The Middle of Things by J. S. Fletcher

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Viner considered this proposition for a moment.

"Very well!" he said at last. "Tell him--I shall trust you both.
Remember--it's between the three of us. I shan't say a word to Pawle, nor
to Carless. You know there's a man's life at stake--Hyde's! Hyde is as
innocent as I am--he's an old schoolfellow of mine."

"I understand," said Methley. "Very well, trust to me, Mr. Viner."

He went off with a reassuring nod, and Viner returned to Mr. Carless'
room. The three men he had left there were deep in conversation, and as
he entered, Mr. Carless smote his hand on the desk before him.

"This is certain!" he exclaimed. "We must have this Miss Avice Wickham
here--at once!"

CHAPTER XIX

UNDER EXAMINATION

Mr. Pawle nodded assent to this proposition and rose from his chair.

"It's the only thing to do," he said. "We must get to the bottom of this
as quickly as possible--whether Miss Wickham can tell us much or little,
we must know what she can tell. Let us all meet here again at three
o'clock--I will send one of my clerks to fetch her. But let us be clear
on one point--are we to tell this young lady what our conclusions are,
regarding herself?"

"Your conclusions!" said Mr. Carless, with a sly smile. "We know nothing
yet, you know, Pawle."

"My conclusions, then," assented Mr. Pawle. "Are we--"

Lord Ellingham quietly interrupted the old lawyer.

"Pardon me, Mr. Pawle," he said, "but before we go any further, do you
mind telling me, briefly, what your conclusions really are!"

"I will tell your lordship in a few words," answered Mr. Pawle, readily.
"Wrong or right, my conclusions are these: From certain investigations
which Mr. Viner and I have made since this affair began--with the murder
of Ashton--and from certain evidence which we have unearthed, I believe
that Ashton's friend Wickham, the father of the girl we are going to
produce this afternoon, was in reality your lordship's uncle, the missing
Lord Marketstoke. I believe that Ashton came to England in order to prove
this, and that he was probably about to begin proceedings when he was
murdered--for the sake of those papers which we have just seen. And I
believe, too, that we have not seen all the papers which were stolen from
his dead body. What was produced to us just now by Methley and
Woodlesford was a selection--the probability is that there are other and
more important papers in the hands of the murderer, whose cat's-paw or
accomplice this claimant, whoever he may be, is. I believe," concluded
Mr. Pawle, with emphasis, "that my conclusions will be found to be
correct ones, based on indisputable fact."

Lord Ellingham looked from one solicitor to the other.

"Then," he said, with something of a smile, "if Wickham was really my
uncle, Lord Marketstoke, and this young lady you tell me of is his
daughter--what, definitely, is my position?"

Mr. Pawle looked at Mr. Carless, and Mr. Carless shook his head.

"If Mr. Pawle's theory is correct," he said, "and mind you, Pawle, it
will take a lot of proving. If Mr. Pawle's theory is correct, the
position, my lord, is this. The young lady we hear of is Countess of
Ellingham in her own right! She would not be the first woman to succeed
to the title: there was a Countess of Ellingham in the time of George the
Third. She would, of course, have to prove her claim before the House of
Lords--if made good, she succeeds to titles and estates. That's the plain
English of it--and upon my honour," concluded Mr. Carless, "it's one of
the most extraordinary things I ever heard of. This other affair is
nothing to it!"

Lord Ellingham again inspected the legal countenances.

"I see nothing at all improbable about it," he said. "We may as well face
that fact at once. I will be here at three o'clock, Mr. Carless. I
confess I should like to meet my cousin--if she really is that!"

"Your Lordship takes it admirably!" exclaimed Mr. Carless. "But
really--well, I don't know. However, we shall see. But, 'pon my honour,
it's most odd! One claimant disposed of, another, a more formidable one,
comes on!"

"But we have not disposed of the first, have we?" suggested Lord
Ellingham.

"I don't anticipate any trouble in that quarter," answered Mr. Carless.
"As I said to those two who have just gone out--send or bring the man
here, and we'll tell in one minute if he's what he claims to be!"

"But--how?" asked Lord Ellingham. "You seem very certain."

"Dead certain!" asserted Mr. Carless. He looked round his callers and
laughed. "I may as well tell you," he said. "Portlethwaite drew me aside
to remind me of it. The real Lord Marketstoke, if he were alive, could
easily be identified. He lost a finger when a mere boy."

"Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Pawle. "Good--excellent! Best bit of evidence I've
heard of. Hang this claimant! Now we can tell if Wickham really was Lord
Marketstoke. If necessary, we can have his body exhumed and examined."

