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Page 91
"First I ever heard of it, then," said Glassdale. "And that's
a fact, too!"
"He'd also a very close friend named Ransford--Mark Ransford,"
continued Bryce. "This Ransford was best man at Brake's
wedding."
"Never heard him speak of Ransford, nor of any wedding!"
affirmed Glassdale. "All news to me, doctor."
"This Ransford is now in practice in Wrychester," said Bryce.
"And he has two young people living with him as his wards--a
girl of twenty, a boy of seventeen--who are, without doubt,
John Brake's children. It is the daughter that I want to
marry."
Glassdale shook his head as if in sheer perplexity.
"Well, all I can say is, you surprise me!" he remarked. "I'd
no idea of any such thing."
"Do you think Brake came to Wrychester because of that?" asked
Bryce.
"How can I answer that, sir, when I tell you that I never
heard him breathe one word of any children?" exclaimed
Glassdale. "No! I know his reason for coming to Wrychester.
It was wholly and solely--as far as I know--to tell the Duke
here about that jewel business, the secret of which had been
entrusted to Brake and me by a man on his death-bed in
Australia. Brake came to Wrychester by himself--I was to join
him next morning: we were then to go to see the Duke together.
When I got to Wrychester, I heard of Brake's accident, and
being upset by it, I went away again and waited some days
until yesterday, when I made up my mind to tell the Duke
myself, as I did, with very fortunate results. No, that's the
only reason I know of why Brake came this way. I tell you I
knew nothing at all of his family affairs! He was a very
close man, Brake, and apart from his business matters, he'd
only one idea in his head, and that was lodged there pretty
firmly, I can assure you!"
"What was it?" asked Bryce.
"He wanted to find a certain man--or, rather, two men--who'd
cruelly deceived and wronged him, but one of 'em in
particular," answered Glassdale. "The particular one he
believed to be in Australia, until near the end, when he got
an idea that he'd left for England; as for the other, he
didn't bother much about him. But the man that he did want!
--ah, he wanted him badly!"
"Who was that man?" asked Bryce.
"A man of the name of Falkiner Wraye," answered Glassdale
promptly. "A man he'd known in London. This Wraye, together
with his partner, a man called Flood, tricked Brake into
lending 'em several thousands pounds--bank's money, of course
--for a couple of days--no more--and then clean disappeared,
leaving him to pay the piper! He was a fool, no doubt, but
he'd been mixed up with them; he'd done it before, and they'd
always kept their promises, and he did it once too often. He
let 'em have some thousands; they disappeared, and the bank
inspector happened to call at Brake's bank and ask for his
balances. And--there he was. And--that's why he'd Falkiner
Wraye on his mind--as his one big idea. T'other man was a
lesser consideration, Wraye was the chief offender."
"I wish you'd tell me all you know about Brake," said Bryce
after a pause during which he had done some thinking.
"Between ourselves, of course."
"Oh--I don't know that there's so much secrecy!" replied
Glassdale almost indifferently. "Of course, I knew him first
when we were both inmates of--you understand where; no need
for particulars. But after we left that place, I never saw
him again until we met in Australia a few years ago. We were
both in the same trade--speculating in wool. We got pretty
thick and used to see each other a great deal, and of course,
grew confidential. He told me in time about his affair, and
how he'd traced this Wraye to the United States, and then, I
think, to New Zealand, and afterwards to Australia, and as I
was knocking about the country a great deal buying up wool, he
asked me to help him, and gave me a description of Wraye, of
whom, he said, he'd certainly heard something when he first
landed at Sydney, but had never been able to trace afterwards.
But it was no good--I never either saw or heard of Wraye--and
Brake came to the conclusion he'd left Australia. And I know
he hoped to get news of him, somehow, when we returned to
England."
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