The Talleyrand Maxim Part 20

Collingwood came across to Eldrick's office at once. And to these two Nesta unbosomed herself of every detail that she could remember of her interview with Pratt--and as she went on, from one thing to another, she saw the men's faces grow graver and graver, and realized that this was a more anxious matter than she had thought.

"That's all," she said in the end. "I don't think I've forgotten anything. And even now, I don't know if I've done right to tell you all this. But--I don't think I could have faced it--alone!"

"My dear Miss Mallathorpe!" said Eldrick earnestly. "You've done the wisest thing you probably ever did in your life! Now," he went on, looking at Collingwood, "just let us all three realize what is to me a more important fact. n.o.body would be more astonished than Pratt to know that you have taken the wise step you have. You agree, Collingwood?"

"Yes!" answered Collingwood, after a moment's reflection. "I think so."

"Miss Mallathorpe doesn't quite see what we mean," said Eldrick, turning to Nesta. "We mean that Pratt firmly believed, when he told you what he did, that for your mother's sake and your own, you would keep his communication a dead secret. He firmly believed that you would never dare to tell anybody what he told you. Most people--in your position--wouldn't have told. They'd have let the secret eat their lives out. You're a wise and a sensible young woman! And the thing is--we must let Pratt remain under the impression that you are keeping your knowledge to yourself. Let him continue to believe that you'll remain silent under fear. And let us meet his secret policy with a secret strategy of our own!"

Again he glanced at Collingwood, and again Collingwood nodded a.s.sent.

"Now," continued Eldrick, "just let us consider matters for a few minutes from the position which has newly arisen. To begin with. Pratt's account of your mother's dealings about the foot-bridge is a very clever and plausible one. I can see quite well that it has caused you great pain; so before I go any further, just let me say this to you--don't you attach one word of importance to it!"

Nesta uttered a heartfelt cry of relief.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "If you knew how thankful I should be to know that it's all lies--that he was lying! Can I really think that--after what I saw?"

"I won't ask you to think that he's telling lies--just now," answered Eldrick, with a glance at Collingwood, "but I'll ask you to believe that your mother could put a totally different aspect and complexion on all her actions and words in connection with the entire affair. My impression, of course," he went on, with something very like a wink at Collingwood, "is that Mrs. Mallathorpe, when she wrote that letter to Pratt, intended to have the bridge mended first thing next morning, and that something prevented that being done, and that when she was seen about the shrubberies in the afternoon, she was on her way to meet Pratt before he could reach the dangerous point, so that she could warn him.

What do you say, Collingwood?"

"I should say," answered Collingwood, regarding the solicitor earnestly, and speaking with great gravity of manner, "that that would make an admirable line of defence to any charge which Pratt was wicked enough to prefer."

"You don't think my mother meant--meant to----" exclaimed Nesta, eagerly turning from one man to the other. "You--don't?"

"There is no evidence worth twopence against your mother!" replied Eldrick soothingly. "Put everything that Pratt has said against her clear out of your mind. Put all recent events out of your mind! Don't interfere with Pratt--just now. The thing to be done about Pratt is this--and it's the only thing. We must find out--exactly, as secretly as possible--what this secret is of which he speaks. What is this hold on Mrs. Mallathorpe? What is this doc.u.ment to which he refers? In other words, we must work back to some point which at present we can't see. At least, I can't see it. But--we may discover it. What do you say, Collingwood?"

"I agree entirely," answered Collingwood. "Let Pratt rest in his fancied security. The thing is, certainly, to go back. But--to what point?"

"That we must consider later," said Eldrick. "Now--for the present, Miss Mallathorpe,--you are, I suppose, going back home?"

"Yes, at once," answered Nesta. "I have my car at the _Crown Hotel_."

"I should just like to know something," continued Eldrick again, looking at Collingwood as if for approval. "That is--Mrs. Mallathorpe's present disposition towards affairs in general and Pratt in particular. Miss Mallathorpe!--just do something which I will now suggest to you. When you reach home, see your mother--she is still, I understand, an invalid, though evidently able to transact business. Just approach her gently and kindly, and tell her that you are a little--should we say uncomfortable?--about certain business arrangements which you hear she has made with Mr. Pratt, and ask her, if she won't talk them over with you, and give you her full confidence. It's now half-past twelve,"

continued Eldrick, looking at his watch. "You'll be home before lunch.

See your mother early in the afternoon, and then telephone, briefly, the result to me, here, at four o'clock. Then--Mr. Collingwood and I will have a consultation."

He motioned Collingwood to remain where he was, and himself saw Nesta down to the street. When he came back to his room he shook his head at the young barrister.

"Collingwood!" he said. "There's some dreadful business afloat in all this! And it's all the worse because of the fas.h.i.+on in which Pratt talked to that girl. She's evidently a very good memory--she narrated that conversation clearly and fully. Pratt must be very sure of his hand if he showed her his cards in that way--his very confidence in himself shows what a subtle network he's either made or is making. I question if he'd very much care if he knew that we know. But he mustn't know that--yet. We must reply to his mine with a counter-mine!"