"It was a shooting accident," continued Mr. Carless. "He was out shooting
in the park at Ellingham when a boy of fourteen or fifteen; he was using
an old muzzle-loading gun; it burst, and he lost his second finger--the
right hand. It was, of course, very noticeable. Now, that small but very
important fact is most likely not known to Methley and Woodlesford's
client--but it's known to Driver and to Portlethwaite and to me, and now
to all of you. If this man comes here--look at his right hand! If he
possesses his full complement of fingers, well--"

Mr. Carless ended with a significant grimace, and Mr. Pawle, nodding
assent, returned to the question which he was putting when Lord Ellingham
interrupted him.

"Now let us settle the point I raised," he said. "Are we to tell Miss
Wickham what my conclusions are, or are we to leave her in ignorance
until we get proof that they are correct?"

"Or--incorrect!" answered Mr. Carless with an admonitory laugh. "I should
say--at present, tell her nothing. Let us find out all we can from her;
there are several questions I should like to ask her, myself, arising out
of what you have told us. Leave all the rest until a later period. If
your theory is correct, Pawle, it can be established, if it isn't, the
girl may as well be left in ignorance that you ever raised it."

"Until three o'clock, then," said Mr. Pawle.

Three o'clock found the old lawyer and Viner pacing the pavement of
Lincoln's Inn Fields in expectation of Miss Wickham's arrival. She came
at last in the taxicab which Mr. Pawle had sent for her, and her first
words on stepping out of it were of surprise and inquiry.

"What is it, Mr. Pawle?" she demanded as she shook hands with her two
squires. "More questions? What's it all about?"

Mr. Pawle nudged Viner's arm.

"My dear young lady," he answered in grave and fatherly fashion, "you
must bear in mind that a man's life is in danger. We are doing all we can
to clear that unfortunate young fellow Hyde of the dreadful charge which
has been brought against him, and to do that we must get to know all we
can about your late guardian, you know."

"I know so little about Mr. Ashton," said Miss Wickham, looking
apprehensively at the building towards which she was being conducted.
"Where are you taking me?"

"To a solicitor's office--friends of mine," answered Mr. Pawle. "Carless
and Driver--excellent people. Mr. Carless wants to ask you a few
questions in the hope that your answers will give us a little more light
on Ashton's history. You needn't be afraid of Carless," he added as they
began to climb the stairs. "Carless is quite a pleasant fellow--and he
has with him a very amiable young gentleman, Lord Ellingham, of whom you
needn't be afraid, either."

"And why is Lord Ellingham, whoever he may be, there?" inquired Miss
Wickham.

"Lord Ellingham is also interested in your late guardian," replied Mr.
Pawle. "In fact, we are all interested. So now, rub up your memory--and
answer Mr. Carless' questions."

Viner remained in the background, quietly watching, while Mr. Pawle
effected the necessary introductions. He was at once struck by what
seemed to him an indisputable fact--between Lord Ellingham and Miss
Wickham there was an unmistakable family likeness. And he judged from the
curious, scrutinizing look which Mr. Carless gave the two young people as
they shook hands that the same idea struck him--Mr. Carless wound up that
look in a significant glance at Mr. Pawle, to whom he suddenly muttered a
few words which Viner caught.

"By Jove!" he whispered. "I shouldn't wonder if you're right."

Then he placed Miss Wickham in an easy-chair on his right hand, and cast
a preliminary benevolent glance on her.

"Mr. Pawle," he began, "has told us of your relationship with the late
Mr. Ashton--you always regarded him as your guardian?"

"He was my guardian," answered Miss Wickham. "My father left me in
his charge."

"Just so. Now, have you any recollection of your father?"

"Only very vague recollections. I was scarcely six, I think, when he
died."

"What do you remember about him?"

"I think he was a tall, handsome man--I have some impression that he
was. I think, too, that he had a fair complexion and hair. But it's all
very vague."

"Do you remember where you lived?"

"Only that it was in a very big town--Melbourne, of course. I have
recollections of busy streets--I remember, too, that when I left there it
was very, very hot weather."

"Do you remember Mr. Ashton at that time?"

"Oh, yes--I remember Mr. Ashton. I had nobody else, you see; my mother
had died when I was quite little; I have no recollection whatever of
her. I remember Mr. Ashton's house, and that he used to buy me lots of
toys. His house was in a quiet part of the town, and he had a big,
shady garden."

"How long, so far as you remember, did you live with Mr. Ashton there?"

"Not very long, I think. He told me that I was to go to England, to
school. For a little time before we sailed, I lived with Mrs.
Roscombe, with whom I came to England. She was very kind to me; I was
very fond of her."

