CHAPTER XV
STOLEN GOODS!
The girl stood watching the brooding Englishman and the American, cheerful and alert again, pass about a turn of the deck. Then she left the rail, and laughed as she confessed to herself that she was waiting, with undeniable impatience, for the afternoon.
She sat at luncheon at a table quite distant from the one to which young Preston and the Englishman were assigned, but she noticed that they had both finished and left the salon before she came in.
Directly after luncheon she sought out her book and, as she went up on deck, she discovered that the deck steward had replaced Preston's chair beside hers and thrown his steamer rug over it. But the American himself had not yet appeared.
Though it was not yet three, something made her apprehensive and kept her from sensing the pages she turned as she tried to read; but she smiled her disturbance away. Yet a moment later, as Mr. Dunneston passed her once and again on his measured tramp about the deck, she hailed him.
"I am wondering where that rude cabin-mate of yours is, Mr. Dunneston," she said lightly. "See. I let him have his chair moved about here again; but he doesn't seem to care to occupy it."
"Mr. Preston?"
"Yes."
"Oh, but I say, I am sure it is unintentional, Miss Varris!" the Englishman assured. "I say, surely he doesn't mean that. I saw him but a moment back; and really, you know, I am convinced he meant to be here. But he was detained quite unavoidably—oh, entirely unavoidably!"
"But that was what I was fearing, Mr. Dunneston," the girl said. "He was being unavoidably detained—how and why?"
"Oh, they that were—ah—detaining him seemed rather to fancy," the Englishman explained deprecatingly, "that he had stolen the pool."
"The pool paid to-day?" the girl asked. "You mean that it has been taken already, and they think that Mr. Preston took it?"
"Oh, but I say, if he did, he hid it so cleverly away at once," the Briton reassured, "that they could not find it upon him; and there was absolutely nothing to prove he took it."
"Then why did they detain him?"
"Oh, Close-Stuart, you know, had just had it paid to him there in bank notes, as usual, before us all in the smoking-room. And he had been drinking a bit, you know, and was just the trifle poggled. So in rather American taste—I beg pardon, really, in bad taste only, I meant—he stuffed it into his outside jacket-pocket; and a moment later, when a number of them were crowding out of the smoking-room, he was joggled a bit by Mr. Preston, and when he next put his hand into his pocket, I say, the pool had quite vanished. But after some—ah—deliberation, I take it that they are going to let matters stand as they were a bit longer till we can get the answer by the 'wireless' which we were trying to get this morning."
"What answer, Mr. Dunneston?" the girl started up suddenly. "What are you expecting now from the 'wireless'?"
The Englishman was leaning down and critically examining the rug in the chair next to hers.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, Mr. Dunneston," she remembered herself. "Won't you sit down?"
"Thank you; not now. I was merely examining the rug. Distinctive this one, what? It is Mr. Preston's?"
"Yes; why?"
"I was merely thinking it fortunate that he has so distinctive a one; for I rather fancy that, if he is not Mr. Manling, as you claim,
"And really, you know, I almost wish he might get away with this 'wireless' business, too"
Miss Varris, and as, of course, we all—ah—hope, that this will finally and conclusively clear him!"
"And if he is, Mr. Dunneston?"
"As finally and conclusively prove him so!"
"How?"
"Well, you see, in any general description, when the one who saw the man cannot personally identify him, there is of necessity an element of uncertainty and inconclusiveness. We have allowed that to lie in Mr. Preston's favor. But if he is found in possession of goods stolen by Mr. Manling, which can be precisely and accurately designated by mark and number, there can no longer be an element of uncertainty."
"I see. And this is what you have sent for and are expecting now from the 'wireless'?"
"Precisely, Miss Varris. The captain is now expecting, momentarily, a word from the police. They have been hunting up the London dealer who shipped the steamer box and rug now carried by Mr. Manling to their—ah—former owner at Southampton. We have asked for his identifying mark, the number stamped on the box, and the serial number of the lock. The Hibernia, still following us, is making an effort to keep in communication with shore, so she can act as relay ship for our message. She could get no acknowledgment from the land late this morning. However, as our operator went down to lunch, she was trying with a higher current; so by this time, since the operator is now returned, we ought to have our answer."
