But alas11, for the contrary disposition of womankind, she would have none of the gilded12 youth but fixed13 her affections on Myles Desmond, a poor Irish gentleman, with nothing to recommend him but a handsome face, a clever brain and a witty14 tongue. In vain Lord Calliston asked her to be his wife, she coolly refused him, telling the astonished nobleman that neither his morals nor his manners were to her liking15, and informed Sir Rupert that she intended to marry Myles Desmond.
The baronet was furious at this declaration, and as May was under age and could not marry without her guardian's consent, he forbad Myles the house and ordered his ward16 not to speak to him. But see how the duplicity of love can circumvent17 the watchfulness18 of guardians2. May and Myles met secretly in the Park, at garden parties, and at balls, whenever they chose, and so cleverly did they manage their meetings that Sir Rupert never for a moment suspected the truth. He wanted his ward to marry Calliston, but when that fickle19 young man ran off with Lady Balscombe he changed his tune20 altogether, and had May been clever enough to have taken advantage of his dismay, he would doubtless have consented to her union with Myles despite the disadvantages of the match. Sir Rupert was paralysed at the scandal caused by his wife's elopement. He was deeply in love with her, and having known Calliston from his boyhood it had never entered his head that such a thing could happen. He was a very proud man, and when he discovered the elopement he shut himself up in his library, refusing to see anyone. The guilty pair had gone to the Azores, and knowing that sooner or later they would return to England, he awaited their coming with the intention of divorcing his treacherous21 wife and punishing her seducer22.
Sir Rupert having taken up this position, May was left a good deal to herself, and as the whole affair caused such a scandal she, as a ward of Balscombe's, refused to go out into society until some definite settlement of the matter had been arrived at. She had written several times to Myles asking him to see her, but on some plea or another he had always refused to come, much to her bewilderment. When she received his telegram asking her to meet him at the Marble Arch, she was delighted; and slipping out of the house in Park Lane, went to keep her appointment.
At this time of the year there were comparatively few people in town who knew her nevertheless, for the sake of safety, she dressed herself plainly in a dark dress and wore a thick veil which concealed23 her face. Thus disguised she had no fear of being recognised, and arrived at the rendezvous24 about five minutes past three o'clock. There she found Myles waiting for her and they walked together into the Park, feeling perfectly25 secure from interruption or detection. But they did not know that they were being shadowed by a small ragged26 boy who was apparently27 playing idly about them.
Dowker recognising Myles pointed28 him out to Flip29 and departed at once, lest he should by seen by Desmond, so when Flip saw May join the young Irishman he knew it was the couple whose conversation he was there to overhear and followed them promptly30.
Myles and Miss Penfold walked a short distance into the Park and then seated themselves for a while--two ordinary looking figures not calculated to attract much notice, for, the day being cold, Myles was muffled31 up in a large ulster and May's dress, as previously32 noticed, was not conspicuous33.
Flip sat down on the grass at the back of them, apparently engaged in spelling out a dirty bit of newspaper, but in reality drinking in every word the lovers uttered.
They were continuing a conversation begun when they first met.
"Does this man suspect you?" said May, evidently referring to Dowker.
"I'm afraid so," he replied gloomily, "and I cannot open my mouth to defend myself."
"Why?"
"Because my only defence would be an explanation of the events of that night, and I cannot explain."
"Why not?"
He remained silent, at which the girl turned pale.
"Is there any reason--strong reason?"
"Yes."
"Is that reason--a woman?"
Myles bowed his head.
Miss Penfold grew a shade paler and laughed bitterly.
"A pleasant reason to give me," she said, with a sneer34. "I have given up all else for your sake, because I thought you loved me, and you--you--talk of another woman to me."
"This is nonsense," he answered impatiently. "There is no love in the case; it simply involves the breaking of a promise given to a woman, and you would be the last to ask me to do that. Can you not believe in my honour?"
May looked at him doubtfully.
"Can I believe in any man's honour?" she replied sadly.
"That depends who the man is," answered Myles quietly. "It is simply a case of Lovelace over again:
"'I would not love thee dear so much,
Loved I not honour more.'
"It is absurd--quixotic--ridiculous--to talk about honour in these days, I grant you, but unfortunately I inherit loyal blood, and--well, I must ask you to trust me till I can speak."
"And you will speak?"
"Yes; if it comes to the worst," he replied with a slight shiver.