"And who was Mrs. Roscombe?"

"I didn't know at the time, of course--I only knew she was Mrs. Roscombe.
But Mr. Ashton told me, not long before his death, who she was. She was
the widow of some government official, and she was returning to England
in consequence of his death. So she took charge of me and brought me
over. She used to visit me regularly at school, every week, and I used to
spend my holidays with her until she died."

"Ah!" said Mr. Carless. "She is dead?"

"She died two years ago," answered Miss Wickham.

"I wish she had been living," observed Mr. Carless, with a glance at Mr.
Pawle. "I should have liked to see Mrs. Roscombe. Well," he continued,
turning to Miss Wickham, "so Mrs. Roscombe brought you to England, to
school. What school?"

"Ryedene School."

"Ryedene! That's one of the most expensive schools in England, isn't it?"

"I don't know. I--perhaps it is."

"I happen to know it is," said Mr. Carless dryly. "Two of my clients have
daughters there, now. I've seen their bills! Do you know who paid yours?"

"No," she answered, "I don't know. Mr. Ashton, I suppose."

"You had everything you wanted, I dare say! Clothes, pocket-money,
and so on?"

"I've always had everything I wanted," replied Miss Wickham.

"And you were at Ryedene twelve years?"

"Except for the holidays--yes."

"You must be a very learned young lady," suggested Mr. Carless.

Miss Wickham looked round the circle of attentive faces.

"I can play tennis and hockey very well," she said, smiling a little.
"And I wasn't bad at cricket the last season or two--we played cricket
there. But I'm not up to much at anything else, except that I can talk
French decently."

"Physical culture, eh?" observed Mr. Carless, smiling. "Very well! Now,
then, in the end Mr. Ashton came home to England, and of course came to
see you, and in due course you left school, and came to his house in
Markendale Square, where he got a Mrs. Killenhall to look after you. All
that correct? Yes? Well, then, I think, from what Mr. Pawle tells me,
Mr. Ashton handed over a lot of money to you, and told you it had been
left to you, or left in his charge for you, by your father? That is
correct too? Very well. Now, did Mr. Ashton never tell you anything much
about your father?"

"No, he never did. Beyond telling me that my father was an Englishman who
had gone out to Australia and settled there, he never told me anything.
But," here Miss Wickham paused and hesitated for a while, "I have an
idea," she continued in the end, "that he meant to tell me
something--what, I, of course, don't know. He once or twice--hinted that
he would tell me something, some day."

"You didn't press him?" suggested Mr. Carless.

"I don't think I am naturally inquisitive," replied Miss Wickham. "I
certainly did not press him. I knew he'd tell me, whatever it was, in
his own way."

"One or two other questions," said Mr. Carless. "Do you know who your
mother was?"

"Only that she was some one whom my father met in Australia."

"Do you know what her maiden name was?"

"No, only her Christian name; that was Catherine. She and my father are
buried together."

"Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Carless. "That is something else I was going to ask.
You know where they are buried?"

"Oh, yes! Because, before we sailed, Mrs. Roscombe took me to the
churchyard, or cemetery, to see my father's and mother's grave. I
remembered that perfectly. Her own husband was buried there too, close
by. I remember how we both cried."

Mr. Carless suddenly pointed to the ornament which Miss Wickham
was wearing.

"Will you take that off, and let me look at it?" he asked. "Thank you,"
he said, as she somewhat surprisedly obeyed. "I believe," he continued,
as he quietly passed the ornament to Lord Ellingham, "that Mr. Ashton
gave you this and told you it had belonged to your father? Just so!
Well," he concluded, handing the ornament back, "I think that's all. Much
obliged to you, Miss Wickham. You won't understand all this, but you
will, later. Now, one of my clerks will get you a car, and we'll escort
you down to it."

"No," said Lord Ellingham, promptly jumping to his feet. "Allow me--I'm
youngest. If Miss Wickham will let me--"

The two young people went out of the room together, and the three
men left behind looked at each other. There was a brief and
significant silence.

"Well, Carless?" said Mr. Pawle at last. "How now?"

"'Pon my honour," answered Mr. Carless, "I shouldn't wonder if
you're right!"

CHAPTER XX

SURPRISING READINESS

Mr. Pawle made a gesture which seemed to denote a certain amount of
triumphant self-satisfaction.

"I'm sure I'm right!" he exclaimed. "You'll find out that I'm right! But
there's a tremendous lot to do, Carless. If only that unfortunate man,
Ashton, had lived, he could have cleared this matter up at once. I feel
convinced that he possessed papers which would have proved this girl's
claim beyond dispute. Those papers, of course--"

"Now, what particular papers are you thinking of?" interrupted Mr.
Carless.