"Then if this rug is not the one taken at Southampton, it can prove absolutely that Mr. Preston is not Manling?"
"Quite so! That is, of course, we hope so!"
"Thank you, Mr. Dunneston!" the young American's voice broke in. "He has been giving you latest developments, Miss Varris? Well, I certainly missed my alibi this time, didn't I? But I can't see how I can possibly need it much longer now. Some of the true British sportsmen in the smoking-room are beginning to complain that it is entirely contrary to the spirit of our agreement, which the captain accepted, that he keep on trying to get information from the shore. They want to catch Manling themselves. But I can't say that I am ardently with them in favor of a further delay for their amusement. Ah—here comes the second officer now, with the long-expected 'wireless,' I think. And I'm glad. Mr. Manling has managed, somehow, to confuse me with himself; but I can't quite see how he can make me have the things he stole. It was really becoming just a bit too much."
He waited beside his chair, confidently; but the girl, glancing at him, arose and stood beside him, as if a little apprehensive of something.
"Your rug, this, Mr. Preston?" the officer asked.
"Mine, sir!"
The officer compared it carefully with the message in his hand.
"I believe this is quite clear, sir!" he said. "But to make all absolutely certain, will you wait for the captain? He has gone down, with the steward, to your cabin to examine the box."
"Thank you!" the American acknowledged triumphantly.
"The captain, sir!" The officer brought Preston back from his quick exchange of glances with the girl.
The captain cautiously spoke a moment with his aid.
"Mr—er—Preston," he began then, facing the young American, "believe me, sir, I personally regret exceedingly that I must act as I am obliged to upon receipt of these advices; for I must say, sir, that I so admire your extraordinary audacity in making this plan which—but for the 'wireless'—I actually believe you could have carried out against us all, that I wish, for my own gratification, that I could continue merely to stand by and watch you play your game out. I regret exceedingly, therefore, the receipt of these advices which necessitate my placing you under arrest!"
"Placing me under arrest, sir?" the young American demanded.
"Under arrest?" the girl echoed. "Oh, you mean that Mr. Manling has this time—"
"I repeat," the captain said more sternly, "I repeat, sir, that personally I greatly admire the simplicity of your scheme, by which you concealed your own money and paved the way for stealing ours. And I will not now say," he went on, turning to the girl, "whether he was capable of robbing even you, his friend, to perfect his plan, or you were foolish enough to feign your part to assist him. But in either case, I can only admire his calmness and temerity in stealing, packing, and then sending down to this ship, as his own, the box and rug delivered into the rooms of his last victim at Southampton.
"I could not say that even there he overreached himself either—had he but remembered the 'wireless.' The difficulty of identifying the articles upon his arrival at New York would have undoubtedly permitted his escape there. But clearly he had not counted upon the 'wireless,' and however cleverly he played the rest of his audacious game, he must now pay the penalty of his single oversight. I am sincerely sorry that it appears to be so heavy a one.
"For in the king's name I now arrest you, Mr. Preston-Manling, upon the twenty-seven charges here enumerated, ranging through all manner of theft and larceny to the shanghai-ing of an American citizen at Plymouth, and concluding with the crime at Southampton, in which, among other articles, you obtained that very distinctive plaid steamer rug now before me, acknowledged as yours and accurately described herein," he indicated the transcript of his message, "and also the leather travelling-box, Shibby, London, number 783, lock number 4721, also herein described, and corresponding in every mark and detail to yours in your cabin."
He turned to the girl then, as Preston still stood speechless.
"I am rather glad than otherwise," the officer said kindly, "that this has come up in your presence, Miss Varris. Ugly stories have connected you with connivance, at least, in this man's crimes. I do not credit them at all, my dear young lady. I would rather hold that one who has done all that is proved against him would not stick at harming even you, if it furthered his purpose. I am told that you merely met him while travelling this summer, and, therefore, you have done nothing more reprehensible than follow the dangerous practice of your country in making friends with one concerning whom you could know nothing. Therefore, I am glad, for your protection, that this has come up before you so that you can now govern yourself accordingly."
He waited a moment, as though he expected the girl to reply. Her face went white and then red as she looked at Preston. He had recovered himself, however, and moved quickly to spare her.
