mr. Burton. I am an Imperialist myself. -H'm! so Miss Scarse is engaged to Captain Burton, is she? She called -here at nine last night and asked for Lady Jenny, Roberts tells me."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you'll accuse her of the murder next!" said Wilfred, -contemptuously.</p> - -<p>"I accuse no one as yet, sir. But I must have my facts quite clear, -and I go to get them. Good-day, sir," and Mr. Woke departed to call in -at "The Chequers," with Captain Burton still the central figure in his -mind.</p> - -<p>But Harold was not at the inn. Late in the morning he had called at -the cottage to see Brenda, and discuss with her the very stirring -events of the previous might. She received him in the drawing-room, -and, thankful to find that he was alive and well, embraced him more -than ever affectionately. The poor girl looked ill and pale, for all -this trouble had shaken her nerves more than she cared to confess. And -in truth Harold himself did not feel much better, although he showed -it less markedly. Mr. Scarse being shut up as usual in his study, they -had the room to themselves. Van Zwieten had gone out.</p> - -<p>"I had no chance, dear, of speaking to you last night," said Harold. -"Tell me how you came to hear about this murder?"</p> - -<p>"Harold, dear, I saw it committed!"</p> - -<p>The man turned pale. "You saw it committed?" he repeated. "Why, -Brenda, who did it?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. I had gone to the Manor to see Lady Jenny. I thought -she might be able to help you about this money and on my way home I -was caught in the storm. In a vivid flash of lightning I saw Mr. Malet -sheltering under a tree. I did not know then that it was Mr. Malet. -After that I heard a cry, and then a shot. I ran forward, and stumbled -over the body. Then I fainted, I think, but as soon as I was able I -made my way home. It was only when I met you that I knew that Mr. -Malet was the victim. Oh, Harold, dearest, I thought all the time it -was you!"</p> - -<p>"What on earth put such an idea as that into your head?" he asked in -amazement.</p> - -<p>"I don't know. Van Zwieten had told me he hated you, and I am afraid -of Van Zwieten. He told me he went to see you at the inn, and I -thought you might have quarrelled, and----" She threw out her hands. -"Oh, dearest, it is only because you are so much to me, I suppose, -that I thought it must be you. Oh, Harold, the thought nearly drove me -mad."</p> - -<p>"But why did Van Zwieten want to see me?"</p> - -<p>"To insist that you should give me up."</p> - -<p>"Give you up? Confound his Dutch impertinence!" said Harold, angrily.</p> - -<p>"Dearest, I am afraid of that man," said Brenda, clinging to him. -"Yes, terribly afraid. He will not leave me alone. He speaks as though -he were perfectly certain I should have to marry him."</p> - -<p>"In that case, the most effectual method of putting an end to his -presumption will be for you to marry me, dear, and that at once. -Remember the twenty thousand pounds comes to me now!"</p> - -<p>"Harold!--the money is yours? But how?"</p> - -<p>"Malet's control of the fund died with him. Now that he is dead, -nothing can prevent my getting it. We can be married straight away, -dear."</p> - -<p>"We should have done that in any case, Harold. But now---- Oh, do let -us go to London at once; for, until we are really married, I shall not -be able to shake off my fear of this man. I know I sha'n't."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense, Brenda! He can be nothing to you, Why, you told me you -detested the man."</p> - -<p>"So I do. I loathe him. But he is so determined and wicked, and so -unscrupulous, that somehow I fear him, I----"</p> - -<p>"Is he here now?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; but I believe he goes this afternoon. He may meet us in London, -Harold, and give us trouble there. Believe me, he is dangerous."</p> - -<p>"Give me the legal right to protect you, Brenda," said Harold, "and -you need not fear Van Zwieten. He is a brute. I don't know how your -father can tolerate him."</p> - -<p>"Simply because Mr. van Zwieten is going out to the Transvaal -Government, and father has taken up the Boer cause."</p> - -<p>"If Kruger goes on as he is doing, there won't be any Transvaal -Government at all in a few months. Don't you bother about Van Zwieten, -dear. As soon as poor Malet is buried I shall go up to London and see -about the money."</p> - -<p>"There will be an inquest, I suppose."</p> - -<p>"Of course. The police are at the Manor now. I went over to offer my -services to Jenny, but she did not want me, and sent out to say so. -Poor little woman! I don't see how she's going to manage matters. I -hope she'll have enough to live on."</p> - -<p>"Why! I thought Mr. Malet was rich!"</p> - -<p>"He was. But he spent money freely, and gambled a good deal." Harold -looked uneasy. "I tell you what, Brenda, I sha'n't be easy in my mind -until I know that my money and Wilfred's is safe. Malet had supreme -control over it, and for all I know he may have made ducks and drakes -with it."</p> - -<p>"Well, if he has, we'll have to do without it, that's all," replied -the girl. "By the way, dear, why didn't you go to town last night as -we arranged?"</p> - -<p>"I changed my mind. It struck me that Jenny might manage to succeed -with Malet where I had failed. I didn't go up to the house, because I -didn't want to meet him; so I sent her a note asking her to come to -the Rectory. You know Mr. Slocum is one of my oldest friends."</p> - -<p>"How strange," said Brenda, wonderingly. "I had exactly the same idea; -that was why I went to the Manor last night. When I got there they -told me Lady Jenny had gone to the Rectory."</p> - -<p>"I didn't see her," said Harold, grimly. "I waited till nine, and as -she hadn't turned up then I went back to the inn. There, later on, I -heard of the murder, and went to look at the body. Although we had -quarrelled I felt sorry for the poor devil when I heard of his violent -death."</p> - -<p>"Poor Mr. Malet," sighed Brenda; "I wonder who killed him, and why?"</p> - -<p>"Well, I can't say why, dear, but I have an idea who it was that shot -him."</p> - -<p>"Who? Who?"</p> - -<p>"That man I mistook for your father."</p> - -<p>Brenda turned pale, remembering her father's agitation.</p> - -<p>"Impossible! Why do you think so?"</p> - -<p>"I examined the body first, before the others came up. I found the -right hand was clenched, and by the light of the lantern I opened it. -It was grasping a scrap of crape!"</p> - -<p>"A scrap of crape! But what has----" Brenda's voice died in her -throat.</p> - -<p>"Don't you remember my description? That old man wore a crape scarf!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_05" href="#div1Ref_05">CHAPTER V.</a></h4> -<h5>VAN ZWIETEN SHOWS HIS TEETH.</h5> -<br> - -<p>This unexpected piece of evidence caused Brenda no little uneasiness. -She reflected that the man with the crape scarf had so closely -resembled her father as to be mistaken for him, and then she -remembered how her father had refused to give any information -concerning this double of his. There was also the fact of his avowed -hatred of Malet. Do what she would, she could not rid herself of the -idea that through this third person, so like himself, her father was -in some way connected with the murder. And little as she loved him, -the thought of it shocked and terrified her. She told Harold what had -passed between them in the study, and unbosomed herself of her -suspicions to him. In reply he asked her a few straightforward -questions.</p> - -<p>"Did your father refuse to speak of this man, Brenda?"</p> - -<p>"Absolutely. He sent me out of the room."</p> - -<p>"He was uneasy?"</p> - -<p>"More than uneasy," said the girl, with emphasis; "he was terrified. -There is great mystery in all this, Harold. In some way my father is -connected with this man. For all I know, he may be a relative. I am -very ignorant of my family history."</p> - -<p>"H'm! Have you seen your father this morning?"</p> - -<p>"No. He did not come to breakfast, and I did not go to his study, -knowing that he dislikes to be disturbed."</p> - -<p>"Well, we must go to his study now," said Harold, rising, "for I am -sure that the man with the crape scarf killed Malet, and your father -may be able to throw some light on the subject."</p> - -<p>"Harold, you don't think my father----"</p> - -<p>"Who can tell? Brenda, we must face the facts, and see him. In any -case I am the only person who knows about this scrap of crape, and I -shall keep the information to myself. Now, come along, dear, and let's -hunt him up."</p> - -<p>When they reached the study they found it empty. On the table lay a -note for Brenda in her father's handwriting. It informed her very -curtly that he had gone up to London for the day and would return that -same evening. Harold looked grave, and Brenda was perplexed. It was so -unexpected. Mr. Scarse seemed to be doing all he could to heap -suspicion on his own head.</p> - -<p>"Does he usually go off in this sudden fashion?" asked Captain Burton.</p> - -<p>"Yes and no. Sometimes he tells me, sometimes he leaves a note. After -all, Harold, we may be altogether mistaken. Perhaps father knows -nothing at all about it."</p> - -<p>"I hope so, Brenda. But from what you say he certainly knows this man, -and it is strange there should be such a striking resemblance between -them. The scrap of crape might easily have been torn off the scarf in -the struggle."</p> - -<p>"But there was no struggle," said Brenda, eagerly. "I saw Mr. Malet -for one moment when the lightning flashed; the next I heard a cry, and -it was followed at once by a shot. There was no time for a struggle."</p> - -<p>"You heard the cry first, and then the shot?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. The shot must have killed the poor man at once. He did not cry -again."</p> - -<p>Harold reflected. "I saw Dr. Lincoln this morning at the Manor," he -said slowly. "He deduces from the blackened skin and singed hair that -the shot must have been fired at close quarters. Now, if the murderer -saw Malet by that lightning flash, and was close at hand, he no doubt -sprang forward and clutched the poor devil's arm while he placed the -muzzle of the weapon at his temple. In that case Malet would utter a -cry and the next moment drop dead. In his agony he might have gripped -at the crape scarf, and have torn off the piece I found clenched in -his hand."</p> - -<p>"That is all purely hypothetical," said Brenda, fighting against her -doubts.</p> - -<p>"I know it is. But it seems to me the only way to account for your -hearing the cry first, and for this piece of crape being in the hand -of the corpse. Depend upon it, Brenda, your father can throw some -light on the subject. Well, as he's gone to town, there's nothing for -it but to wait till he comes back. Meanwhile I won't say anything -about the piece of crape to any one."</p> - -<p>"And what are you going to do now?" she asked, as he moved toward the -study door.</p> - -<p>"Return to the inn. I should like to know if any one else saw this -stranger, and if they mistook him, as I did, for your father."</p> - -<p>"Harold, Harold, do be careful," implored Brenda; "we may be -misjudging father altogether, dear. Don't, I beg of you, get him into -any trouble."</p> - -<p>"On the contrary, dear, my object is to get him out of trouble. If I -don't succeed in arriving at some explanation of this queer confusion -of identities the police may take it up. Then it would be dangerous. -Good-bye, dear; I shall be back shortly."</p> - -<p>Brenda waved her hand as he left her, and returned to the study. She -was filled with ominous foreboding, and trembled at the thought of -possible complicity on the part of her father. His pronounced hatred -of Malet, his agitation at the mention of the stranger, the odd idea -of the crape scarf worn by the supposed criminal, and the morsel of it -in the dead man's hand--these things collectively formed a mystery -which Brenda could not fathom.</p> - -<p>She looked again at the note which intimated that her father had gone -to town, and from the straggling, scratching character of the -handwriting she gathered that he must have been greatly agitated when -he wrote it. Afterward she went to the kitchen, and skillfully -questioned Mrs. Daw and Tilda about their master's departure. Both -declared that he had said nothing to them about it. It seemed likely, -then, that he had made up his mind on a sudden impulse and gone off in -a hurry.</p> - -<p>Brenda wondered vainly what it could all mean, and then rebuked -herself severely for her suspicions. After all, her father would no -doubt be able to give good reason for his hurried departure when he -returned; the surrounding circumstances, strange as they were, might -prove to be all that was natural and obvious in the light of what he -would have to say.</p> - -<p>The dawn had brought wisdom to Mrs. Daw and the housemaid too, for -they no longer spoke of giving notice. They were chattering like -parrots about the murder, many exaggerated and wholly imaginary -details of which had been supplied by butcher, baker and milkman. But -Brenda learned that as yet no one was definitely suspected of the -crime, and that the villagers were hopelessly bewildered at its -committal.</p> - -<p>About the stranger no word was said; and somewhat relieved in her -mind, Brenda gave her orders for the day, and returned to the study. -She sat down before the fire--which was lighted, as usual, in spite of -the summer warmth--and gave herself up to thoughts of Harold. These -were pleasant enough, but occasionally there would come the -recollection of Van Zwieten and his calm insistence that she should be -his wife. Then she shuddered, for the man fascinated her as a serpent -fascinates a bird. There were moments when it came upon her that he -might get his way in spite of her repulsion.</p> - -<p>Idly looking into the fire, she noticed a fine white ash under the -grate, disposed in a regular line. At first she took no heed of it, -but presently she became aware that this was no coal <i>débris</i>, and her -eye travelled along the line until she found an unburnt piece of the -material, the remainder of which was ash. Growing pale, she bent down -and picked up a tiny piece of crape. Undoubtedly it was crape--there -was enough saved from the burning to swear by. Brenda turned faint; -from the long narrow outline of the white ash, from the scrap of -material she held in her hand, it was certain that her father had -flung a crape scarf under the grate, and had set fire to it. And she -guessed that the scarf was the one worn by the stranger--the scarf -from which the morsel in Harold's possession had been torn. Motionless -and terrified, she pondered over the meaning of this destruction.</p> - -<p>Before she could come to any conclusion, there was a shadow thrown -across the floor, and Brenda, her nerves shaken, jumped up with a -slight scream to see Van Zwieten step into the room through the French -window. He looked unusually well pleased with himself, and smiled -blandly when he saw her. In fact, she detected an exulting expression -in his blue eyes, which vaguely terrified her. With the instinct to -conceal the discovery of the burnt scarf, she thrust the scrap into -her pocket, and turned to welcome Van Zwieten with a smile.</p> - -<p>He looked at the fire, at her action, and seemed to connect the two. -But he said nothing. No doubt he thought she had been about to burn -something, and that he had interrupted her.</p> - -<p>"Aha, Miss Scarse," he said politely, "I have been walking in the -orchards to have a look at the spot where I murdered that man."</p> - -<p>Brenda was annoyed at his satire, and rather foolishly showed her -annoyance.</p> - -<p>"You should make allowance for my state of mind last night," she said -irritably. "I spoke without thinking. Besides, I accused you of -killing Harold, not poor Mr. Malet."</p> - -<p>"Quite so. But you might as well say I killed the one as the other. -Pardon me, I will say no more. I have been to the place where the poor -man was murdered, and I have made discoveries. Ah, you English, you -have no eyes! Dozens of people have been round this morning, but they -have seen nothing. I have seen much."</p> - -<p>"What have you seen--what have you discovered?" asked Brenda, -anxiously.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten clicked his heels together in foreign fashion, and bowed. -"Miss Scarse, I am a wise man," he said, smiling; "wise men never -talk. But if you will be wise also, and give me the right to tell you -what I know, why then----"</p> - -<p>"How can I give you the right?"</p> - -<p>"By accepting me as your future husband."</p> - -<p>"No, a thousand times, no. I am engaged to Captain Burton."</p> - -<p>"Ah, Captain Burton! I quite forgot that young gentleman. I have -something to say to him. He is, no doubt, still at his hotel. I will -call."</p> - -<p>"If your object is to make him give me up, you may save yourself the -trouble of calling," said Brenda, quietly. "We are engaged, and -nothing you can say or do can break our engagement.</p> - -<p>"Ah! I think otherwise."</p> - -<p>"Mr. van Zwieten, will you understand once and for all that I refuse -to have anything to do with you. I refuse to marry you."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten shook his head. "I cannot accept your refusal. I have made -up my mind that you shall marry me, and marry me you must. I have a -strong will, Miss Scarse."</p> - -<p>"I also, and so has Captain Burton. You can't bully me into being your -slave."</p> - -<p>"Pardon me, I should be the slave," said the Dutchman, blandly. "As -for Captain Burton, poof! I will sweep him from my path. When he is in -South Africa, I shall be there also."</p> - -<p>"He is not going to South Africa."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I think so. He is a soldier, and your soldiers will have -much to do in South Africa shortly."</p> - -<p>"Mr. van Zwieten, I believe you are a Boer spy."</p> - -<p>"Indeed! Why do you believe so?"</p> - -<p>"You seem to be so certain of the war. You are going out to the -Transvaal----"</p> - -<p>"I am. You too, Miss Scarse--as my wife. Ah, do not look angry. You -must accept the inevitable with a good grace. As to my being a spy, -there is no need for me to act so low a part as that. I think there -will be war because I read the sign of the times. Europe is with -us----"</p> - -<p>"Did your friend Dr. Leyds tell you so?" she asked scornfully.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps. But this is idle talk. I am not what you think me. When the -time comes you will know--what I intend you to know. So sure am I that -you will be my wife, that I am content to return to London this day -and leave you with Captain Burton."</p> - -<p>"The sooner you go the better pleased I shall be."</p> - -<p>"Ach! What English hospitality! How charmingly said!"</p> - -<p>Brenda turned on him with tears of rage in her eyes. "You force me to -be rude," she said, almost breaking down in the face of this -persistence. "I have never been spoken to as you speak to me. An -English gentleman can take 'no' for an answer."</p> - -<p>"But I love you too much to accept such an answer."</p> - -<p>"If you loved me, you would not worry me so. Please go, Mr. van -Zwieten. Oh! I wish my father were here to protect me!" cried poor -Brenda, keeping back her tears with difficulty.</p> - -<p>"Call him, Miss Scarse. He has not gone out to-day, has he?"</p> - -<p>"He has gone to London."</p> - -<p>Clever and self-possessed as Van Zwieten was, this intelligence -disconcerted him. He started and frowned. "To London!" he repeated. -"He was here a couple of hours ago."</p> - -<p>Brenda handed him the note left by her father, and turned away. "You -can see for yourself. I suppose you will go after luncheon."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten read the note and frowned again. "Yes, I will go after -luncheon," he said. "In the meantime I will see Captain Burton, I -think; oh, yes, I think I shall come to terms with that young -gentleman. Till luncheon, Miss Scarse," and, bowing with a mocking -smile, he stepped out of the window, leaving Brenda puzzled and -uneasy.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, Harold was talking with Inspector Woke at the inn. He had -found that official waiting for him on his return from the cottage, -and had at once consented to his request for a private conversation. -He had no idea that Woke suspected him in any way, and answered his -questions with the utmost frankness.</p> - -<p>"I went to the Rectory last night to see Mr. Slocum, who is an old -friend of mine," he said, "and left here about eight o'clock. It was -shortly after nine when I returned."</p> - -<p>"At what time did you arrive here?" asked Woke, watching his -companion's face.</p> - -<p>"About ten o'clock."</p> - -<p>"Oh! and you left the Rectory at nine. Did it take you an hour to walk -a quarter of a mile?"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton stared, and his dark face flushed. "I don't know why -you wish me to answer you so precisely," he said haughtily; "but it so -happened that I was caught in the storm, and stood under a tree for -some time."</p> - -<p>"The storm again," murmured Woke, rubbing his chin. "Lady Jenny Malet -and your brother were both caught in the storm."</p> - -<p>"I know that," retorted Burton, impatiently. "Lady Jenny was coming to -the Rectory to see me on business. This morning I learned that she was -caught in the storm and turned back. My brother sprained his foot. I -know all this. Well?"</p> - -<p>"Mr. Malet was murdered at half-past nine."</p> - -<p>"So the doctor told me. Well?"</p> - -<p>Harold was so unsuspicious that the inspector felt uncomfortable, and -did not know very well how to put his doubts into words. "Did you see -Mr. Malet last night?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"No, I did not."</p> - -<p>"Oh! If you had, would you have spoken to him?"</p> - -<p>"What the devil do you mean?" asked Captain Burton, sharply.</p> - -<p>"Only this. That I have been informed at the Manor--by Roberts the -butler, if you want to know--that you and Mr. Malet had a quarrel -yesterday."</p> - -<p>"We had, over family business. That has nothing to do with you."</p> - -<p>"I'm not so sure about that," said Woke, drily. "You used threats. You -said you would make it hot for him."</p> - -<p>Captain Burton jumped up with clenched fists. "Are you trying to make -out that I murdered Malet?" he asked savagely. "If so, put your -meaning more clearly, and I shall know how to defend myself."</p> - -<p>"I don't say you murdered him," protested Woke, soothingly; "but you -quarrelled with him, you threatened him, and you were out of doors -between nine and ten, during which time he was killed. The position is -suspicious--don't be angry, Captain Burton, I am only doing my duty. -Of course you can prove an <i>alibi</i>."</p> - -<p>"I can give you my word that I did not see Malet last night. I saw his -body after I had been informed of his murder. As to an <i>alibi</i>, no one -saw me after I left the Rectory, so far as I know. I stood under a -tree for a time; then I walked round by Mr. Scarse's cottage."</p> - -<p>"Had you any particular reason to do so?"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton flushed and bit his lip. "I could refuse to answer that -question," he said at length; "but as you suspect me I will be as -candid as possible. I am engaged to Miss Scarse, and I went round with -the intention of seeing her on the same matter about which I went to -the Rectory. However, I concluded it was too late, so I returned -here."</p> - -<p>"You answer frankly, Captain Burton," said Woke rather disconsolately, -"and I say again, I don't accuse you of the crime."</p> - -<p>Harold bowed ironically. "Have you any idea who committed it?</p> - -<p>"No," replied Burton, keeping his own counsel, "I have not."</p> - -<p>Woke rose to go. Then he looked at Harold and hesitated. Finally he -spoke in a confidential tone. "Do you know if Mr. Scarse is mad?" was -his strange question.</p> - -<p>Burton suppressed a smile. "Not that I know of," he replied -wonderingly. "Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because he was seen in the village yesterday afternoon with a yard or -two of crape around his neck--crape, Captain Burton--a strange -material for a scarf!"</p> - -<p>"Very strange," replied Burton, keeping strict guard on his tongue. He -saw that other people besides himself had mistaken the stranger for -Scarse; but he did not correct the inspector lest he might say too -much. For Brenda's sake it would not do for that subject to be gone -into too minutely. "You had better see Mr. Scarse yourself about the -matter," said he at length; "he has gone up to town, but may return -this evening."</p> - -<p>Woke nodded and withdrew. He had not gained much by his conversation. -Harold was evidently guiltless; or, at all events, there seemed to be -no evidence to connect him with the crime. The poor inspector, -accustomed to open murders of the poker or hatchet order, was wholly -at a loss how to deal with the intricate criminal problem presented to -him. He could not find the weapon with which the crime had been -committed; he could gain no tangible intelligence likely to fasten the -crime on to any one person. At last, utterly perplexed, he took -himself off.</p> - -<p>Harold watched him go with some sense of relief. He saw that the case, -handled by a man of such inexperience and meagre intelligence, would -come to nothing, and for Brenda's sake he was glad. He could not help -thinking that Scarse was in some way connected with the matter. Much -would depend upon the explanation he had to give regarding his -"double." Until that mystery was solved, nothing could be done.</p> - -<p>He was still pondering over the pros and cons of it all when he was -interrupted by the waiter with the intelligence that Mr. van Zwieten -wished to see him. Wondering what his rival could have to say to him, -he directed that he should be shown in. When Van Zwieten appeared, -Harold received him coldly. He did not offer to shake hands.</p> - -<p>"You wish to see me?" was all he said.</p> - -<p>"Ach, yes!" replied Van Zwieten, with a beaming smile. "You will let -me sit down." He threw himself lightly on the sofa. "Thank you. Yes, -Captain Burton, I have come to see you about a lady."</p> - -<p>"I know whom you mean," said Harold, his voice tremulous with rage, -"and I must ask you to leave that lady's name unspoken. I refuse to -discuss the matter, you have come about."</p> - -<p>"It will be better for you to agree," said Van Zwieten, with a steely -gleam of his blue eyes. "I come to see you about more than Miss -Scarse."</p> - -<p>Harold sat down suddenly. It flashed across him that the Dutchman knew -something connected with the crime, so significantly did he speak. -Resolved to know the worst, he decided to let him have his say, -although he winced at the idea of Brenda's name on the lips of the -man. However, there was no help for it. The position was dangerous, -and this was not the time for squeamishness.</p> - -<p>"Say what you have to say and go then," he said, holding himself in -hand.</p> - -<p>"I can say that in a few words," said Van Zwieten; "you are engaged to -be married to Miss Scarse."</p> - -<p>"Yes," assented Burton, breathing quickly.</p> - -<p>"Know then that I love her, Captain Burton, and I wish to marry her."</p> - -<p>"Miss Scarse has consented to marry me. You have--oh, damn you, get -out, or I'll kick you! How dare you talk about Miss Scarse--about my -private affairs?"</p> - -<p>The young man was on his feet, furious with rage. It wanted little to -make him hurl himself on Van Zwieten; but the Dutchman never flinched, -never ceased to smile. "You must give up Miss Scarse to me!"</p> - -<p>"I'll see you at the devil first," was the fierce reply.</p> - -<p>"In that case I <i>must</i> talk of your private affairs."</p> - -<p>"You have done so--you are doing so."</p> - -<p>"Not yet. But now--Captain Burton, I hold you in the hollow of my -hand."</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?" asked the startled Harold.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten bent forward and spoke low for a few moments. When -he had finished, Captain Burton's face was grey and drawn and -terror-stricken.</p> - -<p>The Dutchman continued to smile.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_06" href="#div1Ref_06">CHAPTER VI.</a></h4> -<h5>WHAT MR. SCARSE ADMITTED.</h5> -<br> - -<p>For the next week Brenda lived in a state of bewilderment. Everything -seemed to go wrong. Her father did not return, but wrote that his -things were to be sent on to London, and that Brenda herself was to -leave the cottage in charge of Mrs. Daw, and come up in a fortnight's -time. Van Zwieten bowed himself out of Chippingholt without having -told her of his interview with Harold. With his usual cunning, he had -left Harold himself to do that; but Harold, leaving a message for -Brenda that he was suddenly recalled to his regimental duties, had -himself left by a later train, without either explanation or word of -farewell.</p> - -<p>Brenda was hopelessly at a loss to understand her lover's action, and -in her despair sought Lady Jenny.</p> - -<p>It was a week after the inquest, and the two women were seated in Lady -Jenny's boudoir, a pleasant rose-hued room which looked out on to a -Dutch garden. The usual verdict of willful murder against some person -or persons unknown had been brought in by the usual opaque country -jury, directed by a not over-intelligent coroner. Gilbert Malet's body -had been laid away in the family vault, and Lady Jenny was utilizing -for her husband the mourning she had worn for her father.</p> - -<p>Brenda was paying her now a visit of condolence; but Lady Jenny showed -clearly by her manner and curt speech that she stood in no need of -sympathy. It was amazing to see the change that had taken place in her -since her husband's death. Formerly she had been a gay, frivolous -little woman, with ever a smile on her face; now Brenda found her a -small image of stone, as hard, and every whit as cold. She could -scarcely believe it was the same woman.</p> - -<p>Finding that her sympathetic references to the dead man were received -with coldness, Brenda tactfully changed the conversation. She -mentioned her own anxiety about Harold's abrupt departure, and found -Lady Jenny quite ready to talk on that subject. She loved Brenda and -admired Harold, and wished to see them married. Consequently she was -only too glad to smooth down Brenda's feathers, which were a good deal -ruffled by her lover's strange behavior.</p> - -<p>"My dear, you know a soldier's time is not his own," she said. "I -expect Harold got a telegram, and had just time to pack and catch the -first train."</p> - -<p>"He should have sent for me," said Brenda; "I should have seen him off -at the station."</p> - -<p>"Well, I've no doubt he will explain his reasons when you meet in -town. You go there next week, and Harold is only at Aldershot. He has -written to you?"</p> - -<p>"Several times, and always fondly. But he has never explained his -leaving without seeing me. It's no good, Lady Jenny; I confess I am -angry. Yet he may have avoided seeing me on account of the murder."</p> - -<p>Lady Jenny looked up sharply. "Why should he?" Brenda hesitated. She -was thinking of Harold's suspicions regarding her father, and did not -want to tell them to the dead man's widow. For the moment she had -forgotten to whom she was speaking. But, having committed herself so -far, she was obliged to get out of the difficulty as best she could.</p> - -<p>"You know Inspector Woke suspected Harold?" she said, nervously -avoiding Lady Jenny's sharp black eyes; "he said----"</p> - -<p>"I know--I know. Woke told me of his suspicions. He's a fool--to -suspect Harold of killing Gilbert just because they had a few words is -ridiculous, and I told him so. Nobody will ever know who killed -Gilbert."</p> - -<p>"You speak very confidently," said Brenda, amazed at her hard tone.</p> - -<p>"Because I feel confident," retorted the other. "There is not a scrap -of evidence against any one. All that could be said was said at the -inquest. Woke and his police have been doing their best to get at the -truth, and have failed. The revolver was not found; no one knew why -Gilbert went out walking on that night, or whom he met, and--oh, the -whole thing is over and done with. It is only one more of the many -undiscovered crimes."</p> - -<p>"Do you suspect any one?"</p> - -<p>"Not a soul. Why should I? Gilbert had many enemies--so he said--but I -don't know any of them, and I don't suppose any one of them would have -gone the length of murder."</p> - -<p>"The police here are such sillies," put in Brenda. "Why don't you get -a clever detective down from London?"</p> - -<p>"Because I think the case is hopeless, my dear," said the widow, -gloomily, "and because it would cost a great deal too much money. I -have not yet gone into the affairs of the estate, but I am afraid I -shall not be over well off. Gilbert would play, and I suppose I was -extravagant. We lived far beyond our means. This place is mortgaged -heavily."</p> - -<p>"What--the Manor?" asked Brenda, startled.</p> - -<p>"Yes, all our property is mortgaged. I expect I shall be left with -nothing but the ten thousand pounds for which Gilbert's life was -insured. Fortunately it was settled on me at the time of our marriage, -so his creditors can't touch it. I hate being poor," cried Lady Jenny, -viciously; "and, so far as I can see, I shall be--very poor."</p> - -<p>"I had no idea things were so bad."</p> - -<p>"Nor had I until six months ago, when Gilbert told me. We have lived -from hand to mouth since then. All Gilbert's efforts have been -directed to staving off ruin."</p> - -<p>Brenda's heart sank within her. "What about Harold's money?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, Harold and Wilfred are all right," said Lady Jenny, hastily; "at -least, I suppose so. Gilbert always said that he took good care of -their money, and I think he did. He was not the man to place himself -within reach of the law by appropriating trust monies--at least, I -can't believe he would do such a thing. But next week the whole matter -will be gone into. Then I suppose you and Harold will get married."</p> - -<p>"Of course. In any case--money or no money--we shall be married."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I don't know. It's absurd marrying on nothing. Gilbert was well -off when I became his wife, or I shouldn't have married him; had I -known he was a gambler, I should have refused him. He made a nice mess -of his life."</p> - -<p>"I thought you loved him."</p> - -<p>"I did, a deal better than he deserved," said Lady Jenny, bitterly. -"But--but--oh, what is the use of talking! He was a bad man--another -woman--his fault--and I--my dear, don't you trust Harold. All men are -bad."</p> - -<p>"I always understood Mr. Malet was devoted to you."</p> - -<p>"So did I--until I found him out. It came about in the strangest -way--the discovery, I mean." Lady Jenny paused, as though considering -whether to speak out or not. Finally she decided to hold her tongue. -"But then these things concern only myself," said she, abruptly. "He -deceived me--I was jealous--that is all you need know. But I cannot -say that I sorrow for him now that he is dead."</p> - -<p>"Oh, how can you speak so?"</p> - -<p>"Because I am a woman, and jealous. When Harold deceives you, Brenda, -you will feel as I do--feel that you could kill him with your own -hand." Lady Jenny looked suddenly at the girl's blonde beauty. "But -no! you are a cold Saxon girl, with little such spirit in you. I--my -father was Irish, my mother Italian, and I have in me all the fire of -Celt and Latin. It was well for Gilbert that he died when he did," she -said between her teeth; "I don't know what I should have done!"</p> - -<p>The bitterness and passion with which she spoke were both new to -Brenda, who had never suspected her of such depth of feeling. Being in -the dark, more or less, concerning its cause, she hardly knew what to -say, so she held her peace. She felt that nothing she could say would -alter her friend's feelings, and might possibly even aggravate them. -After a turn up and down the room, the widow resumed her seat, and -seemed to become calmer.</p> - -<p>"Where are you going to stay in town, Brenda?"</p> - -<p>"With my aunt, Mrs. St. Leger, in Kensington. My father always lives -in his own rooms, you know. He doesn't want to be troubled with a -grown-up daughter."</p> - -<p>"He won't be troubled long if Harold is to be believed."</p> - -<p>"You mean our marriage? No! But you know my father doesn't approve of -it. He wants me to marry Mr. van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"That Dutchman! Horrid creature! I never could bear him. Gilbert liked -him, though."</p> - -<p>"Indeed!" said Brenda, rather surprised. "Mr. van Zwieten told me he -and Mr. Malet were not friendly."</p> - -<p>Lady Jenny laughed in a way not good to hear. "Very likely. Van -Zwieten is cunning--slim, as his countrymen call it. I know more about -him though than he thinks."</p> - -<p>"Do you know who he is?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know who he is, and how he makes his money, and why he is in -England."</p> - -<p>"How did you find out?" asked Brenda, breathlessly.</p> - -<p>"Oh, <i>that</i> I mustn't tell you--suppose you were to tell Van Zwieten?"</p> - -<p>"Tell him!" repeated Miss Scarse, her face crimson, her eyes bright. -"Why, I hate him more than any man I ever knew. He wants to marry me, -and won't take a refusal. My father supports him, and, for Harold's -sake, I have to fight them both."</p> - -<p>"And you are not afraid of so formidable a foe?" said the widow, -seeing her eyes droop.</p> - -<p>"Not of my father, but I am afraid of Mr. van Zwieten. He is a -terrible man, and has so powerful a will that he can almost impose it -on mine. There is something hypnotic about him, and I feel scarcely -mistress of myself when he is near me."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense! You are fanciful, child."</p> - -<p>"Indeed--indeed I am not," protested the girl, eagerly. "But you don't -know how strong and obstinate he is. He never loses his temper, he -just looks and looks with those terrible eyes of his, and repeats his -desire--his will--his intentions--over and over again. I feel like a -rabbit in the presence of a snake. And that's why I want Harold and me -to be married soon, because I feel, if we are not, Mr. van Zwieten -will compel me in spite of myself."</p> - -<p>Lady Jenny bent forward and caught Brenda's wrists. "My dear, if Van -Zwieten tries these pranks on, you send for me. If any one can save -you from him, I can."</p> - -<p>"But how?"</p> - -<p>"That is my affair. Van Zwieten may be all you say, but I can make him -afraid of me. Now you must go, my dear. I have a lot of letters to -write."</p> - -<p>Brenda went off much puzzled over Lady Jenny's attitude toward Van -Zwieten. Evidently she knew something to the man's disadvantage. But -Brenda was doubtful whether her friend could use her knowledge -sufficiently cleverly to crush the Dutchman. His resource was -extraordinary, and he was clever and unscrupulous enough to be able to -defend himself in an emergency. However, she felt it was no use trying -to forecast the future. She resolved to keep out of Van Zwieten's way -and get Harold to marry her as soon as possible. Once she was Mrs. -Burton, the Dutchman would be obliged to cease persecuting her.</p> - -<p>For the next few days Brenda was fully occupied with her packing. As -Harold was in London, or rather so near London that he could come up -there quickly, she was glad to be going. She felt she must see him and -have from him an explanation, and an understanding as to when their -marriage could take place. At her aunt's she would be safe from Van -Zwieten, since Mr. St. Leger did not like him; but Brenda knew well -that for his own ends--whatever these might be--her father would, as -ever, insist on her favoring Van Zwieten.</p> - -<p>The only way to put an end to the intolerable situation was to marry -Harold. With that, her father would no doubt wash his hands of her, -but at least she would be relieved from the persecutions of the -Dutchman, and would have some one to love and protect her. So it was -with thankfulness that Brenda left the cottage.</p> - -<p>In the train she found a travelling companion whom she did not -expect--none other than Harold's brother. Wilfred's foot was now quite -well, and he looked better in health than when Brenda had last seen -him. He joined her at Langton Junction, and they travelled up in the -same carriage, which they were fortunate enough to have to themselves. -She was pleased that it was so, for she wanted to talk confidentially -with Wilfred. They were the best of good friends.</p> - -<p>"I am so glad your foot is all right again, Wilfred," she said -cheerfully. "It is such a painful thing--a sprain."</p> - -<p>"Yet for all that I am not sorry I sprained it," said Wilfred, turning -his thin white face toward the girl.</p> - -<p>"Not sorry! What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's an ill wind--you know."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I suppose it is. But it's difficult to see what sort of 'good' -one can look for from a sprained ankle!"</p> - -<p>"Well, in this instance I fancy it did me a good turn. You see it -rendered me physically helpless for the time being."</p> - -<p>"My dear Wilfred--I confess you puzzle me."</p> - -<p>"Do I? Well, I'll tell you what I mean. The night, almost the hour, I -sprained my ankle, poor Malet was shot. So no one can possibly accuse -<i>me</i> of having shot him!"</p> - -<p>"But who <i>would</i> dare to accuse you of such a thing?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I don't know; that fool of an inspector was quite prepared to fix -his beastly suspicions on Harold--told me as much."</p> - -<p>"I know; but then you see Harold and Mr. Malet quarrelled. That was -the reason Mr. Woke was suspicious. But of course Harold laughed at -the idea."</p> - -<p>"I should think so. I confess the whole thing licks me. I can't -imagine who can have done it."</p> - -<p>"No one knows. Lady Jenny says no one ever will know!"</p> - -<p>"I suppose not. It seems to be relegated to the list of undiscovered -crimes. Do you know, Brenda, I <i>have</i> had my suspicions!"</p> - -<p>A cold hand clutched the girl's heart. She immediately thought of her -father. "Have you?" she faltered. "Of whom?"</p> - -<p>"Well, I wouldn't tell every one, as I have really no sort of basis -for them. They are the purest suspicions. But I suspect that big -Dutchman who was staying at your place."</p> - -<p>"Van Zwieten!" Brenda's mind ran over the events of that terrible -night. The Dutchman had been out; he had come in after her. But again -her father had told the servants that Van Zwieten was in the study -with him--a distinct falsehood. Whichever way she looked at it, her -father seemed to be mixed up in the matter. "Yet what possible motive -could Van Zwieten have had to impel him to such a crime?" she asked -Wilfred.</p> - -<p>"It might be a political crime," said the young man, his face lighting -up as it invariably did when he talked politics. "Gilbert was an -Imperialist--always preaching and writing against the Boers. Van -Zwieten is Dutch, and is going out to an appointment at Pretoria; also -he is an intimate friend of Dr. Leyds. He might have wished to get -Gilbert out of the way because he was dangerous to his schemes."</p> - -<p>"Surely he wouldn't have gone the length of murder for such a reason."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I don't know. If he could without being found out, I am certain -he would. I don't say Van Zwieten fired the shot himself, but he might -have hired some one to do it."</p> - -<p>"What makes you think that, Wilfred?"</p> - -<p>"Well, I was talking to the station-master at Chippingholt. He said -that a man in a dark overcoat with a soft hat pulled over his eyes -went to Langton Junction by the 10:30 train--the last train on that -night. Van Zwieten saw him off at the station. He was seen to follow -the man to the compartment and put his head through the window. There -was evidently an understanding between them. Now you know, Brenda, few -strangers come to Chippingholt, for there is nothing to see there. It -was odd, to say the least of it, that Van Zwieten should have seen -this fellow off. Moreover, he just left after the murder was -committed."</p> - -<p>"I don't see though how you are justified from this in thinking that -either Van Zwieten or the other man is implicated in the murder," said -Brenda after a pause. "They might simply have met on business."</p> - -<p>"What sort of business?"</p> - -<p>"I can't say, I am not in Mr. van Zwieten's confidence."</p> - -<p>Wilfred's eyes flashed. "I wish I was!" he said emphatically. "I -believe the fellow is a Boer spy!"</p> - -<p>"I thought so too, and I told him so."</p> - -<p>"What did he say?"</p> - -<p>"He denied it. Wilfred, did any one see the face of this stranger?"</p> - -<p>"No. He kept his coat collar turned up, and his hat well over his -eyes. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing, I was only wondering." Brenda dreaded lest she should hear -that the stranger was he who so closely resembled her father. She -wondered, too, whether it was possible her father could have assisted -this man to escape after he had shot Mr. Malet, for that the crime had -been committed by the same man who wore the black crape scarf seemed -conclusively proved by the presence of that piece of it in the -victim's hand.</p> - -<p>"I intend to keep a pretty close watch on Mr. van Zwieten," went on -Wilfred. "In fact, that is why I have come up to town. If, as I -suspect, he is a spy, the authorities must know of it. In the event of -hostilities breaking out between this country and the Transvaal, he -would of course be arrested at once."</p> - -<p>"But you cannot prove his complicity in this matter, Wilfred?"</p> - -<p>"I intend to have a shot at it any way," replied the young man, -grimly. "But come, Brenda, here we are at Victoria. Let me put you in -a hansom."</p> - -<p>"Do come and see me, Wilfred. I'm at Mrs. St. Leger's."</p> - -<p>"Thanks; I will. I may ask you to help me too in my pursuit of this -Dutchman."</p> - -<p>"How you seem to hate Mr. van Zwieten, Wilfred," she exclaimed. "Have -you any especial reason to dislike him?"</p> - -<p>"I hate him because he is the enemy of my country."</p> - -<p>As the cab drove away, Brenda mused on the fervent patriotism of the -man. Frail, neurotic, frequently ailing, a prey to chronic -melancholia, yet he was of the stuff of which such men as Hampden, Pym -and Cromwell are made. He believed in the greatness of England as he -did in the existence of God. Her every triumph sent a thrill through -him, her lightest disaster cut him to the quick. It was as if he were -ever under the influence of a fixed idea. But if he were, the idea was -at least a noble and an elevating one. His spirit was strong as his -body was weak, and through his body he paid dearly for his patriotic -emotions.</p> - -<p>It had been Brenda's intention to drive at once to Kensington, but -when she recalled all that Wilfred had said, she felt she must see her -father, if only to clear her mind of suspicion. Had he assisted--as -seemed probable--in the escape of the unknown man, he must have known -that the creature was a murderer, since there could be no other reason -for such a hurried and secretive flight. She felt she could not rest -until she had the truth from his own lips. Hence she told the man to -drive to his chambers in Star Street.</p> - -<p>Fortunately the old man was in. He looked leaner and whiter, she -thought, than ever. He was buried in the evening papers, from which he -was cutting out slips, which he proceeded to paste into a large book. -It was from these clippings of editorial opinion and collected data -that he constructed his speeches, throwing in as flavoring a dash of -his own dogmatic optimism, and some free expression reflecting the -true humanity of other nations as compared with that of his own brutal -country, of which, in truth, he had little to say that was not -abusive.</p> - -<p>As usual, he received Brenda coldly, and wondered why she had not -driven at once to her aunt's. She soon explained to him her reasons.</p> - -<p>"Father, I am worrying myself to death about that man with the crape -scarf."</p> - -<p>Scarse colored and averted his eyes. "Why, pray?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Because I can't get over his resemblance to you. Is he a relative?"</p> - -<p>"No." Scarse cleared his throat and spoke. "The fact is, Brenda, I -wore that crape scarf and snuff-colored coat myself. I am the man -Harold saw."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_07" href="#div1Ref_07">CHAPTER VII.</a></h4> -<h5>AUNT JUDY.</h5> -<br> - -<p>For a while Brenda did not grasp the full significance of her father's -admission. She stared at him blankly. Then the recollection of that -morsel of crape in the dead man's hand, and all that it meant, came -upon her with overwhelming force. She could not cry, but a choking -sensation came at her throat. Her father was the man who had worn the -crape scarf--then her father was the man who had murdered Gilbert -Malet!</p> - -<p>"What is it, Brenda? Why do you look at me like that?" he asked -nervously.</p> - -<p>He stood beyond the circle of light cast by the lamp on the table, and -she could not see his face, but by the tremor of his voice she guessed -that he was badly frightened. She pulled herself together--what the -effort cost her no one but herself knew--and came at once to the gist -of the thing.</p> - -<p>"Father, did you shoot Mr. Malet?"</p> - -<p>"I? No. Are you mad, girl, to say such a thing? How dare you--to me, -your father?" Indignation apparently choked further speech on the part -of Mr. Scarse.</p> - -<p>"God help me! yes, you are my father," wailed Brenda. She threw -herself face downwards on the sofa and sobbed bitterly. There was that -in her father's nervous denial which impelled her to believe that her -suspicions were correct. If he had not himself killed Malet, at least -he knew who had. But at the present moment Brenda firmly believed that -his own hand had fired the fatal shot.</p> - -<p>"Brenda, listen to me; you speak foolishly; we must understand one -another. What grounds have you for making such a terrible accusation -against me?"</p> - -<p>The old man's voice was now steady, and he spoke harshly. He poked the -fire and expanded his thin, dry hands to the blaze. It was a haggard -face which the spurting flames illumined; but the mouth was firmly -set, and there was a hard, dogged expression in the eyes. As Brenda -made no reply, and still continued to sob, he cast an impatient glance -at her prostrate figure and went over to the sideboard. Thence he -returned with a glass of wine.</p> - -<p>"Drink this, Brenda, and don't be a fool. I did not murder the man."</p> - -<p>The girl sat up and slowly drank the wine. Her father crossed over to -the door and locked it, upon which the girl laughed contemptuously.</p> - -<p>"Do you think I have the police in waiting?" she said.</p> - -<p>"That is not the way to speak to your father," snarled he, sitting -down.</p> - -<p>But the wine had put new life into Brenda, and she was regaining -courage with her returning color. Not by this man--the father who had -been no father to her--was she to be daunted. With a quick movement -she removed the lampshade, and the sudden spread of the light showed -her Mr. Scarse biting his nails with anything but a reassuring -expression on his face. At that moment Brenda felt she hated the -author of her being.</p> - -<p>"You are my father in name, nothing more," she said coldly. "In no way -have you ever attempted to gain my affection. You kept me at school as -long as you could, and only when it was forced upon you did you take -charge of my life. I have no love for you, nor have you for me; but I -always respected you until now."</p> - -<p>Scarse winced, and his parchment-like skin grew pink. "And why don't -you respect me now?"</p> - -<p>"Because I am certain that, even if you did not kill him, you had -something to do with the death of Mr. Malet!"</p> - -<p>"That is untrue," replied he, composedly.</p> - -<p>Brenda looked at him keenly. "The murderer wore a crape scarf. Of that -I have direct evidence. I also know that you burnt that scarf."</p> - -<p>"How do you know that?" he snapped.</p> - -<p>"I found the ashes under the grate, and I picked up a scrap of the -crape. Nevertheless, in spite of your admission, I am not certain now -in my own mind that it was you who wore it. Father, you were not the -man whom Harold met."</p> - -<p>"I am--I was," insisted Scarse, doggedly. "I put on that old coat -because I couldn't find the one I usually wear. As to the scarf, I -wore it in token of my sorrow for the way in which this country is -being ruined by its statesmen."</p> - -<p>But Brenda declined to accept this explanation.</p> - -<p>"You are not mad, father," she said quietly; "and only a madman would -wear yards of crape round his neck in mourning for the delinquencies -of his country's leaders; and only a madman would have killed Mr. -Malet!" She paused, and, as he made no reply, continued: "The man -Harold mistook for you was seen by other people, who also made the -same mistake. What he came to Chippingholt for I know as well as you -do. He came with the full intention of killing Mr. Malet."</p> - -<p>"Go on, go on," jeered her father; "you are making out a fine case -against me."</p> - -<p>"Not against you, but against this relative of yours. Ah! you wince. I -am right. He <i>is</i> a relative. No person who wasn't could bear so -strong a resemblance to another. He is some relation of whom you are -ashamed--a twin brother, for all I know. He was in your study that day -when you said it was Van Zwieten who was with you."</p> - -<p>"He was not!" retorted Scarse, angrily. "How dare you make me out a -liar? Van Zwieten was with me. I locked the door of the study because -we had quarrelled. He insisted on leaving the room, and, as I refused -to open the door, he stepped out of the window, and went round and -rang the front-door bell for admittance."</p> - -<p>"That is an ingenious, but a far-fetched explanation, father."</p> - -<p>"It is the true one. You can take or leave it."</p> - -<p>"I leave it, then," said Brenda, calmly. "You had the stranger in your -study, and you afterwards sent him off by the 10:30 train. He was seen -at the station!"</p> - -<p>Scarse started. "By whom?" he asked hurriedly.</p> - -<p>"By Van Zwieten and the station-master!"</p> - -<p>"Van Zwieten?" repeated Scarse, irritably. "He saw--who told you all -this rubbish?"</p> - -<p>"Wilfred. The station-master told him. Besides, it is not rubbish. Oh, -father, why won't you be frank with me? We have not much feeling for -one another, but still I am your daughter, and I want to help you; so -does Harold----"</p> - -<p>"What has he to do with it?" asked Scarse, sharply.</p> - -<p>"It was Harold who searched the corpse before it was taken to the -Manor," replied Brenda, speaking slowly. "In the clenched right hand a -morsel of black crape was found. Father, it was torn off that scarf!"</p> - -<p>"You cannot be certain of that."