The Mandarin's Fan
make me Mrs. Forge, and I dare say I'll grace the position well enough.
It isn't love," added Miss Pewsey, "at our age dear that would be too
absurd. We are simply entering into a partnership. He has money and I
have brains."
"Dr. Forge has brains also."
"Not so much brain power as I have. I am not lovely I know dear, but I
am clever," and Miss Pewsey drew herself up proudly. "Why poor dear
Sophia would never have died worth so much money but for me. Ah, if she
had only given me that fan when I asked her, she would not have been
killed and I should have got five thousand pounds and more from Tung-yu
for her. But she would keep the fan," Miss Pewsey squeezed out a tear,
"and so met with her doom. That nasty Chinaman." Miss Pewsey shook a
small fist. "I wish he could hang."
Olivia looked at her. "I heard that you disagreed with the verdict Miss
Pewsey."
"Meaning that I said Mr. Ainsleigh was guilty," snapped the old maid,
"well I did, dear, but I have changed my mind."
Miss Rayner did not believe this, for Miss Pewsey looked very malignant
as she spoke. Her change of opinion was made, merely to adapt herself to
circumstances and to retain a home until such time as her marriage with
Forge, would enable her to dispense with Miss Rayner's help. However,
Olivia did not argue the point. She wished to keep on good terms with
the old maid, until Rupert declared the secret marriage. Then she could
go to the Abbey, and leave Miss Pewsey behind with all other
disagreeable things.
With Pastor, the solicitor of the deceased lady, came Clarence Burgh and
Dr. Forge. Lady Jabe, more manly than ever, appeared with Chris Walker,
who had taken a holiday on purpose to hear the will read, and Lady Jabe
explained this to Miss Pewsey in a whisper. "I know that poor Sophia
wished Chris to marry Olivia," she said, "so I thought the will might
state that the money would be left to her on such a condition. I
therefore made Chris ask for a holiday, so that he might hear of his
good fortune."
"Let us hope it will come," aid Miss Pewsey, dryly, "but fortune or no
fortune, Olivia will stick to young Ainsleigh."
"He is a nice young man, but poor."
"Chris is poor also. Yet you want him to marry Olivia."
"I think Chris has a better character than young Ainsleigh, who looks as
though he has a will of his own. Now Chris has none. I have broken it,
and Olivia as Mrs. Walker, can order him about like a slave. I hope
Sophia has made the will as I wished."
"You'll hear in a minute. For my part," added Miss Pewsey in her
spiteful way, "I hope Sophia has left the money to Olivia, on condition
that she marries Clarence, and keeps him at home."
"And keeps him on the income," corrected Lady Jabe, who did not at all
approve of this speech. "No man should live on his wife."
"You propose that Chris should do so."
"Indeed no. He earns quite a good salary at the office, and I could live
with the young couple to prevent waste."
"I am quite sure you would," said Miss Pewsey, "if you get the money."
Lady Jabe would have made a sharp reply, as Miss Wharf being dead, she
was under no obligation to curry favour with Miss Pewsey. But at that
moment she saw Chris talking to Olivia, and as the girl seemed deeply
interested, she pointed out the two with her cane. "I see Chris is
losing no time," she murmured, "such a lover as he is."
But had she heard Chris talking, she would not have been so happy. The
young man was simply replying to a question put by Olivia, as to the
whereabouts of Tung-yu. "I really don't know where he is, Miss Rayner,"
said Chris, earnestly. "There was a police-officer at our place the
other day inquiring. But Tung-yu has not been near Kum-gum Li's since I
took him to the ball. I believe he asked me to get him an invitation so
that he might kill your aunt."
"Does Kum-gum Li know anything about him," asked Olivia.
"No. He came with a letter of introduction from a mandarin----"
"Lo-Keong?"
"No. That is not the name--let me see--the Mandarin, Hop Sing----"
"Ah," said Forge, who was listening, "Lo-Keong's rival."
"I never knew that. But Kum-gum Li gave Tung-yu a place as extra clerk
when he received the letter. He knows nothing more than what the letter
explained."
"And what did it explain?" asked Forge with sudden interest.
"I can't tell you," replied Chris coldly, "I am not in the confidence of
my employer, and if I were," he added fixing an indignant eye on the
sardonic face of the doctor, "I should say nothing."
"Quite right," replied Forge not at all disconcerted, "you keep out of
these Chinese affairs. There's danger in them."
"Connected with the fan?" demanded Olivia.
"Yes," said Forge slowly, "connected with the fan."
Olivia being a woman and curious, would have asked further questions, to
which Dr. Forge might have hesitated to reply, but that Miss Pewsey
called her dear Theophilus to her side. The will was about to be read
and Miss Pewsey--so she said--wanted support. Forge crossed to the
withered little shrimp he had chosen, heaven knows why, for his wife and
sat down. The lawyer opened an envelope and took out a rustling
parchment. Just as he cleared his throat, the door opened and the maid
announced "Mr. Ainsleigh."
Miss Pewsey glared, and no one appeared glad to see him, Lady Jabe least
of all, as she knew he was a powerful rival to Chris. But Rupert bowed
to the company in silence, took no notice of their cold looks, and
walked over to where Olivia sat, a little apart. He seated himself
beside her. The girl smiled a little faintly, and then gazed straight
before her. No one made any remark, as Pastor was beginning to read the
will.
Miss Wharf, it appeared, died worth one thousand a year and the house
and furniture and land of Ivy Lodge. Five hundred a year went to a
distant relative, as Miss Wharf was unable to leave it to anyone else,
by reason of only having a life interest in this amount. Then a few
personal bequests were left to Lady Jabe, to Chris Walker, and to some
other friends. Ivy Lodge, and the furniture, and the land it was built
on, and the remaining five hundred a year was left to--Lavinia Pewsey.