"Come, sir!" He spoke sharply to the officer. "I am ready to go with you, Captain!"
"Wait a moment, please!" the girl then commanded calmly. "I thank the captain," she said, half to the officer and half to the curious group which had gathered about, "for his wish to defend me, and his explanation that I had erred no more than in following the custom of my country in judging a friend for myself.
"You all have seen me here as a friend of Mr. Preston's; and he, one of mine. I am now so placed that I must declare before you all whether or not I also believe him to be the thief known as Manling. I think it is entirely absurd."
She caught her breath.
"Mr. Preston happened to mention to me day before yesterday that he had to buy a new rug and trunk—oh, box, of course—just before sailing. Has it occurred to the captain, who professes to admire Mr. Manling so greatly, that he might have managed to have these articles sold to Mr. Preston as—
"As he sold him his height, complexion, eyes, and hair, Miss Varris?" the captain asked satirically. "I will answer a Yankee question like a Yankee. Do you believe that yourself?"
The girl flushed.
"No," she said honestly, "I do not believe that that was the way he did it. I don't know how he does it, but—"
"Oh, I forgot to mention, Miss Varris," the captain broke her off impatiently, "as I did not think it would be needed, that the police have told me that they have finally fixed the identity of the thief at Southampton with the American who, under the name of Preston, bought the upper berth in the released cabin of Mrs. A. H. Burrett. The agent has recognized his description as the man whom he placed in that cabin with an Englishman named Mr. Dunneston. I think that is all."
The girl fell back.
"I told you that I was ready to go with you, Captain!" Preston repeated.
"But, Captain," Mr. Dunneston now checked the officer. He had moved from out of the group of the bystanders and stood as ally beside the girl. The circle about began to smile, anticipating amusement. "I say, Captain," he continued calmly, "don't you really agree that the established fact that Mr. Preston is—ah—Manling, is quite the best reason for not locking him up just yet a bit?"
"The best reason, sir?" the captain demanded.
"Precisely, sir," the other Englishman returned, unruffled, while his backers from the smoking-room applauded softly. "Precisely, Captain. If we did not know that he were Manling, really it would make little or no difference if you wished to lock him up. But being so, I assure you it will have a quite fatal effect—oh, an entirely fatal effect, sir, in the very satisfactory interest which has been aroused in the pools. And as he is now known, sir, and will be held directly responsible for whatever he does, there cannot be the slightest personal danger to any one in leaving him still at large.
"Moreover, sir, many of us feel that this action of yours is quite entirely contrary to the spirit of the agreement which you yourself accepted only yesterday to save you from embarrassment. When the man was still all unknown and a menace, you then gladly approved the compact, which he held to; but you did not, sir. It was quite right for you to get this information from shore, but not to use it, Captain. I have been speaking with many of the gentlemen of the smoking-room, and particularly with the two who have been robbed; and they agreed that it is required by the spirit of our agreement to permit Mr. Manling still to try to outwit us; and if he continues to do so without being caught here by any of us, we have agreed to bring no independent action against him, but, as a testimony to his audacity, leave him in undisturbed possession of the pools to purchase him fair defence upon his other charges.
"We ask you, therefore, under the spirit of our agreement, which he has kept and you must keep, to release Mr. Preston until the latest moment when you must rearrest him, Captain."
"And under the circumstances of an absurd mistake and a great wrong, Captain," the girl persisted, "you should release him and give him opportunity to prove the error."
"Well!" the captain cried, staring in bewilderment from one to the other. "You wish him released," he said to the group of men, "because you think he is Mr. Manling. And you," to the girl, "because you believe he is not! Really," he considered, "I can certainly see no danger to any one or anything, except you gentlemen's pools, if I leave him a bit. And it is within the realms of possibility, as this young lady feels, that I may be doing him a great wrong.
"Of course I cannot release you, sir," the captain turned back with a grim smile to his prisoner; "but I shan't insist upon confining you too closely, if I shall so completely spoil the passage for so many of my passengers. I stated how truly great is my admiration for you, sir. To prove my sincerity—as long as I can see no additional danger from you—I shall give myself the pleasure of watching you play out your game a little longer. Paroled to play it out with these gentlemen, sir!"