The Game Of Kings Part 27

"Anyway," said Lord Grey, calming down. "I've got a job for you, Gideon. Have to tear you away from our fair company here. Whichreminds me." He pinched a lip, staring with vague approval at the blind face. "I must get a proper chaperone for you. Wish my wife were here. Or-by G.o.d, that's it!" he exclaimed, struck by a brilliant idea. "The Countess of Lennox! Get the d.a.m.ned woman away from under our feet!.

There was no change in the girl's serene face. Gideon said without thinking too much, "But-Willie, I don't think that very suitable..

"Why not?.

Gideon couldn't think why not. He repeated, emphatically, "I don't think Lady Christian and Meg Douglas would have anything in common. Lady Lennox's dealings with her countrymen-some of them-haven't been particularly savoury," he said distinctly, and saw the girl's intelligent face turn questioningly toward him.

She said tentatively, "You mean the Countess might try to harm my friends through me?" and Gideon knew that although Grey might and did think it nonsense, the girl understood.

He gave her a friendly farewell a little later, and went off, in high good humour for no evident reason.

* * *The interview between Lord Grey and Margaret, Countess of Lennox, was everything he was afraid it might be. It began with the lady's cool voice saying, "I'm afraid I have to convey to you the Lord Protector's displeasure, Lord Grey," and included some plain questions.

"And am I supposed to believe that 9f all the officers in London this person Harvey was the only one capable of leading a convoy to Haddington?.

"Harvey," said Lord Grey with an effort, "is a very able man. I'm sorry, since you take such an interest in him, that you can't meet him. A slight wound made it necessary for him to stay at Haddington..

The black eyes were sparkling. "1 do take an interest in him, as it happens. I came here expressly to make sure that he returned to London directly. I believe Mr. Palmer leaves you today?.

Lord Grey agreed that Harvey's cousin was due to leave Berwick for London.

"Then I hope he can take to His Grace the a.s.surance that Mr. Harvey will follow directly he can travel?.

Lord Grey, with private reservations, agreed again.

"I am glad to hear it. I shall remain and see that he does," said the Countess and ruthlessly delivered the coup de grace. "You will have heard that your friend Lymond has been caught..

"Caught! By Wharton?.

"No. By the Scots. When," said Margaret, having applied the i~lack draught, "do you think Harvey will be able to travel?.

The Lord Lieutenant rested vague eyes on her. "What? Oh. I've no idea. I'll ask the girl..

Margaret stopped arranging her dress. "What girl?.

"There was a girl among the prisoners from George Douglas's who took an interest in him at Haddington. They were all kept there for a spell before coming here..

"Took an interest in Harvey!" exclaimed the Countess. "Who is she?.

Grey told her what he knew, and felt much better. "Lymond and she seem quite friendly," he concluded, and raking in his desk, found a letter. "We took that from Lady Douglas just before we released her. It's a letter to Sir George from the Stewart girl, written for her by her servant lad. She's blind, you see. See what it says..

"Blind!" Her face fixed in astonishment, Margaret Lennox read the paper once, then a second time. "Signed, Christian Stewart..

She looked up. "This a.s.sumes that the Master of Culter will be in touch with Sir George . . . 'or someone on his behalf.' He is to be told that all is well, and he need pursue his objective no longer, because she has done all that is necessary. What does that mean?.

Lord Grey shook his head. "I had the girl in today asking her about it. but she'd say nothing..

"Did Lady Douglas know what was in the letter? No? I should like to see this girl," said Lady Lennox with a ringing and unanswerable finality.

* * *Since the shock and physical buffeting of her capture at Dailceith, Christian Stewart had stumbled unwillingly to Haddington, and then in a kind of stupor of relief and anxiety here to Berwick.

Miraculously, the key to the whole strange problem lay now in her hands. But to use it, she must be free. And whether Francis Crawford had been helped to escape, or whether he was still in prison, shemust prevent him from appearing on trial, or from risking his liberty again before she could find him.

Her letter to Sir George-a hopeless attempt to do just that- had failed. She had no other means of sending a message. She had tried to persuade them to release Sym, without success. She had even contemplated approaching the man Somerville, who had seemed friendly, and might perhaps be trusted. But he had left the castle, she had been told.

What next? All day she walked up and down, thinking: of Boghall; of Inchmahoine of Stirling; of Edinburgh. "If I told you i'd murdered my sister you'd feel hate and revulsion." "I haven't tried to kill anyone today, I give you my word." "A thief in the night is the phrase." And the bleak "The darts which make me suffer are my own.~'She smashed her fists in sudden anger on the sill of her window. Oh, to get out! To get out of here!To the Countess of Lennox, paying a regal prison visit, Christian was an astonis.h.i.+ng, a calm, an impenetrable steel wall.

