第27章

Blake and he, forewarned - he said not how - of the coming of this messenger, had lain in wait for him at the Hare and Hounds, at Taunton.

They had sought at first to become possessed of the letter without violence. But, having failed in this through having aroused the messenger's suspicions, they had been forced to follow and attack him on a lonely stretch of road, where they had robbed him of the contents of his wallet. Richard added that the letter was, no doubt, one of several sent over by Monmouth to some friend at Lyme for distribution among his principal agents in the West. It was regrettable that they should have endeavoured to take gentle measures with the courier, as this had forewarned him, and he had apparently been led to remove the letter's outer wrapper - which, no doubt, bore Wilding's full name and address - against the chance of such an attack as they had made upon him. Nevertheless, as it was, that letter "to my good friend W.,"backed by Richard's and Blake's evidence of the destination intended for it, would be more than enough to lay Mr. Wilding safely by the heels.

"I would to Heaven," he repeated in conclusion, "I could have come in time to save you from becoming his wife. But at least it is in my power to make you very speedily his widow.""That," said Ruth, still retaining the letter, "is what you propose to do?""What else?"

She shook her head. "It must not be, Richard," she said. "I'll not consent to it."Taken aback, he stared at her; then laughed unpleasantly. "Odds my life! Are you in love with the man? Have you been fooling us?""No," she answered. "But I'll be no party to his murder.""Murder, quotha! Who talks of murder?" Her shrewd eyes searched his face. "How came you by your knowledge that this courier rode to Mr.

Wilding?" she asked him suddenly, and the swift change that overspread his countenance showed her that she had touched him in a tender spot, assured her of the thing she had suddenly come to suspect - a suspicion which at the same time started from and explained much that had been mysterious in Richard's ways of late. "You had knowledge of this conspiracy, she pursued, answering her own question before he had time to speak, "because you were one of the conspirators.""At least I am so no longer," he blurted out. "I thank Heaven for that, Richard; for your life is very dear to me. But it would ill become you to make such use as this of the knowledge you came by in that manner.

It were a Judas's act." He would have interrupted her, but her manner dominated him. "You will leave this letter with me, Richard," she continued.

"Damn me! no.. ." he began.

"Ah, yes, Richard," she insisted. "You will give it to me, and I shall thank you for the gift. It shall prove a weapon for my salvation, never fear.""It shall, indeed," he cried, with an ugly laugh; "when I have ridden to Exeter to lay it before Albemarle.""Not so," she answered him. "It shall be a weapon of defence - not of offence. It shall stand as a buckler between me and Mr. Wilding. Trust me, I shall know how to use it.""But there is Blake to consider," he expostulated, growing angry. "I am pledged to him.""Your first duty is to me..."

"Tut!" he interrupted. "Blake feels that he owes it to his loyalty to lay this letter before the Lord-Lieutenant, and, for that matter, so do I.""Sir Rowland would not cross my wishes in this, she answered him.

"Folly!" he cried, now thoroughly aroused. "Give me that letter.""Nay, Richard," she answered, and waved him back.

But he advanced nevertheless.

"Give it me," he bade her, waxing fierce. "Gad! It was folly to have told you of it. I had not done so but that I never thought you such a fool as to oppose yourself to the thing we intend.""Listen, Richard.. ." she besought him.

But he was grown insensible to pleadings.

"Give me that letter," he insisted, and caught her wrist. Her other hand, however - the one that held the sheet - was already behind her back.

The door was suddenly thrust open, and Diana appeared. "Ruth," she announced, "Mr. Wilding is here."At the mention of that name, Richard let her free. "Wilding!" he ejaculated, his fierceness all blown out of him. He had imagined that already Mr. Wilding would be in full flight. Was the fellow mad?

"He is following me," said Diana, and, indeed, a step could be heard in the passage.

"The letter!" growled Richard in a frenzy, between fear and anger now.

"Give it me! Give it me do you hear?"

"Sh! You'll betray yourself," she cried. "He is here."And at that same moment Mr. Wilding's tall figure, still arrayed in his bridegroom's finery of sky-blue satin, loomed in the doorway. He was serene and calm as ever. Neither the discovery of the plot by the abstraction of the messenger's letter, nor Ruth's strange conduct - of which he had heard from Lord Gervase - had sufficed to ruffle, outwardly at least, the inscrutable serenity of his air and manner. He paused to make his bow, then advanced into the room, with a passing glance at Richard still spurred and booted and all dust-stained.

"You appear to have ridden far, Dick," said he, smiling, and Richard shivered in spite of himself at the mocking note that seemed to ring faintly at the words. "I saw your friend, Sir Rowland, in the garden," he added. "I think he waits for you.

Though Richard could not fail to apprehend the implied dismissal, he was minded at first to disregard it. But Mr. Wilding, turning, held the door,addressing Diana.