"Well," replied Mr. Pawle, "such papers as proofs of her father's
marriage, and of her own birth. According to what she told us just now,
her father was married in Australia, and she herself was born there.
There must be documentary proof of that."

"Her father was probably married under his assumed name of Wickham,"
observed Mr. Carless. "You'll have to prove that Wickham and Lord
Marketstoke were identical--were one and the same person. The fact is,
Pawle, if this girl's claim is persisted in, there'll have to be a very
searching inquiry made in Australia. However much I may feel that your
theory may be--probably is--right, I should have to advise my client,
Lord Ellingham, to insist on the most complete investigation."

"To be sure, to be sure!" assented Mr. Pawle. "That's absolutely
necessary. But my own impression is that as we get into the secret of
Ashton's murder, as I make no doubt we shall, there will be more evidence
forthcoming. Now, as regards this man, whoever he is, who claims to be
the missing Lord Marketstoke--"

At that moment a clerk entered the room and glanced at Mr. Carless.

"Telephone message from Methley and Woodlesford, sir," he announced. "Mr.
Methley's compliments, and if agreeable to you, he can bring his client
on to see you this afternoon--at once, if convenient."

Mr. Carless looked at Mr. Pawle, and Mr. Pawle nodded a silent assent.

"Tell Mr. Methley it's quite agreeable and convenient," answered Mr.
Carless. "I shall be glad to see them both--at once. Um!" he muttered
when the clerk had withdrawn. "Somewhat sudden, eh, Pawle? You might
almost call it suspicious alacrity. Evidently the gentleman has no fear
of meeting us!"

"You may be quite certain, Carless, if my theory about the whole thing is
a sound theory, that the gentleman will have no fear of meeting anybody,
not even a judge and jury!" answered Mr. Pawle sardonically. "If I
apprehend things rightly, he'll have been very carefully coached and
prepared."

"You think there's a secret conspiracy behind all this?" suggested Mr.
Carless. "With this claimant as cat's-paw--well tutored to his task?"

"I do!" affirmed Mr. Pawle. "Emphatically, I do!"

"Aye, well!" said Mr. Carless. "Don't forget what I told you about the
missing finger--middle finger of the right hand. And I'll have Driver in
here, and Portlethwaite, too; we'll see if he knows which is which of the
three of us. I'll go and prepare them."

He returned presently with his partner, a quiet, elderly man; a few
minutes later Portlethwaite, evidently keenly interested, joined them.
They and Mr. Pawle began to discuss certain legal matters connected
with the immediate business, and Viner purposely withdrew to a corner
of the room, intent on silently watching whatever followed on the
arrival of the visitors. A quarter of an hour later Methley was shown
into the room, and the five men gathered there turned with one accord
to look at his companion, a tall, fresh-coloured, slightly grey-haired
man of distinctly high-bred appearance, who, Viner saw at once, was
much more self-possessed and assured in manner than any of the men who
rose to meet him.

"My client, Mr. Cave, who claims to be Earl of Ellingham," said Methley,
by way of introduction. "Mr. Car--"

But the other man smiled quietly and immediately assumed a lead.

"There is no need of introduction, Mr. Methley," he said. "I remember all
three gentlemen perfectly! Mr. Carless--Mr. Driver--and--yes, to be sure,
Mr. Portlethwaite! I have a good memory for faces." He bowed to each man
as he named him, and smiled again. "Whether these gentlemen remember me
as well as I remember them," he remarked, "is another question!"

"May I offer you a chair?" said Mr. Carless.

The visitor bowed, sat down, and took off his gloves. And in the silence
which followed, Viner saw that the eyes of Driver, Carless, Pawle and
Portlethwaite were all steadily directed on the claimant's right
hand--he himself turned to it, too, with no small interest. The next
instant he was conscious that an atmosphere of astonishment and surprise
had been set up in that room. For the middle finger of the man's right
hand was missing!

Viner felt, rather than saw, that the three solicitors and the elderly
clerk were exchanging glances of amazement. And he fancied that Mr.
Carless' voice, which had sounded cold and noncommittal as he offered the
visitor a seat, was somewhat uncertain when he turned to address him.

"You claim, sir, to be the Lord Marketstoke who disappeared so many years
ago?" he asked, eyeing the claimant over.

"I claim to be exactly what I am, Mr. Carless," answered the visitor
with another ready and pleasant smile. "I hope your memory will come to
your aid."

