Tales of two people. Hope Anthony
don’t know, your Excellency. It’s hard, and very heavy for its size.”
Laying down the letter which she had been perusing, the Marchesa took up the parcel and cut the string which bound it. With a metallic clink there fell on her dressing-table – a padlock! To it was fastened a piece of paper, bearing these words: “Padlock found attached to gate leading to Beach Path. Detached by order of Lord Lynborough. With Lord Lynborough’s compliments.”
Now, too, Lynborough might have got his flush – if he could have been there to see it!
“Bring me my field-glasses!” she cried.
The window commanded a view of the gardens, of the meadows beyond the sunk fence, of the path – Beach Path as that man was pleased to call it! – and of the gate. At the last-named object the enraged Marchesa directed her gaze. The barricade of furze branches was gone! The gate hung open upon its hinges!
While she still looked, three figures came across the lens. A very large stout shape – a short spare form – a tall, lithe, very lean figure. They were just reaching the gate, coming from the direction of the sea. The two first were strangers to her; the third she had seen for a moment the afternoon before on Sandy Nab. It was Lynborough himself, beyond a doubt. The others must be friends – she cared not about them. But to sit here with the padlock before her, and see Lynborough pass through the gate – a meeker woman than she had surely been moved to wrath! He had bathed – as he had said he would. And he had sent her the padlock. That was what came of listening to conciliatory counsels, of letting herself give ear to dilatory persuasions!
“War!” declared the Marchesa. “War – war – war! And if he’s not careful, I won’t confine it to the path either!” She seemed to dream of conquests, perhaps to reckon resources, whereof Mr Stillford, her legal adviser, had taken no account.
She carried the padlock down to breakfast with her; it was to her as a Fiery Cross; it summoned her and her array to battle. She exhibited it to her guests.
“Now, gentlemen, I’m in your hands!” said she. “Is that man to walk over my property for his miserable bathing to-morrow?”
He would have been a bold man who, at that moment, would have answered her with a “Yes.”
CHAPTER V
THE BEGINNING OF WAR
AN enviable characteristic of Lord Lynborough’s was that, when he had laid the fuse, he could wait patiently for the explosion. (That last word tends to recur in connection with him.) Provided he knew that his adventure and his joke were coming, he occupied the interval profitably – which is to say, as agreeably as he could. Having launched the padlock – his symbolical ultimatum – and asserted his right, he spent the morning in dictating to Roger Wilbraham a full, particular, and veracious account of his early differences with the Dean of Christ Church. Roger found his task entertaining, for Lynborough’s mimicry of his distinguished opponent was excellent. Stabb meanwhile was among the tombs in an adjacent apartment.
This studious tranquillity was disturbed by the announcement of a call from Mr Stillford. Not without difficulty he had persuaded the Marchesa to let him reconnoitre the ground – to try, if it seemed desirable, the effect of a bit of “bluff” – at anyrate to discover, if he could, something of the enemy’s plan of campaign. Stillford was, in truth, not a little afraid of a lawsuit!
Lynborough denied himself to no man, and received with courtesy every man who came. But his face grew grim and his manner distant when Stillford discounted the favourable effect produced by his appearance and manner – also by his name, well known in the county – by confessing that he called in the capacity of the Marchesa’s solicitor.
“A solicitor?” said Lynborough, slightly raising his brows.
“Yes. The Marchesa does me the honour to place her confidence in me; and it occurs to me that, before this unfortunate dispute – ”
“Why unfortunate?” interrupted Lynborough with an air of some surprise.
“Surely it is – between neighbours? The Castle and the Grange should be friends.” His cunning suggestion elicited no response. “It occurred to me,” he continued, somewhat less glibly, “that, before further annoyance or expense was caused, it might be well if I talked matters over with your lordship’s solicitor.”
“Sir,” said Lynborough, “saving your presence – which, I must beg you to remember, was not invited by me – I don’t like solicitors. I have no solicitor. I shall never have a solicitor. You can’t talk with a non-existent person.”
“But proceedings are the natural – the almost inevitable result – of such a situation as your action has created, Lord Lynborough. My client can’t be flouted, she can’t have her indubitable rights outraged – ”
“Do you think they’re indubitable?” Lynborough put in, with a sudden quick flash of his eyes.
For an instant Stillford hesitated. Then he made his orthodox reply. “As I am instructed, they certainly are.”
“Ah!” said Lynborough drily.
“No professional man could say more than that, Lord Lynborough.”
“And they all say just as much! If I say anything you don’t like, again remember that this interview is not of my seeking, Mr Stillford.”
Stillford waxed a trifle sarcastic. “You’ll conduct your case in person?” he asked.
“If you hale me to court, I shall. Otherwise there’s no question of a case.”
This time Stillford’s eyes brightened; yet still he doubted Lynborough’s meaning.
“We shouldn’t hesitate to take our case into court.”
“Since you’re wrong, you’d probably win,” said Lynborough, with a smile. “But I’d make it cost you the devil of a lot of money. That, at least, the law can do – I’m not aware that it can do much else. But, as far as I’m concerned, I should as soon appeal to the Pope of Rome in this matter as to a law-court – sooner, in fact.”
Stillford grew more confidently happy – and more amazed at Lynborough.
“But you’ve no right to – er – assert rights if you don’t intend to support them.”
“I do intend to support them, Mr Stillford. That you’ll very soon find out.”
“By force?” Stillford himself was gratified by the shocked solemnity which he achieved in this question.
“If so, your side has no prejudice against legal proceedings. Prisons are not strange to me – ”
“What?” Stillford was a little startled. He had not heard all the stories about Lord Lynborough.
“I say, prisons are not strange to me. If necessary, I can do a month. I am, however, not altogether a novice in the somewhat degrading art of getting the other man to hit first. Then he goes to prison, doesn’t he? Just like the law! As if that had anything to do with the merits!”
Stillford kept his eye on the point valuable to him. “By supporting your claim I intended to convey supporting it by legal action.”
“Oh, the cunning of this world, the cunning of this world, Roger!” He flung himself into an arm-chair, laughing. Stillford was already seated. “Take a cigarette, Mr Stillford. You want to know whether I’m going to law or not, don’t you? Well, I’m not. Is there anything else you want to know? Oh, by the way, we don’t abstain from the law because we don’t know the law. Permit me – Mr Stillford, solicitor – Mr Roger Wilbraham, of the Middle Temple, Esquire, barrister-at-law. Had I known you were coming, Roger should have worn his wig. No, no, we know the law – but we hate it.”
Stillford was jubilant at a substantial gain – the appeal to law lay within the Marchesa’s choice now; and that was in his view a great advantage. But he was legitimately irritated by Lynborough’s sneers at his profession.
“So do most of the people who belong to –