The Talleyrand Maxim - J. S. Fletcher (best ebook reader ubuntu txt) š
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than a human being, his senses having deserted him for a while, he
regained some composure, and glanced about him for means of escape. He
went to the door and tried it. But the old, substantial oak stood firm
and fastānothing but a crow-bar would break that door. And so he turned
to the mullioned window, set in a deep recess.
He knew that it was thirty or forty feet above the level of the
groundābut there was much thick ivy growing on the walls of Normandale
Grange, and it might be possible to climb down by its aid. With a great
effort he forced open one of the dirt-encrusted sashes and looked
outāand in the same instant he drew in his head with a harsh groan. The
window commanded a full view of the hall doorāand he had seen Prydale,
and two other detectives, and the stranger from London whom he believed
to be a detective, hurrying from their motorcar into the house.
There was but one thing for it, now. Esther Mawson had robbed him of
everything that was on him in the way of papers and money. But in his
hip-pocket she had left a revolver which Pratt had carried, always
loaded, for some time. And now, without the least hesitation, he drew it
out and sent one of its bullets through his brain.
*
Eldrick and Collingwood, returning to the hall from the room in which
they and the detectives had found Prattās dead body, stood a little
later in earnest conversation with Prydale, who had just come there from
an interview with Esther Mawson. Nesta Mallathorpe suddenly called to
them from the stairs, at the same time beckoning them to go up to her.
āWill you come with me and speak to my mother?ā she said. āShe knows you
are here, and she wants to say something about what has
happenedāsomething about that document which Pratt said he possessed.ā
Eldrick and Collingwood exchanged glances without speaking. They
followed Nesta into her motherās sitting-room. And instead of the
semi-invalid whom they had expected to find there, they saw a woman who
had evidently regained not only her vivacity and her spirits but her
sense of authority and her inclination to exercise it.
āI am sorry that you gentlemen should have been drawn into all this
wretched business!ā she exclaimed, as she pointed the two men to chairs.
āEverything must seem very strange, and indeed have seemed so for some
time. But I have been the victim of as bad a scoundrel as ever
livedāIām not going to be so hypocritical as to pretend that Iām sorry
heās deadāIām not! I only wish heād met his proper fateāon the
scaffold. I donāt know what you may have heard, or gatheredāmy daughter
herself, from what she tells me, has only the vaguest notionsābut I
wanted to tell you, Mr. Eldrick, and you, Mr. Collingwoodāseeing that
youāre one a solicitor and the other a barrister, that Pratt invented a
most abominable plot against me, which, of course, hasnāt a word of
truth in it, yet was so clever thatā-ā
Eldrick suddenly raised his hand.
āMrs. Mallathorpe!ā he said quietly. āI think you had better let me
speak before you go any further. Perhaps weāMr. Collingwood and Iāknow
more than you think. Donāt trifle, Mrs. Mallathorpe, for your own and
your daughterās sake! Tell the truthāand answer a plain question, which
I assure you, is asked in your own interest. What have you done with
John Mallathorpeās will?ā
Collingwood, anxious for Nesta, was watching her closely, and now he saw
her turn a startled and inquiring look on her mother, who, in her turn,
dashed a surprised glance at Eldrick. But if Mrs. Mallathorpe was
surprised, she was also indignant, or she simulated indignation, and she
replied to the solicitorās question with a sharp retort.
āWhat do you mean?āJohn Mallathorpeās will!ā she exclaimed. āWhat do I
know of John Mallathorpeās will? There never wasā-ā
āMrs. Mallathorpe!ā interrupted Eldrick. āDonāt! Iām speaking in your
interest, I tell you! There was a will! It was made on the morning of
John Mallathorpeās death. It was found by Mr. Collingwoodās late
grandfather, Antony Bartle: when he died suddenly in my office, it fell
into Prattās hands. That is the document which Pratt held over youāand
not an hour ago, Esther Mawson took it from Pratt, and she gave it to
you. Again I ask youāwhat have you done with it?ā
Mrs. Mallathorpe hesitated a moment. Then she suddenly faced Eldrick
with a defiant look. āLet themālet everybodyādo what they like!ā she
exclaimed. āItās burnt! I threw it in that fire as soon as I got it! And
nowā-ā
Nesta interrupted her mother.
āDoes any one know the terms of that will?ā she asked, looking at
Eldrick. āTell me!āif you know. Hush!ā she went on, as Mrs. Mallathorpe
tried to speak again. āI will know!ā
āYes!ā answered Eldrick. āEsther Mawson knows them. She read the will
carefully. She told Prydale just now what they were. With the exception
of three legacies of ten thousand pounds each to your mother, your
brother, and yourself, John Mallathorpe left everything he possessed to
the town of Barford for an educational trust.ā
āThen,ā asked Nesta quietly, as she made a peremptory sign to her mother
to be silent, āweānever had any right to be hereāat all?ā
āIām afraid not,ā replied Eldrick.
āThen of course we shall go,ā said Nesta. āThatās certain! Do you hear
that, mother? Thatās my decision. Itās final!ā
āYou can do what you like,ā retorted Mrs. Mallathorpe sullenly. āI am
not going to be frightened by anything that Esther Mawson says. Nor by
what you say!ā she continued, turning on Eldrick. āAll that has got to
be proved. Who can prove it? What can prove it? Do you think I am going
to give up my rights without fighting for them? I shall swear that every
word of Esther Mawsonās is a lie! No one can bring forward a will that
doesnāt exist. And what concern is it of yours, Mr. Eldrick? What right
have you?ā
āYou are quite right, Mrs. Mallathorpe,ā said Eldrick. āIt is no concern
of mine. And soā-ā
He turned to the doorāand as he turned the door opened, to admit the
old butler who looked apologetically but earnestly at Nesta as he
stepped forward.
