The Argosy — page 141: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

126 Christobel. ‘T am glad that interrogatory is over,” said Godfrey, standing by the baronet’s horse. ‘‘ That poor girl is naturally nervous, and very much shattered just now by Miss Millicent’s death. With one excep- tion, everybody in the house is either openly or covertly unkind to her. Mr. Hillyer’s manner to her strikes me as particularly harsh. Does it not you?” Sir Edward, being very kind-hearted, agreed at once. ‘‘Women are always scared at even the shadow of the law, and hate being asked a string of questions. JI am afraid Miss Fane will break down altogether to-morrow if the coroner badgers her. And you can see for yourself—any person of real penetration can—how sensitive she is, and how little she knows of the business after all,” continued Verschoyle. ‘Very little indeed,” replied Sir Edward, flattered at being con- sidered a person of ‘‘real penetration.” ‘* All right, I’ll speak to Muirhead myself, and tell him to be gentle with her. He is a good fellow, though a bit of anass. Good-bye.” And the baronet rode off, thinking to himself that Verschoyle took an unusual amount of interest in Miss Fane, but that it was not to be wondered at, consider- ing how handsome she was. And being imitative, he immediately began to feel interested in her himself. At the inquest Christobel stated that she had known Clarence Dare in New York, having met him first at a dance in that city, and casually on various occasions later. Asked if he and Vandyken were intimate, she answered that according to common report they were, and so like one another as to be called the “ Siamese Twins ;” but affirmed (without being asked) that until the interview on the moors she had never seen them together. As she was quite unable to throw any light on what happened on that occasion, her examina- tion did not last long, and nobody else being there to give testimony of any importance, the jury brought in a verdict of ‘‘ Accidental Death,” but appended a rider to the effect that there were circumstances in the case of grave suspicion against a person or persons unknown. Vandyken all this time remained invisible, and the examination of his luggage left behind at Sir Edward’s gave no clue as to his possible whereabouts. But the mystery of his disappearance was soon partially solved by the news of his ruin. The failure was gigantic, and the cablegram announcing it declared it also to be fraudulent. Vandyken suddenly figured as a daring and unscrupulous adventurer, who, for a time, had imposed himself successfully on the financial world of New York. His real name even appeared unknown. Clarence Dare had evidently come to England as a messenger of evil tidings. Vandyken, on hearing his news, found the game was ‘up, and presumably thought that the sooner he departed, leaving no trace behind him, the better. ‘This, the charitable-minded, considered was quite sufficient explanation of his flight, between which and Dare’s death there was not necessarily any connection. ECORMIELIOO KS (E00) m