</p> - -<p>"How otherwise could so strange a material as crape come to be in the -dead man's hand? He cried out before he was shot; I heard him. He must -have clutched at his assailant and torn a piece from his scarf."</p> - -<p>"Did you see me shoot Mr. Malet?"</p> - -<p>"I saw no one shoot him; but I am certain it was that man."</p> - -<p>Scarse rose and paced up and down the room. "I was the man, I tell -you, who wore the scarf," he said for the third time, "and I never -even saw Malet on that night. I have no brother, no relatives of any -kind, save your aunt, Mrs. St. Leger."</p> - -<p>"You won't trust me?" said Brenda, sadly.</p> - -<p>"There is nothing more to say," replied her father, his features set -hard as a flint. "It is useless my giving you the facts if you won't -believe them. I have no idea who the man was who was seen at the -station. Van Zwieten said nothing to me about it. I am the man -Harold took for a stranger, and I cut Captain Burton because I -dislike him very much. I did not see Mr. Malet--certainly I did not -kill him--and--and I have no more to say."</p> - -<p>"How do you account for that piece of crape in the hand of----"</p> - -<p>"Brenda!" interrupted he, turning on her, "I could give you an -explanation of that which would amaze you; but I will rest content -with saying that the scrap you refer to was not torn off the scarf -I wore. I burnt the scarf after I had had it on once, because I -thought--well, because I thought it was foolish of me."</p> - -<p>"Father, I am certain you are not speaking openly."</p> - -<p>"No, I am not. If I did, you would at once see that you were wrong in -suspecting me of this crime. I am not guilty of it."</p> - -<p>"No, I don't think you are," said Brenda; "but you are shielding some -one."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps I am," replied he, smiling sourly; "but not the stranger you -have invented--he does not exist." He paused, and then asked abruptly, -"Has Burton mentioned this matter to any one?"</p> - -<p>"Only to me. For your sake he keeps silent."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" Scarse smiled sourly again. "I suppose he thinks he'll force me -into consenting to your engagement that way. But he won't. You shall -marry Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>Brenda rose and drew her cloak around her. "I have told you I will -marry no one but Harold," she said coldly. "There is no need to -discuss the matter further. My cab is waiting, so I'll drive on to -Aunt Judy's."</p> - -<p>"With your mind somewhat more at rest, I trust," said he, as she -unfastened the door.</p> - -<p>"Yes, so far as you personally are concerned. But you know who -murdered that man, and you are shielding him."</p> - -<p>"I deny that!" Then, as she went out of the door, he ran after her, -and said in a loud whisper, "Think if there is no one else who wears -crape at Chippingholt?"</p> - -<p>Before she could make reply to this he closed the door. She did not -pay much attention to it, because she had made up her mind about the -stranger, whom she felt convinced her father was shielding. She went -down the stairs and got into her cab. In a few moments she was again -in Piccadilly on her way west. There at Aunt Judy's she felt sure at -least of a warm welcome.</p> - -<p>A stout, good-natured woman was Mrs. St. Leger. She conceived it to be -her one duty in life to keep her husband in a good temper. And -experience had proved to her that the only means of performing this -was by a strict attention to his diet--no easy task, seeing that he -was a peppery old Indian colonel with a liver and a temper. He had -long since retired from the army after a career of frontier -skirmishing in Northern India, and now passed his time between his -home in Kensington and his military club. In both places he was -greatly feared for his hectoring manner and flow of language, which -was well-nigh irresistible. Mrs. St. Leger was always thankful when -the meals passed off without direct conflict, and she spent most of -her day reading cookery books for the unearthing of delicacies, and -having unearthed them, in consulting the cook how to prepare them for -the fastidious palate of her lord and master.</p> - -<p>The old couple were fond of Brenda--Aunt Judy because the girl was a -comfort to her in some vague sort of way which she could not define, -and Uncle Bill because Brenda was not in the least in awe of his -temper, and gave him every bit as good as she received.</p> - -<p>To each other Colonel and Mrs. St. Leger were always Julia and -William; but Brenda from her earliest childhood had known them as Aunt -Judy and Uncle Bill, and to those fond appellations she still clung. -Had any one else dared to address the colonel so, he would assuredly -have taken an apoplectic fit on the spot, being so predisposed and of -"full habit"; but Brenda he graciously permitted to be thus familiar. -To sum up the worthy colonel's character, it may be stated that he -hated Mr. Scarse as bitterly as he hated cold meat; and to any one who -knew him the comparison would have been all sufficient.</p> - -<p>"Dear, dear child," cooed Mrs. St. Leger as Brenda sipped her cup of -tea in the drawing-room, "how good it is to see you again. -William----"</p> - -<p>"Very glad, very glad," rasped the colonel, who was glowering on the -hearthrug. "I want to hear all about this iniquitous murder. Poor -Malet! Clever chap, but always contradicting--good fellow all the -same. Wrote and talked well against these damned Little Englanders. -Gad! I'd forgive Judas Iscariot if he did that!"</p> - -<p>"Have they caught the murderer, dear?" asked Aunt Judy, with a beaming -smile on her fat face.</p> - -<p>"No," replied Brenda. "Nor do I believe they ever will catch him."</p> - -<p>"Him!" roared Uncle Bill, chuckling. "Egad! and how d'you know it's a -'him'? Might be a 'her.' Eh, what? I suppose in these days a woman can -fire a revolver as well as a man, eh?"</p> - -<p>"A woman!--why a woman?"</p> - -<p>"Eh, why? I don't know. Why should the poor devil have been killed at -all?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, why should he have been killed at all, that's what William and I -want to know," bleated Aunt Judy. "How does Lady Jenny take it, -Brenda, dear?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, very quietly. She is much less grieved than I had expected her to -be."</p> - -<p>"H'm!" rasped the colonel, in a parade voice. "I dare say she is -pleased for that matter. Most of 'em are when they bury their -husbands. I can fancy Julia smiling when I toddle."</p> - -<p>"Oh, William, how can you? By the way, has Lady Jenny been left well -off, Brenda?"</p> - -<p>"No, I am afraid not. She says Mr. Malet was terribly extravagant."</p> - -<p>"He was a gambler," shouted the colonel, "well known round the clubs. -When he wasn't dropping it at Monte Carlo, he was running amuck on -'Change. Always had bad luck that chap," added he, rubbing his nose; -"lost thousands. The wonder is he didn't go under long ago. Shouldn't -be surprised to hear Lady Jenny had been left without a sixpence."</p> - -<p>"Oh, no, uncle; she has ten thousand pounds at least; her husband's -life was insured for that, and she says his creditors can't touch -that."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps not, but hers can. I knew old Lord Scilly--no end of a -spendthrift, and his daughter's like him, or I'm mistaken. Women are -all spendthrifts----"</p> - -<p>"Well, I'm sure, William----"</p> - -<p>"Oh! you're all right, Julia. There are worse than you. Nice little -woman Lady Jenny, though, all the same--good sporting sort, shoots -jolly straight, and all that."</p> - -<p>"A thing I highly disapprove of," said Mrs. St. Leger, shaking her -head mildly. "I'm glad, dear child," turning to Brenda, "that you -don't do that sort of thing. It is so unladylike, I think."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps it's a pity I don't, aunt. If I go to the front with Harold I -might be all the better for knowing how to pull the trigger of a gun -or a revolver."</p> - -<p>"Harold!--what, young Burton!" growled the colonel. "Are you going to -marry him? Is it settled? It is! Well, he's not a bad young fellow; -but as a soldier! pooh! there are no soldiers nowadays. The army's -going to the dogs."</p> - -<p>"But, Brenda, dear child, what would you be doing at the front?" asked -the old lady. "There is no war."</p> - -<p>"Not yet; but every one says there is going to be war in South -Africa."</p> - -<p>"Of course there will be," snapped the colonel. "Do you think we're -goin' to be defied by a couple of punny little Republics? Damnable -insolence, I call it. They ought to be whipped, and they will be. Your -father supports the beggars, Brenda, and he's a----"</p> - -<p>"William! Her father--my brother!"</p> - -<p>"Beg pardon, Julia; but he is, and you know he is. Going against his -own country. Ha! here are the evening papers. We'll see what further -rubbish these pro-Boer idiots have been talking. Julia, please see -that dinner is punctual. And, Brenda, don't you be late. I hate -waiting for my meals!"</p> - -<p>Thus saying, the colonel plunged out of the room, and Mrs. St. Leger -took Brenda upstairs. The old lady was delighted at the news of her -engagement to Harold, and congratulated and embraced the girl with -much effusion, and insisted upon her asking Captain Burton to dine; -all of which Brenda received with the best of good grace, -notwithstanding that she was in no mood for conversation and longed to -be alone. At last Mrs. St. Leger left her.</p> - -<p>Then she fell to thinking of the subject which was all the time -uppermost in her mind. That last remark of her father's forced itself -upon her. Who else was there in Chippingholt who wore crape? Then -suddenly it flashed across her mind that Lady Jenny did. Of course, -she was in mourning for her father. Then came the colonel's words--She -was a good shot!</p> - -<p>Trembling all over, she sat down and wrestled with these two facts. -They were all significant.</p> - -<p>"Could it--could it really be Lady Jenny?" she asked herself.</p> - -<p>But to that question she could find no answer.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_08" href="#div1Ref_08">CHAPTER VIII</a></h4> -<h5>BAD NEWS</h5> -<br> - -<p>So Brenda was in London again, and found the great city in an uproar -over the possibility of a war in South Africa. Negotiations were -constantly passing between England and the Transvaal concerning the -franchise for the Uitlanders. History was being manufactured at the -rate of a sensation a week; Leyds was weaving his plots and spreading -his nets in Europe; while at Pretoria Paul Kruger numbered his -burghers, dispensed arms, and intrigued with the President of the Free -State. Few believed that a war was inevitable, that a small state of -farmers would defy a mighty empire. But there were others who knew -from rumors and hints that real strength lay behind the apparent -weakness of those two diminutive Republics. Meanwhile zealots like -Scarse preached ever the fable of the wolf and the lamb. Chamberlain -was the wolf and good Oom Paul the lamb--somewhat overgrown perhaps, -but still a lamb.</p> - -<p>A pro-Boer meeting was announced to be held in Trafalgar Square, and -Scarse was to speak in favor of the honest, God-fearing -agriculturists, who, his imagination led him to believe, inhabited -Pretoria. He and his following were dead against the war, and asserted -that so many were the people of their opinion that only the big square -could hold them. So they rejoiced at the prospect of their convention, -which was going to force England into repeating the cowardly policy of -the Liberals after Majuba--a policy miscalled magnanimous, and out of -which all these present troubles had arisen. In Amsterdam, astute Dr. -Leyds rejoiced also on the assumption that a house divided against -itself could not stand. His President had provided him with that text, -and the mere fact of this mass meeting seemed to prove the force of -it.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile he scattered money broadcast--Uitlander money--that the -honorable Continental Press might yelp and clamor like jackals at the -heels of the lion their respective countries dare not attack. It is -only just to say that none of Leyds' guineas found their way into -Scarse's pocket. If misguided, he was at least honest.</p> - -<p>But Brenda took little notice of the question of the day, burning as -it was. She concerned herself only with Harold, and had the fate of -the Empire been at stake--as it seemed likely to be--she would still -have thought of him. Instructed by Aunt Judy, she duly invited him to -dinner. He refused on the plea of regimental duty. He would be in -town, he said, toward the end of the week. Brenda imagined she could -read a nervous fear in every line of his letter. But having no one to -consult, she was obliged to wait his coming. He alone could explain -much that was mysterious to her.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile she resolved to see her father, and ask upon what grounds he -suspected Lady Jenny. His hint about the crape referred unmistakably -to that lady. And it was true; Lady Jenny had stated very plainly that -she did not love her husband, and that because of his connection with -some other woman. But she had said nothing on which Brenda could -fasten now even in the light of suspicion; certainly she was in -mourning for her father and wore crape usually. And it was probable -that she wore it on the night of the murder. She had been out, too, -about the hour when it took place. Then there was the fact that she -was an accomplished shot; but all this evidence was purely -circumstantial, and could in no way bring home the guilt to her. Yet -she might have a motive, and Scarse might know that motive, so Brenda -sought out her father two or three days after their last interview. -Come what would, she intended to force him to speak plainly.</p> - -<p>That Harold's name might be cleared from the suspicions cast upon it -by Inspector Woke, it was necessary that the guilt should be brought -home to the right person. Now Brenda wished to be at rest about her -father's connection with the strange man whose existence he denied.</p> - -<p>But on the occasion of this second visit to Star Street she was -unfortunate. Mr. Scarse was not at home, and the porter of the -mansions did not know when he would be in. Brenda went upstairs to -wait, and was admitted into the chambers by her father's old servant, -a staid ex-butler who had been with him for years. This man brought -her some tea, gave her an evening paper, and left her alone in the -study. It was between four and five, so that the chances were that Mr. -Scarse would soon return. One of his virtues was punctuality.</p> - -<p>Leaning back in the deep armchair by her father's everlasting -fire--quite superfluous on this warm evening--Brenda sipped her tea -and fell to thinking of Harold.</p> - -<p>She was physically tired, having been shopping all the morning with -her aunt. The warmth of fire and atmosphere soothed her nerves and -made her feel drowsy. In a very few minutes she was fast asleep and -dreaming of her lover. At least so concluded her father's butler when -he peeped in to see if she required anything.</p> - -<p>From her slumber Brenda was awakened by the touch of a hand on her -shoulder. Then, as she languidly opened her eyes, a man bent over her -and kissed her.</p> - -<p>"Harold," she murmured, drowsily, "my darling----"</p> - -<p>"I win the gloves, Miss Scarse," said a quiet, calm voice. The man -stepped back as she sprang to her feet.</p> - -<p>"Mr. van Zwieten!" she cried, with a sense of suffocation. "You!"</p> - -<p>"I," answered Van Zwieten, removing the lampshade that he might see -her more clearly.</p> - -<p>Then she realized that she must have been sleeping a long time, for -the lamp had not been lit when she sat down.</p> - -<p>"You coward!" she panted, with flashing eyes--"you contemptible -coward!"</p> - -<p>Cool as he was, Van Zwieten winced at the hatred in her voice. But the -more she loathed him the more determined he was to make her his wife. -He recovered his calmness with a laugh, and stood by the table -masterful and handsome in his smart town dress. No dandy could have -been better turned out than the big Dutchman.</p> - -<p>"Ach! I have touched the proud lips of little red Schefen," said he, -quoting from Heine. "Come, Miss Scarse, when am I to have my gloves?"</p> - -<p>"If I were a man I would kill you!"</p> - -<p>"In that case--in any case--I am glad you are a woman. Why are you -angry? I am only anticipating my right."</p> - -<p>"Oh!" cried Brenda, clenching her hands, "will no one deliver me from -this man?"</p> - -<p>"No one," said Van Zwieten, slowly and determinedly. "You are -mine--you always were. That kiss makes you doubly so."</p> - -<p>Brenda, seeing it was useless to speak, cast on him one look of scorn -and stepped toward the door. Before she reached it he spoke again. -What he said made her pause.</p> - -<p>"Wait and listen to me, Miss Scarse--for your father's sake. Ah! you -are wise. Come, here is a chair. Sit down; we have much to talk -about."</p> - -<p>"I prefer to stand. Tell me, what do you mean?" she burst out.</p> - -<p>"What I say. Listen to me, for your father's sake. Or, if you care so -little for him that you can get him into trouble without seeking to -avert it, why the door is open."</p> - -<p>In answer to this speech Brenda sat down and looked steadily at the -man. He met her gaze frankly, and throughout conducted the interview -with his usual politeness. "I know you do not love me," said he, in -his deep voice; "but I love you, and I am content to win your -affection after marriage."</p> - -<p>"I will never marry you. Take that answer once and for all."</p> - -<p>"In that case you leave me free to deal with your father."</p> - -<p>"I don't understand you."</p> - -<p>"Then I explain--not everything, for I never trust women, not even -you. But I know the truth about this murder--so does your father."</p> - -<p>Brenda preserved her coolness. "Do you accuse him of the crime?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps," replied Van Zwieten, with a singular smile, "should you not -agree to give up Captain Burton and marry me. I know who killed -Malet."</p> - -<p>"So do I," said Brenda, quietly. "It was the man you saw at the -station on the night of the murder."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten smothered an ejaculation of surprise. "What do you know of -him?"</p> - -<p>"I know that he killed Mr. Malet--that my father shielded him, and -sent him away. You dare not accuse my father of the murder."</p> - -<p>"You are willing to risk that by refusing to marry me?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; you can do your worst."</p> - -<p>The Dutchman seemed rather disconcerted. He had not expected to be -defied like this.</p> - -<p>"I don't want to proceed to extremities, Miss Scarse," he said -doubtfully; "but I know much that may damage your father should it -become public. And if you do not care for him, there is Burton to be -considered. I can get him also into trouble."</p> - -<p>"On what grounds?"</p> - -<p>"I won't tell you. Ask him yourself. Ask him why he left Chippingholt -so suddenly."</p> - -<p>Brenda started, for the remark confirmed her suspicions that Harold -was troubled in some way about this crime.</p> - -<p>"I shall ask him. Have you anything more to say?"</p> - -<p>"No; that will do for the present. Only," said Van Zwieten, -menacingly, "I give you one last warning. If you marry Captain Burton, -he is lost, your father is lost, and you will be a wretched woman all -the rest of your days."</p> - -<p>Up to the present Brenda had controlled her feelings very well. Now -the feminine desire to speak her mind got the upper hand, and she rose -to defy the Dutchman.</p> - -<p>"You speak very boldly and confidently," she said; "but you do not -speak plainly. You hint at my father's guilt, at some link connecting -Captain Burton with this crime. I don't believe you have the knowledge -you say you possess. I am not to be terrified by vain threats, Mr. van -Zwieten--you are not dealing with a child."</p> - -<p>"When the time comes I shall speak out," replied the man, sullenly.</p> - -<p>"Speak out now--if you can--if you dare!"</p> - -<p>"No. I will do nothing in a hurry. But ask your father--ask Captain -Burton--what they did on the night of the murder."</p> - -<p>"You villain! I believe you killed the man yourself."</p> - -<p>"Oh, certainly," mocked Van Zwieten, "if it pleases you to think so." -He took a turn up and down the room, then approached her with a grave -smile.</p> - -<p>"Miss Scarse," said he, entreatingly, "this is not the wooing I care -for. I love you, and I will have you to be my wife, but it is not my -desire to gain you by force. Why cannot you accept me? I am a richer -man than Captain Burton, and I will make you a better husband. Come -with me to the Transvaal, and you know not what height I may raise you -to. There will be war--I am certain there will be war. Afterward----"</p> - -<p>"The Transvaal will cease to exist, Mr. van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"By Heaven! not so!" swore the Dutchman, growing red. "Ah, you do not -know how we are tricking these English fools. I am Dutch, born in -Holland, but I have thrown in my lot with the Boers. I and Leyds and -Kruger and Steyn are set upon building up a new nation in South -Africa. As the English, a century ago, were driven out of America, so -will they be driven from the Cape. They will go to war, thinking it -will be an easy task. They do not know--they do not guess--we have -more burghers, more arms, more friends than they think. They are less -well prepared for war than we are. Wait--wait--all the world will be -astonished before the year is out. Brenda, I could say much, but I -dare not. Trust me, love me, marry me, and you will be great, even as -I shall be great. Come with me and assist me to build up this new -nation."</p> - -<p>"At the expense of my own country!" cried the girl. "I would rather -die! You are a Boer spy, a Boer liar; but all your intrigues, all your -lies, will come to nothing. If there is a war, your Republic will be -crushed, and your rebellion punished. Is it to me, a loyal -Englishwoman, that you speak? Marry you! Betray my country! I defy -your threat. I treat with contempt your boasts of conquest. Let me -pass, Mr. van Zwieten. Never dare to speak to me again."</p> - -<p>With a vigorous movement she thrust him back, and swept out of the -door before he could recover his presence of mind. It was just as well -she had gone, for Van Zwieten, baffled and scorned, gave way fully to -his rage. He did not dare to follow and make a scandal, lest it should -lead to inquiry about him and his doings. But he strode up and down -the room, swearing volubly in Dutch and English. Furious with Brenda, -furious with himself, he could not contain his anger. He had played -his last, card, and had lost.</p> - -<p>"No matter," he said, with a mighty oath, "I'll make her heart ache -yet!" Though how he intended to do this was not clear even to himself.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten was involved in a maze of intrigue; but he was doubtful -how to use it to his own advantage. He had ample material to -manufacture trouble in connection with this crime, but for want of -certain missing links in the chain he was puzzled how to act. To -Brenda he had spoken with less than his usual caution. He had been -carried away by his feelings. He was madly in love with her, and the -more she scorned him, the more he worshipped her. If he could not win -her by fair means, he would do so by foul. Without waiting for the -return of Mr. Scarse, he left the chambers to think out some plan -whereby he might net Brenda in his toils. As yet he could not see -clearly ahead. But in time he might hope to accomplish much that now -appeared to be impossible.</p> - -<p>Brenda returned to Kensington with a feeling of dread. It was apparent -that Van Zwieten knew something detrimental to her father, but she had -grave doubts whether he could use his knowledge. He would have used it -before, she thought, had it been a weapon of any strength. As to -Harold, she could not conjecture what Van Zwieten's threat implied. He -certainly had not killed Malet, nor, on the face of it, did he know -anything about the matter. She looked forward anxiously to his arrival -with the intention of warning him against his enemy. Only if there was -perfect confidence between him and herself could they hope to baffle -the wicked schemes of the Dutchman.</p> - -<p>But Harold seemed to avoid her, and as he had apparently something to -conceal, she could not assure herself that he would confide everything -to her. In that case Van Zwieten might succeed in implicating him, for -she deemed him no match for the Dutchman single-handed.</p> - -<p>The days passed, and she counted every hour, anxious for that one -which would bring her lover to her arms. At length he came one -afternoon. She found him looking pale and haggard as with mental -torture. She uttered no word of reproach, but threw herself into his -arms. He strained her almost fiercely to his breast and covered her -face with kisses. They were alone in the drawing-room, as Mrs. St. -Leger was out shopping and the colonel was holding forth at his club.</p> - -<p>For some minutes neither of them spoke. It was Brenda who first broke -the silence.</p> - -<p>"My darling, how glad I am to see you again," she said, looking -tenderly into his dark face. "Oh, why did you leave me so cruelly--so -suddenly, at Chippingholt?"</p> - -<p>"I thought you'd ask that," replied he, with an effort to appear gay. -"Well, dear, it was for two reasons; in the first place, I was -recalled suddenly by my colonel, and besides that I had bad news and -did not dare to tell you."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Harold, as though I could not bear anything for your sake. From -whom did you have bad news?"</p> - -<p>"Fran Van Zwieten, strange to say."</p> - -<p>She withdrew herself suddenly from her lover's arms, and a feeling of -terror came over her. Van Zwieten again--the man seemed to be her evil -genius.</p> - -<p>"What is the bad news?" she asked faintly.</p> - -<p>"Malet gambled away my twenty thousand pounds. I have nothing but my -small income!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_09" href="#div1Ref_09">CHAPTER IX.</a></h4> -<h5>MRS. ST. LEGER IS DISCREET.</h5> -<br> - -<p>"Is that all?" asked Brenda, drawing a breath of relief. "Oh, you -stupid boy, did you run away because you were afraid to tell me that?"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton stared and drew a breath also--one of amazement. "Well, -it's hard to understand a woman," he said, half smiling, half annoyed. -"I made sure you'd cry your eyes out when you heard. Don't you -understand, Brenda, what it means? If we are to marry at all, it must -be on our five hundred a year?"</p> - -<p>"And why not?" was her answer. "I am ready if you are, Harold. How -<i>could</i> you give me all this anxiety for such a trifle? I want you, my -dear, not the money. But I thought you must have had some other reason -for going away."</p> - -<p>"What other reason could I have had?" asked Burton, quickly, and -waiting apprehensively for her reply.</p> - -<p>"Never mind. I'll tell you later. Only the twenty thousand pounds! -Well, after all, I'm not surprised to hear of the loss."</p> - -<p>"<i>I</i> was very much astonished, and very wretched when I heard it. I -can't take the loss of all that money as quietly as you seem to do, -Brenda. And not only mine has gone, but Wilfred's too. Forty thousand -pounds, and all his own fortune! Great Scot! the man must have played -day and night to get rid of it. What folly for my father to leave it -so completely in his power. If there had only been another trustee to -pull him up. I don't want to speak evil of the dead," cried Harold, -wrathfully, "but I could find it in my heart to curse Malet."</p> - -<p>"No, don't, Harold. His terrible death was punishment enough. How was -it that Mr. van Zwieten came to know of this?"</p> - -<p>"I can't say. He refused to tell me. But he did know, and he tried to -make me give you up on that account. Of course I told him--well, never -mind what I said--it was strong and to the point. Brenda, we have a -dangerous enemy in Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"I always knew we had. And now that this crime has been committed he -is more dangerous than ever."</p> - -<p>"How do you know that?" Harold looked anxiously at her.</p> - -<p>"He threatened me the other day."</p> - -<p>"Threatened you!--the hound! What did he say?"</p> - -<p>"He told me, if I did not give you up and marry him, he would get my -father into trouble over Mr. Malet's murder."</p> - -<p>"Does he suspect your father?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, and no. He insists that father was cognizant of the murder, but -I think he puts the actual deed down to the man with the crape scarf."</p> - -<p>"That may be true. Remember what I found!"</p> - -<p>"I remember. I also made a discovery," and Brenda told him how she had -found the crape scarf burning in the grate of her father's study at -Chippingholt, how her father had asserted that he was the man seen by -Harold, and many other things. Indeed, she told him all she knew, -including her conversations with Lady Jenny, with Wilfred, with Van -Zwieten and with her father. Chin in hand, Harold listened -attentively, putting in a word now and then. When she had finished, he -looked utterly perplexed.</p> - -<p>"It's all such a muddle I can't get at the rights of it," he said. "No -one will speak out straight, and every one seems to have something to -hide. Bad as Van Zwieten is, I don't believe he killed Malet. I don't -see what motive he could have had."</p> - -<p>"Unless, as Wilfred says, it were for political reasons."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Wilfred's crazy about politics," replied Harold, testily. "He -thinks of nothing else. It is a perfect mania with him. But Van -Zwieten would not be such a fool as to risk his neck because Malet -took up the cudgels against the Boers. No, Van Zwieten is innocent -enough."</p> - -<p>"What about Lady Jenny?"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton changed color, and commenced to pace up and down the -room. "She wouldn't have done it. She is half an Italian, I know, and -fearfully passionate, but I think she'd stop short of that. Besides, -although she is a jolly good shot, I doubt very much if she could hit -a man in the dark like that so square as to kill him outright."</p> - -<p>"But remember, Harold, the shot was fired at close quarters."</p> - -<p>"I don't believe she'd have had the nerve for that. Of course it's -quite possible she may be guilty, but there's not a scrap of evidence -against her as far as I can see."</p> - -<p>"What about the crape? Lady Jenny wore crape!"</p> - -<p>"That doesn't prove that this scrap was torn from her dress. The crape -trimmings on that would lie close to the dress; it wouldn't be so easy -for a man to make a clutch at them and tear a piece off as at a scarf, -with the ends floating freely. My belief is that the morsel of crape -was torn from the scarf."</p> - -<p>"Well, it was not worn by my father, in spite of what he says."</p> - -<p>"No. I dare say that man who left Chippingholt by the late train is -the man who fired the shot. But your father knows all about it, -Brenda. Otherwise he would not insist that he had worn the scarf, nor -would he have burnt it as he did. I think with you that this unknown -man is a relative of your father's, and that your father is shielding -him to avoid the disgrace of having a criminal in the family."</p> - -<p>"Aunt Judy would know him if he is a relative."</p> - -<p>"That is very probable; you had better ask her."</p> - -<p>"Harold, do you think Van Zwieten knows the truth?"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton hesitated. "It would seem so," said he, "but I don't -think he is very sure of the truth, or else he would speak out."</p> - -<p>"He threatens you, dear."</p> - -<p>"I know he does. He threatened me at Chippingholt. Brenda, I don't -deny that the man is dangerous, and that he knows more than I like him -to know. It is in his power to harm me, and if I marry you he will do -his best against me. But that sha'n't stop us, Brenda. We'll get -married and defy him."</p> - -<p>Miss Scarse signified her full approval of this course of action; but -she saw that her lover was keeping something back.</p> - -<p>"Harold, what else did Van Zwieten say to you at Chippingholt?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, nothing of any consequence," replied her lover, uneasily.</p> - -<p>"My dear!" Brenda slipped her arm round his neck and drew him down on -the sofa beside her. "If you love me, you must trust me. If you think -me a sensible woman, you must be honest with me. I know you had some -other reason for leaving Chippingholt so suddenly--it was not -altogether because you were afraid of telling me about the loss of -your money. Van Zwieten told me he could get you into trouble, and now -you say the same thing. Tell me what hold he has over you?"</p> - -<p>"He has no hold over me," whispered Harold. But she saw that his -forehead was beaded with perspiration.</p> - -<p>"Tell me--tell me?" she repeated.</p> - -<p>"Brenda--I cannot--I dare not."</p> - -<p>"Then there <i>is</i> something?"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton cast a glance round the room and nodded. "I am not a -coward," he groaned; "I hope I am not a coward, but there are some -things which make the bravest man afraid. Van Zwieten is a devil!"</p> - -<p>"Does he accuse you of the murder?"</p> - -<p>"No, he doesn't go so far as that, and yet--Brenda," he cried, taking -her hand and holding it so tightly that she could have screamed, -"don't ask me any more; it is not my own secret."</p> - -<p>"Has it anything to do with my father?"</p> - -<p>"Partly; but you need not be anxious about that. He is in no danger. -Leave me to fight it out with Van Zwieten. I shall get the better of -him yet. No, no, Brenda, don't ask me any more questions; you cannot -help me; I must go through with this matter alone. Trust me if you -love me."</p> - -<p>"I ask you to do that with me," said Brenda, sadly, "and you refuse."</p> - -<p>"I don't refuse. I cannot tell you now; I will tell you when you are -my wife. Listen! we must get married quietly."</p> - -<p>"Why quietly?"</p> - -<p>"Because I am afraid of Van Zwieten. Yes, you may well look -astonished. I, who have never known fear before, fear him. He knows -too much, and if he plots against me I cannot counterplot him--at all -events for the present. We must marry!"</p> - -<p>"When and where you please, darling."</p> - -<p>"You trust me?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, on the understanding that when I am your wife you tell me -everything--everything!"</p> - -<p>Burton nodded again. "I will tell you before if I can, Brenda. It is -good of you, and like your dear self, to trust me. We can be married -at St. Chad's, at Brighton. I'll get a special license. Down there we -shall be free from interference by Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"He would not dare----"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, he would--if he knew. He would take some means of preventing -our marriage."</p> - -<p>"And you would let him do that?"</p> - -<p>"I--I might, and I might not." Captain Burton sighed wearily. "If it -were only myself I would not mind, but--but there are others whom I -<i>must</i> consider."</p> - -<p>"Harold, you are shielding some one!"</p> - -<p>"Yes--no. Brenda, dearest, for Heaven's sake don't question me."</p> - -<p>She was perplexed by his indecision--annoyed by his reticence. But she -had given her promise, and she would abide by it. "You will not let me -help you?" she said plaintively.</p> - -<p>"You cannot help me, dear; I must go through with this matter -alone--unaided."</p> - -<p>"But I can help you," she insisted. "Van Zwieten is our enemy. Well, -then, Lady Jenny can help me to crush him."</p> - -<p>He started nervously. "What are you saying? Lady Jenny can do -nothing."</p> - -<p>"Indeed she can, Harold. She told me that if Van Zwieten ever proved -troublesome I was to see her, and that she would thwart him."</p> - -<p>Harold made no reply, but looked more than ever puzzled and perplexed. -Then a light broke in upon Brenda.</p> - -<p>"Harold! it is Lady Jenny herself you are shielding?"</p> - -<p>"I won't--I cannot tell you," he replied desperately. "Brenda, I'll -see Lady Jenny myself at once. If she knows anything about Van -Zwieten, I may be able to make use of her knowledge. Come, say -good-bye."</p> - -<p>"When shall I see you again?"</p> - -<p>"In three or four days. Promise me, Brenda, you won't see Jenny until -I do."</p> - -<p>"I promise. But if you fail with her, then I must see her."</p> - -<p>"Yes, if I fail, but I won't fail. You have put a weapon into my hand. -After I have seen her, I will tell you the whole miserable business. -We will get the better of Van Zwieten yet, my darling."</p> - -<p>Captain Burton was picking up his spirits. He went away in a more -cheerful frame of mind. Brenda felt certain that his refusal to speak -was in the interest of Lady Jenny. Could she have fired the shot? But -that seemed impossible. If she herself were guilty, how could she -silence and thwart Van Zwieten, who appeared to know so much about the -crime? What with her father's denials, Harold's silence, and Van -Zwieten's threats, Brenda was quite bewildered. What would be the -outcome of it all? she wondered.</p> - -<p>Having promised Harold not to see Lady Jenny, Miss Scarse cast about -in her mind as to who else could assist her in thwarting Van Zwieten. -From her father no help could be obtained. He was wholly on the -Dutchman's side, and, it would appear, under his thumb. Then she -thought of Wilfred and his openly-expressed hatred of Van Zwieten. -Could she not make use of that? In the present state of popular -feeling a Boer spy would have a bad time if found in London. If -Wilfred could discover that Van Zwieten really was on the Secret -Service Staff of the Transvaal, he could force the Dutchman to leave -England under threat of denouncing him to the authorities.</p> - -<p>No sooner had she come to this conclusion than she acted upon it, and -wrote a note to Wilfred's London address asking him to call. Having -posted it, she returned to the drawing-room to make tea for Aunt Judy, -who had just got back from her shopping. The colonel was still absent, -so the two ladies settled themselves down to the discussion of -chiffons. If there was one thing Mrs. St. Leger was fond of it was -dress. As for Brenda, her mind was too much preoccupied with her own -troubles to care much for fashions or bargains. But strive as she -might to hide her indifference, it did not take her aunt long to see -that her interest was assumed. But that she put down to her lover's -visit.</p> - -<p>"Why didn't he stay to tea?" she asked, putting away her purchases.</p> - -<p>"Because he had to get back to Aldershot," replied Brenda, pouring out -the tea. "They are very busy down there."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Brenda, do you think there will be war? How glad I am that -William has retired."</p> - -<p>"That is not the speech of a true soldier's wife, Aunt Judy."</p> - -<p>"My dear, it's all very well talking," replied Mrs. St. Leger, -testily, "but you don't know what war is. I don't mean these little -frontier skirmishes, but a real war--that is truly terrible. I -remember the Crimea."</p> - -<p>"I don't think this will be so bad, auntie. The Transvaal is not -Russia."</p> - -<p>"All the same I fancy they are better prepared than, we think. William -says so. He has heard all kinds of rumors at the club. Well, if it's -got to be it's got to be. You will have to lose your Harold for a -time, dear."</p> - -<p>"In a good hour be it spoken," cried Brenda, hastily, to avert the -omen. "Don't say I'll lose him, aunt. Of course he will go to the -front; but don't speak of losing him."</p> - -<p>"Well, you never know, my dear. Oh, Brenda, I do wish your father were -not going to speak at this mass meeting. There is sure to be trouble."</p> - -<p>"I don't think he'll mind that," said the girl. "My father and those -who think with him are doing all they can to bring about the war by -confirming Kruger in his obstinacy."</p> - -<p>"Stuart always was wrong-headed and obstinate," sighed Mrs. St. Leger. -"I'm sure I tremble when he comes here. William and he do nothing but -wrangle."</p> - -<p>"Aunt Judy," said Brenda, thinking the present a good opportunity, "do -you know I am deplorably ignorant about my family?"</p> - -<p>"Ignorant, my dear? how do you mean? Your mother, I know, was a sweet -woman, and died all too young. If she had only lived Stuart might have -been very different."</p> - -<p>"I was thinking more of my father, aunt. Is he your only brother?"</p> - -<p>Mrs. St. Leger almost dropped her cup. She looked scared and her face -blanched. "Why do you ask me that, Brenda?" she asked in a faltering -voice.</p> - -<p>"Because I have seen a man so like my father as to make me think he -must be some relative--possibly a brother."</p> - -<p>"Where did you see him?"</p> - -<p>"At Chippingholt. Aunt Judy, tell me, who is he?"</p> - -<p>Mrs. St. Leger recovered herself. "My dear Brenda, how should I know -who the man is? You have been misled probably by a chance -resemblance."</p> - -<p>"The resemblance was too strongly marked to be mere chance. And my -father--" Brenda checked herself. "Auntie, surely you can answer a -simple question?"</p> - -<p>"What is it you want to know?" asked the old lady, nervously.</p> - -<p>"Have you two brothers?"</p> - -<p>"No. Your father is my only brother," said Mrs. St. Leger, but by the -way in which she said it Brenda knew that she spoke falsely.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_10" href="#div1Ref_10">CHAPTER X.</a></h4> -<h5>THE MASS MEETING.</h5> -<br> - -<p>The better day, the better deed. Acting on the advice of this proverb, -those responsible for the pro-Boer meeting convened it on a Sunday, -that all those engaged on other days in earning their bread might -attend. And so far as numbers went, the crowded state of Trafalgar -Square seemed to justify this course. Nelson's Column soared from a -dense mass of people, which even overflowed into the streets -approaching the great open space. On all sides the windows were filled -with curious spectators, who, apprehensive all the while of trouble, -gazed forth expectantly over the sea of heads below. But they need -have had no fear. The mob was on its best behavior--good-natured and -roughly jocular as an English crowd ever is--amenable to law and -order, and ever ready to be controlled by the police.</p> - -<p>Platforms for the convenience of the orators had been erected round -the grand column--the symbol of an Empire which these well-meaning -busybodies were so anxious to dismember and destroy. Below, crowded -laborers, artisans, shopkeepers, traders of all kinds; and on the -fringe of the mob, hard by the National Gallery, were lines of hansom -cabs, surmounted by clubmen from Pall Mall and St. James' Street who -had come to see the fun. There were plenty of women, bringing with -them their children, when they could not leave them at home, and a -sprinkling of redcoats and bluejackets. These, as the visible symbol -of England's fighting power, were idolized by the mob. For, alas for -Mr. Scarse and his supporters, the voice of the people was dead -against their philanthropic efforts. Instead of the Boer National -Anthem, "God Save the Queen" and "Rule Britannia" were being sung. The -Little Englanders were doing their best to laud Kruger and damn their -own Government; but the temper of the mob was all the other way. In a -word, the Imperialists were in the majority.</p> - -<p>On the parapet, near the National Gallery, Brenda, very plainly -dressed, was holding on to Wilfred's arm. He had been lunching at Mrs. -St. Leger's, and afterward Brenda had persuaded him to escort her to -the meeting. She feared for the safety of her father, and dreaded lest -his speech should draw on him the anger of the mob. The colonel had -declined to come, swearing in true military style that he would attend -no meeting meant to belittle England.</p> - -<p>"Is Mr. van Zwieten here?" asked Brenda, looking over the sea of -heads.</p> - -<p>"I don't think so," replied Wilfred, whose pale face was flushed with -excitement. "He is too clever to sympathize openly with the cause he -advocates. No! his task is to condemn the Boers in public and to -support them in private."</p> - -<p>"Have you found out anything about him, Wilfred?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. He lives ostensibly in Duke Street, St. James; but he has other -rooms in Westminster, where he passes under another name. There he -receives all kinds of queer people--especially at night.</p> - -<p>"Spies?" asked Brenda, so low as not to be heard by those near her.</p> - -<p>"I believe so. He calls himself Jones, and a good many spies go up to -see Mr. Jones. The scoundrel! To plot treason almost in the shadow of -the Clock Tower! But I do not blame him so much as those who are -betraying their country. After all, Van Zwieten is a foreigner, and -naturally hates us; but there are Englishmen, Brenda--Englishmen born -and bred--who are selling secrets for Transvaal gold. I'd hang the lot -if I could!"</p> - -<p>"Hush, Wilfred, don't speak so loud. Can you prove that Van Zwieten is -a spy?"</p> - -<p>"Not yet; but I have a plan in my head to trap him."</p> - -<p>"He will not be easily trapped."</p> - -<p>"No; he is a cunning beast, but I'll get the better of him yet. When I -tear his mask off he'll be forced to leave London. Hullo! there's your -father!"</p> - -<p>Brenda turned pale as that familiar lean figure appeared on the -platform. He was saluted with a groan. Several Union Jacks were waved -defiantly in his face, and a few bars of "God Save the Queen" were -sung with lusty strength. A small knot of people stood round him. -Taking off his hat, he advanced to the edge of the platform. A few -expressions, such as "God-fearing farmers," "greedy capitalists," "the -Jingoism of Chamberlain," "the treachery of Rhodes," caught Brenda's -ear, and then her father's voice was drowned in a roar of cheering and -singing. In vain did Mr. Scarse hold up his hand for silence; in reply -he was assailed with insults, and a lifeguardsman was shouldered and -passed along the heads of the crowd, a red spot of color amid the -neutral tints. Union Jacks were waved, "Rule Britannia" was sung. Many -a groan was there for Kruger; many a cheer for "Joe"; and the -close-locked crowd, maddened by the sound of its own voice, rolled and -swung like a stormy sea.</p> - -<p>"Pore thing! pore thing!" said an old woman near Brenda, "I 'ope they -won't chuck him into the fountings."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Wilfred!" gasped the girl, terrified for her father's safety.</p> - -<p>But the suggestion met with the approval of the crowd, and passed from -mouth to mouth until it reached those immediately under the fountain. -A roar went up to the sky, and several enthusiasts endeavored to -clamber up the platform. The police beat them back, and order was -restored for the moment. Then, as an appeal to the chivalry of the -mob, a grim-looking female with a black bag came forward to speak. She -commenced a highly abusive harangue, but it was drowned in laughter -and a recommendation, in terms purely colloquial, that she should go -home and tend any young offspring she might chance to have. The -pro-Boers began to look disconsolate. Each effort they made to speak -was abortive. A sailor jumped on the parapet opposite Morley's Hotel -and waved a Union Jack. The mob saw and cheered, and roared out the -National Anthem. Some threw apples and oranges at the orators on the -platform, who promptly dodged behind the Column and endeavored to -obtain a hearing on the other side, but with even less success.</p> - -<p>On losing sight of her father, Brenda wanted to try and follow him; -and Wilfred, the patriot, although he hated Scarse, and would gladly -have seen him ducked, could not but sympathize with the girl's -anxiety. So, extricating themselves from the crowd, they struggled -downward toward the lower part of the square. There a knot of talkers -attracted their attention.</p> - -<p>"Wot I say is, Why does Rhodes want to fight a lot of 'ard-working -coves like them Boers?" said one begrimed ruffian. "They're the same -as us, ain't they?"</p> - -<p>"No, they ain't," grunted his neighbor. "They won't give Englishmen -votes, an' we made their bloomin' country, we did."</p> - -<p>"I 'old by Gladstone, I tell you----"</p> - -<p>"Garn! you and your Gladstone; he'd ha' given away Windsor Castle if -he cud."</p> - -<p>"Ho! Wot price Majuba!"</p> - -<p>"Ah! we must wipe out that disgrace," said a clearer and apparently -more highly-educated speaker.</p> - -<p>Then the fun began. Some abused Gladstone as the cause of all the -trouble, others made extensive demands upon their vocabulary for a due -definition of Mr. Chamberlain. It speedily became apparent that none -of them knew what they were talking about. Wilfred laughed, and the -begrimed one straightway resented his laughter.</p> - -<p>"We don't want no tall 'ats 'ere," he yelped.</p> - -<p>"No, you want sense," retorted Burton. But, unwilling to involve -Brenda in a row, he pushed on. As they passed away they heard a -scuffle, and looked back to see that the dirty man had at last his -heart's desire, so far as to have found an antagonist. But even thus -early in the game he was getting the worst of it. At length, having -apparently had enough, he gave forth a lusty yell for "police," and -was duly rescued in a battered condition, and still arguing. Brenda -felt anxious. The mob all round was showing signs of restiveness.</p> - -<p>In another part of the square some pro-Boer orators spoke with more -chance of a hearing. They drew the usual picture of a small toiling -community, of unscrupulous capitalists, the worship of gold, the -rights of the Boers to arrange affairs in their own house, and the -iniquity of a mighty Empire crushing a diminutive State, wholly unable -to defend itself.</p> - -<p>Furious at the falsehoods which he heard all around him, Wilfred lost -his head altogether, and, despite all Brenda's entreaty, got up on the -parapet and raised his voice.</p> - -<p>"Lies, lies! all lies, I say. All that we demand are equal rights for -the white man and kindly treatment of the black. The Boer is a brutal -bully. He beats the black man, and treats him like a dog. Kruger and -his gang have accumulated millions through the industry of those to -whom they refuse the franchise. It is they who want war, not England; -and if we refuse their challenge, then will they try to drive us out -of Africa. It is not the Transvaal Republic which is in danger, but -the Empire. Continental Powers, who hate us, are urging these -misguided people to do what they dare not do themselves, hoping to -profit took place. At length the police, as in the former by their -folly and attack us when we are hampered in South Africa. Don't -believe these liars, men! They betray their own country, and a good -half of them are paid with Transvaal gold for doing so. Spies! -Traitors, all of them. Duck them here in the fountains."</p> - -<p>Then, having thus relieved his feelings, Wilfred took the girl's hand -and pushed on hurriedly; and soon they were lost to view in the crowd.</p> - -<p>But the effect of his words was immediate. The pro-Boer champions, -trying to make good their cause, were not allowed speech. As quickly -as they opened their mouths the mob shouted them down. Some ugly -rushes were made in their direction, and they were hustled roughly. A -couple of men and women, beginning to see they were in danger of being -chucked, shouted for the police of the very Government they had been -abusing. A body of constables forced itself through the crowd and -formed a cordon round these political martyrs. They were escorted to -the fringe of the mob, looking pale and nervous--anything, in fact, -but heroic. And the language with which they were saluted was not such -as need be set down here.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile their friends at the Column were faring badly enough. The -police began to see that the temper of the mob was rising, and -insisted that the speaking--or rather the attempts to speak--should -stop. The orators refused, and stuck to their platform they were -driven off from one side and they climbed up the other. Missiles began -to fly, the crowd to growl, and some rough-and-tumble fights took -place. At length the police, as in the former case, marched them away -down Northumberland Avenue. The crowd which followed was so excited -that the martyrs, afraid of the storm which, by their own folly, they -had raised, tried to enter one of the hotels. But the porters here -were prepared, and drove them back, and the wretched creatures--Scarse -amongst them--were beaten to and fro like tennis balls. Finally, they -managed to gain the shelter of a clubhouse, where they held an -indignation meeting on their own account. But nothing on earth and -above it would have convinced them that they had got just what they -deserved.</p> - -<p>Brenda was in a great state of alarm for her father. But Wilfred -consoled her as well as he could. "He will be all right," he said -cheerfully; "the police will look after him."</p> - -<p>"He may be hurt."</p> - -<p>"He should have thought of that before he played the fool. But he will -not be hurt; those sort of people never are. I beg your pardon, -Brenda. After all, he is your father."</p> - -<p>"He honestly believes in the Boers, Wilfred."</p> - -<p>"I know he does. He'd find out his mistake if he went to live amongst -them. I wish I could have had half an hour at them, Brenda," he said, -with sparkling eyes. "I would have done but for you."</p> - -<p>"You said quite enough, Wilfred. I was afraid the police would arrest -you."</p> - -<p>"Arrest me! Come, that's good, seeing I spoke for the Government. What -about your father and his wretched friends who are abusing their own -country?"</p> - -<p>"There are two sides to every question."</p> - -<p>"Not to this one," replied Wilfred, who was easily excited on the -subject.</p> - -<p>Brenda decided that it was best not to contradict him. He was so -highly strung that in moments of this kind he was not altogether -accountable either for his speech or actions. He would flash into a -rage on the slightest provocation, and contradict every one around -him, like some hysterical woman. No doctor could call him insane, -since he knew well how to conduct himself, and was not the prey of any -hallucination. But his brain was delicately balanced, and worry or -persistent irritation brought him very near the borders of insanity. -For this reason he led a quiet life, and saw but few people. The -magnitude and whirl of London always overwrought him, and Brenda -regretted now that she had argued with him at all.</p> - -<p>"Have it your own way, Wilfred," she said, taking his arm. "But I hope -my father is safe. I have seen enough, so you might take me home."