The Datchet Diamonds Read online

  CHAPTER X

  CYRIL'S FRIEND

  Miss Strong did like to go and see. She looked at Miss Wentworth witha make-believe of anger, and, rising to her feet, went quickly acrossthe room. Admission had already been given to the knocker. Thereadvanced towards the girl standing in the open door a man--who was notMr. Paxton.

  "Mr. Franklyn! I thought----"

  There was a note of disappointment in her voice. She stopped short, asif desirous not to allow her self-betrayal to go too far. She moved alittle back, so as to allow the newcomer to enter the room.

  This newcomer was a man of the medium height, about forty years ofage. His black hair was already streaked with grey. He had a firm,clear-cut, clean-shaven mouth and chin, and a pair of penetratinggrey-black eyes, with which he had a trick of looking every one whomhe addressed squarely in the face. His manner, ordinarily, was graveand deliberate, as if he liked to weigh each word he uttered. He heldMiss Strong's hand for a moment in his cool, close grasp.

  "Well; you thought what?"

  "I'm very glad to see you--you know I am; but I thought it was Cyril."

  "Are you expecting him?"

  "I was expecting him, but--it seems he hasn't come."

  Turning to Miss Wentworth he greeted her. And it was to be noted thatas she offered him her hand a humorous twinkle beamed through herglasses, and her whole face was lighted by a smile. He turned again toMiss Strong.

  "Have you heard the news?"

  "What news?"

  "Hasn't Cyril told you?"

  "He told me something last night, but I really couldn't tell you quitewhat it was he told me, and I haven't seen him since."

  "He is in Brighton?"

  "Is he? I was informed that he was stopping in town."

  "You were informed? By whom?"

  "By an acquaintance, who said that he saw him there."

  Mr. Franklyn waited before speaking again. His unflinching eyes seemedto be studying the lady's face. Probably he saw that there wassomething unusual in her manner.

  "That is strange. I was under the impression that he was in Brighton.I have come from town specially to see him. I expected to find himwith you here."

  "He did promise to meet me to-night. He hasn't kept his promise. Idon't understand why. To be plain with you, it rather troubles me.

  "He promised to meet you?"

  "He did most faithfully."

  "And you have received no intimation from him to the effect that hewas not coming?"

  "Not a word--not a line!"

  "Then he may be here at any moment. Something has unexpectedly delayedhim. You are acquainted with him sufficiently well to be aware thathad anything occurred to cause him to alter his plans, he wouldimmediately have let you know. Your informant was wrong. I have hadinquiries made for him everywhere in town, and as a result have goodreason to believe that he is in Brighton."

  "What is the news of which you were speaking?"

  "Has Cyril said nothing to you about the Trumpit Gold Mine?"

  "He referred to it casually the night before last in his usual strain,as having been the cause of his destruction."

  "That really is extraordinary. I confess I do not understand it. It isso unlike Cyril to have communicated neither with you nor with me. Areyou sure that he said nothing more?"

  "About the Trumpit Gold Mine? Not a word. What was there, what isthere to say? Do get it out!"

  The young lady made an impatient movement with her foot. The gentlemanlooked at her with amusement in his eyes. She was very well worthlooking at just then. Her hair was a little out of order; and, thoughshe might not have agreed with such a statement, it suited her when itwas slightly disarranged. Her cheeks were flushed. She held herselfvery straight. Perhaps it was her tears which had lent brightness toher eyes; they were bright. Her small, white teeth sparkled betweenher blush-rose lips, which were slightly parted as if in repressedexcitement. She presented a pretty picture of a young lady who was inno mood for trifling.

  "I shall have much pleasure, Miss Strong, in getting it out. What seemto be well-founded rumours have reached England that gold has beenfound at last in considerable quantities. The shares have gone up witha rush. When the Stock Exchange closed this afternoon they werequoted at L12 10s. A little more than a week ago they were unsaleableat twopence each."

  "L12 10s.! oh, Mr. Franklyn! And has Cyril got rid of his?"

  "Not a bit of it. They are in my strongbox. There are ten thousand ofthem--Cyril is one of the largest holders, if he is not the largest;and what that means at L12 10s. apiece you can calculate as well asI."

  "Oh, Mr. Franklyn!" The young lady brought her hands together with alittle clap. She turned in natural triumph towards her friend. "Whatdid I tell you? Now aren't you sorry for what you said last night?Didn't I say that you hadn't the faintest notion of what you weretalking about?"

  Miss Wentworth, though, as was to be expected, not so excited as thelady who was principally concerned, evinced sufficiently lively signsof interest.

