The Mandarin's Fan
"Never," cried Mrs. Petley smiting her fat hands together. "Royabay can
never do without an Ainsleigh within its walls."
"It will have to content itself with Abbot Raoul, and I hope he'll jolly
well frighten the creditors."
"Drat them," said Mrs. Petley vigorously, "but Master Rupert why did it
pint to the copper beech."
"I can't say. Ask it when next you see it. But I must go to Major
Tidman. He'll be angry if I keep him."
Mrs. Petley tossed her head and snorted. "The idear of old Farmer
Tidman's son, being angry with the likes of you Master Rupert. I mind
him when he was a brat of a lad and--"
"Yes--yes--but I must go," said Ainsleigh rather impatiently and left
Mrs. Petley talking to the air.
Major Tidman, whose ears must have burnt at the thoughts which occupied
Mrs. Petley's brain, was seated in the most comfortable arm-chair he
could find, and smoked a good cigar. He had a bottle of port and a glass
before him, and apparently had made himself at home while waiting.
"Hope you don't mind my making free with the wine-list," said Tidman,
who looked rather uneasy, as he rose. "I've waited two hours."
"What about?" said Rupert, throwing his cap down and sinking wearily
into a near chair, "anything wrong?"
"I am," said the Major, "all wrong my dear boy. You see in me a beast
and a false friend."
"Indeed. How do you make that out?"
"I have been concealing things from you," said the Major ruefully, "and
all to make money. I'm really getting avaricious, Ainsleigh," added the
Major desperately, "and it's spoiling my character."
"Well," said Rupert filling his pipe, and wondering what this out-burst
meant, "Byron says that avarice is a fine old gentlemanly vice. If you
have only that fault to blame yourself for, you are very lucky."
"But I should have told you about the fan."
Rupert blew out the match he had just lighted and sat up. "What's that
about the fan?" he asked sharply.
"I know something about it," said Tidman fortifying his courage with a
glass of wine, "and I should have spoken the other evening after dinner
when you read that advertisement. But I thought I'd get the fan myself
and secure the five thousand pounds--though to be sure I didn't know
what that Tung-yu would pay for it at the time."
"No," said Rupert drily, "I told you that later. Well, Major, you
haven't treated me quite on the square, but I forgive you. I expect
neither of us will make money out of that fan."
"No," said Tidman still more ruefully. "Forge has lost it."
Rupert looked puzzled. "Forge? What do you mean?"
"Oh, this is part of my confession of trickery," said the Major rubbing
his bald head. "You see Ainsleigh, I held my tongue when you read out
about the fan, but I knew where it was all the time."
"And where was it?" asked the young man staring.
"Forge has it--or rather Forge had it," said the Major, and he related
his interview with the doctor when Rupert had departed. "So you see,"
added the Major sadly "I'm punished for my wrong-doing. I'm very sorry,
as I like you, Ainsleigh, and after all I'd be glad to see you make the
money, though I'm not so well off myself as people think, and five
thousand pounds would help me a lot. However, I hope you will think I
have made amends for my momentary lapse from squareness by thus
confessing."
"Oh that's all right Tidman. But treat me openly for the future. How did
you know that Forge had had the fan?"
Rupert did not tell what he had heard from Olivia for the moment. He
first wished to hear all that the Major had to say. Tidman had certainly
acted wrongly, as he should not have taken advantage of Rupert's
confidence, but now he apparently wished to behave properly and
Ainsleigh put the Major's temporary deceit out of his mind.
"I gave Forge the fan," blurted out the Major.
"The deuce you did," said Ainsleigh looking puzzled. "And where did you
get it?"
"In Canton seven years ago," confessed Tidman, "I was travelling there
for my health, and I had an adventure."
"What was that?"
But Tidman did not seem inclined to speak out. "I'll tell you on another
occasion," he said with a shudder, "it was not a very pleasant
adventure, and Forge, who was in Canton at the time, got me out of it. I
stuck to the fan though."
"Oh, so the fan was the cause of the adventure?"
"Partly" admitted Tidman reluctantly. "I'll tell you later as I say," he
wiped his forehead, "I can't tell you now, it's too awful. I got the fan
though and Forge took a fancy to it. He asked me for it in Canton and I
refused. He asked again in England and I gave it to him. He's had it all
these seven years, locked up in that black japan cabinet with the gold
figures--"
"I know. Its in that Chinese room of his. Well?"
"After you went away the other day I asked him to give me the fan back,
as I wanted to get the money from Tung-yu. Forge refused, as he said the
fan has something to do with a secret--"
"Whose secret?"
"Lo-Keong's secret. He is the real owner of the fan you know. Forge
seems to hate Lo-Keong, and said the fan would get him into trouble."
"But how--how?" asked Ainsleigh impatiently.
The Major wiped his face again, "I don't know--I can't say. But Forge
said there was a secret connected with the fan--"
"You said that before," cried Rupert becoming exasperated.
"I don't know what I am saying, and that's the truth," stammered Tidman
becoming hotter and redder, "but Forge said if I found the secret he
would give me the fan. He then opened the cabinet and found that the fan
was gone."
"What did he say?"
"He turned as white as a sheet, and said that his life was at stake."
Rupert rose to pace the room. The mystery of the fan piqued him, "I
wonder what he meant by that?" he asked himself.
"Something horrid if it has to do with the Chinese," said the Major,
"you have no idea what brutes they are. But Forge thought that Mrs.