</p> - -<p>"All right. Don't be angry with me, Brenda. But the silly views your -father takes annoy me."</p> - -<p>"I am not angry with you, Wilfred. Come along; let's get back now."</p> - -<p>"About time too," said he. "The whole thing's a farce."</p> - -<p>"Ah! I agree with you there, Mr. Burton," said a voice, and Brenda -turned with a start to find Van Zwieten at her elbow. "How are you, -Miss Scarse?" he asked quietly, as though nothing unusual had passed -between them at their last meeting. "And what do you think of this -silly business?"</p> - -<p>"I think it just what you call it--silly," replied Brenda, coldly. -"But I did not expect to hear you say so."</p> - -<p>"You ought to be pleased that your friends are fighting your battles," -said Wilfred.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten flicked a grain of dust from off his frock coat and raised -his eyebrows. "My friends!" he repeated. "Oh, none of those who spoke -are my friends, unless you refer to Mr. Scarse. But of course I don't -agree with his views. I am an Imperialist," he said smoothly.</p> - -<p>Remembering the disclosures he had made to her, Brenda was astounded -at the effrontery of the man; but Wilfred understood.</p> - -<p>"Of course you are an Imperialist," he said; "it pays better!"</p> - -<p>"Quite so," assented Van Zwieten "it pays better--much better. But you -talk in riddles."</p> - -<p>"Do I? I think you can guess them then," retorted Wilfred, "and I -don't think you will find Oom Paul will benefit by this meeting. It -will show him how very much of one mind the English people are, and -how they are determined to teach him a lesson."</p> - -<p>"Oh, a lesson, eh?" Van Zwieten laughed. "It is to be hoped Oom Paul -will prove an apt pupil; but I fear he is too old to learn."</p> - -<p>"And Leyds--is he too old? He pulls the strings!"</p> - -<p>"What strings?" asked the Dutchman, blankly.</p> - -<p>"The strings to make you dance!"</p> - -<p>In spite of Van Zwieten's command of his temper, Wilfred was making -him angry. This of itself Brenda did not mind in the least; but she -did mind a quarrel, and toward that she could see these two were fast -drifting. Moreover, owing to the raised tones of Wilfred's voice, a -crowd was collecting. Mr. van Zwieten did not look altogether -comfortable. He despised Wilfred as a mere boy; but even so, boy or -not, this young fellow, with his fearless nature and frantic -patriotism, might put highly undesirable notions into the heads of -those around. And most of them were more or less inflammable just -then. The fountains, too, were close at hand.</p> - -<p>"Come along, Wilfred," said Brenda. "Do let us get home."</p> - -<p>But before he could reply, a hubbub arose amid the crowd not far -distant, and they turned in that direction. From out the jeers and -laughter an angry voice could be heard holding forth in abuse of the -Government and in praise of the Boers.</p> - -<p>Then the crowd parted, surged along, and Brenda saw advancing a tall, -thin man. He wore a snuff-colored coat, and a yard or so of crape -wrapped round his throat like a scarf. And his face--how like it was -to that of her father!</p> - -<p>"Oh!" she cried, grasping Wilfred's arm, "that is the man who----"</p> - -<p>"Hush!" Van Zwieten whispered fiercely. "Don't accuse him in public!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_11" href="#div1Ref_11">CHAPTER XI.</a></h4> -<h5>A STARTLING DISCOVERY.</h5> -<br> - -<p>In her anxiety to solve the mystery which surrounded this man, so like -her father, Brenda would, but for the publicity of the position, have -rushed forward and questioned him. Moreover, he began at once to speak -loudly in abuse of the Government and in defence of the Boer Republic.</p> - -<p>"It is the capitalists who want this war," he cried excitedly; "Rhodes -and Beit and all that gang of scoundrels. Chamberlain is merely -playing into their hands. Their villainous scheme is to take the gold -mines from these unoffending people, and they are prepared to massacre -them in their greed for gold. Kruger is----"</p> - -<p>"Shut your mouth!" shouted a big, scowling man, thrusting himself -forward. "We'll make you if you don't."</p> - -<p>"I'm not afraid--I'm ready to stand by the truth," screeched the man -with the crape scarf. "I mourn for England--the victim of a corrupt -set of time-serving scoundrels. I wear black for her. Woe to her, I -say, and her greed for gold--woe to her vile Government----"</p> - -<p>With a fierce growl the mob flung forward. Brenda cried out. It was as -though her father himself were being attacked. With a bound she placed -herself before the old man.</p> - -<p>"Leave him! Don't touch him!" she cried. "He's mad!"</p> - -<p>"I'm not mad," cried the man. "I protest against tyranny and the -cursed greed that would destroy a nation. You crouch at the feet of -those who will drain your blood--cowardly hounds all of you!"</p> - -<p>"'Ere! Let me get at 'im. Stand away, laidy!"</p> - -<p>"No, no, he is old and weak. Oh, Mr. van Zwieten, save him."</p> - -<p>Seeing an opportunity of posing as a hero at a small cost, the -Dutchman placed the old man behind him, and stood between him and the -mob which was closing in. "Leave him to me--I'll see to him!"</p> - -<p>"He's a furriner!" yelped a small man. "Hit his head!"</p> - -<p>"I'm a naturalized Englishman," shouted Van Zwieten, "but I won't let -you touch this man!"</p> - -<p>"Woe--woe to the wicked Government who are about to dye their garments -in the blood of a just people!" shrieked the old man, waving his arms -wildly.</p> - -<p>Then Wilfred took hold of him and hurried him away. "Hold your -tongue," he said roughly. "You'll get into trouble."</p> - -<p>"I will seal my protest with my blood!"</p> - -<p>"Stand back!" shouted Van Zwieten, opposing those who would have -followed. "Hi, constable!"</p> - -<p>"Why, it's Van the cricketer," cried the big man, joyfully. "He's all -right, boys. Seen 'im carry 'is bat out many a time, I 'ave."</p> - -<p>"Hooray for Van!" roared the fickle crowd, and as half-a-dozen -policemen were pushing their way toward the centre of disturbance, it -veered round to cheering Van Zwieten.</p> - -<p>"Spy! Spy! He's a spy!" shouted a voice that sounded to Brenda -uncommonly like Wilfred's.</p> - -<p>The crowd growled again, and darted forward. But the police were now -pushing right and left. Van Zwieten, who had changed color at the cry, -stepped back and was swallowed up by the concourse of people. Wilfred -had let the old man go, and the zealot was again raging, waving his -crape scarf like a banner.</p> - -<p>Brenda, terrified at finding herself alone in the midst of the mob, -kept close to the big Dutchman.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Wilfred, appearing, as it were, from nowhere, caught her arm.</p> - -<p>"Come away! come away! There may be trouble," he cried, drawing her -aside on to the steps by St. Martin's Church. Afar off she could see -Van Zwieten leading the old man down a side street, and the little -band of constables fighting with the mob, who were now inclined to -resent any interference. Brenda was in despair.</p> - -<p>"I want to ask that old man who he is," she cried. But Wilfred held -her back in spite of her efforts to follow the Dutchman.</p> - -<p>"Brenda! don't be foolish. It's dangerous. The people are getting -their blood up."</p> - -<p>"But that old man killed Mr. Malet. I <i>will</i> know who he is."</p> - -<p>"Van Zwieten will find out."</p> - -<p>"I dare say," said Brenda, tartly. "But he won't tell you or me."</p> - -<p>"It's too late now to think of that. Come up here, and let us get a -hansom. If you got into trouble, Brenda, Harold would never forgive -me!"</p> - -<p>And Brenda knew that this was so, and she guessed too that Wilfred was -chafing under his responsibility for her safety. She therefore stepped -into a hansom with him. When they were rattling along Piccadilly she -asked him if it was he who had called out that Van Zwieten was a spy.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it was I," admitted Wilfred, in a fiery tone. "And I should have -liked to see the crowd go for the big brute."</p> - -<p>"I don't like Van Zwieten myself, as you know," Brenda said; "all the -same, Wilfred, it is only fair to say he behaved very well over that -old man."</p> - -<p>"He knew there was no danger, that the police were about. He wanted to -show up as a hero in your eyes, Brenda. For my part, I wish he had -been lynched for a spy. I hate the man."</p> - -<p>"People don't lynch now in England, Wilfred."</p> - -<p>"They would have done it to-day on small encouragement. It was lucky -for Van Zwieten that he is a popular cricketer, and that they -recognized him as such. Otherwise he would not have got off so easily. -But I'll catch him yet!"</p> - -<p>"How you do hate him, Wilfred!"</p> - -<p>"Hate him! Of course I do. Here he is accepting the hospitality of -England, and spying out all our weak points to use them against us -should there be a war. I suspected him long ago from some words he let -fall, and I have kept a watch on him ever since. He has haunted -Woolwich, Portsmouth and Erith, and has made friends with privates and -officers alike, and he has half a hundred creatures at his beck and -call, who are poking and prying about. I dare say out at Pretoria they -know more about England and her resources than those here whose duty -and business it is. They will await the right moment, then they'll -strike; and unless I'm much mistaken they'll strike pretty hard."</p> - -<p>"But we are not unprepared, Wilfred."</p> - -<p>The young man shook his head gloomily. "I myself have talked with many -of our officers," he said, "and we are not so well armed as we should -be. Since the Crimea, we have had no big war; and the number of easy -victories we have had have made us over-confident. Of the valor of -Englishmen I have no fear. They can fight as their fathers fought with -true bulldog courage. But nowadays science as well as grit is needed -for victory, and our War Office is so sleepy and tied up with red tape -that it doesn't keep our armaments up to the mark as it should do. The -Boers are armed with the Mauser rifle. Our troops--but there is no -need to talk technically to you, Brenda. I can only say that if we -have a war, it won't be the military promenade to Pretoria that many -people expect it to be."</p> - -<p>"But the Transvaal is quite a small state, Wilfred."</p> - -<p>"I know. Still it is more than probable that the Orange Free State -will join them. Also all over Cape Colony and Natal there are hordes -of disloyal Dutch ready to rise at the first chance. Besides, Leyds is -stirring up the Continent against us, and here Van Zwieten is -gathering information and sending it in cypher to Pretoria. Oh, -there's trouble ahead, Brenda. The Uitlander business is only a -pretext for war. If we don't proclaim war, Kruger and Steyn will."</p> - -<p>"Let them. We will crush them and punish them."</p> - -<p>"I should think so," cried Wilfred, his dark eyes blazing with fervor. -"I have never any fear for England. Though the world were against her, -she would conquer--all the world was against her at the end of the -last century. But we shall have our Waterloo over again. God bless -England!"</p> - -<p>"If there were war, Wilfred, would you go out?"</p> - -<p>"As a newspaper correspondent," he replied. "I have made all my -arrangements with <i>The Morning Planet</i>. Oh, yes, I'll go to the front, -and if I die it will be for our country. Harold of course will go."</p> - -<p>"I am proud that he should--yes, even though he should never -return--and he is all in all to me!"</p> - -<p>"He could have no nobler death," said Wilfred, coldly.</p> - -<p>"Oh, but it would be terrible, Wilfred--terrible. Remember I am only a -woman and it takes a great deal of courage----"</p> - -<p>"You are an Englishwoman, and Englishwomen are always bravest when -there is danger at hand. Don't cry, Brenda. I should not talk like -this. My feelings carry me away. Let me be quiet for a time, or Mrs. -St. Leger will be alarmed if I arrive in such a state of excitement."</p> - -<p>Not another word would he speak on the way to Kensington, but he -curled himself up in the corner of the cab, his eyes feverishly -bright, and his face pale with emotion. The patriotic fire which -consumed him was wearing out his frail body. Brenda could not -understand this "man with one idea." Her love for her country was -great, but it was not to her the one devouring passion. To Wilfred -England was as a well-beloved woman--a creature of flesh and blood. -Every blow levelled at her made him quiver and turn pale. For her sake -he would willingly have died. He hated the Continental nations, but -most of all he hated Van Zwieten, who was working darkly for her ill. -If war were proclaimed, Wilfred promised himself that he would be in -the fighting. Van Zwieten, who was no coward, would be there also, and -if perchance they met, why England would be revenged if he had to shed -his life blood to avenge her. He changed his mind about calling on -Mrs. St. Leger, and kept the cab waiting while he said good-bye to -Brenda at the door.</p> - -<p>"If you find out anything about Van Zwieten, you'll let me know?" she -entreated, as they shook hands.</p> - -<p>"Yes; but I may be a week or two preparing my plans. He is so -infernally clever, that it will take a lot to trap him. But why are -you so anxious to know about him, Brenda?"</p> - -<p>"He means harm to Harold."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense. This isn't the Dark Age. He is powerless to hurt Harold."</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid he can, Wilfred! On the night of Mr. Malet's murder Harold -was out of doors. Mr. van Zwieten has more than hinted to me that he -can and will accuse him of it!"</p> - -<p>An angry fire glittered in Wilfred's eye. "I'll soon put a stop to -that," he said between his teeth. "If I can prove Van Zwieten is a -spy, he will have enough to do to look after himself without troubling -about other people."</p> - -<p>"I'm sure of that. And, Wilfred--see if you can find my father; and -tell him to come and see me. I am so anxious about him."</p> - -<p>"Oh, he's all right." Wilfred really could not bring himself to be -sorry for Mr. Scarse, tainted as he was with the heresy of Little -England.</p> - -<p>"I'll call at his rooms, Brenda, and leave a message if you like. But -I can't see him; I might be tempted to tell him my mind. Good-bye."</p> - -<p>He jumped into the cab so as to give Brenda no opportunity for further -argument. It was natural that she should be anxious about her father. -But for her, indeed, he would have rejoiced had the mob succeeded in -ducking Mr. Scarse. Bad as was Van Zwieten, Mr. Scarse was, to his -thinking, worse, for he was betraying his own country with his rotten -politics. It was strange and inconceivable to Wilfred that a man born -an Englishman should bring himself to abuse and condemn the very land -he should have been proud of.</p> - -<p>Strangely enough, he met the object of his thoughts as his cab turned -into Star Street. The old man, looking ill and unhappy, was stealing -homeward, his eyes fixed on the ground before him. Wilfred was pleased -to see that the failure of the meeting had gone home to him. He only -hoped he would keep the memory of it by him for future guidance. The -cab pulled up with a jerk, and he leaned out.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Scarse, can I speak with you?"</p> - -<p>Scarse looked up irritably, and recognizing Wilfred, came to the edge -of the pavement. He knew the young man's passion for politics, and -looked but sourly upon him.</p> - -<p>"What is it?"</p> - -<p>"Brenda thinks you might have got into trouble, and is anxious to hear -that you are safe. Please send her word."</p> - -<p>"Thank you," said Mr. Scarse, loftily, "there is no cause for alarm. I -will attend to the matter. Were you at the meeting to-day?"</p> - -<p>"I was," retorted Wilfred, shortly, "and I was glad to see it was a -failure. Drive on, cabby," and before the older man had recovered from -his anger, the hansom was swinging round the corner.</p> - -<p>"Rude young man," muttered Mr. Scarse, wearily mounting the steps to -his chambers. "Never shall I consent to Brenda marrying his brother!"</p> - -<p>In his study he poured himself out a glass of brandy. The events of -the afternoon had tried him severely, and he looked older and more -frail than ever. He was deeply mortified by the discovery that the -popular feeling was all against the Boers, and he recognized that war -was certain. Still he hoped that if England were the one to proclaim -it Europe might intervene, and for his own part resolved to throw all -possible obstacles in the way. Scarse was a true patriot. He could not -have loved England more had he been born a German or a Frenchman!</p> - -<p>He lay down for an hour. The sleep refreshed him, and he awoke with a -clearer brain. On returning to his study he set about writing a letter -to the Press, alleging that the failure of the meeting was due to a -Jingoistic conspiracy. While engaged on this precious epistle, Van -Zwieten was announced, and Mr. Scarse came forward with outstretched -hands.</p> - -<p>"Ah, my dear fellow! I am so glad to see you. What a terrible -afternoon it has been! A conspiracy, Van Zwieten--a conspiracy! The -voice of the people has been stifled, my dear friend."</p> - -<p>"It didn't sound like it this afternoon," said the Dutchman, drily. -"They all called for war. Well, if they want it, they shall have it. -And won't they be sorry when they get it."</p> - -<p>"No war--no war. I shall protest----"</p> - -<p>"Oh, your protests won't do any good," said the other, rudely; "the -tide runs too strong for you to drive it back with a mop. But I didn't -come here to talk politics, Mr. Scarse."</p> - -<p>"In that case I must ask you to go." Mr. Scarse was offended. "I have -much to do."</p> - -<p>"You will have to lay it by then for the time being. I called to tell -you that I met a friend of yours to-day--yes, at the meeting."</p> - -<p>"Who?"</p> - -<p>"That is what I want to hear from your lips. I know who he is from his -own. He wears a yellow coat and a crape scarf."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse's face became grey, and he fell against the wall with -staring eyes and extended hands. "I don't know him--I assure you I -don't!" he said hoarsely.</p> - -<p>"I think you do. He is the man who was in your study at Chippingholt -on the night of the murder--the man whom you sent away by train. In a -word, Mr. Scarse, he is your brother--your twin brother!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_12" href="#div1Ref_12">CHAPTER XII.</a></h4> -<h5>A STORY OF THE PAST.</h5> -<br> - -<p>The old man sprang up with the light of fury in his pale eyes and -flung himself on Van Zwieten. For an instant he was more than a match -for the big Dutchman.</p> - -<p>"How dare you--I have no brother," he gasped. Then as suddenly this -strength, born of anger, went out of him, and he became weak as a -child. Van Zwieten picked him up like a baby and flung him roughly -into a chair.</p> - -<p>"Sit there," he said sternly. "I mean to know the whole of this -story," and he busied himself lighting the lamp.</p> - -<p>"There is--no--no story."</p> - -<p>"There is, and, what's more, you will tell it to me."</p> - -<p>"I won't," cried Mr. Scarse, shivering and forgetting his previous -denial. "You can't force me to speak."</p> - -<p>"I can--I will," said the Dutchman, grimly. Then, the lamp being -lighted, he sat down in an armchair on the other side of the fireplace -opposite to his host and produced a cigar. "Begin, please."</p> - -<p>Scarse staggered to his feet--he was shaken by his own nerves and Van -Zwieten's rough treatment--and moved slowly toward the door. The -Dutchman rose and ran past him with a lightness and speed surprising -in so heavy a man. He reached the door before Mr. Scarse did. The next -moment it was locked and the key in Van Zwieten's pocket. "Go back to -your seat, please," said Van Zwieten, politely.</p> - -<p>"I won't--I am master here," cried the old man, his voice shrill with -anger. "What do you mean by treating me like this? I'll call the -police."</p> - -<p>The Dutchman pulled out the key and held it toward Scarse. "As you -please," he said with a sneer. "Call the police and I'll give you in -charge."</p> - -<p>"Give me in charge, you villain!--for what?"</p> - -<p>"For murdering Gilbert Malet. Aha, my dear friend, you did not count -on my knowing that, did you? You are quite unaware that I followed you -from your cottage into the orchards, where you----"</p> - -<p>"I did not--I did not!" wailed Scarse, shrinking back.</p> - -<p>"No, you did not," retorted Van Zwieten, "but you were near the spot -where Malet was killed, and near it about the time he was shot. You -will find it difficult to refute my evidence if I am compelled to give -it. On the whole, Mr. Stuart Scarse, I think you had better sit down -and talk sensibly."</p> - -<p>Scarse glared like an angry cat. But physically and morally the -Dutchman was too much for him. With an attempt at dignity he returned -to his seat.</p> - -<p>"I am at a loss to understand this extraordinary behavior, Mr. Van -Zwieten," he said, in his most stately manner, "and I deny the -shameful accusation you have made. Perhaps you will be kind enough to -apologize and leave my rooms."</p> - -<p>"My dear friend, I shall do neither." Van Zwieten carefully lighted -his cigar. "I am waiting to hear the story."</p> - -<p>"What story?" asked the other, willfully misunderstanding.</p> - -<p>"The story about your brother and his visit to Chippingholt--to murder -our dear friend. I know some of it from your brother, but----"</p> - -<p>"I have no brother, I tell you!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I think so. A twin brother named--Robert--Robert Scarse."</p> - -<p>"He is dead to me."</p> - -<p>"Ah, that is quite another thing. He has come to life for the purpose -of throwing some light on this mystery. Indeed, I think you had better -tell me why he murdered Gilbert Malet."</p> - -<p>"He did not murder him."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, he did; and I should like to have details, please--his -motive and all that."</p> - -<p>"I refuse to give them to you."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten rose and buttoned his coat. "Very good," said he; "then I -shall see a magistrate and tell him all I know."</p> - -<p>"What do you know?"</p> - -<p>"Sufficient to have Robert arrested for the murder, and you as his -accomplice."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse shivered again, and bit his lip. Then he seemed to make up -his mind.</p> - -<p>"Sit down. Don't be in a hurry. I will tell you all I can. Of course -you will keep secret what I tell you."</p> - -<p>"Of course! I never talk without good reason. So you have a twin -brother?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; Robert. He is--he--he is not in his right mind."</p> - -<p>"So I should think from his talk and his extraordinary apparel. A -black crape scarf is quite original. By the way, your daughter saw him -to-day."</p> - -<p>"Brenda?" cried Scarse, horrified. "Then she knows----"</p> - -<p>"Nothing--except that Robert is wonderfully like you. I got him away -before she could speak to him. This I did for your sake--and my own!"</p> - -<p>"You wish to make quite sure of getting Brenda--to force me!"</p> - -<p>"Not exactly that," smiled Van Zwieten, "since I know that you are -already quite willing she should marry me. But I wish to use the -knowledge to force her into giving up Burton and becoming my wife."</p> - -<p>"You would tell her of Robert's existence?"</p> - -<p>"Not if I could help myself," said the Dutchman, politely. "Believe -me, my dear friend, I am very discreet. You can safely confide in me."</p> - -<p>"It seems I am forced to," grumbled Mr. Scarse, ungraciously. "What is -it you particularly wish to know?"</p> - -<p>"The whole story about your brother, and why you deny him. I am sure -it will be most interesting. Go on, please, I am waiting."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse looked at his tyrant savagely. He would dearly have liked -to refuse, but he realized that he was on perilous ground. Van Zwieten -knew just enough to be dangerous. He must not be allowed to make use -of his knowledge, even if he had to be told more. Besides, Mr. Scarse -was satisfied that for Brenda's sake he would keep quiet. Therefore he -made a virtue of necessity and launched at once into a family history, -of which in no other circumstances would he have spoken to any living -soul. It was the very fact of the Dutchman's having it in his power to -force his confidence that angered him. No man likes to be coerced.</p> - -<p>"I don't think the story will interest you much," he said, sulkily; -"but such as it is, I will relate it. Robert Scarse is my twin -brother, and is as like me as it is possible for one man to be like -another. His appearance deceived young Burton and the Chippingholt -folk."</p> - -<p>"I know they took him for you. And on account of that scarf they paid -you the compliment of thinking you were out of your mind."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse shrugged his shoulders. "As if I cared," he said -contemptuously. "My speeches in the House prove that I am sane enough. -Well, Robert is my brother, and I was--I am--very fond of him. My -sister Julia--Mrs. St. Leger, you know--never liked him, and when we -cast him off she made up her mind to regard him as dead. She never -even admits that she has a brother. I am her only relative--at least -the only one she acknowledges."</p> - -<p>"And why, pray, was Robert cast off thus, and by his affectionate -twin?"</p> - -<p>"Don't be sarcastic, Van Zwieten, it does not suit you," snapped -Scarse. "My brother was a bad lot. At school and college he led the -authorities a devil of a dance until he was expelled. When he came to -London he took to gambling and drinking. I was never like that. My one -desire was to get into Parliament, where my father had been before me, -and serve my country. My sister married St. Leger--he was a subaltern -then--and went out to India. My mother died, and there was no one to -check Robert's pranks. My father paid his debts so often that we -became quite impoverished. That is why I am so poor."</p> - -<p>"Are you poor?" asked Van Zwieten, thinking regretfully that -Brenda--sweet as she was--would have no dowry.</p> - -<p>"As poor as a church mouse. I married a woman with six hundred a year, -and out of that Brenda has two hundred a year. I can't touch it. What -with the other four hundred and my own money I have but a thousand a -year all told--little enough for a man of my position. Of course, when -I die, my thousand a year will go to Brenda."</p> - -<p>"Ah!" said Van Zwieten, with much satisfaction. He was sufficiently -Dutch to be very fond of money.</p> - -<p>"You needn't look so pleased, Van Zwieten. Even if you <i>do</i> marry -Brenda--which I doubt since she hates you so--you won't get my money. -I'll live a long time yet, and, in any case, I'll settle it on her so -that her husband--whoever he may be--can't touch it."</p> - -<p>"Quite right, Mr. Scarse. But about Robert? Please go on."</p> - -<p>"Well, Robert crowned his pranks by committing forgery, and my father -had to pay I don't know how many thousands to hush the matter up. You -can make no use of this admission, Mr. van Zwieten, since the man -whose name was forged died long ago and the papers are all destroyed. -Robert went abroad after that, and my father cut him off with a -shilling. He forbade his name to be mentioned, and declared he was no -son of his. Mrs. St. Leger acted in the same way, and I followed suit. -I could do nothing else--if I had, my father would have disinherited -me."</p> - -<p>"Most affectionate twin!"</p> - -<p>"Don't talk like that," cried Mr. Scarse, angrily. "Who are you to -judge me? I still love my brother--after all, he is my own flesh and -blood, and nearer and dearer to me than it is possible for you to -imagine. But he is supposed to be dead these thirty and more years, -and why should I bring him forth into the world only to be disgraced? -I allow him a small income, and under another name he is as happy as -ever he will be. By the way," he broke off suddenly, "how did you find -out his real name?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I saw the resemblance and made use of my knowledge of his being -in Chippingholt to force him into confessing the truth. I will tell -you about that later on. Go on with your story, which is truly -remarkable."</p> - -<p>"Truly criminal, I think," Mr. Scarse said gloomily; "a nice family -history for a sedate English gentleman to have. I wonder what my -constituents would say if they heard it? Ah, there is a skeleton in -every house. In a way it is a relief to me to talk of it even to you, -Van Zwieten. Mrs. St. Leger will never mention or listen to the -subject."</p> - -<p>"Well, well, my friend,"--Van Zwieten was becoming impatient of this -digression,--"what did your brother do when he was cut off from his -family?"</p> - -<p>"You'll never believe it when I tell you. Strange to say, he mended -his ways. On the Continent--in Switzerland, I fancy--he came into -contact with some Socialists and imbibed their ideas. He put away all -his fine clothes and extravagant tastes and became quite humble and -simple."</p> - -<p>"Because he had no money to do otherwise."</p> - -<p>"There is something in that. Well, he lived among these Socialists for -many a long year. He went to Russia and saw Tolstoi, knew Karl Marx, -and threw himself headlong into schemes whereby the human race was to -be saved by all manner of devices, having as their basis the equitable -division of property. Then he married a young girl--a Swiss, the -daughter of one of his socialistic friends--and returned to England. -He was poor, so I helped him."</p> - -<p>"Out of your poverty!--how noble!" sneered Van Zwieten, lighting a -fresh cigar.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I was richer then. I was married and my wife had money. Then she -died a few years after Brenda was born, and I put the child to school -as soon as she was of an age. She was brought up away from me," he -went on sadly; "that is why I have such small influence over her."</p> - -<p>"You will have influence enough to make her marry me, my friend."</p> - -<p>"I doubt it--I doubt it. Well, my brother lived in a poor way, having -but little money, besides which, his ideas were all against luxury. -His wife was beautiful and frivolous and had no love for him. She -coveted money and position, neither of which he could give her, and -would not if he could. That was ten years ago."</p> - -<p>"Ah! and what happened then?"</p> - -<p>"My brother's wife met Malet. He was handsome, rich, and a scoundrel, -and he ran away with her."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten appeared astonished. "He wasn't then married to Lady -Jenny?"</p> - -<p>"No, he married Lady Jenny later. But he ran off with my brother's -wife to Italy. And the shock of his wife's treachery gave poor Robert -brain fever."</p> - -<p>"He loved her then?"</p> - -<p>"He worshipped her. She was his life--he lived only to make her happy. -Well, he had his recompense! She deceived him, deserted him. Without a -word she eloped with that scoundrel. Robert lost his reason, and I had -to put him in an asylum. There he was for two years. When he came out -he went in search of his wife, for he still loved her. Malet by that -time had come back alone, and shortly afterward he married Lady Jenny. -The reptile! do you wonder that I hated him? For Robert's sake I saw -him and forced him to tell the truth. I threatened to inform his wife -of his past if he did not."</p> - -<p>"But all that was before the marriage. No woman would care if----"</p> - -<p>"Lady Jenny would. She is half Italian and of an extremely jealous -disposition. She loved Malet--God only knows why--and had she found -out the truth then she would have left him. But Malet told me where to -find my brother's wife, and I held my tongue."</p> - -<p>"Did Lady Jenny ever learn this story?"</p> - -<p>"You shall hear. Robert found his wife and took her back. She was a -complete wreck and terribly unhappy. They lived at Poplar under -another name on the small income I could allow them. For years I saw -very little of Robert. Then he took it into his head to pose as a -prophet of evil, predicting woe to England. He assumed that -snuff-colored coat and wore the crape scarf as a symbol of his -mourning. He was frequently in trouble with the police, and several -times I helped him out of his scrapes."</p> - -<p>"Why don't you shut him up again?"</p> - -<p>"Ah! my friend, how could I take the poor fellow from his dying wife? -All those years she was bedridden and dying slowly. I could not part -them. Latterly he used to come now and again to see me at -Chippingholt, usually at night and in ordinary dress. On one occasion -he arrived in the daytime and met Lady Jenny. He knew her by sight, -and he told her the truth about his wife and her husband. That was a -year ago. Lady Jenny was furious, and I believe she quarrelled with -her husband. After that they were never the same to one another. She -loved him once, but after that she must have hated him. Robert was -foolish to have told her. It could do no good."</p> - -<p>"Well--what then?"</p> - -<p>"He went away, and for months I saw nothing of him. The next I heard -was when Brenda told me Harold Burton had met a man like me with a -crape scarf round his neck. From the description I recognized Robert, -and knew that his mind must be more than ever unhinged for him to have -come down in what he called his prophetic robes. I knew he would not -come to see me till dusk, and I waited anxiously. But he did not -appear, so I went out to look for him. It struck me that he might be -lurking round the Manor gates to see Gilbert Malet, and perhaps to do -him an injury. I searched for a long time, and was caught in the -storm. Then I found Robert in the orchards and led him home. He told -me his news."</p> - -<p>"What was his news?"</p> - -<p>"His wife was dead, and he had come to tell Malet."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_13" href="#div1Ref_13">CHAPTER XIII.</a></h4> -<h5>THE END OF THE STORY.</h5> -<br> - -<p>"His wife was dead," repeated Van Zwieten, without showing much -sympathy, "and he came down to tell you!"</p> - -<p>"No, he came to tell Malet."</p> - -<p>"And kill him?"</p> - -<p>Scarse shook his head. "I am telling you the truth," he said. "If -Robert were guilty I should admit it. The poor fellow is crazy, as you -know, and at the worst can only be put away in an asylum again. I am -not afraid for him, but I fear a public scandal, which might shake my -position and force me to resign my seat. No, Robert did not kill the -man. But he met him and told him the truth."</p> - -<p>"About what hour was that?"</p> - -<p>"Shortly after nine o'clock. I met Robert wandering in the orchards at -a quarter past, and I took him home with me. Malet, according to the -doctor's evidence, was shot about half-past nine. At that time Robert -was conversing with me in my study."</p> - -<p>"But he met Malet," insisted Van Zwieten, rather disappointed at this -statement, which he had every reason to believe was true.</p> - -<p>"Yes, he met Malet, and told him that his victim was dead. Malet -grossly insulted Robert, and there was a quarrel. Unable to restrain -his anger, Robert threw himself on Malet, but being an old man and -feeble, he was easily overpowered and thrown to the ground. Robert -told me this, and I believe it is the truth, because I found his crape -scarf was torn--no doubt in the struggle. Malet left him lying on the -wet grass and went off. He must have been shot almost immediately -afterward."</p> - -<p>"By whom?" asked Van Zwieten, keenly.</p> - -<p>"Ah! that is the question. I have my suspicions, but I may be wrong. -But when Brenda came home with the news of a murder I guessed that the -victim was Malet. The servants came to my study door and found it -locked. Robert was with me then, and I had locked the door because I -did not want him to be seen. They thought it was you I was talking to, -and I said it was you. When afterward you came in by the front door -they knew, of course, that I had lied. Brenda asked me about that, and -I still declared that you had been with me, but that you had gone out -of the study window to the front door. I told her also that I was the -man seen by Harold Burton."</p> - -<p>"Why did you do that?"</p> - -<p>"Can't you guess? To save Robert. He had a grievance against Malet, he -had been struggling with him, and there was every chance that he might -be accused of the murder. There was only my evidence to prove his -<i>alibi</i>, and as I was his brother I dreaded lest my word should be -insufficient. While the servants were with Brenda in the kitchen I -went back to my study, put a coat of my own on Robert, and gave him a -soft hat to pull down over his eyes. Then I gave him money, and told -him to catch the ten-thirty train from Chippingholt to Langton -Junction."</p> - -<p>"Which he did," said Van Zwieten. "I was watching all that business -through your study window. I followed Robert, wondering who he was, -and watched him go off by the train. Then I came home to the house and -was admitted, as you know."</p> - -<p>"Why did you not speak to me?"</p> - -<p>"It was not the proper moment to speak. I did not know who Robert was, -and until I entered the house I knew nothing about the murder. I also -guessed the victim was Malet, and I thought you must have hired this -man to kill him, and having finished with him, had got him safely out -of the way."</p> - -<p>"Ah! you were anxious to trap me!" cried Mr. Scarse, angrily. "Well, -you know the truth now, and you can do nothing. I burned the crape -scarf and I told Brenda I was the man Harold had seen. If you choose -to make a scandal, I shall tell my story exactly as I have told it to -you, and prove Robert's innocence. At the worst he can only be put -under restraint again."</p> - -<p>"I don't wish to make any scandal," said the Dutchman, mildly, "more -especially seeing that your daughter is to be my wife. You can rely on -my silence if only on that account. But I'm glad I have heard this -story now. I want to know who killed Malet."</p> - -<p>"That I can't say," said Mr. Scarse, gloomily. "But I suspect the -wife!"</p> - -<p>"Lady Jenny!--and why?"</p> - -<p>"Robert had a note written to her saying his wife was dead--he brought -it with him. He sent it up to her by a boy that same evening. Of -course the boy thought that Robert was me."</p> - -<p>"I see!" cried Van Zwieten, with a shout. "Robert wanted to stir up -Lady Jenny into killing her husband. He is not so crazy, to my -thinking. But I don't see how the intelligence of the wife's death -would achieve it," he added, shaking his head gravely. "Lady Jenny -knew all about the matter, and hadn't harmed her husband. There was no -reason why she should do it on that particular night."</p> - -<p>"That is what puzzles me," replied Mr. Scarse. "Lady Jenny was out on -that night. She did not go to the Rectory to see Captain Burton as she -had intended. For that she gave the very unsatisfactory reason that -she was caught in the storm. Is it not probable that she met her -husband and killed him?"</p> - -<p>"No. She would not carry a revolver. If they had already met and -quarrelled about this dead woman, then it is possible she might in her -jealous rage have made an attack upon her husband with anything to her -hand. But a revolver would argue deliberation, and there was nothing -sufficiently strong in the note your brother had prepared for her to -urge her to deliberate murder."</p> - -<p>"Burton found a piece of crape in the dead man's hand," argued Scarse, -"and Lady Jenny was wearing crape for her father. There might have -been a struggle, and the piece might have come off in his hand."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense, Scarse. Ladies don't do that sort of thing. Besides, your -brother wore crape too, and it is more likely that it was torn from -his scarf. Malet might have kept it in his hand, without being -conscious of it probably, when he went to his death."</p> - -<p>"Then you think Lady Jenny is innocent?"</p> - -<p>"It looks like it," Van Zwieten said with a queer smile; "but I'll let -you know my opinion later on," and he rose to go.</p> - -<p>"You will keep my secret," entreated Scarse, following his visitor to -the door.</p> - -<p>"Assuredly. I can make no use of it. I thought to find your brother -guilty, but it seems he is not. The mystery deepens."</p> - -<p>"But Lady Jenny?"</p> - -<p>"True--Lady Jenny. Well, we shall see," and with this enigmatic speech -the Dutchman withdrew.</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse went back to his chair, and until midnight sat looking -drearily into the fire. But he was sufficiently thoughtful to send a -letter to Brenda telling her of his safety in spite of the Trafalgar -Square mob.</p> - -<p>For the next few days he went about like a man in a dream. Although he -knew very well that Van Zwieten would hold his tongue--for he had -nothing to gain by wagging it--he blamed himself for having been -coerced into a confession. To him the Dutchman was almost a stranger. -He had been drawn to the man because he was going out to the Transvaal -as an official, and Mr. Scarse had always sympathized with the little -state in its struggle for independence. The Dutchman had drawn so -pathetic a picture of that struggle, had spoken so feelingly of the -Boers as a patriarchal people who desired only to be left tending -their flocks and herds, that the English politician was touched. He -had sworn to do all in his power to defend this simple people, had -become extremely friendly with Van Zwieten, and in proof of that -friendship had asked him down to Chippingholt. There the Dutchman, by -spying and questioning, had learned so much of his family secrets as -to have become his master. As such he had forced him into a -confession, and Mr. Scarse felt--if a scandal was to be avoided--that -he was at the man's mercy.</p> - -<p>Of course Brenda would be the price of his silence. Formerly Scarse -had been willing enough that his daughter should marry Van Zwieten. It -would be a noble work for her to aid him to build up a new state in -South Africa. But now he saw that the Dutchman was by no means the -unselfish philanthropist he had supposed him to be. He was tricky and -shifty. His was the iron hand in the velvet glove, and if he became -Brenda's husband it was by no means improbable that he would ill-treat -her. It did not seem right to force her into this marriage when she -loved another man. After all, she was his daughter--his only daughter; -and Scarse's paternal instinct awoke even thus late in the day to -prompt him to protect and cherish her. If he felt for poor Robert and -his woes, surely he could feel for the troubles of Brenda.</p> - -<p>Musing thus, it occurred to him that he might frustrate any probable -schemes of Van Zwieten by telling the whole truth to Brenda. Then let -her marry Harold and defy the man. At all events he determined that -Brenda should be introduced to the family skeleton, and accordingly -one afternoon he drove to Kensington. Mrs. St. Leger was out, so was -the colonel, and he found his daughter alone.</p> - -<p>When he entered--for all the world like an old grey wolf--for his -troubles had aged him--Brenda came forward with a look of astonishment -in her eyes. Usually her father was not so attentive as to pay her a -visit; and she could not conjecture the meaning of the tender -expression on his face. As a matter of fact Mr. Scarse was realizing -for the first time that this tall, beautiful girl was his daughter. -But she could not divine this, and her welcome to him was, as usual, -quite cold.</p> - -<p>"How are you, father?" she said, kissing him in a conventional way. "I -am glad to see you, but I expected Harold, and was quite astonished -when you came in."</p> - -<p>"And disappointed too, I suppose," said Scarse, in a low voice.</p> - -<p>Something in his tone struck her sensitive ear as unusual. "No, I am -glad to see you," she repeated, "but--but--but, you know, father, -there was never much love lost between us."</p> - -<p>"Ah, Brenda, I fear that too much love has been lost. I wish to speak -openly and seriously to you, Brenda"--he looked at her piteously--"but -I don't know how to begin."</p> - -<p>"Are you not well, father?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes, I am quite well," he replied, leaning on her shoulder as -she led him to the sofa. "But I'm worried, dear, worried. Sit down -here."</p> - -<p>"Worried--what about?" She sat down, but could not as yet grasp the -situation. It was so novel, so unexpected.</p> - -<p>"About you--about myself. My dear, I have not been a good father to -you."</p> - -<p>Brenda stared. Were the heavens going to fall? So astonished was she -by this wholly unexpected show of tenderness that she could make no -answer. He looked at her anxiously and continued, "I fear I have been -so engrossed by my duty to my country that I have forgotten my duty to -you, my child. I should not have left you so long at school away from -me. No wonder you have so little affection for me. I am not much more -than a name to you. But I see now how wrong I have been, Brenda dear, -and I want to do my best to make amends to you. You will let me?"</p> - -<p>"Father!" she cried, all her warm and generous heart going out to him -in his penitence. She threw her arms round his neck. "Don't say any -more, dear. I have to ask your forgiveness too, for I have not been -all a daughter should be to you."</p> - -<p>"Ah, Brenda, it is my fault. I kept you from me. But that shall not be -now, dear. I have found my daughter and I will keep her. Kiss me, -Brenda."</p> - -<p>She kissed him, and her eyes filled with tears. In that moment of joy -in finding her father she forgot even Harold. These words of -tenderness were balm to her aching heart, and, too deeply moved -to speak, she wept on his shoulder. Henceforth she would be -different--everything would be different. And the man himself was -scarcely less moved.</p> - -<p>"How foolish I have been, Brenda. I have lost the substance for the -shadow."</p> - -<p>"No, no, father. I love you. I have always loved you. But I thought -you did not care for me."</p> - -<p>"I care for you now, Brenda. Hush, hush, do not cry, child."</p> - -<p>"You won't ask me to marry Mr. van Zwieten now, father?"</p> - -<p>"No," replied he, vigorously. "I intend to have nothing further to do -with that man."</p> - -<p>"Ah!" she exclaimed, raising her head. "At last you have found him -out!"</p> - -<p>"No, dear, I have not exactly found him out, but I have come to the -conclusion that he is double-dealing and dangerous. You shall not -marry him, Brenda. You love Harold, and Harold shall be your husband. -But I must not lose my daughter," he added tenderly.</p> - -<p>"You shall not, father. You shall gain a son. Oh, how happy I am!" and -laying her head upon his shoulder she wept tears of pure joy.</p> - -<p>For some moments he did not speak, but held her to him closely. He, -too, was happy--had not felt so happy for years. How he regretted now -having kept this warm, pure affection at arm's length for so long. But -time was passing, and Mrs. St. Leger and the colonel might be back at -any moment, and he had much to tell her.</p> - -<p>"Listen to me, Brenda dear," he said, raising her head gently. "Do you -remember the man so like me whom Harold saw?"</p> - -<p>"The man with the crape scarf? Of course I remember him, father." She -looked steadfastly at him, expecting a revelation since he had so -unexpectedly introduced the subject. "I saw him in Trafalgar Square on -the day of the meeting."</p> - -<p>"And you knew that it was not me?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; but he was so like you, that had he not been on the platform I -might easily have mistaken him for you, like Harold did."</p> - -<p>"Had you spoken to him you would have found out your mistake," sighed -Scarse.</p> - -<p>"I wanted to, but Mr. van Zwieten took him away."</p> - -<p>"I know--I know. Brenda, I deceived you about that man for your own -sake and for mine. I took his sins on my shoulders that he might not -get into trouble."</p> - -<p>"What?" Brenda's voice rose almost to a shriek. "Did he kill Mr. -Malet?"</p> - -<p>"No, no," replied her father, eagerly. "I can prove to you that he did -not. But, Brenda, do you not wonder why he is so like me, and why I -take so deep an interest in him?"</p> - -<p>"I do wonder. I thought he might be a relative. But you denied it, and -Aunt Julia said she had no relative but you."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse drooped his head. "Julia? Ah, she is still bitter against -poor Robert!"</p> - -<p>"Robert?--who is he?"</p> - -<p>"My twin brother, Brenda--your uncle!"</p> - -<p>"Oh!" Brenda threw up her hands in surprise. "And I never knew."</p> - -<p>"No one knows but your aunt and myself, and she denies him--and Van -Zwieten knows."</p> - -<p>"Oh, father! How can he know?"</p> - -<p>"I told him," replied Mr. Scarse, quietly. "I was forced to tell him, -lest he should imagine the truth to be worse than it is. And he might -have got me into trouble--and not only me, but poor, mad Robert."</p> - -<p>"Mad! Is my uncle mad?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, poor soul. Now I will tell you what made him mad--the same story -that I was forced to tell Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>Brenda looked anxiously at her father and placed her hand in his. -Grasping it hard, he related the sad family history he had told the -Dutchman, suppressing nothing, extenuating nothing. Brenda listened in -profound silence. At times her eyes flashed, at times she wept, but -never a word did she say. When her father had finished her sorrow -burst forth.</p> - -<p>"My dear father, how good you are! To think I have been such a bad -daughter, and you with all this worry on you! Oh, forgive me, forgive -me!" and she threw herself sobbing into his arms.</p> - -<p>"My dear, there is nothing to forgive. I have told you why I bore this -trouble in silence--why I told Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"Thank God you don't want me to marry him," sobbed Brenda. "Harold and -I are going to be married quietly at Brighton."</p> - -<p>"Better wait a while yet," said Scarse, nervously; "it will drive Van -Zwieten into a corner if you marry now, and you don't know what he may -do then."</p> - -<p>"He can't do anything, father. If he does attempt it I have only to -tell Lady Jenny; she can manage him. Harold has gone to see her about -it."</p> - -<p>Somewhat astonished at this, Scarse was about to ask what way Lady -Jenny could control Van Zwieten when the door opened and Captain -Burton walked in, looking considerably more cheerful than when Brenda -had seen him last. He pulled up short at the amazing sight of the girl -in her father's arms.</p> - -<p>"Harold!" she exclaimed. "Oh, how glad I am you have come! I have so -much to tell you; and father--father----"</p> - -<p>"Father has just discovered that he has a dear daughter," said Scarse, -holding out his hand to the astounded young man. "Yes, Harold, and I -consent to your marriage gladly."</p> - -<p>"But what about Van Zwieten?" gasped Captain Burton, utterly at a loss -to understand this sudden change of front.</p> - -<p>"He shall never marry Brenda. I'll tell you all about it."</p> - -<p>"Wait one minute, father," cried the girl. "Harold, did you see Lady -Jenny?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, Brenda, I have seen her. It is all right; she can manage Van -Zwieten. No, I won't tell you now. She particularly wishes to do that -herself."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_14" href="#div1Ref_14">CHAPTER XIV.</a></h4> -<h5>WHAT VAN ZWIETEN KNEW.</h5> -<br> - -<p>The clever criminal who wishes to escape the law does not seek -provincial neighborhoods or foreign climes. He remains in London; for -him no place is so safe. There a man can disappear from one district -and reappear in another without danger of recognition by unwelcome -friends. Of course the pertinacity of the police may do much to -complicate matters, but the history of crime goes to show very clearly -that they are by no means infallible. But about them Van Zwieten -troubled himself very little. Certainly he changed his name to Jones, -for his own, in those anti-Dutch times, smacked overmuch of Holland. -But for the rest his disguise was slight. From St. James's he changed -his address to a part of Westminster where none of his West End -friends were likely to come across him; and as Mr. Jones he carried on -his plotting against the Empire with every sense of security. And in -such security he saw only a strong proof of John Bull's stupidity. An -Englishman would have seen in it a glorious example of freedom.</p> - -<p>In a side street Van Zwieten, <i>alias</i> Mr. Jones, dwelt on the first -floor of a quiet house let out in lodgings by the quietest of widows. -And Mrs. Hicks had a good opinion of her lodger. It is true he was -somewhat erratic in his movements. For days he would go away--into the -country, he said--and even when in town would be absent for many hours -at a stretch. But he paid well and regularly, was not exacting about -either his food or attendance, and behaved altogether in the most -becoming manner. He certainly saw a great number of people, and they -called on him principally at night, but Mr. Jones had kindly informed -her how he was writing a great book on London, and how these people -were gathering materials for him. Had Mrs. Hicks known the kind of -materials they were collecting, she might or might not have been -astonished. Certainly she would have been but little the wiser.</p> - -<p>A decent, if narrow-minded little person, Mrs. Hicks knew little of -politics and still less of spies. These latter--on those few occasions -when they had presented themselves to her mind--she pictured as -foreign persons given to meeting by candlelight with mask and cloaks -and daggers. That the kind gentleman who was so polite to her and so -kind to her fatherless children should be a spy assuredly never -entered Mrs. Hick's head.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten--it is more convenient to call him so--sat in his rooms -one night in the second week in October. His face wore a satisfied -smile, for a great event had taken place. Free State and Transvaal, -under the sapient guidance of their Presidents, had thrown down the -gage of defiance to England, and the Federal armies were overrunning -Natal. Scarse and his following were dreadfully shocked at this sample -of simplicity on the part of their "innocent lamb." It was all out of -keeping with Mr. Kruger's pacific intentions as extolled by them. -Indeed, they found it necessitated a change of tactics on their part, -so they right-about faced and deplored that war should thus have been -forced on an honest, God-fearing man. In all sincerity they tried to -divide the country on the question of the war; and in Brussels Leyds -was doing his best to hound on the Continental Powers to attacking -England. Altogether Van Zwieten was very well satisfied with the -outlook. What with the unprepared state of the British in Natal, Leyds -on the Continent, Scarse and his friends in London, it seemed as -though the Boers, by treachery and cunning and the due display of -armament--as formidable as it was wholly unlooked for--would come -safely out of the desperate adventure to which they had committed -themselves. Van Zwieten's part was to send off certain final -information to Leyds for transmission to Pretoria, and then to leave -England.