But Coggin came presently, leading the roan. Rupert stowed his pistol away in the saddle holster, tightened the girths, and sprang into the saddle. The smith gave vent to a last appeal.

“My lord, Mr. Manvers is a testy gentleman, and indeed——”

“To hell with Mr. Manvers, I’m sick of the fellow!” said Rupert, and rode off at a canter.

The borrowed horse was no fiery charger, as Rupert soon discovered. It cherished its own ideas as to a suitable pace to maintain, and managed to do so for the most part, to its own satisfaction and Rupert’s disgust. Thus it was close on four in the afternoon when he came at last into Portsmouth, and both he and his mount were very weary.

He rode at once to the quay, and learned that the private schooner anchored there for the past three days had set sail not an hour ago. Rupert dashed Mr. Fletcher’s hat on the ground.

“Blister me, I’m too late!”

The harbour-master eyed him in polite surprise, and picked up the hat.

“Tell me now,” said Rupert, dismounting. “Was it a French scoundrel embarked?”

“Ay, sir, ’twas a foreign gentleman with red hair, and his son.”

“Son?” ejaculated Rupert.

“Ay, sir, a sick lad it was. The moossoo said he was suffering from a fever. He carried him on board like one dead, all muffled up in a great cloak. I said to Jim here, ‘Jim,’ I said, ‘it’s a shame to take the boy on board, ill as he is, that it is.’”

“Drugged, by Gad!” exclaimed Rupert. “I’ll have his blood for this! Taken her to France, has he! Now, what in thunder does he want with her? Hi, you! When does the next packet sail for Le Havre?”

“Why, sir, there’s no boat for the likes of you till Wednesday,” said the harbour-master. Rupert’s ruffles might be torn, and his coat muddied, but the harbour-master knew a gentleman when he saw one.

Rupert glanced ruefully down his person.

“The likes of me, eh? Well, well!” He pointed with his whip to a ramshackle vessel laden with bales of cloth “Where is she bound for?”

“For Le Havre, sir, but ’tis only a trading ship, as your honour sees.”

“When does she sail?”

“To-night, sir. She’s lain here two days too long already, waiting for the wind to turn, but she’ll be away with the tide soon after six.”

“That’s the ship for me,” said Rupert briskly. “Where’s her master?”

The harbour-master was perturbed.

“’Tis but a dirty old boat, sir, and never a——”

“Dirty? So am I dirty, damn it!” said Rupert. “Go find me the master, and tell him I want a passage to France this night.”

So off went the harbour-master, to return anon with a burly individual in homespun, with a great black beard. This gentleman eyed Rupert stolidly, and, removing the long clay pipe from his mouth, rumbled forth two words.

“Twenty guineas.”

“What’s that?” said Rupert. “Not a farthing more than ten, you rogue!”

The bearded gentleman spat deliberately into the sea, but vouchsafed no word. A dangerous light came into Rupert’s eyes. He tapped the man on the shoulder with his riding-whip.

“Fellow, I am Lord Rupert Alastair. You shall have ten guineas off me and for the rest I’ll see you damned.”

The harbour-master pricked up his ears.

“I was hearing, my lord, that his Grace has the Silver Queen anchored in Southampton Water.”

“The devil fly away with Justin!” exclaimed Rupert wrathfully. “He was always wont to have her here!”

“Maybe, sir, if you was to ride to Southampton——”

“Ride to hell! I’d find them painting her, like as not. Come now, fellow, ten guineas!”

The harbour-master took his colleague aside, and whispered urgently. Presently he turned, and addressed Rupert.

“I am saying, my lord, as how fifteen guineas is a fair price.”

“Fifteen guineas it is!” said Rupert promptly, thinking of the two crowns in his pocket. “I shall have to sell the horse.”

“Six o’clock we sets sail, and don’t wait for nobbut,” growled the captain, and walked off.