Bressy, the old woman who looks after him, might have sneaked the fan,
as she is fond of taking things and pawning them. But she swore she had
never set eyes on it."
"Wasn't the cabinet locked?"
"Yes. That's the strange part, and Forge has the key on his watch-chain.
The lock wasn't broken, and no other key would fit it, so how it was
opened, is a mystery. But the fan's gone."
"Quite so," said Rupert, facing the Major sharply, "and Miss Wharf has
the very fan you speak of."
Tidman fell back in his chair and gasped till he was purple in the face.
"Wh--a--a--t," he drawled out. "Sophia Wharf?"
"Yes. Olivia told me, when I explained how I wished to find the fan and
make money. It seems that young Burgh----"
"A detestable young cad," snapped Tidman.
"I agree with you. He dares to admire my--to admire Olivia," said Rupert
nearly letting his secret slip out, "and, to gain her good graces, he
offered her this fan. She refused, and he then presented it to Miss
Wharf, who took it and who has it now."
"Oh," groaned the Major, "and it's worth five thousand. What luck some
people have."
Rupert shrugged his shoulders. "The luck will not come our way," he
replied carelessly, "and to tell you the truth I don't much care. I
expect Miss Wharf will sell the fan to Tung-yu."
"But she doesn't know about his wishing to buy it?"
"She may have seen the advertisement, and you know Tung-yu is coming to
the ball at the Bristol."
Major Tidman rose like a jack-in-the-box. "Who says so?" he asked.
"Young Walker. Tung-yu is not the keeper of the Whitechapel Joss-house
as I thought. He is a clerk in the firm of Kum-gum Li."
"Chris Walker also works for them," interpolated the Major.
"Certainly, and he is bringing Tung-yu to the ball. I don't know why,
and I don't much care," added Ainsleigh somewhat crossly. "I am about
tired of this fan business. What will you do?"
Major Tidman buttoned his coat. "I'm going straight to Forge," he said,
"and I shall tell him that young Burgh had the fan. I know how he got
it."
"Do you, indeed," said Rupert yawning.
"Yes. Miss Pewsey stole it from the cabinet."
"Nonsense. Why should she do that?"
"Because she's always about Forge's house. He told me that he might
marry her--ugh," the Major sneered, "fancy marrying that old cat."
"Different people have different tastes," said Ainsleigh coolly, "but if
Forge is going to marry Miss Pewsey all the more reason she should not
steal the fan."
"But she did," insisted the Major. "I'm sure she stole it and gave it to
that scamp of a nephew so that he might gain Miss Rayner's goodwill. You
see, Miss Pewsey would like to see Burgh married to Olivia, as she--Miss
Pewsey I mean--could then finger the five hundred a year Miss Wharf will
leave her niece."
"He had better be certain that Olivia will inherit the money first,"
said Rupert grimly, thinking of the secret marriage, "and Miss Pewsey
hates Olivia."
"She hates everyone," said Tidman shrugging his plump shoulders, "but
she hasn't a penny to bless herself with, and when Miss Wharf dies she
will be cast on the world. Even five hundred a year is a consideration
to her, and if her nephew can secure that by marrying Olivia, why, all
the better for Miss Pewsey."
But Rupert shook his head. "If Miss Pewsey had that scheme in her head,
she would be more friendly with Olivia," he said, "and she can set her
mind at rest: Burgh will not marry Olivia."
"He's a dangerous rival Ainsleigh."
"Pooh. I can manage that young man and half a dozen like him. You don't
think I'd give up the girl I love, to anyone, Tidman."
"No," said the Major, looking at the frank brave face of his host, "but
Burgh is unscrupulous, and will make mischief. However, perhaps Forge
will deal with him for this fan business. When Forge learns that Miss
Pewsey has stolen his fan, he won't marry her. I'll have the
satisfaction of spoiling her plans at all events."
"She seems to have a great many plans according to you," yawned
Ainsleigh, "but frankly I think you have found a mare's nest. I don't
believe anything will come of the matter. It's moonshine."
Tidman marched to the door. "We'll see," said he determinedly. "I
believe trouble is coming to you through young Burgh," and he departed.
Rupert left alone lighted his pipe and thought of Mrs. Petley's fancy
concerning the ghost. "If this is the trouble," said he to himself. "I
don't mind. Burgh won't get Olivia unless over my dead body. As to this
fan--pah!"
But he little knew what disasters the fan would bring to him. Abbot
Raoul's ghost was not walking for nothing.
CHAPTER VI
BURGH'S STORY
Next morning Major Tidman was seated in his well-furnished room in the
Bristol Hotel. From the window he commanded a fine view of the mouth of
the Thames, of the pier, and of the picturesque lower town. But the view
did not gain the attention of the Major, worthy as it was of his notice.
He seated himself at the table which was spread for breakfast, and
proceeded to make a good meal. Perhaps he did not eat so well as usual
for the Major was worried, as was evident from the cross expression of
his face. On the previous night he had gone to see Forge, and had told
him how Miss Wharf became possessed of the fan. The doctor had listened
to him quietly, but had refrained from making any observation, even when
Tidman reminded him of his remark, as to his life being at stake. The
interview had on the whole been unsatisfactory, and Tidman was not at
all pleased. He wished to learn the truth about the fan.
"There's some secret connected with it," muttered the Major, while he
devoured buttered eggs rapidly, "and that secret means a lot of money.
Five thousand pounds is worth having. I could buy that plot of waste
land near the church and build an hotel there. I believe it would pay.