"What do you think of Pratt's charge against Mrs. Mallathorpe?" asked Collingwood.

Eldrick made a wry face.

"Looks bad!--very, very bad, Collingwood!" he answered. "Art and scheme of a desperate woman, of course. But--we mustn't let her daughter think we believe it. Let her stick to the suggestion I made--which, as you remarked, would certainly make a very good line of defence, supposing Pratt even did accuse her. But now--what on earth is this doc.u.ment that's been mentioned--this paper of which Pratt has possession? Has Mrs. Mallathorpe at some time committed forgery--or bigamy--or--what is it? One thing's sure, however--we've got to work quietly. We mustn't let Pratt know that we're working. I hope he doesn't know that Miss Mallathorpe came here. Will you come back about four and hear what message she sends me? After that, we could consult."

Collingwood went away to his chambers. He was much occupied just then, and had little time to think of anything but the work in hand. But as he ate his lunch at the club which he had joined on settling in Barford, he tried to get at some notion of the state of things, and once more his mind reverted to the time of his grandfather's death, and his own suspicions about Pratt at that period. Clearly that was a point to which they must hark back--he himself must make more inquiries about the circ.u.mstances of Antony Bartle's last hours. For this affair would not have to rest where it was--it was intolerable that Nesta Mallathorpe should in any way be under Pratt's power. He went back to Eldrick at four o'clock with a suggestion or two in his mind. And at the sight of him Eldrick shook his head.

"I've had that telephone message from Normandale," he said, "five minutes ago. Pretty much what I expected--at this juncture, anyway. Mrs.

Mallathorpe absolutely declines to talk business with even her daughter at present--and earnestly desires that Mr. Linford Pratt may be left alone."

"Well?" asked Collingwood after a pause. "What now?"

"We must do what we can--secretly, privately, for the daughter's sake,"

said Eldrick. "I confess I don't quite see a beginning, but----"

Just then the private door opened, and Pascoe, a somewhat lackadaisical-mannered man, who always looked half-asleep, and was in reality remarkably wide-awake, lounged in, nodded to Collingwood, and threw a newspaper in front of his partner.

"I say, Eldrick," he drawled, as he removed a newly-lighted cigar from his lips. "There's an advertis.e.m.e.nt here which seems to refer to that precious protege of yours, who left you with such scant ceremony. Same name, anyhow!"

Eldrick s.n.a.t.c.hed up the paper, glanced at it and read a few words aloud.

"INFORMATION WANTED about James Parrawhite, at one time in practice as a solicitor."

CHAPTER XVII

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nT

Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

"That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said. "Who's after him, now?" And he went on to read the rest of the advertis.e.m.e.nt, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago. If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage. Any person able to give information as to his whereabouts will be suitably rewarded. Apply to Halstead & Byner, 56B, St. Martin's Chambers, London, W.C.' Um!--Pascoe, hand over that Law List."

Collingwood looked on in silence while Eldrick turned over the pages of the big book which his partner took down from a shelf. He wondered at Eldrick's apparent and almost eager interest.

"Halstead & Byner are not solicitors," announced Eldrick presently.

"They must be inquiry agents or something of that sort. Anyway, I'll write to them, Pascoe, at once."

"You don't know where the fellow is," said Pascoe. "What's the good?"

"No--but we know where he last was," retorted Eldrick. He turned to Collingwood as the junior partner sauntered out of the room. "Rather odd that Pascoe should draw my attention to that just now," he remarked.

"This man Parrawhite was, in a certain sense, mixed up with Pratt--at least, Pratt and I are the only two people who know the secret of Parrawhite's disappearance from these offices. That was just about the time of your grandfather's death."

Collingwood immediately became attentive. His first suspicions of Pratt were formed at the time of which Eldrick spoke, and any reference to events contemporary excited his interest.

"Who was or is--this man you're talking of?" he asked.

"Bad lot--very!" answered Eldrick, shaking his head. "He and I were articled together, at the same time, to the same people: we saw a lot of each other as fellow articled clerks. He afterwards practised in Nottingham, and he held some good appointments. But he'd a perfect mania for gambling--the turf--and he went utterly wrong, and misappropriated clients' money, and in the end he got into prison, and was, of course, struck off the rolls. I never heard anything of him for years, and then one day, some time ago, he turned up here and begged me to give him a job. I did--and I'll do him the credit to say that he earned his money.

But--in the end, his natural badness broke out. One afternoon--I'm careless about some things--I left some money lying in this drawer--about forty pounds in notes and gold--and next morning Parrawhite never came to business. We've never seen or heard of him since."

"You mentioned Pratt," said Collingwood.

"Only Pratt and I know--about the money," replied Eldrick. "We kept it secret--I didn't want Pascoe to know I'd been so careless. Pascoe didn't like Parrawhite--and he doesn't know his record. I only told him that Parrawhite was a chap I'd known in better circ.u.mstances and wanted to give a hand to."