</p> - -<p>But Van Zwieten was not going out to fight for his adopted country. -Oh, dear, no! He had ostensibly thrown up his appointment in the -Transvaal--which in truth he had never held--in great indignation -before the war began. Proclaiming himself as a neutral person anxious -to reconcile the English and the Boers, he had solicited and obtained -the post of war correspondent on a Little England newspaper called -<i>The Morning Planet</i>. This paper, whose columns were filled with the -hysterical hooting of Scarse and his friends, was only too glad to -employ a foreigner instead of an Englishman, and Van Zwieten received -good pay, and an order to go to the front at once.</p> - -<p>Now he was occupied in burning a mass of papers, gathering up the -loose ends of his innumerable conspiracies, and looking forward to a -speedy departure. All his spies had been paid and dismissed. He had -one more letter to despatch to the patriotic Leyds, and then he was -free to turn his attention to his private affairs.</p> - -<p>These were concerned chiefly with an attempt to force Brenda into -giving up Burton and accepting his hand, by threatening to denounce -her father and his brother. He had never for a moment intended to keep -the promise he had made to Scarse. He was too "slim" for that. He -possessed knowledge which would serve him to his own ends, and he -intended to use it for that purpose. Burton, too, was to leave with -his regiment next day, and was already at Southampton. And once he was -parted from Brenda there would be a better chance of bringing her to -see reason. Van Zwieten smiled sweetly as he thought on these things, -and gave himself up to the contemplation of that rosy future when the -Republics conquered England, as they assuredly would. He forgot that -very significant saying that man proposes and God disposes. But Van -Zwieten was a heathen, and had very little belief in an overruling -Providence.</p> - -<p>He knew how to make himself snug did this Dutchman. His room was -large, and comfortably if not luxuriously furnished. Wall paper, -carpet and curtains were all of a dark green tone. Two windows led on -to a light iron balcony, but at present these were closed and the -curtains were drawn. The firelight--he had lighted a fire because the -evening was chilly--shed its comfortable glow on the two easy-chairs -wherewith he had supplemented the furniture of Mrs. Hicks. To him -belonged also a tall press with pigeon-holes filled with papers, and a -knee-hole desk with many drawers and brass knobs. On this latter the -lamp was placed, and its crimson shade shut off the light beyond the -immediate circle cast on the desk. On the mantel glittered a gimcrack -French clock, and three extraordinary ornaments with brass pendants. -But altogether the room was decidedly comfortable, and as Mr. van -Zwieten did not pay for it out of his own pocket, maybe he enjoyed it -all the more on that account.</p> - -<p>At the present moment he was shifting papers from the pigeon-holes -into an iron box, destroying some, and burning others, and executing -the business with ease and despatch.</p> - -<p>While he was thus employed a timid knock came at the door. He knew the -knock well, and he knew that behind it was Mrs. Hicks. He did not -desist from his occupation because he held her of but small account. -It would have been otherwise had the knock been sharp and peremptory.</p> - -<p>"Well, Mrs. Hicks," he said graciously as the pale widow glided in, -"what is it?"</p> - -<p>"If you please, Mr. Jones, there is a man waiting to see you."</p> - -<p>"A man--a gentleman?</p> - -<p>"A common person, sir, in a rough coat, and a cap and big boots. I -don't think he's a gentleman, as he speaks rough like, and his black -hair and beard look very untidy, Mr. Jones. I was once a lady's maid, -sir, so I ought to know a gentleman when I see him."</p> - -<p>"Show him up," said Van Zwieten, curtly; then, as she left the room, -he made certain preparations. He closed the press doors and the lid of -his iron box, seated himself at his desk, and glanced into a drawer to -be sure that his revolver was handy. In Van Zwieten's walk of life it -was necessary to be forearmed as well as forewarned.</p> - -<p>The man who shortly afterward came tramping into the room fully bore -out Mrs. Hicks's description. He was of medium height and rather -stout, and was roughly dressed in coarse blue serge, and had a tangle -of black curls and a heavy black beard. He was not a prepossessing -object. In response to Van Zwieten's invitation he shuffled into an -armchair by the desk, and pushed it well back into the shadow. The -act, though skillfully done, roused the Dutchman's suspicions. But he -was accustomed in his delicate profession to deal with curious -customers, and he showed no surprise. He did not even shift the shade -of the lamp. But very much on the alert, he waited for the stranger to -state his business.</p> - -<p>"Is your name Jones?" asked the man, in a gruff, surly voice.</p> - -<p>"Yes, that is my name. And yours?"</p> - -<p>"Dobbs--Augustus Dobbs. I should have brought a letter to you, but I -didn't. It's better to do my own business off my own hook, I reckon."</p> - -<p>"Are you a Yankee?" asked Van Zwieten, noting the expression and a -slight twang.</p> - -<p>"I guess so. I come from N'York City, I do; and I fancy a run out to -the Transvaal to have a slap at the Britishers."</p> - -<p>"Indeed!" said the Dutchman, staring blankly at his visitor, "and what -have I to do with your ambitions in that direction?"</p> - -<p>The man drew the back of his hand across his mouth, and Van Zwieten -noted that the hand was white and well cared for. This, in contrast to -the rough dress and harsh voice, made him more circumspect than ever. -He began to suspect a trap, and wondered which of his enemies--for he -had many--could have set it.</p> - -<p>"Do you know a man named Mazaroff?" asked Mr. Dobbs, after a pause.</p> - -<p>"No," replied Van Zwieten, lying cheerfully; "never heard of him."</p> - -<p>"He's a Russian."</p> - -<p>"The name sounds like it."</p> - -<p>Dobbs looked disappointed and turned sullen. "He knows you, Mr. -Jones!"</p> - -<p>"Indeed, that is not improbable. Did he send you to me?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, he did." Dobbs had dropped his American accent by this time, and -only used it again when he recollected himself. "Mazaroff said you -paid well for certain information."</p> - -<p>"What kind of information?"</p> - -<p>"About the war." He leaned forward and spoke in a gruff whisper. "What -would you say to a plan of the whole campaign against the Boers?"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten smiled blandly. "Of what possible interest can that be to -me?"</p> - -<p>"Mazaroff said you would be prepared to pay well for such -information."</p> - -<p>"He knows me then better than I do myself," replied Van Zwieten. -"Better than I know him, for indeed I have no knowledge of your -Russian friend. But this plan of campaign, Mr. Dobbs, how did it come -into your possession?"</p> - -<p>Dobbs looked round mysteriously, and rising in his chair, leaned -toward Van Zwieten. "I stole it," he said softly, "and I am willing to -sell it--at a price. Think of it, Mr. Jones, a plan of campaign! -Symons's plans! The Boers would be able to frustrate it easily."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten looked his man up and down with a smile. His gaze alighted -on those well-kept hands, which his visitor had placed on the desk to -steady himself as he leaned forward. On the third finger of the left -hand was a ring, and Van Zwieten recognized it. It was a gold signet -ring with a crest.</p> - -<p>The moment he set eyes on it, the spy jumped to a conclusion, which -happened to be the right one. He knew now who his visitor was, and he -played him as a skillful angler plays a trout. Not a muscle of his -face moved, not a flush or a look betrayed his newly-gained knowledge. -But he smiled behind his golden beard to think that he was master of -the situation.</p> - -<p>"So Mr. Mazaroff told you that I bought such things?" he said -negligently.</p> - -<p>"Yes, and that you paid a large price for them."</p> - -<p>"Ah! and what would you call a fair price for these papers?"</p> - -<p>"Say a thousand pounds."</p> - -<p>"That is a very large price indeed. Too large, I fear, for me," said -Van Zwieten, most amiably. "Perhaps you can see your way to make it -lower?"</p> - -<p>The visitor could not refrain from a movement of satisfaction, which -was duly noted by the astute Dutchman.</p> - -<p>"Well," he said, "I will do what I can to meet you." Van Zwieten -smiled. He saw that the man was growing excited, and that in his -excitement he would probably betray himself.</p> - -<p>"That is accommodating of you, Mr. Dobbs. But how can I be certain -this plan is genuine?"</p> - -<p>"You can be perfectly certain, for I stole it from the War Office!"</p> - -<p>"Indeed. That is certainly first hand. But how did you, an American, -get into the War Office?"</p> - -<p>"I have been a porter there for some time," said Dobbs, glibly. "I am -allowed access to all the rooms. I saw those papers on a desk, and I -took them. Mazaroff told me you paid well, so--well, I came to you. -Come, now, you shall have them for five hundred pounds."</p> - -<p>"Too much, Mr. Dobbs."</p> - -<p>"Three hundred," said the man, trembling with eagerness.</p> - -<p>"Ah, that's more reasonable. Have you the papers with you?"</p> - -<p>"No, but if you will come to my lodgings I will give them to you. But -I must have the money first."</p> - -<p>"Certainly. Will a check do?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, a check will do right enough."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten produced a check-book and bent over it to hide a smile. He -drew the check, but before signing it looked up. "Of course this -rather inculpates you," he said. "I suppose you know what it means if -you were caught at this game?"</p> - -<p>"I'm willing to take the risk," said Dobbs, nervously.</p> - -<p>"Quite so. Just see if I've got your name correctly. Burton, isn't -it?"</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?"</p> - -<p>"Wilfred Burton."</p> - -<p>"I--I--don't understand----"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten deftly twitched the beard off the face of his visitor and -snatched the shade off the lamp. "Do you understand now?" he said, -laughing. "Look in the glass, sir, and see if Augustus Dobbs is not -Wilfred Burton?"</p> - -<p>Wilfred was ghastly pale, but more with rage at the failure of his -scheme than with fear. With a cry of anger he sprang up and whipped a -revolver out of his pocket. But Van Zwieten, on the alert for some -such contingency, was quite as quick. He also snatched a revolver from -the drawer, and with levelled weapons the two men faced one another. -Van Zwieten was as calm as the other was excited.</p> - -<p>"You are very clever, Mr. Burton," he said mockingly; "but when you -are in disguise you should not wear a signet ring. I observed your -crest on the letters written to Miss Scarse by your brother. Come! how -long are we to stand like this? Is it a duel? If so, I am ready."</p> - -<p>Wilfred uttered an oath and slipped his weapon into his pocket. With a -laugh Van Zwieten tossed his into the drawer again, and sat down quite -unruffled.</p> - -<p>"I think we understand one another now," he said genially. "What -induced you to play this trick on me?"</p> - -<p>"Because you are a spy," replied Wilfred, fiercely; "and if I had my -way I would put a bullet through you."</p> - -<p>"Well, and why don't you?" mocked an Zwieten. "Do you see that iron -box?--it is full of papers which might be of the greatest interest to -you. Shoot me and take possession of it. Your Government would reward -you--or hang you!"</p> - -<p>"They'll hang <i>you</i> if they learn the truth. We are at war with the -Boers, and you are a Boer spy. A word from me and you would be -arrested."</p> - -<p>"I dare say. There are enough documents in that box to hang me. I dare -say you bribed Mazaroff and learned my business, also my address here -as Mr. Jones. But I am not afraid--not that!" Van Zwieten snapped his -fingers "You can walk out and call up the police if you like."</p> - -<p>"And what is to prevent my doing so?"</p> - -<p>"Two things. One is that I leave immediately for the Transvaal. Oh, -yes, my work here is done, and well done. I have found out how -unprepared you English are for this war. You talk big, but there is -nothing at the back of it."</p> - -<p>"Confound you!" cried Wilfred, his white face flushing, "you'll find -out what is at the back of it when we hoist the British flag at -Pretoria. What is the second thing?"</p> - -<p>"Your brother. You love your brother, no doubt, Mr. Burton. He sails -to-morrow with his regiment from Southampton. Quite so. Well, Mr. -Burton, it is a good thing he is going. It is better he should be shot -than hanged."</p> - -<p>"Hanged!" Wilfred sprang from his seat with a bound.</p> - -<p>"The morning after the murder," continued Van Zwieten, without taking -any notice, "I examined the place where Malet was shot. Ah! you blind -English, who see nothing even when it lies under your nose. I am -Dutch. I am sharp. I looked--and looked--and I found this!" He slipped -his hand into the open drawer of the desk and produced a heavy -revolver of the army pattern. "This, Mr. Burton--with which your -brother shot Mr. Malet."</p> - -<p>"You--you can't prove it is Harold's," said he, white but calm.</p> - -<p>"Easily. Here is a silver plate on the butt with his name. Now, what -do you say?"</p> - -<p>"That my brother is innocent. The revolver is his, but some one else -fired the shot."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten shrugged his shoulders. "I am afraid you will find it -difficult to get a jury to take that view, Mr. Burton. Your brother -quarrelled with Malet--he was overheard to threaten him--he was out in -the storm and could not account for his time--and here is his -revolver. With all that evidence I could hang him. But you know--well, -I'll be generous. Hold your tongue and I'll hold mine. What do you -say?"</p> - -<p>Wilfred looked piercingly at Van Zwieten, who had dropped his -bantering tone and was in earnest. "Harold is innocent," said he, -"but--I'll hold my tongue."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_15" href="#div1Ref_15">CHAPTER XV.</a></h4> -<h5>THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND HIM.</h5> -<br> - -<p>When Wilfred had taken his departure, Van Zwieten drew a breath of -relief. He had only escaped a great danger by virtue of his ready -resource and the excitability and hot-headed impulsiveness of his -adversary.</p> - -<p>Without doubt Wilfred's plan--and a harum-scarum plan it was--had been -to decoy him into an ambush of police, on the pretence of selling him -the so-called State papers, and when he had irretrievably betrayed -himself, to have had him arrested as a spy. Thanks only to his skill -in penetrating the disguise of his visitor, Van Zwieten had evaded -this peril; but he had been in greater danger than even Wilfred knew.</p> - -<p>The papers in the iron box were sufficient to prove him a spy ten -times over. Had Wilfred only been astute enough to have procured a -search warrant on the evidence of Mazaroff, and with the assistance of -the police to have raided the premises of the so-called Mr. Jones, -these papers would have been discovered, and Mr. van Zwieten's little -games put an end to for the time being.</p> - -<p>But Wilfred had let the golden moment go by, and the Dutchman was safe -from his worst enemy--that is from the one who wished him most harm, -and who knew most to his disadvantage.</p> - -<p>There was no doubt that Wilfred was now powerless to move against him. -By skillfully suggesting that Harold had committed the murder,--which -was untrue--and producing the revolver inscribed with Harold's name, -which had been found near the scene of the murder,--which was -true--Van Zwieten had effectually stopped the mouth of Mr. Wilfred -Burton. If that young man now denounced him to the authorities he -would do so at the risk of having his brother arrested. And in the -face of such evidence it might be that Harold would be found guilty. -In any case he would be prevented from sailing for South Africa. But -Van Zwieten, while looking after himself, had no wish that things -should go thus far. He was most anxious that Captain Burton should go -to the front, for if chance did not aid him, he had quite determined -to have him specially shot in action.</p> - -<p>At present things were going as he wished. Wilfred was coerced into -silence, he himself was safe, and Harold was about to go to his death -in Natal. There remained only Brenda to deal with, and with her Mr. -van Zwieten hoped to come to an understanding very shortly now.</p> - -<p>The rest of the night he spent in burning such papers as he did not -require and in packing the remainder in the iron box. It was of no -great size this box, and one man could carry it away with ease. Van -Zwieten locked it, and then stowed it away on the top of the tall -press, in a hollow formed by the ornamentation of the crest. Into this -the precious box just fitted; and thus carelessly deposited, he took -it to be far safer than any more elaborate attempt at concealment -could make it. A thief would assuredly make for the safe first and -foremost, so would the police, while neither would think of looking on -the top of the press. Not that Van Zwieten expected either thieves or -police, for that matter; but it was his habit to place the box there, -and what had happened in no way caused him to depart from his usual -custom.</p> - -<p>Having thus finished his work, he went to bed and slept for a few -hours. And as he closed his eyes his thoughts were altogether -pleasant.</p> - -<p>"I shall go down to Southampton to-morrow," they ran, "and see Burton -off for the front. I sha'n't exactly relish being witness of his very -tender leave-taking with Brenda but it will be some satisfaction to -know it's for the last time. She won't see him again. We'll be married -at once and I'll follow close on his heels. If he only knew! If <i>she</i> -only knew! But that is what shall be. I, Van Zwieten, have spoken. -Then, once in the British camp, I can both serve these brave little -Republics and make sure that Captain Harold Burton is made short work -of. That will be very easily done. And then when all is over, and -these British hogs are driven into the sea, I'll come and fetch my -little wife, and there, amid the glorious expanse of the veldt, we -shall live together happily ever after." A beautiful little castle of -cards truly, but one which, had he only known, was destined to be very -much knocked about by Fate, over which not even he, Van Zwieten, had -control.</p> - -<p>Next morning he was up betimes, and handing the key of his rooms to -Mrs. Hicks with strict injunctions to admit no one, he set off for -Waterloo Station. He knew that he could trust his little landlady, and -he judged it wiser to do so than to lock up and take the key in his -pocket, for of that even she might have been suspicious.</p> - -<p>On his way to the terminus he again relapsed into a gentle and wholly -self-congratulatory reverie; and with a religious zeal worthy of a -follower of Oom Paul he fished from the deep recesses of his memory a -text bearing on the destruction of the unrighteous--to wit, in this -instance, Messieurs Wilfred and Harold Burton.</p> - -<p>The ancient town of Southampton was gay with flags, crowded with -people, and bubbling over with excitement and bustle. Through the -streets marched the troops in khaki, with resolute faces and swinging -tread, while those whose rights they were going to defend cheered -them, poured blessings on them, and sought to enliven them with -frequent snatches of patriotic song. Not since the days of the -Crimea--a dim memory even to the older generation--had there been -such excitement. And the great transport lay there--a floating -barracks--ready and impatient to carry these brave fellows overseas to -vindicate the name of Britain as a civilizing and protective power. -Oom Paul had been given rope enough; now he was going to hang himself, -or be hanged, as he assuredly deserved to be.</p> - -<p>Maybe Van Zwieten thought otherwise. He surveyed the excited throng -with his usual bland smile, and pushed his way through their midst -down to the quay. Knowing, as no one else did, the true power of the -Republics, he smiled grimly as he thought how soon all this joy would -be turned into mourning. But what Mr. van Zwieten did not know--what -he could not realize--was that the more terrible the danger -threatening a Britisher the more does he set his back to the wall, and -set his teeth to meet it and to conquer.</p> - -<p>In the bright sunlight the troops embarked, speeches were made, -healths were drunk, and many a hand gripped hand. On board the -transport the officers were busy looking after their men and -superintending the horses being taken on board. Brenda, quietly -dressed, and doing her best to keep up her spirits, was leaning on the -arm of her father, and longing for a few last words with Harold. But -Captain Burton--a fine, soldierly figure in his khaki uniform--was on -duty, and could not be spared for the moment.</p> - -<p>Much as Mr. Scarse disliked the war and reprobated the causes which -had led to it, he had come down with Brenda to see the last of Harold; -but in the face of all this he could not but lament inwardly that the -good offices of the peace party had not prevailed. This stir and -military activity was surely out of all proportion to the business in -hand--the subjugation of a mere handful of farmers! But Mr. Scarse -forgot that wasps are not so easily crushed--that the larger the fist -that tries to crush them the greater the chance of its being stung. -While thus meditating on the iniquity of his country, he felt his -daughter start, and when he looked at her he saw that she was white -and trembling.</p> - -<p>"What is it, Brenda?" he asked nervously, for he had not been the same -man since his interview with the Dutchman.</p> - -<p>"I have seen Mr. van Zwieten," she replied faintly. "He is yonder in -the crowd. He smiled in that horrible way of his when he caught my -eye."</p> - -<p>"Never mind, Brenda. Van Zwieten can do no harm now; and shortly we -shall be rid of him altogether. He is going out to the Cape."</p> - -<p>"To Pretoria, you mean."</p> - -<p>"No, I mean to the Cape," returned her father. "Rather to my surprise, -I hear he has given up his appointment in the Transvaal, and has -thrown in his lot with this misguided country. He goes with Lord -Methuen as the correspondent of <i>The Morning Planet</i>--to report the -massacre of his unfortunate countrymen, I suppose."</p> - -<p>"I don't believe he is on our side," Brenda said vehemently. "At heart -he is a traitor, and has been living in London spying for the benefit -of the Boers--so, at least, Wilfred tells me."</p> - -<p>"Wilfred is an excitable boy. Can he prove this wild charge?"</p> - -<p>"Not now; but he intends to do so later."</p> - -<p>"He never will. Believe me, I don't like Van Zwieten, and I regret -very much that I ever made a friend of him, but I don't think he is a -spy."</p> - -<p>"I'm sure he is!"</p> - -<p>"How <i>can</i> you be sure?"</p> - -<p>"Because I hate him," replied Brenda, with true feminine logic. "And -if he is going to the front, I'll tell Harold to keep a sharp eye on -him."</p> - -<p>"It might be quite as well, dear," replied her father, "forewarned is -forearmed; and when he learns the truth about you, it is quite -possible he might attempt some plot against Harold."</p> - -<p>"I'm not afraid. Harold can protect himself even against such a -scoundrel as Van Zwieten. Here is Harold, father. How splendid he -looks!"</p> - -<p>Brenda might well be excused for her enthusiasm. Captain Harold Burton -did make a most striking and soldierly figure in his close-fitting -khaki uniform. He was trim and natty in his dress, bright and ardent, -and full of enthusiasm for the work before him. Brenda would have had -him a trifle more subdued since he was about to leave her; but she had -no cause to complain when he said good-bye. He felt their parting as -much as she did, even though as a man and a soldier he was more able -to conceal his emotions.</p> - -<p>"Come down to my cabin, Brenda," he said, taking her arm, "I have got -ten minutes to spare. We start in half an hour."</p> - -<p>"I won't come," Mr. Scarse said, waving his hand. "Take her down, -Harold, and get it over."</p> - -<p>The two went below amongst the busy throng of stewards who were -darting about getting the cabins in order. Into one on the starboard -side Captain Burton led his wife. He shared it with a brother officer, -who was at that moment on duty. Harold closed the door. The girl was -crying bitterly now. He took her in his arms.</p> - -<p>"Don't cry, dear little wife," he said tenderly. "Please God, I'll -come back to you safe and sound."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Harold, you will, I know you will!" she said earnestly. "Nothing -will happen to you. I dreamed it did, Harold, and dreams always go by -contraries, you know. Dearest, if only I were coming with you, I -wouldn't mind."</p> - -<p>"Dear Brenda, it is better as it is; besides, I should have had to -leave you at Cape Town. You could not have come to the front. No, -dear, you stay with your father, and pray for a speedy end to the war. -Remember you are my wife now, Brenda, so I have no fear of any harm -coming to you through that scoundrel Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"He is here, Harold. I saw him among the crowd. I have no fear for -you, dear, there at the front; but--well, I am afraid of Van Zwieten's -treachery."</p> - -<p>"But he is in England, dearest; he can't hurt me out there."</p> - -<p>"He is leaving for the Cape almost immediately. Father told me so."</p> - -<p>"Well, then," laughed Harold to comfort her, "if I see him in the -ranks of the enemy I'll shoot him before he can take sight at me. Will -that do?"</p> - -<p>"Harold, he won't be in the ranks of the enemy."</p> - -<p>"Why not? The fellow is a Boer--or to all intents and purposes will be -when he takes up his Transvaal appointment."</p> - -<p>"That's just it. He has given up the appointment and is going out as -correspondent to <i>The Morning Planet</i>."</p> - -<p>Captain Burton wrinkled his forehead. "I don't like this sudden -conversion," he said decisively. "Wilfred believes the fellow is a -spy."</p> - -<p>"And so do I, dearest--from the bottom of my heart."</p> - -<p>"Well, if he's going to hang about our camps for the spy business I'll -make short work of him."</p> - -<p>"Be careful, Harold--oh, be careful. He is a dangerous man."</p> - -<p>"I shall know how to manage him out there. Wilfred is coming out, you -know, in a week or so, and I'll get him to tell me all he knows about -Van Zwieten. If he is a spy, we'll watch him and have him slung up. -I'll keep my eyes open, Brenda. And if he tries on any games before he -leaves England, just you see Lady Jenny."</p> - -<p>"What can she do?"</p> - -<p>"A great deal. She wouldn't tell me how she meant to manage him, but -she told me she would bring him to his knees. That was why I -determined to marry you before I left. Now that you are my wife, Lady -Jenny will look after you. You must promise me, dear, that you'll go -at once to her if he should cause you the least uneasiness."</p> - -<p>"I promise, dearest, for your sake. Oh, Harold, how I wish I was -going!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, dear, I know you do. But you are a soldier's wife now, and they -do their work at home. I have made my will leaving all I have to you, -Brenda and if I don't come back"--his strong voice trembled--"you will -have enough to live on. At all events, your father has the will."</p> - -<p>"Harold! Harold!" she cried, weeping on his breast, for this parting -was very bitter to her, "how can I bear it, darling? Dearest, be -careful of your dear life for my sake--for me, your wife."</p> - -<p>"Hush, dear, hush, I am in the hands of God." He pressed her closely -to him and kissed her in silence. Then he looked upward and said a -silent fervent prayer. They clung to each other with aching hearts, -too deeply moved, too sorrowful for words. Then the tramping of feet -overhead, the sound of cheers, the shrill voice of the bo'sun's -whistle, made them start up. "Brenda," whispered Harold, pressing her -again to his heart, "good-bye, my own dearest."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Harold! Harold! Good-bye, darling! God bless you and bring you -back to me."</p> - -<p>On deck he led her to her father who was standing by the gangway, and -placed her in his arms. "Take care of her, sir," he said in a low -voice, then hurried away at the call of duty.</p> - -<p>Father and daughter descended the gangway to the wharf. She stood as -in a dream, with streaming eyes, among other women, and looked at the -great ship. The shouts of the crowd, the glitter of the sunshine, the -many-colored bunting, seemed like a cruel mockery to her aching heart. -Her Harold was gone from her--and God knew when he would return. And -everywhere the women wept and strained and ached at parting with their -dear ones.</p> - -<p>The transport was like a hive at swarming-time. The soldiers were -hanging over the bulwarks and clinging to the rigging. Hats and -handkerchiefs waved, women wept and men cheered. Then amidst all -the noise and movement the blades of the screw began slowly to -churn the water. As the seething white foam swirled astern, the band -struck up "Auld Lang Syne," and the great ship swung majestically into -mid-stream, her engines throbbing, and black smoke pouring through her -funnels from the newly stoked furnaces below. Brenda, for weeping, -could hardly see the grey monster gliding over the glittering waters; -nor, strain as she would, could she make out her Harold's dear face -amongst those hundreds of faces turned shoreward. The band changed the -tune:</p> -<br> -<div style="margin-left:20%; font-size:smaller"> -<p class="t1" style="text-indent:-7px">"I'm leaving thee in sorrow, Annie,<br> -I'm leaving thee in tears."</p> -</div> -<br> -<p>"My God!" exclaimed Brenda, almost hysterical now as she clutched her -father's arm.</p> - -<p>"Miss Scarse," said a voice at her elbow.</p> - -<p>Brenda looked up with a tear-stained face, and a look of horror came -into her eyes as she saw Van Zwieten's hateful, calm face. "You! you! -Ah, Harold!"</p> - -<p>"Go away, sir, go away," said Mr. Scarse, curtly. Then he began to -push through the crowd with Brenda clinging to his arm.</p> - -<p>"I must speak to Miss Scarse," insisted the Dutchman, following.</p> - -<p>The old man turned on him like a wolf. "There is no Miss Scarse," he -said firmly. "My daughter is now Mrs. Harold Burton."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_16" href="#div1Ref_16">CHAPTER XVI.</a></h4> -<h5>THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS.</h5> -<br> - -<p>As the full meaning of those words came upon him, Van Zwieten paled. -His wicked eyes flashed fire, and he uttered an oath which, being in -Dutch, was happily unintelligible to those around him. For the moment -he could neither move nor speak; and seeing his momentary -helplessness, Mr. Scarse, with Brenda on his arm, hurried on through -the crowd.</p> - -<p>Before the Dutchman could recover his presence of mind, there were -already two or three lines of people between him and those whom he had -fondly thought his victims. They had tricked him in spite of all his -caution; even Scarse, whom he had been so sure of, had turned against -him. But he would be revenged, and that speedily. Conjecturing that -they would probably go to the railway station, Van Zwieten hurried -thither. If he did not find them in the London train, then he would -wait till he did. In any case he swore to get at the truth about this -marriage. Their punishment should follow.</p> - -<p>On his part, Mr. Scarse, seeing the devil which looked out of the -Dutchman's eyes, knew that the man thus baffled was prepared to go to -any lengths; and that being so, he was only too anxious to escape from -so dangerous a neighborhood.</p> - -<p>Taken up with her own sorrow, Brenda had paid no attention to the -presence or foreboding glance of Van Zwieten, but submitted blindly to -be guided through the crowd. All she longed for was to get to some -quiet place where she could give way unrestrained to this grief that -shook her whole being. And her father instinctively divined what she -desired and said no word to comfort her, but hurried her on to the -station, and by the judicious bestowal of half a sovereign secured a -carriage to themselves. The man touched his hat, and after locking the -door, walked off to see if any other person's sorrow would take such -tangible and wholly excellent form.</p> - -<p>There in the corner of the carriage Brenda lay back and wept for her -lost husband, whom--it might be--she would never see again. But she -had a great belief in dreams and in the contrariness of this -particular dream and something told her he would come safe and sound -out of the hurly-burly of battle. Nevertheless, life seemed very blank -to her just then. She wept on unrestrained. Her father paid no -attention to her. He was leaning out of the window watching for Van -Zwieten. His mind travelled quite as quickly as that of the Dutchman, -and he guessed that he would come on to the station on the chance of -finding himself and Brenda in the London express.</p> - -<p>The inspector came along, unlocked the door, and tried to hustle a -couple of weeping women into the carriage but Mr. Scarse gave his name -and whispered that he had engaged the carriage, whereupon the -inspector promptly conducted the mourners to another compartment. In -his hurry he did not lock the door, which, as it turned out, was -unfortunate.</p> - -<p>With great anxiety Mr. Scarse watched the minute hand of the station -clock crawl round to the hour at which the train was timed to start. -He turned hot and cold at the thought that Van Zwieten might come. He -had a very shrewd idea of the Dutchman's present mood. But there was -no sign of him. And the bell was ringing now for the departure of the -express.</p> - -<p>"Thank God!" cried Mr. Scarse, throwing himself back into his seat. -"We have escaped that villain for the time being at any rate."</p> - -<p>Vain congratulation! It was as if he had tempted the gods. Hardly had -the train commenced to move when the door of the carriage was dashed -open, and Van Zwieten hurled himself into the compartment like a -charging buffalo. Brenda uttered a cry of alarm; her father swore--a -thing he very seldom permitted himself to do; and the Dutchman, now -quite master of his vile temper, smiled blandly and subsided into a -seat. He cleared his throat to explain himself. Brenda cast on him one -look of ineffable contempt, although she was far from feeling -contemptuous, and did so merely out of bravado. Then she drew her veil -down and glanced out of the window. If she was forced to travel with -him, she was not forced to speak to him; and besides she felt quite -safe having her father to protect her, and knowing how different now -was his attitude toward the Dutchman. Van Zwieten smiled unpleasantly. -He knew well how to rouse her out of that indifference, and he would -do so when he judged the proper time had come. Meanwhile he explained -himself to the enraged Scarse, whose blood was on fire at the -creature's insolence.</p> - -<p>"Notwithstanding the very elaborate pains at which you were to reserve -this carriage, Scarse, I trust you are sufficiently hospitable not to -mind my joining you," he said coolly.</p> - -<p>"I mind very much, sir!" cried the other. "How dare you thrust your -company where it is not wanted? My daughter and I can dispense with -your presence."</p> - -<p>"I dare say!" sneered the Dutchman, although he looked surprised at -this unexpected resistance on the part of the hitherto meek M. P.; -"but you see I have a great deal to say to you and Miss Scarse."</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Burton, if you please," Brenda said in a cutting tone.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten bowed his fair head in a cruelly ironical manner. "I beg -your pardon, I did not know I was a day after the fair. But it seems -to me most strange that you should be married when your father -promised me that I should be your husband."</p> - -<p>"I did nothing of the sort," said Mr. Scarse, bluntly.</p> - -<p>"I promised to consent to your marrying my daughter if she chose to -have you. But as she had a very distinct preference for Captain -Burton, I agreed to that. And I'm glad of it!" he cried with energy; -"at least she has married an honorable man!"</p> - -<p>"I also am an honorable man. I have kept your secret--up to the -present----"</p> - -<p>"My secret?" cried the other, contemptuously. "Oh! tell it to whom you -please."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten bit his lip to prevent an exhibition of the surprise he -felt at this unexpected defiance. "In that case I had better begin -with Miss Sca--I beg your pardon--with Mrs. Burton. She would like to -know----"</p> - -<p>"She does know," interrupted Brenda, in her clear voice. "There is -nothing left for you to tell, Meinherr van Zwieten!"</p> - -<p>"Ach! You make me out to be Dutch, then! You are wrong--I am English."</p> - -<p>"Quite so; until it suits you to become a Boer."</p> - -<p>"We shall see. Oh, you will not have it all your own way in this war, -you English. But enough of this," he went on imperiously. "You know, -then, that your father and his twin brother killed Mr. Malet?"</p> - -<p>"I know nothing of the sort," retorted Brenda, with spirit. "You had -better take the case into court and prove your assertion."</p> - -<p>"Think of the scandal!"</p> - -<p>"I can face all that," cried Mr. Scarse, sharply. "If you think to -blackmail me, Van Zwieten, you have come to the wrong person. So far -as what I told you is concerned, you are harmless; you can do -nothing."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps not. I won't even try. But the arrows are not all out of my -quiver yet. For you, old man, I care nothing, you cross not my path, -so I can spare you; but as for Brenda----"</p> - -<p>The girl turned fearlessly upon him. "I will thank you, sir, to -address me by my proper name, which is Mrs. Burton!"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten winced. He felt his position intensely, though he put a -brave face on it. Brenda saw this, and realized the strain he was -putting on himself to keep down his temper.</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Burton! Well, let it be so for the present--until you change it -for Mrs. van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"That will be never!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes--when you are a widow."</p> - -<p>Brenda shuddered, and fell back on her cushions; but her father leaned -forward and shook his fist at the Dutchman. "I am an old man," he said -hoarsely, "and you are young and strong, but if you insult my daughter -I will strike you! In any case, you will leave the carriage at the -next station."</p> - -<p>"It is yet a quarter of an hour away," sneered Van Zwieten, looking at -his watch, "so that will be time enough to say what I have to say. I -do not think you will ask me to go when you hear all?"</p> - -<p>"I am not afraid," said Brenda, coolly, "my father is here to protect -me. And we are in England, Meinherr van Zwieten, not in your barbarous -country of the Transvaal."</p> - -<p>"Ah, you English will find it sufficiently civilized in warfare," said -the man, savagely. "But I will come to the point. You are married to -this Captain Burton. Is that true, or is it not?"</p> - -<p>"True? Of course it is true."</p> - -<p>"Let me speak, father," put in Brenda. "Yes, it is true. We were -married at St. Chad's Church, Brighton, four days ago."</p> - -<p>"Just time for a honeymoon--a very short honeymoon," sneered Van -Zwieten; but the perspiration was on his face, and the girl could see -that he was suffering. She was glad to see it, and continued to speak, -knowing that every word she uttered caused the villain intense pain. -Callous as Van Zwieten was in most things, he was a true lover, and -suffered only as a strong man like himself could suffer.</p> - -<p>"If you like to go to the church you can see the register," she went -on carelessly. "My father was present, so was Lady Jenny Malet." She -looked him full in the face as she mentioned the name, but he did not -flinch. Whatever power Lady Jenny might have over him, he was -apparently ignorant of its existence.</p> - -<p>"It is a pity you did not ask me," he said, clenching his hands. "I -should have completed the happy family party. Well, Burton has escaped -now. We shall see if he will be so fortunate in the future."</p> - -<p>"Ah! you would murder him--I know it!" said Brenda, scornfully. "But -he can take care of himself."</p> - -<p>"Very likely, Mrs. Burton; but can he protect himself from the law?"</p> - -<p>"What do you mean? That you are going to accuse my husband of Mr. -Malet's murder? You are quite capable of it."</p> - -<p>"I am; and I can prove that he is guilty."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse cast an angry glance at the man. "You are a liar, Van -Zwieten," he said savagely. "I wonder how I ever came to believe in -you. You accuse first me of the crime, then my brother; now it is -Harold Burton you would ruin. We are all three innocent."</p> - -<p>"Two of you, we will say. But the third is guilty." Van Zwieten spoke -slowly, looking at Brenda the while. "I found the pistol with which -the murder was committed. It has a name on the butt. And the name is -that of Harold Burton!"</p> - -<p>The girl grew deathly pale and clasped her hands. "I do not believe -it," she said bravely.</p> - -<p>"Well," drawled Van Zwieten, throwing himself back, "I can prove it by -showing you the pistol--it is at my rooms in Duke Street. If you -choose to come there--with your father, of course--you can see it. -Yes, you may look and look; but your husband and no other killed -Malet."</p> - -<p>"It is false. There was no reason why Harold should kill Mr. Malet."</p> - -<p>"Oh, pardon me, I think he had a very good reason," corrected Van -Zwieten, blandly; "at least Captain Burton thought it a sufficient -reason when I told him what I knew at Chippingholt."</p> - -<p>"Ah!" flashed out Mrs. Burton, "so this was what you told Harold to -make him leave without saying good-bye to me!"</p> - -<p>"It was. I showed him the pistol, and he admitted that it was his----"</p> - -<p>"But not that he had used it!"</p> - -<p>"You are very sharp, Mrs. Burton; but that is just what he did -confess."</p> - -<p>"I don't believe it!" cried the girl.</p> - -<p>"Nor I," joined in Mr. Scarse. "You are speaking falsely."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten shrugged his mighty shoulders. "As you please," said he. -"If I show it to the lawyers you may find that what I say is true. If -it was not true how could I have made Harold Burton leave -Chippingholt? Why did he keep his marriage with you a secret? Because -he feared what I had to say about him. I had decided not to betray him -if he left the lady to me. As it is, I shall speak."</p> - -<p>"As you choose!" said Brenda. "You can prove no motive for such a -crime. Harold left Chippingholt because you told him that Mr. Malet -had gambled away his twenty thousand pounds, and the poor dear did not -want to tell me of his loss."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I told him that also. I knew more of Malet's private affairs -than you think. But Burton did not know the money was lost at the time -he murdered Malet. He murdered him to get it."</p> - -<p>"You speak very confidently," returned Brenda, ironically. "You will -now of course put the matter into the hands of the police."</p> - -<p>"Well, no; I shall not do that just now. However, as I see you do not -believe me, I should like to give you an opportunity of changing your -mind. Come with your father to my rooms in St. James's to-morrow and I -will show you the revolver."</p> - -<p>"I dare say you have the weapon," put in Mr. Scarse; "but how do we -know where you found it?"</p> - -<p>"I can prove that. Come to-morrow and convince yourselves. Then I will -make my terms."</p> - -<p>"Your terms?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. My silence must be bought--but not with money. You, Mrs. Burton, -must give me your promise to marry me when you become a widow."</p> - -<p>"I am not a widow yet," said Brenda, trying hard to keep up her -courage, "and, please God, I shall never be!"</p> - -<p>"Amen!" sneered Van Zwieten, as the train slowed down, "we shall see. -But I hold the winning card, and I intend to play it for my own -benefit. Here we are, so I will leave you now. To-morrow at three I -shall be at my rooms. If you do not come I will see the police about -the matter."</p> - -<p>"Very good," said Brenda, much to her father's surprise. "I will be -there."</p> - -<p>"Come now, you are sensible!" sneered Van Zwieten, "I shall make -something out of you yet, Mrs. Burton."</p> - -<p>"Get out!" shouted Mr. Scarse, fiercely, "or I'll throw you out!"</p> - -<p>"Ah, bad temper, Scarse. Keep that for those who are fighting our -Republics. <i>Au revoir</i> until to-morrow," and Van Zwieten, jumping -lightly out of the compartment, made for a smoking-carriage.</p> - -<p>"Why did you agree to meet the blackguard?" fumed Mr. Scarse when the -train was moving off again. "You know he is lying!"</p> - -<p>"No, I don't think he is."</p> - -<p>"What? do you believe your husband guilty?"</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't believe it if an angel from heaven told me so!" flashed -out Mrs. Harold Burton. "But Van Zwieten has this revolver with -Harold's name on it or he would not dare to speak so confidently. I -will find out where he got it. He might have stolen it from Harold, or -he might have had the name put on the silver plate. Harold is not here -to contradict him. To-morrow we will take Wilfred with us. He will -know if the revolver is Harold's or not. In the meantime I will see -Lady Jenny. Harold told me to go to her if Mr. van Zwieten made -himself disagreeable. The time seems to have come."</p> - -<p>"But what can she do?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know; but that is what I must find out. We will baffle this -man yet. Oh, father, and to think that you once wanted me to marry -him!"</p> - -<p>"I was wrong, my dear, very wrong," Mr. Scarse said penitently; "but at -any rate you are married now to the man of your choice."</p> - -<p>"Harold, my darling!" Brenda's tears burst out afresh. "God knows if I -shall ever see him again!" She wept bitterly. Truly, poor Brenda was -hard beset.</p> - -<p>Meantime Van Zwieten was swearing at his own stupidity in not having -kept a sharper eye on Harold. But he had not expected the young -man--whom he had regarded as his victim--to display such daring.</p> - -<p>At Chippingholt he had warned him that if he married Brenda he would -denounce him. Well, he had married Brenda, and was now well beyond -reach on his way to Africa. More than ever was Van Zwieten determined -that he should pay for what he had done. He had but exchanged the -gallows in England for a Boer bullet in South Africa. Then, when he -was no more, his widow should become Mrs. van Zwieten. That he swore -should be. He had failed once, he would not fail again. From Waterloo -he went to Westminster, to get the revolver and take it to his rooms, -that he might have it ready for production on the morrow.</p> - -<p>On arrival there he was met by Mrs. Hicks. She was in the greatest -distress. "Oh, sir!" she cried, "a policeman's been here, and has -taken a box from your room--an iron box!"</p> - -<p>For the moment Van Zwieten stood stunned. Then he rushed upstairs and -looked on the top of the press. The box was gone!</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_17" href="#div1Ref_17">CHAPTER XVII.</a></h4> -<h5>CHECKMATED.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Strong man as he was, Van Zwieten reeled half-fainting against the -wall. It was true--the box was gone! In a flash he realized his peril. -For that box held little that was not of a highly compromising nature. -Once its contents were seen by the authorities--as it would seem they -must be--he would be arrested as a spy, imprisoned, perhaps hanged. No -ingenuity or lying on his part could explain away the damning evidence -of the papers. They spoke for themselves.</p> - -<p>What a fool he had been not to have forwarded them to Leyds in the -morning as he had intended to do. Now it was too late, and nothing -remained but to fly to Pretoria and to throw in his lot openly with -his employers. Useless now to think of going out as correspondent to -an English newspaper, even were he able to manage his escape from -London. Those in command at the front would surely be advised of his -true character by the home authorities; and not only that, but he -would be unmasked in a country under military law, where a spy such as -he would receive but short shrift. Fly he must, and that at once. He -must get to the Continent, and take ship for Delagoa Bay. The game was -up in England; there remained now only the Transvaal.</p> - -<p>After the first emotion of terror had passed, Van Zwieten collected -his wits and set to work to find some way out of the difficulty. Had -he been in Russia or France he would have given himself up to despair, -for there the authorities were lynx-eyed and relentless. But here in -England he was amongst a people so firmly wedded to their -old-fashioned laws as to freedom and justice that they might fail to -take the strong measures which the situation, so far as they were -concerned, demanded. He would baffle these pig-headed islanders yet, -and, with a courage born of despair, he set himself to the -accomplishment of this design.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Hicks, pale and tearful, had followed him into the room and had -been witness of his despair. The poor woman was too much agitated to -speak. This unexpected invasion of her quiet house by the police had -been altogether too much for her. Van Zwieten made her sit down, and -proceeded to question her. With many tears and lamentations that she -had no husband to protect her, she gave him all the necessary details, -and he listened with feverish anxiety to every word.</p> - -<p>"It was about midday, Mr. Jones," said Mrs. Hicks; "yes, I will not -deceive you, sir, the clock was just on twelve when I heard a ring at -the door. I left Mary Anne in the kitchen and went to see who it was. -There was a hansom at the door, sir, and standing on the mat there was -a policeman and a lady."</p> - -<p>"A lady?" put in Van Zwieten, looking rather puzzled, for he could not -guess what woman could have interfered with his affairs. He had always -kept himself clear of the sex. "What lady?"</p> - -<p>"I don't rightly know her name, Mr. Jones, for, to be plain with you, -she never gave it to me. She was a short lady, sir, with black hair -and eyes--as black as your hat, sir."</p> - -<p>"Dressed in mourning?" asked the Dutchman, with a sudden flash of -intuition.</p> - -<p>"As you say, sir--dressed in mourning, and beautifully made it was, -too. She asked if Mr. Jones lived here, and if he was at home. I said -you did lodge with me, sir, having no reason to hide it, but that you -were out. The lady stepped into the passage then with the policeman."</p> - -<p>"What was the policeman like?"</p> - -<p>"Tall and handsome, with big black eyes and a black beard. He was -something like the gentleman who came to see you last night. I beg -pardon, did you speak, sir?"</p> - -<p>But Van Zwieten had not spoken. He had uttered a groan rather of -relief than otherwise. The thing was not so bad after all. In the lady -he recognized the wife of Mr. Malet, though why she should have come -to raid his rooms was more than he could understand. The policeman he -had no difficulty in recognizing as Wilfred Burton in a new disguise. -Without doubt it was he who had brought Lady Jenny Malet to the -Westminster rooms. And Wilfred knew, too, of the existence of the box -with its compromising contents, of which Van Zwieten himself had been -foolish enough to tell him on the previous night, out of a sheer -spirit of bravado--bravado which he bitterly regretted when it was too -late. He swore now in his beard, at his own folly, and at Wilfred's -daring.</p> - -<p>However, now that he could feel tolerably sure that the authorities -had nothing to do with the seizure of his papers, he felt more at -ease. After all, these private enemies might be baffled, but of this -he was not so sure as he had been. The several checks which had -recently happened to him had made him feel less sure of himself.</p> - -<p>"Well, Mrs. Hicks," he said, rousing himself from his meditations, -"and what did these people do?"</p> - -<p>Mrs. Hicks threw her apron over her head and moaned. "Oh, sir!" she -said, in muffled tones, which came from under her apron, "they told me -that you were a dangerous man, and that the Government had sent the -policeman to search your rooms. The lady said she knew you well, and -did not want to make a public scandal, so she had brought the -policeman to do it quietly. She asked me for the key, and said if I -did not give it up she would bring in a dozen more policemen--and -that would have ruined me, sir!"</p> - -<p>"And you believed her?" cried Van Zwieten, cursing her for a fool.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Hicks whipped the apron off her head and looked at her lodger in -wide-eyed amazement. "Of course I did," she said; "I'm that afraid of -the police as never was. Many a time have I feared when I saw poor -Hicks--who is dead and gone--in the hands of the constables for being -drunk, poor lamb! I wouldn't resist the police; would you, sir?</p> - -<p>"Never mind," he said, seeing it was useless to argue with her. "You -let them into my rooms, I suppose?"</p> - -<p>"As you may guess, sir, me being a law-abiding woman, though the taxes -are that heavy. Yes, sir, I took them up to your room and left them -there."</p> - -<p>"Ach! what did you do that for?"</p> - -<p>"I could not help myself, sir. The policeman ordered me to go away, -and it was not for me to disobey the law. I left them there for twenty -minutes, and then I came up to see what they were doing. The policeman -had gone and so had the cab, though I swear to you, Mr. Jones, that I -never heard it drive away. The lady was sitting, cool as you like, at -your desk there, writing."</p> - -<p>"What was she writing?"</p> - -<p>"That, sir, I don't rightly know, as she put her letter into an -envelope, and here it is."