When the name was mentioned the little old maid quivered, and Olivia,
pale and quiet, rose to her feet. In a moment Miss Pewsey, prepared for
battle, was on her feet also, and the two women looked at one another.
"You knew of this will," said Olivia quietly.
"No," replied Miss Pewsey.
"You did. And all your paying court to me was a blind, so that I might
not suspect Aunt Sophia had left the money to you."
"Dearest Sophia left the money to whom she chose," said Miss Pewsey, in
a sharp, shrill voice, "do you mean to say, that I exercised any undue
influence over her?"
"I say nothing," was Olivia's reply: "but hard on me as my aunt was, I
do not think she would have left me penniless, while the money which
belonged to my family goes to a perfect stranger."
"A stranger," cried Miss Pewsey tossing her head, "am I a stranger,
indeed? I was hand and glove with dear Sophia when we were at school
together. I gave up my life to her----"
"And you have got your reward," said Olivia bitterly.
"As you say," retorted Miss Pewsey, tossing her head again, "but the
will is in order, and I had nothing to do with the making of it. I
appeal to Mr. Pastor."
"Why, certainly," said the lawyer, looking on Olivia with something like
pity. "Miss Wharf gave me instructions to make a new will, during the
week before she met with her untimely end. Miss Pewsey was not in the
room----"
"But no doubt she induced my aunt to cut me out of the will."
"No," cried Miss Pewsey breathing very hard, and looking more drab than
ever. "I won't stand this. Your aunt had good cause to take the money
from you--oh you deceiving girl."
At this Rupert suddenly rose and took Olivia's hand. He half guessed
what was coming, and looked at the spiteful face of the heiress. Olivia
stared. She could not understand. Miss Pewsey was about to speak, when
Mr. Pastor intervened.
"May I be permitted to remark that I have not finished reading the will
of the deceased lady," said he sweetly.
"There's no more money to be disposed of," said Olivia bitterly, "my
enemy has got it all."
Pastor made a gesture of silence to prevent Miss Pewsey bursting out
into a volume of words. "There is no more money to be disposed of as you
say, Miss Rayner, but Miss Wharf sets forth in the will why she
disinherited you."
"Ah," cried Olivia a light breaking in upon her, and reading the truth
in Miss Pewsey's look of triumph, "so my aunt knew----"
"She knew that you had secretly married the gentleman beside you."
Everyone was on his or her feet by this time, and every look was
directed towards Olivia. "Is this true?" asked Lady Jabe.
"Yes," cried Miss Pewsey, before either Rupert or Olivia could speak,
"of course it is true. Let them deny it if they can. I heard Olivia say
herself, that she had been married at a registrar's."
Miss Rayner, or rather Mrs. Ainsleigh turned on the little woman, "I
should like to know when I said that to you Miss Pewsey?"
"You never said it to me--oh dear no," said Miss Pewsey shrilly, "you
were not straightforward enough. But I heard--oh yes I heard."
"Miss Wharf," said the lawyer folding up the will, "told me that she
learned of this from Miss Pewsey, just before she called me in, to make
a new will. The five hundred a year was left to you Miss----"
"Mrs. Ainsleigh," said Rupert quickly.
"Very good. To you Mrs. Ainsleigh, by a former will. But on discovering
the secret marriage, my client made a new will--this," he shook it, "and
Miss Pewsey benefits."
"Miss Pewsey has every right to benefit," said Mrs. Ainsleigh in a clear
cold voice, "she has been well paid, for being a spy."
"Spy," shrilled Miss Pewsey glaring, "yes I was a spy in the interests
of dearest Sophia. I followed you several times, when you went to meet
Mr. Ainsleigh near the flag-staff, and on the last occasion----"
"Ah," said Olivia tranquilly, "so I thought. I heard something moving.
It was you, concealed. Rupert said it was a rat--perhaps he was right.
Well Miss Pewsey you have gained your ends and now----"
"Now you leave my house," said the old maid, "yes, my house."
Olivia made no reply but placed her hand within her husband's arm.
Rupert conducted her towards the door. "Mrs. Ainsleigh's effects will be
sent for," said he looking at Miss Pewsey, "we will not trouble you
further."
"But the law will trouble _you_," cried Miss Pewsey, "you----"
Rupert turned and looked at her. The venomous words died on her lips.
She dropped into her chair, while Ainsleigh and the disinherited Olivia
left Ivy Lodge to the woman, who had schemed for it in so base a way.
CHAPTER XIV
A MYSTERIOUS LETTER
If Miss Wharf's tragic death made a great sensation in Marport, the
announcement that Miss Rayner was married secretly to Ainsleigh of
Royabay made a still greater one. Some people thought Olivia had behaved
badly to her aunt, and these were confirmed in their belief, by the
story told by Miss Pewsey. But others considered the marriage to be
quite romantic, and, knowing how Miss Wharf had tried to make her
niece marry Clarence, were pleased that the girl had thus
circumvented the schemes of the buccaneer. But, whether the critics were
hostile or favourable, they were all equally anxious to call at Royabay
and see its new mistress.
Mrs. Ainsleigh received them quietly, and with a dignity which compelled
all to refrain from making remarks, unpleasant or otherwise. She settled
down rapidly to her new position, and after a time, everyone was quite
on her side. Certainly, a few ill-disposed people agreed with Miss
Pewsey, who could not say anything sufficiently bad about Mrs.