The Mandarin's Fan
Then there's Forge's life, which, as he says, hangs on the fan, though
in what way I can't find out. If I got the fan, I might be able to get
something out of him. I would make Forge and Tung-yu bid against one
another, and perhaps I'd get even more than is offered. Ainsleigh can't
say anything against me now, as I am acting quite square and above
board. He's got no enterprise," thought the little man with some scorn,
"or he'd get Olivia to take the fan from her aunt and make the money out
of it. But if he won't, I will, so I'll see Miss Wharf to-day and try
what I can do. I daresay I'd get it from her for a five pound note--that
is if she hasn't seen the advertisement. She's keen after money, too--as
keen as I am. Humph," added Tidman, filling himself a second cup of
coffee. "I wonder why Tung-yu was such a fool as to tell Ainsleigh he
was willing to give five thousand. Anyone, not knowing the value of the
fan, would get it cheap. There's a mystery about it, and the mystery
means money. I must get to the bottom of the affair. Forge is no good,
as he is holding his tongue: even when I told him that Miss Pewsey stole
it, he did not seem to mind. But he'll never marry her after this, so
I've spoilt her chance of marriage, the cat. Though why Forge should
marry an old fiend who is eighty, if she's an hour, I can't make out.
But Forge was always secretive," ended the Major in disgust, and reached
for the _pate-de-foi-gras_.
His meal was interrupted by a smart young waiter, who intimated that a
lady and gentleman wished to see the Major. Tidman was rather surprised
at a call being paid at ten o'clock in the morning: but he was still
more surprised, when at the heels of the waiter appeared Miss Pewsey and
Dr. Forge. The latter looked much his usual self, hungry, dismal, and
like a bird of prey: but Miss Pewsey had a colour in her cheeks and a
fire in her black eyes, which made her look younger. It seemed that her
errand was not a peaceful one.
"To what am I indebted--?" began the courtly Major, when the little old
maid cut him short with vinegary politeness.
"Indebted," she said, standing very straight and stiff, and quite
ignoring the chair placed for her. "Oh, indeed,--how very polite we are.
Judas!" she snapped out the word with flaming eyes. "Oh, Judas!"
"Really, Miss Pewsey----"
"You'd like to see me in the dock would you?" cried Miss Pewsey tossing
her head and trembling with wrath, "I'm a thief am I--oh you military
fat Judas."
"Did you come here to insult me?" asked Tidman growing purple.
"If you put it in that way I did," sniffed the lady, "and also to ask
plainly, what you meant by stating to my promised husband here, that I
stole a fan from his cabinet?"
Tidman changed from purple to scarlet. He had not reckoned on the doctor
speaking to Miss Pewsey, and he turned a look of reproach on his friend.
The doctor immediately took up the challenge, "I see you think I have
been too free with my tongue," said he deliberately, "it is not my
custom as you know. But I told you Major that I was engaged to Miss
Pewsey, and I thought it only right that she should know the aspersions
you have cast on her character."
"A character," cried the lady, "which has stood the test of years and
which stands deservedly high. I am a Pewsey of Essex," she added as
though the whole county belonged to her, "and never before have I been
accused of thieving--Judas," she shot out the name again, and the Major
quailed. He saw that he was in the wrong, owing to Forge's betrayal, and
had to make the best of it.
"I am extremely sorry," he said apologetically, "quite a mistake."
"Oh, indeed. A jury will give their opinion on that," sniffed the
maiden.
"No! No I beg of you----"
"The damages will be laid at five thousand pounds."
"The price of the fan," said Tidman starting.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Miss Pewsey, her eyes glittering.
"I mean, just nothing."
"Oh yes, you do. Make a clean breast of it Benjamin Tidman. Oh, to think
that the son of a farmer, who was almost a labourer, should dare to
speak evil of a Pewsey of Essex. But the law--the law," said the irate
lady shaking a thin finger, "and five thousand pounds."
"Get it out of the fan."
"Is it worth that?" asked Forge coldly.
"You heard what young Ainsleigh said," answered Tidman as coldly.
"Yes I remember; but we have not come about the price, but about your
libel on this lady."
"I apologise," said Tidman, seeing nothing else was to be done.
"Apology isn't money," snapped Miss Pewsey.
"Oh, if you want money, again I refer you to the fan."
The Major was getting angry. He didn't very much care if Miss Pewsey did
bring an action at the moment, though with saner thoughts he would have
been horrified at the idea. "I apologise," said he again, "but I was
misled by Dr. Forge."
"How were you misled by me?" demanded Forge impassively.
"You said you had the fan in your cabinet, and that it had been stolen.
Mrs. Bressy swore she did not take it, and I thought--"
"That I was the thief," cried Miss Pewsey shrilly, "oh how clever of
you--how very, very clever. You thought that I got the key from the
watch-chain of Dr. Forge where he always carries it, to open the cabinet
and steal a fan, I knew nothing about it. I never even knew of the
existence of the fan--there Judas," snapped the lady once more.
"Then I was mistaken, and Dr. Forge was mistaken also."
"I confess that I did make a mistake," said the doctor with a sad face,
"but that does not excuse your libelling the lady I hope to call my
wife. My memory is not so good as it was, and I fear that the drugs I
take to induce sleep have impaired what memory I have left. I suffer
from neuralgia," added the doctor turning to Miss Pewsey, "and in China
I contracted the habit of opium smoking, so--"
"Marriage will put that right," said the lady patting his hand. "I do
not expect a perfect husband--"
"I never knew you expected a husband at all," said Tidman injudiciously.