</p> - -<p>He snatched the letter Mrs. Hicks produced from her pocket, and said -something not very complimentary to that good woman's brains. She was -indignant, and would fain have argued with him, but he silenced her -with a gesture, and hurriedly read the letter. As he had already -guessed, the writer was Lady Jenny Malet; and she merely asked him to -call at her house in Curzon Street for explanations. So she put it, -somewhat ironically perhaps, and Van Zwieten swore once again--this -time at the phrase. He put the letter in his pocket, determined to -accept the invitation, and to have it out with this all too clever -lady. Meanwhile Mrs. Hicks rose to make a speech.</p> - -<p>"I have to give you notice, sir," she said in her most stately tones, -"as I have not been in the habit of letting my rooms to folk as is -wanted by the police. You will be pleased to leave this day week, -which, I believe, was the agreement."</p> - -<p>"I intend to leave this day," retorted her lodger. "I told you I was -going, and I have not seen fit to alter my decision. I will send for -my furniture this afternoon, and I will pay your account now."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, sir. I shall be most obliged, and I think you should pay -me extra for the disgrace you have brought on my house. Oh," wailed -Mrs. Hicks, "to think I should have lodged murderers and forgers!"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten started at the word "murderer," but he recovered himself -quickly. He dismissed her with a shrug. "Go down and make your account -out," he said. "You have done mischief enough already."</p> - -<p>"Oh, indeed!" cried the woman, shrilly. "I do like you, sir, -disgracing my honest house, and then turning on me! I have been -deceived in you, Mr. Jones; never again will I let my lodgings to -mysterious gentlemen. And when they put you in the dock, sir, I'll -come and see you hanged!" and with this incoherent speech Mrs. Hicks -tottered out of the room.</p> - -<p>Left alone, Van Zwieten lost no time in vain lamentation. He had been -beaten by his enemies for the present; he could only wait to see if -the tide of war would turn. It would be necessary to make terms with -Lady Jenny and Wilfred, for they now possessed the evidences of his -employment in England. But on his side he could use his knowledge of -the murder and of Harold's connection with it--as witness the -revolver--to keep them quiet. If they could bite, so could he.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile he gathered together his personal belongings and packed -them; he left the drawers of his desk empty, and he put the clothes of -Mr. Jones into a large trunk. By the time Mrs. Hicks arrived with her -bill he was quite ready. Nor had he left any evidence which would -identify Mr. Jones of Westminster with Mr. van Zwieten of St. James's. -Beaten he might be, but he would retreat in good order.</p> - -<p>"This is my bill, sir," said Mrs. Hicks. "I have charged nothing for -the disgrace to my house!"</p> - -<p>"Just as well," retorted he. "You would gain nothing by that. There is -the money--in cash. I suppose you would prefer it to my check."</p> - -<p>"Well, sir," said Mrs. Hicks, softened somewhat by the gold, "you have -always paid up like a gentleman, I will say, and I hope they won't -hang you!"</p> - -<p>"Thank you," said Van Zwieten, drily, as he fastened his glove; "that -is very kind of you. I will see after my furniture this afternoon. Is -there a cab at the door? All right. Send the man up for my luggage. -And, Mrs. Hicks"--he turned on her, as Mrs. Hicks described it -afterward, like a tiger--"it will be as well for you to hold your -tongue about this business. By the way, how did you know the policeman -took away my box?"</p> - -<p>"Mary Anne was watching on the stairs, sir, and she saw the policeman -come down with it," said the landlady, with dignity. "Oh, I won't say -anything, sir, you may be sure. I only want to keep away from the law. -I hope you'll be as lucky!" and Mrs. Hicks bowed her suspicious guest -out of the house. She was immensely relieved when she saw his cab -drive round the corner.</p> - -<p>In another ten minutes Mr. Jones was transformed into Mr. van Zwieten, -and was established in his rooms in Duke Street, St. James's. But he -had no intention of staying there long. The place was evidently too -hot to hold him, or would be unless he could threaten and bully Lady -Jenny and Wilfred into surrender of that precious box. In any event, -his great desire was to go south. His work in England was done, and -well done. Even Leyds acknowledged that. But for Van Zwieten's report -of the rusty condition of the British army; the out-of-date ordnance; -the little way these islanders had of putting incompetent men in -office, to be rendered still more incompetent by an antiquated system -of red-tapeism; and the inconceivable folly practiced of allowing the -civil power to override the opinion of military experts; but for all -these things the Republics--well armed though they were--would not -have declared war. The world was amazed at their daring. But their two -Presidents knew what they were about, and so did Leyds. His business -it was to spread reports which would gain the sympathy of the -Continental Powers; that of the burghers to hurl themselves on the -British, all unprepared as they were through the folly of the peace -party. Now that the glove had been thrown down, Van Zwieten was all -eagerness to get to the front. How useful he could be to his adopted -country at this juncture! But were he in the British camp as war -correspondent to an English newspaper, his usefulness would be -trebled. And now it seemed as though his enemies were to upset all -these plans by this one coup!</p> - -<p>However, there was nothing for it now but to face them bravely and -learn the worst. Then he could take what steps were possible to -frustrate them.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Brenda was pouring out her troubles to Lady Jenny Malet and -telling her all about Van Zwieten and his threats. She had gone there -full of anxiety to enlist the little widow's sympathies, and of -indignation at the charge made by the Dutchman against Harold. Having -made herself as clear as she knew how, and having related all the -facts, she waited with some impatience for Lady Jenny's opinion, which -was not immediately forthcoming. Indeed, it was some time before she -spoke.</p> - -<p>The drawing-room was both tastefully and extravagantly furnished. Lady -Jenny might be a spendthrift, but she was also an artist, and alas! -her period of splendor was drawing to a close. Already Chippingholt -Manor had been sold to gratify the greedy creditors of its late owner. -The house in Curzon Street was her own property under her marriage -settlement, and this with ten thousand pounds from the insurance -office was all she had in the world. So by the advice of her lawyer -she had invested the money and let the house furnished. Now she was -going abroad to practice economy in some continental town. All her -plans were made; and this was the last week of her prosperity. She -only lingered in England at the express request of Wilfred, who had -made her promise to help him all she could to trap Van Zwieten. Brenda -had come on the same errand; and now Lady Jenny sat and pondered how -much she could tell her about the man.</p> - -<p>"Do speak to me," said Brenda. "I am so afraid for Harold."</p> - -<p>"You need not be," replied the widow, and her visitor noticed how -worried and haggard she looked. "He is perfectly safe, I assure you. -Van Zwieten shall not harm him!"</p> - -<p>"But he accuses him of committing the murder!"</p> - -<p>"So you said. But that doesn't matter. Whoever killed poor Gilbert it -was not Harold Burton."</p> - -<p>"Tell me how Harold's revolver came to be found on the spot?"</p> - -<p>"I have an idea, but I cannot tell you--at all events, not just yet. -Wait till I have seen Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"Are you going to see him?"</p> - -<p>"I think so--to-night, about nine o'clock. At least I left a note at -his rooms which I think will bring him. I can only say that if he is a -wise man he will come. Then I will settle him once and for all as far -as Harold is concerned."</p> - -<p>"Lady Jenny, tell me who do you think killed your husband?"</p> - -<p>She looked at the girl sharply. "Did your father ever tell you he had -a brother?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Yes, he told me all about it; and how your wicked husband ran away -with his wife! I beg your pardon, I should not speak so of Mr. Malet."</p> - -<p>"You need not apologize," the widow said bitterly, "Gilbert deserves -all the names you could have called him. He was a bad man; and even -though he is dead, and though he was punished by a violent death, I -have not forgiven him."</p> - -<p>"Oh, don't say that; it is wrong!"</p> - -<p>"I know it is, but I can't help it. I have southern blood in my veins, -and I never forgive. I am glad your father told you the truth--it -saves me from having to repeat a very painful story. That poor uncle -of yours told me all about it, and how Gilbert had deceived and -ill-treated his wife. I asked my husband, and he denied the story; but -I saw the woman myself and made certain it was true. Then I hated -Gilbert. Not for that only--there were other things. Before he married -me, and after, he deceived me. I could have taken his punishment into -my own hands, but I felt sure that Heaven would check his wicked -career. But to go on with my story. That night I got a note from your -uncle telling me that his wife was dead. I saw Gilbert in the library -and showed him the letter. It was just before he went out. I reminded -him that the man--and a madman at that--was hanging about the place. -The boy who brought the letter had told me so, and I warned him -against going out. He laughed at me, and was most insulting. Then he -went, and I never saw him again until his body was brought in. I knew -then that the vengeance of Heaven had fallen!"</p> - -<p>Brenda looked at her with a white face. "What do you mean?" she asked -in a whisper.</p> - -<p>"Child, can you not guess? It was Robert who had killed him!"</p> - -<p>"Impossible!" cried Brenda. "My father found my uncle and took him -home with him. At the time of the murder Uncle Robert was in our -cottage."</p> - -<p>"Is this true?" said the widow, and a bright color came into her face. -"Then who was the man talking to Gilbert in the library? There was -some one with him just before nine o'clock. I was going to the Rectory -to meet Harold about your business, and I went to the library to see -if Gilbert had come back. I was afraid of Robert Scarse and of what he -might do, half crazed as he was by his wife's death. Little as I loved -my husband, I did not want that to happen. The door of the room was -locked, but I heard voices. I went out without thinking any more about -it. Oh, I swear to you, Brenda, that I have always believed it was -your uncle who killed him! Who was it then? The revolver!--ah! and Van -Zwieten has it!" She jumped up and clasped her hands. "I see! I know! -I know!"</p> - -<p>"What?" asked the girl, rising in alarm.</p> - -<p>"Never mind--never mind. I will tell you soon. Go now, Brenda, and -leave me to see Van Zwieten. Oh, I know how to manage him now!"</p> - -<p>"Is it him you mean?</p> - -<p>"He is worse than a murderer," Lady Jenny cried. "He is a spy!"</p> - -<p>"I was sure of it. But how do you know?"</p> - -<p>"I know; and I can't tell you how. As to the murder, he has to do with -that too. I believe he did it himself."</p> - -<p>"But how do you know?" repeated Brenda. "How do you know?"</p> - -<p>"No matter. I am sure he fired that shot, and I can prove it."</p> - -<p>"Prove it, and hang him!" cried Brenda, and there was bitter hatred in -her voice.</p> - -<p>The little widow sat down again, and the fire died out of her -eyes. "No, I cannot hang him, even though he is guilty. There are -things--oh, I can't tell you. The man must go unpunished for the sake -of--go away, child, and leave it all to me."</p> - -<p>"But I want to know the truth--I must save Harold!"</p> - -<p>"<i>I</i> will save Harold. He is safe from Van Zwieten. As to the truth, -you shall know it when once he is out of the country."</p> - -<p>Brenda had to be satisfied with this, for her friend absolutely -refused to tell her any more. But she left feeling that her husband -was safe from the intrigues of the Dutchman, and that was all she -cared about.</p> - -<p>Left alone, Lady Jenny clenched her hands.</p> - -<p>"If I could only hang him!" she muttered. "But that is impossible!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_18" href="#div1Ref_18">CHAPTER XVIII.</a></h4> -<h5>EXIT VAN ZWIETEN.</h5> -<br> - -<p>As Lady Jenny had expected, Mr. van Zwieten proved himself to be a -wise man by presenting himself in her drawing-room at the appointed -hour. He was in evening dress, calm and composed as usual, and greeted -her with a low bow. She could not help admiring his self-possession. -His reputation, his liberty even, was at stake, and yet he never -turned a hair. And with these feelings uppermost, she received him -more kindly, perhaps, than she would otherwise have done. The -Dutchman, taking his cue from her, that the conversation, despite its -probable sensational character, was not to be conducted on -melodramatic lines, reciprocated her politeness. Any one seeing the -pair might have imagined that they were discussing nothing of more -importance than "Shakespeare and the musical glasses," rather than a -subject which, to one of them, at least, meant life or death.</p> - -<p>The hostess, in a black silk dinner dress, with a few well-chosen -jewels, looked unusually pretty in the light of the lamps, and Van -Zwieten was an admirer of pretty women, and knew well how to make -himself agreeable to them. Had the subject-matter of their -conversation been only less serious, he would have enjoyed himself. As -it was, he did not find the hour he spent with her irksome. For a few -moments the two antagonists discussed general topics, and then Lady -Jenny came suddenly to the point. The man watched her warily. Pretty -she might be, but that was no reason why he should allow her to get -the better of him. It was a duel of words, and the combatants were -well matched.</p> - -<p>"Well, Mr. van Zwieten," began the widow, "I suppose you were somewhat -astonished at my invitation."</p> - -<p>"I cannot deny that I was, my dear lady. It is, perhaps, a trifle -disconcerting to find one's rooms robbed, and then to receive an -invitation from the robber!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, come, that is rather harsh, is it not? It was what I should call -simple justice."</p> - -<p>"Indeed!" replied the other, dryly. "It would interest me to learn how -you make that out."</p> - -<p>"Oh, easily. I can give you two reasons. In the first place, you -threatened--did you not?--to accuse a man of a crime which you knew he -had not committed. In the second, you are a spy, to put it plainly, -and both Wilfred Burton and I felt it was our duty to secure proofs of -your guilt. We are not <i>all</i> fools in this country!"</p> - -<p>"That is a charge one would hardly bring against you," returned Van -Zwieten, with emphasis, "nor against that young man. Had I suspected -him of so much cleverness, I should have taken more elaborate -precautions."</p> - -<p>"Ah! you should never undervalue your enemies! Well, I suppose you -know that you are in my power?"</p> - -<p>"And in Wilfred Burton's also!"</p> - -<p>"No. I can manage him. He has left the decision of this matter in my -hands. I am sure you ought to be pleased at that!"</p> - -<p>"I am. Because I see you mean to let me off."</p> - -<p>"That depends!" she said, and shot a keen glance at him. "I asked you -to come here because it was necessary that I should see you, sir--but -I despise you none the less for that. You are a spy!--the meanest of -all created creatures."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten held up his hand. He was quite unmoved. "My dear lady, let -us come to business. Believe me, preaching of that kind has very -little effect on me. I might defend myself by saying that I have every -right to use craft on behalf of the Transvaal fox against the mighty -English lion, but I will content myself with holding my tongue. I -would remind you that I have very little time to spare. I intend to -leave this country to-morrow morning."</p> - -<p>"How do you know that I shall allow you to go?"</p> - -<p>"You would hardly have invited me to this interview else," Van Zwieten -said cunningly. "You have something you want from me. Well, I will -give it in exchange for my safety--and that includes, of course, your -silence."</p> - -<p>"It is clever of you to put it that way," responded the widow, coolly. -"It so happens that you are right. I intend to make a bargain with -you."</p> - -<p>"Always provided that I agree."</p> - -<p>"Of course," said she, airily; "but in this case I really think you -<i>will</i> agree."</p> - -<p>"I am not so sure of that." Van Zwieten narrowed his eyes and blinked -wickedly. "You forget that I also know something."</p> - -<p>"For that reason I asked you here. Let me advise you not to pit -yourself against me, my good man, or you may get the worst of it. A -word from me and you would be kicking your heels in jail this very -night."</p> - -<p>"Probably." Van Zwieten had too much to gain to notice her threat. -"But you will never say that word."</p> - -<p>"You can't be quite sure of that yet. Well, let us get to business. I -am not anxious to spend any more time in your company than is -necessary."</p> - -<p>"I assure you the feeling is mutual. May I ask how you found my rooms -in Westminster?"</p> - -<p>"I think you know that very well after the visitor you received last -night. I was told about them and you by Mr. Wilfred Burton. He knew -long ago that you were a spy, and he has been watching you for many -months."</p> - -<p>"He is not so very clever then. All these months--and yet he has got -no further than this!"</p> - -<p>"How much further do you want him to go? He has the box with all your -papers--your treasonable papers--your orders from Dr. Leyds. Really, -Mr. van Zwieten, you should have taken a little more care of that box! -The top of a press was hardly a safe place to hide it. But perhaps you -had been reading Poe's story of the 'Purloined Letter.'"</p> - -<p>"Never mind what I read," he said, evidently annoyed at her flippancy. -"Let us confine ourselves to business. The idea of the disguised -policeman was yours, I suppose?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, it was. I felt sure that the landlady would not let us -enter your room to make the search unless she was thoroughly -frightened, so I suggested that he should get himself up as a member -of the force. Our little stratagem succeeded to perfection. Mrs. -Hicks--that is her name, I believe--was terrified and let us in at -once. Then we found your box, and I sent Wilfred away with it while I -stayed and wrote my note to you. Oh, what a time we had over your -papers! You really are very clever, Mr. van Zwieten. What a lot the -Foreign Secretary would give to see what we saw and, as it happens, he -is a personal friend of mine. I might sell it, you know," she went on -coolly. "I am poor enough now, and they would give me a good price."</p> - -<p>"Not such a price as would recompense you for what I could say about -your husband," retorted the Dutchman.</p> - -<p>She laughed gaily. "Oh, that? My good man, I know all about that! Do -you think I should have taken the trouble to talk to you if I had not -known that my husband had been doing all your dirty work?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, he did my work," Van Zwieten said viciously. "He was my -creature--paid by me with Transvaal gold. You call <i>me</i> a spy, Lady -Jane Malet. Your own husband was one--and not only a spy, but a -traitor!"</p> - -<p>"I know it," she said, and her face was very pale, "and for that -reason I am glad he is dead, terrible though his end was."</p> - -<p>"I dare say you helped him out of the world!" sneered Van Zwieten.</p> - -<p>"That is false, and you know it. I had no idea of what my husband was -until I found his papers after his death. Had I known that when he was -yet alive, I <i>might</i> have killed him!" She clenched her hand. "Yes, I -might have shot him, the mean, cowardly hound! He spoke against the -Boers, and yet he took their money!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, you must not blame him for that. That was my idea."</p> - -<p>"It is worthy of you. Oh!"--she started up and paced the room in a -fury--"to think that I should have been married to such a creature! To -think that I should have lived on gold paid for the betrayal of my -country! The cur! The Judas! Thank God he is dead." And then, turning -abruptly on the Dutchman, "How did you gain him over to your side?" -she asked. "Gilbert was a man once--a man and a gentleman. How did you -contrive to make him a--a--thing?"</p> - -<p>"Easily enough," he said placidly. He could not understand why she -made all this fuss. "Two years ago I met him at Monte Carlo. I watched -him gamble and lose. I heard he was in the War Office, or had some -connection with it, so I made his acquaintance and induced him to play -still higher. We became intimate enough to discuss money matters--his, -of course--and he told me that he was very hard up. He blamed you."</p> - -<p>"I dare say," returned Lady Jenny, coldly. "Go on."</p> - -<p>"Well, I put the matter to him delicately. I asked him to find out -certain details connected with your military organization, and I told -him he would be well paid for the information. I am bound to say he -kicked at first, but I went on tempting him with bigger sums; and he -was so desperately hard up that he closed with me in the end. He soon -did all I wanted, and, once in my power, I trained him to be most -useful, but I kept on paying him well--oh, yes, I paid him very well."</p> - -<p>He made this villainous confession in so cool a tone that Lady Jenny -could have struck him. It was horrible to think that she had been the -wife of so degraded a creature as Van Zwieten now described her -husband to have been, and, "Thank God he is dead!" she cried again. -"It would have been worse for both of us if I had known it while he -was alive. It might have been I, then, who would have fired the shot. -But after all, I suppose it was better that he should fall by your -hand!"</p> - -<p>The Dutchman started from his seat. "I am a spy, Lady Jenny," he -cried, "but I am not a murderer. I leave that sort of thing to you!"</p> - -<p>"To me? Do you accuse me of the murder of my husband?"</p> - -<p>"I do. Captain Burton, while staying at your house at Chippingholt, -left his revolvers behind. You found them; you took one and stole -out after your husband and shot him. I found the weapon. Do you take -me for a fool? Where were you when you pretended to go to the -Rectory?--out in the orchards tracking your husband! You killed him -because he was in love with Mrs. Scarse. Deny it if you can!"</p> - -<p>"I do deny it. It was all over between him and Mrs. Scarse before he -married me. He cared so little for the poor woman that he did not go -to her when she was dying. That madman, her husband, came down to tell -Gilbert of her death. They met and had a struggle. I thought it was he -who had killed him; and indeed, if he had, I should not have blamed -him. As it was, you were the man--you, who wanted to get rid of your -tool!"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten threw himself back in his chair with a laugh. "You talk -nonsense," he said roughly. "Why should I want to get rid of a man who -was useful to me? No one was more sorry than I when poor Malet died. -Not from any sentimental point of view--oh, dear no!--but because he -had become quite a necessary person to me. I found the revolver in the -grass, but it was not I who had used it. If I had," he added -cynically, "I should have no hesitation in telling you."</p> - -<p>"You <i>did</i> murder him!" insisted Lady Jenny, fiercely. "I know where -you found the revolver--not, as you say, on the grass--no! it was in -the library on the night of the murder. Gilbert had been shooting at a -mark in the afternoon; and at night--at nine o'clock--I heard voices -in the library. It was you who were with him; you, who came to take -away treasonable papers from my unhappy husband. You got what you -wanted, and you got the weapon, and he went back with you to Mr. -Scarse's cottage. You wanted to get rid of him without danger to -yourself; you tried to lay the guilt on Harold Burton to rid yourself -of a rival! You shot Gilbert in the orchards, and you threw away the -revolver to implicate Harold and walked back to the cottage; you--you -murderer!--you Cain!"</p> - -<p>She stopped, half choked by her emotions. Van Zwieten seized the -opportunity to deny once again the truth of her accusation.</p> - -<p>"I tell you I did not kill Malet!"</p> - -<p>"Then who did?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. I thought it was Captain Burton; upon my soul I did!"</p> - -<p>"Have you a soul?" Lady Jenny asked with scorn. "I should doubt it. -However, I stick to my opinion--I believe that you killed my husband. -Oh, you need not look alarmed, I am not going to give you up. I have -done all I wanted--I have married Harold to Brenda by telling him I -could keep you from accusing him of the murder!"</p> - -<p>"And can you?" sneered Van Zwieten. He was fighting every inch.</p> - -<p>"I am sure I can. I have your box, remember. For my husband's sake I -spare you now. I don't want an honorable name to be smirched through -him. I don't want to be pointed at as the widow of a spy and a -traitor, otherwise I would denounce you as the spy and the murderer I -truly believe you to be. This is my bargain, Mr. van Zwieten. You -leave England at once, cease to persecute Captain Burton and his wife -and I will hold my tongue."</p> - -<p>"And if I refuse?" he asked sullenly.</p> - -<p>"If you refuse I will have you arrested as you leave this house. You -think I can't do that, but I can. I have made all my preparations. I -have left nothing to chance. One does not leave things to chance in -dealing with a man like you, Mr. van Zwieten," she sneered. "Wilfred -Burton is outside with a couple of policemen. I have only to whistle -and they will come up."</p> - -<p>But Van Zwieten was not so easily bluffed. "On what grounds, may I -ask?" he said. "If you wanted to keep this matter quiet for the sake -of your husband, you would not have told the police."</p> - -<p>"I have told them nothing about your spying business," she said -calmly. "You will be arrested on a charge of being concerned in the -murder of my husband, and I can assure you that if you are so arrested -I will press the charge. On the other hand, if you agree to my terms, -I will let you go free. I can easily make things right with the police -by telling them that I have been mistaken. Oh, all this is not -regular, I know; but I have some little political influence, and I am -using it for my own benefit--and for yours, if it comes to that."</p> - -<p>He looked at her savagely. Had he obeyed his inclinations he would -have wrung her neck. It was gall and wormwood to him to be beaten so -thoroughly by a woman. But being in England, and not in a country like -the Transvaal, where such a trifling matter as murder would be winked -at, he had to suppress his homicidal desires. Quickly reviewing the -situation, he could see nothing for it but to yield to the superior -power of the enemy. Twist and wriggle as he might, there was no chance -of escaping from the trap she had prepared for him. The game was up -and there remained only the Transvaal.</p> - -<p>"Well!" Lady Jenny asked imperiously, "what have you to say? Will you -give me your promise to leave Brenda and her husband unmolested and to -leave England at once, or will you allow yourself to be arrested and -have all the world know what manner of life yours has been?"</p> - -<p>"If you had me exposed, you also would suffer."</p> - -<p>"My husband's name would be smirched. I know that, but I am prepared -to run that risk. If I had the misfortune to be the wife of a -scoundrel, that was not my fault. But I am getting tired of all this. -I give you five minutes to make up your mind."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten assumed a cheerful demeanor. He would take the sting of -this defeat by accepting it with a good grace. "There is no need for -me to consider the matter, dear lady," he said, "I am willing to -accept your terms."</p> - -<p>"Very good. Then you leave England----"</p> - -<p>"To-morrow morning."</p> - -<p>"And you will make no further accusations against Captain Burton?"</p> - -<p>"No. It would appear that he is innocent."</p> - -<p>"And you will not annoy his wife?"</p> - -<p>"Since she is his wife, I will promise that also."</p> - -<p>"In that case I need detain you no longer, Mr. van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"One moment. My papers; what about them? Am I not to have them?"</p> - -<p>The audacity of this demand took away the little woman's breath. "No! -Certainly not," she replied sharply. "I should lose my hold over you -if I gave them up. Besides, you have given quite enough information to -your friend Dr. Leyds. You shall not give any more if I can help it."</p> - -<p>"Then what security have I that you will let me go free?"</p> - -<p>"You have my word. And, after all, there are no guarantees on either -side. What security have I for your silence save the holding of these -papers? I know very well that as soon as you think you are safe you -will do what injury you can to Captain Burton. But I can thwart you -there too, Mr. van Zwieten. Your wish is to go to the British camp as -a war correspondent. You would betray all our plans to the enemy. -Well, sir, I forbid you to stay with my countrymen. If I hear--as I -assuredly will hear that you are in our camp, I will at once disclose -the contents of the box, and instructions shall be sent to the front -for your arrest. I can checkmate you on every point."</p> - -<p>"What about Captain Burton's life? You can't protect that. If you -drive me to join the Boers, I can easily have him shot."</p> - -<p>Seeing there was no more to be said, he rose to go. At the door he -paused. "You have forced me to consent to what you wished," he said, -"as I can do nothing against the power you have unlawfully gained over -me by stealing my papers. But I give you fair warning that I love -Brenda madly, and that I intend to make her my wife in spite of -Captain Burton. Once in the Transvaal, I shall join hands openly with -my adopted country. Then let Burton look to himself, for I will do my -best to make his wife a widow."</p> - -<p>"The future is in the hands of God," Lady Jenny said solemnly. "You -can go, Mr. van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>He bowed ironically and went without another word. He was glad to have -escaped so easily; for, after all, he could do as he liked when he was -beyond the reach of pursuit. Once he was in the Transvaal, Lady Jenny -might show the papers as much as she wished. Had she been wise, he -thought, she would have kept him as a hostage. But she had let her -chance slip, and he was free to plot and scheme. Needless to say, he -intended to keep none of the promises he had made.</p> - -<p>Then he went out into the night, slipped past three men, whom he -recognized as Wilfred and the constables, and so took his departure -like a whipped hound.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_19" href="#div1Ref_19">CHAPTER XIX.</a></h4> -<h5>A TERRIBLE LETTER.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Then succeeded a period of waiting and heart-breaking expectation, -which Brenda, in common with many of her fellow-countrymen, bore with -quiet heroism. Glencoe, Elandslaagte, Rietfontein were fought, and -victory crowned the British arms; but the triumphs were only achieved -at a bitter cost.</p> - -<p>The eyes of the world were eagerly fixed on this first example of -modern warfare since the Franco-German campaign; and the military -experts of Europe were anxious to learn how the use of scientific -weapons of terrible destructive force would affect the warfare of the -future. It was soon seen that battles would resolve themselves into -artillery duels, since no human beings could stand up against the hail -of shot and shell hurled incessantly from repeating machines such as -the Mauser, Nordenfelt and Maxim. That the British troops should brave -the fury of this death-storm proved to the onlooking world how -brightly the valor for their sires burned in their hearts. Even the -grudging critics of the Continent could not withhold their tribute of -admiration at this matchless daring.</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse had taken a small house, and Brenda lived with him. They -had been very happy together since their reconciliation--as happy, at -least, as they could be while Harold was at the front. He was with -Buller, who, sheltered behind the Tugela River, had not yet commenced -to move. How eagerly Brenda scanned the papers through those days of -suspense! Wilfred had gone out as a war correspondent, and when his -brilliant letters appeared, with what delight she read them over and -over again. Mr. Scarse still denounced the war as an unjust one, and -unnecessary to boot, and said so in public when he could. Seeing it -was useless to attempt to alter her father's views, Brenda never -mentioned the subject; and so they got on very well together. -Occasionally there came a letter from Harold; then Brenda was happy -for the day, for he always wrote full of hope and courage.</p> - -<p>Lady Jenny Malet still lingered in England. She had let her Curzon -Street house and was staying at a quiet hotel. Knowing, as she did, -that Van Zwieten was not wholly crushed, she did not feel inclined to -leave the country until she felt tolerably certain that Harold was -safe from him. His box she kept in her own possession and showed to no -one. Only in the event of Van Zwieten playing the traitor in Natal -would she produce them. For no other reason would she smirch the -memory of her husband. She had arranged with Wilfred that, if the spy -were found in the British camp, information should be sent to her at -once. Then she would see the authorities, and he should be dealt with -according to martial law. She explained this to Brenda.</p> - -<p>"Wilfred is with Harold," she said, "and he will look after him. Van -Zwieten knows that on the first sign of his breaking his promise I -shall not spare him."</p> - -<p>"But how will that affect him out there?" the girl asked dolefully.</p> - -<p>"It won't affect him if he is openly on the side of the enemy; but if -he is spying in the British camps he will be taken and shot. I don't -think he can be with General Buller or Wilfred would have denounced -him. He is probably at the Modder."</p> - -<p>"But he may be with the enemy?"</p> - -<p>"He may be. I have heard nothing of him since he left London. He went -over to the Continent--so Wilfred found out--and sailed in a German -liner for Delagoa Bay. Yes, he might be with the Boer forces, but I -doubt it."</p> - -<p>"Why do you doubt it?"</p> - -<p>"My dear, Van Zwieten can do no harm to your husband except by -treachery. Of course he might shoot him, or have him shot in open -battle; but, after all, there would not be the same amount of -certainty about that as there would be if he were to get rid of him by -underhand means."</p> - -<p>"It is terrible!" cried Brenda, wringing her hands. "I don't mind -Harold fighting as a soldier should--all the other men are doing the -same--but to have a private enemy like Van Zwieten is dreadful."</p> - -<p>"I don't think he will find it so easy to do Harold any harm. After -all, Brenda, your husband is no fool, and he is on his guard."</p> - -<p>"I do wish I could go out to the front."</p> - -<p>"With what object? You could do nothing to protect him, and he would -only worry about you. Better stay at home, my dear, and try to possess -your soul in patience. It is hard, I know; but remember you are not -the only one."</p> - -<p>Brenda took the advice, and strove to calm herself by constant -occupation. She made every sort of comfort she could think of for her -husband, and sent him everything that might by the remotest chance be -useful to him. This was her great solace, and her father, seeing how -it cheered her, gave her every encouragement. But it was a terrible -time. Every day brought some fresh sorrow. The Belmont and Graspan -victories cheered the nation somewhat; but a period of gloom -succeeded, and news came of Gatacre's reverse and the failure of -Buller to cross the Tugela. It was then that the suspense became -almost too much for Mrs. Burton, for Harold was in the thick of the -fighting, and on the very scene of the disasters.</p> - -<p>But the long-expected blow fell in due time, and, as usual, when least -anticipated.</p> - -<p>One morning Mr. Scarse came down first to breakfast, and, as usual, -eagerly scanned the papers. When his daughter entered the room she saw -at once that something dreadful had happened.</p> - -<p>"What is it, father?" she asked, and held out her hand for the <i>Daily -Mail</i>.</p> - -<p>"Nothing, my dear--nothing!" was his answer. But he kept the paper in -his hand. "Only the usual disasters. Oh, this unholy war!"</p> - -<p>"Harold--oh, father, tell me the truth--he is wounded--dead! Oh, -Harold, Harold!"</p> - -<p>"No, no," cried her father, with eagerness, "he is not wounded."</p> - -<p>"Then he is killed!" shrieked Brenda.</p> - -<p>"Not at all; if he were I should tell you."</p> - -<p>She snatched the paper from his hand and spread it out; but tears -blinded her, and she could not read a word. "For God's sake, tell me -the worst!" was her cry. "Is my darling--is Harold----"</p> - -<p>"He is missing!" Mr. Scarse said roughly. "Don't look like that, -Brenda. He may have been taken prisoner, and then he would be all -right."</p> - -<p>"Missing!" echoed the poor young wife. "Oh, poor Harold, pray God he -is not dead!"</p> - -<p>"Of course he's not. His name would be amongst the killed if he were. -He is missing--that is all. He was taken prisoner, no doubt, at the -passage of the Tugela. Hope for the best, Brenda."</p> - -<p>"Van Zwieten," she said faintly. "I hope this is none of his work."</p> - -<p>"Not it. If he had been in the neighborhood Wilfred would have let us -know. This is only one of the ordinary chances of war. You should be -thankful, my dear, that he isn't on the list of killed or wounded. The -chances are that he is a prisoner, and in safety."</p> - -<p>"I hope so! I hope so! But, father, let us go down to the War Office!"</p> - -<p>"The War Office will know no more than is in this paper."</p> - -<p>"I want to make certain of that. Come, father."</p> - -<p>"My dear child, you have eaten nothing. You must have some breakfast -first."</p> - -<p>"I can't eat."</p> - -<p>"You must. Bear yourself as an Englishwoman should, Brenda. Think how -many women there are at this moment mourning over the death of their -dearest. You, at least, have hope--it might have been far worse."</p> - -<p>Brenda, agitated as she was, could not but admit the truth of this, -and she forced herself to eat. She would need all her strength to bear -up against this cruel blow. After all, as her father had very rightly -said, things were far from being as bad as they might have been. Her -husband's name might have been on the list of those killed or -dangerously wounded. As it was he was only missing. News of him might -come at any time. She reproached herself with ingratitude toward a -kind Providence. In a more cheerful frame of mind she finished her -breakfast and got ready to go down to the War Office with her father. -There she had an object-lesson in seeing the endurance of women whose -news was as bad as it could be. If her own trouble was hard to bear, -how infinitely harder was the lot of those whose dead lay on the -stricken field.</p> - -<p>"Father! father!" she whispered, "I should not repine. I am so much -better off than these poor things!"</p> - -<p>The news of the Tugela disaster had brought a large crowd to the War -Office, and a vast number of people had collected in the street. Men -and women were scanning the fatal lists, and many a heartrending sight -did the girl see as she stood there waiting for her father, who had -gone into the office to see if he could gain any definite news about -his son-in-law. Outside, a proud old lady sat waiting in her carriage. -She bore herself with dignity, but her face was ashen white. And as -Brenda stood there, she saw a girl come out and stagger into the -carriage. No word was spoken, but in a storm of weeping she threw -herself on the old lady's breast. And the older woman neither wept nor -cried out, but drove silently away with the distracted girl beside -her, and she was a woman who had given her country of the best she had -to offer--the life of her son.</p> - -<p>"Oh, poor woman! poor woman!" wept Brenda.</p> - -<p>There was a silence as of death in that crowded office, save for now -and again a low whisper or a stifled sob. And still the people came -and went and came again. Brenda waited with sinking heart. When would -her father come? Would he bring good news or bad? She braced herself -up to bear the worst.</p> - -<p>"It is all right, Brenda," she heard him say at last--he had come up -behind her as she stood watching the crowd outside. "Harold is safe!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, thank God for that!" she gasped, clinging to his arm. "He is not -wounded, is he?"</p> - -<p>"No! He is a prisoner. He was out with a detachment of his men on -patrol duty, and the Boers captured the whole lot. I expect he will be -sent to Pretoria, so you need not be anxious now, my dear."</p> - -<p>"I don't--I don't know," she cried feverishly. "If Van Zwieten is -there he won't escape so easily."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense! Van Zwieten is not omnipotent, as you seem to think. Thank -God that your husband is safe, child, and don't go out to meet your -troubles."</p> - -<p>"I do--I do. I am grateful. Oh, the poor women! The poor fatherless -children! Oh, father, what a terrible thing war is!"</p> - -<p>"It is indeed," sighed Mr. Scarse. "I remember the Crimea and all the -misery it brought. That is why I was so anxious to avert this war. But -we are in the midst of it now and we must go through with it. At all -events, Brenda, your husband is safe. There will be no more fighting -for him."</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry for that," she said, much to his surprise. "Harold will eat -his heart out now. I would rather he were fighting."</p> - -<p>"You are not easy to please, my dear," said her father, drily. "So far -as his safety is concerned, he is in the best position. You need not -be afraid to look at the papers now."</p> - -<p>"I am foolish, I know, father. But I wish he had not been taken. I -don't want him to be wrapped up in cotton wool while other men are -fighting."</p> - -<p>"He would agree with you there. However, you must look upon it as the -fortune of war. He will have to stay where he is till peace is -proclaimed, and God knows when that will be in the present temper of -this misguided nation. Come home now."</p> - -<p>So home they went and did their best to take a cheerful view of -things. It was a sad Christmas for Brenda, and for hundreds of other -women who had suffered far more severely than she had done. To hear of -"peace and goodwill" was like mockery in her ears. She knew that the -war was a just one; that it had been forced upon England by the -ambition of an obstinate old man and that in going through with this -terrible business the country was fulfilling, as ever, her appointed -mission of civilization. But even so, it was terrible to open the -papers and read sad tales of grief and disaster. Hundreds of young -lives--the flower of British manhood--were being sacrificed to the -horrible Moloch of war; and the end was not yet in sight.</p> - -<p>Toward the end of December the nation had been somewhat cheered by the -news of General French's victory at Colesberg, but the year ended in -gloom and sorrow and the wailing of Rachel for her children. And on -the Continent the enemies of freedom and honest government rejoiced at -the blows an enlightened Government was receiving. Truly, in those -dark hours, Britannia was the Niobe of nations. But she set her teeth -and fought on.</p> - -<p>No letter had come from Wilfred about his brother's disappearance; -neither did he mention it in the columns of the paper of which he was -correspondent. The first news which Mrs. Burton received, other than -from the War Office, was a letter which arrived one morning with the -Transvaal postmark. In fear and trembling she opened it, thinking it -contained an announcement from some kind soul in Pretoria that Harold -was dead. To her astonishment and horror it proved to be from Van -Zwieten, and was addressed to her, "care of" Mrs. St. Leger. She -opened it, and was found later on by the parlor-maid in a dead faint. -The first thing she did on regaining consciousness was to read it -again. As she got to the end, she heard her father's step. In a tremor -of excitement she ran to him.</p> - -<p>"Oh, father, look at this it is from Van Zwieten--written from -Pretoria."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse was astonished. The Dutchman was the last person in the -world from whom he expected to hear. But the cool insolence of the man -seemed to be beyond all bounds. Putting on his glasses he read the -letter. Brenda sat beside him, trying to control her excitement. And -this was what he read:</p> -<br> - -<p style="text-indent:5%"> -"<span class="sc">Dear Mrs. Burton</span>,--Your husband has been taken prisoner by our -burghers, and is now in Pretoria, and more or less in my charge. I -write to you to say that unless you come out to me here, at once, I -will have your husband shot as a spy. There is plenty of evidence to -allow of this being done. I hope, therefore, that you will save his -life by obeying my orders. If not, you may expect to hear of his -death. You know I never speak vainly.--Yours with all love,</p> - -<p style="text-indent:50%"> -"<span class="sc">Waldo van Zwieten</span>."</p> -<br> - -<p>"Father!" cried Brenda, when he had finished reading this cold-blooded -letter, "what is to be done? My poor boy!"</p> - -<p>"It is a trick to get you out there and into his power," said Mr. -Scarse, in a tone of decision. "I don't believe he can do it--no, not -for one moment."</p> - -<p>"But I am quite sure he can. You know how vindictive he is. Oh, how -can we save Harold?"</p> - -<p>"By seeing the authorities. I will get a request sent out to Kruger; -he is a God-fearing man and would not permit this atrocity."</p> - -<p>"It will do no good," the girl said, shaking her head sadly. "No, -father, I dare say if such a request were cabled to the President he -would do his best; but Van Zwieten would try and kill Harold in the -meantime, and if he succeeded--as he would succeed--he would say it -was an accident."</p> - -<p>"I believe he is capable of anything. But what else is to be done? You -cannot obey this insolent demand!"</p> - -<p>"I must--to save Harold!"</p> - -<p>"Go out to Pretoria?--impossible!"</p> - -<p>"I don't see that," she said fervently. "I can go to Delagoa Bay by -some German ship--the German ships go there, don't they?--and from -there I can take the train to Pretoria. It is quite simple. Then I -will see Van Zwieten and trick him into letting Harold be under some -one else's care for a time. Then I shall speak to the President and -tell him all. I am sure he will help me, and I shall be able to take -Harold away. Then Van Zwieten won't have a chance of shooting him, as -he would have if a cable were sent. Leave the matter to me, father. I -am a woman, and Van Zwieten is in love with me. I can blind him and -trick him."</p> - -<p>Her father looked at her in astonishment. She had evidently made up -her mind to go out and get the better of the Dutchman, as she said.</p> - -<p>"It is a mad scheme, Brenda!"</p> - -<p>"It is the only scheme I can think of by which I can save my husband."</p> - -<p>"But, Brenda, listen to reason. Think what a scoundrel Van Zwieten -is!"</p> - -<p>"All the more reason that I should save Harold from him."</p> - -<p>"He might insist, as a condition of you husband's safety, that you and -he be divorced. These things can be arranged, you know. And then he -would marry you himself. He is capable of making the most impossible -demands."</p> - -<p>"I dare say. I know he is capable of any villainy. But you leave the -matter to me, father, and I will think of some scheme by which I can -get the better of him. One thing is certain--I must go at once to -Pretoria."</p> - -<p>"But, Brenda, you cannot travel alone."</p> - -<p>"Lady Jenny will come with me. If she will not, then I shall go alone. -Do you think I care for appearances when Harold is in danger of his -life? I will plead with Kruger--with his wife--I am sure they will -help me."</p> - -<p>"H'm! Remember, Kruger is not omnipotent, and Van Zwieten is powerful. -The President may not care to offend him. Besides, you can see for -yourself, from this letter, that the man is still in love with you. -Once he got you into his power he would stick at nothing that would -make you a free woman."</p> - -<p>"In that case I would die with Harold. But I don't believe the Boers -are so uncivilized. Kruger will help me--I feel sure of it. You say he -is a good man."</p> - -<p>"He is," Mr. Scarse said. He was one of the few people who had fallen -into this error. "Yes, if anything can be done, Kruger is the man who -will do it."</p> - -<p>"Then, dear father, will you make inquiries for me about a German -ship? I want to go as soon as possible."</p> - -<p>"Not alone, Brenda--not alone," said her father. "I will go with you. -Yes, child, I will myself see the President. He knows how I have -advocated his views in this country, and he will not refuse me this. -We will go together."</p> - -<p>She threw her arms round his neck. "Darling father," she murmured, -"how good you are. Yes, we will go, and save my darling from that -wicked man. Lady Jenny outwitted him, so I will do the same. Oh, how -astonished Harold will be to see me at Pretoria!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_20" href="#div1Ref_20">CHAPTER XX.</a></h4> -<h5>ON THE TRACK.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Brenda Burton was a singularly obstinate young woman. Once she had -decided upon a scheme she never rested until she had carried it -through. And being thus minded toward the affairs of everyday life, -how much more obstinate was she likely to be touching a matter -concerning the safety of her husband. Leaving Mr. Scarse to make his -arrangements--and he had much to do--she herself ascertained full -particulars as to the route, and the cost of the journey.</p> - -<p>"We can make for the Canary Islands to-morrow," she told her father. -"There is a Castle liner leaving in the afternoon. There we can pick -up the German boat, <i>Kaiser Fritz</i>, which goes on to Delagoa Bay."</p> - -<p>"Can't we go straight to the Cape in an English boat and get a steamer -there to the bay?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, but the other way will be quicker, I think. The day after we -arrive at the Canaries we can pick up the German boat, and we sha'n't -have to transship at the Cape. I don't think we can do better."</p> - -<p>"Well, as you please," said he. "I should like to go in the <i>Kaiser -Fritz</i> myself; it would afford me an excellent opportunity for -learning the true opinions of the Germans about this--to my -thinking--most unjust war."</p> - -<p>Brenda shrugged her shoulders. "I dare say they will be disagreeable," -she said. "They are so jealous of us, and if our country went -to the wall--which she never will do," interpolated she, -patriotically--"Germany would be in a very bad position. She would -not be the overwhelming power she hopes to be with France and Russia -at her heels. But don't let us talk politics. All I want is to make -use of their boat to reach Delagoa Bay. Give me a check, father, and I -will take the passages. To-morrow you must be ready to get as far as -Southampton."</p> - -<p>So, like the quick-witted woman she was, she attended to all the -business, and her father found, to his astonishment, that he had -nothing to do but step on board the liner. Lady Jenny Malet came to -see them off. She could do nothing against Van Zwieten at present; but -there was no knowing what he might do at any moment, and they must be -prepared to checkmate him. So she gave Mrs. Burton a registered -address, in case she might have to communicate with her, and did her -best to cheer her.</p> - -<p>"I feel sure you will find him all right, dear," she said, as she -kissed the girl. "He is not the man to be shot by a scoundrel like Van -Zwieten. And you can coax Kruger into doing what you want. You are -pretty enough to do what you like with him."</p> - -<p>Brenda smiled faintly--the first smile for many day's. "I don't think -that will have much influence with a man like Kruger," she said.</p> - -<p>"Nonsense, my dear. He is a man, and men are always susceptible. I'm -sure you have had enough experience of that," sighed Lady Jenny. "All -your troubles have arisen out of that horrid Van Zwieten being in love -with you."</p> - -<p>Brenda was not much comforted by this view of the situation. She hoped -rather to move Mr. Kruger by an appeal to his religious convictions, -though these were of the stern cast of the Old Testament. However, it -was in a very hopeful frame of mind that she went on board the liner, -and she cabled to Wilfred at Spearman's Camp telling him that she was -coming out. In the hope of making things as safe as possible for her -husband, she cabled also to Van Zwieten. Surely, when he received -that, he would do nothing at all events, until he had seen and come to -terms with her. What those terms would be she could not guess. But she -imagined they would include a suggestion that she should obtain a -divorce from Harold. He was, as she well knew, quite as obstinate as -his respected President--and with none of his morality or his -religion. In fact, Brenda was going to Pretoria without any sort of -definite idea save one--that somehow or other she would save her -husband from this man. That was her sole object, and achieve it she -would by hook or by crook; and she had every confidence in her own -capacity to outwit the Dutchman, wily as he was. And the days of calm -and peace on board the boat afforded her ample time for conjecture and -reflection. She had grown now to hate this man with a hatred that -would only be appeased by his destruction.</p> - -<p>They made a quick run to the islands, and the sea air did her the -world of good. There were many passengers on board; but to no one of -them did she in any way confide. Sad at heart, she kept very much to -herself, and either read or indulged in her own thoughts. Her -father was, socially speaking, anything but popular among his -fellow-passengers. Air his Little England opinions he would, with the -result that the majority of the passengers, having relatives at the -front, gave him a wide berth. He made not a single convert; and all -those whom he tried to argue round to his own way of thinking were -glad enough when he got off at Madeira.