Aristocracy (Social class) -- Fiction; Europeans -- United States -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
For obvious reasons, his trailing was in vain. Jane did not meet Lord
Temple for the excellent reason that Thomas Trotter was down on Long
Island with the beautiful Mrs. Millidew. And while both Jane and Mrs.
Sparflight kept a sharp lookout for Mr. Chambers, they failed to
discover any sign of him. He seemed to have abandoned the quest. They
were not lured into security, however. He would bob up, like
Jack-in-the-box, when least expected.
If they could only get word to Trotter! If they could only warn him of
the peril that stalked him!
Jane was in the depths. She had tumbled swiftly from the great height to
which joy had wafted her; her hopes and dreams, and the castles they had
built so deftly, shrunk up and vanished in the cloud that hung like a
pall about her. Her faith in the man she loved was stronger than ever;
nothing could shatter that. No matter what Scotland Yard might say or
do, actuated by enemy injustice, she would never believe evil of him.
And she would not give him up!
"Marchioness," she said at the close of the second day, her blue eyes
clouded with the agony of suspense, "is there not some way to resist
extradition? Can't we fight it? Surely it isn't possible to take an
innocent man out of this great, generous country--"
"My dear child," said the Marchioness, putting down her coffee cup with
so little precision that it clattered in the saucer, "there isn't
_anything_ that Scotland Yard cannot do." She spoke with an air of
finality.
"I have been thinking," began Jane, haltingly. She paused for a moment.
An appealing, wistful note was in her voice when she resumed, and her
eyes were tenderly resolute. "He hasn't very much money, you know, poor
boy. I have been thinking,--oh, I've been thinking of so many things,"
she broke off confusedly.
"Well, what have you been thinking?" inquired the other, helpfully.
"It has occurred to me that I can get along very nicely on half of what
you are paying me,--or even less. If it were not for the fact that my
poor brother depends solely upon me for support, I could spare
practically all of my salary to--for--"
"Go on," said the Marchioness gently.
"In any case, I can give Eric half of my salary if it will be of any
assistance to him,--yes, a little more than half," said Jane, a warm,
lovely flush in her cheeks.
The Marchioness hastily pressed the serviette to her lips. She seemed to
be choking. It was some time before she could trust herself to say:
"Bless your heart, my dear, he wouldn't take it. Of course," she went
on, after a moment, "it would please him beyond words if you were to
suggest it to him."
"I shall do more," said Jane, resolutely. "I shall insist."
"It will tickle him almost to death," said the Marchioness, again
raising the napkin to her lips.
At twelve o'clock the next day, Trotter's voice came blithely over the
telephone.
"Are you there, darling? Lord, it seems like a century since I--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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