The Mandarin's Fan
"Tell me your story," said Rupert imperatively, "I want to get back to
Penter's Alley to see your aunt."
"Oh, I guess she's a goner by this time," said Burgh easily, "Tung-yu
knifed her."
"You mean Hwei. I found him wiping the knife."
"No. Tung-yu stuck her, and dropped the knife. Aunty was just passing
the packet to Hwei, when Tung-yu stabbed her. I reckon he intended to
grab the packet, but I was too sharp for him, and caught it away from
his hand. Then I raced out and he after me. Hwei stayed behind to clean
the knife, I reckon."
"No, he followed you two almost immediately."
"Then both Chinamen will be here soon. You'd best cut."
"Not till I learn the truth."
"I've told you the truth," snapped Burgh, in a weary voice. "My old aunt
strangled Miss Wharf. Yes. Aunty told me of the tie, and asked me to get
it for her. I didn't know what she wanted to do with it, so I did. I
took it out of your pocket when Dalham was out of the room. Then I gave
it to aunty. She told Miss Wharf that Tung-yu wanted to see her on the
steps, after eleven. Miss Wharf went there and then aunty followed and
sat down beside her on the steps. I guess she kept her in talk and then
slipped the tie round her old throat and pulled with all her might. And
she's strong, I can tell you," added Clarence confidentially. "She
nearly broke my arm one day twisting it. Miss Wharf hadn't time to call
out, and was a deader in two minutes, for aunty froze on to her like
death."
"Death indeed," murmured Rupert with a shudder.
"Well then aunty bucked up round by the front of the hotel with the fan
in her pocket and left the tie round the neck of the old girl, so that
_you_ might hang. All went well, but the next day I went to aunty and
asked for the fan. She was very sick, as she intended to sell it that
day to Tung-yu. But Tung-yu had cut along with Hwei in the yacht, both
thinking they might be accused of the murder. They thought that old
Tidman did the biznai," grinned Burgh, "and I let them think so, having
my own game to play with aunty."
"Well," said Ainsleigh shortly, "and what did you do?"
"I told aunty I'd split if I didn't get the fan, so she passed it along
to me. Then I learned about the secret from Tung-yu--the waving in the
smoke you know. I found out the kind of smoke from Forge--"
"And repaid him by a lying accusation."
"That's so," said Burgh coolly, "there ain't no flies on me. But let's
heave ahead. It's cold sitting here."
"Go on then," said Ainsleigh sharply.
"Well I learned about the picture, and guessed about the abbey. The
picture was plain enough. I came that day you found me, to see the
place."
"And stole the packet then?"
"No, I waited till night and rigged myself up as the Abbot. I knew it
would make anyone sick who saw a monk about at that hour."
"Not me," said Ainsleigh, "if I had caught you--"
"Well you very nearly did," confessed Burgh candidly, "I came at night
and climbed all four trees before I nipped the box. Then I prized it
open and climbed down leaving the box, so that Lo-Keong might get sold
when he came to look. Just as I got down, that old housekeeper of yours
screeched, and cut. I was startled, and dropped the fan. Not wishing to
leave that behind, I began to look for it. Then you and the butler
turned up and I lighted out sharp."
"What happened next?"
"Well I wanted the money, but not knowing the days of Hwei and Tung-yu,
thought I might get stabbed, instead of the money. So I took the packet
to Aunty, and asked her to go up, telling her Tung-yu would give her the
money. She fell into the trap."
"But she knew that Hwei--"
"It wasn't Hwei's day," said Burgh, "at least it turned out so, though I
didn't know it at the time, and so sent on Aunty to get the cash. I
intended to pull the dollars out of her when she did get them, or leave
her to die if Hwei knifed her."
"You blackguard."
"Go slow," said Burgh coolly, "aunty was no friend to you. I say, do you
know why aunty wanted me to marry Olivia. It was because I'm married
already and if--"
He got no further. Rupert knocked him backwards into the mud. Burgh
leaped to his feet, and suddenly cried, "Look behind." Rupert did so
very foolishly, and Burgh flung himself forward. But all the same Burgh
was right to warn Ainsleigh. A man was staggering along the wharf. He
was in Chinese dress.
"Knife him, Tung-yu," cried Burgh, struggling with Rupert, "I'll hold
him. He's got the papers."
The Chinaman gave a screech and hurled himself on the pair. Rupert
wrenched himself away from Burgh and struck out at Tung-yu. At the same
moment he heard another cry, and Hwei came leaping down the wharf.
Before Tung-yu could turn, his enemy was on him, and as Rupert was again
closing in death grips with Burgh, he had no time to see what was taking
place. He could hear the Chinamen snarling like angry cats on the wharf,
and was himself fighting in the mud with Burgh for his life. Luckily
Rupert got his hand free and it was the one which held the revolver. He
fired at random--three shots.
There was a shout in the distance: but at that moment, the buccaneer
seized him by the throat and threw him down. Rupert with a strangled cry
felt himself being forced beneath the water, and thought the end had
come. He could hear the struggle between Hwei and Tung-yu going on
furiously, and hear also very faintly the deep laughter of his opponent.
Then he lost consciousness. Everything became dark, and Rupert's last
thought was that all his pains had been in vain. He would die, and
Olivia would be a widow.
CHAPTER XXIV
THE FULFILLED PROPHECY
When Rupert came to his senses, the surroundings seemed to be familiar.
