第12章

"Oh, yes! certainly," replied the young gentleman. "Hope you'll come, Caroline. And you, of course, Steve. The blessed machine's been off its feed for a week or more, but Peter says he thinks it's all right again. We'll give it a try-out on the Drive. Hope we have better luck than my last," with a laugh. "They nabbed us for speeding, and I had to promise to be a good boy or to be fined.

Said we were hitting it at fifty an hour. We WERE going some, that's a fact. Ha! ha!""But he won't be reckless when you're with him, Caroline," put in his mother. "You will go? That's so nice! As for Mr. Graves, I'll explain if he comes. Oh, no! I'M not going! I shall remain here in this comfortable chair and rest until you return. It's exactly what my physician orders, and for once I'm going to obey him. My heart, you know, my poor heart--"She waved her hand and raised her eyes. Miss Warren expostulated, but to no purpose. Mrs. Corcoran Dunn would NOT go, but the others must. So, at last, they did. When Caroline and her brother had gone for their wraps, Mrs. Dunn laid a hand on her son's arm.

"Now mind," she whispered, "see if you can find out anything during the ride. Something more explicit about the size of their estate and who the guardian is to be. There are all sorts of stories, you know, and we MUST learn the truth very soon. Don't appear curious, but merely friendly. You understand?""Sure, Mater," was the careless answer. "I'll pump."The two departed, leaving their lady visitor ensconced in the comfortable chair. She remained in it for perhaps five minutes.

Then she rose and sauntered about the room. She drifted into the drawing-room, returning a moment later and sauntering casually toward the open desk by the fireplace. There were papers and letters scattered about this desk, and these she turned over, glancing toward the door to be sure no one was coming. The letters were, for the most part, messages of sympathy from friends of the Warren family. Hearing an approaching step, she hastily returned to the chair.

Edwards, the butler, entered the library and replenished the fire.

Mrs. Dunn languidly accosted him.

"Ah--er--Edwards," she said, "you are--er--growing familiar with your new home?""Yes, ma'am," replied Edwards, politely.

"It must seem--er--small compared to the other.""Smaller; yes, ma'am."

"But very snug and comfortable."

"Yes, ma 'am."

"It is fortunate that Miss Warren and her brother have the aid of such a--an old servant of the family.""Thank you, ma'am."

"Is Miss Caroline managing her own affairs?"

"Apparently so. Yes, ma'am."

"I presume, however, a guardian has been appointed? With an estate such as the late Mr. Warren MUST have left, some responsible person would be, of course, necessary."She paused. Edwards, having arranged the logs to his liking, brushed the dust from his hands.

"I don't know, ma'am, I'm sure," he said. "Neither Miss Caroline nor Mr. Stephen have spoken with me concerning the family affairs."Mrs. Corcoran Dunn straightened, with hauteur.

"I think that was the doorbell," she remarked, a trifle sharply.

"If it should be Mr. Graves, the attorney, you may show him into the library here.""Yes, ma'am," said Edwards once more, and departed.

The lady visitor heard voices in the passage. She listened, but could hear nothing understandable. Evidently the butler was having an argument with someone. It could not be Graves.

Edwards reappeared, looking troubled.

"It's a--a gentleman to see Miss Caroline," he said. "He won't give his name, ma'am, but says she's expecting him.""Expecting him?"

"Yes, ma'am. I told him she was out, but he said he was intending to stay a while anyway, and would wait. I asked his business, but he wouldn't tell it.""That's odd." Mrs. Dunn was slightly interested. "A tradesman, perhaps; or an agent of the landlord.""No-o, ma'am. I don't think he's either of them, ma'am.""What sort of a person is he, Edwards?"

The butler's face twitched for an instant with a troubled smile.

Then it resumed its customary respectful calm.

"I hardly know, ma'am. He's an oddish man. He--I think he's from the country."From behind him came a quiet chuckle.

"You're right, Commodore," said a man s voice; "I'm from the country. You guessed it."Edwards jumped, startled out of his respectable wits. Mrs. Dunn rose indignantly from her chair.

"I beg your pardon, ma'am," said the intruder, appearing in the doorway. "You mustn't think I'm forcin' my way where I ain't wanted. But it seemed to take so long to make the Admiral here understand that I was goin' to wait until Caroline came back that Ithought I'd save time and breath by provin' it to him. I didn't know there was any company. Excuse me, ma'am, I won't bother you.

I'll just come to anchor out here in the entry. Don't mind me."He bowed politely, picked up the large suit-case, plainly bran-new, which he had momentarily placed on the rug at his feet, and, with it in one hand and a big soft felt hat in the other, stepped back into the hall out of sight. The astonished Mrs. Dunn and the paralyzed Edwards heard a chair crack as if a heavy weight had descended upon it. Evidently he had "come to anchor."The lady was the first to recover the power of speech.

"Why!" she exclaimed, in an alarmed whisper. "Why! I never heard of such brazen impertinence in my life. He must be insane. He is a lunatic, isn't he, Edwards?"The butler shook his head. "I--I don't know, ma'am," he stammered.

"I believe he is." Mrs. Dunn's presence of mind was returning, and with it her courage. Her florid cheeks flamed a more vivid red, and her eyes snapped. "But whether he is or not, he sha'n't bulldoze me."She strode majestically to the door. The visitor was seated in the hall, calmly reading a newspaper. Hat and suit-case were on the floor beside him.

"What do you mean by this?" demanded the lady. "Who are you? If you have any business here, state it at once."The man glanced at her, over his spectacles, rose and stood looking down at her. His expression was pleasant, and he was remarkably cool.