  "You certainly did, and I certainly hadn't; and while you left nothingunsaid which you ought to have said, there can be no sort of doubtwhatever that I said everything which I ought to have left unsaid.But, at the same time, I do beg leave to remark that Mr. Paxton neednot have worn such an air of mystery."

  "Why?" Miss Strong tapped the toe of her slipper against the floor."He wasn't compelled to blurt out his affairs to all the world."

  Miss Wentworth shrugged her shoulders.

  "Certainly not--if I am all the world. Are you also all the world?From what I gathered he did not make much of a confidante of you."

  "Well, he wasn't forced to!" Suddenly Miss Strong made a whollyirrational, but not wholly unnatural, movement in the direction ofMiss Wentworth's chair. She placed her hand upon that lady'sshoulders. And she kissed her twice, first on the lips, then on thebrow. And she exclaimed, "Never mind. I forgive you!"

  Miss Wentworth was quite as demure as the occasion required. Shesurveyed her emotional friend with twinkling eyes.

  "Thank you very much indeed, my dear."

  Miss Strong moved restlessly about the room, passing, as it seemed,aimlessly from object to object.

  "It is strange that he should have kept such news to himself! And nothave said a word about it! And now not coming after all!" She turnedto Mr. Franklyn. "I suppose that it is all quite true? That you havenot been building up my hopes simply to dash them down again?"

  "I have given you an accurate statement of the actual position ofaffairs when prices were made up for the day, as you may easily proveyourself by a reference to an evening paper."

  With her hands Miss Strong pushed back her hair from her temples.

  "After all he had lost in Eries----"

  Mr. Franklyn interposed a question.

  "In Eries! Did he lose in Eries?"

  "I am afraid he did, heavily. And then, in spite of that, on the sameday, to see his way to a quarter of a million!"

  "A quarter of a million! Did he mention that precise amount?"

  "I think he did,--I feel sure he did. Charlie, didn't you hear himspeak of a quarter of a million?"

  Miss Wentworth, who from the depths of her easy chair had beenregarding the two almost as if they had been studies of interesting,though contrasting, types of human nature, smiled as she replied--

  "I believe that I did hear Mr. Paxton make a passing and, as it seemedto me, a mysterious allusion to that insignificant sum."

  "Then he must be acquainted with the movements of the markets." Mr.Franklyn was the speaker. "Though I must tell you candidly, MissStrong, that at present I am very far from being prepared to advisehim to hold until his profits reach what Miss Wentworth, in a trulyliberal spirit, calls that insignificant sum. As things stand, he canget out with half of it. If he waits for more, he may get nothing.Indeed, it is an almost vital necessity of the situation that I shouldsee him at once. The shares are in my keeping. Witho
ut his directauthority I can do nothing with them. After all, the boom may be but abubble; it may already have been blown to a bursting-point; in themorning it may have been pricked. Such things are the commonplaces ofthe Stock Exchange. In any case, it is absolutely necessary that heshould be on the spot, ready, if needful, to take prompt, instantadvantage of the turn of the market in whatever direction it may be.Or, by the time that he does appear upon the scene, his shares mayagain be unsaleable at twopence apiece, and all his profits may havegone. Now, tell me, do you know where he stayed last night?"

  "At Makell's Hotel. He nearly always does stay there when he is inBrighton."

  "It is possible, then, that he is there now; or, at any rate, thatthey have news of him. I will go at once and inquire."

  Miss Strong made a quick movement towards the speaker.

  "Mr. Franklyn, mayn't I come with you?"

  He hesitated.

  "There is not the slightest necessity. If he is there I will bring himback with me; if he is not I will either bring or send you news."

  "You promise?"

  "I do--certainly."

  "You promise that you will let me hear as soon as you can--atonce--without a moment's delay?" The girl put her hand to her side.Tears came into her eyes. "Mr. Franklyn, you don't know what all thismeans to me. All day long I have been conscious of something hangingover me, as it were, a cloud of catastrophe. That something verystrange either has happened, or shortly will happen, I am convinced.It frightens me! So, if you wish to do me a kindness, you will notkeep me in suspense one moment longer than you can help."

  Miss Strong had passed, so far as appearances went, instantly, withoutany sort of warning, from a white heat of excitement to almostpreternatural coldness. One had only to look at her to perceive thather mind was not at ease; nor, since mental and physical conditionsare closely allied, her body either. Mr. Franklyn profferedreassurance.

  "Believe me, Miss Strong, there is not the slightest real cause foranxiety. The probability is that Cyril is looking for me, just as I amlooking for him; that, in fact, we are chasing each other. Anyhow, youshall have news when I have news, and that without a second's delay. Iought to find a cab upon the nearest stand. If I do, you ought to hearfrom me in thirty minutes. But even if I don't, I think that I canpromise that you shall hear from me within the hour."