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Page 46
This caution and secrecy had been decided upon for one powerful reason.
If Arthur Dynecourt should prove guilty of being the author of his
cousin's incarceration, they were quite determined he should not escape
whatever punishment the law allowed. But the mystery could not be quite
cleared up until Sir Adrian's return to consciousness, when they hoped
to have some light thrown upon the matter from his own lips.
In the meantime, should Arthur hear of his cousin's rescue, and know
himself to be guilty of this dastardly attempt to murder, would he not
take steps to escape before the law should lay its iron grasp upon him?
All four conspirators are too ignorant of the power of the law to know
whether it would be justifiable in the present circumstances to place
him under arrest, or decide on waiting until Sir Adrian himself shall
be able to pronounce either his doom or his exculpation.
The doctor stays all night, and administers to the exhausted man, as
often as he dares, the nourishment and good things provided by the old
housekeeper.
When the morning is far advanced, Adrian, waking from a short but
refreshing slumber, looks anxiously around him. Florence, seeing this,
steps aside, as though to make way for Dora to go closer to him. But
Mrs. Talbot, covering her face with her hands, turns aside and sinks
into a chair.
Florence, much bewildered by this strange conduct, stands irresolute
beside the bed, hardly knowing what to do. Again she glances at the
prostrate man, and sees his eyes resting upon her with an expression in
them that makes her heart beat rapidly with sweet but sad recollections.
Then a faint voice falls upon her ear. It is so weak that she is obliged
to stoop over him to catch what he is trying to say.
"Darling, I owe you my life!"
With great feebleness he utters these words, accompanying them with a
glance of utter devotion. How can she mistake this glance, so full of
love and rapture? Perplexed in the extreme, she turns from him, as
though to leave him, but by a gesture he detains her.
"Do not leave me! Stay with me!" he entreats.
Once again, deeply distressed, she looks at Dora. Mrs. Talbot, rising,
says distinctly, but with a shamefaced expression--
"Do as he asks you. Believe me, by his side is your proper place, not
mine."
Saying this, she glides quickly from the room, and does not appear again
for several hours.
By luncheon-time it occurs to the guests that Arthur Dynecourt has not
been seen since last evening.
Ringwood, carrying this news to the sick-room, the little rescuing party
and their auxiliaries, the nurse and doctor, lay their heads together,
and decide that, doubtless, having discovered the escape of his
prisoner, and, dreading arrest, Arthur has quietly taken himself off,
and so avoided the trial and punishment which would otherwise have
fallen upon him.
Ringwood is now of opinion that they have acted unwisely in concealing
the discovery of Sir Adrian in the haunted chamber. By not speaking to
the others, they have given Dynecourt the opportunity of getting away
safely, and without causing suspicion.
"Is it not an almost conclusive proof of his guilt, his running away in
this cowardly fashion?" says Ethel Villiers. "I think papa and Lady
FitzAlmont and everybody should now be told."
So Ringwood, undertaking the office of tale-bearer, goes down-stairs,
and, bringing together all the people still remaining in the house,
astounds them by his revelation of the discovery and release of Sir
Adrian.
The nearest magistrate is sent for, and the case being laid before him,
together with the still further evidence given by Sir Adrian himself,
who has told them in a weak whisper of Arthur's being privy to his
intention of searching the haunted chamber for Florence's bangle on that
memorable day of his disappearance, the magistrate issues a warrant for
the arrest of Arthur Dynecourt.
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