Rupert rode into the town, and by good fortune was able to sell Mr. Manvers’ roan for the sum of twenty guineas. The sale being accomplished he went to the inn on the quayside, and refreshed himself with a wash, and a bowl of punch. Thus fortified he boarded the sailing vessel, and sat himself down on a coil of rope, thoroughly enjoying the adventure, and not a little amused.

“’Fore Gad, I never was in such a mad chase!” he remarked to the sky. “Here’s Léonie spirited off by Saint-Vire, the Lord knows why, or where, for that matter—and myself hot on the scent with five crowns in my pocket, and the landlord’s hat on my head. And what am I going to do when I find the chit?” He pondered deeply. “It’s a plaguey queer business, so it is,” he decided. “Justin’s at the back of it, I’ll be bound. And where the devil is Justin?” Suddenly he flung back his head and laughed. “Damme, I’d give something to see old cousin Harriet’s face when she finds me gone off with Léonie! Hey, hey, here’s a pretty coil, to be sure, for, faith, I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where Léonie is, nor she where I am, and at Avon they don’t know where any of us are!”


CHAPTER XVIII

The Indignation of Mr. Manvers

Madam Field was worried, for it was after six in the evening and neither Léonie nor Rupert had returned. Considerably flustered at length Madam sent a messenger to Merivale to inquire whether the truants were there. Half an hour later the lackey returned, with Merivale riding beside him. Merivale went swiftly to the withdrawing-room, and as soon as he entered Madam Field sprang up.

“Oh, Lord Merivale! Oh, and have you brought the child home? I have been in such a taking, for I never saw her after eleven in the morning, or maybe ’twas later, or perhaps a little earlier—I cannot say for sure. And never a sign of Rupert, so I thought mayhap they were with you——”

Merivale broke into the flood of words.

“I’ve not seen either of them since this morning when Rupert set out to come here,” he said.

Madam’s jaw dropped. She let fall her fan, and began to cry.

“Oh dear, oh dear, and Justin telling me to have a care to her! But how could I tell, for sure ’twas his own brother! Oh, my lord, can they—can they have eloped?”

Merivale laid his hat and whip on the table.

“Eloped? Nonsense, madam! Impossible!”

“She was ever a wild piece,” wept Madam. “And Rupert so scatter-brained! Oh, what shall I do, my lord? What shall I do?”

“Pray madam, dry your tears!” begged Merivale. “I am convinced there’s naught so serious in this as an elopement. For God’s sake, madam, calm yourself.”

But Madam, to his dismay, went into a fit of the vapours. My lord turned to the servant.

“Ride back to Merivale, my man, and request my lady to join me here,” he ordered, with an uneasy eye on the prostrate lady. “And—and send madam’s abigail here! Mayhap the children are playing some trick on us,” he muttered to himself. “Madam, I beg you will not alarm yourself unduly!”

Madam Field’s maid came running with salts, and presently the lady recovered somewhat, and lay upon the couch calling on heaven to witness that she had done her best. To all Merivale’s questions she could only reply that she had had no notion of such wickedness, and what Justin would say she dared not think. Came my Lady Merivale, in her chaise, and was ushered into the withdrawing-room.

“Madam! Why, madam, what is this? Anthony, have they not returned? Fie, they are trying to frighten us! Depend upon it, that is it! Never fret, madam, they’ll return soon.” She went to the agitated chaperon, and began to chafe her hands. “Pray, madame, hush. It’s no such great matter, I am sure. Mayhap they have lost their way somewhere, for they are out riding you may be sure.”

“My dear, Rupert knows every inch of the country,” Merivale said quietly. He turned again to the lackey. “Be good enough to send to the stables and see whether my lord and Mistress Léonie have taken the horses.”

Ten minutes later the man returned with the news that Lord Rupert’s horse was in a loose-box, and had been there all day. Whereupon Madam had a fresh attack of the vapours, and Merivale frowned.