"When a man has disappeared--absolutely--for something like thirty-five
years," remarked Mr. Carless, "those whom he has left behind may well be
excused if their memories don't readily respond to sudden demands. But I
should like to ask you some questions? Did you see the advertisements
which were issued, broadcast, at the time of the seventh Earl of
Ellingham's death?"

"Yes--in several English and Colonial papers," answered the claimant.

"Why did you not reply to them?"

"At that time I still persevered in my intention of never again having
anything to do with my old life. I had no desire--at all--to come forward
and claim my rights. So I took no notice of your advertisements."

"And since then--of late, to be exact--you have changed your mind?"
suggested Mr. Carless dryly.

"To a certain extent only," replied the visitor, whose calm assurance was
evidently impressing the legal practitioners around him. "I have already
told Mr. Methley and his partner, Mr. Woodlesford, that I have no desire
to assume my title nor to require possession of the estates which are
certainly mine. I have lived a free life too long to wish for--what I
should come in for if I established my claim. But I have a right to a
share in the property which I quite willingly resign to my nephew--"

"In plain language," said Mr. Carless, "if you are paid a certain
considerable sum of money, you will vanish again into the obscurity from
whence you came? Am I right in that supposition?"

"I don't like your terminology, Mr. Carless," answered the visitor with a
slight frown. "I have not lived in obscurity, and--"

"If you are what you claim to be, sir, you are Earl of Ellingham," said
Mr. Carless firmly, "and I may as well tell you at once that if you prove
to us that you are, your nephew, who now holds title and estates, will at
once relinquish both. There will be no bargaining. It is all or nothing.
Our client, whom we know as Earl of Ellingham, is not going to traffic.
If you are what you claim to be, you are head of the family and must take
your place."

"We could have told you that once for all, if you had come to us in the
first instance," remarked Mr. Driver. "Any other idea is out of the
question. It seems to me most remarkable that such a notion as that which
you suggest should ever enter your head, sir. If you are Earl of
Ellingham, you are!"

"And that reminds me," said Mr. Carless, "that there is another
question I should like to ask. Why, knowing that we have been legal
advisers to your family for several generations, did you not come
straight to us, instead of going--Mr. Methley, I'm sure, will pardon
me--to a firm of solicitors which, as far as I know, has never had any
connection with it!"

"I thought it best to employ absolutely independent advice," replied the
visitor. "And I still think I was right. For example, you evidently do
not admit my claim?"

"We certainly admit nothing, at present!" declared Mr. Carless with a
laugh. "It would be absurd to expect it. The proofs which your solicitors
showed us this morning are no proofs at all. That those papers belonged
to the missing Lord Marketstoke there is no doubt, but your possession of
them at present does not prove that you are Lord Marketstoke or Lord
Ellingham. They may have been stolen!"

The claimant rose from his chair with a good deal of dignity. He glanced
at Methley.

"I do not see that any good can come of this interview, Mr. Methley," he
remarked in quiet, level tones. "I am evidently to be treated as an
impostor. In that case,"--he bowed ceremoniously to the men gathered
around Mr. Carless' desk--"I think it best to withdraw."

Therewith he walked out of the room; and Methley, after a quiet word with
Carless, followed--to be stopped in the corridor, for a second time that
day, by Viner, who had hurried after him.

"I'm not going to express any opinion on what we've just heard,"
whispered Viner, drawing Methley aside, "but in view of what I told you
this morning, there's something I want you to do for me."

"Yes!" said Methley. "What?"

"That unlucky fellow Hyde, who is on remand, is to be brought before the
magistrate tomorrow morning," answered Viner. "Get him--this claimant
there, to attend the court as a spectator--go with him! Use any argument
you like, but get him there! I've a reason--which I'll explain later."

"I'll do my best," promised Methley. "And I've an idea of what's on your
mind. You want to find out if Hyde can recognize him as the man whom he
met at the Markendale Square end of Lonsdale Passage?"

"Well, that is my idea!" assented Viner. "So get him there."

Methley nodded and turned away; then he turned back and pointed at
Carless' room.

"What do they really think in there?" he whispered. "Tell me--between
ourselves?"

"That he is an impostor, and that there's a conspiracy," replied Viner.

Methley nodded again, and Viner went back. The men whom he had left were
talking excitedly.

"It was the only course to take!" Mr. Carless was declaring.
"Uncompromising hostility! We could do no other. You saw--quite
well--that he was all for money. I will engage that we could have settled
with him for one half of what he asked. But--who is he?"

"The middle finger of his right hand is gone!" said Mr. Pawle, who had
been very quiet and thoughtful during the recent proceedings. "Remember
that, Carless!"

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