</p> - -<p>The <i>Kaiser Fritz</i> came up to time and Brenda soon found herself on -the way south. She did not much fancy the foreign boat--officers, crew -and passengers being all pro-Boer to a man. They were polite enough to -the English lady, but they took no trouble to disguise their real -opinions. The captain expressed some surprise that she should be going -to Delagoa Bay, and seemed inclined to suspect some political -significance in her doing so, though it was difficult to see what -grounds he could have had for such an absurd idea. And Mrs. Burton did -not enlighten him, but left the matter to her father. Mr. Scarse -intimated that his daughter was going to Pretoria to nurse her wounded -husband, an explanation which seemed to appeal to the sentimental -Germans. After that they were increasingly polite to her. But she -preferred her own cabin. Her father was more companionable; but even -he found but scant pleasure in their outspoken opinions on the subject -of England, and her inevitable downfall, as they put it. Even he, with -his Little England proclivities, felt his patriotism awake in the most -alarming manner at the way these foreigners jeered and scoffed. -Smarting under the insults, he developed quite a Jingo feeling, much -to his daughter's amusement; and he ended by withdrawing himself as -much as possible from the society of all on board. Father and daughter -were a good deal together, and both looked forward eagerly to the end -of a disagreeable voyage.</p> - -<p>One night, when they were south of the Line, they were on deck -together. The heavens were bright with stars, and the great grey -circle of the sea lay round them like a trackless desert. Most of -those on board were down below, and the two had the deck to -themselves. Brenda was disinclined for conversation. Her mind was, as -usual, full of thoughts of her husband, and the only feeling she -seemed cognizant of was one of joy in the thought that every day was -bringing her nearer to him. Mr. Scarse broke the silence.</p> - -<p>"Brenda," he said, "did Lady Jenny say anything about that murder?"</p> - -<p>"Very little. She said that Van Zwieten had accused her of the crime, -and that she was innocent. Of course I told her that I had never -dreamed of such a thing, and never would have credited it for one -moment."</p> - -<p>"H'm! At one time I thought myself that she might be guilty," he said. -"But I know now that I was wrong. That piece of crape certainly was -suspicious. But poor Scarse told me that in his struggle with Malet -the scarf had been torn. I never noticed it myself when I burned it. I -suppose that Malet kept it in his hand without being aware of it."</p> - -<p>"Very likely. At all events, I am sure Lady Jenny is innocent--as -innocent as my uncle. He is happy, I hope?"</p> - -<p>"In the asylum? Yes, poor fellow, he is as happy as he can be -anywhere. He has every comfort, and kind treatment. But I fear he will -not live long. Van Zwieten gave him a fright by threatening to -denounce him for the murder, unless he told his sad story. Some of it -he did tell, but not all. I was foolish enough to relate the rest of -it to Van Zwieten. But I had no alternative at the time. He was quite -capable of making a scandal. Brenda, who did kill Malet? Every day the -thing seems to become more obscure."</p> - -<p>"Well, father, I can't help thinking it was Van Zwieten. Lady Jenny -thinks so too."</p> - -<p>"You don't say so? But the revolver--it was Harold's."</p> - -<p>"Harold left them--that is, he left a case of two revolvers behind -him, and both were in the library--in Mr. Malet's library on that -night. Van Zwieten came to see him, and took one of them with him--at -least, that is what Lady Jenny thinks."</p> - -<p>"Brenda, that sounds improbable. Why should he kill Malet? He hardly -knew him, child."</p> - -<p>"Indeed, you are wrong there, father," she said, "he knew him only too -well. Listen!" and she related the story the widow had told her -concerning her husband's treachery toward his own country. Mr. Scarse -was deeply indignant and indulged in language unusually strong for -him. Little Englander though he was, and misguided on many points -though he might be, he was an honest and an honorable man; and he -could not understand how a man in Mr. Malet's position could have so -deliberately played the part of traitor. When he was in possession of -all the facts, he quite agreed with Brenda that Van Zwieten was the -culprit.</p> - -<p>"Then we'll bring him to book," he said angrily. "I will force him to -confess."</p> - -<p>"That will do no good, father. The truth cannot come to light without -the story of Mr. Malet's treachery being known; and Lady Jenny is more -than anxious to avoid that. No, Van Zwieten must be left to the -punishment of his own conscience."</p> - -<p>"I don't think that will trouble him much," Mr. Scarse said grimly. -"How I have been deceived in that man! I am sure, when I tell Kruger -his true character, he will have nothing to do with him."</p> - -<p>Brenda did not contradict this statement, although she felt pretty -certain that the foxy old President was very little better himself. -How her father could reconcile the opinion he held that Kruger was an -honest, harmless old man with the fact that he had forced this -terrible war upon England was more than she could understand. She -wondered if, when her father got to Pretoria, his discovery of the -true aims of the Transvaal Government would be at all modified. But of -this she had her doubts. He was the most obstinate of men, and an -angel from heaven could not have altered his opinion once it had been -formed. Knowing this, she never argued with him. It was absolutely -futile, and only caused trouble.</p> - -<p>At the Cape the vessel stopped for a time. Brenda did not go ashore. -She felt too sad and heavy at heart to take any interest in the sight -of new scenes and new people. She sat on the deck and looked at the -smiling land, at the glitter of the water as it danced in the hot -tropical sun. The azure of sky and sea, the transports, merchant -ships, and men-of-war, the whiteness of the city set in groves of -green, the whole lying under the shadow of Table Mountain, all went to -form a picture unsurpassable in its peculiar beauty. It was her first -sight of Africa. But it might be Harold's grave, and she hated it for -its very beauty. She would have had all Nature mourn for her dear one.</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse went on shore and returned with the latest war news. The -tactics seemed to be mostly of a defensive order. General French had -driven back a Boer force which had attacked Colesberg, and the gallant -Ladysmith garrison had repelled a terrible assault. The Cape Town -people were in high glee over this last success, anticipating, as they -did, that the Boers would now be disheartened. And no doubt it might -have had this effect for a time; but the Teutonic race is not so -easily beaten or discouraged. Mr. Scarse remarked on this when they -left for Delagoa Bay.</p> - -<p>"The difficulty of this war," he said, "is, that for the first time -Teuton is fighting against Teuton. The very dogged courage which has -enabled us to win so many battles against the Latin nations is being -used against us by the Boers. We do not know when we are beaten -either. But this will not be the easy task we thought, and the -struggle will go on till one or other of the combatants is utterly -crushed."</p> - -<p>"Oh, England will win!" Brenda said confidently.</p> - -<p>"I believe she will. I can't imagine England being beaten. But, as I -said before, it will be no easy task. By this time they have found -that out. My wonder is that they could not see that England had met a -foe with courage and determination equal to her own. If she conquers, -it will be one of her greatest achievements."</p> - -<p>"She <i>will</i> conquer," his daughter repeated, and she refused to -discuss the subject further. That Britain could fail never entered her -head.</p> - -<p>The <i>Kaiser Fritz</i> did not stop at Durban, somewhat to the -astonishment of Mr. Scarse, as he had understood that it was -customary, and on applying to the captain he received a gruff and -discourteous reply. The man seemed anxious, and was always sweeping -the sea with his glass. There was one other Englishman on board, and -Mr. Scarse asked him if he could make out what all this anxiety and -incivility meant.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps she's got contraband goods on board. Ammunition and guns," -was the reply. "These boats usually call at Durban! My own opinion is -that the captain does not want to have his ship searched."</p> - -<p>"But, my dear sir, Germany is neutral."</p> - -<p>"I dare say," the young fellow said with a grin. "Germany is anything -that suits her book. If she can smuggle in ammunition to assist the -Boers you may be sure she will do it. My good sir, what with -mercenaries in the Boer army, bread-stuffs, ammunition, guns and -rifles being imported, we are fighting, not only the Transvaal, but -the entire Continent of Europe. The Powers would give their ears to -see us smashed!"</p> - -<p>This was a somewhat new view to take of the matter, and one which did -not commend itself to Mr. Scarse. He had looked upon the Boers as a -handful of honest, God-fearing farmers--his favorite expression when -speaking of them--struggling for their freedom against the -overwhelming power of Great Britain. That they had colossal armaments, -hundreds of mercenaries, and clever agents scheming for them all over -the world, had never entered his head. In further conversations with -this young Englishman he received considerable enlightenment, and he -began to modify his views somewhat as to the absolute guilessness of -Oom Paul and his gang. But he kept his opinions to himself.</p> - -<p>The <i>Kaiser Fritz</i> did not slip past Durban as her captain had -expected. When at dawn she was almost abreast of that port she was -brought to by an English cruiser. There was a polite signal to "Heave -to!" and the German captain, with much bad language, felt himself -forced to comply with the request. The news travelled quickly through -the ship, and every one came on deck, amongst the foreigners being -Brenda and her father and the young Englishman. The Germans were -savage, and talked a great deal about the insult to the flag of the -Fatherland. Abuse of England was rife, and as she listened Brenda felt -her blood boil.</p> - -<p>Under the saffron sky of the dawn lay the menacing form of the -cruiser, displaying the glorious flag of England. Across the deep blue -of the sea came a large boat manned by the bluejackets, and no sooner -were they alongside than a smart officer jumped on deck with a request -to see the papers of the <i>Kaiser Fritz</i>. The captain blustered and -swore in high and low Dutch; but the officer, though scrupulously -polite, was quite firm. At last the papers were produced and examined, -but no contraband goods appearing on the manifest, the vessel was -allowed to proceed on her way, to the unbounded delight of the -captain, whilst the English officer swore under his breath. The latter -felt confident that there were guns and ammunition on board, and that -the manifest was false. However, he had to appear satisfied, and -prepared to return to his ship. But before leaving, he asked if Mr. -Scarse and Mrs. Burton were on board.</p> - -<p>"I am Mr. Scarse," said that gentleman, a good deal surprised to hear -his name suddenly spoken by this stranger, "and this is Mrs. Burton. -But how did you know we were here?"</p> - -<p>"I will explain that when you are on board our boat, sir."</p> - -<p>"But we are going on to Delagoa Bay," said Brenda.</p> - -<p>"In search of Captain Burton?" returned the lieutenant. "In that case -there is no need for you to go further. Captain Burton has escaped, -and is now at Durban."</p> - -<p>Poor Brenda nearly fainted at this joyful and unexpected news; but the -eyes of the ship--envious foreign eyes--were upon her, and she -struggled bravely to keep herself in hand. The officer repeated his -information, and asked them to get their things together with all -speed as the German was anxious to proceed. Hardly believing the -joyful news that Harold was out of the power of Van Zwieten, father -and daughter went below, hastily got together their belongings, and -were soon on their way to the cruiser. The Germans gave vent to an -ironical "Hoch!"</p> - -<p>"Brutes!" muttered the lieutenant. "Give way, men! Are you -comfortable, Mrs. Burton?"</p> - -<p>"Quite--thank you," she said; "but how did you know I was on board -that <i>Kaiser Fritz?</i> How did Captain Burton escape? How did----"</p> - -<p>"You will get answers to all these questions on board the <i>Juno</i>, Mrs. -Burton. But I may tell you that we expected to find you and Mr. Scarse -on board the <i>Kaiser Fritz</i>. Of course we came in search of -contraband; but we were able to kill two birds with one stone by -picking you up as well. I am very glad of it too!" and the young man, -who had the true sailor's eye for beauty, looked as though he meant -what he said.</p> - -<p>The boat slipped under the grey bulk of the cruiser, and they were -assisted up the side--a matter of some difficulty in mid-ocean--and -were received by the captain. Then he anxiously asked for his -officer's report concerning the suspected contraband. It was evidently -a disappointment to him, and full steam ahead for Durban was then -ordered. The boat was swung on the davits, the screw revolved, and in -a few moments the <i>Juno</i> was getting along at a great rate. Then the -captain took Brenda by the arm and led her down to a cabin.</p> - -<p>"You know that your husband has escaped, Mrs. Burton?" he asked, -smiling.</p> - -<p>"Yes, but how did he get away? I feel so bewildered at all----"</p> - -<p>"Will you walk in there, please?" was the reply. "Some one is waiting -to explain."</p> - -<p>Brenda began to tremble. Something told her what she might expect. As -she entered, she saw a man in khaki, tall and slim, waiting for her -with outstretched arms. She uttered a cry of joy. "Oh, Harold! Harold! -my darling boy! At last! at last!"</p> - -<p>And she fell into her husband's arms.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_21" href="#div1Ref_21">CHAPTER XXI.</a></h4> -<h5>IN SOUTH AFRICA.</h5> -<br> - -<p>It was indeed Harold--thinner, perhaps, than when he had left England, -but bronzed and hardened, and fit in every way for the arduous work of -the campaign. Brenda clung to him as though she would never let him -go. She looked upon him as one who had been snatched from the jaws of -death; and assuredly he would have found a grave in Pretoria had he -been left to the tender mercies of Van Zwieten. He, on his side, was -delighted and moved beyond words at her tenderness, and at her pluck -in undertaking a toilsome and dangerous journey to be near him. It was -some time before husband and wife recovered themselves sufficiently to -exchange confidences. Brenda cried in spite of her brave spirit, for -the joy of this unexpected meeting had shaken her nerves. When she had -regained her composure, and was able to speak, it was to congratulate -her husband on his escape from Pretoria, and from the dangerous -custody of Van Zwieten. He laughed outright.</p> - -<p>"That is just where you make the mistake, my love!" he said. "I never -was in or near Pretoria, and I have seen nothing of Van Zwieten since -I left England. What on earth makes you think so?"</p> - -<p>She sat down and looked at him in astonishment. "I don't understand -you," she said. "You were reported missing. I went to the War Office -myself and made certain that the report was correct."</p> - -<p>"That is true enough. I was out on patrol duty with a small force -while the General was trying to force the passage of the Tugela. A -party of Boers took us by surprise and captured us; but after a week -in their custody I was lucky enough to escape. I'll tell you all about -it later. What I want to know now is how you come to be out in these -parts."</p> - -<p>"Don't you know? Van Zwieten wrote to me saying that you were at -Pretoria and under his charge, and that he would have you shot if I -did not come out to see him. Father and I set off at once, and we were -on our way to Pretoria to see the President and implore him to save -you from that man."</p> - -<p>"Brenda, are you sure of what you are saying? It is all new to me."</p> - -<p>"Here is his letter. I always carry it with me. I was going to show it -to Kruger when I saw him."</p> - -<p>Harold took the letter, which his wife produced from her pocketbook, -and read it with a frown. "Well, he is a scoundrel!" he remarked as he -gave it back to her. "Of course, it is a trap, and a very clever one. -I suppose he heard that I was missing, through the Boer spies, and he -turned the information to his own advantage. Don't you see, Brenda, he -wanted you to come out to the Transvaal so that you might be in his -power."</p> - -<p>"The beast!" cried she, crimson at having been so tricked. "I assure -you, Harold, I believed the letter was written in all good faith. The -War Office said you were missing, and I thought you would be -transferred with the other prisoners to Pretoria. That Van Zwieten -should be there, and that you should be in his power, did not surprise -me in the least. I never dreamed for a moment that it was a trick. Oh, -how lucky it was that you were able to stop me! How did you know I was -on board the <i>Kaiser Fritz?</i>"</p> - -<p>"Easily enough. You cabled to Wilfred telling him so. He was at -Spearman's Camp at the time, and so was I. When he showed it to me I -could not understand at first how it was that you were going to -Pretoria; but it struck me that, as I was reported missing, you might -think that I had been transferred to the Transvaal capital. I made up -my mind that I would stop you at Cape Town. My first idea was to -wire to meet you there; but the General wanted some one to send down -to Durban about some business, and I contrived to have myself selected -for the task. There I heard that the <i>Kaiser Fritz</i> was suspected of -having contraband on board, and that she would be stopped by the -<i>Juno</i>. I knew the captain, and I told him all about you and your -journey out here. He was good enough to have me on board; and so it -all came about. Oh, my dear wife!" he cried, clasping her in his arms, -"how thankful I am that you are safe. If I had heard that you were at -Pretoria, and in the power of that villain, it would have driven me -silly."</p> - -<p>"He is a bitter enemy," she said. "I should have killed him if he had -done you any harm."</p> - -<p>"I was never in any danger of my life, dearest--at least, not from -him."</p> - -<p>"No; I see it now." She paused, and then went on. "After all, I can -find it in my heart to forgive him, even for this trick, since it has -brought me to you. I won't go home again until you do."</p> - -<p>"But, my darling, I must go to the front. I leave Durban to-morrow. -You can't come with me."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I can--and I will," she insisted. "Oh, I know what you would -say, that it is not a woman's place; but it is a woman's place, and -her duty, to nurse the wounded, and that is what I shall do. I know a -good deal about nursing, and I'm sure the doctors will let me help; -they can't refuse."</p> - -<p>"But think of the terrible hardships!"</p> - -<p>"It is far more hardship for me to have to sit at home when you are in -danger. At least, I shall be near you; and perhaps, if Van Zwieten -does any more of his plotting, I may be able to frustrate him. It is -no use your looking at me like that, Harold; I won't leave you again. -You are all I have in the world. If you were to die I should die -also."</p> - -<p>"There is your father."</p> - -<p>"Yes, father is very dear to me, now that we understand one another, -but he is not you. Oh, my love, my love, don't send me away again! It -will break my heart to leave you!" She paused, then added, defiantly, -"I won't go, there!"</p> - -<p>He laughed, and he tried to persuade her to stay at Durban or -Pietermaritzburg, where she would be in comfort and safety; but he -might have saved his breath. To the front she would go, and nothing -would move her. In the end--as might have been expected--she got her -own way, and her husband promised that she should go with him up the -Tugela, if he could procure passports for her and her father. He -admired her spirit more than a little, and he was only too glad to -have her with him; but it was against his better judgment that he -consented. However, there was this to be said--she would be in no -greater danger from the intrigues of Van Zwieten at the front than she -would be at Durban. After all, it might be as well, with such an -enemy, that she should be beside her husband.</p> - -<p>"Then that's all right," she said, taking this hardly-earned consent -quite as a matter of course. "And now tell me how you managed to -escape from the Boers?"</p> - -<p>"Well, it came about in this way. As you may guess, when we found -ourselves surrounded we made a hard fight for it. We killed a few of -the enemy. A boy of seventeen rushed at me; he fired, but missed, and -I had him at my mercy. I raised my revolver, but I could not bring -myself to shoot so young a lad. When he was about to fire again--for I -was turning away--I managed to knock him down. Then we were -overpowered and had to lay down our arms. The lad I had spared proved -to be the son of the Boer leader, a fine old fellow called Piet Bok. -He was so pleased with me that he offered to let me go free; but I -could not leave my men. Then, when we were about to be sent on to -Pretoria, he renewed his offer. I had by this time been separated from -my men, so I accepted. He had kept me all the time under his own -charge, and had treated me very well. So one night he led me out of -their camp, gave me a horse and gun, and sent me on my way."</p> - -<p>"God bless him!" cried Brenda, fervently.</p> - -<p>"I was in the Tugela district," he continued, "somewhere in the -neighborhood of a place called Spion Kop, which has been very -strongly fortified by the Boers. The country was swarming with the -enemy, and it was difficult enough to find my way back to camp; then -my map--thanks to our Intelligence Department--was all wrong. By day I -hid in gullies and behind kopjes, and kept my eyes open. I managed to -fetch the river, but I could not get over at first. Then one night I -determined to make the best of a bad job, so I made my horse swim for -it. The current was strong, and it was pretty hard work to keep on at -all; but at last I was forced to let go, and I was swept by the -current on to the further side. I kept myself hidden all through that -day, and got on when night came. I reached our camp about dawn, and -was very nearly shot by a sentry. However, I made myself known, and -got in safely. I was dead beat too."</p> - -<p>"My poor Harold, how you have suffered!"</p> - -<p>"Nonsense. Don't make a fuss over a little thing like that. You must -be a true soldier's wife and laugh at these things. But now that I -have told you everything, and we have settled what is to be done, I -must see your father."</p> - -<p>They found Mr. Scarse on deck with the captain. He received Harold -with unaffected pleasure.</p> - -<p>"I am thankful to see you alive," he said. "The captain has been -telling me all about your miraculous escape."</p> - -<p>"I am glad to be able to strike another blow for Old England, sir; but -I have to thank you for your kindness in coming out. You were going -into the very jaws of the lion to find me!"</p> - -<p>"To Pretoria--yes," he said simply. "But I am glad there is no need to -do that. And yet I should have enjoyed meeting Kruger."</p> - -<p>"You shall see him when we take the capital," Harold said. "Brenda has -made up her mind to stay until the end of the war."</p> - -<p>"Brenda?--what nonsense!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I must, father--if only to protect Harold from Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"Ah! Van Zwieten! What about that letter, Harold?"</p> - -<p>"A trap, Mr. Scarse; a trap to catch Brenda!"</p> - -<p>"Why, the man's a villain!"</p> - -<p>"He is all that. I hope to get a shot at him some day; I have a long -score to settle with the brute!"</p> - -<p>"I agree with you. I hope you will," Mr. Scarse said emphatically. -"Punish the scoundrel! Do you know that it was he who murdered Malet?"</p> - -<p>"No, really?--I suspected as much; but he accused me, you know, at -Chippingholt. That was why I went away so suddenly. I could not face -Brenda with that hanging over me."</p> - -<p>"You should have trusted me, Harold," she said somewhat reproachfully; -"I never would have believed you guilty."</p> - -<p>"I was wrong, I know dear, but for the moment I lost my head. You see -he had got my revolver, and with that apparently the murder was -committed."</p> - -<p>"It was, and by Van Zwieten himself. You left the revolver at the -Manor."</p> - -<p>"I did, the last time I stayed there. I left two in a case."</p> - -<p>"The case was in the library, and he must have taken one of them out."</p> - -<p>"Why--in Heaven's name?"</p> - -<p>"Ah, that is a long and painful story," Mr. Scarse said significantly. -"You tell it, Brenda."</p> - -<p>And so Brenda related the story of Malet's treachery, and the reasons -which had led Lady Jenny to conceal the dead man's shame.</p> - -<p>Harold could hardly contain his indignation when he heard that an -Englishman had acted so base a part. To be bought and sold by a -scoundrelly Dutchman; to be the creature of a foreign power; and all -the while to be acting the <i>rôle</i> of Judas toward the land which had -borne him--these things were almost beyond the soldier's -comprehension.</p> - -<p>"I'd have shot him with my own hand," he cried, striding to and fro, -"the low blackguard! The most honest action Van Zwieten ever did in -his life was to kill the wretch."</p> - -<p>"Don't talk so loud, Harold!" said his wife; "we must keep this to -ourselves for Lady Jenny's sake."</p> - -<p>"Yes, you are right, Brenda; and I will make quite sure of the silence -of Van Zwieten by shooting him at sight. I am certain to come across -him, and when I do I'll finish him; not because he murdered Malet, but -because he tempted him to be a traitor!"</p> - -<p>When at last his indignation had cooled down somewhat, Harold -introduced his wife to the captain and the other officers. Without -revealing too much, he related how, hearing he had been taken -prisoner, and that he was at Pretoria, she had started out in search -of him, when she had been intercepted by the <i>Juno</i>. And she received -so many compliments on her pluck that she blushed as she had never -before blushed in her life. Her beauty was greatly admired by the -susceptible tars; and Harold was considered a lucky fellow to have so -charming and clever and brave a wife. Mr. Scarse, after all he had -recently heard of the Boers, was not inclined to champion them quite -so openly, and therefore he got on well enough. On the whole, the -short voyage was most enjoyable, and recompensed Brenda for all that -she had suffered on board the <i>Kaiser Fritz</i>. Indeed, it was with -great regret that she left the <i>Juno</i> at Durban. And she vowed ever -after that sailors were the finest and most delightful of men. Harold -reminded her laughingly that she belonged to the junior branch of the -Service. When they were leaving, the captain gave Captain Burton a -parting word of warning.</p> - -<p>"See here!" he said, with a broad smile, "don't you lose any more of -our guns or I'm blest if we won't take up the war ourselves," whereat. -Harold laughed, though in truth the shaft went home.</p> - -<p>He parted excellent friends with his hosts, and as for Brenda, the -officers gave her three hearty cheers as she stepped off the <i>Juno</i> at -Durban; and the bluejackets grinned and thoroughly endorsed their -officers' good taste.</p> - -<p>They found out the best hotel in the place, and took up their quarters -there for the short time they had to spend in Durban before leaving -for the front. Harold went off to see if he could get a permit for his -wife and her father to accompany him. Meanwhile, they wandered about -the town together. This was Brenda's first experience of Africa, and -she enjoyed it. It was as though she had dropped on to a new planet. -The wide streets, with the verandas before the shops, the troops, the -throng of Kaffirs, and the brilliant color of the whole scene amused -and delighted her beyond words. The air was full of rumors of what was -doing at the front. False reports and true came in frequently, so -there was no lack of excitement. Even Mr. Scarse caught the fever and -was not half so eager in his denunciation of the Government as he had -been. Moreover, he was beginning to find out that the Boers were not -the simple, harmless creatures Dr. Leyds in Europe was representing -them to be. In the smoking-room of the hotel he heard stories about -them which made what remaining hairs he had stand upright with horror. -On mature consideration it seemed to him that if the Government handed -back South Africa to the Boers, as the Little England party wished, -the clock of time would be put back a hundred years, and the black -races would be exterminated. In his dismay at this idea, Mr. Scarse -could not help revealing something of what he was feeling to his -daughter. She was delighted at his return to what she called a sane -state of mind, and she openly expressed her pleasure.</p> - -<p>"I wish you could bring out a dozen men or so, father--men of your -party, I mean. It might teach them that England is not so invariably -in the wrong as they seem to think."</p> - -<p>"My dear," he confessed with some show of penitence, "I fear our race -is too insular; we have many things to learn."</p> - -<p>"We have not to learn how to colonize or how to fight, father," she -said, with true imperial spirit. "It is my belief that Providence gave -us those gifts that we might civilize the world. If our Empire were to -dwindle to nought it would be a bad day for the world."</p> - -<p>"Yes, my dear, it would. After all, we are the only nation that thinks -twice before we do anything."</p> - -<p>In short, Mr. Scarse was rapidly turning his back upon the old narrow -views to which he had so long clung, and with a broadening mind the -true meaning of the Imperialistic policy was becoming apparent. -Discarding the parish politics of Clapham, he took to looking around -him well; and in doing so he found much to occupy his thoughts. Old -and crusted ideas cannot easily be dislodged, and--to use Oliver -Wendell Holmes's image--Mr. Scarse had been polarized for years.</p> - -<p>Harold succeeded in getting the permit for his wife and father-in-law -to go to the front, and it was arranged that they should start the -next day. In the morning Captain Burton went about his military -business--for he had to carry a report concerning some stores back to -his general--and Mr. Scarse being occupied in a political discussion -with a South African whom he had met at the hotel, Brenda thought she -would take a stroll. She bought a few things she wanted, explored the -principal streets, and--as she had ample time--turned her attention to -the suburbs. It was very hot, and she walked slowly under the blaze of -the African sun. The red dust rose in clouds; there was a drowsy hum -of insects all around, and patient oxen toiled along the dusty roads. -There were plenty of Colonials about, and a good deal of attention was -attracted to Mrs. Burton both on account of her great beauty and her -dress. Now and again a body of soldiers in khaki would march through -the streets followed by a crowd of people. The Kaffirs lined up under -the verandas, and grinned from ear to ear as the "rooibaatjes" went -by, although they missed the red coats which had procured them that -name from the Boers. From what she could gather Brenda learned that -these Kaffirs were all in favor of the English cause, for they both -hated and dreaded the Boers. And small wonder, considering how they -were terrorized by the inhuman sjambok.</p> - -<p>At length, getting tired of novelty, Brenda turned her steps back to -the hotel. It was drawing near midday, and she wanted something to -eat before they left. As she took a turning up a side street which led -into the principal thoroughfare, she saw a man standing under a -veranda--a tall, bulky man with golden hair and golden beard, and he -was coolly watching her.</p> - -<p>A shiver passed through her as she caught sight of him. For it was her -enemy, Van Zwieten.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_22" href="#div1Ref_22">CHAPTER XXII.</a></h4> -<h5>AT THE FRONT.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Van Zwieten's sins had evidently made no difference in his fortunes. -He appeared to be flourishing like the proverbial green bay tree. He -was dressed in a smart riding suit, with long brown boots, and a -smasher hat of the approved Boer type. Quite unabashed at sight of -Brenda, he crossed the road with an impudent smile and held out his -hand. She shot one glance of indignation at him, and drew aside as -though to avoid contact with an unclean thing--a proceeding which -appeared to cause the man some shame, although he tried to assume an -air of unconcern and amusement.</p> - -<p>"You won't shake hands with me, Mrs. Burton?" he said, quite jauntily.</p> - -<p>"How dare you speak to me?" she said, drawing back. "I wonder you are -not ashamed to look me in the face after that trick about the letter."</p> - -<p>"Ah! that was what the Boers call 'slim,'" he said, wincing, -nevertheless, at her open contempt for him. "All's fair in love and -war, you know, but your husband has been rather in advance of himself -on this occasion, and the plot has failed. Yes, you see I admit that -it is a plot, and I admit that it has failed."</p> - -<p>"I have nothing to say to you," said Brenda, coldly, "except to tell -you that if you attempt to molest either my husband or myself further -I shall have you arrested as a spy."</p> - -<p>He looked uneasily down the road and at the stern, set faces of the -passing soldiers. He knew that from such men as they he might expect -precious little mercy once the word spy had gone out against him, -followed by damning evidence of his complicity. Boer treachery had to -be avenged; there had been plenty of it about, and he did not fancy -being a scapegoat for others.</p> - -<p>"My dear Mrs. Burton," he went on calmly, "I wonder you spare me at -all. Why not have me arrested now and have done with it? I am -completely in your power, am I not? You have but to raise your voice -and the thing would be done. Indeed, I am not at all sure that I -should reach the jail alive. They hate spies here, and it is true -they have good reason to. You may not have such a chance again, so cry -out upon me now and revenge yourself on me once and for all for my -crime--my crime of loving you."</p> - -<p>"No, I will not," replied Brenda, firmly; "but I give you fair -warning, Mr. van Zwieten, that if you do not leave this place -immediately I shall at once inform the authorities about you. In -luring me to Pretoria you made one mistake; you thought I should come -unprepared. I did no such thing. I have ample evidence with me to -prove that in London your occupation was that of a spy. Lady Jenny -gave me the papers."</p> - -<p>"I'm very much obliged to Lady Jenny, I'm sure," he said, with a bow. -"At Pretoria--for Oom Paul--you could hardly have brought credentials -calculated to speak more highly in my favor. He would be quick to -appreciate my services."</p> - -<p>"Why did you wish me to come to Pretoria? You know I am married."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know you are married; but marriage can be severed as all else -is severed--by death," he said significantly. "If you had come to -Pretoria--but there is no need to talk about that," he broke off -impatiently. "I was duly informed that your husband was missing, but -he escaped before I could reach the Tugela and myself take him to -Pretoria, where he would have been completely in my power. I wrote the -letter thinking you would really find him there. But he escaped and -got your telegram--the one you sent to Wilfred Burton. I followed him -down here, and learned how he intended to intercept the <i>Kaiser -Fritz</i>. You see I am well informed, Mrs. Burton."</p> - -<p>Brenda was astonished at the extent of the man's knowledge and the -dogged fierceness with which he seemed to follow her and Harold. She -wondered if it would not be wise to have so dangerous an enemy -arrested at once. But the thought of Lady Jenny and the shame which it -would bring upon her through the deeds of her late husband--which Van -Zwieten would assuredly reveal in such a contingency--prevented her -from deciding upon so severe a course. Later on she had reason -bitterly to regret that she had not acted upon her first impulse. Had -she done so it would have saved both her husband and herself endless -trouble. Van Zwieten half guessed what was in her mind, but he made no -move, and seemed quite content to abide by her decision. There was -even a smile on his face as he looked at her. Villain as he was, his -courage was undeniable. The pity was that such a virtue should not -have been linked to others. But then that was the man all over. He was -a belated Conrad the Corsair. "A man of one virtue and ten thousand -crimes." Yet another virtue might be added. He loved Brenda, and he -loved her honestly.</p> - -<p>"I see you know your business as a spy, Mr. van Zwieten," she said -coldly. "But all your work is thrown away. If you succeeded in -killing my husband, as you seem anxious to do, I should kill myself!"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten turned a shade paler. For once he was moved out of his -attitude of sneering insolence. "No, no," he said hoarsely, "do not -think of such a thing! I won't harm your husband, on my honor----"</p> - -<p>"Your honor! The honor of a spy?"</p> - -<p>"The honor of a man who loves you!" he said with some dignity.</p> - -<p>She shrugged her shoulders. She had not much belief in a love which -was so selfish in its aims and so unscrupulous in the carrying out of -them. But she would not argue further with him, she thought. The -conversation was taking a turn of a personal character highly -repugnant to her, and she moved away. "Well, Mr. van Zwieten, I have -warned you! If you don't leave British territory I shall inform the -authorities of your London career. Good-bye!"</p> - -<p>"Good-bye," he said. He took off his hat with a grand bow as she left -him. Nor did he make any attempt to stay her; he knew already that she -was going to the front with her husband, and he had every intention of -following. That she would reveal his true character he did not for one -moment believe. There he had her in his power, for he would at once -make known Gilbert Malet's conduct, and that would mean shame and -trouble for Lady Jenny, from which Brenda was more than anxious to -shield her, as he well knew. She had been a good friend to the girl, -and had indirectly done a great deal to bring about the marriage. This -Dutchman had more knowledge of a woman's nature than most of his sex, -and he found it of no little service in the profession which he had -taken up.</p> - -<p>Brenda found her husband impatiently awaiting her. He had made all -arrangements for the journey; and after a hasty meal they went down to -the station. She was in high spirits. With Harold beside her, and the -prospect of a novel and busy life in her capacity of nurse, she was -perfectly happy. And he, still more of a lover than a husband, thought -he had never seen her look more beautiful.</p> - -<p>Concerning the journey there is very little to say. There was -considerable monotony about it. Some of the scenery was beautiful, -particularly when they got amongst the mountains, but for the most -part the plains extended on all sides, grey and dreary, the kopjes -humping themselves everywhere amongst the karoo bushes. The -dust-storms, too, were altogether disagreeable, and in spite of her -veil and cloak Brenda arrived at the camp in a very gritty condition, -and thoroughly worn out. Her husband saw the doctor at once and told -him of his wife's desire to nurse the wounded. Her offer was -gratefully accepted, for Brenda had had a certain amount of -professional experience which stood her in good stead now. So next day -she took up her quarters in the hospital and went to work in earnest. -Mr. Scarse, having been introduced to the authorities, amused himself -by wandering about the camp and enjoying the novelty of his -surroundings. To a home-staying man such as he, the round of daily -life at the front proved most amusing.</p> - -<p>Indeed, father and daughter were equally delighted with this new -experience. Mrs. Burton proved herself a most capable nurse, and paid -every attention to those under her charge. Her husband chafed somewhat -at first. He did not like the idea of his wife doing such work; but -when he saw that she really enjoyed it, and that she was anxious to be -of use in her own way to those who were fighting for Queen and -country, he made no further opposition. Moreover, he had his own -duties to attend to, and upon the whole, husband and wife saw very -little of each other. The few moments they did have were therefore all -the sweeter. And the knowledge that Brenda was near him and safe from -the machinations of Van Zwieten was a supreme satisfaction to Harold. -He had yet to learn that the Dutchman was as active as ever, and bent -upon getting her into his power.</p> - -<p>Since his failure to cross the Tugela, General Buller had been -reconstructing his plans, and was taking ample time over the -preparations. As he himself said, there should be no turning back this -time. The garrison at Ladysmith was holding out bravely; but the -messages showed that they were anxiously expecting relief. The -soldiers, held like hounds in a leash, were longing to get at the foe -and wipe out their first failure. But the days passed and no move was -made. On this side of the Tugela all was safe; but on the other the -Boers swarmed, although they kept at a safe distance from the British -position. To Brenda, the mere fact of living in a camp in time of war -was sufficiently exciting.</p> - -<p>Shortly after their arrival, Captain Burton was ordered on patrol duty -to scour the neighboring country on this side of the Tugela. He said -good-bye to his wife and went off in high spirits. But it was with a -sinking heart that she watched him go off on this dangerous duty. The -arrival of Wilfred, however, served to cheer her somewhat.</p> - -<p>As has been stated, young Burton was acting as war correspondent for -one of the London papers, and had been gathering information about the -country around. He had been absent, therefore, when his brother's -party arrived; but when he came back the first thing he did was to -look up Brenda at the hospital. She was struck at once by his healthy -appearance. He seemed less nervous and hysterical than he had been in -London, for the outdoor life and the vigorous exercise was telling -upon him. But his big black eyes flashed as feverishly as ever; nor -did they lose their restlessness when Brenda told him of her meeting -with Mr. van Zwieten at Durban. To Harold she had never mentioned it, -knowing too well his impulsive nature; but with his brother she felt -it was different. He already knew so much about the man that a little -information more or less did not matter. But he was inclined to blame -her for having shown the spy any mercy at all.</p> - -<p>"What could I do?" expostulated Brenda in dismay. "You know that if I -had had him arrested he would have revenged himself by telling all he -knew of Mr. Malet's life, and then think how terrible it would have -been for Lady Jenny!"</p> - -<p>"She must take her chance," he said gloomily. "She must be prepared to -suffer all for her country. Van Zwieten will pick up all sorts of -knowledge at Durban, and he may be able then to hamper our plans!"</p> - -<p>"I don't think he will stay there, Wilfred. I told him that if he did -not leave I would give information to the authorities. He daren't face -that! And I don't think he will be very long in following us here!" -she added with a flush of anger. "He will follow us everywhere. I -should not be surprised if he were across the river now in the hope of -taking me prisoner when the camp is moved."</p> - -<p>"Directly the advance begins, Brenda, you must get back to Durban. It -will never do for you to remain here. There's going to be some pretty -hard fighting."</p> - -<p>"Yes; but not here. I shall be perfectly safe behind the British -lines."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps; I hope so." Wilfred looked gloomy and bit his nails -abstractedly, a habit with him when he was annoyed. "I tell you what -it is, Brenda," he burst out. "I'm very doubtful about the wisdom of -this advance. Buller's idea is, I believe, to cross the Tugela and try -and pierce the Boer centre. I'm afraid he won't succeed."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Wilfred! Have you no more faith in the British soldiers than -that?"</p> - -<p>"I have every faith in the rank and file--yes, and in many of the -junior officers, but I confess candidly that I don't feel altogether -the same amount of trust in our leaders. The mere fact of this -advance having been decided upon goes to prove to me that they don't -know their business! The country between this and Ladysmith is -precipitous--I know nothing like it outside Switzerland or the -Rockies--and it seems to me to be a mad thing to lead an army over it -with heavy transport and all that unless that army is in overwhelming -superiority to the opposing force--which we know it isn't. The whole -place is strongly fortified, and the positions that will have to be -stormed are almost impregnable. These Boers know only too well what -they are about. They have chosen their ground well. Mark my words, -there will be great loss of life if not a great disaster. It is -throwing away lives to attempt campaigning in this district."</p> - -<p>"But Ladysmith must be relieved!"</p> - -<p>"I know; but it will never be relieved in this way. Even the valor of -the British soldier is powerless against the hail of bullets which -will rain down on him from these natural fortresses, and ten to one he -won't see a single Boer to shoot at in return. They are devilish -clever at keeping out of sight; of course, I am only a civilian and -don't intend to set my opinion against that of the professional -soldier; but there is such a thing as common sense, and we have not -had enough of it about in the conduct of this campaign."</p> - -<p>Brenda was impressed in spite of herself. "What do you think ought to -be done, Wilfred?"</p> - -<p>"Fall back on Durban and reconstruct the plan of campaign. Buller's -original idea of invading the Free State was by far the best. If we -took the capital we should cut the rabbits off from their burrows, and -ten to one the Free Staters would be disheartened. Then again, in that -country we should have had more open fighting, and manœ uvring would -have been child's play to what it is here. It is sheer madness hurling -line after line against these impregnable fortresses. Even if they are -taken it can only be at terrible loss. Believe me, Buller's original -plan was the best--the only one. But I hear he was overruled. But you -can take my word for it--if Buller makes this move there will be a -terrible disaster."</p> - -<p>Brenda seemed disturbed at this view of things. She could not believe -that a soldier of General Buller's experience could be capable of so -grave an error of judgment. And yet, as Wilfred put it, this advance -did seem to be of an unduly hazardous nature. But there again, Wilfred -was always so pessimistic. He was not the man to look at anything -hopefully when he could do the opposite. The men themselves were all -full of confidence, she knew, and were looking forward to relieving -their gallant comrades in Ladysmith within a very short time now. -Wilfred must be wrong, she argued; it was more than likely that the -General had some information up his sleeve that no one knew anything -about. At all events, she was not going to look on the black side of -things. Thus she comforted herself somewhat.</p> - -<p>Harold returned from his patrolling, but only for a short while. Again -and again he was sent out, sometimes into the enemy's country, and he -was in the saddle from morning till night. Brenda saw but little of -him, and had to put up with his continued absence as best she could. -She had, as it happened, plenty of work to distract her. She was an -excellent nurse, and did good service in the hospital, not sparing -herself in any way. Indeed, so constantly was she employed, that the -doctor insisted upon her taking a sufficient amount of exercise, and -strongly advised her to ride. This commended itself to her, for she -rode well and was never happier than when in the saddle. She managed -to obtain a habit from a colonial lady who was also in the camp. Her -husband managed to procure for her a capital little animal--one of -those active little ponies used by the Boers. And so she came to make -frequent excursions into the surrounding country.</p> - -<p>"You must keep on this side of the river, Mrs. Burton," said the -doctor. "As long as you do that you are quite safe, even beyond the -camp lines. But don't cross the Tugela. Directly you do that you run -risks. I can't afford to lose my best nurse, you know."</p> - -<p>Brenda looked at the sullen waters of the stream rolling through the -melancholy veldt, and laughed. "I should be a clever woman to cross -that river, doctor, even if I wanted to. You may depend upon my taking -every care of myself. I shall keep on the right side from sheer -inability to get on the wrong one."</p> - -<p>But it was not often that Brenda was allowed to ride alone. She was -not the sort of woman to have to seek a cavalier. But as the time drew -near when the General intended to make his move, his juniors found -they had very little leisure, and she had perforce to ride alone. But -even so she had no fear, though her father worried a good deal about -her. But as she always returned safely, even he grew gradually -accustomed to see her go off unattended.</p> - -<p>Every now and again there came upon her a feeling that she was being -watched. She would look round and see a Kaffir staring fixedly at her. -This happened on several days in succession. Yet she could not be sure -that it was always the same man. The natives were all so very much -alike to her that it was impossible to distinguish one from another. -However, this espionage was in nowise aggressive; on the contrary, if -espionage it were, it was done very skillfully. It might be even pure -fancy on her part, for ever since that meeting with Van Zwieten in -Durban her nerve was anything but steady. At all events, she decided -not to say anything to her husband about it lest he should forbid her -excursions altogether, and now that she had taken to riding again she -was very loth to give it up.</p> - -<p>She wondered if it might be possible that Van Zwieten was about. It -was possible--just possible, but she thought not probable. He would -know that Wilfred was in the camp, and that he would have no -hesitation in denouncing him as a spy; and for that reason she did not -think he would be so foolish as to trust himself within the British -lines. At least so long as she kept on this side the Tugela he could -not molest her. He was no fool to risk his life in a mad attempt which -would mean certain failure. So she comforted herself. But the feeling -of being watched still remained with her.</p> - -<p>At last the order to advance was given, and the men, tired of -inaction, joyfully obeyed. Harold had been absent two days on scout -duty this time across the river which Warren's brigade were preparing -to negotiate. He had been sent out with a small force to make a -reconnaissance in the enemy's country. She was beginning to feel -rather anxious for his return. Despondent and full of vague foreboding -as she was, she fancied that a ride would do her good, and she set out -as usual, somewhere about sundown. She intended to go only a short way -and return before it grew dark. The Kaffir who saddled her horse -watched her ride out of the camp and grinned evilly.</p> - -<p>Behind the rugged mountains the sky was a fiery red, and was barred -with black clouds. The air was hot and sultry, and there was promise -of a storm in those heavy masses lying in the east. Under the crimson -glare the veldt looked grim and ominous. The kopies stood up like huge -gravestones; and where the grass failed, the sandy karoo, even more -barren, took its place. Here and there were farmhouses with red walls -and corrugated outbuildings, and the dull red light bathed the -lonesome scene as if in blood. The oppressive feeling in the air -recalled to Brenda's mind that memorable night at Chippingholt when -Malet had been done to death. Just such another storm was impending. -She began to feel nervous as the recollection came upon her and she -decided to return.</p> - -<p>For some time her pony had been restive, tossing his head and champing -his bit. He was usually so quiet that she could not understand it, but -just then, as she had made up her mind to return, he grew even more -distressed and finally he bolted. She let him have his head and in -nowise lost hers. She would be able to pull him up after a few miles. -On he galloped, the bit between his teeth, raising the loose red sand, -and taking her further and further away from the camp; past kopjes, -past Kaffir huts, stone walls, sheep kraals, he tore. She made several -attempts to check him, but in vain. Suddenly he put his foot into a -hole, stumbled, and sent her flying over his head. She lay on the -ground half stunned. The pony, relieved of his burden, scampered off. -She was able to realize that she was there alone--on the karoo, far -from the camp, and with night just upon her.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_23" href="#div1Ref_23">CHAPTER XXIII.</a></h4> -<h5>A DUTCH LOCHINVAR.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Dusty and draggled from her fall, and with a swimming head, Brenda sat -on an ant-hill, wondering how she could extricate herself from so -unpleasant a position. The pony was far away, lost in the shadows of -the karoo, and she was miles and miles from camp. It might be that the -animal would find its own way home, and that they would send out in -search of her, but busy as they were with the hurry and bustle of the -advance, it was very possible that her absence would not be noticed. -Had her husband been there--but she knew that he was far away in the -enemy's country taking stock of the Boer movements and waiting for the -division to come up. Wilfred was but a scatter-brain. She could not -trust him. On the whole, she thought it was most unlikely that any one -would trouble about her, or, in the confusion, even miss her. She was -lost in the veldt.</p> - -<p>Fortunately she had plenty of courage; and when her brain had steadied -from the shock she began to look about her. One thing was certain, she -would not, and could not, remain in the veldt all night. If it was -fine perhaps there would be no great hardship in that, in spite of the -cold, but a heavy storm was coming on, and she would be drenched to -the skin. The red sun sank down behind the hills; dark clouds labored -up from the east; and the wide plain around her was swallowed up in -the gloom. The place and the time were eerie; and the girl felt a -superstitious thrill as she rose painfully to her feet, trying hard to -collect her thoughts. At first it was the cause of the disaster which -puzzled her.