The name was soon spoken: Francis Crawford of Lymond. "I don't suppose you know him. It isn't thought patriotic to know him these days," said Margaret ruefully. "But we were once very good friends..

The blind girl answered serenely. "As a matter of fact, I do know him," and Margaret was softly eager. "You do? Is he the same? Where is he, these days?.

"In prison," said Christian prosaically. "I suppose he's the same. He talks a great deal..

"In prison!" echoed Margaret, her voice sharpening just too much. "In Scotland? But that means he'll hang! Is that true?.

"I believe so..

Lady Lennox said agitatedly, "But can't something be done? Is anyone helping him?.

"Who could help him?.

Margaret said, "You're his friend. I'm sure you are. If you were free, couldn't you do something?.

If she were free. . .

A crease appeared between the large, direct eyes. "I don't see what. I've done him a small service-I got him the home address of a man he wanted to see for some reason. But that won't be any good to him now, naturally..

So simple an explanation. Margaret, comforted, gave a sigh. "So sad. All that talent-but people, I suppose, make their own ruin, however much their friends try to help. Now," said the Countess cheerfully, "Is there anything I can bring that you would like?.

After she had gone, Christian sat alone for a long time in her own black world, conquering a rage which would have alarmed her visitor. Then, dismissing the incident with an effort, she spared a moment to thank the well-intentioned spirit of Gideon Somerville before resuming the furious pacing of her prison.

Gideon's errand for Grey took him to Norham, and he was forced to stay overnight. Making casual inquiries on his return, he found that the prisoners taken at Dalkeith had been dispatched that day to the Archbishop of York; and that, before she left, the blind girl had asked once or twice after himself.

He might, left to himself, have pursued the party; but Lord Grey had other ideas. With his best men scattered like caraway seed over the countryside from Roxburgh to Broughty, he needed an able officer at his side.

Gideon tolerated it, his desire to return home tempered by the discovery that Margaret Lennox was still at Berwick, and meant to stay there until the man Harvey was well enough to return. If the Countess could play a waiting game, then so could he, thought Gideon, and caught himself with a surprised grimace. One would think it was his affair.

The following Monday, he was ordered to Newcastle to discuss finance with the Treasurer. "By the time that's over, I shall probably be in Newcastle myself," said Lord Grey. "Probably see you there. You ought to be off, anyway, by the morning. Oh-you were interested in Sam Harvey?.

"Yes!" said Gideon, suddenly alert.

"That Stewart girl said he was slightly injured. Well, he isn't. He's got a ball in the thigh and it's d.a.m.ned dangerous. They're not sure if he'll live..

Gideon said quickly, "When did you hear?.

"Just now. Bad luck on the fellow. I feel a shade guilty," said Lord Grey peevishly. "I shouldn't have brought him up at all if I'd known that Lymond fellow was out of action..

"Yes. Bad luck," said Gideon. "Willie-d'you mind if I leave now instead of tomorrow? I could call in on Kate on my way..

"On your way?" said Grey indulgently. "Twenty miles out of it, I should have thought. But never mind. That's husbands for you:I've done the same myself. All right. Give her my love..

"Yes, I will," said Gideon, and slipped out, calling for his man. He was on the road in less than an hour; and by next day, Tuesday, the nineteenth of June, he was home at Flaw Valleys.

The Ultimate Check.

The corrouers and berars of lettres ought hastily and spedily do her viage thatcomanded hem with oute taryenge. Fortheir taryenge might noyc and greve themthat sende hem forth, or ellis them towhom they ben sent too. And tome hem to ryght grete domage or villonye.

1. The Fast Moves

LYMOND recovered from his wound with characteristic rapidity; from the beginning, in fact, he acted as if it did not exist, and Kate was perfectly willing to do the same.

A frangible and archaic courtesy reigned at Flaw Valleys. Katherine forbade none of its o~ces to her guest: he was under permanent escort, but free to wander where he chose. At her request, he shared her table and occasionally her parlour. His unspoken resistance to the situation delighted her, as did the way he dealt with it.

He set the tenor for their encounters the first morning after the incident with Charles. He unlocked his door, made some necessary apologies and conformed to the reigning atmosphere of frigid politeness.

Kate, however, was only choosing her weapons. By suppertime on Friday, and after four days of shrewd observation, she opened fire.

"I notice," she said, pa.s.sing the salt, "that you were outside today. Did you meet Philippa?.

Lymond accepted the condiment, but not the challenge. "We had a few words," he said. "She is a-striking young person already..

Kate helped herself. "We think so. What did she say to you?.

"Her remarks were few and deflatory," he said. This was an understatement, as Kate knew very well. She observed, "I'm afraid she's being rather unresponsive. We've been trying to teach her to feel sorry for you. I do dislike personal hatreds in a child..

