XXVII
Daybreak
The Englishman smiled cheerfully in response to LanyardтАЩs cry of astonishment.
тАЬIn effect,тАЭ he observed, stripping off his gauntlets, тАЬyouтАЩre right, Mr.┬аLanyard. тАШWertheimerтАЩ isnтАЩt my name, but it is so closely identified with myтБатАФahтБатАФinsinuative personality as to warrant the misapprehension. I shanтАЩt demand an apology so long as you permit me to preserve an incognito which may yet prove somewhat useful.тАЭ
тАЬIncognito!тАЭ Lanyard stammered, utterly discountenanced. тАЬUseful!тАЭ
тАЬYou have my meaning exactly; although my work in Paris is now ended, thereтАЩs no saying when it may not be convenient to be able to go back without establishing a new identity.тАЭ
Before Lanyard replied to this the look of wonder in his eyes had yielded to one of understanding.
тАЬScotland Yard, eh?тАЭ he queried curtly.
Wertheimer bowed. тАЬSpecial agent,тАЭ he added.
тАЬI might have guessed, if IтАЩd had the wit of a goose!тАЭ Lanyard affirmed bitterly. тАЬBut I must admitтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ
тАЬYes,тАЭ the Englishman assented pleasantly; тАЬI did pull your legтБатАФdidnтАЩt I? But not more than our other friends. Of course, itтАЩs taken some time: I had to establish myself firmly as a shining light of the swell mob over here before De┬аMorbihan would take me to his hospitable bosom.тАЭ
тАЬI presume IтАЩm to consider myself under arrest?тАЭ
With a laugh, the Englishman shook his head vigorously.
тАЬNo, thank you!тАЭ he declared. тАЬIтАЩve had too convincing proof of your distaste for interference in your affairs. You fight too sincerely, Mr.┬аLanyardтБатАФand IтАЩm a tired sleuth this very morning as ever was! I would need a weekтАЩs rest to fit me for the job of taking you into custodyтБатАФa week and some able-bodied assistance!тБатАКтБатАж But,тАЭ he amended with graver countenance, тАЬI will say this: if youтАЩre in England a week hence, IтАЩll be tempted to undertake the job on general principles. I donтАЩt in the least question the sincerity of your intention to behave yourself hereafter; but as a servant of the King, itтАЩs my duty to advise you that England would prefer you to start life anewтБатАФas they sayтБатАФin another country. Several steamers sail for the States before the end of the week: further details I leave entirely to your discretion. But go you must,тАЭ he concluded firmly.
тАЬI understandтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ said Lanyard; and would have said more, but couldnтАЩt. There was something suspiciously like a mist before his eyes.
Avoiding the faces of his sweetheart and the Englishman, he turned aside, put forth a hand blindly to a wing of the biplane to steady himself, and stood with head bowed and limbs trembling.
Moving quietly to his side, the girl took his other hand and held it tight.тБатАКтБатАж
Presently Lanyard shook himself impatiently and lifted his head again.
тАЬSorry,тАЭ he said, apologeticтБатАФтАЬbut your generosityтБатАФwhen I looked for nothing better than arrestтБатАФwas a bit too much for my nerves!тАЭ
тАЬNonsense!тАЭ the Englishman commented with brusque good-humour. тАЬWeтАЩre all upset. A drop of brandy will do us no end of good.тАЭ
Unbuttoning his leather surtout, he produced a flask from an inner pocket, filled its metal cup, and offered it to the girl.
тАЬYou first, if you please, Miss Shannon. NoтБатАФI insist. You positively need it.тАЭ
She allowed herself to be persuaded, drank, coughed, gasped, and returned the cup, which Wertheimer promptly refilled and passed to Lanyard.
The raw spirits stung like fire, but proved an instant aid to the badly jangled nerves of the adventurer. In another moment he was much more himself.
Drinking in turn, Wertheimer put away the flask. тАЬThatтАЩs better!тАЭ he commented. тАЬNow IтАЩll be able to cut along with this blessed machine without fretting over the fate of Ekstrom. But till now I havenтАЩt been able to forgetтБатАФтАЭ
He paused and drew a hand across his eyes.
тАЬIt was, then, EkstromтБатАФyou think?тАЭ Lanyard demanded.