</p> - -<p>Why had the pony run away? She had ridden him frequently, and there -was not an ounce of vice in the little beast. That he should suddenly -bolt without rhyme or reason was quite incomprehensible. Perhaps, had -she looked back and seen the evil grin on the face of the Kaffir who -had saddled him, she would not have been at such a loss to explain the -little pony's freak.</p> - -<p>But something she must do. She would walk on till she came to a Boer -farmhouse, and get them to take her in for the night. Then she would -get a horse and return to the camp in the morning. Perhaps she might -even chance on some English people, seeing that she was in an English -colony and one loyal to the Queen. That there were rebels there it was -true, but not on that side of the river. Having a wholesome dread of -their foes at close quarters, they would not dare to cross. So far, -then, she felt safe; what she needed was food and shelter. Kilting up -her riding skirt she went forth in the fast-gathering darkness in -search of them.</p> - -<p>It was weary work plodding over the loose sand, and after the first -quarter of a mile she was quite worn out. It seemed as though she -would have to pass the night on the open veldt. Then it occurred to -her that if she shouted some one might hear and come to her rescue. -And if by chance she did fall into the hands of the enemy they would -surely treat her kindly. Whatever his faults, the Boer was too -religious to be wholly a scoundrel. Assistance she must have, so -straightway she hollowed her hands and shouted through them. Her long, -shrill cry pierced the air time after time, but there was no response. -The echo died away and the quiet shut down again, and she heard the -desert talking to itself--the faint murmur of the wind rustling over -the sand, the gurgle of the river, and at times the wail of a solitary -bird. Again and again he shouted with a courage born of despair. All -was silent, silent as the grave. Then a sound fell upon her ears. It -came nearer and nearer until it took shape and defined itself as the -steady gallop of a horse.</p> - -<p>For a moment she was afraid; but luckily she had with her a small but -serviceable revolver which Harold made her carry. She drew it from her -belt. She was prepared to use it if necessary against an enemy; even -against herself. But perhaps it was some well-meaning and kindly Boer, -or, better still, an Englishman. She resolved to risk attracting his -attention. Anything was better than a night alone on that desolate -waste. Taking her courage in both hands, she cried again, and the -galloping of the horse was now close upon her. Then a man's voice -shouted. She replied and ran forward to meet her preserver, as she -prayed he might prove to be. Already she thanked God for her -deliverance. She came up close with him, and peered anxiously through -the lowering light to take in his features. Instantly she recognized -them. Her blood seemed to freeze in her veins as she did so. Those -features she knew only too well; there was no mistaking that stalwart -figure. That it should be he of all men!--Waldo van Zwieten!</p> - -<p>"What! Mrs. Burton?" he said politely, as he swung himself off his big -black steed. "Well, I am surprised. This is indeed an unexpected -pleasure." Brenda shrank back and fumbled for her revolver. Brave as -she was, the man's mocking suavity terrified her. She said not a word, -but looked at him as he stood, strong and tall and masterful, beside -his horse.</p> - -<p>"Can you not speak?" he said impatiently. "How comes it that I find -you here?"</p> - -<p>"My horse ran away with me and threw me," said Brenda, keeping at a -safe distance from the preserver Fate had so ironically sent her. -"Will you please to conduct me back to the camp, Mr. van Zwieten?"</p> - -<p>"What! and run the chance of arrest? No, thank you. But there is a -Boer farmhouse a couple of miles away, near the river. I can take you -there if you like."</p> - -<p>"Can I trust you?" asked Brenda, in a tremulous voice.</p> - -<p>"You can trust the man who loves you."</p> - -<p>"If you talk to me like that I won't go with you."</p> - -<p>"Then I am afraid you will have to pass the night on the veldt."</p> - -<p>"Mr. van Zwieten," she said with dignity, "an accident has placed me -in your company, but not in your power. I have a revolver, and if you -attempt to insult me I shall----"</p> - -<p>"Kill me, I suppose."</p> - -<p>"No, but I will kill myself!"</p> - -<p>His face twitched. He knew she would do what she said, and his love -for her was so great that he would prevent that, even at the cost of -his own life. "You need have no fear, Mrs. Burton," he said in a low -tone; "I will treat you with all respect. Get on my horse and we will -make for the farmhouse I speak of."</p> - -<p>Unpleasant as it was, there seemed nothing for it but to accept his -offer. The position could not be worse, and it might be made better. -So far, she thought, she had the upper hand; but she was puzzled by -his politeness, and mistrusted it. However, she had no time to analyze -her sensations, for the darkness was coming on apace, and the sooner -she reached human habitation the better.</p> - -<p>"I will go with you," she said bravely; "I will accept your offer. I -do not think you are a good man, and I have used hard words to you, I -know; still, I will trust you now."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten bowed. He said no word, but held the stirrup for her to -mount. With his assistance she swung herself into the saddle, and -being a good horse-woman, she settled herself comfortably on it -without much difficulty.</p> - -<p>In silence he began to lead the horse across the veldt. All the while -she kept a tight grasp on her little revolver and a sharp eye on his -every action. For some time they proceeded thus without a word. Then -Van Zwieten laughed in a low, musical way. "What a fool I am!" he said -slowly. "I love you madly; I have you in my power, and yet I do not -take so much as a kiss. I am a coward!"</p> - -<p>Her face burned in the darkness, but she gave no sign of fear.</p> - -<p>"You call yourself a coward," she said calmly. "I call you a brave -man."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I am a spy!" he cried scornfully.</p> - -<p>"You are a spy and, for all I know, a murderer; but you are a brave -man, Mr. van Zwieten, all the same, for you can rule yourself. I never -thought of you as I do at this moment."</p> - -<p>"You say that because you wish to conciliate me," he retorted angrily, -"not because you think so. I am not a good man. I know myself to be -bad; but I love you too well to harm a hair of your head. All the -same, I intend to marry you."</p> - -<p>"That is impossible. I am married already, and if Harold were to -die--well, you know what I said."</p> - -<p>"That was only supposing I killed him," argued Van Zwieten. "But -suppose he were killed fighting, as he may easily be?"</p> - -<p>"Then I would remain a widow for the rest of my days. I love my -husband. I should always remain true to his memory. You could never be -anything to me. Not until this moment have I ever been able to feel -the faintest glimmer of respect for you."</p> - -<p>"Even if that is so, I wonder that you choose to speak like that to -me, situated as you are now. It is calculated to scatter the good -intentions of a better man than I."</p> - -<p>"I cannot help it. I have told you I am not in your power. I am not -afraid to die. That I prove by not shooting you as you stand there. As -it is! I keep these little bullets for myself."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten groaned. "To think of this woman being wasted on a -worthless fool like Burton!" said he.</p> - -<p>"He is not a fool."</p> - -<p>"You may not think so. You cannot expect me to agree. Oh, if you had -only listened to me, only given me a chance, I would have been a -better man!"</p> - -<p>"I think you are a better man, or you would not have behaved as you -are doing now. You are a strange mixture of good and bad."</p> - -<p>He shrugged his shoulders. "It often happens so," he said. "Those who -think to find a bad man all bad or a good man all good are invariably -disappointed. I have met the best of men, and hated them for their -meanness, just as I have met the worst and loved them for some -delightful incongruity. We are a pie-bald lot indeed."</p> - -<p>Then again for a few moments they went on silently. In the distance -now could be seen a light, and on the wind came the barking of dogs. -The murmur of the river continued all the while like the drone of the -bagpipes.</p> - -<p>"You see, I have not deceived you," he said. "There is the farm. There -are women there. The men are out with their commandoes--rebels, you -call them. I suppose you wonder what I am doing here on this side of -the Tugela?"</p> - -<p>"I do, considering Wilfred Burton is in the camp, and it would be very -easy for him to denounce you. You are not the man to run unnecessary -risks, as a rule."</p> - -<p>"The risk I am running is for your sake. No, I won't explain myself -now. If necessary, I must show a clean pair of heels. That, -fortunately, I am well able to do. But here we are at the farm. That -is Tant' Trana on the doorstep."</p> - -<p>He lifted her from the horse, and she saw the stout woman whom he -called Tant' Trana waiting on the door to receive them. The look she -gave Brenda was by no means one of kindly welcome. Rather was it full -of hostility. But she seemed to fear Van Zwieten, and she set herself -to do her best to make the English lady comfortable. When he had gone -out to look after his horse, Tant' Trana set the best she had in the -way of food before Brenda. But the girl was utterly exhausted, and -could not eat. She drank a cup of coffee, and the Boer woman watched -her dourly as she drank it. Then it appeared that Tant' Trana spoke -English.</p> - -<p>"I am no child," she said. "No; I have lived long, and the dear Lord -has watched over me. But never did I expect to see an Englishwoman at -my table. Beloved Lord, Thy wrath is heavy upon me!"</p> - -<p>"I am very sorry," said Brenda, considerably taken aback by this -outburst. "I won't trouble you long--only till morning."</p> - -<p>But Tant' Trana continued without heeding her. She was so fat that it -took her some time to recover her breath. "The dear Lord gave this -land to us--to the chosen of Israel. And you English--you seed of -Satan come to take it from us!" She shook her great fist in Brenda's -face. "But never fear, our burghers shall drive you into the sea. Oom -Paul is our Moses. Two sons and a husband have I fighting for the land -of milk and honey. We have two thousand morgen and you would take it -from us. Beloved Lord, let our Moses and his hosts smite the ungodly -Amalekites!"</p> - -<p>How long the old woman went on raving thus Brenda did not know. She -began to feel sleepy: the face of Tant' Trana seemed to grow larger -and more red then it receded and her voice seemed to grow more -faint--to come from far away, although the woman was talking her -loudest. Brenda had just grasped the idea that her coffee had been -drugged when she lost her senses. With one last effort she pulled out -her little revolver. It dropped from her hand as her head fell back. -The Boer woman picked it up and cursed like Deborah. Senseless and -white, Brenda lay in the big chair, Tant' Trana looking on and raving -the while. Then Van Zwieten entered the room. A smile of satisfaction -flitted across his face.</p> - -<p>How long she remained thus insensible Brenda knew not. She came -gradually to herself. Then she wondered if she could be on board ship. -There was a rocking motion, and she felt as though she were -imprisoned. Then her senses grew more clear, and she awoke to the fact -that she was on horseback--in the arms of Van Zwieten. He held her -steadily in front of him on the saddle, and the horse was trotting -steadily over the grass, and a thunderous black sky was overhead. She -uttered a cry, and gave herself up for lost. Once again she felt for -her revolver. Van Zwieten guessed what she was after, and laughed -cruelly.</p> - -<p>"No, it's not there, Mrs. Burton," he said. "I had to arrange that. -I'm glad, though, you've woke up. I want to have a talk with you."</p> - -<p>"Put me down! put me down!" gasped the girl.</p> - -<p>"Put you down?" repeated he, clasping her the tighter. "Hardly, after -all the trouble I have had to get you here. That is too much to ask, -dear Brenda."</p> - -<p>"Your promise--you promised to treat me well."</p> - -<p>"And I have done so. As I told you, I would not harm a hair of your -dear head. And I have not done so, and I will not do so. I had to drug -your coffee because I knew that by no other means should I be able to -get you away. All's fair in love and war, you know. This is both love -and war. I told you that in Durban; don't you remember?"</p> - -<p>"Where are you taking me?"</p> - -<p>"To the Boer lines: We have crossed the river; yes, there is a ford -hard by the farmhouse. That, of course, was the reason I took you -there. In another hour we shall be safe amongst my own people. Thence -you will go to Pretoria, and then--and then, when the war is all over, -you will marry me!"</p> - -<p>"I will die first," she screamed, trying to struggle.</p> - -<p>"You will not be allowed to die. The little revolver looked pretty, -ah, so pretty! in your hands, but it was dangerous. I love you too -well to lose you like that. And now that I have you wholly in my -power, you cannot say that I am behaving badly."</p> - -<p>"Oh, put me down, do put me down! Dear Mr. van Zwieten, don't spoil -your good action in saving me on the veldt by----"</p> - -<p>"Saving you! Saving you!" exclaimed the Dutchman. "How innocent you -are, child! Why, you don't think our meeting was accidental, do you? I -had you brought there. I knew exactly what would happen, and my -calculations were not very far out, were they?"</p> - -<p>"You!--you!--oh, how can you tell me such a thing? I don't believe it. -It is a lie."</p> - -<p>"Gently, please, gently," said he, restraining her tenderly. She was -struggling to free herself from his grasp, even, as she knew, at the -risk of life and limb. "I can be cruel as well as kind. I tell you it -was I who brought you on to the veldt. The Kaffir boy who attended to -your horse is my servant. I knew how you rode every day, for I -followed you up from Durban, and have watched you constantly. I told -the boy to prepare a special bit for your horse; one that would burn -his mouth after a while. Oh, that is an old trick which I learned in -your virtuous England. When the little beast began to feel the burning -he naturally bolted. What else would you expect him to do? I did not -anticipate he would throw you, though; that was not included in my -plans! The rest you know."</p> - -<p>Again she tried to struggle free from his grasp. "For God's sake, let -me down!" she cried. She felt she would go into hysterics every -moment.</p> - -<p>"That is the one thing I will not do. I have you at last, and I keep -you. You are mine now, husband or no husband. Not if I can help it -shall you ever see him again."</p> - -<p>She strove to pierce the black darkness that was all around. She -strained and strained her eyes, but there was nothing. Then she -thought she saw a light. But she could not be sure. On the vain chance -that somebody might hear she screamed loudly once, and then again and -again.</p> - -<p>"Be quiet, I say," roared Van Zwieten, savagely. "Understand that I -won't lose you--that I shoot you first, and myself too, for that -matter."</p> - -<p>He spurred his horse; they were not yet beyond the territory under -British patrol. He seemed to know perfectly well where he was making -for. She began to feel sick and faint with the motion and the fierce -clutch of the man. The horse was galloping hard now with his double -burden. She felt he could not last long at that pace. But Van Zwieten -had set his teeth hard to it, and urged him on and on, speaking not a -word.</p> - -<p>"Oh, God, save me from this man!" she cried.</p> - -<p>As though in answer to her prayer there was a terrible clap of -thunder. A flare of lightning overspread the sky, and by its light she -could see his face was deadly pale, and oh! so cruel. Before he could -swear--for his horse shied at the crash--before even she could cry -out, the rain came down with a hiss and a swirl, almost a solid mass -of water. Once again her thoughts went back to that night long ago -when Malet had been murdered. Was <i>she</i> about to meet death too?</p> - -<p>Then, with an oath, he drove the spur into the animal, and, terrified, -it made another bound forward. The rain lashed their faces; they were -already drenched to the skin. Then came another fearful thunderclap. -She felt as though her head must burst. There was a gleam far away -there in the distance--the light from some farmhouse, probably.</p> - -<p>"Help, help!" she screamed. "Oh, Harold!--Harold!"</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten swore loudly, but his oaths were drowned in the thunder -overhead. The horse reared, snorting with terror. Then she felt the -Dutchman's arms lessen their grip, and in a paroxysm of fright and -despair she flung herself to the ground. She fell into a kind of -morass, and she could hear Van Zwieten's cry of rage as the animal -sprang forward. The next moment, half stunned and dazed as she was, -she was up and running for dear life toward the light now not far -distant.</p> - -<p>In vain did Van Zwieten struggle with his terrified horse. The animal -plunged and reared, and every peal of thunder increased its state of -frenzy. He heard the girl shriek, and by a lightning flash he saw her -tearing across toward the light. In the distance a farmhouse showed up -black in the glare. Then, as once again he dug his spurs and turned -his horse's head, he heard a shot. It was followed by another and -another, and the next flash showed him several figures in front of the -house.</p> - -<p>Once again Brenda screamed for help. A lusty British cheer was her -reply. It reached the ears of the horseman, and he knew well what it -meant. He galloped off through the roar and conflict of the elements -like a madman. He had lost her! For the second time she had escaped -him!</p> - -<p>Her heart bounding, she ran forward with redoubled energy, shouting -ever her husband's name. There was another shot and another flash of -lightning across the sky. It seemed to her that the very heavens were -open. She threw up her arms and fell against the farmhouse fence. Then -she heard a voice give out some order.</p> - -<p>It was her husband's voice!</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_24" href="#div1Ref_24">CHAPTER XXIV.</a></h4> -<h5>AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Brenda's reasoning power was not at fault in that moment of -excitement. Harold, with his small patrol party, had crossed the -river. She, too, was across the river--Van Zwieten had told her that. -It was Harold's voice she had heard; she could not be mistaken. It was -no matter of the wish being father to the thought. It was his voice -she had heard--the voice of her own husband. He was there in the -farmhouse with his party.</p> - -<p>"Thank God!" she cried, raising herself with difficulty.</p> - -<p>Where Van Zwieten was she did not know. He could not harm her now; -Harold was there to protect her. Clinging to the stones of the fence -in the drenching rain, she cried his name aloud again. There was -silence, then the sound of many voices and the tramp of feet.</p> - -<p>"Who goes there?" asked a gruff, military voice.</p> - -<p>"I--an Englishwoman--Mrs. Burton--let me in."</p> - -<p>The gruff voice uttered an exclamation of astonishment, and there -sounded the dull thud of a rifle being grounded. Immediately afterward -she heard a light footstep on the veranda of the house, and her -husband's voice, surprised and incredulous.</p> - -<p>"Brenda!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, Harold, Harold, it is I! Let me in--let me in!"</p> - -<p>The gate in the wall was pushed open and several privates emerged. -Someone carrying a lantern swung it so that the light fell on her pale -and haggard face. Then, with a low cry of astonishment, her husband -picked her up in his arms and carried her into the house.</p> - -<p>"Good God! Brenda, what are you doing--how did you come here?"</p> - -<p>She could not speak--she was sobbing on his breast. He placed her -gently on the hard sofa. Then she found her voice. But she could think -of nothing--say nothing. She could only rejoice in having found him.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Harold, Harold! Thank God, I have been led to you!"</p> - -<p>"My poor girl, you are cold and wet and exhausted. Here, drink this -brandy, and I'll get something cooked for you. Don't exhaust yourself -more by trying to explain. That will come after."</p> - -<p>He had thought of her far away--safe and sound in Spearman's Camp. -Even now he had some faint notion that Van Zwieten had something to do -with this, though how he could have managed it he couldn't for the -life of him conjecture.</p> - -<p>She smiled lovingly at him, and submitted to be wheeled in the chair -to the fire. Her habit was soaking wet, and steaming now in the heat. -He knelt beside her and took her hand.</p> - -<p>The room was of no great size. It was furnished quite roughly with a -few chairs and a sofa, and a table of unpainted deal. Pictures from -the <i>Illustrated London News</i> and the <i>Graphic</i> were on the walls; -there was a portrait of President Kruger, looking even more grim than -usual, over the mantelpiece; from its presence she judged that the -owners of the place were rebels. Outside, the rain still came down in -torrents, and in a room close by she could hear the men keeping up -their spirits and doing their best to make all gay within. Making her -take off her soaking habit, her husband wrapped her in his military -cloak. He asked no questions, for he saw that she was not in a fit -state of mind to answer them. She began once or twice to try and tell -him, but he would not listen.</p> - -<p>"When you have something to eat, dear, and have got these wet things -off, then I am ready to listen to all the miracles you have to tell -me, for I can't conceive how you came here in this plight except by a -miracle."</p> - -<p>Then a woman--who so far belied the traditions of Boer female beauty -as to be exceeding lean instead of stout--entered the room with a tray -of smoking dishes. She was a kindly creature, and smiled pleasantly. -She spoke nothing but low Dutch, and answered to the name of Tant' -Wilhelmina. If she were at heart a rebel she showed no sign of -hostility outwardly. She bustled Brenda into another room, and there -supplied her with garments, dry certainly, but of the most wonderful -design and colour.</p> - -<p>Clothed in these things--which were in truth the Boer woman's Sunday -finery--Brenda came back to the sitting-room. Even such garments could -not take away from her beauty, though they effectually concealed every -line of her figure. She sat down to the table and ate. Harold had gone -to see his men. Then she sipped a little of the brandy and sat herself -down by the fire. She felt as though she would never be warm. But -after all she had undergone, this peace and rest was heavenly.</p> - -<p>"Well, dearest," said her husband, entering quickly, "how do you feel -now?"</p> - -<p>"Better--much better. Come and sit by me, Harold, and I will tell you -how I come to be here. You are just dying to know, and trying not to -show it for my sake!"</p> - -<p>He unbuckled his sword and drew a chair beside his wife. "I am very -much astonished," he said, taking her hand in his, "but I have an idea -before you say a word. Is it Van Zwieten?"</p> - -<p>"Yes! I thought you might guess as much. I left the camp for a ride, -and my pony bolted. Mr. van Zwieten, it appears, through the agency of -a Kaffir, arranged it all by tampering with the bit. I was thrown; -there I lay alone on the veldt. He came up and carried me off on his -horse. When the storm burst I managed to wrench myself free and ran -toward the lights in the house. But I never, never expected to find -you here, dearest! It is God's mercy that has led me to you."</p> - -<p>"I have only been here a few hours," he explained. "Warren's division -had started, and we are to remain until it comes up. How strange that -we should meet here. So Van Zwieten is at his tricks again! The brute! -How I wish I could get a shot at him. Did he come near the house with -you?"</p> - -<p>"No. When he heard the shots he rode away; at least, I think so. But I -am safe with you, Harold!"</p> - -<p>"For the time being, Brenda. But it is just as likely as not Van -Zwieten, knowing where you are, will return with a Boer force and try -to take the house. This is the enemy's country, and they have not yet -retired before the advance. I expect the division about dawn; but -there will be time for Van Zwieten to attack before then."</p> - -<p>"Harold! promise to shoot me before I fall into his hands."</p> - -<p>The perspiration broke out on the young man's forehead. "If the worst -comes, Brenda, I will," he said solemnly, "but I hope to shoot him. Of -course, he may not bring any Boers up after all. They must know of -Warren's advance, and I dare say they'll be afraid to linger outside -their entrenchments. How did Van Zwieten find you on the veldt?"</p> - -<p>"He watched the camp and followed me. Oh Harold, the whole thing was a -scheme of his own to get possession of me. When I escaped he was -taking me to the Boer camp; and he intended to send me to Pretoria."</p> - -<p>"To marry you, I suppose, after I was shot! How did he treat you, -Brenda?"</p> - -<p>Mrs. Burton met her husband's gaze fearlessly. "With all courtesy," -she said. "If I had been his sister he could not have treated me -better. And I had my revolver, you know, until he took it from me.</p> - -<p>"The scoundrel! I am glad you were well treated. I have to thank him -for so much consideration. But if he had not----" Harold clenched his -fist.</p> - -<p>"I would have killed myself!" said his wife, with equal fierceness. -"You can trust me, Harold. You don't suppose anything--anything, even -torture, could change me?"</p> - -<p>"No, dear; I know you are the bravest little woman in the world. I -have the utmost faith in you. I should be a cur if I had not. Tell me -more about this brute's plotting."</p> - -<p>This she did, omitting no detail from the time when Van Zwieten had -picked her up on the veldt to the time of her meeting with him, her -husband. He ground his teeth as he listened; yet he was relieved to -find things were no worse. In spite of the Dutchman's villainy, he was -inclined to think better of him than he had hitherto done. -Dishonourable as he was, he had at least treated a defenceless woman -with respect. At the conclusion of the story he kissed her again for -her bravery.</p> - -<p>"Dearest, you have been splendid! I am a lucky fellow to have so -plucky a little soul for my wife. Curse the man! I long for the moment -when I shall be face to face with him. He deserves nothing better than -a bullet; and he'll get it if I can shoot straight."</p> - -<p>"No, don't shoot him," said Brenda; "he behaved well to me. He is a -spy and a scoundrel, but he is not a brute. And, Harold, I really -believe he loves me truly!"</p> - -<p>"Who would not love you, my own?" said her husband, tenderly. "Yes, I -can see he loves you. It is the best feeling in his black heart. All -the same, I wish he would transfer this chivalrous affection to some -other quarter and leave you alone."</p> - -<p>"I am afraid he will never leave me alone until he dies!"</p> - -<p>"Then he must die!" cried her husband, fiercely. "I shall protect you -from these insults at any cost. Curse him, I wish I had shot him at -Chippingholt when he accused me of murdering Malet. But we will talk -of this another time, Brenda. You are worn out. Lie down on the sofa, -dear, and try to sleep. Let me put my cloak over you."</p> - -<p>"But you, Harold?"</p> - -<p>"I must keep my eyes about me. I have an idea that Van Zwieten will -bring his Boers up before dawn."</p> - -<p>"If you think so, would it not be better to retreat towards the -advancing column?"</p> - -<p>"No. I have my orders to stay here; though, of course, no attack was -anticipated. Here I'll stay, Brenda, and do my duty. I have a dozen -men, and in this house I daresay we can hold out until our advance -guard arrives. I am not afraid for myself, but for you."</p> - -<p>"Dearest, do not be afraid for me. I would rather be here than in the -camp. If we are to die, we die together."</p> - -<p>"I won't die; neither shall you. We'll baffle Van Zwieten yet! So far, -fortune has been on our side. Now go to sleep. I must attend to my -duty!"</p> - -<p>Brenda obeyed. She was worn out with emotion and fatigue; so much so -that she could not sleep. She lay flat on her back on the hard sofa, -staring at the whitewashed ceiling, on which the flicker of the dying -lamp made the shadows dance. Harold had taken away the lamp in case -the steady light should attract attention from the outside. If Van -Zwieten was about it was not improbable that he would fire where he -saw a light. Brenda hoped with all her soul that he would not return. -She could not bear to think that she had been the means of bringing -Harold and his men into peril. But she sadly feared that, knowing -where she was, the Dutchman would bring up some of the enemy, who were -not far away, and would try to capture the farmhouse before the -advance column came up. Full of the thought of it, worn out by anxiety -and excited by the novelty of the situation, she could not close her -eyes, but tossed and turned on her hard couch, longing for the -daylight. The suspense was almost unbearable.</p> - -<p>The hours passed slowly. Now and then Harold would come in to give her -a word of comfort; and she always replied with a bright smile and a -cheerful word.</p> - -<p>The men in the other parts of the house relieved each other in -watching. Captain Burton had honestly told them what they might -expect. There was nothing to be gained in minimising matters. Each -man--there were a dozen of them--had his rifle and revolver with a few -rounds of cartridges. It was obvious they could not hold the place -against any prolonged attack on account of their shortness of -ammunition. But if the Boers did not commence operations until dawn, -as it was improbable they would do, they on the other hand, would not -have much time. Warren's column was on the march, and would be there -betimes in the morning, and then the enemy would be forced to fall -back on their entrenchments among the mountains unless they chose to -run the risk of capture by the superior force. On the whole, Harold -felt sanguine that he and his men would come out of it all right. And -there was always the chance that Van Zwieten might not bring up his -force, or that he might make overelaborate preparation, and thus delay -the attack if he did. At worst, he could rely upon the arrival of the -column very shortly.</p> - -<p>He determined that, when all was safe, he would send Brenda back to -the camp. That done, he could march forward to the relief of Ladysmith -with a light heart. Twice Brenda had escaped this man. She should do -so a third time.</p> - -<p>Toward dawn the rain ceased and the thunderclouds rolled away, leaving -a clear and starry sky. There was no moon, but the surrounding objects -were faintly outlined in a kind of luminous twilight. The animals -about the house commenced to wake and sniff the morning air. Burton -went on to the veranda and looked out on the wild waste veldt, uncanny -in the cold light of early dawn. He could discern no sign of an -approaching enemy. Nevertheless, he felt anything but easy in his -mind, and determined on a definite course of action. If Van Zwieten -did come he would find the bird he wanted to capture flown beyond his -reach. Captain Burton returned to the sitting-room and woke Brenda -from the uneasy slumber into which she had fallen.</p> - -<p>"Dearest!" he said, sitting down and drawing her to him, "I have a -presentiment that Van Zwieten will attack this house, and I want to -put you beyond his reach. I will send you forward with one of my men. -There is a horse here which I can get from the Boer woman. He will -take you to the advancing column and you will be sent back safely to -the camp."</p> - -<p>But she flatly refused to do this. "I won't leave you here to be shot. -I know you can't come yourself, and I won't go without you. I suppose -we could not all leave the place?"</p> - -<p>"No. I have my orders to remain here until the column comes up. I -can't disobey, Brenda. You must go."</p> - -<p>"No, no, don't send me away! I will----"</p> - -<p>There was a shout outside and Harold sprang to his feet. "I hope to -God it is not too late!" he cried, and hurried out.</p> - -<p>But it was too late. Across the veldt a large body of Boers were -riding. The east was saffron colour, and everything for a considerable -distance could be seen clearly. The sentry who had shouted pointed -out the advancing column to his captain. And Harold went round the -house and gave orders to bolt and bar all the windows. Then he -returned to his wife and insisted that she should leave with one of -the men.</p> - -<p>"I must send a messenger back to tell them we are being attacked, and -hurry them up. You must go, Brenda."</p> - -<p>"No, no! A thousand times no!"</p> - -<p>"God help us then," he groaned, and went off to despatch his -messenger. The enemy was riding at a canter across the grass. He took -one of his lancers round by the back where the horses were picketed, -and told him to ride with all speed to the advancing column, and -report the danger.</p> - -<p>The man took his horse and stole quietly away, taking a wide detour to -avoid the lynx eyes of the Boers. So he was away and out of sight -before they reached the farmhouse by the front. Brenda could see them -coming, could see Van Zwieten leading--she knew him by his golden -beard. She ran to change her things, and by the time the Boers had -dismounted near the fence running round the house, she was back in her -riding-habit. She got a revolver from her husband, and by his orders -remained in the sitting-room as the safest place. Then he kissed her -fondly and went out. His men, posted at doors and windows, were all on -the alert--coolly courageous, as the British soldier always is in time -of peril. For the rest they were in God's hands.</p> - -<p>The yellow in the east changed to a fiery red, and all the earth was -bathed in roseate hues. From the verandah Captain Burton could see the -wide veldt rolling in grassy waves to the foot of the distant -mountains, and a gleam of the winding river, crimson in the glare. The -enemy were grouped some distance away from the fence, and he went out -with two men to ask their intentions. Of course he knew too well what -they were, but even in war there is a certain etiquette to be -observed. After a while Van Zwieten, with a white handkerchief at the -end of a stick, came forward also with two men, and stopped at -the fence, whence he could talk to the English officer.</p> - -<p>"Well, you scoundrel!" Captain Burton said fiercely, for his soul -loathed this man who was trying so hard to take his wife away from -him, "what do you want?"</p> - -<p>"I want Mrs. Burton, and I want you!"</p> - -<p>"You shall have neither--or, at best, our dead bodies."</p> - -<p>The other man changed colour. "Don't be a fool, Burton," he said. "I -have a number of men here, and you must give in. Surrender, and I -promise you that you shall go free."</p> - -<p>"And my wife?"</p> - -<p>"I can't let her go," Van Zwieten said sullenly. "I have risked too -much for her sake to do that. She must come with me!"</p> - -<p>Captain Burton stepped forward a pace, but he still kept on the -verandah. His orderlies stepped forward, also stolid and courageous. -"You villains," said Burton, savagely, "how dare you make such a -proposal to me? If it were not for the flag you carry I would shoot -you where you stand. If I were only one of your lot I should do so in -spite of it! I hope to God that I shall kill you! And I will some day. -You have insulted my wife for the last time, you scoundrel!"</p> - -<p>"I never insulted Mrs. Burton, as she will tell you herself," the -Dutchman said coolly. "And she will not be your wife long. I shall -claim her as mine over your corpse."</p> - -<p>"Do so if you can! But I want no more talk. Retire your men."</p> - -<p>"Surrender to the President of the Transvaal Republic!" was the -counter demand.</p> - -<p>"I hold this house for Her Majesty the Queen. I refuse to surrender."</p> - -<p>"Your blood be on your own head, then!" Van Zwieten turned as though -to retire. Suddenly he sprang aside and flung up his hand. The Boers -with him instantly had their rifles to their shoulders, and -two shots rang out. Harold had just time to throw himself down, but -one of his men was shot. The poor fellow flung up his arms with a cry. -It had not died away before a volley came from the British -soldiers within the farm; but by this time Van Zwieten and his -companions had decamped and, expecting the return fire, had thrown -themselves down. The larger body of Boers fired; and under cover of -this the three scoundrels rolled, and afterwards ran into safety. -Harold sprang back through the door, whither the other soldier had -preceded him. He picked up the dead man in his arms, and, with -bullets pattering about him like rain, carried the body indoors. Then -the door was closed and the siege began. As the first shots came ping, -ping against the red stone walls, the sun uprose in a blaze of glory, -and all the veldt was flooded with golden splendour.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_25" href="#div1Ref_25">CHAPTER XXV</a></h4> -<h5>BESIEGED</h5> -<br> - -<p>The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took -advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the -trunks of the red gums. Even then the besieged had the advantage, for -they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot -without exposing themselves. To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not -having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was -very great. Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the -soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the -custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death. Now, however, -there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could -arrive. By all his gods he swore that Brenda should be his.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Burton herself remained in the sitting-room, revolver in hand. -Far from being afraid, the girl, much to her own surprise, was filled -with the terrible joy of battle; indeed, she was in the highest -spirits. The Boers fired at the windows and wherever they saw a puff -of smoke. As the bullets sang, and the smell of powder became -stronger, Brenda could hardly contain her excitement. The Boer woman -was on her knees in a back room praying with all her might that the -accursed <i>rooineks</i> would be taken and killed. Her husband and sons -were with the armies of the Republic, and her whole heart was with her -countrymen outside. How gladly, had she dared, would she have opened -the door to them!</p> - -<p>Harold ordered his men to reserve their fire. His aim was not so much -to score a victory as to hold the house until help arrived. On their -side the enemy were equally careful, and the fight progressed but -slowly. There were thirty Boers, more or less, and of these three were -already dead, while two were wounded. Of those in the house only the -man shot under the white flag was dead. Van Zwieten, looking anxiously -over the plain, fearing every moment to see some sign of the British -advance, cursed the slowness of the affair. At last he picked some men -and sent them round to try and get at the horses of the besieged; but -Harold had got them under shelter in a shed, with five men in front to -guard them. The Boers creeping round the corner were met by a volley -which killed four and wounded two. They fled swearing, and Captain -Burton rejoiced.</p> - -<p>"Reserve your fire, men! We shall hold out after all!"</p> - -<p>"By Heaven we will, sir!" one of the men answered. "We'll fight to the -last rather than an English lady should fall into the hands of these -dirty rascals. Ho! Give 'em beans, you beggars!"</p> - -<p>And this the beggars in question proceeded to do.</p> - -<p>Then Van Zwieten sent forward a dozen men on to the verandah with a -rush. Their advance was covered by a steady fire from the rear, though -not one of the besiegers showed himself. Simultaneously another body -attacked the back shed wherein the horses were housed, and in spite of -the British fire succeeded in effecting their entrance to the yard. -Then they rushed the shed, which was an open one. Two Englishmen fell, -and there was no one to fill their places, for their comrades were -fighting desperately on the verandah in front.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten, seeing his advantage, led the remainder of his force to -the other side of the house, where there was a wide window. It opened -into the room where the Boer woman was kneeling. She flung open the -shutters. Van Zwieten jumped in, followed by half-a-dozen of his men, -and the first those within knew of it was when they found themselves -attacked in the rear. They right about faced, put their backs to the -wall, and fought like men. Then, as a reward for her treachery, a -stray bullet pierced the brain of the Boer woman.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the men who forced entrance into the yard were steadily -gaining ground. But hearing the firing within the house they turned -back by the front again, in order to come to the rescue of their -comrades. The party on the veranda broke through the door and hurled -themselves forward. Boer after Boer fell before the British fire, for -Harold had now concentrated his men--what there were left of them. -Gradually he was driven back to the sitting-room. A shout of triumph -from outside announced that those who had remained had succeeded in -capturing the horses.</p> - -<p>Within, the whole place was dense with smoke. Brenda, in obedience to -her husband's orders, was lying flat on the floor beside the sofa. She -gave up all for lost, but determined she would not be taken alive. She -was only waiting until her husband fell. In the midst of it all she -could discern Van Zwieten. Rifles were useless now. It was hand to -hand work. The end was near.</p> - -<p>There, in the little room, Harold stood with three of his men beside -him. The others were either dead or dying. But the Boers had got off -by no means cheaply. At least twenty of them had been done for. The -four Englishmen, with their backs to the wall, fought on, using -revolver, muzzle and butt-end, until at last their cartridges gave -out, and they threw down their weapons with a curse and surrendered. -There was nothing for it. Van Zwieten gave vent to a yell of triumph. -His men threw themselves on Burton. But the Englishman was too quick -for them. He stepped back quickly and levelled his revolver. He had -one chamber loaded.</p> - -<p>"I have just one left," he said hoarsely "stand up to it, Van Zwieten, -for I am keeping it for you!"</p> - -<p>"Finish him, men!" roared the Dutchman.</p> - -<p>"No, no," cried Brenda, and before a man could move she had flung her -arms around her husband and stood between him and them. "The last -shot, dear, is for me!" she said.</p> - -<p>There was a pause. They held back. Harold never flinched. His wife -clung to him desperately. His face was streaming with blood from the -graze of a bullet. But he was determined to make good use of that last -shot.</p> - -<p>Beside Van Zwieten stood a huge man with a white, flowing beard. At -last the Dutchman made a dash forward and attempted to take Brenda -from her husband's arm.</p> - -<p>"You are mine," he cried madly, "mine! You shall not die!"</p> - -<p>"Coward!" hissed Burton, "take your lead like the dog you are!" He -fired. But she, struggling to free herself from the Dutchman's grasp, -fell heavily against his right arm and spoilt his aim. The bullet -whizzed overhead. He threw down his weapon and prepared for the worst. -He put her behind him. Sobbing, she fell on her knees and clasped her -arms around his legs. She felt for her revolver that she might be sure -of death when he died.</p> - -<p>"Fire!" rang out from Van Zwieten. "Spare the woman, kill the man!"</p> - -<p>Two Boers levelled. But the old man with the white beard rushed -forward and struck them aside. They fell wide. "Hold!" he cried, "let -no man fire!"</p> - -<p>"Damn you, Piet Bok, what do you mean?" asked Van Zwieten, savagely.</p> - -<p>"Ah! Piet Bok!" cried Harold, seeing a chance of life and of saving -his wife, "I am your prisoner again. I yield to you."</p> - -<p>"Fire, men!" shouted Van Zwieten. "Fire, I tell you!" He was seething -with rage at the fear lest his prey was going to escape him. Then -turning to the old man he said, "Piet Bok! this is my business!"</p> - -<p>"It is the business of the Republic," retorted Piet, coolly, and at -the same moment he struck down a Boer who was about to fire. "I'll -shoot the first man who disobeys my orders," he said. "Clear the room. -I am in command here!"</p> - -<p>It was done. Then they set to work to drag out the bodies of the dead -and tend the wounded.</p> - -<p>Soon Harold and his wife, Piet Bok and Van Zwieten, were left alone. -For the third time the Dutchman had been baffled. The man whom of all -others he would have had dead still lived.</p> - -<p>Harold, knowing well that Piet Bok would stand his friend, said -nothing for the moment, but wrapped his arms round Brenda and faced -the two men. The issues of life and death were in their hands.</p> - -<p>"Will you sit down, Englishman?" said Piet Bok. "I see you are -wounded."</p> - -<p>"A mere scratch!" replied Harold; "but my wife will sit with your -permission!"</p> - -<p>"Your wife!" echoed the Boer leader, who spoke English well enough. -"You never told me she was the <i>rooinek's</i> wife!" he added, turning to -Van Zwieten.</p> - -<p>"I did not think it was necessary," growled the other; "besides, I -thought that would have ceased to be by now!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I can well believe that!" cried Brenda, with sudden energy. -"Mynheer Bok, do not believe what this man says. He tried to carry me -off from my husband last night; and when I escaped to this place he -brought you and your men up with the sole object of having my husband -shot. He would shoot him now if he dared!"</p> - -<p>"That he shall not do whilst I am here!" cried Piet Bok. "You are both -prisoners of the Republic, and as such you shall be treated."</p> - -<p>"Nothing of the sort!" cried Van Zwieten, mad with rage. "I demand -that the man be shot and the woman be given to me!"</p> - -<p>Piet Bok signed to Harold to remain silent. "On what grounds?"</p> - -<p>"On the grounds that this woman was engaged to marry me with the -consent of her father, and that this man has married her against her -father's will."</p> - -<p>"Is this true?" asked the Boer leader.</p> - -<p>"No!" cried Brenda, "it is not true. At one time my father, deceived -by this wicked Van Zwieten, did wish me to marry him. But when he -found out his true character he consented to my marriage with Captain -Burton. I never was engaged to him! I always hated him. This is my -husband!" She laid her hand on Harold's shoulder. "Give me to that man -and I will kill myself."</p> - -<p>"She raves!" said Van Zwieten. "He has turned her against me."</p> - -<p>"That is another lie," said Harold, fiercely. "You don't believe him, -Piet Bok?"</p> - -<p>"No, I don't believe him," replied the big man, quietly. "I believe -the lady. My friend," he added, turning to Van Zwieten, "can you wish -to marry a woman who openly declares hatred for you? Besides, she is -already the wife of this English soldier, and she loves him." -The Dutchman winced. "I demand his death!" he cried.</p> - -<p>"On what grounds?"</p> - -<p>"He is a murderer."</p> - -<p>"That is untrue," Brenda said quietly, "and you know it, Mr. van -Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I wish I could meet you face to face and fight it out!" Harold -said, between his teeth. "Only death will stop that cursed tongue of -yours."</p> - -<p>"A murderer!" repeated Piet Bok, looking at Captain Burton. "That is a -serious matter. State your case, Van Zwieten."</p> - -<p>Glibly enough he complied. He related the events which had taken place -at Chippingholt, the death of Mr. Malet, the finding of the revolver -belonging to Harold, and ended by stating his conviction that the -crime had been committed by Captain Burton. "And he killed Malet -because he was on our side, because he was supplying information about -the accursed English to me for the use of the Republic. He----</p> - -<p>"It is wholly untrue, Piet Bok!" cried Harold, furious at the man's -audacious mendacity. "I did not kill Malet; I did not know at that -time that he was betraying his own country to Van Zwieten. This man's -one idea is to get me put out of the way that he may marry my wife, -who hates him; and he cares not how he achieves his desire so long as -he does achieve it."</p> - -<p>"I hate him!--oh, how I hate him!" cried Brenda. "I will kill myself -rather than have anything to do with him. If my husband dies I will -die too. Oh, Mynheer Bok, save me; save my husband from that man!"</p> - -<p>"If you do not shoot the murderer," Van Zwieten said in his turn, "you -are no friend to the Republic, Piet Bok!"</p> - -<p>The big Boer turned round and cursed him for his words.</p> - -<p>"I am a true burgher of the Transvaal," said Piet Bok, with vehemence, -"and you are an outlander; one of those rats who want to creep into -our corn rick and grow fat. The whole of the war is the doing of such -as you. What do you know about me in connection with my own country? -Nothing. And what you say about these people is untrue. The woman -hates you. You would kill her husband to marry her against her will. -As to the <i>rooinek</i>, he is not the kind of man to murder. With my own -eyes I saw him spare my boy, Hans. You shall harm neither of them."</p> - -<p>"What will you do, then?" shouted Van Zwieten, furiously.</p> - -<p>"Send them to Pretoria as prisoners. Yes; but not in your charge, mark -you. You would kill them on the road. I command here, Van Zwieten. Go -out, mynheer, and get your men together. The British are advancing and -I have no fancy for being trapped. Go!"</p> - -<p>"But these two!" said the other.</p> - -<p>"I will be responsible for these two," thundered Piet Bok. "Do you -want to be shot yourself? That you will be, unless you obey -instantly."</p> - -<p>Very unwillingly Van Zwieten turned and went, and they heard his voice -outside shouting to his men. Brenda sprang forward and kissed Bok's -hand. "Thank you, mynheer, for your goodness. God bless you!"</p> - -<p>"Piet Bok, you are a brick!" cried Harold, enthusiastically; "and -since it seems my fate to be a prisoner, I would rather be your -prisoner than anyone else's."</p> - -<p>"You spared my boy's life, man," was the answer, "and I am not -ungrateful. I know Van Zwieten is a bad man, but he is powerful with -our Oom Paul. He will make trouble when you are sent to Pretoria." The -old man bent forward and whispered, "If I can help you to escape I -will. Hush! not a word, my children. I hate Van Zwieten. He is one of -those who have ruined our country. Come, now we must go."</p> - -<p>Considerably cheered by the friendly spirit displayed by the old man, -Brenda and her husband went out on to the verandah. Here they found -the Boers--they had buried their dead and had secured the other -prisoners--ready to start. The English dead were left unburied, much -to Harold's wrath, and he begged Bok to let him and his surviving -fellows bury them before leaving. But the permission was refused.</p> - -<p>"We must get away; there is not time. Your column will be upon us -immediately, I know. Mount, Englishmen. And you, lady--see, we have -found a saddle for you. Ah! you cannot say we burghers are not -civilised. No!"</p> - -<p>There was no help for it. Brenda mounted, and found the saddle -comfortable enough. As it afterwards transpired, Van Zwieten had -brought it on a spare horse, so sure had he been of capturing Brenda. -How he had managed to procure it in the there Boer entrenchments it -was impossible to say, but it was, and Brenda on it now, but not--as -the Dutchman had no doubt fondly pictured to himself--<i>his</i> captive. -With an expression black as thunder he was riding at the head of the -troop. Piet Bok remained in the rear between Brenda and her husband. -As they left the house, Harold looked in vain for any sign of General -Warren's division.</p> - -<p>Prisoners they were, and prisoners they seemed likely to remain, with -every probability of being sent on to Pretoria, where they would be at -the mercy of the intrigues of Van Zwieten once again. But Piet Bok saw -the heavy glower of the Dutchman, and had his own views as to the -reason for it.</p> - -<p>"You expected your column to come up?" he said in a low tone; "so did -we. Our spies have kept us correctly informed. But it seems there is -some delay in crossing the Tugela."</p> - -<p>"Are you disputing the passage?"</p> - -<p>"No, we are not. We intend to offer no resistance to your reaching the -mountains."</p> - -<p>"Why? Surely you should dispute the river passage."</p> - -<p>"No! We are about to--never mind. We know what we are doing. Your men -are very brave--oh, yes; but your generals--ah, well! the dear Lord -has shown them what they should do--for the benefit of the burghers."</p> - -<p>Not another word would Piet Bok say; but Captain Burton gathered from -his looks and speech that the division was being led into a trap. The -Boers were past masters in the art of ensnaring their enemies; and on -this occasion they were quite capable of entrapping the whole of -Buller's army amongst the mountains. If Harold had only been alone he -would have made a dash for freedom and hastened to warn his commanding -officer. But as he was placed that was impossible. He could not risk -his wife's safety even for that of his division. He could only comfort -himself with the thought that the British generals had been rendered -more wary by their late reverses, and trust that they would succeed in -avoiding this especial trap.</p> - -<p>For some hours the little troop trotted over the veldt and drew nearer -to the mountains in which the Boers had their entrenchments. Hitherto -Van Zwieten had kept away from Brenda, but now he ranged up beside her -while Harold was in front with Piet Bok. The man looked pale, while -his eyes burned like fire. Brenda shuddered as she glanced at him and -turned her horse away.</p> - -<p>"You are not safe from me yet," he said, noting the action. "And -though you shrink from me now, you will come to me later. I have -finished with kindly methods. Now I will be your master. Your husband -shall die! yes, in spite of that old fool. And when he is dead I will -marry you. Don't think you have beaten me--or ever will!"