The girl gave him her hand, which he took and pressed slightly. So thus, mutely, they made up their quarrel.
All the foregoing conversation about honour was Greek to Flip, who, after some cogitation35, came to the conclusion it was a scene out of a play. But now they began to talk on a subject more suited to his comprehension.
"May," said Myles, "I want you to tell me all that Lady Balscombe did on--on that night."
"The night when she eloped?"
"Yes."
"Let me see," said May, knitting her pretty brows, "we went to a ball--to Lady Kerstoke's."
"At what time?"
"Between nine and ten."
"And what time did you leave?"
"Very early--about half past ten; in fact, we were there only a few minutes. Lady Balscombe said she had a headache and went home. You know our house is only a few doors away. I expect she only went there to avert36 suspicion as to her elopement."
"What happened when she came home?"
"There was a woman waiting to see her in her boudoir."
"A woman?" repeated Desmond; "who was she?"
"I don't know; I didn't even see her. She saw Lady Balscombe and then left the house, between eleven and twelve."
"How do you know?"
"My maid told me."
"And what time did Lady Balscombe leave?"
"I don't know. I did not see her again that night. She went to bed because of her headache, and, I suppose, departed early in the morning to catch the train to Shoreham."
"Where was Sir Rupert all this time?"
"He had been down in Berkshire, but arrived some time before twelve--he and Lady Balscombe had quarrelled lately and occupied different rooms. Besides, he went off to his club on arriving in town, so he would not know of her flight till the morning."
"Did she leave a letter for him?"
"I suppose so; but why do you ask all these questions?"
"Because I want to save my neck, if possible. The woman who was murdered is said to be Lena Sarschine, whom I saw during the day. I saw a woman in Calliston's rooms on the same night, whom the detective thinks was the same person. Now, between the time I left the chambers37 and the time I met Spencer Ellersby I was wandering about the streets and, as I spoke38 to no one, I cannot prove an alibi39. Ellersby met me coming up St. James' Street, and the scene of the crime was not far off, so, if I am arrested, circumstances will tell very hard against me. Nobody will believe my assertion that I did not see the dead woman that night, and I cannot prove it without breaking my promise."
"I see what you mean, but what has Lady Balscombe to do with it?"
"Simply this. I am anxious to find out if Calliston really left town on that night, because I want to know if he had anything to do with the death of his mistress. He left his chambers to catch the ten minutes past nine train from London Bridge; but did he catch it? I think not, because he would not have left town without Lady Balscombe, and from your own showing, she did not leave her house till early on Tuesday morning. So I think Calliston must have remained in town at some hotel, where she joined him, and they went down to Shoreham by the first train in the morning."
"But you don't think Calliston killed this woman?"
"No, I don't think so," he answered thoughtfully. "I really don't think so, but I would like to have all his movements on that night accounted for. As for myself, I am in a very awkward position, for, if arrested, I cannot extricate40 myself from it till Calliston returns."
"Why?"
"Because till his yacht comes back I cannot prove my innocence41."
"But you are innocent?"
"Yes; can you doubt me?"
"I was certain of it."
"I hope the jury of twelve good and lawful42 men will be as certain," he replied grimly, as they walked away.
Flip followed them at a distance, but only caught scraps43 of conversation which seemed to him to be about trivial matters. So, with all the conversation he had heard in the Park indelibly inscribed44 on his brain, Flip darted45 away, to give his patron an accurate report and thus add another link to the chain which was gradually encircling the murderer of Lena Sarschine.
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1
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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2
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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guardianship
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| n. 监护, 保护, 守护 | |
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4
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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5
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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linguist
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| n.语言学家；精通数种外国语言者 | |
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7
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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8
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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9
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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10
scions
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| n.接穗，幼枝( scion的名词复数 )；（尤指富家）子孙 | |
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11
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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13
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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14
witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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15
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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16
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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17
circumvent
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| vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜 | |
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18
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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19
fickle
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| adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的 | |
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20
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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21
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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22
seducer
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| n.诱惑者,骗子,玩弄女性的人 | |
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23
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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24
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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25
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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26
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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27
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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28
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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29
flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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30
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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31
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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32
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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33
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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34
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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35
cogitation
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| n.仔细思考，计划，设计 | |
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36
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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37
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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38
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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39
alibi
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| n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口 | |
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40
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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41
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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42
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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43
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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44
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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45
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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