тАЬUnquestionably! De┬аMorbihan had learnedтБатАФI knowтБатАФof your bargain with Ducroy; and I know, too, that he and Ekstrom spent each morning in the hangars at St.┬аGermain, after your sensational evasion. It never entered my head, of course, that they had any such insane scheme brewing as thatтБатАФelse I would never have so giddily arranged with DucroyтБатАФthrough the S├╗ret├й, you understandтБатАФto take VauquelinтАЩs place.тБатАКтБатАж Besides, who else could it have been? Not De┬аMorbihan, for heтАЩs crippled for life, thanks to that affair in the Bois; not Popinot, who was on his way to the Sant├й, last I saw of him; and never BannonтБатАФhe was dead before I left Paris for Port Aviation.тАЭ
тАЬDead!тАЭ
тАЬOh, quite!тАЭ the Englishman affirmed nonchalantly, тАЬWhen we arrested him at three this morningтБатАФcharged with complicity in the murder of RoddyтБатАФhe flew into a passion that brought on a fatal haemorrhage. He died within ten minutes.тАЭ
There was a little silence.тБатАКтБатАж
тАЬI may tell you, Mr.┬аLanyard,тАЭ the Englishman resumed, looking up from the motor, to which he was paying attentions with monkey-wrench and oilcan, тАЬthat you were quite off your bat when you ridiculed the idea of the тАШInternational Underworld Unlimited.тАЩ Of course, if you hadnтАЩt laughed, I shouldnтАЩt feel quite as much respect for you as I do; in fact, the chances are youтАЩd be in handcuffs or in a cell of the Sant├й, this very minute.тБатАКтБатАж But, absurd as it soundedтБатАФand wasтБатАФthe тАШUnderworldтАЩ project was a pet hobby of BannonтАЩsтБатАФwhoтАЩd been the brains of a gang of criminals in New York for many years. He was a bit touched on the subject: a monomaniac, if you ask me. And his enthusiasm won De┬аMorbihan and Popinot overтБатАКтБатАж and me! He took a wonderful fancy to me, Bannon did; I really was appointed first-lieutenant in GreggsтАЩ stead.тБатАКтБатАж So you first won my sympathy by laughing at my offer,тАЭ said Wertheimer, restoring the oilcan to its place in the tool-kit; тАЬwherein you were very wise.тБатАКтБатАж In fact, my personal feeling for you is one of growing esteem, if youтАЩll permit me to say so. YouтАЩve most of the makings of a man. Will you shake handsтБатАФwith a copperтАЩs nark?тАЭ
He gave LanyardтАЩs hand a firm and friendly grasp, and turned to the girl.
тАЬGoodbye, Miss Shannon. IтАЩm truly grateful for the assistance you gave us. Without you, weтАЩd have been sadly handicapped. I understand you have sent in your resignation? ItтАЩs too bad: the Service will feel the loss of you. But I think you were right to leave us, the circumstances considered.тБатАКтБатАж And now itтАЩs goodbye and good luck! I hope you may be happy.тБатАКтБатАж IтАЩm sure you canтАЩt go far without coming across a highroad or a village; butтБатАФfor reasons not unconnected with my professionтБатАФI prefer to remain in ignorance of the way you go.тАЭ
Releasing her hand, he stepped back, saluted the lovers with a smile and gay gesture, and clambered briskly to the pilotтАЩs seat of the biplane.
When firmly established, he turned the switch of the starting mechanism.
The heavy, distinctive hum of the great motor filled that isolated hollow in the Downs like the purring of a dynamo.
With a final wave of his hand, Wertheimer grasped the starting-lever.
Its brool deepening, the Parrott stirred, shot forward abruptly. In two seconds it was fifty yards distant, its silhouette already blurred, its wheels lifting from the rim of the hollow.
Then lightly it leaped, soared, parted the mists, vanished.тБатАКтБатАж
For some time Lanyard and Lucy Shannon remained motionless, clinging together, hand-in-hand, listening to the drone that presently dwindled to a mere thread of sound and died out altogether in the obscurity above them.
Then, turning, they faced each other, smiling a trace uncertainly, a smile that said: тАЬSo all that is finished!тБатАКтБатАж Or, perhaps, we dreamed it!тАЭтБатАКтБатАж
Suddenly, with a low cry, the girl gave herself to LanyardтАЩs arms; and as this happened the mists parted and bright sunlight flooded the hollow in the Downs.