</p> - -<p>"I am not afraid of you, though you threaten me ever so often," she -replied calmly, "for I see that God is thwarting all your wicked -schemes. Twice before I escaped you: this is the third time. You are -strong, Mr. van Zwieten, but you are not so strong as God!"</p> - -<p>"Bah! Why do you preach to me? I know what I am doing."</p> - -<p>"You do not," she said steadily, "but I do. You are marching to your -death. Yes, it is true. I believe firmly that you will die in the -midst of your wickedness."</p> - -<p>"You talk like a child," said he, uneasily, for he was inclined to be -superstitious, and her solemn tone of conviction made him uneasy.</p> - -<p>"You can laugh at me if you please, but I am certain that what I say -is true. You will die--die in----"</p> - -<p>But before she could finish her dismal prophecy Van Zwieten, -thoroughly dismayed by her words, had put spurs to his horse and -ridden away at full speed.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_26" href="#div1Ref_26">CHAPTER XXVI</a></h4> -<h5>IN CAPTIVITY</h5> -<br> - -<p>After the excitement of that day and night came five days of -quiet--quiet at least for Captain and Mrs. Burton, held prisoners as -they were in a Boer house on the slope of a rocky hill sparsely -covered with grass. It was the homestead of a sheep farm and the -animals fed amongst the hills, and, when the seasons served, down on -the plain. The stone house was solidly built; it was of one storey, -with a roof of corrugated iron, and was comfortable enough after the -Dutch fashion, so that on the whole Brenda and her husband were not -unpleasantly situated. More over they were allowed to be together--a -privilege which they valued highly. Indeed, it was the sole thing -which rendered this captivity tolerable.</p> - -<p>As it happened, Piet Bok was unable to send them to Pretoria as he had -wished. The Boers were now engaged with Buller's division, and -were falling back to a hill called Spion Kop, a name hardly known at -that time, but fated in two or three days to be spoken of all over the -world. Not a burgher could be spared to escort them to the capital, -but, strangely enough, a sufficient number were told off to -guard the farm house. Harold was somewhat suspicious of this -arrangement--suspicious that somehow Van Zwieten had had to do with -it; but he had no means of making certain. The Dutchman had never come -near them, but they feared him all the more now that he was out of -sight, and fully expected some fresh trouble. As he had warned Mrs. -Burton, he had not done with them yet.</p> - -<p>Occasionally they were visited by Piet Bok, and the old man still -seemed as kindly disposed as ever, but as yet he could do nothing to -help them; so for five days they had to make the best of their irksome -captivity. Not even a book or a paper could they find. However, -putting aside the constant dread of Van Zwieten, they were not -unhappy. The house stood so high that there was a splendid view of a -large plain, and on the left a huddle of hills. Beyond these the -fighting was going on, and the prisoners could hear the boom of the -cannon and the shriek of shells. At times they could see the smoke of -the battle afar off. Harold hoped that the advance of the army would -bring them help at last, but the fighting was in a more westerly -direction, and the hoped-for help never came.</p> - -<p>"If we could only escape, Brenda!" he said for the hundredth time. "It -is maddening to be shut up here and to listen to all that! We must -make one desperate attempt to get away. You are not afraid, I know?"</p> - -<p>"I am not afraid," replied his wife, "but we must not be rash. We have -no weapons, no horses, no food. I don't see how we are to manage it."</p> - -<p>"Nor do I, unless Piet Bok will help us. These men outside would give -us no quarter if we tried to get away. They are just dying to get rid -of us."</p> - -<p>Brenda shuddered. "Harold, don't! It is terrible to think of. I feel -sure all will come right in the end."</p> - -<p>"It won't if Van Zwieten can help it."</p> - -<p>"He will have enough to do to look after himself. Harold, that man -will die!"</p> - -<p>"How do you know? Do you mean a violent death, and that soon?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, that is just what I do mean. My mother was a Highland woman, and -had what they call second-sight. I have not got it myself, I suppose, -because I am not a pure Celt. But I have enough of the seer in me to -have a presentiment about that man! I feel certain that he will die by -violence, and that shortly. I can't explain myself more clearly."</p> - -<p>"One never can explain a feeling of that sort. You told this to Van -Zwieten himself?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, and I frightened him. Perhaps that is why he has not been near -us."</p> - -<p>"I should not have thought he was superstitious, Brenda; nor you -either, for that matter."</p> - -<p>"I am not, as a rule," was her reply, "but I feel that what I say is -true. Van Zwieten will die!"</p> - -<p>Harold, sturdy, stolid Englishman as he was, tried to argue her out of -this idea, but he gave it up as hopeless. She had made up her mind -that their enemy was a dead man, or would be dead within a few days. -Strange to say, it was on that very day that he paid them his first -visit. He looked as handsome and as burly as ever. Going by -appearances, he had a good many years of villainy before him yet.</p> - -<p>He came up to the veranda and saluted Mrs. Burton with a low bow of -which she took no notice.</p> - -<p>"You are surprised to see me?" he said, with his usual cool insolence.</p> - -<p>"I cannot say that I am surprised at anything you do," was Harold's -disdainful reply. "But if you have come to make the same proposition -you made before, I warn you that I shall not listen to it so -patiently."</p> - -<p>The Dutchman cast a quick glance at the slender figure of the -other man. "I am not afraid of you," he sneered; "you have no -weapons--neither sword nor revolver."</p> - -<p>"I can use my fists even on such a big bully as you!"</p> - -<p>"As you please. But I don't see much chance of delivering my message -until you moderate your tone."</p> - -<p>"What is your message?" asked Brenda, speaking for the first time.</p> - -<p>"I come to offer you freedom."</p> - -<p>"On what conditions?"</p> - -<p>"There are none. I love you still. If I had my way I would kill your -husband and marry you. But unfortunately," said Van Zwieten, with a -sneer, "I am amongst a very moral people. Piet Bok has told the Boer -generals about what they are pleased to call my wickedness, and I have -been informed that if I persist in my plans I may say good-bye to -all advancement amongst the godly Boers. Now I am a poor man, and -cannot afford to lose all I have gained. Ambition for me must be -stronger than love. So, Mrs. Burton, I give you up!"</p> - -<p>"Thank God!" cried she, clasping her hands; adding, as an -afterthought, "If I could only believe you!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, you can believe me," he said gloomily. "If I were only a rich -man--rich enough to give up my position here--I would never rest until -you were mine. But the choice lies now between you and my position. I -choose to lose you. From this moment you need have no fear of me. You -can go with your husband where you will. You do not love me--I know it -now--but him you do love--unworthy though he is----"</p> - -<p>"That is a lie!" Captain Burton cried, starting up.</p> - -<p>"Hush, Harold! Is it worth while arguing about? Let him go on. Well, -Mr. van Zwieten, you have come to tell us this. What else?"</p> - -<p>"I have come to offer you my assistance to escape."</p> - -<p>"Oh! That is what I hardly expected to hear you say. And you must -pardon me if I don't believe you."</p> - -<p>"As you please," he said again. "But you can escape to-night if you -will. The men here now I shall take away with me shortly. Two horses -will be left behind--food is in the house; and here are a couple of -revolvers--one for you and one for Burton."</p> - -<p>They took the weapons in silence. Could this be Van Zwieten? They did -not know him in this new <i>rôle</i> of self-abnegation, and the suspicions -of both husband and wife were thoroughly aroused. But the revolvers -were good ones, and they were loaded. Could it be that he spoke truly -and that he was anxious now to retrieve his past, to give up his -plotting and spying and to live a virtuous life amongst the too-moral -Boers, who had indeed, perhaps, forced him to do this thing?</p> - -<p>Still Brenda looked doubtfully at him, for compulsory righteousness -was somewhat hard to credit.</p> - -<p>"I see you don't believe me," he said, after a pause. "Well, perhaps -you are right. It is rather late in the day for me to turn saint. But -you may be sure I should not do this unless I had some very strong -inducement. If you are taken to Pretoria you will only remain to vex -my eyes, and I want to get you out of sight. That is my reason for -giving you your freedom. To-night I will send a messenger who will -guide you to the British outposts. They are not so far off as you -think. Buller has advanced almost to Spion Kop, and he has taken -several of our positions. If he gets Spion Kop--and I understand -Warren intends to capture it if he can--he will have the key to our -position and will march on to Ladysmith. But"--he shrugged his -shoulders--"there is many a slip, you know. Well, I will go in and get -my men. Will you follow my messenger?"</p> - -<p>"I can't say yet," Captain Burton said bluntly. "You speak fair -enough, but this may be a trick for all I know."</p> - -<p>"How should I benefit by a trick?" Van Zwieten asked. "If I wanted to -kill you I could do it now, and no one would be the wiser. The Boers -here would shoot you with pleasure. But if I killed you and took Mrs. -Burton, why, then, good-bye to my chance of becoming President of the -Confederate States of South Africa. No, I will let you go; it suits me -better. Love, as I said, must yield to ambition. But if you do not -believe me, stay here. My messenger shall come at eight o'clock -to-night. Follow him or not as you please. Good-bye, Mrs. Burton. You -little know what it is to me to give you up; but you must say I afford -you every chance of being happy with your husband."</p> - -<p>Brenda looked at him. She began to think he was acting in good faith -after all.</p> - -<p>"I am not ungrateful," she said gently. "We will follow your -messenger. Good-bye," and she held out her hand to him.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten bent over it and kissed it. Then he drew himself up, -looked at Harold steadfastly and turned away in silence.</p> - -<p>"Do you believe in him?" asked Brenda after a pause.</p> - -<p>"I don't know. Upon my soul, I don't know. He is such a scoundrel. I -wonder you could let him kiss your hand, Brenda!"</p> - -<p>"Craft must be met by craft," she replied in a whisper. "You silly -boy, you don't mean to say you are jealous of that? Can't you see that -I wanted to disarm his suspicions so that we might get away safely?"</p> - -<p>"Then you don't believe in him?</p> - -<p>"No; he has some scheme in his head. Hush, it's not safe to talk about -it now--when he's gone. Meanwhile, let him think we accept his offer."</p> - -<p>It would really seem as though Van Zwieten were acting -straightforwardly for the first time in his life. The Boers who had -been guarding the place got their rifles, saddled the horses, and, -headed by Van Zwieten, took themselves off down the mountain-side, and -were shortly afterward to be seen riding across the veldt in a -northerly direction. Captain Burton, still suspicious, could not -believe in his good fortune. With Brenda he proceeded to explore the -house. It was empty. They searched the orchard, the sheep kraals, the -Kaffir huts--in fact, the whole domain, but they could find no trace -of a single soul. No weapons had been left, but they had the -revolvers. In the stable were two horses already saddled. Harold -pointed this out to his wife.</p> - -<p>"Ready, you see, for the journey!" said he. "Van Zwieten is evidently -very sure that we shall accept his offer."</p> - -<p>"Well, we'll not disappoint him so far as the horses are concerned," -replied Brenda; "but as to waiting for his messenger, I don't think -we'll do that."</p> - -<p>"Why, Brenda, what do you mean? We don't know an inch of the country."</p> - -<p>"Probably this messenger of Van Zwieten's will know it rather too well -for our liking. I don't trust the arrangement in the least. Believe -me, dear, he will only lead us into some trap and we shall be -prisoners again."</p> - -<p>"I don't see that Van Zwieten need have given himself the trouble to -do that--we were his prisoners already."</p> - -<p>"I can't see through it at present either. But, nevertheless, I'm sure -there's something at the back of his ostensible generosity."</p> - -<p>Captain Burton was at a loss how to interpret it. On the whole, he was -inclined to trust to his wife's instinct. He had no sort of premise on -which to argue against it.</p> - -<p>So they had something to eat and decided to leave at sundown. Beyond -the hills they knew the British were engaging the enemy, so if they -made due west they had every hope of coming up with the outposts of -the advancing column. There was, of course, always the chance that -they might not get even so far safely, but that they preferred to risk -rather than trust in Mr. van Zwieten.</p> - -<p>Their horses were wiry little animals enough, and, if put to it, could -show a very pretty pace. They fed and watered them now preparatory to -their start. On the whole they were sanguine.</p> - -<p>Then came a surprise. As they were making their own meal they heard -from outside a voice hailing them in English. Harold rushed to the -door and returned shortly with Piet Bok. The old man looked anxious, -and hurried forward to shake Brenda by the hand.</p> - -<p>"Thank the dear Lord you are safe," he said with emotion. "I feared it -might be otherwise--that you had fallen into that man's snare."</p> - -<p>"Then it was a snare!" cried Brenda, at this confirmation of her own -feelings. "Tell us, Mynheer Bok, what was his plan?"</p> - -<p>"Ach! is it not to tell it you and save you from it I am here?" He -rubbed his hands. "I will show Van Zwieten that others can be slim as -he. Beloved Lord, he is the seed of Satan, that man."</p> - -<p>"He took away the guards, but he has left us the two revolvers and a -couple of mounts all ready saddled."</p> - -<p>"Quite so; and he is to send a messenger soon, is he not, to lead you -to the British camp?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes."</p> - -<p>"Believe him not. That messenger will not lead you to your camp, but -to an ambuscade of Boers headed by Van Zwieten himself. Then your -husband here will be shot and you will be carried off."</p> - -<p>"The scoundrel! The double-dyed villain! But why all this, mynheer? We -were in his power already."</p> - -<p>"No, you were not. You must understand that I have power with the -burghers; yes, and I told them your story, and they were amazed at the -wickedness of this man, and he was told to go out from amongst us lest -the dear Lord should send evil on the host. Then he said he would -desist from his wicked schemes and send you on to Pretoria to be dealt -with by the President. But I overheard his conversation with the -messenger whom he intends to send to you, and I know his plan. You are -to be carried off, as I have told you, and in durance vile kept until -the war is over. Your husband will be shot, probably by Van Zwieten -himself. But of all this he will say not a word to the burghers, and -thus he will maintain his place amongst them. You see why he does not -act openly?</p> - -<p>"I see," said Brenda, her color rising. "Now what are we to do?"</p> - -<p>"Come with me at once," said Piet Bok. "I will lead you by another -route to your outposts, and so shall we thwart this son of the pit. -But you must come at once, there is not a moment to lose."</p> - -<p>"But the messenger?"</p> - -<p>"Of course we do not wait for him. It would mean death to you or to -him."</p> - -<p>"Right you are, then; let's get off straight away. It's getting dark -already."</p> - -<p>"Ach, yes! that is well. Come along, then."</p> - -<p>Their trust in the old man was implicit. He had always proved a friend -hitherto. The sun was setting in floods of gold over the mountain-tops -as they rode down the path which descended to the veldt. Heavy rains -had rendered the ground sodden. Piet Bok headed for a point in the -hills where he said there was a pass other than the one in which Van -Zwieten was waiting. Unluckily, as they started across the veldt, they -saw a horseman coming toward them at full speed.</p> - -<p>"The messenger!" cried Brenda. "What are we to do now, mynheer?"</p> - -<p>The old man unslung his gun. "Kill him," he said quietly, "else he -will ride on and tell Van Zwieten. If he sees me with you he will -guess the truth. It is well known in laager that I am the enemy of Van -Zwieten."</p> - -<p>"Must he really be killed?" asked Brenda, with a shudder. It was -terrible to her that this man should be shot in cold blood.</p> - -<p>"It is his life or mine, dear," said her husband, pulling out his -revolver to be ready if Piet Bok should fail.</p> - -<p>But the approaching Boer was not going to trust himself at close -quarters. He circled round them and held out a white flag in token of -friendship. Harold laughed grimly as he recognized the old trick. Piet -Bok sighted, and fired. But the fellow flung himself flat down on his -horse's neck and the shot missed him.</p> - -<p>He rode off with a defiant whoop. A big Dutch oath escaped from the -lips of Piet Bok, and he caught Brenda's horse by the bridle.</p> - -<p>"We must ride for it," he said. "The man recognized me, and you too. -He will hasten back to Van Zwieten, and they will be after us in no -time. We must make for the hills."</p> - -<p>"How can I thank you, Bok?" said Harold, gratefully.</p> - -<p>"Almighty, that is right! you spared my boy Hans."</p> - -<p>By this time the messenger was a mere speck on the horizon. He was -riding like the wind to take this news to his chief.</p> - -<p>The three fugitives made a straight line for the pass, urging their -horses to their best. The sun had dropped behind the mountains and the -shadows were gathering fast on the veldt. For several hours they tore -on until they reached the mouth of the pass. There they pulled up to -give themselves and their animals breath.</p> - -<p>"I think we can count ourselves safe now," said Piet Bok, wiping his -brow. "But we must push on through the pass. At the other side let us -hope we shall come up with your men."</p> - -<p>The track was narrow and winding and full of mud, which fouled the -horses and made the climbing doubly hard. It was quite dark there, but -Piet knew every inch of the path, and rode on ahead fearless and -confident. In about an hour they emerged. There were the lights of the -British camp twinkling a mile and a half away.</p> - -<p>As they commenced the descent they heard a shot ring out, and Brenda -gave a cry of dismay. Piet Bok had fallen from his saddle.</p> - -<p>"Ride, ride for your lives!" cried the old man. "He has come round by -the other pass."</p> - -<p>And so it was. Van Zwieten, instead of following at their rear, had -pushed through the other pass and had cut them off. But he had made -one mistake. He had allowed them to get out of the pass on to the -higher ground instead of cutting them off from the camp. As shot -followed shot, Harold caught Brenda's horse by the bridle. Headlong -they tore down toward the plain.</p> - -<p>The light, or rather the dark, was all against the pursuers. They gave -up firing and made to overtake them. But the sound of the muskets had -already been heard in the camp, and they could hear the bugles ringing -out. Whether the brave old Boer who had saved them was dead or not -they did not know. It was beyond their power to aid him. They urged -their horses on and on, for in their speed lay the only hope of -escape.</p> - -<p>"Courage, Brenda!" cried Harold. "Stick to it; they've heard the -firing in camp."</p> - -<p>"I will, dear--I will."</p> - -<p>Then her husband looked round, and an exclamation of mingled relief -and triumph came from him. They had given up the chase.</p> - -<p>"They've had enough of it, hurrah!" he cried.</p> - -<p>They were now within a short distance of the camp, and could hear the -commands being given consequent on what evidently had been taken for -the commencement of a surprise on the part of the Boers. Those behind -them had turned and fled now in the opposite direction--all of them -save Van Zwieten.</p> - -<p>He stood up and fired twice. But his shot fell wide. Then Harold -turned and tried what his revolver would do at that range. Van -Zwieten's arm fell useless. Then he galloped off, none too soon, for a -squadron of mounted infantry came on the scene just at the moment.</p> - -<p>"What's all this?" shouted the captain in command.</p> - -<p>"We have escaped!" shouted Harold--"Burton and Mrs. Burton."</p> - -<p>"What, is it you, old man?" cried a friendly voice--a voice they knew -well.</p> - -<p>For the fourth time Brenda had escaped her enemy.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4><a name="div1_27" href="#div1Ref_27">CHAPTER XXVII.</a></h4> -<h5>NEMESIS.</h5> -<br> - -<p>Having no ambition toward enacting the <i>rôle</i> of heroine of an -Adelphi melodrama, Brenda was beginning to weary of this game of -hide-and-seek. However, she was safe for the time being, as even the -redoubtable Van Zwieten could hardly be expected to take her from the -midst of the British army. Harold reported the mishap which had led to -the loss of his men, and afterward rejoined his company. He wished his -wife to go back to Spearman's Camp; but she begged so hard to remain -that at last he consented. Permission was obtained from the -authorities, and Brenda betook herself to her old task of nursing the -wounded. She related to her friend the doctor as much of her -adventures as she could without trenching too closely on her private -affairs; and great surprise was expressed at her perils and her lucky -escape. But to Wilfred, who came to see her and his brother as soon as -he heard of their rescue, she related everything in detail.</p> - -<p>"By Jove! what a scoundrel that fellow is!" said that young man. "I -wonder when he intends to leave you alone."</p> - -<p>"Never, I fear," replied Brenda. "Unless he is killed I shall never be -safe from him."</p> - -<p>"I'll shoot him myself if I get a chance. He is a danger to -society--it must be some one's business to put him out of the way. You -have had a bad time, Brenda; but I don't think you need fear the man -any more."</p> - -<p>"What makes you say that?"</p> - -<p>"I have an idea that he has come to the end of his tether."</p> - -<p>"So have I," she said. "And I told him so. But, Wilfred, tell me about -my father?"</p> - -<p>"He has gone back to Durban, as you know, to see the authorities about -your disappearance. He thinks you have been taken prisoner by the -Boers, and that you are at Pretoria by now. He is going to try and get -you exchanged."</p> - -<p>"There is no need for that, thank God!" said Brenda, cheerfully. "I -must let him know at once."</p> - -<p>"That will be difficult unless you send a message from Ladysmith."</p> - -<p>"When do you think we shall be there?"</p> - -<p>"If the luck holds good, in a couple of days. We have taken most of -the Boer positions; now Warren intends to try for Spion Kop to-night. -If he captures it, we shall hold the key to the Boer position."</p> - -<p>"Ah, you see Wilfred, your forebodings are all wrong."</p> - -<p>"We are yet in the wood, not out of it," replied he, significantly. -"However, I will give Buller and Warren all praise. They have done -well. All the same, I still condemn this plan of campaign. Only a -miracle can render it successful."</p> - -<p>"Well, we shall see what happens when Spion Kop is taken. Do try and -look on the bright side of things, Wilfred."</p> - -<p>But the young man departed, still shaking his head. There was no doubt -that he was very depressing company. His face wore a look of settled -gloom most painful to behold; and he was always prognosticating -calamity in the face of the most promising operations. At the same -time he invariably refrained from pessimism in his letters to his -newspaper, which were usually cheerful and full of devoted praise of -the behavior of both troops and officers.</p> - -<p>It was anxious work waiting in the hospital while Harold was in the -field. But Brenda had not much time for thought. She was nursing the -wounded with all her heart and soul, and was an angel of light amongst -the weary, wounded soldiers. The doctor called her his right hand, as -well he might. She deprived herself of rest and food to be by her -patients. Only when compelled to, did she lie down; and then it was in -her clothes, ready to be up and doing at the call of duty. Her best -qualities came out in this most arduous work.</p> - -<p>The grand attack on Spion Kop was to be made at night, in order to -effect a surprise. All day long the operations went on in the field. -Toward sunset Harold's company had to dislodge a number of Boers who -had entrenched themselves on the slope of the mountain. The position -was taken and the enemy fell back; but not without considerable loss -of life on both sides. Amongst the wounded was Harold, who was shot -through the lung. It was dark when the news was brought into the camp, -and the ambulance bearers started under a rising moon for this -miniature battlefield.</p> - -<p>Quite unaware of her husband's mishap, Brenda was busy attending a -dying man. But he was beyond her aid, and died within a very short -time of his being brought in. She was closing his eyes with a sigh at -the horrors of war when one of the doctors told her that she was -wanted. With a presentiment of bad news she went out and found Wilfred -waiting to speak to her. He was greatly agitated and took her hand as -if to give her courage.</p> - -<p>"Brenda, I have bad news for you!"</p> - -<p>"It is Harold!" she cried, pale to the lips.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it is Harold. I have only just heard."</p> - -<p>"He is dead?"</p> - -<p>"No. I hope not--I don't know but he fell while leading the attack on -one of the small kopjes. They are just going out to bring in the -wounded. I thought----"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'll come," said Brenda, anticipating his speech. "Is it far?"</p> - -<p>"No, not very. Make haste. God grant we may find him alive!"</p> - -<p>She needed no second bidding, but hastily gathered together some -medical comforts, wrapped herself in a cloak and came out. In silence -they walked toward the fatal spot which had been pointed out to -Wilfred by a private who had seen Harold fall. She did not weep. Her -emotion was too deep for tears. The moment which she had been dreading -all these months had arrived--unexpectedly, as all such moments do. -Now she felt that the actual event was not so terrible as the -expectation had been. There was a chance that he might be alive. He -was wiry, healthy, clean-blooded and clean living, and the Mauser -bullets, as Brenda had seen, inflicted a clean wound. Full of silent -prayer she walked on. Had she heard of this in England she would have -been distracted; but somehow, since she was on the spot and would soon -be with him, it did not seem quite so terrible. At all events he had -fallen in the forefront of battle, doing his work, and not by the -treachery of Van Zwieten. If he died he could not die more gloriously. -There was comfort in that thought.</p> - -<p>"I saw Van Zwieten to-day," said Wilfred, suddenly.</p> - -<p>"You did? Where? When?" asked Brenda, wondering if after all the -scoundrel could have had anything to do with this mishap to her -husband.</p> - -<p>"On the lower slopes. I was looking through my field-glass and saw him -quite plainly riding about on a big black horse. I recognized him by -his long golden beard. I am certain it was he; that was why I wanted -you to come with me to see after Harold."</p> - -<p>"I don't understand----"</p> - -<p>"Because as Van Zwieten is about the place he is bound to hear that -Harold has been shot. He has spies everywhere; and from one of our -prisoners I heard that he had described Harold's appearance to several -Boer sharp-shooters, that the poor chap might be picked off."</p> - -<p>"Do you know the prisoner's name?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; and he's a fine old fellow who did good service to you--Piet -Bok!"</p> - -<p>"Then he was not killed at the time we escaped?"</p> - -<p>"No, only touched on the right arm. He was taken prisoner this -morning. I would have come and told you, but I couldn't get away. I -saw him by chance, and he recognized me from my resemblance to Harold. -I told him he was wrong and then he informed me of Van Zwieten's new -villainy. By this time the man who picked off Harold has, no doubt, -told Van Zwieten, and has received his reward. And that scoundrel will -probably come down to see if the news is true."</p> - -<p>"What?" shrieked Brenda. "Oh, don't, Wilfred! If he finds Harold still -alive he will kill him."</p> - -<p>"That's what I thought; and that's why I got you to come with me. I -feel certain that the brute will be there."</p> - -<p>She uttered a cry of mingled terror and pain. "Oh, Wilfred, do not let -us lose a moment. Harold, my darling!" She began to run.</p> - -<p>"Come, Brenda, keep as quiet as you can. You'll need all your -strength!"</p> - -<p>A glorious moon filled the world with its pale radiance. The shadows -of the mountains and kopjes were black as Indian ink in the white -light. Here and there were points of fire, and in the distance a -glimpse of the white tents of the camp. To the right rose the great -mass of Spion Kop, with its flat table top dark and menacing. But a -few hours and there would be a deadly struggle on that pinnacle. -Already the generals were maturing their plans for the assault. -Occasionally the boom of a gun could be heard, for the Boers had not -yet desisted from firing, in spite of the lateness of the hour. Brenda -paid no heed to all this. She strained her eyes toward the rising -ground they were approaching. Was he dead or alive? All her life was -bound up in the answer to that question.</p> - -<p>The Indian bearers swung along at a slow trot, and she followed -closely on Wilfred's arm. He felt her shiver although the night was -warm, and did his best to console her. And she never forgot his -brotherly kindness at that terrible hour.</p> - -<p>They climbed up the slope which earlier in the day had been swept by -rifle fire. Now the Boers had retreated to another point of vantage, -and the position was held by a small force of our men. As the -ambulance party approached it was challenged and the word was given. -In a few minutes the bearers were within the entrenchments.</p> - -<p>"Glad you've come," said the officer in charge; "there are many poor -fellows here who require your attention. The enemy are removing their -dead now."</p> - -<p>He addressed these remarks to the doctor, but he saluted when he saw -Brenda, whom he knew. "I expected you, Mrs. Burton. Your husband is -over yonder. We have made him as comfortable as possible."</p> - -<p>"Then he is not dead?" gasped Brenda, turning faint.</p> - -<p>"Oh, no," he said cheerily, "he is worth a dozen dead men. You'll soon -pull him round. Over there."</p> - -<p>He pointed to the left and she hurried away. Wilfred lingered behind -to speak to the officer. "Have you noticed a particularly tall man -with the Boers?" he asked, "a man with a golden beard?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. He asked after Burton. It seems he was a friend of his before -the war."</p> - -<p>"Has he seen him?" asked Wilfred, turning pale, for well he knew the -reason of Van Zwieten's inquiries.</p> - -<p>"No, I think not. But he intends to look him up shortly. I think your -brother will pull through, Burton," and he hurried away to attend to -his duties. Wilfred stood still and meditated. He grasped his -revolver. "The man has lived too long," he murmured; "I must do it!"</p> - -<p>Then he moved toward the group round his brother. Brenda was -supporting his head, and a doctor was examining the wound in the poor -fellow's chest. "We must wait till we get him to the hospital," he -said. "Have him put into the ambulance, Mrs. Burton."</p> - -<p>"Has he a chance, doctor?" she asked with quivering lips.</p> - -<p>"I can't say yet. The bullet has pierced the lung. Hope for the best."</p> - -<p>Then he hurried away with his attendants, and Brenda was left alone -with her husband and Wilfred. Harold was quite unconscious, but -breathing faintly, and as she bent over him, with an agonized face, -she prayed that God would spare his life. Wilfred stood beside her and -looked down silently on that countenance waxen in the light of the -lantern. As he stood there, as Brenda placed Harold's head on her -knees, both heard a mocking voice beside them.</p> - -<p>"Well, Mrs. Burton, you are a widow at last!"</p> - -<p>She gave a cry of horror at the ill-omened words, and Wilfred turned -with a bound to clutch Van Zwieten by the throat.</p> - -<p>"You hound!" he cried. "You miserable dog!" and he hurled the big man -to the ground.</p> - -<p>Taken by surprise, the Dutchman had fallen; but he rose to his feet -with an ugly scowl, cursing bitterly. "I'll pay you out for this!" he -said menacingly. "At present my business is with Mrs. Burton."</p> - -<p>"I refuse to speak to you," cried she. "You are a wicked man, and God -will punish you."</p> - -<p>"I rather think that it is you who have been punished," he sneered. -"Your husband is dead, or pretty near it. Now it is my turn."</p> - -<p>"He is not dead. He will live when you are lying in your grave. Leave -me; you have done harm enough!"</p> - -<p>"But he has not paid for it!" cried Wilfred, savagely.</p> - -<p>"No, nor will he pay!" cried Van Zwieten, defiantly.</p> - -<p>Wilfred pulled out his revolver. "I will make you pay!" he said. "You -shall fight me!"</p> - -<p>The Dutchman was no coward, but he drew back from the terrible -expression on the young man's face, accentuated as it was in the -strong moonlight.</p> - -<p>"I refuse to fight with you," he said sullenly. "This matter has -nothing to do with you. If I choose to marry your brother's widow, -that is my business. Mind your own!"</p> - -<p>"You shall marry no one," said Wilfred, harshly, "for I intend to kill -you."</p> - -<p>Brenda did not speak. She listened absently while the two men -wrangled. Van Zwieten looked at her for a moment, then he turned his -back on Wilfred.</p> - -<p>"I will not fight you," he repeated.</p> - -<p>The other man sprang forward and struck him on the cheek with his -fist. "Will that make you fight?"</p> - -<p>With a roar of rage Van Zwieten turned and flung himself forward. He -caught the younger man in his arms like a child and threw him on the -grass. Then he drew out his revolver and fired at the prostrate man. -But Brenda had looked up, and seeing his intention had sprung to her -feet and grasped his arm. The shot went wide, and in his rage Van -Zwieten struck her--the woman he loved--struck her to the ground. And -before he could recover himself sufficiently to fire a second time, he -fell with a hoarse cry, shot twice through the breast by Wilfred -Burton.</p> - -<p>"Nemesis has come up with you at last," said the young man, picking up -Brenda in his arms.</p> - -<p>The sound of the shots had attracted the attention of the men near at -hand. "Good God, Burton, what have you done?" cried an officer.</p> - -<p>"Killed some vermin," was the reply. "Here, bring the ambulance along -and put Burton into it."</p> - -<p>"Wilfred!" shrieked Brenda, who had recovered her breath, "is he -dead?"</p> - -<p>"No," said Van Zwieten, faintly, "not dead--but dying--I have lost!"</p> - -<p>No one attempted to molest Wilfred. "I can explain myself to the -commanding officer," he said. "He will approve of what I have done."</p> - -<p>By this time the other Boers had taken their departure, or there might -have been trouble at this violation of the armistice. Brenda aided the -men to place Harold in the ambulance, and when she had made him -comfortable, returned to the side of Wilfred, who was explaining his -conduct to the officer in command. Van Zwieten heard her footstep--or -he must have felt her presence near him. He opened his eyes. "I am -done for," he said. "I suppose it is just, but I loved you, Brenda!"</p> - -<p>Much as she hated him, she could not see him die there without making -an effort to save him. She tried to staunch the wound, but it was -impossible. The doctor had long since taken his departure. Seeing that -all human aid was useless, she moistened the man's lips with brandy.</p> - -<p>"Thank you," he said faintly. "Will you forgive me?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I forgive you," she whispered, "but you must ask forgiveness of -God."</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten shook his head feebly. "It is too late for that. Ask -Burton to forgive me. He has punished me. He can afford to be -generous."</p> - -<p>Wilfred overheard the words. "I forgive you the ill you have done my -family, but I do not forgive you for seeking the hospitality of my -country and betraying it. Come, Brenda!"</p> - -<p>"I can tell you something about that," said Van Zwieten, in a weak -voice. "Come near."</p> - -<p>Quite unsuspicious, Wilfred knelt down beside him. In an instant Van -Zwieten raised his revolver and shot him through the throat. He fell -back with the blood pouring from his mouth.</p> - -<p>Van Zwieten laughed. "Quits!" he said. Then he fell back dead.</p> - -<p>All was confusion. Brenda knelt beside her brother-in-law, and took -his head in her lap, while the others crowded round Van Zwieten's dead -body. Wilfred opened his eyes, saw Brenda's eyes bending over him, and -whispered, "Bend down, quick!"</p> - -<p>She put her ear to his mouth, and heard him whisper in broken words, -"In my breast-pocket--look yourself--packet--confession. I shot -Malet."</p> - -<p>"You--oh!" gasped Brenda. "Why?"</p> - -<p>Wilfred Burton raised himself up with one last expiring effort. "For -England!" he cried. "For England--God bless Eng----" Then he too fell -back a corpse. Brenda fainted.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> - -<p><h4><a name="div1_28" href="#div1Ref_28">CHAPTER XXVIII.</a></h4> -<h5>CALM AFTER STORM</h5> -<br> - -<p>Two weeks later Mrs. Burton was in Maritzburg, by the sick-bed of her -husband. As prophesied by Wilfred, the attempt to relieve Ladysmith by -storming the impregnable positions of the enemy had failed. Certainly -Warren had been so successful as to have seized Spion Kop, but only to -abandon it on finding the position untenable. Then Buller very wisely -had fallen back on his original line of defence across the Tugela; and -the retreat had been conducted in a masterly fashion, without the loss -of a man or a gun. Brenda and her wounded husband had gone back also -to Spearman's Camp, and later on had gone on to Maritzburg. Wilfred -was left in his lonely grave under the shadow of Spion Kop, where also -lay the body of Van Zwieten.</p> - -<p>Harold's wound was dangerous, but had not proved fatal. He had been -invalided home by the doctors; and so soon as he might be able to -travel he was to sail for England. But when that would be it was -difficult to say. For some days he had hovered between life and death; -but now he had turned the corner and was gradually winning his way -back to life under the loving and skillful care of his wife. He was -out of danger and on a fair way to recovery, but it would be many a -long day before he would be able to fight again.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, Mr. Scarse, hearing that his daughter was safe and -sound, had now returned from Durban, and was staying at the same -hotel. He was thankful to know that at last she was to be spared the -persecutions of Van Zwieten, whose death he openly rejoiced in. He was -greatly astonished at the news that Wilfred had killed Malet, but he -hardly censured him so severely as a Little Englander might have been -expected to do in the circumstances. But, indeed, Mr. Scarse was by no -means so virulent against his country now as he had been in the past. -His visit to South Africa had opened his eyes to the other side of the -question, particularly to the many failings of the Boers. He had -learned from experience that England was not invariably wrong; that -however she might blunder, she had usually right on her side. In fact, -both as a father and a politician, Mr. Scarse was a reformed -character.</p> - -<p>Harold was terribly distressed to hear of the death of his brother. -For a long time Brenda kept the news from him, fearing its effect in -his weak state. But the day came when it could no longer be withheld, -and she was obliged to tell him the truth.</p> - -<p>It was a glorious tropical morning. Her father had gone out, and she -was seated by her husband's bed, holding his hand in her own. His -beard had grown, he was thin and haggard, but his eyes were bright and -full of intelligence. He was anxious, and able now to hear all that -had to be told. And she told him everything. He was amazed.</p> - -<p>"Wilfred killed Malet!" he said, hardly believing his ears. "But he -had a sprained ankle on that night. It is impossible!"</p> - -<p>"His sprain was feigned to protect himself," replied Brenda, sadly; -"it is all in his confession."</p> - -<p>"He left a written confession?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, he wrote everything as it happened on that night, and carried -the statement about with him, to be placed in the hands of you or -myself when he died. Hush, Harold, dear, you must not speak. Here is -my father."</p> - -<p>Mr. Scarse entered on tiptoe to inquire how the invalid was getting -on. He brought in some fruit--always a welcome gift to the -convalescent. He had heard enough to acquaint him with the subject -under discussion. So busy had Brenda been in nursing her husband that -she had not found time to tell the whole story to her father. Now he -asked her for details, and she went over them again for his benefit.</p> - -<p>"But why did Wilfred kill the man?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"From sheer patriotic feeling," answered his daughter. "He found out -that Mr. Malet was supplying information about our defences to Van -Zwieten, and he remonstrated with him. Malet laughed at his scruples -and denied his complicity. Then Wilfred searched Mr. Malet's desk and -found papers which proved conclusively his treachery. Then it was he -decided to kill him to save the honor of the family."</p> - -<p>"Well," said Scarse, reflectively, "murder is a terrible crime; but if -ever it is excusable, surely it is in such circumstances as these."</p> - -<p>"So I think," chimed in Harold. "A man who betrays his country should -not be allowed to live. In his place I would have acted just as -Wilfred did. It was not a murder; it was well-deserved extermination."</p> - -<p>"It is terrible, nevertheless. Read the confession, Brenda," said Mr. -Scarse.</p> - -<p>"No. I can tell you the story better. Harold must not be wearied, and -the confession is long. Wilfred has stated at great length the reasons -which led him to this act, and sets out a strong defence of it. He -never regretted it at all events."</p> - -<p>"Go on, Brenda, dear child. I am anxious to hear how he did it."</p> - -<p>She glanced at Harold to see if he was listening, and began: "I need -not weary you with his own defence," she said. "As I have told you, -from papers in Mr. Malet's desk he found out that he was a traitor, -and was supplying Van Zwieten with information concerning the plans of -the Government, the number of men and guns which we could place in the -field, and many other things which the Transvaal authorities wished to -know. Had Kruger and his gang not known that we were wholly -unprepared, they would not have dared to defy Great Britain and -risk this war. Mr. Malet, it appears, is responsible for a great -deal--indeed, for the whole war!"</p> - -<p>"The scoundrel!" Harold said weakly. "I am glad, indeed, that Wilfred -shot him. I would have done so myself."</p> - -<p>"To ward off suspicions from his doings, Malet posed as an -Imperialist. He saw Van Zwieten only at intervals. It was to obtain -possession of some papers from Malet that Van Zwieten came down to -Chippingholt, and for that reason he extorted an invitation from you, -father."</p> - -<p>"I thought he was anxious to come," Mr. Scarse said. "Now I can see it -all."</p> - -<p>She continued: "Wilfred heard that Van Zwieten was at the cottage, and -kept a sharp eye on Malet. He found out that he was to meet Van -Zwieten on that night and give him some documents. He then made up his -mind to kill him, to save--as I have said--the honor of the family, as -well as to punish him for his wickedness in betraying his own country.</p> - -<p>"Shortly before nine o'clock, Van Zwieten came to the Manor and -entered the library by one of the French windows. It was his voice -that Lady Jenny heard when she went to see if her husband was back -from his walk. Indeed, it was Malet who brought Van Zwieten to the -library to give him the papers. When Lady Jenny was on her way to the -Rectory to see you, Harold, Wilfred escorted her. She mentioned that -she had heard voices in the library, and wondered with whom her -husband had been speaking. Wilfred guessed at once that the man was at -his scoundrelly work, and was more than ever determined to put a stop -to it. To get away from Lady Jenny without exciting her suspicion, and -also to prove an <i>alibi</i> in case he shot the man, he pretended to -sprain his ankle. Lady Jenny was quite unsuspicious, and went on to -the Rectory alone. As you know, she never reached it, having been -stopped by the storm. As soon as she was out of sight, Wilfred -hastened back to the house with the intention of confronting both men, -and killing Malet if he did not take the papers back from Van Zwieten. -He also entered the library by the French window, so the servants -never saw him come in. He found the room empty, as Van Zwieten had -gone away, and Malet with him--I suppose it was to receive further -instructions. Wilfred saw the revolvers belonging to Harold on a -side-table, for Mr. Malet had been using them that afternoon. He took -one, found that it was loaded, and hastened after the pair. Knowing -that Van Zwieten was at our cottage, he went first in that direction; -but for a long time he could see neither of them. At last he caught -sight of Malet in the orchards, just before the storm. He was talking -with a man whom Wilfred took to be you, father."</p> - -<p>"My brother, I suppose?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," replied Brenda. "It was Uncle Robert. He heard high words -between the two and saw the struggle."</p> - -<p>"That was when the crape scarf was torn?"</p> - -<p>"Undoubtedly. Malet must have torn it and held it in his hand without -thinking. Well, Wilfred saw Malet throw the other man to the ground -just when the storm broke, and hurry away to get back to shelter in -the Manor; but the storm was so violent that he took shelter instead -under a tree. Wilfred crept up to him and waited, but it was so dark -that he could not see him plainly enough to shoot straight, and he -was, of course, unwilling to risk failure. Then a flash of lightning -revealed Mr. Malet. Wilfred sprang forward and grasped him by the -shoulder. He cried out. I heard him myself. I was only a short -distance away. When the darkness closed down again, Wilfred put the -muzzle of the revolver close to his head and blew his brains out. Then -he ran away, and in the darkness tripped over a stump. The revolver -flew out of his hand, and he lost it."</p> - -<p>"Van Zwieten found it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. Wilfred was a good deal troubled about it, for he knew that -Harold's name was on it, and he feared lest he should on that account -be accused of the murder."</p> - -<p>"As I was, indeed, said Harold.</p> - -<p>"Yes, dear, I know; but not officially. If, for instance, you had -been arrested on the charge, then Wilfred would have come forward and -have told the whole story. As it was, he kept silence."</p> - -<p>"And what did he do after he had killed Malet?" asked Mr. Scarse.</p> - -<p>"He went back to the place where Lady Jenny had left him, and waited -for some time in case she should return. You see, to exonerate himself -he thought it well to keep up the fiction of the sprained ankle. Then, -as Lady Jenny did not return, he went home, and gave out that his -ankle was sprained."</p> - -<p>"But didn't the doctors find out the truth?"</p> - -<p>"No; he took good care not to show his foot to any one. He wrapped it -up in wet cloths and made a great fuss about it, but, in the -excitement over the inquest, the doctor took no notice of it."</p> - -<p>"I wonder Lady Jenny didn't find out the fraud," said Harold.</p> - -<p>"In that case, Wilfred would have owned up to it and confessed the -whole thing. And I don't believe she would have minded much, if she -had known what a traitor her husband was."</p> - -<p>"No; I dare say she would have applauded Wilfred. She is a true -patriot is Lady Jenny," said Harold, with a feeble laugh. "Besides, on -account of Robert's wife, she and her husband had become estranged for -many a long day. But did Van Zwieten never guess?"</p> - -<p>"No," said Brenda, reflectively, "I don't think he did. He believed -Lady Jenny herself had done it out of revenge; but he could not prove -that, and, under the circumstances, lest his own affairs should come -out, he thought it wiser to hold his tongue. Well, that is the story, -and a very painful one it is. I am sure that Wilfred acted for the -best, and did what he conceived to be his duty both to his country and -his family; but it is dreadful to think he should have stained his -hands with blood."</p> - -<p>"I don't altogether agree with you, my dear," said Mr. Scarse, -energetically. "If Malet had been detected in his treasonable -dealings, under martial law he would have been shot openly. As it was, -Wilfred executed the sentence privately. I am not one to defend -murder, you know, but I cannot bring myself to look upon this as -murder."</p> - -<p>"Wilfred was insane on the subject of patriotism," said Harold. "He -was hardly responsible for his actions when he shot Malet. I don't -blame him. The reptile deserved his punishment; and Van Zwieten -deserved his fate. Wilfred did no more than was right, and he rid the -world of two scoundrels."</p> - -<p>"You forget, Van Zwieten fired first," put in Brenda. "Wilfred only -defended himself. I can't pretend I am sorry that Van Zwieten is dead, -because so long as he lived he would never have ceased to persecute -me. But let his evil die with him, Harold."</p> - -<p>"So far as that goes I never want to hear his name!"</p> - -<p>"Now you are overtaxing your strength talking, dear," said Brenda, -arranging the bedclothes. "You must be quiet and try and rest."</p> - -<p>"Yes, do," said Mr. Scarse. "I want to have a few words with Brenda."</p> - -<p>So Harold lay back, and, after a time, fell into a sleep. His wife -told off one of the nurses to stay beside him, and herself went out -with her father. When they had gone a short distance he explained why -he wished to speak privately with her.</p> - -<p>"Brenda," he said, "a will was found on Van Zwieten. It seems that -there is a sum of some five thousand pounds standing to his credit at -one of the London banks."</p> - -<p>"Really, father; I never thought he was so well off. Evidently spying -paid. To whom has he left it?"</p> - -<p>"To you, my dear!"</p> - -<p>"To me?" She could hardly believe her ears. "I would not take it if I -were starving. I hated the man. How could I touch his money?"</p> - -<p>"But, Brenda, think for a moment; is it not foolish to throw it away? -Five thousand pounds is a large sum."</p> - -<p>"No, no, no!" repeated the girl, vehemently. "I will not touch it, I -tell you. That money was made out of spying and working evil against -England. I am sure Harold would think as I do about it."</p> - -<p>And so Harold did think. Later on, when she returned, she found him -just awakened out of a refreshing sleep, and she told him of Van -Zwieten's strange bequest. He refused at once to accept it, and -commended her for having forestalled him in the decision.</p> - -<p>"We can live on our own means, small as they are, dear; and, when the -war is over, I will beat my sword into a ploughshare and come out here -and turn farmer."</p> - -<p>"That is if we are successful," said his wife smiling.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I have no fear as to that. In a month or two there will be equal -rights for white man and black from the Zambesi to the Cape. But, in -any case, there'll be no more fighting for me, Brenda. I shall never -be the same man again."</p> - -<p>"Who says so?" she asked quickly.</p> - -<p>"The doctor. He says this wound will always trouble me, and that I -shall never be able to stand the English winters. Here the air is -balmy and the climate mild."</p> - -<p>"In that case we'll do just as you suggest, dearest. There is nothing -to keep us in England. My father is wrapped up in his politics, and my -aunt and uncle care only for themselves. Yes, you are right, as you -always are, Harold. When the war is over we will settle here."</p> - -<p>"We shall never think less of dear old England because we are exiles, -eh, Brenda?"</p> - -<p>"Exiles! We shall not be exiles here. This is part of the British -Empire. Wherever the map is colored red there is England. Harold, -dear, do you know, I cannot get poor Wilfred out of my thoughts. In -his own way he was a true hero. He gave his life for his country."</p> - -<p>"Yes, Brenda, I agree, just as much as many another man is doing here -at this moment. I cannot help feeling relieved that the mystery of -Malet's death is cleared up, and I am not ashamed now that I know it -was my brother who fired the shot. May such justice ever be done to -traitors!"</p> - -<p>She knelt beside the bed and took his hands soothingly in her own. -"Don't talk any more about these things, dearest. They excite you. I -shouldn't have mentioned it. Let the past lie buried. All I know, and -all I care for, is that you are alive, and that I have you wholly to -myself. We will never be parted, Harold. We may be poor in the world's -goods, but we are rich indeed in love."</p> - -<p>"And that is the best of all riches, dearest."</p> - -<p>"Amen," she said and kissed her husband tenderly.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>THE END.</h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Traitor in London, by Fergus Hume - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TRAITOR IN LONDON *** - -***** This file should be named 56081-h.htm or 56081-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/6/0/8/56081/ - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (Library of Congress) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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