He had lost consciousness on the banks of the Thames, and during a
fierce struggle with a treacherous foe. He opened his eyes to find
himself in his own bed in his own room at Royabay. But he felt strangely
weak and indisposed to talk. After a glance, he closed his eyes again.
Then, after what seemed to him to be a few minutes--it was really half
an hour--he opened them again, and this time he saw Olivia bending over
him with an anxious face. "Dearest," he murmured weakly.
"Oh Rupert, do you know me?"
"Yes. Where am I--what are you doing here?"
"You are at the Abbey. Don't speak. Take this," and some beef tea was
held to his dry lips.
Ainsleigh drank a little and then fell asleep again. When he did so
there was an artificial light in the room, but when he woke the sun was
streaming in through the window. But his wife was still beside his bed,
and still looked anxious. However, she gave a little cry of joy when
Rupert spoke in a stronger voice. He was beginning to collect his
scattered senses. "Have I been ill long?" he asked.
"Four days," she replied, "don't talk, darling."
"But the packet?"
"The Marquis has it safe."
"Burgh?"
"He has escaped. Don't talk."
"Miss Pewsey," said Rupert faintly.
"She is dead."
"Then Miss Pewsey _did_ strangle your aunt."
"Yes--yes--the doctor says you are not to talk."
"Just one more question. Those Chinamen?"
"Hwei and Tung-yu. They were drowned."
Rupert smiled weakly, and turning on his side went off into a deep
sleep. The doctor who called later, said it was the best thing he could
do. "He has had a severe shock," said he to Olivia, "and his nervous
system is shaken. You may be thankful he did not wake with a disordered
brain."
"Oh, doctor, you don't think--"
"No! No! It's all right. He would not have asked those questions if
anything was wrong with his mind. In a few weeks he will be quite
himself. But I think, Mrs. Ainsleigh, that you should take him abroad
for a time."
Olivia gladly promised to do this, the more so, as she wanted to escape
herself from Marport for a time. The news of Miss Pewsey's death had
caused a great sensation, and a still greater one was caused by the
publication in the paper of her crime. Everyone, now knew that the
bitter little woman had strangled Miss Wharf, and everyone was very
severe on her. The funeral had to be conducted quietly, as the mob
showed signs of intending to interrupt. However, the police kept back
the irate crowd, and Miss Pewsey was buried in a quiet corner of St.
Peter's church-yard, where a few weeks before, she had hoped to be
married. But her intended bridegroom was in America, and Miss Pewsey's
mortal part was in the grave. Where her immortal soul was and what would
become of it, was talked over by people, who were less forgiving than
they ought to have been.
Ainsleigh recovered his strength quicker then the doctor thought he
would. Olivia nursed him with devoted tenderness, and often wept as she
thought how nearly she had lost him. When Rupert was better able to hear
the recital, she gave him a short account of his rescue. "Those three
shots you fired brought up Rodgers and his men, who were searching for
Hwei and Tung-yu. They came, just in time to pull Mr. Burgh off you. He
was holding you down under the water, and Mr. Rodgers thought you were
dead. However the doctor was called, and they brought you round. Then I
was telegraphed for, and I insisted that you should be taken back to
Royabay. I had my way, although the doctor in London said it would be
dangerous. So here you are, darling, in your own home, and soon will be
all right."
"Thanks to your nursing," said Ainsleigh, kissing her, "but Olivia, tell
me about Miss Pewsey."
"She made a confession before she died," said Mrs. Ainsleigh, "oh
Rupert, even though she is dead, I can't help saying, that she was a
wicked little woman."
"Wicked indeed," said Rupert, recalling what Burgh had said, "she wished
you to marry Burgh, because he was married already."
"In which case he would have deserted me," said Mrs. Ainsleigh with a
crimson face, "he was as bad as she. But listen, Rupert, if you feel
strong enough."
"Go on," said Ainsleigh, and held his wife's hand while she talked.
"Well, then," began Mrs. Ainsleigh, "after the Marquis pushed you out of
the Penter's Alley room, he went and got a doctor, who said that Miss
Pewsey was dying. She heard him, having regained her senses, and then
began to cry, saying how wicked she had been. For the sake of everyone,
Lo-Keong asked her to make a confession. As soon as she knew there was
no hope of her recovery, she agreed to do so. A clergyman was called in,
and he took down what she said. The confession was witnessed and signed,
and Mr. Rodgers has it."
"What did she confess?" asked Rupert.
"Oh," Olivia covered her face, "it was really awful. She said that she
was always jealous of Aunt Sophia, and of me. She wished to get the five
hundred a year. At first she thought she would get it by marrying me to
her nephew, and then she could finger the money, when my aunt died. But
she soon saw that I was not to be guided in the way she desired, and
cast about for a new plan."
"But, Olivia, if she knew Burgh was married--"
"Oh, that didn't matter to her. She intended he should marry me and then
if I got the money she intended to say there was no marriage, unless I
gave her the five hundred a year. She wished to disgrace me.
"A kind of blackmail, in fact."
"Yes. But I can't understand, how she intended to reckon with Mr. Burgh,
who is not an easy person to deal with. Well Rupert, when she found that
I would not marry Mr. Burgh, she tried to get a new will made. She did
not succeed for a long time. Meanwhile, she heard about the fan and
wrote to Lo-Keong. When she saw the advertisement she was alarmed,
thinking Aunt Sophia would be killed before the new will was made.
Luckily for her, she overheard about our secret marriage and told Aunt
Sophia, who made a new will, and who intended, after the ball, to turn
me out of the house."