"Ho," cried Miss Pewsey drawing herself up. She had been standing all
the time, "another libel. I call Dr. Forge to witness it."
"I really think Tidman you'd better hold your tongue," said the doctor
gently, "but I must explain, that I quite forgot that I had parted with
the fan. Yes. I received it from you, seven years ago when I brought you
home after that adventure in Canton. Two years later I returned to
China, to see Lo-Keong on business, and I took the fan with me. He
received it."
"No," said the Major shaking his bald head, "I can't believe that,
Forge. You declared that you hated Lo-Keong and that the fan would harm
you and him also."
"I do hate the man," cried Forge looking more like a bird of prey than
ever, "but I got a concession about a gold mine, by giving back the fan.
I wanted the money more than Lo-Keong's life. As to my own life, it was
in danger from the enemies of the Mandarin, who want the fan to ruin
him. That was why I spoke as I did. Are you satisfied?"
"Not quite," said Tidman who was puzzled, "how did the fan come to
England again?"
"My nephew Mr. Burgh will tell you that," said Miss Pewsey, "when he has
administered the beating I have asked him to inflict."
"Beating," shouted the Major snatching a knife from the breakfast table,
"let that young whelp dare to hint such a thing, and I'll kick him round
Marport."
"Clarence is not the man to be kicked."
"Nor am I the man to be beaten. I have apologised and that is quite
enough. If you are not satisfied Miss Pewsey, you can bring your action
and I'll defend it. Beating indeed," snorted Tidman, "I'd like to see
anyone who would dare to lay a hand on me," and he looked very fierce as
he spoke.
"Very good," said Miss Pewsey in a stately manner, "if you will tell me
all about the fan, I shall ask Clarence to spare you the beating."
"Clarence can go to--" the Major mentioned a place which made Miss
Pewsey shriek and clap her fingers to her ears. "I am not the least
afraid of that cad and bounder--that--that----"
"Libel again Major Tidman."
"Pooh--Pooh," said Forge rising, "let us go Lavinia."
"Not till I hear about the fan. For the sake of my dear Sophia who has
the fan, I want to hear."
"All I know, is, that the fan was advertised for----"
"I saw the advertisement," said Miss Pewsey, "but I said nothing to dear
Sophia, although I recognised the fan from the description in the
newspaper. She never looks at the papers, and trusts to me to tell her
the news."
"So you kept from her a piece of news out of which she could make five
thousand pounds."
"Really and truly," said Miss Pewsey clutching her bag convulsively and
with glittering eyes, "who says so--who pays it--who--?"
"One question at a time," interrupted Tidman, now quite master of
himself. "Tung-yu, the man Ainsleigh saw at the Joss House in Perry
Street Whitechapel, offered five thousand pounds for the return of the
fan. Ainsleigh saw the advertisement and--"
"I know how he came to inquire about the fan," said Miss Pewsey, "Dr.
Forge told me, but I did not know the amount offered."
"Will you tell Miss Wharf now."
"No," said Miss Pewsey very decisively, "nor will any one else. My
Sophia's health is delicate and if she had a shock like that inflicted
on her, she would die."
"What the offer of five thousand pounds--"
"The chance of being killed," said Miss Pewsey, "but I will leave my
nephew Mr. Burgh to explain that Major Tidman. I accept your apology for
thinking me a--but no," cried the lady, "I can't bring myself to
pronounce the nasty word. I am a Pewsey of Essex. All is said in that, I
think. Good morning, Major. My abstinence from bringing an action lies
in the fact, that you will refrain from unsettling my Sophia's mind by
telling about the fan. Good-morning. My Theophilus will we not go?"
Before the Major could recover from the bewilderment into which he was
thrown by this torrent of words, Miss Pewsey taking the arm of the
melancholy doctor had left the room. When alone Tidman scratched his
chin and swore. "There's something in this," he soliloquised. "I believe
the old woman wants to get the money herself. By George, I'll keep my
eyes on her," and the Major shook his fist at the door, through which
the fairy form of Miss Pewsey had just vanished.
Later in the day Tidman dressed to perfection, walked up the town
twirling his stick, and beaming on every pretty woman he came across.
The stout old boy was not at all appalled by the threat of Miss Pewsey
regarding her buccaneering nephew's attentions. When he saw the
gentleman in question bearing down on him, he simply stopped and grasped
his stick more firmly. If there was to be a fight, the Major resolved to
have the first blow. But Burgh did not seem ready to make a dash. He
sauntered up to Tidman and looked at him smilingly, "Well met old pard,"
said he in his slangy fashion.
"My name to you, is Major Tidman," said the old fellow coolly.
"I guess I know that much. Can't we go a stretch along the lower part of
the town?"
"If there's any row to come off," said the Major, keeping a wary eye on
the young man. "I prefer it to take place here. On guard sir--on guard."
Clarence shrugged his shoulders and produced a cigarette. "Oh that's all
right," said he striking a match. "I guess my old aunt's been at you.
I'm not going in for any row--not me."
"Just as well for you," said the Major sharply, "how dare you threaten
me, you--you--"
"Now I ask you," said Clarence, "if I have threatened you? Go slow. I
guess the old girl's been piling on the agony. She's got old Forge to
fight her battles. When I make trouble," added Clarence musingly, "it
will be for a pretty girl like Olivia."
"You can have your desire for a row by telling that to young Ainsleigh."