āA Mrs. Gaukrodger wishes to see you on very particular business,ā he
murmured. āSheās been waiting some little timeāsomething, she says,
about some papers she has just foundābelonging to the late Mr. John
Mallathorpe.ā
Collingwood, who was standing close to Nesta, caught all the butler
said.
āGaukrodger!ā he exclaimed, with a quick glance at Eldrick. āThat was
the name of the managerāa witness. See the woman at once,ā he whispered
to Nesta.
āBring Mrs. Gaukrodger in, Dickenson,ā said Nesta. āStayāIāll come with
you, and bring her in myself.ā
She returned a moment later with a slightly built, rather careworn woman
dressed in deep mourningāthe woman in black whom they had seen crossing
the parkāwho looked nervously round her as she entered.
āWhat is it you have for me, Mrs. Gaukrodger?ā asked Nesta. āPapers
belonging to the late Mr. John Mallathorpe? Howāwhere did you get
them?ā
Mrs. Gaukrodger drew a large envelope from under her cloak. āThis,
miss,ā she answered. āOne paperāI only found it this morning. In this
way,ā she went on, addressing herself to Nesta. āWhen my husband was
killed, along with Mr. John Mallathorpe, they, of course, brought home
the clothes he was wearing. There were a lot of papers in the pockets of
the coatātwo pockets full of them. And I hadnāt heart or courage to
look at them at that time, miss!āI couldnāt, and I locked them up in a
box. I never looked at them until this very dayābut this morning I
happened to open that box, and I saw them, and I thought Iād see what
they were. And this was oneāyou see, itās in a plain envelopeāit was
sealed, but thereās no writing on it. I cut the envelope open, and drew
the paper out, and I saw at once it was Mr. John Mallathorpeās willāso
I came straight to you with it.ā
She handed the envelope over to Nesta, who at once gave it to Eldrick.
The solicitor hastily drew out the enclosure, glanced it over, and
turned sharply to Collingwood with a muttered exclamation.
āGood gracious!ā he said. āThat man Cobcroft was right! There was a
duplicate! And here it is!ā
Mrs. Mallathorpe had come nearer. The sight of the half sheet of
foolscap in Eldrickās hands seemed to fascinate her. And the expression
of her face as she came close to his side was so curious that the
solicitor involuntarily folded up the will and hastily put it behind his
backāhe had not only seen that expression but had caught sight of Mrs.
Mallathorpeās twitching fingers.
āIsāthatāthatāanother will?ā she whispered. āJohn Mallathorpeās?ā
āPrecisely the sameāanother copyāduly signed and witnessed!ā answered
Eldrick firmly. āWhat you foolishly did was done for nothing. Andāitās
the most fortunate thing in the world, Mrs. Mallathorpe, that this has
turned up!āmost fortunate for you!ā
Mrs. Mallathorpe steadied herself on the edge of the table and looked at
him fixedly. āEverythingāll have to be given up?ā she asked.
āThe terms of this will will be carried out,ā answered Eldrick.
āWillāwill they make me give upāwhat weāveāsaved?ā she whispered.
āMother!ā said Nesta appealingly. āDonāt! Come away somewhere and let me
talk to youācome!ā
But Mrs. Mallathorpe shook off her daughterās hand and turned again to
Eldrick.
āWill they?ā she demanded. āAnswer!ā
āI donāt think youāll find the trustees at all hard when it comes to a
question of account,ā answered Eldrick. āTheyāll probably take matters
over from now and ignore anything thatās happened during the past two
years.ā
Again Nesta tried to lead her mother away, and again Mrs. Mallathorpe
pushed the appealing hand from her. All her attention was fixed on
Eldrick. āAndāand will the police give meānowāwhat they found on that
woman?ā she whispered.
āI have no doubt they will,ā replied Eldrick. āItāsāyours.ā
Mrs. Mallathorpe drew a sigh of relief. She looked at the solicitor
steadily for a momentāthen without another word she turned and went
awayāto find Prydale.
Eldrick turned to Nesta.
āDonāt forget,ā he said in a low voice, āitās a terrible blow to her,
and sheās been thinking of your interests! Leave her alone for a
whileāsheāll get used to the altered circumstances. Iām sorry for
herāand for you!ā
But Nesta made a sign of dissent.
āThereās no need to be sorry for me, Mr. Eldrick,ā she answered. āItās a
greater relief than you can realize.ā She turned from him and went over
to Mrs. Gaukrodger who had watched this scene without fully
comprehending it. āCome with me,ā she said. āYou look very tired and you
must have some tea and rest awhileācome now.ā
Eldrick and Collingwood, left alone, looked at each, other in silence
for a moment. Then the solicitor shook his head expressively.
āWell, thatās over!ā he exclaimed. āI must go back and hand this will
over to the two trustees. But you, Collingwoodāstay here a bitāif ever
that girl needs company and help, itās now!ā
āIām stopping,ā said Collingwood.
He remained for a time where Eldrick left him; at last he went down to
the hall and out into the gardens. And presently Nesta came to him
there, and as if with a mutual understanding they walked away into the
nearer stretches of the park. Normandale
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