This time, after a moment, he called her bluff. "Perhaps Philippa and I should be thrown together a little more. She mi ht become attached to me if she knew me better." gKate, brightening visibly, ignored the gleam in his eye. "That would make her sorry for you?.

"It might. The object of any sort of clinical study deserves compa.s.sion, don't you think?.

"Snakes don't," said Katherine inconsequently. "I hate snakes..

"And yet you feed them on honey cakes and forbid them to defend themselves..

"Defencelessness is not a noted characteristic of serpents. Anyhow, I can't have them lying rattling about the house. It gets on the nerves..

"It does if you handle it by rattling back. I've no objection, you know, to practicing the social arts..

Kate viewed him suspiciously. "I don't see why I should abandon my entertainment because of your conscience.

"It isn't quite conscience so much as horrified admiration," said Lymond. "From cuticle to corium in four days..

"You have to be quick with them. They grow another skin. I thought it mightn't be conscience," said Kate, collecting platters.

He was gazing down at the table. "I really can't go on apologizing. It would be too monotonous..

Kate, taking a dish from the cupboard, halted beside him. "You don't owe me anything, except a little amus.e.m.e.nt. Why not bite back?.

"Because," said Lymond, lifting his eyes suddenly, "I'm a constant pract.i.tioner of the art and you are not..

"I don't mind," said Kate wistfully. "Won't you bite?.

"Like a shark. It's a habit. And habits are h.e.l.l's own subst.i.tute for good intentions. Habits are the ruin of ambition, of initiative,of imagination. They're the curse of marriage and the after-bane of death..

Katherine surveyed the indifferent face critically. "For an advocate of chaos, you're quite convincing. There is such a thing, you know, as habitual disorder-as of course you know: few have had such a permanently unsettled regime as you have. Suppose you had a chance to lead a normal life?.

"Let's leave my sordid affairs out of this, shall we?" he said. "You've missed a point. There's a nice difference between rootless excitement and careful variety..

"If I can't be personal, I don't want to argue," said his hostess categorically. "I may be missing your points, but you're much too busy dodging mine..

"Yours aren't points, they're probangs. I don't see why I should help..

"I do. Because Gideon would help cook his father if the cannibal quoted poetry at him," said Kate.

"And I have drunk of Castalia as well as bathed in it..

"It was Charles who bathed in it, as I recall. I forgot," said Kate sardonically. "You like your privacy. My apologies for scrabbling round the edges in an undignified way. Pay no attention. Grimalkin goes quavering back to the chimney piece..

The long, slender fingers tightened about the salt cellar. "Leave it, can't you?" said Lymond softly.

There was flat challenge in Kate's rigid spine. "Is there any reason why I should? I want-.

He interrupted her, pus.h.i.+ng away the heavy silver vessel so that it slid precisely, like a curling stone, into the centre of the board between them.

"What you want is very clear. You want my confidence. If you can't have that, you want to goad me into making admissions about myself. If you can't have that, you use moral pressure. I'm quite conscious of my obligations and misdemeanours toward the members of your family. I disagree about the mode of compensation, that's all..

Her cheeks were scarlet. "Mr. Crawford, I really doubt if you're in a position to agree or disagree about anything..

The impatient, ruthless gaze lifted to hers. "Nor do I need to be reminded. You may expose me; you may baulk me. I've no remedy..

"If you prize reticence more than your life," said Kate dryly, "then you're certainly beyond remedy..

"Reticence? No," he said. "But I prize freedom of the mind above freedom of the body. I claim the right to make my own mistakes and keep quiet about them. You have all the licence in the world to protect your husband. My life is at your disposal, but not my thoughts..

"Dear me," said Kate, rising. "I doubt if I could stomach your thoughts. It was just a few basic facts I was thinking of, such as whether you were one of these people who can eat goose eggs. The creatures keep laying them: an appalling habit, but we can't break it..

Untenable positions were not for Kate. His mouth relaxed, and he rose smoothly and opened the door for her, laughter lines gathering at the corners of the veiled eyes. "I thought the conversation was cutting an ovoid track. I wouldn't for the world deprive you of the last bite..

"Thank you," said Kate. "If we're referring to snakes. Not if you're talking about fish..

"Pythonissa," retorted Lymond, and unexpectedly smiled.

* * *She conceded him his victory.

In the days that followed, she did no more probing; partly because she now saw that these ferretings had no relation to the level on which his mind worked; and partly because his wits were too sharp. She could tire him; she could anger him. Four days had taught her that she could nearly shake his self-control and that he was himself shaken and dismayed by his weakening grip of himself. But she could never override him, and she stopped attempting it.