“I don’t understand this,” he said. “If they had eloped——”

“Oh, Anthony, can they have done that?” Jennifer cried aghast. “Oh no, surely! Why, the child can think of no one but the Duke, and as for Rupert——”

“Listen!” said my lord sharply, and raised his hand.

Outside they heard horses, and the scrunch of wheels on gravel. Madam started up.

“Heaven be praised, they have come back!”

With one accord Anthony and Jennifer deserted the ailing lady, and hurried into the hall. The great front-door stood open, and into the house stepped his Grace of Avon, elegant in a coat of fine purple velvet, laced with gold, a many-caped greatcoat, over all, worn carelessly open, and polished top-boots on his feet. He paused on the threshold and raised his eyeglass to survey the Merivales.

“Dear me!” he said languidly. “An unexpected honour. Your ladyship’s devoted servant.”

“Oh lord!” said Merivale, for all the world like a rueful boy.

His Grace’s lips quivered, but Jennifer blushed fiery red. Merivale went forward.

“You must deem this an unwarranted intrusion, Duke,” he began stiffly.

“Not at all,” bowed his Grace. “I am charmed.”

Merivale returned the bow.

“I was summoned to Madam Field’s assistance,” he said. “Otherwise I should not be here, believe me.”

Leisurely the Duke divested himself of his greatcoat, and shook out the ruffles.

“But shall we not repair to the withdrawing-room?” he suggested. “You are saying, I think, that you came to my cousin’s assistance?” He led the way to the withdrawing-room, and bowed them in. Madam Field, seeing him, gave a shriek, and fell back upon her cushions.

“Oh, mercy, ’tis Justin!” she cried.

Jennifer went to her.

“Hush, madam! Calm yourself!”

“You appear to be strangely afflicted, cousin,” remarked his Grace.

“Oh Justin—oh cousin! I had no notion! So innocent they seemed! I can scarce believe——”

“Innocent! Of course they were!” snorted Merivale.

“Have done with this elopement foolery! It’s mere child’s talk!”

“Oh Anthony, do you think so indeed?” said Jennifer thankfully.

“I do not wish to seem importunate,” said the Duke, “but I should like an explanation. Where, may I ask, is my ward?”

“That,” said Merivale, “is the very root of the matter.”

The Duke stood very still.

“Indeed!” he said softly. “Pray continue. Cousin, I must request you to cease your lamentations.”

Madam’s noisy sobs abated. She clutched Jennifer’s hand, and sniffed dolefully.

“I know nothing more than this,” said Merivale. “She and Rupert have been absent since eleven of the clock this morning.”

“Rupert?” said his Grace.

“I should have told you that Rupert has been staying with us these past three weeks.”

“You amaze me,” said Avon. His eyes were as hard as agates. He turned, and put his snuff-box down on the table. “The mystery would seem to be solved,” he said evenly.

“Sir!” It was Jennifer who spoke. His Grace looked at her indifferently. “If you are thinking that—that they have eloped, I am sure—oh, I am sure that ’tis not so! Such a notion was never in either of their heads!”

“So?” Avon looked from one to the other. “Pray enlighten me!”

Merivale shook his head.

“Faith, I cannot. But I would stake mine honour that there’s been no thought of love between them. They are the veriest children and even now I suspect they may be playing a trick on us. More than that——” He paused.

“Yes?” said Avon.

Jennifer broke in.

“Sir, the child can talk of no one but yourself!” she said impetuously. “You have all her—her adoration!”

“So I thought,” answered Avon. “But one may be mistaken. I believe there is a saying that youth will to youth.”

“It’s no such thing,” Merivale averred. “Why, they are for ever quarrelling! Moreover they have taken no horses. Mayhap they are hiding somewhere to frighten us.”

A footman came to them.

“Well?” Avon spoke without turning his head.

“Mr. Manvers, your Grace, who desires speech with my Lord Rupert.”

“I have not the pleasure of Mr. Manvers’ acquaintance,” said the Duke, “but you may admit him.”